Chapter 105
Only then did Ming Yu turn his focus back to the pitch-pot game. The host had already stepped forward, following protocol, and handed each of them eight arrows. Ming Yu glanced at the arrows, weighing them lightly in his hands. They were essentially similar to real arrows, except they lacked iron arrowheads.
Worried that Ming Yu and the others might not be familiar with the rules, the host gave a brief explanation before bowing and stepping back, leaving the field open for the two of them.
Ming Yu examined the pitch-pot set up a few meters ahead. The pot had a small opening, a round belly, and a slender neck. It was filled with red beans or similar materials to prevent the arrows from bouncing out upon entry.
After gauging the distance and considering his aim for a while, Ming Yu realized just how difficult this game was. Sneaking a glance at Xie Yixiu, he saw that the man appeared completely unfazed. Tch! Oh well. Even if he didn’t land a single arrow, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
With that thought, he felt more at ease. He closed his eyes, ready to throw the arrows blindly. After all, given his level of skill, it made no difference whether he had his eyes open or closed.
Just then, a warm and dry hand rested on the back of his. Ming Yu froze. Turning his head slightly, he caught a glimpse of a familiar profile. Xie Yixiu was standing close beside him, his hand firmly covering Ming Yu’s own.
“This isn’t the right way to throw it. Let me help you,” Xie Yixiu’s low, slightly raspy voice murmured near his ear, his breath brushing against Ming Yu’s skin.
Ming Yu’s heartbeat quickened, and his face turned crimson in an instant. Even the tips of his ears burned hot.
What was wrong with him? He tugged at his collar with his free hand. Hmm, the sun was bright today, and this outfit did seem a bit too thick.
Xie Yixiu guided his hand in an arc, and the arrow slipped from his fingers, soaring through the air. For a moment, the entire field fell silent. Then, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted.
Ming Yu, puzzled, looked over and saw an arrow trembling in the smallest opening of the pitch-pot, its feathered tail still quivering slightly.
“Did that go in?” Ming Yu asked, bewildered. He had been too distracted to even notice how he had thrown it.
Xie Yixiu released Ming Yu’s hand and gently clenched his fist, giving it a slight squeeze. A rare softness appeared on his face as he nodded and responded with a quiet “Mm.”
Only then did Ming Yu belatedly register his excitement. “This is great! Come on, let’s continue—sweep the whole field!” He made his declaration with high spirits.
He hadn’t realized before that General Xie was such a big shot. The man had clearly said he wasn’t good at this, yet the moment he made a move, it was extraordinary. Just looking at the reactions of those around them made that clear.
The gasps and cheers from the crowd had already drawn the attention of others nearby, who had no idea what had just happened. Whether they had been drinking and composing poetry, dancing, or playing music, they all set aside what they were doing and hurried over to see the commotion.
Soon, the area around the pitch-pot game was completely surrounded. After learning what had happened, no one was willing to leave. They hadn’t witnessed the astonishing moment with their own eyes earlier, and now, there was no way they were going to miss the rest.
Li Tonghe and Shangguan Ling, who had been in the middle of a heated argument, also paused and squeezed to the front for a better view. Shangguan Ling stared at the arrow standing upright in the pot, unable to believe his eyes. “Is this real? Did Duan Wang really just throw that in?”
Someone nearby, still recovering from their shock, finally managed to answer, “It’s real. To be precise, it was General Xie who personally guided Duan Wang’s hand to throw it in.”
This was simply unbelievable. Even the Third Prince, who was known to be the best at pitch-pot in the capital, had never landed a shot in the center pot! No wonder the entire crowd was erupting with excitement.
Ming Yu chuckled and looked at Xie Yixiu teasingly. “Well, well, who would’ve thought? Turns out you’re a hidden master. When did you secretly practice?”
“I haven’t practiced. This was my first time playing pitch-pot,” Xie Yixiu explained.
Ming Yu didn’t believe him. Was he trying to fool people? Hitting the target perfectly on the first try—who would believe that?
Seeing the skepticism on Ming Yu’s face, Xie Yixiu sighed helplessly. “I swear it’s the truth. In reality, pitch-pot isn’t all that different from archery. Compared to hitting a target a hundred paces away, this is nothing.”
