Chapter 101: The Perfect Lean on the Pole (Third Update—Please Vote)

“Fifth Sister...” Upon hearing Li Lizhi’s words, Li Chengqian’s face twitched. After a moment of contemplation, he rolled his eyes in silent exasperation and said, “Are you really my biological sister? Is this how you treat your elder brother?”

“I am!” Li Lizhi blinked, then nodded earnestly, pointing to herself with a mischievous smile. “Prince Brother, look, I’m as close as right before your eyes, yet as far as the horizon!”

“...” Li Chengqian was again at a loss for words. Seeing Li Lizhi’s joyful expression, he found himself unable to retort.

But then, Li Chengqian pointed at their respective quivers, raising an eyebrow with a smile.

“Fifth Sister, we both have only three arrows left. I have twenty points, you have sixteen—I'm leading by four points,” Li Chengqian said proudly. “Even if Li Bo’an helps you, how could he possibly beat me?”

“Hmm...” With that reminder, Li Lizhi suddenly realized. She quickly glanced at their quivers and indeed, as Li Chengqian said, both had only three arrows remaining. Moreover, Li Chengqian was ahead by four points.

For a moment, displeasure flashed across Li Lizhi’s face.

“Hmph, Prince Brother, don’t get too cocky!” Li Lizhi pouted slightly, baring her teeth in a fierce grin and snorted softly. “The game isn’t just about hitting the ear holes; there’s the double ear and the leaning rod shots too. I don’t believe Li Bo’an can’t even tie the score!”

Then, she coquettishly tossed her head and turned her gaze directly to Li Yi.

“Li Bo’an, you absolutely must not lose. You have to help me beat Prince Brother and teach him a lesson for his arrogance!” Li Lizhi said earnestly.

“...” Li Yi smiled wryly, looked at Li Chengqian, and shook his head. “Princess, Prince, I’m not very skilled at this game.”

“You—!” Instantly, Li Lizhi’s face paled from frustration.

Yet the next moment, she crouched down, picked up all the arrows from the quiver, tossed them into Li Yi’s hands, crossed her arms, and pouted. “I don’t care anymore. You must win against Prince Brother.”

Li Yi: “...”

Seeing this, Li Chengqian couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Prince Brother, you’re not allowed to laugh!” Li Lizhi glared and reached out to scold him.

“All right, no laughing, no laughing,” Li Chengqian quickly waved his hand, forcing down the urge to chuckle, and nodded solemnly. “Fifth Sister, is this expression acceptable now?”

“Hmph!” Li Lizhi ignored Li Chengqian and instead pouted at Li Yi. “Li Bo’an, just throw confidently. I believe you can definitely beat Prince Brother.”

“Yes, just let go and throw. It’s all just for fun anyway. Li Bo’an, don’t hold back,” Li Chengqian teased from the side.

Unable to refuse any longer, Li Yi smiled helplessly, weighed the arrows in his hand, and said softly, “Princess, then I’ll give it a try? But don’t blame me if I lose…”

“Mm, hurry and throw! I believe in you. You won’t lose!” Li Lizhi nodded confidently.

Li Chengqian, caught between laughter and disbelief, gave Li Yi a slight nod and smile.

---

Seeing this, Li Yi’s worries dissipated. He looked down at the arrows again, considered the score between the siblings, and set one arrow aside.

Then, holding two arrows lightly raised in both hands, Li Yi began aiming at the ear hole of the pot.

Li Chengqian frowned slightly, sensing trouble. “Could it be that Li Bo’an intends to throw for the double ear? Even if he hits it, he’d still lose, right?”

Though puzzled, Li Chengqian chose not to interfere.

Meanwhile, Li Lizhi’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Her tiny fists clenched at her chest as she held her breath, eyes fixed intently on the pot’s ear.

“It must hit, it must hit!” she silently prayed.

At that moment, Li Yi, already aimed, tossed both arrows forward simultaneously. The arrows cut through the chilly air, flying straight ahead before descending in a graceful arc.

“Thunk...”

“Thunk...”

With two crisp, pleasant sounds, both arrows landed simultaneously in the pot’s twin ear holes.

“Yay! Double ear! Double ear! That’s twelve points in total!”

Li Lizhi leapt with joy, grinning wide as she turned to Li Chengqian, urging him eagerly, “Prince Brother, it’s your turn now, your turn! Hurry and throw!”

“...” Li Chengqian rolled his eyes silently, frowning slightly but inwardly impressed.

Hadn’t Li Yi said he wasn’t good at this game?

Yet with one throw, he nailed the double ear shot. How was that not skill?

Determined not to be outdone, Li Chengqian held his breath, looked at the now-empty pot retrieved by the servants, then took two arrows and aimed carefully at the ear.

With a swift motion, he hurled them forward.

“Thunk...”

“Thunk...”

Two crisp sounds rang out, and just like Li Yi, Li Chengqian’s arrows landed perfectly in the double ear holes.

Only then did Li Chengqian exhale deeply.

“Well, Fifth Sister?” he said, turning around, hands behind his back, flashing a triumphant smile at Li Lizhi and Li Yi. “I also scored double ear, and I’m still ahead by four points!”

“Now, we each have only one arrow left. Unless you can hit the leaning rod, there’s no way you can beat me.”

Li Chengqian said cheerfully, his face brimming with pride.

---

“...” Li Lizhi immediately rolled her eyes in silent exasperation and pouted. “Prince Brother, if we both score double ear, how come you can also get double ear?”

Li Chengqian was momentarily stunned. “Why can’t I throw double ear like you?”

“Because the prize belongs to your sister!” Li Lizhi said firmly, glaring and complaining, “You shouldn’t have thrown double ear at all. You don’t give your sister any chance, hmph!”

“...” Li Chengqian was left speechless. Somehow, her argument sounded quite reasonable.

The elder brother should yield to the younger sister; that was only natural?

Li Chengqian laughed and cried inwardly, thinking how he’d gotten such an unreasonable sister who always outwits him...

Meanwhile, as the siblings bickered, Li Yi threw the last arrow.

Instantly, the guards and palace maids in the rear garden erupted in astonishment.

“Princess, it’s a leaning rod! A leaning rod! That counts for ten points!”

“A leaning rod! My heavens!”

“This Li Bo’an is incredible! He actually threw a leaning rod!”

Only when the startled voices echoed did Li Lizhi and Li Chengqian snap out of their quarrel.

They turned to look and saw the arrow perfectly resting against the rim of the pot.

It was a flawless leaning rod shot!

Li Chengqian was shocked.

He looked at Li Yi with disbelief.

How could this supposedly unskilled Li Bo’an throw such a perfect leaning rod shot?

He was no novice—he was a master at this game!

Li Lizhi was equally stunned, frozen in place. She covered her mouth with one hand, eyes wide as they fixed on that leaning rod arrow, completely forgetting to cheer.

(The End of this chapter)