Chagatai saw the Capital Guards about to take the man down and quickly raised a hand to stop them, saying, "What are you doing, Lord Xiao? This is merely a graze from a game, and the victor hasn't been decided. How can you stop?"

Xiao Jin had already dismounted and personally held the man down. Hearing this, he sneered and said to Chagatai, "If it's so much fun, why doesn't the Fourth Prince also come down for a round?"

"Xiao Jin, how rude." The Prince of Qin, still on horseback, also sneered, "The Fourth Prince is a distinguished guest of our nation. If anything were to happen to him while he's down here, can you bear the responsibility?"

Xiao Jin's lungs ached with anger. He wanted nothing more than to curse the man thoroughly, but he had to hold back due to propriety. He could only kick the offending guard a few times, scolding, "You good-for-nothing!"

Chagatai showed no sign of annoyance. He merely said, "Though the prince has no chance to participate today, the Lion King can certainly play with you all." As he spoke, he saw Arslang, indeed, riding back. He continued, "Moreover, Heir Yi's father and brothers were once bosom friends with the Lion King. Today, let the Lion King accompany the Young Master for an enjoyable match, as this prince's apology."

What kind of apology was this? It was likely just an excuse to humiliate Xin Yi again. Xiao Jin rolled up his sleeves, ready to argue with Chagatai again, but Xin Yi patted his shoulder. Xin Yi's arm was already bloody. He merely brushed the dust from his robe, calmed his horse, and mounted again.

Xiao Jin immediately grew anxious, grabbing his horse's bridle and saying, "What are you doing? Are you really going to play with him?"

Xin Yi saw Arslang not far away and shook his head at Xiao Jin, indicating it was fine. Xiao Jin saw that he truly intended to have a match with Arslang. He wanted to stop him, but then he saw that Xin Yi had stopped smiling, his expression calm and peaceful, making it impossible to utter any words of dissuasion. Xiao Jin was momentarily stunned, and Xin Yi had already pulled the reins, turning his horse's head.

Arslang arrived on his horse, and Chagatai said, "Since the Lion King has come to the capital, it would be a pity if he didn't have a match with Heir Yi. But the Young Master is young, so perhaps we can skip the goat-grabbing and just play with bows and arrows."

"The Fourth Prince is truly considerate, Xin Yi. Then you should play with the Lion King," the Prince of Qin said with a smile. "Back then, not to mention Prince of Yan's riding skills, even your brothers were exceptionally talented. Today, I'm fortunate enough to witness it."

Arslang merely looked at Xin Yi, who had already urged his horse forward. Their horses lined up, and they simultaneously drew their bows. Arslang, after all, gave Xin Yi some leeway and did not use his own bow. He drew his bow, aimed precisely, his eyes solemn. Though on horseback, he already possessed the dignified and steady demeanor of Mount Tai. His mere aura was incomparable to Xin Yi, who was just starting out. Furthermore, the people of Great Yuan constantly lived on the grasslands, becoming soldiers as soon as they mounted a horse.

Men like Arslang, who fought on battlefields, often preferred hard bows. The strength developed from years of training their thumbs and shoulders was far greater than what a standard Great Lan bow required. Ji Baiyue's arrows could be called Wind-Breaking Arrows, which was closely related to the huge ox-tendon recurve bow he wielded, different from what ordinary people used.

Arslang was the first to shoot, his arrow whirring from the string and hitting the bullseye directly. With a thud, it made the target sway violently, its force terrifying. But then Xin Yi's arrow also left the string, brushing past the wind and chasing Arslang's arrow from behind, actually hitting its tail!

The arrow shaft cracked but failed to pass through completely, losing by one move!

Arslang was the first to laugh. He tossed his bow back to the person beside him and said to Xin Yi, "Though not as good as Ji Baiyue, you are still a good shot." He then shook his head and said, "It's a pity you've stayed in the capital."

