Everyone looked at the situation inside the gauze tent, but nobody dared to come forward and help.

Inside the gauze tent, as early as when Bai Su opened his mouth, Huo Fenglie had let go of Liu Zhenqing’s wrist as if he had woken up with a start.

But there was still a handprint on Liu Zhenqing’s wrist, and it could be seen how much force he had used just now.

A low, suppressed apology came from Huo Fenglie’s mouth, which made Liu Zhenqing even more unsettled.

Liu Zhenqing had many thoughts in his mind, and decided that just in case, it was better to give in quickly and pretend in order to eliminate suspicion.

Liu Zhenqing’s expression was tense as he raised his eyes slightly. His uneasiness was vivid, as if he wanted to kneel down on the spot. “General Huo, I’m sorry, I…..I will never touch it again. I didn’t mean it just now. I just saw Young Master Bai playing with it and thought it was fine, so I……”

Looking at the panicked Liu Zhenqing, Bai Su first said: “It’s fine, it’s fine. Zhanyuan…..”

Huo Fenglie was stunned for a moment, and looked down at Liu Zhenqing with a slight frown. “I was impolite. Young Master Liu, go ahead. The promise made still stands, so you can rest assured.”

This meant there was no need to worry. If Rong Shiming caused trouble, he would still help.

“Many thanks, General Huo, many thanks.” Liu Zhenqing immediately performed a wave of profound gratitude.

But Huo Fenglie didn’t seem to want to look any further, and just waved his hand for Liu Zhenqing to leave.

“What happened?” Bai Su frowned and looked at Huo Fenglie. “It’s not like you to have such a big reaction. After all, Young Master Liu didn’t provoke you maliciously, it was unintentional.”

“It’s nothing, I just haven’t seen someone twist a Rubik’s Cube with one hand, so I was a little surprised,” Huo Fenglie said calmly.

Bai Su was stunned for a moment. Although he felt this was far-fetched, he shook his head helplessly. “My elder brother always twisted it with one hand. Many people think this is nicer to look at.”

“Is that so?”

“And what’s the problem even if he twisted it with one hand? Did it provoke you?” Bai Su was puzzled. “Although you didn’t play with us much when you were a child, I remember that you were very good at it. When this thing was popular, you were the best at it. You could even twist it blindly. Why haven’t you tried twisting it with one hand?”

Huo Fenglie shook his head, and Bai Su felt that he was more and more strange.

Of course, twisting it with one hand was nothing, but everyone’s first twisting technique was different. The direction of twisting, which row or column to start from, inside to outside, or outside to inside, everyone was different. Few people would notice this.

But there was something about Liu Xiaozhu…..Was it a coincidence or……

“Archery? Is this really the competition?” Bai Su’s voice sounded again.

Huo Fenglie’s brow furrowed, and hesitation flashed across his face. His probing eyes once again focused on the person who was leaving.

Liu Zhenqing eyed the servants bringing in bows and arrows with a subtle look on his face. He wasn’t good at archery. Completely inaccurate. When he was studying at the Imperial Academy, he was an existence that the martial instructor ignored, and being trained by Liu Feihan for a long time still had no effect. Li Xingruo was better than him. She pointed at him every day and said sarcastically that Er-gou would be more accurate than him after three days of training.

Was this Rong Shiming’s way of cheating? He just happened to pick something he wasn’t good at. If it really was such a simple competition, it would be inappropriate to ask Huo Fenglie for help. But the battle was not lost even if he didn’t win. He had tricked Rong Shiming before. As long as he pretended to be calm, he might be able to trick him into changing it to something else.

Liu Zhenqing pretended to be very adept, admiring the bows and arrows, but he was actually flustered inside. However, the third Liu family cousin actually cooperated with him. Although he spoke in a low tone, his voice was very loud.

“It’s archery? That’s great. Although First Cousin doesn’t have the strength to truss a chicken, his accuracy is surprisingly good.”

