Chapter 100◇
◎What's wrong with him?◎
Actually, Feng Ran saw that the other three hit the target effortlessly, but she herself lacked confidence, so she decided not to embarrass herself.
But seeing Duan Jingchuan and Chen Guangjun looking at her with such understanding, she thought again, even if she lost face, it didn't matter. Archery was so much fun, and once this opportunity was gone, it would be gone forever.
At Feng Ran's prompting, Duan Jingchuan helped her correct her posture before letting go.
As if she had received the key points before an exam, Feng Ran was full of confidence. With a flick of her finger, the arrow shot towards the target in front of her at an incredible speed... next to it, was Duan Jingchuan's target.
Just as it was about to be put on, the flying arrow seemed to have opened its eyes, deviating a few inches in the air, grazing the edge of the target and flying straight into a poplar tree a hundred meters away. Before the force had weakened, the entire arrow tip was embedded in the tree trunk, and the tail of the arrow kept swinging, as if unwilling to stop there.
The scene fell silent for a moment. Chen Guangjun recalled the arc of the arrow's flight with confusion and muttered, "Why did it turn?"
Feng Ran had a long face. She knew the arrow wouldn't obey her. She was too ashamed to face anyone. Not only did she get the worst result in the whole event, but the arrow was also so ridiculous that it didn't even touch her own target. Instead, it hit Duan Jingchuan's target and then went around in a semicircle before hitting a tree next to the training ground.
Would General Chen be angry with her for damaging public property? At this moment, she really wanted to throw herself into Duan Jingchuan's arms like a quail, but when she thought of how shy and timid Duan Jingchuan was in front of outsiders, she gave up on this decision. Instead, she twisted his sleeve, lowered her head and remained silent, trying her best to hide her body behind him.
Duan Jingchuan couldn't help but twitch his lips, utterly puzzled. He had clearly already assumed the correct posture; all he had to do was release the arrow with the right force. Yet the effect was far off, practically the opposite of what he intended.
Chen Guangjun barely managed to straighten his jaw, and dryly praised, "The Crown Princess is born with superhuman strength, which is beyond our reach. Very good, very good."
He spoke from the heart; in his many years of military service, he had never seen an arrow deflect so erratically and with such terrifying force.
Although a soldier's arrows can reach 150 meters, the remaining force is negligible and cannot cause fatal wounds; at most, they can slow down the enemy's movements.
If Feng Ran's force were directly applied to the enemy, it could kill them on the spot, but with such accuracy, it's possible that she might hit her own people instead.
Feng Ran honestly said what Chen Guangjun was too embarrassed to say: "General Chen, please don't flatter me. If I were on the battlefield, I might just send myself to the Western Paradise with a spinning arrow."
Faced with Feng Ran's honesty, Chen Guangjun didn't know what to say, so he could only steer clear of that point, "Skills can be practiced. The Crown Princess's talent is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Why don't I demonstrate it for you again?"
Duan Jingchuan chuckled to himself, glancing at the target directly in front of Feng Ran, and then at the unlucky tree at a 45-degree angle to the target.
The tree wasn't very tall, and it grew in a rather strange shape. Several pieces of dried meat were hanging from its crooked neck. If Feng Ran's arrow had been a little more powerful, the dried meat would probably have been about to fall off.
A somewhat immature idea popped into his head, and he whispered something to the soldier beside him.
The soldier had a strange expression. Seeing Duan Jingchuan's unquestionable demeanor, he was too embarrassed to ask any more questions and could only do as he was told.
The others had no idea what Duan Jingchuan was up to. They saw the soldier return after a while with a lotus leaf bag the size of two palms, with a rope hanging from it. The soldier tied the rope to the crooked tree that Feng Ran had just shot.
Feng Ran didn't question why she did this, but instead turned her head and asked curiously, "It smells so good, is that the beggar's chicken that my husband promised me?"
