Crossing the Palace Fighting Fox Harem

Before Ji Anni could speak out against it, Prime Minister An spoke first, "Princess, please forgive me for being blunt, but what if none of you three can hit the target? This ceremony of shooting arrows may be small, but it is intended to be a sign. If this sign is destroyed by you, morale will also be affected..."

Tian Ning put his hands on his waist impatiently and said, "Prime Minister An, can you shut up for a while? I'm talking to my brother."

The emperor was concerned about Princess Tianning's birth mother, the Queen Mother, so he naturally didn't dare to offend her too much. Moreover, looking at Tianning's current expression, she was determined not to give up until she achieved her goal. If she continued to make trouble, I'm afraid even the hunting meeting would have to be postponed. The emperor had no choice but to accommodate her and said, "Tianning, I will give you this chance. I just don't know... In addition to Fangting, which two women do you want to perform the ceremony of opening the arrows?"

"Of course I'm the second one, as for the third one..." Tian Ning took another step forward and looked up.

As she spoke, she looked in the direction where Ji Anni was standing, and the others also followed the princess's gaze and looked at Ji Anni.

Ji Anni reflexively lowered her head, feeling a little uneasy as she was being watched by so many people. Although she was somewhat confident in her archery skills, she could not guarantee that she would not be so nervous that she could not even draw her bow in front of so many people.

At this time, a small corner of the silk curtain covering the emperor was lifted, and the emperor asked in surprise: "Tian Ning... Could it be that the third person you are referring to is... Zhao Ji?"

Tian Ning asked: "Besides this, did my brother see any other women?"

The emperor said with some worry, "Tian Ning... I agreed to let Zhao Ji participate in this hunting competition only because you wanted her to accompany you, but Zhao Ji does not know archery and I am afraid she will not be able to perform the ceremony of shooting arrows."

"Brother, you underestimate Zhao Ji. She once said that if she were to go on stage, she would steal my limelight."

Ji Anni lowered her head and thought, those were just words spoken hastily, but Princess Tianning actually took them to heart.

"Oh?" The emperor didn't believe it at all. After all, he and Zhaoji had been husband and wife for several years, so he certainly knew whether Zhaoji could shoot arrows or not.

After hearing the emperor's suspicious "Oh", Ji Anni thought she was in trouble. There was already a Yanniang in the palace who began to doubt her identity. If the emperor also doubted her, how could she survive in the palace? Yanniang and the emperor were both people who had contact with Zhaoji. If her words and deeds were too different from the previous Zhaoji, it would immediately arouse their suspicion.

From the emperor's tone, it can be heard that Zhao Ji is just a weak woman who doesn't know archery. If I show any outstanding performance in archery today, it will definitely arouse the emperor's suspicion... Ji Anni secretly felt bad in her heart, and she just hoped that someone would stand up and stop Princess Tianning's unreasonable trouble soon, otherwise if she, Ji Anni, was forced to perform the ceremony of shooting arrows, she really didn't know whether she should shoot or not.

"Royal brother, are you going to agree or not?" Tian Ning saw that the emperor was hesitant and urged him again anxiously.

The emperor was about to speak when he heard Prime Minister An's voice: "Your Majesty, I have a suggestion. If one of the three arrows can hit the bull's eye, the three archers will be rewarded handsomely. But if none of the three arrows can hit the bull's eye, please disqualify the woman from participating in the hunting competition."

"What?" Before Princess Tianning could start to attack, Concubine Kang was the first to stand up and said to Prime Minister An, "Prime Minister, do you have any opinion about me?"

Concubine Kang was a frequent guest at every hunting competition, so it was not difficult to guess that she would think so.

Prime Minister An said: "Of course I dare not have any opinion on your Majesty, but I think..."

Before he could finish, Tian Ning readily agreed: "Okay, I'll promise you. If you can't hit the bull's eye with three arrows, I will never come to the hunting meeting again."

After hearing the above conversation, Ji Anni probably guessed a little bit of the inside story. It was probably that Prime Minister An did not have any opinion on Concubine Kang, but on Princess Tianning. However, he did not dare to say that if she could not hit the bull's eye, Princess Tianning would be disqualified from participating in the hunting competition. He could only expand the scope to all women, so that Princess Tianning would not feel that Prime Minister An was targeting her.

However, Tian Ning's straightforwardness was also suspicious. Could it be that her archery skills were really so amazing that she was so confident?

"Princess..." Concubine Kang came to Tian Ning, seeming a little worried, her brows furrowed, without a trace of smile on her face, only a bleak look of sadness and worry, "You are too reckless... I, I am not sure..."

Ji Anni was waiting to hear Tian Ning's answer, but Tian Ning said nothing. He just held Concubine Kang's hand and patted it gently. Strangely enough, Tian Ning's brows were slightly furrowed, and she didn't seem to be very confident. That worried look was completely different from the straightforwardness when she agreed to Prime Minister An's suggestion just now.

What's the matter?

The more Ji Anni watched, the more confused she became. She wondered if Princess Tianning had the confidence to hit the bull's eye. If she did, why did she look so uneasy? If not, why did she agree so quickly? Did she not want to participate in the hunting competition in the future? Or was she ready to default on her debt, and even if she lost, she would still ask her brother or the queen mother to let her participate next year.

Just as she was getting into the mood, Tian Ning and Concubine Kang had already come to Ji Anni's side.

Ji Anni looked at them and smiled bitterly, then whispered, "Princess, what are you planning this time?"

Tian Ning handed an imperial arrow to Ji Anni without saying anything and said, "Don't ask too many questions. Just shoot well."

Ji Anni was a little embarrassed and said, "I have no problem shooting arrows, but I'm afraid I won't hit the target. What should I do?"

Tian Ning said: "It doesn't matter whether you can hit the target or not, just stand up and shoot."

"Why?" Ji Anni really didn't understand. Princess Tianning was always competitive and would never give up until she won. Why did she say it didn't matter whether she could hit the target or not? Didn't she care about winning or losing with Prime Minister An?

"Fang Ting." Tian Ning turned slightly and handed another imperial arrow to Concubine Kang, saying, "I'm counting on you to shoot the first arrow. You must hit the target. If even you can't hit the target... maybe we won't be able to participate in the hunting competition next year..."

Concubine Kang was also very puzzled, and lowered her voice and asked, "Princess, since you are not sure of winning, why don't you apologize to Prime Minister An and the Emperor, return the arrow to my brother, or let him perform the ceremony of opening the arrow, then nothing will happen, right? Why do you have to take the limelight?"

"This is not about showing off..." Tianning lowered his head.

"What is that?" Concubine Kang would not give up until she got the reason.