"This commander made a mistake on the spot. Miss Shen is not injured. Why make such a fuss?" Zhuang Weicheng said coldly, dismissing Shen Lixue's questioning. He secretly resented Lin Yan for being so lucky that the vicious arrow he had planned had not hit him.
Shen Lixue sneered: "Standing here are my cousin Yan and me. It's not a big deal that Deputy Commander Zhuang made a mistake. But if one day Deputy Commander Zhuang makes a mistake in front of the Emperor, startling or injuring him, then the crime would be much greater..."
Zhuang Weicheng's face instantly turned as black as ink, and he glared fiercely at Shen Lixue through gritted teeth. The Imperial Guards were specifically responsible for protecting the palace and the emperor. As their commander, he often had to protect the emperor personally. Shen Lixue's mockery of his poor archery skills meant that he was unqualified to be a commander...
The crowd looked at Zhuang Weicheng with more suspicion. Not far away, several officials standing next to Grand Commandant Lei were also whispering among themselves. Zhuang Weicheng's face became even more gloomy.
"Vice Commander Zhuang's archery skills and General Lin's swordsmanship are both superb. I admire them. Let's switch positions and have General Lin shoot arrows while Vice Commander Zhuang uses his sword to slash them..."
Lei Taiwei, being the host, stepped forward to smooth things over. Everyone knew he wanted to minimize the problem and resolve it peacefully, so they didn't say anything more and agreed with him.
Zhuang Weicheng, his face grim, picked up his longsword and walked to where Lin Yan had just been standing. Lin Yan patted Shen Lixue's hand, a strange smile flashing in his gentle eyes: "Watch me!"
Lin Yan strode five meters away, picked up the long bow and arrow, nocked the bowstring, and fired three arrows in a row, swiftly heading towards Zhuang Weicheng.
Zhuang Weicheng's expression changed instantly, and he quickly swung his sword to slash at the arrows: "Clang!" One arrow was knocked to the ground by him, while the other two, with great force, struck him heavily. If he hadn't been wearing armor, his body would have been pierced through!
Minister Zhuang's expression also changed slightly, his gaze becoming more intense. Lin Yan's archery skills were unfathomable.
Madam Zhuang hurried over and said anxiously, "Master, Lin Yan's archery skills are extremely high. I'm afraid Weicheng can't handle him. Do you think we should let him..."
"No way!" Minister Zhuang refused without hesitation: "Women only come up with bad ideas. It would be incredibly shameful to admit defeat in this situation. Lin Yan is almost out of arrows. He will stop shooting on his own after he runs out!" How could the dignified Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard admit defeat to someone?
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Three arrows shot out in quick succession. Zhuang Weicheng, wielding his longsword, frantically swung it, but managed to cut through only a few. The sharp arrows struck his armor one after another, falling to the ground with a series of crisp sounds, like a cruel mockery of him...
The onlookers shook their heads. General Lin dealt with the arrows with ease, while Zhuang Weicheng was struggling. General Lin fired three arrows in quick succession, each aimed at Zhuang Weicheng, who shot one after another, yet still managed to miss. The difference in their martial arts skills was vast, and Zhuang Weicheng was deliberately provoking them, truly overestimating himself...
"Swoosh!" An arrow pierced through a gap in the armor and deeply embedded itself in Zhuang Weicheng's shoulder. A sharp pain shot through him, and blood flowed freely. Three more arrows flew towards him, and Zhuang Weicheng's panicked cry echoed through the sky: "I surrender! I surrender..."
Chapter 086: Scumbag Men and Women Engaging in Incest
Lin Yan's gaze sharpened. He lowered his bow and arrow, but the arrow, already shot, could not be retrieved and flew straight towards Zhuang Weicheng.
"Swoosh!" Of the three arrows, one was knocked down by Zhuang Weicheng, one only hit the armor, and one pierced deep into his arm. Blood overflowed from the wound, staining his clothes red, and slowly slid down the silver armor.
"Cheng'er!" Madam Zhuang exclaimed in alarm, rushing to Zhuang Weicheng's side in a panic. She held his bleeding arm in her hands, heartbroken and at a loss for what to do. Her fingers trembled as she dared not touch his bleeding wound, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Cheng'er, how are you?"
"It's nothing!" Zhuang Weicheng gritted his teeth, remaining silent, his arms trembling slightly, and fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
"General Lin, Cheng'er has already admitted defeat, why did you still shoot an arrow at him?" Madam Zhuang suddenly looked at Lin Yan, her eyes blazing with anger.
“Madam Zhuang, those three arrows were shot before Deputy Commander Zhuang conceded defeat. If you were seeing things and didn’t see clearly, you can ask someone else!” Shen Lixue walked to Lin Yan’s side and retorted without any politeness.
When her son deliberately tried to harm someone, she turned a blind eye and remained silent. Now that her son is outmatched and deservedly injured, she is twisting the truth and shifting the blame onto someone else.
Madam Zhuang was speechless after being cornered by Shen Lixue, her well-maintained face turning red and white in turns!
The way people looked at Madam Zhuang became more unusual. Zhuang Weicheng's skills were not good enough, so he couldn't blame General Lin for his injury.
"Madam Zhuang was just worried about her son and spoke carelessly. Miss Shen, please don't take offense!" Grand Commandant Lei stepped forward and explained in a deep voice.