Duan Jingchuan curled his lips, a hint of childlike innocence appearing on his usually gentle face. "You have a good nose, but whether you can eat this beggar's chicken depends entirely on yourself. See that rope? If you can shoot it first, the delicious food is yours. If this young man hits it, then I'll have to wait until we get back to the capital to prepare this beggar's chicken for you."
The soldier even sucked his saliva in agreement, looking at Feng Ran provocatively, as if to say that he was determined to get the beggar's chicken.
Feng Ran immediately went on high alert. Someone was trying to snatch food from the tiger's mouth! That was unacceptable!
She immediately picked up her bow and arrow, her smiling face turning serious, her almond-shaped eyes narrowing, unable to conceal the sharpness in them, like an eagle in the night, her aura rising higher and higher.
With a final burst of breath, the arrow shot out, severing the rope with unstoppable force. Its momentum didn't diminish; it flew a great distance before finally tracing a parabolic arc towards the Earth's core.
The beggar's chicken landed with a thud, and you could imagine the mud coating crumbling away, revealing the tender and delicious inside.
The sharp look on Feng Ran's face vanished instantly. She threw down her bow and arrow, and shook Duan Jingchuan's sleeve, saying, "Watch me hit the target. That's mine."
Duan Jingchuan had already guessed this outcome, and calmly pulled Feng Ran toward the beggar's chicken restaurant a hundred meters away.
Chen Guangjun nearly dropped his jaw in shock again. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and asked the soldier who tied up the beggar's chicken with trembling lips, "Did you tie the rope securely?"
The soldier looked surprised and said absentmindedly, "He actually hit the target." Even he couldn't guarantee it.
As it turns out, it's really that amazing. If you can't hit the target when shooting at it, you can hit it every time by suspending it with food.
Looking at Feng Ran, who was sitting on the ground eating a chicken leg without any regard for her image, he couldn't bring himself to say the words of recruitment.
Finally, after much deliberation, Chen Guangjun decided to place his expectant gaze on Duan Jingchuan. To be fair, Duan Jingchuan's talent was not bad, but compared to these three, he was not outstanding. However, considering the special circumstances of these three, Duan Jingchuan was undoubtedly a normal genius.
However, as if he knew what Chen Guangjun was going to say, Duan Jingchuan said directly, "I have never had the idea of joining the army in my life."
Chen Guangjun's hopes were dashed. If he had never discovered such a prodigy, he wouldn't be so disappointed. But the prodigy was right in front of him, within reach yet unattainable, which made him extremely frustrated.
On the way back, the four of them sat in the carriage, and Feng Ran finally asked the question that had been bothering her for a long time: "Husband, you like reading military books so much, don't you want to follow in your father's footsteps and join the army?"
The other two people in the car, one big and one small, were Shi Fusheng, who fell asleep soundly as soon as he got in. Huang Que, on the other hand, was a little curious and looked at Duan Jingchuan with questioning eyes.
Duan Jingchuan glanced at Huang Que, twitched the corner of his mouth, and then explained to Feng Ran in a gentle voice, "The Dingbei Marquis's mansion is too prominent, and none of my generation can join the army."
My father's wise decision to retire at the height of his career was a great one. If his generation were to return to command the army, they would be too powerful. In times of peace, it is all too common for a cunning rabbit to die. Being a smart person who knows when to back down can help one live longer.
"Ah! Then my husband can't do what he likes anymore." Feng Ran frowned, the wrinkles between her brows creating deep furrows.
Duan Jingchuan smoothed Feng Ran's brow. "How did you know I long for the military?"
“You hold military books in your hands every day, and you’ve even added sword and spear practice to your daily morning exercises. Isn’t this all preparation for becoming a general in the future?” She wasn’t just someone who knew how to eat, drink, and have fun. She knew Duan Jingchuan’s habits and preferences better than anyone else.
"Oh? How did you know I practice weapons in the morning?" Duan Jingchuan didn't remember saying that.
