I woke up as the Villainous Empress

The ladies seated and watching couldn't help but speculate on what Yang Ning had whispered to Jiang Yi.

"What is the Princess doing? Is she helping Lady Jiang with her posture? I don't know if she knows how to play or not, but the Princess looks so cool while doing this." One of the ladies smiled widely, observing how Yang Ning was assisting Jiang Yi with her posture and holding her bow.

"It looks like the Princess knows how to play. She even helped Lady Jiang adjust her posture. Earlier, Lady Jiang looked stiff and awkward, but after the Princess helped her, she appeared more comfortable while holding the bow and arrow," another lady commented.

"Yes, the way she's checking the bow and arrows, it seems like it's not her first time holding them. Why do I have a sudden feeling that Princess might do well at today's game? She is the Crown Princess after all; I am sure she must have some knowledge about this game."

Zhu Yating, hearing these remarks, frowned and added, "Just because one can pick up the bow and arrow doesn't mean they're good at it. Also, the way she was holding it was wrong. I am sure she won't be able to hit the target board, and all her shots will miss."

"Since you don't know anything about archery, everyone seems like a knowledgeable person to you," she scoffed while sipping her refreshing tea.

The ladies felt embarrassed by Zhu Yating's sarcastic remark and nodded in agreement with her explanation. Given her knowledge of archery and the game, they accepted her words as authoritative.

As they continued their discussions, Yang Ning and Jiang Yi readied their bows, placing their arrows against the bowstring. After assuming their positions, they released their first shots.

~Shoong~

The ladies were in the midst of their discussions when, to their surprise, Yang Ning and Jiang Yi released their arrows. Anticipating a miss, they squinted their eyes to check the results, only to find their eyes widening in shock—it wasn't a miss! The arrows had indeed touched the target board.

The ladies were astonished to witness that neither Yang Ning nor Lady Jiang Yi missed their shots; both of them hit the target board. In contrast to the other ladies, excluding Zhu Yating, all of their first shots were a miss, with their arrows either hitting the wall behind or falling into the bushes behind the board.

It was indeed unexpected to see how both Yang Ning and Jiang Yi successfully hit the target board.

However, lacking knowledge of archery and its scoring rules, the ladies couldn't comprehend the scores they had achieved. They could only anticipate the servant's announcement to understand their performance.

But Zhu Yating understood it very well. Her eyes widened in shock, and she clenched her fists in frustration as her gaze remained fixed on the arrows on Yang Ning's target board.

How can that be possible? This clueless woman, how can she—

"It has to be a coincidence!" Zhu Yating murmured under her breath, attempting to convince her racing heart.

While she attempted to control her emotions, the servant retrieved the arrows from the board and announced the scores loudly.

"Crown Princess has hit a Bullseye! It's a Score 10." The servant, also taken aback in shock, shouted in excitement and began beating the celebratory drum to make a noise while announcing the results.

It was his first time witnessing a woman hitting a Bullseye in archery. Such scenarios are common when men are playing, but a woman hitting a Bullseye without proper training is nothing short of marvelous.

Xiaowei, who was cheering on Yang Ning from the side where all the servants were standing, couldn't help but jump in excitement and clap loudly. "Ahh! I knew it. When it comes to archery, no one can beat my lady to it."

"Xiaowei, your master is truly a genius. She hit the Bullseye on the first shot."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier that Her Highness plays archery as well? How can you keep us in the dark?" The servants surrounded Xiaowei and were praising Yang Ning, who had emerged as a dark horse.

Zhu Yating's maid, witnessing Xiaowei's proud expression, scoffed and said, "It was nothing but a mere coincidence. Let's see if she can score well in the next shot as well." She challenged.

Believing in her lady's capabilities, she couldn't fathom that any other woman in the capital would be well-versed in archery more than her mistress. There is no way Yang Ning could beat her in this match.

Xiaowei looked at Zhu Yating's maid, let out a low chuckle, and ignored her, fixing her gaze on Yang Ning. She didn't need to argue with such petty people because she knew that her lady would silence everyone with her exceptional skills.

Zhu Yating's maid frowned when Xiaowei didn't engage in an argument and instead ignored her. "You…" She wanted to retort but restrained herself, realizing that creating any trouble at Guo residence would not be beneficial for her or her lady.

She harrumphed, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and kept her gaze on the game. She couldn't afford to miss Yang Ning's next shot; she needed to see Yang Ning missing her next shot and shut Xiaowei's cocky mouth.

___

Jiang Yi covered her mouth in disbelief and jumped in excitement when she heard the announcement. She turned to Yang Ning and congratulated her, saying, "Yang Ning, did you hear that? You hit a Bullseye. It's the highest score until now." She addressed her informally, as Yang Ning had suggested they address each other by their names and given their similar age, she felt it was appropriate.

Yang Ning's gentle demeanor had started to make her see her more as a friend than the Crown Princess.

"Even though it's a coincidence, it's quite a big deal," she squealed in excitement. She couldn't believe she had been teamed up with the luckiest person.

Yang Ning let out a chuckle and said, "Coincidence? Just wait and watch. I will show you even more similar 'coincidences.'"

"Ah? How can that be-"

Yang Ning interrupted her confused words and said, "By the way, didn't you see your arrow earlier?"

Jiang Yi raised her brow. She indeed forgot to see her arrow earlier, nervously closing her eyes after releasing it and missing when the servant pulled it out from the board.

Yang Ning smiled at her dazed expression and subtly pointed toward the servant with her chin movement. Jiang Yi turned to face the servant, who resumed announcing the results after beating the congratulatory drum.

"Score of Lady Jiang is 6."

Jiang Yi was left speechless upon hearing her score. Even Zhu Yating, with her family's military background, had the highest score of 5. Yet here she was, playing the game for the first time, managing to score higher than Zhu Yating on her first attempt. It was truly shocking!
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"Did...Did I do that? How?" Jiang Yi asked in disbelief.

Yang Ning smiled and said, "Didn't I say that you will do well? You just have to play the way I taught you, and I am sure you will do well."

Jiang Yi blinked at Yang Ning in amazement and nodded. "Now I understand. It was all because of the things you taught me earlier. Thank you! I will do my best to not let you down and support you to win." She said with a bright smile.

Yang Ning chuckled at her excitement and added, "You're not assisting me. You're also playing to win, so do your best and if we win, it's because you gave your best. In a game, there is no one assisting each other; it's about doing their best, and that's how a team wins a game."

Jiang Yi was touched by Yang Ning's words. She had seen earlier the way Zhu Yating treated Lady Shen, who got fewer scores compared to her and was treated as someone supporting Zhu Yating to win only.

However, seeing the way Yang Ning not only encouraged her but also gave her confidence to do well and that she also deserves to win, she felt blessed to be partnered with her.