Chapter 70 Archery
In the martial arts school field, the refreshing and delicious snacks instantly captured the hearts of the little ones. They all sat in a row under the shade of the trees, holding their small bowls and chatting.
Seeing Yun Wan asking about Lu Changsui's well-being, wiping his sweat and rubbing his hands, and calling him "good boy", he felt both disgusted and envious.
Lu Changsui is already four years old, why is his mother still calling him "good boy"? Disgusting! Shame on you!
But--
His mother is so gentle! She listened so carefully to Lu Changsui's long-winded words. How come they didn't know that Lu Changsui was a talkative kid? His mother always praised him!
The mentally unbalanced little kid angrily took a big bite of the apple.
Yun Wan, who was listening to Asui telling her interesting stories at Hongwenguan, noticed the burning gaze. She looked up and met the eyes of the child sitting opposite her.
The other party seemed to have not expected Yun Wan to suddenly look up. Her little face suddenly turned red. She panicked and quickly looked away, dodging around.
Yun Wan waved at him and the child was stunned.
Ah Sui noticed Ah Niang's movements, looked over, and called out, "Wu Yan, my Ah Niang is calling you over here!"
Hearing his name, Wu Yan hesitated for a moment, but still stood up and walked to Yun Wan, "Aunt Lu, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Yun Wan looked at the child in front of her. He looked to be about six or seven years old, two or three years older than Asui.
"Your name is Wu Yan?" Yun Wan asked in a gentle voice, her tone as warm as a spring breeze.
Wu Yan subconsciously tugged at the hand hanging in his sleeve and nodded.
"Aunt, you can still call him Wu Xiaoliu!" Pei Qian leaned over and gnawed on the crisp fruit, making a crunching sound.
Yun Wan: "Come closer, there's dust on your face, let me wipe it off for you."
Wu Yan pursed his lips and took small steps forward.
As the distance between them shortened, Yun Wan held his shoulder with one hand and took out a handkerchief with the other hand to wipe the dust marks on his face.
Finding that such a simple wipe was not enough to clean it, Yun Wan wet the handkerchief with some tea and wiped away the gray mark gently.
"alright."
However, it was just a simple action, but the little kid Wu Yan's eyes suddenly turned red.
Yun Wan was puzzled. "Sorry, did Auntie hurt you?"
Wu Yan shook his head, wiped the corners of his eyes and said sullenly, "Thank you, Auntie. You are just like my mother. She wiped the dust off my face in the same way. She is the best person to me in this world."
So that's how it is. Yun Wan smiled and said, "If your mother knew you thought so, she would definitely be happy."
"If I have the chance to meet your mother, I will definitely tell her what you said."
She thought that if she heard someone praising Asui one day, she would be able to happily eat two bowls of rice. Yun Wan thought that Wu Xiaoliu's mother would be the same.
Wu Yan's face showed a look of loss and sadness. He said gloomily, "Aunt, I'm afraid you won't be able to see my mother again."
Yun Wan was stunned. "W-why?"
Wu Yan lowered her head and said nothing. It was Ah Sui who stood on tiptoe and explained in her ear: "Mother, Wu Yan's mother passed away last year."
The Wu family has many children. You can tell from the fact that Wu Yan is the sixth child in the family, and that only his father's family is included, not his uncles.
It is said that a child without a mother is like a weed. Yun Wan deeply understands this and knows that this child must have suffered a lot of grievances at home.
She immediately sighed, held him in her arms, and said lovingly, "Good boy, let your aunt hold you."
Asui pursed his lips, but did not push him away because of Wu Xiaoliu's special situation.
Pei Qian, who was always eager to join in the fun, quickly came forward and said, "Auntie, I want a hug too!"
After the first one, there was a second one. The little kids who loved to follow the trend surrounded Yun Wan, chirping, "I want one too, I want one too!"
"And me!"
Ah Sui was so angry that he put his hands on his hips and stood in front of Yun Wan to protect her. He said fiercely: "You can hug your own people! You stink so badly that you can't stink up my mother!"
"Lu Changsui is a stingy guy!"
"Lu Changsui, you're so cruel!"
“...........”
Faced with a barrage of accusations, Asui held a stern face and refused to give in.
He doesn't care. These people clearly have mothers, yet they still want to compete with him!
Don't underestimate Asui because he is small, he is very strong. With him blocking the way, no one can get close to Yun Wan. He is like a brave little guard.
The little kids stamped their feet in anger, and Yun Wan smiled helplessly, feeling both funny and heartwarming.
Until a roar came: "What's the point of making so much noise?!"
The little kids looked back and immediately scattered in terror like birds and beasts, shouting, "Commander Wei is coming! Commander Wei is going to curse!"
"Commander Wei is angry! He's going to beat someone up!"
“.........”
Commander Wei: .....These little bastards are just spreading rumors day after day.
Yun Wan turned around, looked in the direction of the voice, and saw the Commander Wei they were talking about.
