Chapter 46: Betting Lives

*My turn*—three words light from her lips—chill like iron dropped from nine heavens at Cai Lin's feet.
Sweat traced his jaw. He stared blank at purple.
She walked forward, bent, lifted the bow from the ground. Every eye in the hall followed—unwilling to blink.
No one had scripted this. They expected faint or shame—she stood whole. He dripped—three shots, none true.
Brief hush—then talk surged below.
"Tiger father, tiger daughter! Courage!" A man friendly to Shen Xin had doubted the fool tales—today he called them lies. Such nerve—who painted a girl black on purpose? Jealousy of a bright young tree.
"Didn't blink—inch from her cheek. General's bearing—even we'd jump."
"Look whose blood she carries—General Shen's girl. Rumors were poison. Outstanding this young—envy follows."
Court men favored Shen Xin—interest tied. They did not parse inner yards like wives. She had been small; now age showed what was always there.
Princes Zhou and Jing traded looks. Jing sighed. "We were wrong. She has nerve."
"Ninth Brother regretting?" Zhou teased Fu Xiuyi. "Such a woman—why refuse before?"
"People don't change overnight. Tutor or act—either way Ninth Brother lost." Jing said.
Fu Xiuyi smiled mild. "Fair lady—not the one I want." Regret? Not quite. Her stillness stung. He did not believe one-night rebirth—years of fool-play? To make him despise her? Why?
Pei Lang set down tea—why had his chest tightened for her? She held—and broke Cai Lin until common arrows would not fly.
*She is that strong?*
"A fine girl indeed." Prince Yu smiled satisfied, eyes crawling her frame. "Wonder… how she tastes?"
Pei frowned. Yu's mind was filth again. Too small to stop it.
"You lost." In the pavilion Xie lounged at the window, calm. "Settled."
"This outcome!" Su Mingfeng's eyes bulged—friend, then stage. "You knew?"
"Pay your wager."
"Fine—I lose. Penalty?"
"After this—drink with me. Twenty-year cellared daughter red."
"Black heart." Mingfeng cursed—then paused. "Celebrate what? Nothing to cheer yet."
"Not yet. Soon." Xie lifted a brow. "Very much worth cheering."
On the stage she held out the apple.
Cai Lin's hands shook taking it. "Shen Miao—have you studied foot archery?"
"No." Smile at him. "First touch of bow today. Three arrows—you miss one, there's the next. You learn."
He shuddered. "You're lying."
Her calm had looked practiced—he had hoped Shen Xin taught her. First day with a bow?
How dare she.
"You know nothing—how shoot? You'll miss the apple—I die for nothing?"
"Ridiculous, Master Cai." Her voice carried—neither high nor low—purple head bowed, pressure crushing.
"When you chose me, you never asked if I could shoot. When you shot at me, you never asked if I'd die. Why ask me now—can I, may I?"
Cai Lin had no answer. He picked foot archery to humiliate her for Yue. Stone on his own foot.
"Miss Shen—my son is wild. This official apologizes—don't hold it. You truly cannot shoot—accident helps no one, harms you too." Lord Cai burst out under his wife's urgent eyes—face red, still better than a dead heir.
He used *this official*—to frighten a girl. He blamed her inflexibility; authority leaked unbidden.
Officials did not scare her. She had traded with Huns, with Qin royalty, with Ming Qi's throne. A minister was small change.
Chin lifted slight—he stood below—far view like a man kneeling at her feet. Her words stunned the hall.
"Lord Cai—I staked my life. Now Young Master Cai stakes his. Pact signed—black on white. If I kill him today, it is fair. Wager lost."
Before he spoke she went on: "Trust makes a man. Your son set the rule. Change now when losing—do you change rules in office when wind turns?"
Uneasy laughter died. The hall held its breath for what came next.