Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

Bai Su ignored her completely and bowed to Hu Yi, saying, "Your Highness, please send someone to bring some vegetables from the Western Regions, cucumbers, I have a wonderful use for them."

Hu Yu readily agreed.

After all, she didn't want to miss such a good show.

Soon, someone was ordered to bring over the cucumbers.

Bai Su stroked her chin and, amidst everyone's curious gazes, placed the cucumber behind the cat.

The cat seemed to sense something behind it and curiously turned around. Upon seeing the green cucumber, it reacted as if it had seen a ferocious beast, jumping so high in fright that it almost leaped out of its cage.

"I'm scared, I'm scared. They really are natural enemies."

"What... what's the principle behind this? Why would this rare beast be afraid of a yellow flower that doesn't move?"

For a moment, the ministers looked at each other, finding the scene before them both amusing and quite novel.

Yena was completely stunned.

Not to mention the officials of Great Xia, even she was seeing such a scene for the first time.

Although she didn't know how Bai Su knew these instincts, there was one thing she understood very well.

That means this time, the challenge has hit a brick wall.

Looking at Bai Su, who was smiling but saying nothing, she suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and muttered to herself, "This man doesn't seem to have any good intentions."

Bai Su smiled upon hearing this: "You're the one who's here..."

Chapter 386 Xiang Yu, the Horse Archer, Arrives by Imperial Decree

Yena was taken aback, looking at Bai Su's smiling face. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Although no one knew who this young man was, the fact that the current princess personally invited him meant he was clearly no ordinary person.

A fine layer of cold sweat broke out on her fair forehead. After pondering for a long time, she took a deep breath and said, "Your Highness, the Great Xia is indeed full of capable and knowledgeable people. I admire you."

"Besides this first gift, we also brought a second one: a longbow crafted by the best artisans in Parthia. Would you be interested in taking a look, sir?"

The ministers present all glanced at Bai Su subconsciously, a hint of worry creeping onto their faces.

They realized that this Parthian envoy, after losing the verbal battle, wanted to regain his honor by staging a physical confrontation.

With Bai Su's unparalleled eloquence, he is certainly not inferior in a battle of wits, but he is completely outmatched in a fight of strength.

They couldn't help but feel nervous, wondering how Bai Su would handle the situation next.

Hu Su glanced at Bai Su.

Even though the two were far apart, Bai Su could feel the worry in her eyes.

He nodded with a smile and said, "Since the envoy has come from so far to send gifts, how can we not take a look? Come on... take them quickly. If there's anything you don't understand, I can teach you."

hiss!

Everyone gasped in shock. Bai Su was really showing off, like a cow getting on a boat.

If this is handled properly, that would be great. But if something goes wrong, all the face you've just gained could be lost in an instant.

Standing in the group, Fu Su saw Bai Su agree immediately, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed. She thought to herself, "Idiot, how could you fall for such a shallow provocation so easily?"

Yena sneered inwardly, but her face remained respectful: "In that case, I'll have someone bring the things up right away."

After saying that, she clapped her hands.

Before long, Parthian envoys entered, carrying longbows.

When the ministers saw the longbow, they all frowned deeply.

This longbow was no ordinary bow and arrow; it was a full two meters long, large and heavy, requiring two people to carry it in.

It's important to know that the larger and longer the bow and arrow, the greater the range and the stronger the penetrating power, but the required pulling force also increases accordingly.

Leaving aside the question of whether such a large bow and arrow could be shot accurately, without sufficient strength, one probably couldn't even draw the bow.

Bai Su stroked his chin and asked, "Does the envoy perhaps wish to learn archery from you?"

Yena smiled and said, "Among all weapons, the bow is the king. This longbow is made of python sinew and ox horn, weighing eighty catties. In our Parthia, it has always been called the king of bows. Anyone who can draw this bow can be called a warrior."

"It is said that the Great Xia is full of martial virtue and is brave and good at fighting. Presumably, their archery skills are unparalleled in the world. I wonder if they could teach us a thing or two, so that we, a small country with few people, can broaden our horizons."

As she finished speaking.

A burly man dressed in foreign attire walked over. His hands were calloused, his expression was solemn, and his steps were powerful. He was clearly an archery master from Parthia.

Bai Su glanced at the man and immediately understood.

This is an attempt to stage a contest of archery at the gate, hoping to save face in front of the envoys.

However, this competition is actually quite tricky.

If it were simply a contest of archery skills, it wouldn't be difficult for the generals of the Great Xia to select a few archers who could hit a target from a hundred paces away.

But to lift a heavy longbow weighing eighty pounds, draw the bowstring, and accurately shoot a target a hundred feet away—there are probably very few people in the world who can do that.

The courtiers in the main hall also realized this and became worried.

After all, the Parthian envoy had come prepared, bringing a skilled archer from his homeland to learn from them, while they were left to deal with the situation on short notice.

