Rebirth of Poisoned Empress, by 颜若优雅

Chapter 57

Ling Yucheng's challenge to Shen Liang wasn't some simple game of throwing sticks. It was archery. But Shen Liang actually dared to agree?

Not to mention those who were favorable towards Shen Liang, even many who were clouded by jealousy and wanted nothing more than for Shen Liang to make a fool of himself before the crowd, were stunned by Shen Liang's agreement. Ling Yucheng grew up on the battlefield. He became well-known for his martial arts and skills since a young age. Not to mention his martial foundation, even his archery skills were at a skill level unfathomable by them. But Shen Liang, who had been unfavored since birth, and was thrown to the countryside to fend for himself since he was ten because of some fortune teller, had only came back a little more than a half a month ago. This kind of him, he still dared to compete against Ling Yucheng?

What made the crowd even more stunned was not only did Shen Liang agree, but his attitude was also very calm and collected as well. It was no different from when he competed with the Jiang daughter. His slender body stood tall and with pride. His delicate and beautiful features did not fluctuate even the slightest bit. Those gorgeous eyes of his were gentle in its waters and not the slightest trace of fear could be detected from him.

"He acts as though he really knows. I just don't believe there are any loopholes he can still take advantage of," mixed in the crowd, Shen Qiang, seeing Shen Liang being challenged again and was originally upset because of the attention he was getting, pouted quietly. This time, even Liu Shuhan couldn't stop the wheels in her head from rolling again. If it was Ling Yucheng, even if he accidentally killed Shen Liang, no one would say anything, right?"

"This is getting overboard. Won't Marquis Shen do anything about it.

On the other side, at Shen Ruiting's table, the group of officials who had developed an interest in Shen Liang peered at Shen Ruiting, whose brows were furrowed. This was his heir. Was he truly just going to turn a blind eye to everything?

"...." It wasn't that Shen Ruiting couldn't sense his colleagues' contemptuous glances, but that he couldn't bother himself with them. He simply stood up and left his seat with a blackened face. No matter how he disliked Shen Liang, it was impossible for him to sit still and watch the bloody scene that would unfold.

"Third sister-in-law, what is your cousin playing at?" the Imperial Princes had gathered together. The fifth Imperial Prince retracted his gaze to pin it on the third Imperial Prince's concubine. Although he had temporarily given up on the prospect of marrying Shen Liang, who can truly know what will happen in the future? Besides, Shen Liang's performance today had greatly exceeded many of their expectations. Privately, he was tempted and was deliberating on whether he should just take the boy back to his manor and marry him, albeit against his father's will. But who would've thought a Ling Yucheng would materialize out of nowhere?

"I'm not sure. Although Yucheng had been instated as a General by Father Emperor, he is still young, only in his teens. Perhaps just childish mischief and want nothing mroe than to play with Young Master Shen," the third Prince's concubine shook his head and revealed nothing with his impeccable manners.

"Play around? Isn't this going too far for just playing around?" the fifth Prince ridiculed. 

The sixth Prince also echoed his agreement, "This is indeed going overboard. Archery isn't something that can be played around with."

"Young General Ling should have a sense of propriety," Qin Yunshen, who rarely spoke and joined in on their conversations, finally spoke. The other Imperial Princes peered over with strange glances. But Qin Yunshen had been hiding himself for so many years. How could they see through him just like that. No one knew that from the very beginning, his gaze had remained on Shen Liang from beginning to end. The image of Shen Liang's murderous glare surfaced in his mind over and over again, stowing the inexplicable complicated feelings lurking in his heart. He still couldn't figure out where Shen Liang's hatred came from. And where these strange feelings in his heart came from as well.