Chapter 62 Archery

"I was careless in this match, but I definitely won't lose next one!"

"Then I'll be waiting for you!"

The first horse race ended with Yinzhi coming in first and Amuguleng coming in second. Dissatisfied, Amuguleng challenged Yinzhi to a rematch.

Kangxi was naturally overjoyed that his eldest son had won the title of the first warrior. Facing the various Mongol tribes, he was in high spirits. The dissatisfaction of some people was nothing more than a bunch of clowns in his eyes at this moment.

Moreover, in this competition, Yinyou, who had difficulty walking, still managed to achieve seventh place, while Yinxiang, who was young, also achieved tenth place.

Even though most of the top ten were from Mongol tribes, Yinzhi was number one, proving that his son was well-raised, unlike the sons of the various Taiji who participated. As far as Kangxi knew, only Ochir of Chewangzab came in fifth place.

The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became, and that's why when Yinzhen insisted on going up for the second round of archery, Kangxi didn't refuse.

Archery competitions are scored by round. There are 10-meter, 20-meter, 30-meter, 50-meter, and 70-meter targets.

In the first two rounds, at 10-meter and 20-meter targets, anyone who misses the bullseye is eliminated. After all, the effective range of a typical Qing bow is around 30 meters, and if you can't hit the bullseye within 30 meters, there's no point in participating in the subsequent rounds.

No one was eliminated in the 10-meter target, and a few people missed the bullseye in the 20-meter target, but most of them were still eliminated.

However, the difference becomes apparent starting from the 30-meter target; the chance of hitting the bullseye is reduced by more than half. To enhance the spectacle of the competition, starting from this round, each person has three chances; hitting the bullseye once is enough to advance to the next round.

After three rounds, fewer than 10 people advanced to the next round.

Besides Prince Yinzhi and Prince Amuguleng hitting the bullseye with their first arrows, Prince Yinqi and Prince Yinzhen also surprised everyone by hitting the bullseye with their first arrows.

The target is 50 meters long, and the bullseye is painted red, with the area enlarged. Therefore, anyone entering this round only needs to hit the red circle with three arrows to pass. However, an additional condition has been added: once the arrow hits the target, it cannot fall back down.

Yinzhi, Amuguleng, Yinqi, and two other Mongol warriors all hit the target with their first arrow. However, Yinzhi and Amuguleng's arrows were almost perfectly accurate, landing right in the center of the target.

Yinzhen, being young and lacking strength, only managed to hit the red circle area with three arrows, though it was obvious to anyone with eyes that the arrows were not firmly embedded. Nevertheless, this was enough to demonstrate his talent, and his father, Emperor Kangxi, was already very satisfied. Both his eldest and youngest sons had lived up to his expectations. Seeing the envious looks from the Taiji, Kangxi smiled heartily, watching the competition while drinking heartily with the Taiji.

A 70-meter target is almost the maximum range of a regular bow and arrow. This round is simple: three arrows are given, and whoever hits the center wins. Similarly, shooting outside the red circle eliminates the archer, and shooting at the target but missing the target eliminates the archer.

Therefore, Yinzhen was the first to be defeated, followed by Yinqi and the others. After three arrows, only Yinzhi and Amuguleng remained.

The key point is that both players' three arrows hit the center of the target, with no difference between them, resulting in a tie.

"Your Majesty, Amuguleng requests to have another 100-meter target competition with Prince Zhi." Unwilling to admit defeat, Amuguleng turned around, knelt down before Emperor Kangxi, and loudly proclaimed his request.

“Amuguleng, don’t be rude.” Chewangzabu frowned. The Chechen Khanate had praised Amuguleng too highly, and he dared to say anything.

"It's alright, having ambition is a good thing." Kangxi waved his hand, showing no sign of being offended, and looked at Yinzhi, asking, "Baoqing, what do you say?"

"Your subject is perfectly capable of it, but I fear this bow and arrow will not last more than a hundred meters." Yinzhi was full of energy and spirit, even though he was not as robust as Amuguleng. But standing next to him, he was in no way inferior.

