Chapter 253 The Horse Archery Competition Officially Begins
Yongfu dared not ride for too long, fearing that his willfulness would exhaust Gu Xian's already dwindling spirit.
She quickly pulled on the reins, deftly dismounted, and trotted back to Gu Xian's side.
"Brother Gu, I'm done riding!"
She was slightly out of breath, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead, but her face was radiant with a bright glow, as if she wanted to use her vitality to dispel the sickness around him.
But when she saw Gu Xian's face, which was even more ashen than before, her heart sank.
“Let’s go back,” she said immediately, her voice firm and unwavering. She turned to Erzhong and said, “Erzhong, quickly help Master Gu into the carriage. We’ll take him back to rest.”
Gu Xian was about to say something when he was interrupted by a series of rapid coughs.
Looking at the genuine worry in Yongfu's eyes, he finally nodded helplessly, letting Erzhong and Yongfu carefully support him on either side as he walked step by step toward the carriage.
After settling him in the carriage with its thick, soft mattress, Yongfu carefully tucked the blanket around him.
Gu Xian closed his eyes, his breath weak, as if his previous struggle had exhausted all his strength.
Yongfu stood guard beside him.
She had hoped to see how Sister Lu would shine on the horse track, but she was more worried about Gu Xian.
Just then, three sharp cracks of whips rang out in the arena, the crisp sound piercing the air and signaling for silence.
Immediately, Eunuch Zhao announced in a loud voice: "His Majesty has arrived!"
The entire room fell silent instantly, and everyone straightened their clothes and bowed their heads.
Then, the Emperor, Shu Heng, dressed in military attire, strode confidently to the high platform.
Royal relatives, civil and military officials, and all attendees shouted "Long live the Emperor!" in unison, their voices echoing across the land.
After the emperor ascended the throne and announced the official start of the autumn hunting banquet, the atmosphere in the room immediately became lively.
Although Shu Heng was the emperor, he was not yet thirty years old and was at the height of his ambition.
He was the first to draw his bow, leap onto his horse, and loudly proclaim to the accompanying imperial officials: "Gentlemen, you have been confined to your desks for so long, today is a rare day to relax. Come and hunt with me and show off your skills!"
In an instant, horses galloped and banners fluttered.
The official himself drew his bow and shot at the pre-prepared deer, foxes, and other prey, hitting the target every time, drawing cheers from the sidelines. The others also showed off their skills, creating a very lively atmosphere.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Shu Heng put away his bow and stopped hunting, to show his intention to share the joy with the people.
His gaze swept over the young men on the sidelines, who were already eager to try their skills and were itching to compete. With a hearty smile on his face, he raised his voice and said, "I and my lords have had our fill! The rest of the good time is now in your hands, young men!"
His tone was enthusiastic and encouraging: "There is no need to be too restrained today. This is the time for you all to compete, strive for excellence, and make a name for yourselves! Let me and you all see the outstanding figures of the next generation of our Great State!"
A thunderous cheer erupted from the audience, and all the young men were eager to show off their skills in front of the beautiful lady and her elders.
Shu Heng smiled and nodded, then returned to the throne with light steps.
The bugle sounded, and the horse archery competition officially began!
About fifty young men stood on horseback at the starting line, each one full of vigor and high spirits.
In the distance, willow branches hang down, swaying gently in the autumn wind. They appear still, but in reality, they pose a great test to the archer's eyesight, archery skills, and horse control.
This is today's target – the willow-shooting target.
Xiao Yeming did not wear any overly flashy clothes, only a dark-colored outfit with subtle patterns, which made his figure appear even more upright and slender, and his pale skin looked like cold jade in the autumn sun.
His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and his gaze was calm as he looked at the row of slender willows in the distance, without any air of arrogance about him.
King Yan Jun, dressed in brocade robes, was full of pride and displayed the air of a nobleman.
Even more surprisingly, Meng Xi was among them. He still looked languid, but his gray riding and archery uniform made him stand out from the surrounding atmosphere.