Xin Yi smiled reservedly, then turned to nock another arrow. His body, originally facing the target, suddenly rotated, and the arrow tip aimed directly at the Prince of Qin.

The Prince of Qin saw the coldness in his eyes, a genuine hint of killing intent, and hastily cried out from his horse, "Xin Yi, what are you—"

The arrow flew out suddenly!

The guards on the side hadn't expected him to actually shoot. A hasty attempt to block was too late. The Prince of Qin, his face as white as paper on his horse, stared as the arrow reached him in the blink of an eye. His cry was still in his throat when the sharp arrow grazed a lock of hair by his temple and embedded itself in a tree trunk not far behind him.

Xiao Jin, standing on the side, secretly applauded, almost raising his hands to clap. On his face, however, he immediately showed anxiety, saying, "Young Master, your aim isn't quite up to par!"

Xin Yi lowered his bow, his cold gaze fixed on the Prince of Qin, who was trembling as he was helped off his horse. His tightly pursed lips held a hint of sharpness and stubbornness, completely different from his usual smiling, spring-breeze demeanor.

Chagatai seemed to want to stir up more trouble, but Arslang, by his side, showed no intention of helping, so he knew when to quit and remained silent.

After being helped off his horse, the Prince of Qin's legs were still shaking. Unwilling to show weakness there, he bravely pointed at Xin Yi, the words in his mouth turning over and over before he swallowed them down. Hu Yong, who had been shrinking in the corner as if he wasn't there, finally found his moment to be useful. He quickly helped the Prince of Qin, saying, "Your Highness, calm your anger, calm your anger. The Young Master has been accompanying the foreign delegation for many days recently, and the sun is intense today, so a blurred vision is common, very common. Your humble servant will escort Your Highness back to the manor to rest. On such a hot day, Your Highness must absolutely avoid catching heatstroke." With that, he signaled for people to quickly carry the Prince of Qin away, without even having time to wipe his own sweat.

It wasn't until Xiao Jin patted his horse that Xin Yi finally released his grip on the bow, his palm soaked with sweat.

Returning to the manor, he felt troubled. Although his arm had been bandaged, he had no change of robes. Going home looking dusty and disheveled would inevitably cause concern.

Xin Yi hesitated for a moment at the door before entering. Inside the courtyard, he saw Old Qu looking at a bamboo cage under the veranda. Upon closer inspection, it contained several pheasants.

"Young Master, you've returned at a good time," Old Qu said, teasing the chickens. He had intended to ask Xin Yi to choose some of the colorful pheasants to keep by the pond, but as he approached, he saw the torn, bloodstained sleeve on his arm and immediately exclaimed in shock, "What happened to you?!"

Xin Yi replied, "Just a small graze at the riding grounds, nothing serious, it's already fine." Seeing Old Qu about to send for a doctor, he immediately said, "I already saw a doctor at the Capital Guards Bureau. The doctor said it's nothing major."

"Those doctors are not thorough; how can they be as good as the ones in the manor?" Old Qu patted the dust from his sleeve and said, "His Excellency is still waiting inside for the Young Master to return for dinner."

"His Excellency didn't leave..." Realizing that today might be Bai Jiu's day off, he stopped speaking. Xin Yi touched his arm, mumbling, "It's really nothing serious..."

Since he had taken a long time to enter, a sound came from inside as if someone's patience was running thin: the faint clinking of a teacup against porcelain. Xin Yi poked his head out from the doorway, and as Bai Jiu's narrow eyes swept over him, he immediately smiled.

"Are you standing by the door waiting for the doctor?" Bai Jiu pushed aside his teacup and said to him, "Come over here and let me see."

Xin Yi shuffled in, saying, "It's just a scrape, it'll be fine in a few days."

Bai Jiu looked at the haphazardly wrapped bandage for a long time, then said, "Xiao Jin's bandaging technique is truly unconventional."

