“Brother, there’s no need to be nervous. I can usually hit the bullseye eight or nine times out of ten at this distance. If you can’t hit all three arrows, it’s all in vain if you’re nervous,” Liu Ruyi whispered in Liu Ying’s ear.
Liu Ying trembled slightly, then said with relief, "I will do my best."
As he drew his bow and nocked the arrow, Liu Ying tried his best to keep his arm still, but to no avail. He gritted his teeth and fired the first arrow, leaving the rest to fate.
Empress Lü's heart leaped into her throat. Although her words had served as a safety net, and the Crown Prince's defeat was acceptable, who could guarantee that Liu Ji had no hidden tricks up his sleeve? If they could truly fight to a standstill, even if one of the three arrows hit the bullseye, that would be good enough.
The court officials craned their necks, and some even left their seats to find a closer spot to watch.
Whoosh!
Bang!
Hit!
However, it didn't hit the bullseye; it just barely hit the edge of the target.
Liu Ying couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. His hand had trembled slightly just now; otherwise, he would definitely have gotten a better score.
"Alas..." Many court officials sighed, which showed that the Crown Prince really had never practiced archery.
"Your Highness, relax a bit. You're too tense," Shusun Tong couldn't help but remind him.
"Yes, sir." Liu Ying bowed to Shusun Tong.
“Brother, you shot well. Your next arrow will definitely be better, since it's already at the edge,” Liu Ruyi comforted him.
Upon hearing this, Liu Ying felt a chill run down his spine. Yes, if the arrow was even worse than this, it would miss the target, which would be too embarrassing.
"Thank you for the reminder, Third Brother." Liu Ying took a deep breath, aimed for a while, and then shot a second arrow.
Whoosh!
Chapter 203 A Second Move
Whoosh!
Bang!
"Oh!" Everyone gasped in surprise.
The arrow still managed to hit the outer edge of the circle, in a position exactly symmetrical to the first arrow.
Liu Ying closed his eyes, filled with regret. He had overcorrected, but the next arrow should be much better.
Liu Ruyi encouraged him, "Brother, keep up the good work, and the last arrow will definitely be closer to the bullseye!"
"Thank you..." Liu Ying suddenly realized, so there was only one arrow left? Shoot it! We can't win anyway!
This time, Liu Ying quickly shot the arrow, simply wanting to gamble on luck.
Whoosh!
Bang!
Liu Ying didn't dare to look until she heard the applause around her. Then she looked at the target. The third arrow landed quite close to the center circle, which was already a very good result.
In modern terms, the bullseye is the ten-ring mark. Liu Ying's third arrow hit the eight-ring mark by chance. Of course, because the distance was very close, even if all the arrows hit the bullseye, it would not prove that his archery skills were very high.
"Hmph! Brother, you have disappointed me too much. In this way, wouldn't I win the competition with just one hit on the bullseye? In that case, I will hit the bullseye with all three arrows and make you admit defeat!" Liu Ruyi waved her small hand, showing some of the style of Liu Ji.
"Good! As expected, my son Ruyi is the most like me! He has such spirit!" Liu Ji led the applause, then said coldly, "Ying'er! You have disappointed me too much! As the crown prince, you are so easily swayed by others. How can you shoulder great responsibilities?"
"My mind is made up. This contest will decide the crown prince! My empire will only be passed on to the strong! Anyone who dares to threaten me with death, then so be it!"
Liu Ying was struck dumb. Was Liu Ruyi deliberately trying to interfere with him?
How cunning at such a young age!
"How can Your Majesty treat the Crown Prince so unfairly!" Zhou Chang stood up angrily.
Shusun Tong suppressed his anger, "Your Majesty! How can the succession of a crown prince be so trivial? Moreover, what the Empress said earlier is not without reason. Even if Prince Zhao can surpass the crown prince in archery, it does not mean that Prince Zhao is more suitable to be the crown prince. If the crown prince is given time to practice diligently, he may not be worse than Prince Zhao in archery! Why is Your Majesty in such a hurry?"
Just as Xiao He was about to speak, he saw Liu Ji stand up, tear open his clothes to reveal his chest wrapped in bandages.
With tears in his eyes, Liu Ji said, "Of course I know that if the Crown Prince had time, he might have been able to develop excellent archery skills, but I don't have that time! This is an injury I sustained during the campaign against Ying Bu. I know my days are numbered, which is why I want to decide on the successor as soon as possible!"