These words naturally reached Rong Shiming’s ears.

Liu Zhenqing’s heart was in torment as he waited for him to call for a change, but he only waited until Rong Shiming stepped forward to directly explain the competition method. Liu Zhenqing lamented his luck, and was about to think of another way when he heard Rong Shiming say: “This time, let’s compete to see who has more guts!”

Liu Zhenqing: ? ? ?

The corners of Rong Shiming’s lips rose proudly, and she said: “We will each find a person to hold a bow and shoot arrows, and we will stand in front of the tree with three fruits on our head and hands. Just let the bow holder hit the targets without closing your eyes. If anyone moves and causes the fruit to fall, or the bow holder misses the shot, it will be considered a failure.”

Liu Zhenqing’s mood at the moment was really difficult to describe in words. He wanted to laugh but felt that it was impolite, and his expression was a little distorted due to holding it back. 

There was such a good thing? He wasn’t hallucinating, right?

“Right here? Then it’s okay if I ask General Huo for help?” Liu Zhenqing earnestly inquired, disbelieving.

What was going on in that little head? He wanted to change their hostility into friendship.

Rong Shiming looked at Liu Zhenqing’s ‘unsightly’ expression and sneered, saying as if he had the winning ticket: “Whatever.” But his eyes said that even if Huo Fenglie was invited, Liu Xiaozhu would not have the guts to compete.

Seeing Rong Shiming’s confident expression, Liu Zhenqing really didn’t understand him. The game was quite original, ah, but he felt that although the other had some brains, it was not very much.

In this person’s adolescence, it was common for him to hit every shot perfectly. Could it be that he didn’t know?

Liu Zhenqing’s thoughts had already begun to diverge, and he wondered if he had any other tricks. “What if there’s a draw?”

“Then just go again…..”

“We don’t have time to compete again!” Liu Zhenqing quickly interrupted. “If it’s a draw, how about we cancel out everything?”

Rong Shiming said indifferently: “All right.”

As he spoke, Rong Shiming raised his head and summoned the leader of the guards of the First Princess’s palace. “I choose him!”

Without saying a word, Liu Zhenqing bowed to Huo Fenglie to ask the general to come out.

In fact, at this time, Liu Zhenqing had a few doubts and wondered if Huo Fenglie would reject him for some unknown reason, but this was unfounded.

Huo Fenglie also got up and walked smoothly over.

Liu Zhenqing’s head was truly full of questions. Suddenly, the second cousin stretched out his hand and pulled Liu Zhenqing away hastily.

When Liu Zhenqing looked over, he saw that the two people who had been normal just now had extremely ugly expressions.

“Are you really able to do this?” The second cousin asked as if facing a formidable enemy.

“Why couldn’t I?” Liu Zhenqing asked in surprise.

The third cousin said: “He lost his memories. Maybe it will work!”

“Hey, can’t you tell me what happened? Don’t let me face a sudden accident when the time comes.”

The second cousin opened his mouth and explained. Liu Xiaozhu would never dare to agree to this competition. Not only was Liu Xiaozhu mediocre in courage, but the only bold thing he had done was probably to pursue Huo Fenglie. The main thing was that he once encountered an accident, which left a psychological shadow regarding bows and arrows.

This was caused by an attempted assassination when Liu Xiaozhu and Huo Fenglie first met. If not for that chance encounter, Liu Xiaozhu would have died under the indiscriminate arrows. Later, the Liu family discovered that as soon as Liu Xiaozhu saw a bow and arrow pointed in his direction, his whole body would tremble, but he was fine when holding the bow and arrow himself. Therefore, according to Liu Xiaozhu’s situation, it was impossible for him to win such a competition.

The second and third cousins thought it was a coincidence that Rong Shiming had arranged this game, but Liu Zhenqing instantly understood. According to his previous conjecture, his two misfortunes were arranged by Rong Shiming. Naturally, he would have paid attention to the subsequent situation, so it was not surprising that Rong Shiming knew of his weakness.