Feng Ran twisted her fingers sheepishly and said, "It's not like I'm heartless and want to sleep in every day. A few times I've thought of keeping you company, but seeing you wielding that spear so powerfully, I didn't want to bother you." She paused, then immediately turned fierce, "Don't change the subject. If you don't like it, why do you do all this every day?"
A gentle smile rippled in his deep eyes. "These are the essence passed down from our ancestors. Even if I don't do them, I can't be ignorant of them."
"Then aren't you learning things you'll never use?"
Duan Jingchuan grunted and stroked his chin, saying, "Won't we need it when we have children in the future?"
"You're pregnant!" Shi Fusheng's voice was sharp with surprise, showing no signs of sleepiness. His eyes were piercing as he stared intently at Feng Ran's belly.
Feng Ran instinctively covered herself with her hands. "Why are you so surprised? Can't I have children?"
Shi Fusheng's gaze stiffly shifted from Feng Ran's stomach to the faces of the two, his mind racing as he imagined what the stone monkey, combining the features of the two, would look like.
Duan Jingchuan noticed Shi Fusheng's absent-minded expression and his heart skipped a beat. He asked casually, "Is it because Madam is unable to conceive?"
Shi Fusheng said irritably, "How would I know?"
"As an older brother, it's only natural for me to know about my sister's health condition!" Duan Jingchuan insisted on getting an answer.
Shi Fusheng got a little angry from the questioning, and said in a fierce but weak voice, "My sister is naturally fine. Is it because you can't have children that you want to marry someone else and frame my sister?"
Despite being questioned about his abilities, Duan Jingchuan didn't frown. Instead, he smiled with relief and turned his gentle gaze back to Feng Ran.
However, both of them forgot that there was a second party involved in the question of whether it would work or not.
"What? What's wrong with him? He can do it every night..." Feng Ran was eager to prove it, gesturing wildly as she explained to Shi Fusheng.
Duan Jingchuan hurriedly covered Feng Ran's mouth, holding her petite body tightly in his arms. Whether from excitement or something else, the skin on his neck was bright red, like blood.
As if his fate had been seized, Shi Fusheng's hands trembled as if he were having an epileptic seizure. He grabbed Huang Que's sleeve, lifted the carriage curtain, and was about to jump down.
Suddenly stopping, he turned to Duan Jingchuan with a dark expression and said, "Take your wife and get out of the carriage to get some fresh air. I'm going to stay in this carriage the whole time, and I don't want anything strange to have happened here."
He then realized that if the two of them went out, wouldn't that just make room for this shameless guy? How could he possibly ride in the carriage again in the future? It would be better to just kick the two restless people off the carriage and let them cool off before coming back.
Duan Jingchuan's complexion wasn't much better, alternating between dark and red. The dampness and warmth from his neck made his body temperature rise steadily.
But he dared not let go of Feng Ran's neck, fearing that she might say something that would make him wish he could knock himself unconscious.
And so, the carriage abandoned Duan Jingchuan and his companion and slowly drove ahead. The horse seemed to know that it had left behind two big troubles, and it walked unsteadily, occasionally neighing to express its pleasure.
Once the carriage had gone far away, Duan Jingchuan dared to loosen his grip, and even gently rubbed it, afraid that he might lose control and use too much force.
When he let go, he realized that Feng Ran had been standing on tiptoe and clinging to his neck the whole time. As his grip loosened, Feng Ran fell straight down.
She clearly refused, wrapping her arms around his neck again, her face continuing to rub against his neck, nibbling and biting.
Duan Jingchuan felt a bit hot-tempered and wished the wind in the countryside was even fiercer so he could clear his head and prevent his anger from rising.
Looking down at his not-so-thick long gown, he feared he would embarrass himself if he continued like this.
Left with no other choice, he placed his hands on Feng Ran's shoulders, forcing her to land on her heels, thus creating a height difference between them.
Looking at Feng Ran's radiant face and her bright red lips, he was momentarily at a loss for words.
A note from the author:
The comments section is frozen. As for the self-cultivation of a failure, I need to try harder to write well.
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