The crown prince was established early, and there were no other legitimate sons at that time. Ying'er was not chosen as the crown prince because of her ability. Now that I have discovered a prince who is more suitable to succeed to the throne than Ying'er, what is wrong with changing the crown prince?
If we disregard Ruyi's talents simply because the Crown Prince has already been chosen by another, would that be fair to my son Ruyi? Both princes are my children; how can I favor one over the other?
If the Crown Prince loses to Ruyi, it is because he himself has not done enough in the past. He is complacent and does not think about danger. As an adult Crown Prince, he cannot share my worries, which makes me, at my age, have to go to war while ill!
"If my son Ruyi were this age, and I ordered him to lead troops to quell the rebellion, would Ruyi refuse?"
"Your Majesty, I am now willing to go to war in your stead, and I will not refuse. This is the way of filial piety!" Liu Ruyi said, bowing.
Lady Qi's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter. What a clever child! If such a prince doesn't ascend the throne, is there any justice left?
“Listen to this! Was I wrong to give Ruyi a chance to compete for the crown prince position? Ouch…” Liu Ji clutched his wound and slowly sat down.
Empress Lü hurriedly rose to help Liu Ji, her face filled with panic. So this was his backup plan! "Your Majesty! Where is the imperial physician? Quickly, he must treat His Majesty!"
Lady Qi quickly suppressed her smile and hurriedly got up to help Liu Ji to the other side, "Imperial Physician, hurry! Your Majesty..."
"This old minister is here." An elderly man in the crowd of court officials raised his hand tremblingly, and then hurriedly came to Liu Ji's side.
Liu Ying, Liu Ruyi, and other imperial concubines and princes also gathered around. Although rumors of Liu Ji's serious illness had been circulating for some time, few people knew the exact severity of his illness, not even Lady Qi.
After all, Liu Ji looked perfectly healthy; he ate, drank, played, and indulged in all sorts of sensual pleasures.
Liu Ji pursed his lips, not really worried. The wound was truly awful. Although the miraculous medicine had stopped the bleeding and pain, it had only healed the surface; the inside was festering more and more.
When the imperial physician unwrapped the bandages, he was so shocked that his hand trembled. The injury was far too severe!
Lü Zhi's pupils contracted. She had thought Liu Ji was faking it, but it turned out to be true!
Lady Qi also covered her mouth with her hand. If His Majesty's days are numbered, who will she rely on? We must get Liu Ji to pass the throne to Ruyi as soon as possible!
"Imperial Physician, how is my condition?" Liu Ji sneered.
The imperial physician wiped his sweat. "Your Majesty's injuries are quite severe, and this old minister fears I am not capable enough. However, there are many renowned physicians in the land, and surely there is someone who can cure Your Majesty. Your Majesty must not give up..."
Liu Ji was furious upon hearing this, "Nonsense! I, a commoner, seized the world with a three-foot sword. Is this not destiny? Fate is in the hands of Heaven. What use is Bian Que!"
"Your Majesty, sob sob sob..." Lady Qi covered her face and wept.
"Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance. Let's end this state banquet here. Someone, escort His Majesty back to rest..." Empress Lü regretted inwardly. If she had known this would happen, she would have done everything she could to delay the state banquet. Once Liu Ji passed away, the Crown Prince would have naturally succeeded to the throne. There would have been no crisis like this today.
Liu Ji interrupted Lü Zhi, "It's alright! I can still hold on! I know my own body! I want to take advantage of my still being able to move to properly arrange the affairs of the state. Today, I must first select the successor!"
The contest between Ying'er and Ruyi continued. Since Ruyi had just interfered with the Crown Prince's speech, the Crown Prince could also interfere with Ruyi's speech when she was shooting arrows. Wouldn't that be fair?
If you are still worried about my health, then quickly do as I say and finish this quickly so I can rest sooner. The competition continues! The Crown Prince hereby decrees that no one is allowed to go back on their word!
Ying'er, your personality is truly unsuitable to be an emperor. If Yi'er defeats you, it is the will of Heaven, so please do not blame him.
If Ying'er wins, I promise I will never again mention changing the crown prince, and will do everything in my power to help the crown prince consolidate his power! Do you agree?
Liu Ying burst into tears, "Your son agrees, I dare not disobey Father! Waaah..."
Empress Lü and the others sighed inwardly. The Crown Prince was too kind after all. But who could have imagined that Liu Ji was already so seriously ill?
Zhang Liang and the Four Sages of Mount Shang couldn't say much at this point. After all, this was not only a matter of state but also a family matter. The Crown Prince had agreed to this matter at the risk of losing the throne out of filial piety, so who could say anything?
