After chatting for a while and finding it rather pointless, the three of them went back. Of course, Luo Tong's opinion didn't need to be considered; his father represented him. However, Luo Tong was already very happy to have gone out for half a day of fun.
Back at the Luo family home, Qin Mu recited the entire "Primer of Prosody" from memory and, with Luo Tong by his side, the two of them, one big and one small, read it aloud, swaying their heads.
Besides reading, Qin Mu also sorted out the ancient books he brought from his hometown. He found 10 volumes of commentaries on the Thirteen Collections of the Gui Zang, 21 volumes of the Qi Min Yao Shu, 5 volumes of the Spring and Autumn Annals, 8 volumes of the Analects, and some fragments, those individual bamboo slips.
"Which of the Eight Arts of Confucianism have you studied?" Luo Cheng came to find Qin Mu early the next morning.
The Six Arts of Confucianism refer to rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. There are also several interpretations. Initially, it referred to six essential skills and knowledge, but later it was established as the Six Classics: the Book of Changes, the Book of Documents, the Book of Poetry, the Book of Rites, the Book of Music, and the Spring and Autumn Annals.
Through development, by the Han Dynasty, it had become the Eight Arts: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, mathematics, swordsmanship, and qi (vital energy). Rites refer to various etiquette and manners; music refers to musical instruments, music, and dance; archery is the art of archery; charioteering is horsemanship; calligraphy is the art of writing; mathematics is arithmetic, and some also require the study of the I Ching; swordsmanship is swordsmanship, and Confucianism believes that the sword is the king of all weapons, and a gentleman should use a sword; qi naturally refers to the righteous spirit, and without the righteous spirit, one cannot be considered a Confucian scholar.
"I only know a little calligraphy and arithmetic!" Qin Mu replied embarrassedly.
Luo Cheng naturally knew that Qin Mu didn't know anything else, since he didn't have a teacher to teach him. He wasn't there to make fun of Qin Mu.
"Let's go hunting today!"
"hunt!"
"right!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu was immediately delighted. Boys are always fascinated by cold weapons, and besides, Luo Cheng's question clearly indicated that he wanted him to practice horseback riding and archery.
As expected, at the main gate of the Prince's mansion, the guards were already waiting there with their horses.
"Here you go!" Luo Cheng handed him a bow and a quiver of arrows, and showed him how to attach them to his back.
Qin Mu was very excited. Following Luo Cheng's instructions, he touched the warhorse's neck, then grabbed the reins and climbed on. Although his posture was much more awkward than that of the guards, he didn't care.
Riding his horse slowly out of the city, Qin Mu then let it gallop wildly. He relaxed his legs, leaned forward slightly, and felt the cool breeze on his face, feeling extremely excited.
For someone who doesn't like going out, let alone riding a motorcycle or even a bicycle, horseback riding is a unique experience that is not only novel but also exciting.
Hundreds of men on horseback swept across the land, and the sound of their horses pounding the earth filled Qin Mu with excitement.
After a full half hour, we arrived at the foot of a large mountain and finally stopped.
"You've really never ridden a horse before?" At first, Luo Cheng was protective of Qin Mu, but seeing that he was used to it, he stopped interfering. As a result, Qin Mu didn't fall behind the group the whole way and arrived at their destination, which made him a little curious.
"I've never ridden one before. Uncle, didn't you teach me before? I also observed other people's movements on the road," Qin Mu replied.
"Ouch!" As soon as he got off the horse, Qin Mu felt a pain in his thigh and couldn't help but cry out in pain.
"Haha!" Seeing Qin Mu reach out to touch his buttocks with a worried expression, Luo Cheng burst into laughter, a rare occurrence for him.
Riding a warhorse for half an hour on your first time is a normal reaction. If you don't even have this kind of reaction, then Qin Mu is definitely not riding a horse for the first time.
Fortunately, only his thighs were a little burning. After resting for a while, they felt much better, and Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief, guessing that his skin hadn't been chafed raw.
After Qin Mu had rested enough, Luo Cheng led them into the mountains. Along the way, he taught him how to use a bow and arrow.
One stone soft bow, this is the soft bow that Luo Cheng prepared for him.
With a "whoosh!" the bowstring snapped and the arrow flew off the bow.
"Don't be discouraged, it's always like this at the beginning." Luo Cheng comforted him, watching the arrows disappear into the jungle.
"Although archery looks very simple, it is very difficult to be a good archer. Your arm must be steady, and you must have a good balance of tension and relaxation. Today is just to give you a feel for it. You can practice slowly when you get back," Luo Cheng continued.
"I understand." Qin Mu nodded with a smile. As an adult, he wasn't discouraged at all; after all, nothing can be accomplished overnight. Especially since he had never done this before.
This did not dampen his spirits at all; he continued to aim his bow and arrow at the tree trunk ahead and shoot. Then he walked forward, picked up the arrows, and continued shooting.
Although he had only been a Confucian scholar for a few days, Qin Mu found that his body had improved a lot. Especially after receiving the gift from heaven, he had to fire a whole quiver of arrows twice before he felt the fatigue in his arms.
"What's wrong with you all?" Qin Mu, his excitement worn off, turned around and looked at the crowd, some of whom were at least ten feet away from him, and asked in confusion.
"With your archery skills, which you don't even know where you'll end up shooting, who would dare to go ahead?" Luo Cheng muttered to himself, but this didn't dampen his enthusiasm.
“We’ve been watching you practice, but now it’s our turn,” Luo Cheng explained, then left two men to protect Qin Mu closely, and led the rest of the men quickly into the mountains.
Qin Mu did not chase after them quickly, but followed behind at a leisurely pace with two guards.
Luo Cheng's men were all elite soldiers. Along the way, neither birds nor rabbits escaped their clutches. Half an hour later, five or six men were carrying loads of prey.
"Watch out! It's a wild boar!" The two men protecting Qin Mu drew their swords and rushed forward to shield him behind them. The other soldiers carrying their prey also quickly dropped their game, grabbing their swords, bows, and arrows.
Qin Mu looked into the distance and saw several wild boars appear at the edge of the woods. Luo Cheng and the others, armed, were ready for battle.
"Go help quickly!" Qin Mu said hurriedly. Because the people were scattered in the mountains, Luo Cheng only had six people with him, which was why Qin Mu was anxious.
"No need! There are only a few wild boars. The general can't kill them all by himself. If we go and disturb his enjoyment, he'll be unhappy," the soldier said, shaking his head.
Qin Mu then realized that the person in front of him was the renowned Luo Cheng. How could a few wild boars possibly harm him? He had only acted rashly out of concern. Furthermore, he hadn't yet shifted his mindset from peacetime.
As expected, even without his most favored spear, Luo Cheng, armed only with a broadsword, single-handedly took on two large and three small wild boars, totaling five.
Contrary to expectations, Luo Cheng simply moved his feet, wielding his sword to leave wounds on the wild boar. Facing the raging boar, he even clashed head-on with his sword, like a beast fighting in a movie, making Qin Mu both tense and excited.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com