To ensure fairness in the competition, everyone used the most basic standard bows and arrows, which have a maximum range of 70 meters, the limit that most archers can achieve. However, for those with strong arms, this is not the upper limit.

"Very well, since you two are willing to compete, bows and arrows are a minor matter. I allow you to choose for yourselves."

"Thank you, Father Emperor."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The two bowed and then went down to choose suitable bows and arrows. They reappeared in the crowd shortly afterward, both having chosen their usual bows.

At the 100-meter target, most people could no longer see the target clearly, and the red circle was completely invisible, appearing as just a red dot. However, Yinzhi and Amuguleng, standing in front of the target, remained remarkably calm.

“Prince Zhi, let’s settle this in one game.”

"Alright! Let's settle this in one game!"

After saying this, the two simultaneously raised their bows and arrows, aimed at the target, and drew the bowstrings taut. Everyone held their breath, even the cheers fell silent, for fear of disturbing their performance.

Soon, two arrows flew past everyone and hit the target squarely without falling off.

Everyone knew the arrow had hit its mark, but no one knew who had shot it more accurately. As they waited for news, even though it wouldn't be long, everyone felt extremely anxious.

"Tenth Prince, who do you think will win?" Yinzhen couldn't help but ask, tugging at Yin's arm. Others might not know, but he certainly did. Although the Tenth Prince seemed lazy, he was quite skilled in horsemanship and archery, but he just didn't want to show it off.

“I don’t know,” Yin honestly shook his head. “My elder brother is more capable than I imagined, and Amuguleng doesn’t seem weak at all. In fact, if he hadn’t been so arrogant in the last horse race, my elder brother wouldn’t have won…”

"So, you think Amuguleng will win?"

"I didn't say that." Yin waved his hand, refusing to admit it.

Undeterred, Yin Tang looked at Yin Qi, who also shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

“I think eldest brother will win,” Yinzhen suddenly said, leaning over and tugging at Yintao and Yinxiang beside him.

"I hope my elder brother wins." Yinxiang nodded in agreement.

"Me too." Although he didn't know how to shoot arrows, Yin Tao still hoped that his brother would win, and for this he silently prayed to the Eternal Heaven in his heart.

"Go away, go away, what do three little brats know?"

Yinzhen impatiently chased the three away, but Yinzhen, unconvinced, puffed out his chest and declared, "Me, the 50-meter target!"

That arrogant and disdainful look in his eyes infuriated Yinzhen. Before he could get angry, Yinzhen took the initiative and put his arm around Yinzhen's neck, saying cheerfully, "Fourteenth Brother has grown up. He'll have a little sparring with Tenth Brother later."

Yinzhen's expression changed as the memories of his past life suddenly assaulted him. Images of being humiliated and beaten to the ground by Yinzhen after his provocations resurfaced, and Yinzhen couldn't help but shudder. "Tenth Brother, I was wrong, I..."

"No rush, we'll talk about it during our sparring session." Yin smiled as he reached out and covered Yin Zhen's mouth. Yin Zhen struggled for a long time but couldn't move. Only after Yin Zhen indicated that he was giving up was he released.

Having escaped, Yinzhen abandoned his companions and ran to Yinzhen's side. The twelfth and thirteenth brothers remained, gazing at the sky and the ground, too afraid to meet the eyes of their smiling tenth brother.

"Tsk, cowardly fellow." The tenth prince reported back for him, so Yinzhen was no longer angry. However, he was still displeased to see the fourteenth prince rush to Yinzhen's side. Feeling that the younger brother's debt should be repaid by the elder brother, he strolled over and, under the fourteenth prince's wary gaze, looked at Yinzhen and asked disdainfully, "Fourth prince, with your archery strength of four and a half, who do you think will win?"

Yinzhen glanced indifferently at the forgetful Yintang, then looked at the rider who came galloping over to report the result, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said softly, "A draw."