From a distance, he looked like a mountain, with a broad back and strong arms, a big square face, thick eyebrows, eyes as big as an ox, a sharp and energetic look, a beard on his chin, and a loud voice, which was consistent with Yun Wan's impression of the commander of the imperial guards.
Pei Qian was fearless. He brought a small plate to Commander Wei and said with a playful smile, "Commander Wei, this is a snack made by Lu Changsui's mother. It's delicious. Try it!"
"Thanks--"
Although Commander Wei was a rough old man, he loved sweet food. He raised his hand to take it, but the dessert on the plate had already been taken by someone else.
He stood there in a daze, his beard unable to hide the astonishment on his face.
After finishing a piece of soft and glutinous cake in two bites, Emperor Jingxuan's eyebrows relaxed and he praised it, "It's really delicious."
Today he was wearing a dark blue robe with sleeves as wide as clouds, embroidered with large patterns of auspicious beasts such as Qilin. He had a gold, jade and leather belt around his waist, and his black hair was crowned with jade.
In the sunlight, he looked handsome and had an extraordinary aura, as if a god had descended from heaven.
He twirled the remaining crumbs from his fingertips, then walked over to Yun Wan in his gold-embroidered cloud-patterned boots, standing tall and graceful, and said leisurely, "I had no idea Madam's craftsmanship was so good."
As he spoke, he glanced at the remaining cakes placed aside and quietly instructed the palace servants to pack them in a box.
This move was beyond Commander Wei's expectations, and he was immediately confused.
Pei Qian was used to it. After all, his uncle had snatched things more than once or twice, so he simply handed the plate in his hand to the palace servant who was packing it.
There was no place to hide, Yun Wan lowered her eyes and bowed slightly, her voice light: "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Noticing the dark circles under her eyes and the evasiveness in her expression, Emperor Jingxuan frowned slightly, "Madam, did you not get enough rest last night?"
His tone was filled with undisguised concern, which made Commander Wei's heart beat fast, his brows furrowed, and his eyes moved between the two of them.
Yun Wan took a half step back and said respectfully, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I slept very soundly last night."
Seeing this, Emperor Jingxuan frowned, his eyes turned to her cold profile, and his expression became slightly gloomy.
Sensing that His Majesty was not in a good mood, Commander Wei shouted at the little brats lazing under the tree, "What are you standing there for? Come and pay your respects to His Majesty!"
As soon as he roared, the little kids came running over and saluted Emperor Jingxuan.
Those who had never seen Emperor Jingxuan lowered their heads and dared not look around because of his majestic aura. Even the most lively and mischievous ones became quiet in an instant.
The appearance of Emperor Jingxuan made them more nervous than meeting their own strict father or grandfather.
Emperor Jingxuan was calm because their fathers or grandfathers would be more nervous when they saw him.
"What are you doing in such a lively atmosphere?" He asked, with his hands behind his back and his eyes lowered to glance at the young boys.
The third prince took the lead and answered truthfully.
Emperor Jingxuan: "What did you learn just now?"
The Third Prince felt the pressure, "Father, we have learned archery, and Commander Wei taught us archery!"
"Oh?" Emperor Jingxuan raised an eyebrow. "What are the results?"
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince's expression froze noticeably, and he whispered back, "Son, your son, I hit the fifth ring..."
When Emperor Jingxuan heard the word "five rings", he did not say a word, but it was obvious that his stern expression showed that he was not satisfied.
At this time, the third prince missed his second brother, the crown prince, who was always arrogant and couldn't stand him.
If he were here, he wouldn't have to bear the majesty of his father alone, because the prince's archery skills were only slightly better than his.
The third prince could use the age difference as an excuse to convince himself of this difference.
"Uncle, I hit the eighth ring!"
Pei Qian spoke, grabbing Emperor Jingxuan's attention.
He praised: "Not bad!"
Pei Qian, this kid, didn't do well in his liberal arts studies, but he performed very well in martial arts classes, whether it was wielding a sword or a gun, or riding a horse and shooting arrows.
No longer having to bear the pressure from his father, the Third Prince suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, others also reported their achievements to Emperor Jingxuan:
"I hit the triple ring!"
"I have six rings!"
“........”
After listening for a while, Emperor Jingxuan's eyes fell on the fair and delicate Asui, and he moved his lips slowly: "What about you?"
Before Asui could speak, someone couldn't help but answer for him: "Your Majesty, Lu Changsui didn't shoot! He couldn't pull the bow, hahaha!"
This laughter was really irritating. If it was a sensitive child, he would probably blush with embarrassment.
But even though Ah Sui was angry, he turned around and glared at the other man, explaining, "It's not that I can't draw the bow, it's because Commander Wei said that I'm still young and it's easy to get hurt if I draw the bow, so he told me not to touch the bow and arrow for now!"
Commander Wei nodded and explained to Emperor Jingxuan, "Indeed, this boy is the youngest, and his arm meridians haven't fully grown yet. Drawing the bow too early could easily injure him, so I'll just let him watch from the sidelines."
