His Highness the Madman gave in again today.

The palace banquet was held in the Imperial Garden.

As dusk settled, the lights in the garden gradually came on.

Palace servants, carrying glass lanterns, moved through the corridors, illuminating the entire garden as if it were daytime.

The open space in front of the main hall was filled with long tables covered with brocade, on which various delicacies and fine wines were displayed.

The plum blossoms on both sides had not yet all fallen, and their subtle fragrance, mixed with the aroma of wine, drifted in the night breeze.

The envoys from the three kingdoms have been led to their seats.

The envoy from the Northern Di Kingdom sat on the left, while several burly men, dressed in formal brocade robes, still couldn't hide their wild nature.

They held their wine cups, their eyes curiously scanning their surroundings, occasionally whispering to each other.

The people from Cangwu Kingdom sat at the far left. Jiang Shiyu had changed into a scarlet palace dress, her hair was styled in a high bun, and a golden hairpin swayed gently in the candlelight, making her bright face even more dazzling.

She held her teacup with elegant posture, her gaze subtly sweeping over the person in the main seat.

The people from Qingyue Kingdom sat at the far right.

Shen Hanzhou remained dressed in a moon-white robe, sitting there quietly, like a bamboo stalk untouched by dust.

The wine cup and teacup in front of him remained untouched; he only occasionally raised his eyes to glance at the flowering trees in the distance.

The officials accompanying Da Chen also arrived early.

Gu Jinzhi, the head of all officials of the Great Chen Dynasty, and his fiancée, Wen Zhixia, the Minister of Revenue of the Great Chen Dynasty, sat at the head of the table on the right, next to the Qingyue Kingdom and opposite the Beidi Kingdom and the Cangwu Kingdom.

Below, there were other officials, with civil officials sitting on one side and military officers on the other.

Yan Qing, Yuan Zhao, Han Xiao, Lu Jin, Ya Zi, and Chu Tianxiong, who guarded the border city and came back specifically to attend Wen Zhixia's wedding, were all present.

Amidst the sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments, everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of His Majesty and Empress of the Great Chen Dynasty, at which point the banquet would officially begin.

Finally, a eunuch's loud announcement came from the banquet entrance: "His Majesty has arrived! Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"

All eyes turned to the entrance of the banquet hall.

The emperor and empress entered side by side.

Feng Xingyu wore a black dragon robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon.

His steps were steady, neither hurried nor slow.

The light from the glass lamp fell on his face, making his dark red eyes look like rubies dipped in blood.

Deep and cold, with a touch of inhuman eeriness.

The envoys from the three kingdoms all held their breath as they looked at his face, especially his red eyes.

Everyone had long heard that the Emperor of Da Chen was born with red eyes and an astonishingly beautiful appearance. Now that they saw him with their own eyes, they were greatly shocked.

Beside him stood Mo Sangyu, dressed in a moon-white palace gown, her silver hair flowing like a waterfall, as if moonlight had solidified into threads, cascading down from the top of her head.

With that exquisite and beautiful face, she was so beautiful that she seemed like a fairy descended from heaven, making her seem somewhat unreal.

The envoys from the Northern Di Kingdom exchanged glances, concealing their thoughts and daring not to reveal them easily.

In contrast, Princess Jiang Shiyu of Cangwu Kingdom fixed her gaze on Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu as soon as they appeared.

There are people who are this good-looking!

It's one thing for His Majesty the Emperor to be handsome, but how come His Majesty the Empress is also so beautiful?

She was the most beautiful woman in Cangwu Kingdom, but even she couldn't surpass their beauty.

Should I still marry him?

Even if I marry into that family, I probably still can't compete with this celestial goddess.

Jiang Shiyu could not hide her excitement. As the eldest princess, if she were not concerned about the face of Cangwu Kingdom and had to maintain her image, she would have been bursting with excitement.

"Princess, please be more reserved."

The maid standing beside her hissed softly and said in a low voice, "Let go quickly, you're hurting me."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Jiang Shiyu quickly released her grip on the maid's hand and sat up straight.

I almost forgot, I need to maintain a presentable image.

The one with the calmest reaction was Shen Hanzhou from Qingyue Kingdom.

Although he looked towards the banquet entrance immediately, his expression remained almost unchanged.

On the other hand, the civil and military officials on the Da Chen side, upon seeing their emperor and empress enter, all wore expressions of immense pride and smugness as they looked at the envoys from the three kingdoms with haughty and arrogant expressions.

Feng Xingyu, holding Mo Sangyu's hand, slowly walked towards the main seat under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Mo Sangyu glanced around, a faint smile playing on her lips, trying her best to be a dignified empress.

The two took their seats in the main seats.

Everyone rose and bowed to the Emperor and Empress.

Feng Xingyu raised his eyes and swept his gaze over, his deep voice indifferent yet authoritative: "No need for formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Everyone straightened up and sat down again.

The banquet officially started.

The palace servants filed in, carrying steaming hot dishes to the long table.

The aroma of wine mingled with the fragrance of food, spreading in the night breeze.