Thus, the game was set up.

But had he never considered that if Liu Zhenqing had lost his memory, he wouldn’t be afraid anymore?

“What’s with that look you have now? Don’t be afraid,” the third cousin said anxiously.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head in a relaxed manner, but the second cousin was still pessimistic, and said: “Since you’ve chosen General Huo, you must trust him and not move. We are relying on you.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t quite understand the second cousin’s worries. It wasn’t until people around him started talking that he understood.

“How about it? Who will win? Do you want to bet?”

“Bet on what? If you think with your brain, you should know that it must be Young Master Rong.”

“That’s right, Young Master Rong is a bit of a bully, and all these games are designed with a bias toward him. It’s so despicable. How could a normal person not be afraid at all when faced with an unfamiliar person aiming a bow and arrow and shooting at close range? How could they watch helplessly as a murderous weapon was coming toward them? Even if Liu Xiaozhu hadn’t lost his memory, it would be hard to say.”

“The key to this isn’t a test of whether the opponent is accurate, but whether the target can remain still. Would you dare? No matter what, I wouldn’t dare.”

“For such a test, only if the people involved are very familiar and trust each other will they definitely work together properly. This isn’t the first time Young Master Rong has played. He has worked with the guard leader every time and has never lost, and he’s trained to the point where he is no longer afraid. As for Liu Xiaozhu, tsk tsk tsk…..”

“I think it was a mistake for him to choose General Huo. Who dares face the arrows of General Huo without his legs shaking? He’s so imposing that it’s terrifying, ah. Even enemy generals wouldn’t have the guts.”

“Liu Xiaozhu is probably already panicking. He only considered whether he could hit the target, not whether his own courage would be enough at the time, hahaha.”

Everyone gathered together and couldn’t help but laugh at Liu Zhenqing’s desperate panic.

“But it’s also strange, didn’t the two of them have a disagreement just now? How does Liu Xiaozhu dare? Is he really not afraid that General Huo will kill him by mistake?”

Liu Zhenqing: …….

Could he say that he used to be as good as Huo Feihan and Li Xingruo before?

Because of his great trust in the Huo family, Liu Zhenqing didn’t realize that this was something he needed to be afraid of.

Now Liu Zhenqing understood what was going on with Rong Shiming’s Thousand Locks game, which he had considered to be a sure win. Liu Zhenqing looked at Rong Shiming with amusement in his heart, and as expected, he received a look that said he was sure to win.

“Is it reliable?” The First Princess asked Rong Shiming, who had stepped forward. “There can be no accidents this time.”

Rong Shiming sneered: “If he still has a psychological shadow, he will lose. If the amnesia erased it, then he and Huo Fenglie have only met a few times, and even his love is gone. How can he dare to stand under his arrows? Even if he agrees readily, he will definitely give in when the critical moment comes. I have neer seen anyone be able to withstand the intimidation of Huo Fenglie when he is using a weapon! What’s more, wasn’t it because of the Rubik’s Cube that they had an altercation just now?”

The First Princess said with a scoff: “That’s right. The two just argued and won’t trust each other.”

“Cousin, thank you very much for teaching me how to play this game before,” Rong Shiming said with a smile.

A trace of discomfort flashed across the face of the First Princess. They had always had this game in their house, and all the guards had been trained. Actually, this was because the treacherous minister had played this way with the former General Huo and Li Xingruo before. At that time, they also liked to compete on horseback. The First Princess had lost once. She also refused to admit defeat and wanted to compete again, but never had the chance.

And on the other side, the reactions of the people around him gave Liu Zhenqing a reference. He remembered the previous crisis and suddenly shifted his eyes. When Huo Fenglie came over, Liu Xiaozhu immediately feigned fear and nervousness, but forced a smile, which made him appear to be timid and unable to fully trust Huo Fenglie. It could be said that he was completely different from the Liu Zhenqing before.