Ah. That was right—Ming Yu had completely forgotten. Xie Yixiu’s archery skills were unmatched throughout the borderlands. Back in the day, he had shot Tuoba Ren within an army of thousands, leaving the man half-dead. That alone spoke volumes. This wasn’t about Ming Yu being bad at the game; it was about Xie Yixiu being overpowered!
The game’s host came over to tally the score, clear the field, and then, with great excitement, invited them to continue.
Ming Yu flashed a grin. “Shall we keep going?”
Xie Yixiu looked at the bright smile in Ming Yu’s eyes. The warmth from their brief touch still seemed to linger in his palm. He squeezed his fingers slightly, a faint redness creeping up to his ears, and said, “If Wang Ye is willing…”
“Of course! You hit the target with one shot—I wouldn’t have been able to do that no matter what. Look at the crowd—so many people watching! Let’s show them what we’ve got and blind them with our skills,” Ming Yu urged, full of enthusiasm.
If they stayed in the spotlight like this, wouldn’t all the young ladies be swooning over Xie Yixiu? They’d be chasing after him in no time! Then, Ming Yu wouldn’t have to worry about matchmaking at all. The more he thought about it, the more he felt this was a brilliant idea. Draw attention, impress the crowd—he refused to believe those noble ladies would be able to resist.
Unaware of Ming Yu’s thoughts, Xie Yixiu simply responded with a quiet “Yes” and, just as before, took Ming Yu’s hand once more.
Although his heartbeat quickened, Xie Yixiu’s voice remained as calm and cool as ever. “Wang Ye, you need to keep your eyes sharp and your hands steady. Apply a little finesse with your wrist, and just guide it lightly like this…”
As soon as he finished speaking, the arrow in Ming Yu’s hand was released under his guidance and flew toward the pot.
Another perfect shot. Just like the first one. Everyone froze in shock. The first success could be called luck, but a second, identical hit? That was undeniable proof of unparalleled skill.
“Brilliant!” The crowd erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. This was the highlight of the garden festival—the most spectacular moment in years. Even the Third Prince himself had never received such a roar of admiration.
Shangguan Ling’s face turned red, her ears burning, and the corners of her lips stretched into an uncontrollable grin. She clutched her chest—oh heavens! What had she just witnessed? This… this was simply too much for her to handle! No, she had to find Sister Ru Hua and the others right away.
Fortunately, her group of friends wasn’t far away. Each of them was just as starry-eyed as she was, their expressions equally dazed with admiration.
The young woman who had just been dancing saw Shangguan Ling and immediately grabbed her. “Sister Ling! Sister Ling! I can hardly breathe—hurry, hurry, slap me awake!”
Another girl was so excited that she could barely form a coherent sentence. “Sister Ling, this is perfect material for a story! We have to start drafting the plot immediately so Sister Ru Hua can illustrate it. We absolutely must capture these two—ahhh! Just imagining it is enough to make me swoon!”
Shangguan Ling was just as thrilled. “Yes! Yes! We have a new story in the making. I’m overflowing with inspiration—I’ll write it as soon as we get back!”
Ru Hua’s eyes gleamed as she stared intently at the two figures without even blinking. She mumbled under her breath, “Yes… just a little closer. If one of them could wrap their arms around the other from behind, that would be perfect. I need to sketch this down…”
“This story is going to make us a fortune once it’s released!”
Before long, half of the arrows had already been used up. Under Xie Yixiu’s guidance, Ming Yu’s aim was flawless—every shot hit its mark with ease. It was almost too simple.
He took a moment to scan the crowd’s reactions—of course, his main focus was on the women. The results were as expected. Just look at them—eyes glowing, faces full of adoration, barely holding themselves back. Any sense of restraint or modesty had long been abandoned.
Since the effect was exactly what he wanted, it was time for him to make a graceful exit, leaving Xie Yixiu to bask alone in the admiration of the ladies.
Handing the remaining arrows to Xie Yixiu, Ming Yu said, “Here, I’m feeling a bit tired. How about you take over, General Xie? I’ll take this chance to rest.” With that, he turned and stepped down from the field.
