Who was it? The Emperor? The Emperor had merely granted Ye Changgen permission to demonstrate his archery by piercing a willow leaf from a hundred paces. He had issued no further decree. The Qian family? A minor bureaucratic household—lacked the power to orchestrate this. The Imperial Street was under the jurisdiction of the Sixteen Guards of the Forbidden Army. General Yan Jide, commander of the Imperial Guard, was responsible for today's archery exhibition and security arrangements. The soldier who fastened the counterfeit willow leaf to the target—he must be either from the Ministry of War or directly under Yan Jide's command.
But why would Yan Jide be involved? His loyalty was sworn to the Emperor alone; he should have no part in scheming or factional strife. No... Li Ce pushed through the crowd, his mind in turmoil as he ran. There was no time. He must have overlooked something critical. The Emperor would only care for the outcome—no one would report the issue with the willow leaf. Even if the commoners noticed, they would assume it was part of the arrangement. No one dared question the court's command.
At such distance, a steel arrowhead striking a metal leaf would most likely glance off, missing the mark and falling powerless to the ground. It would appear as though the shot had simply gone astray.
Li Ce hurried toward the archery platform. He had to stop Ye Changgen. The court could not afford to lose a loyal and capable general. The heir to the Duke of Anguo should not be exiled three thousand li away.
Though the target stood a hundred paces from the platform, each step felt like a trial. Li Ce coughed, gasped for breath, the surrounding crowd like melting sugar figurines, sticky and suffocating, dragging at his feet. He nearly collapsed, when a crisp voice rang out:
"Are you trying to die?"
A hand reached through the crowd, gripping his collar and pulling him upright—it was Ye Jiao. She stood just below the archery stage, the closest she could be to her elder brother.
Li Ce's face was ashen as he gasped, "Quick! Stop your brother. The willow leaf is made of metal."
Ye Jiao's expression changed at once. She glanced toward the distant target—by now, the fake willow had already been fastened. The day was windless. The leaf hung low, green and fragile in appearance, impossible to distinguish as real or fake. But Ye Jiao did not question it for a moment.
"Was it the Emperor's order?" she asked.
Li Ce had assumed not, but now, hearing her, he wavered. What if it was a last-minute imperial whim?
"You stop them. I'll request an audience with His Majesty," he said. Though the security today was stringent, as the Emperor's own son, he could still ascend the Danfeng Tower. But if this was the Emperor's decision—what would become of the Ye family?
Ye Jiao steadied herself. For the first time, she saw Li Ce flustered, and couldn't help but reach out, gently smoothing his hair.
"Don't be afraid," she said, her eyes suddenly resolute and unyielding. "Watch me."
Li Ce stood stunned, his face—until just moments ago pale as paper—suddenly flushed like a ripe persimmon. Had she... just comforted him? Pat his head?
Clad in crimson robes, Ye Jiao vaulted onto the archery platform.
"Who goes there?" the Imperial Guard shouted, rushing forward.
Ye Jiao pointed to the archer drawing his bow. "That's my brother. I need to speak with him."
Hearing the commotion, Ye Changgen turned his head.
"Jiao Jiao?" he said with a smile. "Wait over there, and I'll treat you to something delicious afterward."
But Ye Jiao stood tall, lifting her skirt slightly on the high platform, and commanded him clearly, "Brother, change your bow—use the four-stone bow. And switch to fletchless arrows."
The draw weight of a bow is measured in stones—the higher the number, the more strength it takes to draw. Though Ye Changgen trained diligently, he typically used only two- or three-stone bows. The arrowheads were standardized among the Imperial Guard, but the fletching varied—none, two, three, or four feathers. The more fletching, the greater the stability, but the slower the arrow.
Holding a two-stone bow and three-feather arrows, Ye Changgen chuckled arrogantly. "No need."
"There is a need," Ye Jiao countered. "You must change them."
Her clear eyes met his. Once like delicate peach blossoms, now burning like fire beneath her brows. Though she gave no explanation, her expression and tone revealed the gravity of the matter.
