ALL NOVEL Chapter 302: If Princess were a man-
As Zhu Yating released the arrow, it landed on the target board. The servant, responsible for tallying scores, looked at Guo Yurong and announced loudly, "It is 5," before retrieving the arrow and setting it aside.
The ladies watching from the porch erupted in excitement, clapping happily. It was the highest score so far; most participants struggled to even touch the target board on their first try. Zhu Yating's impressive score of 5 drew admiration.
"Ahh! Lady Zhu is amazing. I am sure she is going to win this game," one of the ladies exclaimed, praising Zhu Yating.
Jiang Yi frowned, glancing at Yang Ning with worry. "Your Highness looks like Lady Zhu is going to win this game. I am already so bad at it; how can we compete with her? Her family background is military, and we cannot compare to it."
Yang Ning looked at worried Jiang Yi, smiled, and asked, "Would you like some of these walnuts? They're sweet and salty. They're delicious."
Jiang Yi: "..."
Jiang Yi was speechless, observing how calm and composed Yang Ning remained. While others were throwing concerned and mocking glances at them, Yang Ning casually continued munching on the candied walnuts.
She's truly one of a kind.
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"Score 4"
"Score 3"
"Score 5"
"Score 3"
Zhu Yating hit her remaining four shots one by one, and none of them missed. All of them landed on the target board. The ladies erupted in applause and cheers, witnessing a woman display such impressive archery skills for the first time. At this moment, Zhu Yating seemed like nothing less than a female knight to them.
Guo Yurong looked at Zhu Yating and Lady Shen and announced, "Lady Zhu Yating's total score is 20. It is the highest score of a person until now. And for Lady Shen, she has 2 missed targets and her total score is 6. Their collective team score is 26." She announced.
Lady Shen felt a blush on her cheeks in embarrassment. Although she had observed her brother and her husband play archery and was familiar with the basic knowledge of the game, it was her first time participating in a match with others. Moreover, Zhu Yating kept interrupting her from the side, giving orders and not letting her concentrate for a minute.
When she missed the targets, Zhu Yating blamed her for not even hitting the target board.
She pursed her lips and glanced at Zhu Yating with a frown. She never realized this before, but her so-called friend had no regard for her. It seemed like Zhu Yating was acting as if they were not a team, and she was there only to assist Zhu Yating.
This realization wasn't pleasant for Lady Shen.
While Lady Shen felt embarrassed for not performing well and having such a low score compared to Zhu Yating, Zhu Yating was smiling widely and thanking the other ladies for cheering and supporting her, as if she had already won the game.
Among all the ladies who played earlier, Zhu Yating was the only one who didn't have a single missed target and achieved such a high score. Although she had expected a better performance from Lady Shen, it turns out her knowledge of archery was nothing but a bluff.
If Lady Shen had played better, they could have achieved an even higher score. Nevertheless, their score was the highest, and Zhu Yating was confident that Yang Ning, the supposedly foolish Crown Princess, could never come close to her score. The specially designed dress by Guo Yurong in reward and the special gift would be hers alone.
After Zhu Yating and Lady Shen put down their bows on the table, they walked back to their seats while Yang Ning and Jiang Yi stood up as it was their turn to play. As Zhu Yating was returning to her seat, she smirked at Yang Ning, who was preparing to play.
With proud eyes, Zhu Yating offered a seemingly helpful tip, "Your Highness, since it will be your first time playing the game, let me give you a tip. Don't hope too much before starting the game, otherwise, your hopes will be crumpled after your score is announced.
However, no need to feel embarrassed; after all, not everyone can be perfect." She added a touch of sarcasm to her comment and flashed a beautiful smile as she passed by Yang Ning to take her seat.
Yang Ning observed Zhu Yating's departure and returned a smile, "Thank you for your kind words, Lady Zhu. I wish you the same." She gracefully adjusted her dress before making her way to play the game. Experience new stories on m v|l e'm,p| y- r
Since Yang Ning's team was the last one to play and were following Zhu Yating's impressive performance, the other ladies weren't particularly curious about Yang Ning's performance anymore.
They were convinced that she wouldn't come close to Zhu Yating's remarkable score. Sighing tiredly, they began discussing among themselves, "Do you think Princess Yang Ning could make it to the second round along with Lady Zhu Yating, or will it be the other team?"
"I doubt Princess could advance to the second round. I have heard that she has done nothing other than stay inside the Yang Household all her life. How can we expect a good game from her?"
"She must be under quite some pressure. I can't imagine the humiliation of having to follow Lady Zhu Yating's outstanding performance. Uff! That's such bad luck." Her words, seemingly expressing concern for Yang Ning, actually carried a mocking undertone, highlighting their skepticism toward Yang Ning's abilities and her haughty attitude.
Yang Ning didn't pay much attention to the chaotic whispers of the ladies and descended from the porch, seemingly indifferent to the gossip. She turned to Lady Jiang Yi, who was preparing to step down and extended her hand.
Surprised, Jiang Yi gave Yang Ning a confused look, wondering what she wanted. Does she want more walnuts? Now? she pondered.
Smiling gently, Yang Ning explained, "You can hold onto me while stepping down. The step is quite steep, and you might trip over it." She pointed towards the deep step leading down to the garden.
Appreciating Yang Ning's considerate gesture, Jiang Yi placed her hand in Yang Ning's and, after safely descending, thanked her, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Yang Ning, finding Jiang Yi's blush adorable, made a lighthearted comment, "We're of the same age anyway. Just call me by name. Also, we're partners now. There is no need to be formal."
Though hesitant, Jiang Yi nodded and said, "Yang Ning."
"Better. Now, let's start the game," Yang Ning declared, and they took their positions.
As they took their positions, Jiang Yi secretly glanced at Yang Ning, who was preparing for the archery game. Memories flashed back to when she had attended Yang Ning's tea party at the palace. During that event, they didn't have many chances to interact as Chang Ah created a ruckus.
Now, she found herself surprised at Yang Ning's gentle and considerate demeanor with the ladies. A thought crossed her mind – if the Princess were a man, she might have fallen for her right away.
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Yang Ning picked up the bow, examining it to understand its workings. Familiarizing herself with the equipment was crucial before engaging in the game. While absorbed in her thoughts on how to strategize and conclude the game swiftly, she heard struggling moans nearby.
Turning to her side, Yang Ning saw Jiang Yi having difficulty positioning the arrow on the bowstring. Yang Ning approached, standing behind Jiang Yi. She assisted her in taking a proper stance and whispered instructions in her ears, "Keep your arms straight. Your eyes should be on the target; close one eye and focus on the center target points from the tip of your arrow."
Jiang Yi was startled when Yang Ning suddenly came to stand behind her and whispered in her ears. Her cheeks blushed at the sudden closeness, and she felt embarrassed for some reason when Yang Ning was whispering in her ears. However, she kept her composure calm, gulped nervously, and nodded before understanding her instructions.
"Adjust your aim and shoot. Remember one thing: be confident and maintain a straight posture. You'll be fine. I heard you're good at embroidery, so think of it like putting a thread through the sewing pin. See your target through the vision of your pointed arrow, alright?" After Jiang Yi nodded, Yang Ning returned to her position.