CHAPTER 66: CHAPTER 61 BETEL SAUCE

"Hmm?"

Pei Jing’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as she halted her departure. The others also paused instinctively to watch.

The girl with willow-leaf eyebrows seemed unaware she was the center of attention. Her expression remained impassive as she picked up the Short Bow, stood straight, and nocked an arrow.

"THUD—"

The sound of an arrow hitting its mark resounded as the White Feather Arrow struck the bullseye of the close-range target with pinpoint accuracy.

"THUD—"

The thuds of arrows hitting targets continued incessantly. The girl with willow-leaf eyebrows methodically released twelve arrows, each striking the bullseye. Her movements were so regular and neat they resembled machinery.

"Oh?"

Pei Jing raised an eyebrow. With her discerning eye, she could tell the other person was using a Light Bow with a low draw weight.

Her ability to shoot so steadily and accurately was entirely due to skill, experience, and... calculation.

SNAP!

The girl with willow-leaf eyebrows put down the Short Bow, drove the nock end of the Longbow into the soil, and undid the silk ribbon from her hair.

Using the ribbon, she firmly tied the midsection of the bow to a wooden stake on the ground.

Then she nocked an arrow, knelt, and pulled the bowstring forcefully with both hands. She squinted, her eyes fixed simultaneously on the silk ribbon fluttering in the wind on the wooden stake and the distant target.

"THUD!"

The girl released her hands. The bowstring snapped back suddenly, and the White Feather Arrow shot out, tracing an arc through the air before accurately striking the bullseye of the distant target.

Due to her lesser strength, she chose to use both hands to draw the Longbow, increasing its range and reducing the wind’s impact on the arrow...

Li Ang thought in amazement, But isn’t that a bit unscientific? Can one really calculate wind speed and the necessary compensation angle from the fluttering of a silk ribbon? A human computer...

More and more people gathered around, yet the girl with willow-leaf eyebrows remained unhurried, continuing to draw her Longbow and release arrows steadily.

Thirty shots, thirty hits, with twenty-nine arrows striking the bullseye.

The students around Pei Jing were so astonished their jaws nearly dropped. Only the few candidates recommended by the Ministry of War were cheering loudly.

A student murmured, "Damn, this score... could rank in the top three in the entire history of the Academic Palace..."

"In terms of accuracy alone, it’s fourth in history."

The goat-bearded Academic Palace Instructor, who was recording scores in a register, clicked his tongue in amazement. "Truly impressive."

"Twenty-nine bullseyes and only fourth?"

A student exclaimed, "Do you mean the top three hit the bullseye with every single arrow...?"

"Of course."

The goat-bearded Instructor pursed his lips. "The top three in the Archery entrance examination in history were: Su Zi, from two hundred years ago; the Academic Palace Director from one hundred and fifty years ago, who was the first to fully explore the Ten Thousand Desolate Mountains; and the current Academic Palace Master."

"All three shot thirty arrows, and every one hit the bullseye. However, Su Zi was a cut above—to silence his classmates who believed he’d been specially admitted to the Academic Palace without an examination, he deliberately used a Strong Bow, and every arrow pierced through the bullseye."

"This..."

The students were dumbstruck.

Meanwhile, the girl with willow-leaf eyebrows, seemingly not entirely satisfied, silently stood up, casually unwrapped the silk ribbon from the stake, glanced at Li Ang, and turned to leave.

Why is everyone staring at me? Do I have a flower on my face or something?

Li Ang pursed his lips, greeted Song Shaoyuan and the others, returned his bow and arrows to the rack, and then headed toward the mathematics examination area.

"I’ve lost sight of him again."

Watching Li Ang’s figure disappear into the pavilion, Chai Cuiqiao clicked her tongue, tilted her head, and silently made some calculations.

Li Ang’s Scriptures and strategies scores were definitely fine. Considering the speed of that Red Horse, he should also rank highly in the Imperial Examination.

Even if his Archery was only mid-level, overall, he was sure to pass the preliminary test.

The next step was to see how many extra points he could score from mathematics and other elective subjects to determine his rank on the list for advancement to the re-examination.

"As long as he passes, that’s all that matters. As long as he passes."

Chai Cuiqiao heaved a long sigh of relief, her spirits lifting, and she unconsciously sniffed the air.

The aroma of food...

She turned around and saw food carts, laden with wooden food boxes, being pushed towards her from the far end of the corridor. They offered a complete variety, from Biluo, soup noodles, and pastries to meat dishes and vegetarian meals.