Shen Lixue stared coldly at Grand Commandant Lei. Zhuang Weicheng was injured, and Madam Zhuang was refuted, putting them at a disadvantage. Grand Commandant Lei, as the host, came to their rescue. Just now, when Zhuang Weicheng almost injured her and Cousin Yan, Grand Commandant Lei did nothing and didn't say a word of justice. This host was not fair at all...
Pretending not to see Shen Lixue's sharp, accusing gaze, Grand Commandant Lei looked at Zhuang Weicheng's wound and said in a deep voice, "Vice Commander Zhuang's injury is quite serious and requires immediate treatment. Someone, take Madam Zhuang and Young Master Zhuang to the guest room and ask the physician to remove the arrow and apply medicine to Vice Commander Zhuang!"
"Thank you for your trouble, Grand Commandant Lei!" Minister Zhuang thanked him politely, his cold gaze sweeping through the crowd as he secretly stared at Lin Yan, who stood against the wind. Lin Yan vaguely resembled the Duke of Wu in his prime.
"Cheng'er, be careful!" Madam Zhuang glared at Lin Yan and Shen Lixue, then carefully supported Zhuang Weicheng's arm as they walked forward.
Grand Commandant Lei, Minister Zhuang, and the other officials gradually walked away, still discussing matters.
"Guest rooms have been prepared in the manor. If any of you ladies are tired, you may go and take a nap!" Madam Lei greeted the noble ladies and young ladies with a slight smile, her demeanor elegant and her manners impeccable.
"Thank you, Madam Lei!" Noble families have a habit of taking a midday nap. After Madam Lei mentioned it, they were indeed a little sleepy. They whispered about the competition they had just had and left the garden in twos and threes to take their midday nap.
Only Shen Lixue and Lin Yan remained in the garden!
Seeing Shen Lixue frown, Lin Yan patted her shoulder and gently comforted her, "There are many factions in the court. Officials who are on good terms with each other share honor and disgrace, so of course they will side with their own people!"
“I understand!” Shen Lixue frowned not because she felt slighted, but because she hated her own weakness: “Cousin Yan, is it difficult for you in the court?”
The Duke of Wu's mansion has long since fallen into decline. Lin Yan has just returned to the capital, has no foundation, and has no good official friends. It is certain that things will not go smoothly for him. Today, Grand Commandant Lei's deliberate bias is the best example.
"After returning to the capital, I took direct orders from the Emperor and did not join any faction in the court. As a result, no one made things difficult for me when I was doing my work!" Lin Yan said softly, with a warm smile.
"Really?" Shen Lixue was taken aback, then lowered her voice: "Could it be that Grand Commandant Lei and the others held a banquet to win you over?" Directly obeying the Emperor means being valued by the Emperor and knowing many confidential matters in advance. It is reasonable for the court officials to try to win you over.
"It could also be to gather information!" Recently, the Emperor assigned Lin Yan several secret missions, specifically instructing him not to let anyone else know.
“You injured Zhuang Weicheng, which indirectly offended Minister Zhuang and Grand Commandant Lei. We can’t continue this banquet!” Shen Lixue looked at Lin Yan with a half-smile. When she saw Zhuang Kexin in the flower hall, she wanted to leave, but it would be impolite to leave without attending the banquet, so she gritted her teeth and stayed until now.
"I don't plan to stay any longer. You go and wait for me at the gate. I'll say goodbye to them, and then we'll head back to the manor!" Knowing that Shen Lixue didn't want to see Grand Commandant Lei, Minister Zhuang, and the others, Lin Yan planned to go and say goodbye alone.
"Okay, be careful!" Shen Lixue nodded, turned and walked towards the door. The guests were still there, so she wasn't worried about Grand Commandant Lei or Minister Zhuang playing tricks.
Lin Yan quickly walked to the living room. The officials had drunk quite a bit of wine and had all returned to their guest rooms to rest. Only Grand Commandant Lei and Minister Zhuang were sitting in the living room drinking tea and chatting. When they saw Lin Yan come in, they immediately stopped talking and looked at him with unfathomable eyes.
"Grand Commandant Lei, Minister Zhuang, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first!" Lin Yan stood in the center of the living room and politely said goodbye.
"General Lin, my son was reckless and offended us. I hope you will forgive him!" Minister Zhuang walked forward with a smile, looking at Lin Yan with some guilt.
"Minister Zhuang, you are overthinking it. When Deputy Commander Zhuang is giving his all in the competition, it is inevitable that there will be oversights. I will not take it to heart." After a pause, Lin Yan added, "It was unintentional for me to injure Deputy Commander Zhuang. I hope Minister Zhuang will not hold it against me!"
Minister Zhuang's smile froze slightly. In a few words, he explained that Cheng'er's accidental shooting and injury were due to the two of them competing with all their might, thus completely absolving himself of any responsibility. Lin Yan was indeed clever.
"General Lin is very generous, I admire him. I will offer you a cup of tea instead of wine!" Minister Zhuang poured two cups of tea, picked up one of them, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Zhuang Shangai is no longer angry. It is Lin Yan who should be respecting Minister Zhuang!" Lin Yan smiled and drank another cup of tea. Amidst Minister Zhuang's radiant smile, he suddenly felt dizzy, his vision went black, and he instantly lost all consciousness.