Lu Zhaoruo spotted Meng Xi's figure from afar in the stands and was slightly surprised.
Given his aloof and uninterested nature, why would he participate in such a noisy competition?
But then he remembered how he had married his beloved horse to Li Nian'er in Jizhou, and how he had made things difficult for him to tame the wild horse, and he understood—this man must be an extremely skilled rider, and his participation today was probably not for the sake of winning, but rather more like a game he played at will.
At this moment, murmurs arose from the sidelines.
Many people were unfamiliar with Meng Xi, until an old minister with white hair and beard stroked his beard and sighed, "Do you all know that the handsome young man is Meng Xi, the maternal grandson of the Duke of Di?"
Everyone then realized that it was the young master of the Meng family who was disgusted with worldly affairs.
As soon as the competition began, the master of ceremonies waved his flag, and most of the young men in the arena eagerly spurred their horses forward, vying to draw their bows and shoot at the willow branches swaying in the wind.
However, the skill of shooting willow branches is by no means easy.
It should be noted that willow branches are slender and sway in the wind, making the target inherently unpredictable.
Furthermore, the need to draw the bow amidst the turbulence of a galloping horse makes achieving precision even more difficult.
The sound of bowstrings twanged incessantly, and arrows flew through the air, but most of them grazed the willow leaves or embedded themselves directly in the earthen slope behind the willow branches. Very few arrows hit the branches, let alone cut the willow in two.
For a moment, sighs and chuckles filled the air from the sidelines.
Amidst this chaos and defeat, two figures stood out as exceptionally ethereal.
Xiao Yeming lightly spurred his horse's flanks, and the warhorse, as if understanding his will, silently darted out, its movements fluid and silent, yet instantly bursting with astonishing speed.
The horse galloped swiftly, its back heaving, yet his figure remained as steady as a rock.
As he drew nearer to the willow branch, he drew his bow to its fullest extent, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, searching for a sliver of opportunity amidst the turbulence.
The arrow left the bowstring with a "whoosh," piercing precisely through the stem of a slender willow leaf! The willow leaf fell to the ground.
The entire process was conducted with a calmness bordering on indifference.
Meng Xi smiled slightly: "Brother Xiao, what excellent archery skills!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already spurred his horse and rode off.
His posture appeared relaxed and casual, but his horsemanship was exquisite, with even speed and smooth, flowing gait.
He didn't aim deliberately; it was as if he were just doing it casually. When he was still more than ten steps away from the willow bushes, the bowstring had already quietly twanged.
The arrow flew like a shooting star, arriving before Xiao Yeming's arrow and precisely severing a neighboring willow branch.
Xiao Yeming's archery skills were calm and profound, precise and sharp; Meng Xi's skills, on the other hand, were as graceful as the wind, effortless and effortless.
This duel, so different in style yet equally masterful, immediately became the focus of the entire audience, drawing all eyes to it.
Lady Yunxiu sat upright at the table, her gaze fixed intently on Xiao Yeming's figure, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration.
Lu Zhaoruo also looked towards the arena and saw Xiao Yeming's heroic figure riding his horse, elegant and agile. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Just then, Xiao Yeming seemed to sense something, and during a break in riding his horse, he turned his head to look back, his gaze passing through the crowd and meeting hers.
The two looked at each other and smiled.
This scene, however, was seen by Meng Xi without any deviation.
His previously languid expression hardened slightly, his eyes darkened, and an indescribable bitterness welled up in his heart.
Below Lady Yunxiu, a young noblewoman, oblivious to the Lady's expression, whispered in surprise, "Eh? Why is General Xiao looking at... isn't that Lady Lu from Yunshang Pavilion? Could it be that the rumors about the two being in love are true?"
Before she could finish speaking, Lady Yunxiu's face turned cold, and she slammed the teacup in her hand against the hem of her skirt, saying in a cold voice, "Stop talking nonsense!"
The noblewoman was so shocked that her face turned pale. When she saw that it was Lady Yunxiu, she hurriedly fell silent and lowered her head.
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