Huo Fenglie didn’t show any reaction, but his eyes darkened. “Just stand firm later, Young Master Liu.”

“I’m really sorry to trouble you, General Huo. I will cooperate honestly.” Liu Zhenqing’s expression was pained.

At this time, Rong Shiming had already asked the leader of the guards to choose his bow and arrows.

Huo Fenglie also walked directly to the shelf, picked up a bow at random, and settled on it after making sure that it was sound. Liu Zhenqing followed Huo Fenglie around like a little wife. His weak appearance really didn’t make him look like a courageous person.

Rong Shiming on the side sneered, saying at once: “Forget it, let’s give you a little more time to think about whether to admit defeat directly. After all, a sword has no eyes, so if you get hurt…..”

This was truly straightforward intimidation. Liu Zhenqing must play along. His face instantly became aggrieved, and his hands even shook.

Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing. His tone seemed a little distant as he said: “Young Master Liu, as long as you don’t make any big movements, you won’t be harmed.”

Liu Zhenqing waved his hands and said: “It’s all right, I won’t move at all. Even if you shoot me, I won’t blame you. I just want to apologize for what happened just now.”

Huo Fenglie: “I…..am not angry.”

“Of course, of course, my lord is benevolent. I sincerely apologize,” Liu Zhenqing said, smiling obsequiously.

Huo Fenglie lost interest in talking.

On the other side, Rong Shiming walked in a high and mighty way to the tree and passed by the audience area, where he also gave a proud smile to Jiang Zi’er, who had been silently watching the game.

Jiang Zi’er curled her lips slightly, and it seemed as if she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She actually looked more certain that Rong Shiming would win than before.

Liu Zhenqing understood after just one glance. Jiang Zi’er…..sure enough, she knew the whole story behind his assassination. She truly had the most poisonous heart among women.

Rong Shiming stood still, holding three fruits. If he moved even slightly, they might fall down. And only ten meters away, the arrow could be clearly seen, which was quite frightening. But Rong Shiming remained bold, and showed no timidity at all. He said: “Let’s start!”

The guard raised his bow at the command and instantly shot an arrow. The fruit on his head was penetrated and fell, but Rong Shiming didn’t move at all. Instead, he gave an easy smile. Everything went smoothly, and the people around him cheered at once.

At this time, Bai Su came to them and whispered to Huo Fenglie: “It’s obvious that you are really going to hit the mark with every shot. Zhanyuan, stare at that arrogant boy and scare him into trembling!”

Huo Fenglie glanced at Bai Su, and then actually stared at Rong Shiming. But Rong Shiming was extremely focused and only looked at the guard. Thus, the second arrow hit.

The cheers all around grew louder. Even the First Princess began to leisurely drink tea.

“Tsk, it seems……at most, it will be a draw. Young Master Liu, you must trust the person you chose. As long as you cooperate, Zhanyuan can guarantee you a draw.” Bai Su comforted Liu Zhenqing, who seemed to be uneasy.

Liu Zhenqing lowered his head without even a tremor of his eyelashes. Instead, he glanced at the guard shooting arrows nearby and chuckled. Bai Su was smart, but not smart enough to grasp the idea. 

What was the use of looking at Rong Shiming with murderous eyes? 

Of course it depended on…..

The third time the bow was drawn, Liu Zhenqing suddenly panicked and said: “General Huo, look at the guard’s archery posture.”

As soon as these words came out, the guard’s hand suddenly shook, and the arrow flew out with an almost swaying motion.

After all, his body had been tense with General Huo standing a few steps away, and he couldn’t help but pay attention to him since before the game even started, instinctively guarding against Huo Fenglie’s every move. Now that he heard he was going to be watched, he felt as nervous and at a loss as when his master was examining his abilities.

“Careful!” The guard knew that something was about to happen as soon as the arrow was shot, and quickly shouted out.

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Chapter Twenty-Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Five