“All right, I lost. What do you want?” Su Mingfeng replied readily.
“After this competition, how about celebrating and drinking with me?”
Su Mingfeng asked in confusion, “But why are you celebrating? Is there anything to be happy about?”
“Not now, but soon.” Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow. “It’ll be something worth being happy about.”
On the stage, Shen Miao handed the apple to Cai Lin.
Cai Lin’s hand was trembling as he took the apple. He asked, “Shen Miao, have you ever learned archery?”
“No.” Shen Miao smiled at him. “This is the first time I’ve touched a bow. I have three arrows, so I have three chances to learn it.”
Cai Lin shuddered and looked at Shen Miao in disbelief. “Are you messing with me?”
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Just now, Shen Miao looked calm and composed, as if she was used to doing this with people. He thought that Shen Miao must be familiar with it. After all, Shen Xin was a mighty general, so it was possible for him to teach his daughter archery. But now, Shen Miao actually said that this was the first time she ever touched a bow.
How dare she!
He said, “You obviously can’t hit the applet. Won’t I be losing my life for nothing?”
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“Young Master Cai, don’t be ridiculous,” Shen Miao said calmly. Her voice was neither loud nor soft, and when she spoke, everyone could hear her. Everyone looked at the girl in purple who was frowning with her eyes cast down, looking aggressive.
“When Young Master Cai challenged me to go on stage just now, you didn’t ask me if I knew how to shoot. When you shot at me just now, he didn’t ask me if I would die. Why did you ask me if I knew archery when it was my turn?”
These words made Cai Lin speechless. Indeed, he was just venting his anger for Shen Yue and deliberately challenged Shen Miao to archery. But now, he had shot himself in the foot.
“Miss Shen, my son is naughty and mischievous. I apologize to you on his behalf. Don’t take it to heart. It’s just that you really know nothing about archery. This will inevitably cause an accident, and it won’t be good for either of you.” Lord Cai finally couldn’t help but speak up. As soon as he spoke, he blushed. However, he really had no choice. Although it was embarrassing, it was better than losing his youngest son.
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However, Shen Miao would never be fooled by an official. She had dealt with the Xiongnu, the royal family of the State of Qin, and the emperor of Ming Qi. She really did not care about officials.
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Therefore, everyone watched as Shen Miao raised her chin. Lord Cai was standing below the stage, so from afar, he looked like a minister crawling under Shen Miao’s feet.
She said, “Lord Cai, I bet my life on it just now. Now it’s Cai Lin’s turn to bet his life on it. The life and death contract has been established. It’s written clearly in the paper. Even if I shoot him to death today, it will have nothing to do with me.”
Without waiting for Lord Cai to speak, she continued, “People have to keep their word. This rule was proposed by Cai Lin. If you go back on your word now, will you also go back on your words in the Imperial Court when the tide is against you?”
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