Bai Jiu saw that his robe was quite dusty. He took off Xin Yi's outer robe and had someone bring clean ones. Xin Yi stood slightly awkwardly. After the person took the robe and left, Bai Jiu raised his hand to examine it. Seeing a break in the skin on his thumb from the bowstring, his narrow eyes, profound and inscrutable, looked at him and said, "You have quite a bit of skill, but you only use it on yourself, don't you?"

Xin Yi lowered his eyes, saying, "I couldn't get over it in my heart."

"The capital is just this kind of place. Whoever offends you, you can just slap them in the face, and it'll be fine." Bai Jiu's lips had been tightly pursed, but seeing him pitifully lowering his eyes and listening obediently, his words paused slightly, and his expression softened a bit. He raised a hand and ruffled Xin Yi's hair, whispering, "How many times have I told you that someone has your back? Why do you always endure it alone?"

Xin Yi felt a mix of sourness and sweetness, unable to pinpoint the feeling in his heart. He raised his hands and hugged Bai Jiu. Bai Jiu embraced him, also sighing with a touch of melancholy, "You've really learned to be naughty."

Always making people's hearts ache.

The doctor arrived quickly. It took a great deal of effort to remove the tightly knotted bandage from Xin Yi's arm. New medicine was applied, and it was properly re-bandaged.

That night, Xin Yi was already almost asleep when the hand gently pinched his fingertip and asked in his ear, "Did you remember?"

Xin Yi was already half in the realm of dreams, but hearing the question, he jolted awake and understood what was being asked. He nodded quickly with his eyes closed, making a sound like a chick pecking at rice.

Bai Jiu seemed to let out a low hum. He enveloped Xin Yi's five fingers in his palm, letting him sleep comfortably resting against him.

The next day, the Prince of Qin sent a message to the palace, saying he had caught a cold and needed to recuperate for a few days. The weather had just begun to cool; for the past few days, the heat had made people dizzy, so how could he have caught a cold? The Emperor naturally inquired. The Prince of Qin didn't say much, but there were rumors that Heir Yi had a dispute with the foreign delegation at the riding grounds yesterday, injuring the Prince of Qin. It was said that the Prince of Qin, out of respect for Xin Yi as his imperial nephew, wished to let the matter drop.

The Emperor's attitude towards Xin Yi was already worth pondering. The Prince of Qin was a son who had been by his side for many years, and coupled with Xin Wen's recent death, the Emperor naturally felt somewhat indebted to the Prince of Qin. He immediately sent Kang Fu personally to the Prince of Qin's Manor to ask what happened. Kang Fu returned from his trip saying that it didn't look like a cold. The Prince of Qin's shoulder had been injured by a sharp weapon somehow, and he was bedridden, unable to get up.

"Injured by a sharp weapon?" The Emperor slammed down his memorial and was about to get up and leave. Halfway, he frowned and said, "He's a Prince; who would dare to injure him?!"

Kang Fu, bowing low behind him, said, "This servant also can't understand it. His Highness is so benevolent and kind... how could he suffer this ordeal again?"

As he mentioned Xin Wen, the Emperor thought of Xin Yi, and his brow furrowed even deeper. He said, "I'll go see him."

When the Emperor arrived at the Prince of Qin's Manor, the Prince of Qin was being supported outside, waiting. Seeing his pale face, the Emperor immediately ordered him to be helped inside quickly, even waiving the usual courtesies. Once inside, he asked the Prince of Qin how he had been injured.

The Prince of Qin leaned against the pillow, shaking his head at the Emperor, merely saying, "This son was accidentally injured yesterday, it's nothing serious."

The Emperor saw him move and lie down, his shoulder already showing blood. His brows furrowed tightly, and his tone became sterner. He said, "Kang Fu, send someone to call Court Physician Hong." Kang Fu bowed and withdrew, and the Emperor then said, "How can this injury be accidental? You even told me you caught a cold!"

