The prince's personal bodyguard

The third day of the Qianqiu Festival is a day of national celebration with various events held across the country.

On this day, the streets of Kyoto were bustling with people and traffic.

A pot-throwing competition was being held at the largest arena.

Touhu is a traditional Chinese ritual and game that has lasted from the pre-Qin period to the late Qing Dynasty. Players need to throw arrows into a pot in the distance, and the person who hits the most arrows wins.

This activity is a game that is loved by everyone from high-ranking officials to ordinary people.

The contestants had to register before the Qianqiu Festival began. Men, women, young and old were all welcome to participate, regardless of social status. The preliminary round was held in the morning, and the final round was held in the afternoon.

Since no one she knew signed up for the pitching pot competition, Bai Xinyin chose to go to Minister Bu's house in the morning to watch the excitement, and then go to the pitching pot in the afternoon. Seeing that she was not going, everyone was not very interested, so they decided to go with her to watch the pitching pot finals in the afternoon.

This year's pot-throwing competition is different from previous years. Not only will the winners receive generous prizes, the winner can also ask for a reward from the current emperor.

Since it was a primary round, there were more people playing pot-throwing, but not too many spectators.

The contestants hold arrows, take turns standing at a specified distance, and throw them into the pot.

In the pot-tossing competition, the contestants' expressions and movements were different, some were full of confidence, while others were nervous.

Their techniques are also different. Some like to throw hard, hoping to hit the target in one go; others like to use skills and throw the arrow lightly, so that the arrow draws a beautiful arc in the air and falls accurately into the pot.

Every time a player made a successful shot, the audience would cheer and encourage them.

Many women also attended.

A woman in gorgeous clothes attracted everyone's attention as soon as she appeared.

The woman was extremely beautiful, a peerless beauty. Her eyebrows rose and fell like distant mountains, her eyes were bright as stars, and her eyes were full of intelligence and wit. Her nose was straight and delicate, her lips were rosy like a blooming flower, her teeth were white and neat, and her smile was intoxicating.

Her movements were light and graceful, and the arrow drew a beautiful arc in the air, like a dancing fairy.

There was cheering and applause from outside the venue, cheering for the woman playing the pot-tossing game.

This woman is none other than Lin Wan'er, the third daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Lin Wan'er was very satisfied with the result, but she felt a little disappointed when she saw that the person she had been longing for did not appear in the audience.

A few days ago, her father told her that her aunt had found a marriage for her cousin.

My cousin is so successful that the emperor would be wary of him if our two families were to marry. For the sake of the family's interests, I have to let go of any thoughts that I shouldn't have.

She went to ask her mother for help. Her mother came from a prominent family and her thoughts were all about serving the interests of the family. This was also the thought she had been taught since she was a child. But she was unwilling to give up.

Everything changed because of that spring afternoon.

When she was seven years old, her fifteen-year-old cousin came back from the battlefield and appeared under the crabapple tree in her own garden with her aunt. That moment was engraved in her mind and could never be forgotten.

From then on, she felt that she was humbled to the dust, and often went to the palace to chat with her aunt, just to have a chance encounter with her cousin.

I remember that his eyes were as bright as stars, deep and mysterious, and there seemed to be an attraction hidden between his brows that made people dare not look directly at him.

Lin Wan'er felt her heart beating again.

She knew that in order for the family to remain invincible, in addition to the family itself being excellent, there must also be a strong marriage alliance. A woman must have sufficient ability and wisdom to marry into her husband's family.

Therefore, she was familiar with the classics, history, and literature, and was good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She believed that these were the qualities that a woman who was in charge of the family must possess. Only in this way could she be worthy of her cousin.

Over the years, she has always believed that she should marry into the royal palace. In order to better manage the family affairs, Lin Wan'er also learned the knowledge of housekeeping.

She often consulted her father and read some related books. Her father, Lin Xiang, also had high hopes for her and hoped that she could marry someone of equal status.

She had always dreamed of becoming her cousin's princess. She would marry into the palace and take charge of household chores for her cousin in the future, and she would definitely not let him have any worries.

As for the little guard, he was just a toy that my cousin picked up on a whim.

She felt that no other woman in the world could love her cousin more than she did, and no other woman was more worthy of him than she was. Over the years, she had made all preparations to marry into the palace.

But her father's words made her feel disheartened. She was unwilling to give up her beloved for the sake of her family.

She heard that the winner of the game of throwing pots could ask the emperor for a reward, but she didn't want the reward. She wanted to give it a try, to gamble for what she loved, and to ask the emperor to grant her and her cousin a marriage. Even if her cousin didn't like her, she was content just looking at him every day.

His eyes reluctantly turned from that seat in the stands.

It was still early, and the match would be in the afternoon. My cousin would definitely come in the afternoon, and I had to win first place! In order to win first place, I had practiced hard for so many days that my hands were covered with calluses.

She found a place to sit down and watch, wanting to see what the opponent who would appear in the afternoon would be like? After all, knowing yourself and the enemy can ensure victory in a hundred battles.

At this time, her maid ran over and wiped her sweat with a handkerchief.

On the field, following closely behind her was a young man in a blue robe, holding an arrow and aiming intently at Hukou.

His expression was very focused, his eyes fixed on the mouth of the pot. He breathed gently, adjusted his rhythm, and then suddenly exerted force and threw the arrow. The arrow drew an arc in the air and hit the mouth of the pot accurately. A happy smile immediately appeared on his face, and he waved his fist excitedly to celebrate his victory.

This is not bad, Lin Wan'er nodded, but it can't compare with herself. She didn't use all her strength because it was for the final showdown.

Next came an old man in a red robe, holding an arrow, and walked slowly to the pot. His expression was very calm, his eyes slightly closed, as if he was recalling his pot-throwing skills.

His lips slightly raised, as if to encourage himself. He took a deep breath, and then gently threw the arrow. The arrow flew slowly in the air, and finally hit the mouth of the pot accurately. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he nodded slightly, as if to say to himself: "Well, not bad."

Behind him is a child in a green robe, holding an arrow, and skipping to the pot. He looks very excited, as if he is looking forward to this game. His eyes are shining, as if he is thinking: "I must hit the target!"

He could not wait to throw the arrow, however, the arrow missed the pot mouth. A look of disappointment immediately appeared on his face, and he lowered his head in frustration, as if he was sad about his failure.

…………

These people were no match for her, and Lin Wan'er was about to leave.

At this time, a young man in plain clothes appeared. Although he was wearing plain clothes, his behavior could not conceal his nobility and confidence.

He has a wheat-colored complexion, a handsome face, and wears a half-mask. His exposed eyes are bright and lively, gleaming with wisdom and spirituality, which makes people involuntarily attracted to him.

His technique was so skillful that every throw was as smooth as flowing water. His arrows flew in the air like dancing butterflies and landed lightly in the pot.

This person's performance won applause from the audience and also made other contestants feel the pressure.

Lin Wan'er also felt that this person should not be underestimated, and she couldn't help but look at him a few more times out of curiosity.

As the competition progressed, the players performed better and better. They constantly adjusted their throwing posture and strength, hoping to hit more arrows.

There were more and more arrows in the pot, and the competition entered a white-hot stage.

Finally, after fierce competition, twenty people entered the afternoon finals.

Lin Wan'er and the young man both showed good strength and both entered the finals.

Huangfu Yan.

Lin Wan'er heard the chief judge say that the young man's name was Huangfu Yan.

Why does this name sound familiar?