Chapter 115 A blind cat stumbles upon a dead mouse again and again
To ensure fairness, the bows and arrows used in the competition were all provided by the Imperial Household Department.
Emperor Wusu laughed because he noticed that Ji Qingwu's archery posture had changed significantly compared to the past.
The bow she held was drawn with a curve no greater than others, and the string wasn't taut. Her wrist moved nimbly and smoothly, like flowing water—the correct posture for accurately capturing moving prey.
She was no longer the somewhat inexperienced amateur; she began to show the demeanor of a master.
A hint of undisguised approval flashed deep in Emperor Wusu's eyes.
Everyone laughed at her for shooting the arrow off target, but they didn't notice that the arrow she shot off target had hit the nine rings. Ji Qingwu's speed of improvement in archery was enough to surprise them.
If only this girl could make such rapid progress in other areas as well.
The sixth arrow is still in progress.
Five people have already fired decisively, while the remaining one seems to be still hesitating.
The announcer's voice cut through the crowd, loudly proclaiming the results.
"Your Highness, the ninth ring!"
"Huo Shaofang, seventh ring!"
Upon hearing this, a chorus of regret erupted from the audience.
Huo Shaofang was only slightly behind Wei Fei, but her shot went a little off target, which widened the gap considerably. It's very likely that the situation will turn back into last year's scenario where Wei Fei was far ahead and all the women were vying for second place.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the winner will be a foregone conclusion, which has significantly reduced the anticipation for this match.
Wei Liru, riding a large white horse, raised her bow towards Huo Shaofang and said with a smile in her eyes, "Sister Huo, you flatter me."
Huo Shaofang found her smile irritating and said indignantly, "Your Majesty, there are still four arrows left. The outcome is not yet decided!"
Both being from military families, her father and brothers had served in the army for generations, and their military achievements were only slightly inferior to those of the Wei family. So why was it that Wei Liru was able to enter the palace, marry the most noble person in the world, and become the emperor's favorite concubine?
Huo Shaofang's arrow shot was driven by a desire to compete with Consort Wei, which changed his mindset and made him restless and agitated during the shot, resulting in a performance that was worse than before.
She wanted to get her revenge in the next round, but there were still people who hadn't finished shooting their arrows.
Huo Shaofang looked impatiently at the person who was dawdling and only started shooting when urged by the supervisor.
She said anxiously, "Hey, can you hurry up!"
The woman in the turquoise dress seemed not to hear her voice. She stood tall and straight, her left hand like a rock and her right hand like a branch.
This pose...
Ji Qingwu released the fingers of his right hand and released the arrow.
The right hand releases the hair, while the left hand remains unaware.
Her posture was almost identical to that described in the "Horseback Archery Manual" passed down in Huo Shaofang's family! Not to mention her, even her father and brothers couldn't achieve such a perfect form.
Huo Shaofang stared nervously at the tail of the arrow as it flew away.
Soon, the result of the arrow came out.
The announcer shouted excitedly, "Ji Qingwu, ten rings!"
The audience was initially silent in disbelief, then erupted into heated discussion.
This is the second bullseye on the field.
The last bullseye was shot by Consort Wei during the preliminary round.
However, the previous competition was a fixed-point archery competition. Although hitting the bullseye is very difficult, it is far less impressive than hitting a floating target.
In the mobile archery competition, every man who could hit the bullseye made a name for himself in the military.
Among women, there have been such cases in previous years, but they are extremely rare.
Huo Shaofang's second sister said, "It's just a coincidence. Shaofang has practiced for so long, but she still doesn't have such good accuracy. I don't believe that a girl who grew up in the countryside would have such a skill."
The noblewoman in the pink robe chuckled and said, "Just now she even shot at Miss Wen's target, it made my stomach hurt from laughing. Sister Huo, I reckon that Ji Qingwu just got lucky."
Another person chimed in, "That's right, that's right. Even a heroine like Consort Wei, with her brother who is an archer who can hit a target from a hundred paces away, has never hit a moving target. How could she do it? It must be a coincidence. I remember that before, only the princess of the previous dynasty—"
When Huo Shaofang's second sister heard her mention the princess from the previous dynasty, she became nervous and quickly interrupted, "You must never mention this princess again."
......
The match is still ongoing.
After everyone else had finished shooting, Ji Qingwu was reminded by the supervisor next to him.
She made another seemingly awkward move.
An arrow shot through the air, heading straight for the red dot in the center of the target.
"Just wait and see, she won't run into you this time—"
Before the noblewoman in pink could finish speaking, the arrow struck the bullseye again. "..."
Ji Qingwu rotated his right wrist, a look of pleasure rising in his eyes.
Using the body to guide the arm, and the arm to guide the fingers, the bow and hand become one. She grasped the essence of the technique Emperor Wusu taught her. She could feel her touch getting better and better; she spent her first few arrows searching for this subtle feeling.
The woman in pink simply couldn't believe that the young widow from the Ji family had such abilities, and shouted, "There are too many dead rats, anyway, I don't believe it!"
Whether she believes it or not doesn't matter.
With each arrow he shot, his condition improved, and Ji Qingwu, sitting on his horse, smiled and felt completely relaxed.
The voices at the military officers' table also began to grow louder.
At first, they thought the archery competitions of these young ladies were just for show. Since Consort Wei was personally taught archery by Wei Ting, they could just watch her archery skills occasionally. They were drinking wine from large bowls, eating meat heartily, and chatting happily about military affairs.
Before long, a commotion was heard in the audience, and several military officers were also attracted by the scene.
None of them expected that the competition in the women's group would become so fierce after entering the finals, and the battle for the top three would become suspenseful, no longer the overwhelming situation that Wei Fei had in previous years.
The fifth daughter of the Ji family shot a perfect score.
She caught up with Huo Shaofang and gradually caught up with him, and they were also aroused.
What they found even more amazing was that Ji Qingwu's archery posture was flexible and powerful, very entertaining. His whole body was like a bow that could bend and straighten, giving a wonderful feeling of man and bow becoming one.
The military officers exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with interest, and they too began to place their bets.
"Who do you think will win this competition?"
"The Huo family's daughter is so-so; she's probably one of Consort Wei or Miss Ji."
Zhang Chi, with his long, thin face, said, "Consort Wei's horsemanship and archery were personally taught by her brother, General Wei Ting. How could she not be good? I think the one from the Ji family is still too inexperienced. I bet on Consort Wei!"
The chubby Feng Xiang said, "Old Zhang, I don't agree with what you're saying. Last time at the palace banquet, His Majesty personally instructed Miss Ji on archery. Tell me, between His Majesty and General Wei, whose archery skills are better? Who will win and who will lose is not necessarily true!"
Arrow after arrow was shot out on the field, and the murmurs from the crowd below grew louder and louder.
Seeing Ji Qingwu catching up, Huo Shaofang became anxious and his shooting became even more unsteady. He fell far behind and completely lost his chance to compete for first place.
The final winner will be either Consort Wei or Ji Qingwu.
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