In a short period of time, where can we find someone with superhuman strength and superb archery skills to come and fight?

This Parthian envoy is clearly deliberately looking for trouble.

All the ministers turned their gaze to Bai Su.

Hu Su and her sister Fu Su also stared intently at Bai Su.

Bai Su immediately felt a sharp edge behind her and felt immense pressure.

Why should I, a lazy bum trying to get by, bear this unnecessary pressure of working overtime?

In this cold society, only Sister Zheng's kind heart brought him a touch of warmth.

With Sister Zheng's magnanimity, she and her children will definitely not go hungry in the future.

Yena looked at Bai Su, who had a troubled expression, and a provocative look appeared on her face. She had just lost to you in the literary contest, but she didn't believe she couldn't beat you in the martial arts contest.

It should be noted that the guard beside her was hailed as the greatest warrior in Parthia, whose archery skills were unmatched in the region. It would be no problem for him to humiliate the Great Xia.

Bai Su originally intended to give him a slight warning, since they would still have trade dealings in the future. As for a wealthy man who offered money willingly, she wanted to save him some face.

But seeing her acting as if she didn't take him seriously at all, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Looks like you really think you're good-natured if I don't show you what I'm capable of.

After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Since the envoy wishes to learn archery, how can our Great Xia, as a superior nation, disappoint him? However, the generals of our Great Xia are a bit too strong."

"It's pointless to compete if the skill gap is too large. Why don't I go outside and call over a random horse archer for you?"

Yena's eyelids twitched, and the veins on her forehead throbbed involuntarily.

Although she felt a surge of excitement at Bai Su's boasting, she still maintained a calm demeanor and said, "Is...is that so? That's something to look forward to."

Fu Su, who was standing to the side, looked at Bai Su with a strange expression, clearly unable to figure out what he was up to.

Although the military generals in the court were not directly sent to the front, this avoided the situation where, in the event of losing the archery competition, the other party would suppress one's prestige.

But how could a mere horse archer found outside possibly defeat the top archery expert that the Parthian envoys brought from their homeland?

Isn't this just asking for trouble?

Bai Su, who was the focus of everyone's attention, had a smiling face and showed no sign of worry.

He leaned close to a guard's ear and whispered a few words.

The guard was taken aback for a moment, then clasped his hands in a fist salute and left.

About half an hour later, a series of crisp footsteps approached from afar.

Everyone looked up at the outside of the hall, wanting to see what the horse archer, on whom Bai Su had placed such high hopes, looked like.

soon……

A slender figure dressed in a white brocade robe walked in from outside the main hall. Her black hair fluttered in the wind, revealing a beautiful face full of heroic spirit. Although she did not have a weapon in her hand, she exuded a faint aura of power.

As if a ferocious beast had stepped in, the temperature seemed to drop several degrees as she entered the hall, and even the candlelight in the lamps began to flicker violently.

Liu Ji, Fan Kuai, Zhang Han, and the others, who had been smiling in the main hall, gasped in shock upon seeing the newcomer, and a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on their fair foreheads.

Xiang... Xiang Yu!!!

How did this monster get here?!

Xiang Yu remained indifferent and silent, his almond-shaped eyes slowly sweeping over everyone in the hall before finally settling on Bai Su.

She looked at the grinning man, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly. She wanted to say something, but then she remembered Yu Ji's instructions when she came.

After a long silence, she clasped her hands and said, "Xiang Yu, the horse archer, has been summoned."

Chapter 387 With strength to uproot mountains, with a spirit to overwhelm the world

Some envoys from foreign lands, unaware of the significance of the name Xiang Yu, noticed her simple white brocade robe, devoid of any superfluous adornments—a truly unremarkable garment.

He didn't appear to be royalty, nor was he a prominent general in Xianyang.

They assumed the visitor was just an ordinary horse archer and didn't take him too seriously.

They just blinked curiously, watching how things would unfold.

Those Xia generals who had fought against Xiang Yu or witnessed her slaying enemies and breaking through enemy lines on the battlefield all subconsciously clenched their fists, and a layer of cold sweat involuntarily appeared on their foreheads.

The psychological trauma of almost dying on the battlefield resurfaced in his mind once again.

Amidst the tension, a surge of ecstasy welled up within them.

Although they didn't know exactly what Bai Su had said to invite the arrogant Xiang Yu over, at least they didn't have to worry about the martial arts aspect at all.

After all, when it comes to extraordinary bravery, no one in the world can compare to Xiang Yu.

Yena frowned as she looked at the strange atmosphere in the main hall.

She was a smart woman and keenly sensed the extraordinary aura of the woman in front of her, so she naturally didn't believe Bai Su's story about the horse archer.

The woman named Xiang Yu in front of me is definitely more than just a horse archer.