Besides, Liu Ruyi hasn't even shot yet; what if the two are about the same skill level...?
"Dream on!" Liu Ji sneered inwardly. Liu Ruyi had already demonstrated her archery skills to him. At a distance slightly greater than this, she could hit the bullseye seven or eight out of ten arrows, and even the ones that missed the bullseye were more accurate than the Crown Prince's arrows.
Xiao He looked around and couldn't help but smile bitterly. There was no reason for that person to help anyone else, was there?
Weiyang Palace, outside the main hall.
Hao Jiu smiled and asked, "Why isn't Xiang Yu watching anymore? Does he feel uncomfortable about it?"
Xiang Yu did not answer, but instead used his toe to pick up a small pebble, caught it in his hand, and gently crushed it into sand...
Chapter 204 A Grain of Sand
The state banquet continued, but everyone's minds were no longer on the food and drink.
Liu Ji succumbed to his injuries and was chosen as the heir apparent based on his archery skills, putting the crown prince's position in jeopardy. Liu Ruyi was about to demonstrate his true archery prowess...
The ministers whispered among themselves. Some had initially criticized Liu Ji for holding a state banquet, but now it seemed that Liu Ji felt his days were numbered and wanted to see his relatives and friends and make arrangements for his funeral.
Otherwise, with people all over the country, if the notification was only sent when Liu Ji was about to die, they probably wouldn't have been able to see him one last time.
However, Liu Ji has never been a person who values family ties. Could it be that he had a change of heart when he was about to die?
The contest between Liu Ying and Liu Ruyi continued, and this time it was Liu Ruyi's turn to shoot arrows.
"Third brother, go ahead and shoot. I won't interfere. The outcome is entirely up to fate!" Although Liu Ying was furious, he didn't intend to retaliate in kind. That's not how the Grand Tutor taught him.
Moreover, Liu Ruyi came prepared. Even if Liu Ying tried to interfere with Liu Ruyi with words, he might not win in the end. Instead, he would lose face and dignity.
"No, brother, you should do your best to interfere, lest someone say I won unfairly. Don't worry, brother, even if I win the competition by chance, I will still give you an important position in the future. With so many teachers guiding you, you will surely become a wise prime minister." Liu Ruyi said with a hint of disdain.
Empress Lü said that he was good at fighting and could serve as a general to assist Liu Ying. This could also be reversed, making Liu Ying the prime minister to assist Liu Ruyi.
Emperors are divided into civil and military emperors. Liu Ji was the founding emperor, and after establishing the country, he was basically always at war, so he must have been a military emperor.
Emperor Wen of Han was a model emperor who allowed the people to recuperate and thrive, exactly the kind of emperor the Han Dynasty desperately needed.
However, Liu Ji preferred Liu Ruyi, who was more like himself, and wanted to continue the path of ruling the country by force, never reflecting on why so many people rebelled under his rule.
If those people were truly ambitious and had ulterior motives from the beginning, then when they rebelled, they should have colluded with each other to plot a rebellion, just like Liu Ji did against Xiang Yu, or they should have raised an army and reaped the benefits while Liu Ji was suppressing rebellions elsewhere.
But in reality, those who rebelled against Liu Ji were all sacrificing themselves, or were forced to rebel because they had no other choice but to protect themselves.
If Liu Ruyi, the young Liu Ji, were to become the Second Emperor of Han, he would likely face a reign of terror and constant warfare, always looking for ways to cause trouble.
Even if Liu Ruyi possessed the abilities of Emperor Wu of Han, it was still destined to be a tragedy for the Han Dynasty, because Emperor Wu's campaigns against the Xiongnu were based on the foundation laid by the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, when the country already had a solid foundation.
But what was the Han Dynasty like under Liu Ji's rule? From the anti-Qin war to the Chu-Han Contention and the continuous suppression of rebellions, and even a disastrous defeat in a battle against the Xiongnu, the foundation of the Han Dynasty had long been eroded.
This is also an important reason why Zhang Liang and others tried their best to oppose Liu Ruyi and protect Liu Ying, but it was very difficult to do so.
Because Emperor Liu Ji was not a peaceful ruler, and in terms of cunning, Liu Ying was no match for Liu Ruyi.
This is outrageous! Liu Ying remained silent after hearing the other party's words, trying his best to control his emotions. He was very unwilling. Even a clay figure has some temper, let alone a crown prince.