"Esteemed envoys, you have come from afar and are all guests. Please do not stand on ceremony and enjoy yourselves."

As soon as Feng Xingyu finished speaking, the sound of silk and bamboo instruments suddenly became melodious. Outside the palace, dancers dressed in colorful clothes entered gracefully with light steps. Their flowing sleeves fluttered like butterflies dancing among flowers.

Mo Sangyu sat to one side, her silver hair falling over her shoulders, her white dress making her skin look even whiter than snow.

She didn't speak, but lowered her eyes and took a sip of tea, her gaze subtly sweeping over the people at the table.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. The scenery of Dachen is absolutely beautiful, and Your Majesty and the Empress are even more divine. We have truly broadened our horizons today!" The rough voice of the Northern Di envoy rang out.

Jiang Shiyu quickly composed herself, picked up her wine cup, and smiled gently on her bright face: "This princess has come to offer her congratulations on the orders of my king. May the Great Chen Dynasty prosper and may the Grand Secretary Gu and Minister Wen have a long and happy marriage."

Having said that, he boldly downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

"Thank you for your blessing, Princess." Gu Jinzhi and Wen Zhixia raised their glasses together.

Shen Hanzhou slowly picked up his wine cup, raised it to everyone, and simply said, "Congratulations in advance to Lord Gu and Lord Wen on your marriage!"

"Thank you," Gu Jinzhi replied.

After a round of polite conversation, amidst the singing and dancing, and the clinking of glasses, a palace banquet fraught with hidden tensions truly began.

After several rounds of drinks, the main event finally arrived.

The Northern Di Kingdom was the first to lose its composure.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."

The Northern Barbarian envoy put down his wine cup, chuckled gruffly, and looked at the person in the main seat: "We are rough men. Although the songs and dances in this palace are beautiful, we get bored after a while. Why don't we take advantage of this fine night and do something more interesting?"

"Oh?"

Feng Xingyu lightly tapped the jade cup with his long, slender fingers, his dark red eyes slightly raised, his face revealing no emotion: "I wonder, what game does the envoy wish to play?"

"We, the men of the Northern Di, have been skilled in riding and archery since childhood. Shooting eagles with a bow is a common occurrence for us. We have heard that the Empress of the Great Chen Dynasty is an extraordinary archer. She once single-handedly unleashed ten thousand arrows at once, a feat that shook the heavens and the earth. We have long admired her, but have never had the chance to witness it."

"How about we have an archery competition today?"

"If the Northern Di are victorious, we dare not ask for anything else, but only to witness the Empress's superb archery skills. If the Empress is victorious, the Northern Di are willing to present the national treasure bow as a prize to the Empress."

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent.

All eyes instantly fell on Mo Sangyu, who was in the main seat.

Mo Sangyu was waiting for these people to cause trouble. Upon hearing this, a hint of interest flashed in his eyes. He lazily raised his eyes and a faint but sharp smile appeared on his lips.

"I agree."

Feng Xingyu glanced at her sideways, a hint of indulgence flashing in his red eyes, and then ordered, "Prepare bows and arrows, and move to the open space of the training ground."

The palace servants accepted the order and quickly went to make arrangements.

The officials of Da Chen were incredibly excited to see the Empress shooting arrows.

Everyone left their seats and followed the Emperor and Empress to the open space of the training ground.

Before long, several targets were set up a hundred paces away, their bright red bullseye standing out against the night sky.

The guards brought out several fine bows, one of which was particularly exquisitely carved and had a sturdy body, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary object.

The Northern Barbarian envoy stepped forward and reiterated, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, we have only one request: for this competition to be truly convincing, Your Majesty must personally participate."

Mo Sangyu stepped forward slowly, her silver hair fluttering in the wind, her white dress under the lamplight appearing even more aloof and stunning.

She raised her hand, casually picked up a stiff bow, lightly touched the bowstring with her fingertips, and tested the strength: "That's natural."

As soon as she finished speaking, she looked up at the distant target, her eyes sparkling.

"How do we compare them?"

"The rules are simple."

The Northern Barbarian envoy cleared his throat, smiling with an honest and simple expression, but his eyes held a shrewd glint: "Each person has ten arrows. Whoever shoots most accurately wins."

"There are three rounds in total. In the first round, the target remains stationary. In the second round, the target moves. In the third round..."

He pointed to the air: "Shoot the target. You can shoot whatever you throw at it. It's not just about accuracy, but also about power."

After listening, Mo Sangyu nodded: "Okay."

The Northern Barbarian envoy was taken aback, clearly not expecting her to agree so readily.

They looked at Feng Xingyu.

Feng Xingyu remained calm, his meaning clear: "Do as you please, my wife is invincible."

Gu Jinzhi and Wen Zhixia exchanged a glance, neither of them showing any worry.

Yan Qing, Han Xiao, and other military generals were even more excited, rubbing their hands together, feeling that tonight's performance would be far more exciting than the song and dance.

Jiang Shiyu and Shen Hanzhou remained calm and observed silently.

Let's see how much truth there is to this rumor.

The first round begins.