After saying that, he scolded the kid who laughed loudly, "How dare you, a guy who only shoots three rings, laugh at others? Practice more later! You can't go back until you shoot six rings! If you can't do it today, practice again tomorrow!"
Three Rings Boy:........
Ah Sui snorted coldly, tugged at Yun Wan's sleeve, and whispered, "Mother, if I had the right bow and arrow, I would definitely be able to hit the target, and more than just three times!"
Yun Wan patted his back and said proudly, "Mother believes in you."
The two people's voices were neither too loud nor too soft, and everyone around could hear them.
Emperor Jingxuan glanced at Asui and said with a half-smile, "Look at how confident you are, kid. Come, bring me the black lacquered feather bow in my treasury!"
Jiang Fusheng was shocked. Although it was just a small bow for children, it was extremely powerful and priceless. Even when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince started learning archery, His Majesty had never thought of taking it out!
Others didn't know what kind of bow it was, but they knew that anything that could be stored in the warehouse by Emperor Jingxuan must be a good thing.
Soon, the palace servant brought a bow with quick and neat movements. It was about the length of an adult's arm, but the bow was completely black, cold to the touch with lines and patterns, and carved with some strange and incomprehensible patterns. It looked mysterious and sharp.
Emperor Jingxuan reached out and held the black lacquered feather bow in his hand, like a child's toy, but no one dared to underestimate the cold light emanating from this bow.
In a low voice, he explained the origin of the bow:
"This bow was a trophy I obtained when I conquered a small country in the northern border. The monarch of that small country ordered it carefully crafted as a birthday gift for his three-year-old son."
Although he destroyed the country before it was delivered, this black lacquered feather bow carefully crafted by top craftsmen naturally fell into the hands of Emperor Jingxuan.
He raised his eyes to look at Asui and said slowly, "Even an ordinary three-year-old child can pull this bow. If you can use it to hit the target with more than three rings today, I will give it to you."
"His Majesty!"
When Yun Wan heard this, she couldn't help but speak out to stop him.
Meeting her disapproving look, Emperor Jingxuan curled his lips, and his wife finally looked him in the eye.
He pondered for a moment and said, "Madam, don't worry. This bow was made by the monarch of that small country for his three-year-old son. It's ingeniously constructed, so you won't need to exert too much effort, and it won't hurt him."
But is this what Yun Wan was worried about? She was worried that Emperor Jingxuan's words would arouse the jealousy of the two princes and make Asui too high-profile.
Would it really be good for Asui to give him something that neither of the two princes had? She didn't believe that this man didn't understand the truth.
Emperor Jingxuan naturally understood this, but he also had his own considerations.
"Don't worry, Madam. It's just a unique little bow. The prince and his brother won't be able to use it. It will just gather dust in my storehouse."
"If it weren't for this kid, I wouldn't have remembered that I had such a thing. Since it suits him, I might as well give it to him."
The implication was, even if this bow was valuable, it was just a trophy. Rather than leaving it useless, it should be given to someone who needed it and who was suitable for it.
For example, Asui.
He is the youngest here, so why not be more tolerant?
Such a bow was specially made for a three-year-old child. Even if the older children, including the third prince, liked it, they would not actually use it, otherwise they would be ridiculed.
Seeing her expression relax a little, Emperor Jingxuan said quietly, "Do you really want this kid to watch others draw their bows and shoot arrows? Wouldn't it be painful for Madam?"
These words successfully convinced Yun Wan.
Emperor Jingxuan snorted in his heart, only this kid could make his wife think so much.
He lowered his eyes, held the bow before Ah Sui, raised his eyebrows and asked, "Do you dare to accept the challenge?"
Ah Sui had heard the conversation between His Majesty and A Niang just now. He also wanted to see if he could get the middle ring, so he held his head high and said:
"I dare!"
After taking the black feather bow and arrow, Asui went to the shooting range, followed by a large group of people.
At the shooting range, Asui began to draw his bow and shoot arrows according to the movements he had memorized from watching from the sidelines.
“Snap—”
An arrow was shot, but the palace maid on the opposite side waved the flag without any response.
This means that the arrow did not miss the target, but it was not even a ring away, and it was teetering on the edge of the wooden target.
Asui looked lost.
Emperor Jingxuan glanced at him and said, "Three chances."
Upon hearing this, Asui lost all his discouragement and started to draw the bow again with all his strength.
Emperor Jingxuan stared at him and instructed him coldly, "Your posture is wrong. Spread your legs shoulder-width apart, raise your left hand high and stretch it, hold the bow, and keep your body straight and don't move."
"Raise your right hand and draw the bow, breathe, look at the bull's eye, relax your body and mind, concentrate, and don't let your mind wander."
"Bang--"
"Five rings!"
Pei Qian and the Third Prince exclaimed in surprise, and Asui's eyes suddenly lit up.
Emperor Jingxuan glanced at him and said, "Go on."
"Bang--"
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