Ye Changgen was baffled. A four-stone bow and a fletchless arrow were faster, yes—but accuracy was what mattered in striking a willow leaf a hundred paces away.
He gripped his bow, frowning. Before such a vast audience—the Emperor, the court, the commoners—was he really to obey a woman's command? To obediently change his bow?
He hesitated. Behind him, the guards urged, "Are you going to shoot or not? The Emperor has arrived at Danfeng Gate. The entire court and foreign envoys are watching. Will you defy an imperial command?"
Ye Changgen inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled. To the guards, he said, "Pardon me, General. I will switch my bow."
A rack behind him held over a dozen bows. Three full quivers of arrows—he could choose any he liked. After careful selection, he returned to his position.
So be it. What harm in following a woman's lead? She was his sister. If she got upset, who would coax her?
A guard waved a command flag atop the platform. War drums thundered. On the Danfeng Tower, Commander Yan Jide invited the Emperor to rise and approach the balustrade with the ministers and foreign dignitaries.
The Emperor nodded. The flags fluttered. Seeing the signal, the guards on the platform raised their own in reply.
"You may begin," they said to Ye Changgen.
The noisy crowd instantly fell silent. Below the platform, Ye Jiao watched her brother's every move.
The four-stone bow was heavy. Ye Changgen drew it with effort, took aim at the distant willow leaf, and held his breath. The arrowhead glinted coldly under the sunlight.
On the tower, the Emperor watched him, then the avenue, then the fervent crowd.
These are my people. My Chang'an.To see them like this—it brings me joy.
The arrow flew.
The combination of a four-stone bow and a fletchless arrow was like lightning. The crowd barely reacted before a piercing clang rang through the Imperial Street. The sound was sharp, grating—and then abruptly stopped.
Tens of thousands of eyes locked onto the target.
There stood the arrow, unmoving, having pierced through the willow leaf.
"He hit it!" Ye Jiao raised both hands, applauding fervently alongside the erupting crowd. Cheers soared.
Li Ce stood beside her, overwhelmed by the joy in their voices. A four-stone bow and a fletchless arrow—bronze or steel, nothing withstands sheer speed!
Who said Ye Jiao was reckless? She knew bows and believed in her brother.
And Ye Changgen—how had he managed to control the instability of a fletchless arrow? How had he truly split the willow from a hundred paces?
Li Ce stood motionless. His face was calm, but within him, waves crashed like a storm-tossed sea.
"He hit it!"
The crowd roared—but a note of unease crept in.
"Why didn't it fall?""How could a willow leaf hold an arrow?""Quick, look!"
Imperial Guards rushed forward, inspecting the leaf, then looked toward Danfeng Tower in confusion. Carefully, they removed it.
"Clear the way! Make way!"With leaf and arrow in hand, the guards ran toward the tower. According to plan, the leaf was to be presented to the Emperor. Now, they brought the arrow too.
The Emperor had waited impatiently.
"Let me see!" he barked.
His gaze froze the moment it fell upon the leaf. His lips pressed tight.
The willow had indeed been pierced—the arrowhead was small enough to puncture the leaf's center. Yet the curled, tattered edges clinging to the shaft betrayed its unusual material.
Iron? Bronze? How could that be?
But with ministers before him, envoys all around, the Emperor swiftly resumed his composure. Smiling, he proclaimed:
"To pierce even iron leaves—what need have we to fear armor or shields? This is an omen of good fortune! A sign that Great Tang shall not fear the sword!"
The ministers prostrated themselves, shouting their praises.
The foreign emissaries were astonished, marveling as they touched the pierced leaf, praising the divine general heaven had bestowed upon Tang.
"Summon that young man of the Ye family!" the Emperor called out.
Ye Changgen stood dazed upon the platform. Amid the crowd's cheers, he couldn't act out—but his eyes darted repeatedly toward Ye Jiao, full of shock and confusion, silently asking:
Who did this? Who tried to set me up?
Fortunately, the imperial summons arrived, ordering him to ascend the Danfeng Tower for an audience.
The guards swarmed in, confiscated his weapons, searched him thoroughly, and finally led him before the Emperor.
Ye Changgen...