The envoy from the Northern Barbarians was the first to step forward.

He took off his outer robe, revealing his muscular physique, assumed a horse stance, drew his bow, pulled it taut, and released it.

The arrow pierced the air and landed firmly in the bullseye a hundred paces away.

Ten arrows, each hitting the bullseye.

Not one deviated.

The men from the Northern Barbarians cheered and clapped their hands, their smiles wide and their eyes bulging.

The civil officials on Da Chen's side looked rather displeased.

Yan Qing leaned close to Yuan Zhao's ear and whispered, "Not bad."

That's it?

Yuan Zhao thought he could do it too.

Everyone else remained expressionless and continued reading.

It was Mo Sangyu's turn.

She walked over carrying her bow, her silver hair fluttering gently in the night breeze, the hem of her moonlit white dress trailing on the ground, making her look like a serene fairy who had stepped out of a painting.

Yan Qing couldn't help but mutter, "Isn't it a bit inconvenient for Your Majesty to be dressed like this?"

"It's convenient for her to wear anything," Ya Zi added from the side.

Mo Sangyu nocked an arrow and drew his bow.

The movement was very light and casual, as if he had just picked a leaf.

Let go.

The arrow flew out and struck the bullseye.

Then came the second arrow.

With a "snap," the second arrow struck the fletching of the first arrow, instantly splitting it in two and causing it to fall to the ground.

Seeing this, the Northern Di envoy thought that the Empress's archery skills were truly impressive.

The civil officials of Da Chen finally felt a sense of relief.

However, this is just the beginning.

Mo Sangyu was very fast; the third arrow, the fourth arrow, the fifth arrow…

Each arrow struck the fletching of the previous one, splitting it open and piercing it in, splitting it open and piercing it in.

After all ten arrows were shot, only the last one struck the bullseye; the other nine shattered and fell to the ground.

The Northern Barbarian envoy stared with his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time.

They looked at their ten arrows, neatly embedded in the bullseye, then at Mo Sangyu's arrow, and remained silent for a long time.

"How...how do we calculate this?"

Yan Qing shouted from behind, "Although your ten arrows are all in the bullseye, they're in different spots. But our Empress, all ten of your arrows hit the same spot. Is there even a question of who wins and who loses?"

The Northern Barbarian envoy cupped his hands in greeting, his face slightly flushed: "In the first round, Her Majesty the Empress wins."

Mo Sangyu looked at Feng Xingyu and asked in a low voice, "Am I bullying him a little?"

Feng Xingyu: "They wanted to play it themselves."

Ok.

The second round was more difficult.

The target moves.

The guards carried archery targets and ran back and forth on the training ground.

The Northern Barbarian envoy was serious this time, squinting and aiming for a long while before letting go.

The arrow flew after the moving target and pierced the bullseye.

All ten arrows hit their mark.

The men of the Northern Barbarians clapped their hands again, this time even louder, drawing unanimous eye-rolls from the officials of the Great Chen Dynasty.

When it was Mo Sangyu's turn, she sped up again.

Nock the arrow, draw the bow fully, release it—the movements remain relaxed and casual.

The arrow flew out, passed through the moving bullseye, pierced straight through, and embedded itself in the ground behind it.

Then came the second, the third, the fourth...

Each one went through that hole.

After all ten arrows were shot, there was only one hole in the bullseye.

Behind the target, ten arrows were neatly stuck into the ground.

The drill ground was completely silent.

The Northern Barbarian envoy rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then looked again at the hole in the bullseye. He wasn't seeing things.

That's really impressive.

Yan Qing shouted again, "The Empress wins the second round!"

The Northern Barbarian envoy took a deep breath, cupped his hands in greeting, and remained silent.

The third round arrived quickly.

Shoot the target.

The Northern Barbarian envoy said, "This round, it's not just about accuracy, but also about power. How about we shoot something harder, like a rock?"

"Okay." Mo Sangyu had no objection.

Yan Qing volunteered to stand up and throw stones.

He rolled up his sleeves, picked up a fist-sized rock, and threw it into the air.

The Northern Barbarian envoy reacted swiftly and immediately shot an arrow.

The arrow struck the stone squarely, causing it to shatter and scatter debris everywhere.

Six blocks in a row, all of them hitting the target.

The men of the Northern Barbarians finally regained their spirits, clapping their hands and shouting.

For the seventh piece, Yan Qing changed the pattern.

He threw one piece to the left, one piece to the right, one piece in front, and one piece behind.

The Northern Barbarian envoy chased after the stones and shot at them, but two of them still managed to hit the ground.

He put down the bow, took a breath, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Ten arrows hit eight stones, six of which were shattered, two were hit, and two fell to the ground.

Honestly, this level is already quite impressive.

Even Yan Qing secretly admired him.

The Northern Barbarian envoy stepped forward and picked up the stone.

He handed the stone to the person behind him, who took out a handful of pebbles from his sleeve and handed them to him.

They replaced the stones with pebbles the size of a fingernail.

The Northern Barbarian envoy looked at Mo Sangyu and smiled憨厚ly: "Your Majesty, it's your turn."