“…..” Xie Yixiu was reluctant to break the atmosphere they had just shared, but he didn’t stop Ming Yu from leaving. However, the moment Ming Yu stepped away, Xie Yixiu turned, raised his hand, and released five arrows simultaneously. All five arrows flew straight into five different targets, each one landing flawlessly.
Having already exhausted his patience while teaching Ming Yu earlier, he figured he might as well get it over with in one go—anything else would just be a waste of time.
A collective gasp swept through the audience. Was this even humanly possible?
Ming Yu was stunned as well. This… was this guy even human? Most people would struggle to land a perfect shot even when aiming carefully one at a time, yet he had casually fired five at once—and all of them hit? Did he really have to show off like this?
But the effect was undeniably impressive. Just look at the crowd of girls—completely overwhelmed. They had clearly been dazzled by Xie Yixiu’s display. Among them were the two young women Ming Yu had noticed earlier—the ones who had been dancing and playing the zither. Their gazes were practically burning with intensity. If social etiquette didn’t restrain them, they probably would have thrown themselves at him by now.
Xie Yixiu returned to Ming Yu’s side, and Ming Yu gave him a thumbs-up in approval. There was no need to even check the scores—everyone already knew who had won first place.
Although Ming Yu felt a little disappointed that Xie Yixiu hadn’t stayed on the field longer to showcase more of his skills, he was still quite pleased.
Once Xie Yixiu stepped down, the game lost much of its excitement. The spectators gradually dispersed, returning to their own activities.
Ming Yu and Xie Yixiu strolled leisurely through the garden. The Eldest Princess’s estate was filled with rare and exotic flowers, breathtaking scenery, and meticulously designed landscapes. Each winding path or unexpected turn revealed a new, stunning sight.
Not far behind them, a small group of girls followed at a discreet distance—it was none other than Shangguan Ling and her friends. Every time Ming Yu and Xie Yixiu turned back to glance at them, the girls would hurriedly look away, feigning nonchalance. Their behavior was highly suspicious.
Ming Yu had already noticed and was secretly pleased. Those young women must have been captivated by General Xie’s charm; that’s why they had followed along. However, since they hadn’t approached, it was likely due to their shyness. After all, young women had thin skin and wouldn’t just casually come up to strike a conversation.
The more Ming Yu thought about it, the more it made sense. Since that was the case, the only solution was to have Xie Yixiu take the initiative.
He placed a hand on Xie Yixiu’s shoulder and asked, “General Xie, do you prefer a refined and gentle woman, a soft and delicate one, or someone lively and cheerful?”
Walking alongside Ming Yu, Xie Yixiu felt an unusual sense of tranquility, as if time had stilled. He wished they could continue like this forever. When he heard Ming Yu’s question, he didn’t react immediately and instead responded with a puzzled, “Hmm?”
Ming Yu grinned mischievously and tugged at him. “Look behind you—those young women following us must have been drawn in by your charm just now. I’m telling you, if you like a certain type, don’t hesitate. Just make your move, and I guarantee she won’t be able to escape your grasp.”
“Why would I make a move?” Xie Yixiu asked coolly.
“Uh—wait! No, listen, this is a great opportunity! Look at you, you’re already past twenty and still don’t have a wife. People your age already have kids running errands for them! How are you not anxious about this?” Ming Yu spoke with concern. “You know, I’ve never been interested in social gatherings, let alone participated in them. This time, I specifically asked the Eldest Princess to get you this opportunity. There are so many beauties at this garden party—just pick someone you like, and I’ll help set things up for you. And if I can’t, the Eldest Princess surely can.”
Xie Yixiu gave him a strange look and said, “So, Wang Ye brought me to this garden party just to arrange a match for me?”
Ming Yu awkwardly rubbed his nose. He had never played matchmaker before—this was his first time feeling his way through. “Heh heh! As long as you understand, just know that I’m doing this out of concern for you.”
Xie Yixiu let out a long sigh and said, “I had thought Wang Ye was looking for someone special for himself.”
Ming Yu immediately jumped and shook his head repeatedly. “No such thing! Absolutely not!” Then, suddenly realizing something, he snapped back, “Hey! I’m talking about your business here—don’t drag me into it!”
A hint of amusement flickered in Xie Yixiu’s eyes. So he had been feeling sour for nothing all this time? What should he do? He realized he might never be able to let go of this moment for the rest of his life!
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