These food carts were provided by the Academic Palace, and many of the examinees’ families had already started paying for food from them.

She was feeling a bit hungry herself.

Chai Cuiqiao weighed her brocade money bag, hesitating over which food box to buy.

"Um..."

Li Leqing’s voice came from behind.

Chai Cuiqiao turned to see Li Leqing smiling from behind two long tables laden with all sorts of snacks, pastries, fruit, and drinks. "Would you like to join me?" Li Leqing asked. "I can’t possibly finish all this by myself."

"Er..."

Chai Cuiqiao blinked. In principle, she shouldn’t accept a free meal, but this was the Academic Palace, the safest place in all of Yu Country. It should be fine. Besides, wasting food was an unforgivable sin.

"Alright then. It would be rude to refuse."

After a few seconds of thought, Chai Cuiqiao happily sat down next to Li Leqing. She picked up a small piece of osmanthus cake, popped it into her mouth, and casually pointed to a small nearby jar filled with an agate-colored red jam. "What’s this?"

"This is..."

Li Leqing thought for a moment. "I think it’s betel sauce from South Vietnam? We use it at home to mix with soup noodles. Try some, it’s a little spicy."

"Betel sauce? I think I’ve heard of it. Is it very expensive?"

Chai Cuiqiao didn’t stand on ceremony, scooping a spoonful of the red jam into her bowl. "It’s sweet and spicy at the same time. It’s quite delicious!"

"It... probably isn’t very expensive."

Li Leqing tilted her head. She knew that betel sauce was a rare tribute from South Vietnam to the royal family of Yu Country, costing two thousand strings of coins for a small bowl on the market, and often unavailable at any price.

However, she wasn’t sure if something costing two thousand strings of coins truly counted as expensive—she hardly ever used money.

"I’ll have my Eldest Son buy a few jars to bring back sometime."

Chai Cuiqiao nodded, praising the taste of the betel sauce, then looked towards another dish of what appeared to be a chilled green vegetable salad. "And what’s this?"

Li Leqing recalled for a moment. "This is Langqiong Boling. It’s from Langqiong Zhao, one of the six zhaos in the Southern Border of the Zhou Kingdom."

"Oh, it tastes pretty good."

Chai Cuiqiao nodded appreciatively, then asked in puzzlement, "But why would the people of Langqiong Zhao name their state after a vegetable? Are they really that fond of this dish?"

"Teehee, it’s not that they named their state after the vegetable,"

Li Leqing, amused by Chai Cuiqiao’s odd question, giggled and explained, "It’s because Boleng Cai comes from Langqiong, so it’s called Langqiong Boling..."

Perhaps because she laughed too hard, Li Leqing’s face suddenly turned pale. She instinctively pressed her left hand down on the table to support herself.

The nearby Maids and servants, terrified, rushed forward, but Li Leqing quickly waved them away. "I-I’m fine."

She sat in her seat, breathing softly for a moment. Color slowly returned to her face, and she leaned back against the chair.

"Are you alright?"

Chai Cuiqiao looked at Li Leqing with concern. "Should I call the Academic Palace Instructors over?"

"No need. It’s just... I was born with a delicate constitution."

Li Leqing managed a faint smile, but the sorrow and melancholy in her eyes remained, impossible to dismiss.

"If you’re unwell, you need to see a doctor."

Chai Cuiqiao said earnestly, "My Eldest Son is the best doctor in all of Yu Country, perhaps even the entire world! He can cure any illness. You should come to our Security Hall..."

"Ahem, I almost forgot Security Hall isn’t open yet."

"Anyway, come visit Huai De Alley 12th Street someday and let my Eldest Son take a look at you."

"Really, there’s no need. My illness... isn’t something a doctor can cure."

Li Leqing smiled faintly, her gaze drifting towards the bustling, noisy field in the distance.

Visions of the Imperial Physicians’ helpless expressions and her parents’ repeated sighs surfaced in her mind.

An Innate heart condition, incurable by medicine or treatment...

Li Leqing herself wasn’t sure why she had repeatedly pleaded with her mother yesterday to let her leave the palace and watch the Academic Palace’s preliminary examinations. Was it really to observe the Academic Palace environment beforehand,

or was it to see her peers on the field, so full of vitality, running and leaping freely?

She could die from a ruptured heart at any moment...