The Prince of Qin sighed deeply, closed his eyes, and said, "Imperial Father does not know... Imperial Father has not visited this son's manor for a long time."

"We see each other daily at court." The Emperor, seeing the genuine look of illness on his brow, paused and said, "It is true that I have not visited in some time."

"At court, it is as monarch and subject," the Prince of Qin said slowly, "Ever since Wen'er passed, this son often dreams of when we were still in the palace. At that time, besides Elder Brother Prince of Huan, the Crown Prince and Prince of Yan were both present. The six of us brothers, riding and shooting, every skill was taught hand-in-hand by Imperial Father." His voice held a touch of melancholy. He continued, "How good those times were... This son still wanted to accompany Imperial Father for a few more years."

The Emperor was silent for a while, then said, "Whoever prevents you from accompanying me, I will cut out their tongue."

The Prince of Qin said, "This son is unworthy."

"Nonsense!" The Emperor saw that he not only looked much older but also had a disheartened, lifeless despair. He said, "You have been in the capital for over a decade, always peace-loving and dutiful. Who in this court would be more sincere than my own son?"

The Prince of Qin fell silent. When he looked up, his eyes were already red. He said, "Prince of Huan passed away early, Prince of Cheng fell halfway, Prince of Yan is unrighteous, Prince of Ping incited rebellion. Now Prince of Tang resides long-term in Jiangtang and returns to the Qian Manor, and the Crown Prince often accompanies the Empress Dowager. Only this most unworthy son remains in the capital. Our brothers gather less and part more; things have changed, and people are no longer the same. This son lost his wife early and does not wish to remarry. This son was wayward, he brought it upon himself. Besides Imperial Father, I now have no other concerns. Imperial Father, if this son is no longer here, you must keep the Crown Prince in the capital. Power in the court is divided; this son trusts no one else, only the Crown Prince, it must be the Crown Prince." He struggled to get up, supporting himself on the edge of the bed, and said tragically, "With arrogant and tyrannical officials at your side, this son fears that I will die with my eyes unable to close!"

"Nonsense!" The Emperor suddenly raised his voice, got up, and pressed him down, scolding, "Utter nonsense! You are in the prime of your life; you have many good years ahead. Speaking such disheartening words, how can I not feel distressed?"

"This son knows his own body," the Prince of Qin held back tears, "Wen'er deserved his fate, but this son, this son is, after all, a father. My heart aches with distress, such distress."

The Emperor's face was an unnatural red, and his hands trembled slightly. He still said, "How could I not know?" He paused, then said in a deep voice, "Both Prince of Yan and Prince of Ping are gone, how could I not know!"

The Prince of Qin clutched the Emperor's hand, choking back sobs, "Imperial Father, call Third Brother back. This son is already weary of this court; my heart can no longer bear it."

The Emperor held his sobbing son, saying only, "He will come back. I will immediately call the Crown Prince back."

Outside, Court Physician Hong had already arrived. The Emperor immediately summoned him in. When the Emperor looked at the Prince of Qin again, he saw that the prince was in a very bad state and was sobbing until he fainted. The Emperor was greatly alarmed and cried out, "Hong Xianglian! Call Hong Xianglian to come quickly!"

Court Physician Hong scurried in, with Kang Fu following behind. Seeing the Emperor also trembling violently, he exclaimed, "Oh dear!" and quickly went to support him, patting his back and saying, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please speak slowly! Court Physician Hong is here, he's already here!"

The Emperor clutched his hand, his face contorted. He said, "Go and send word, call the Crown Prince back to the capital, call the Crown Prince back to the capital!"

As soon as a fast horse left the capital, Bai Jiu received the news in his study. He stood by the window, watching the trees by the pond turn yellow in spots, and drained his tea. Tasting the bitter tea, a cold, clear smile appeared on his lips.

The Prince of Qin's move was well-played.

The Crown Prince was now coming to deal with him personally.