Chapter 34 What's with the soft talk? Watch what I'm doing.
When Ji Qingwu entered the Hall of Heroes, he saw the bow, which turned out to be the Xuanyuan Bow.
Legend has it that this bow, when paired with the Heaven-Shaking Arrow, possesses immense power.
Li Yuzong personally retrieved the bow, and he carefully presented it to her with both hands, saying, "Miss Ji, this is His Majesty's beloved bow." He didn't forget to add this explanation.
The Xuanyuan Bow was much heavier than the previous one; even someone as strong as Ji Qingwu found it difficult to hold.
"I've heard that this bow is very heavy, and it's difficult for most men to pull it. For a delicate girl like her, this is just a waste of effort."
"If I could touch this precious bow, what would it matter whether I hit the target or not?"
"This girl must be trying to amuse us. She can't even hit the target with a regular bow, so she's going to try something even harder this time."
......
The murmurs of the crowd were deafening.
Regardless of whether they thought it was a good idea or not, Ji Qingwu suddenly felt her blood boiling. To be ennobled in a single battle was not just a man's ambition; she had it too.
She held her breath and prepared to draw her bow. Using the strength of her right arm and waist, she slowly pulled the bow into a full moon shape.
The generals present were surprised to learn from the ordinary bow that this woman possessed considerable strength, proving she was not just a delicate, showy woman.
There's hope!
Emperor Wusu, however, showed no surprise whatsoever. His eyes were deep and he stared intently at the woman's back, as if he had seen her more than once.
The arrow, with the speed to pierce through clouds and shatter the moon, headed straight for the target outside the palace.
A moment later, excited shouts came from outside the door from the palace servants.
"Bullet hit!"
The military officers inside the hall applauded, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively.
No one dislikes praise, and Ji Qingwu was overjoyed. Her eyes shone as she turned to look for Emperor Wusu, subconsciously wanting to see his expression.
The beauty turned her head, her fragrant sleeves fluttering; in the vast Phoenix Palace, no other color could be found as vibrant and lively.
Prince Yong narrowed his eyes, and Li Chengxun looked at her thoughtfully.
Ji Qingwu turned around, and her heart skipped a beat again.
Because the emperor had somehow gotten behind her, and this person was walking without making a sound.
He commanded in a low voice, "Nock another arrow."
Ji Qingwu had no choice but to obey. She picked up another arrow, took a step back to steady herself and draw the bow, but forgot that Emperor Wusu was behind her. She leaned into his arms.
The silk gauze was thin and light, and behind her was a strong and muscular man's body, with the jade belt around Emperor Wusu's waist pressing against her lower back.
Ji Qingwu immediately tried to move forward, but he stopped her.
"Don't move. Use your body to control your arms, and your arms to control your fingers. Then the bow and your hand will become one."
He was going to personally teach her archery.
Did the Emperor find her an eyesore again after I shot that arrow?
Ji Qingwu suppressed the unease in her heart and adjusted her posture accordingly. This was a rare teacher, and she was lucky to receive even a few words of guidance.
Emperor Wusu's gaze swept leisurely over her spine, down her slender raised arm, and landed on her fingers that held the bow. Her nails were rounded, without the nail polish worn by the concubines and noble ladies, their natural pink hue shining through.
He said in a low voice, "When drawing the bow, look at the target and draw a straight line from the shaft to the arrowhead."
Ji Qingwu drew his bow again and, following his instructions, practiced shooting.
However, Ji Qingwu had not yet cultivated the physical strength to shoot two arrows in a row, so his right arm, which was drawing the bow, trembled slightly uncontrollably.
Suddenly, a large hand supported her shoulder, and the two of them were even closer. The scent of ambergris grew stronger and stronger, and Ji Qingwu's hand couldn't help but go weak.
He noticed that she suddenly lost her strength, and her previously taut waist pressed even closer to him.
A muffled chuckle reached Ji Qingwu's ears.
"Soft what?"
Emperor Wusu must have also drunk a few cups of wine; the strong aroma of the wine and his deep, resonant voice scraped against her eardrums.
Her right ear immediately turned bright red, much to her dismay.
Ji Qingwu straightened his back. "It didn't go soft."
As soon as she straightened her back, her buttocks were about to stick out, and the person behind her stiffened briefly.
She had been going all out, but her energy waned. Ji Qingwu couldn't muster any more strength, and she pursed her lips in frustration.
The people in the hall were still waiting for her to shoot another arrow. Moreover, with the emperor as her instructor, if she failed to shoot the arrow, she would truly become a laughingstock.
Emperor Wusu directly grasped her hand as she drew the bow.
To be precise, it meant to wrap her hands.
Ji Qingwu's eyes widened slightly. She immediately felt the vast difference in strength between men and women. Emperor Wusu effortlessly pulled the bow even wider, and the bow's power was immediately stretched to its limit.
She quietly looked up, but could only see his chin, because she had never seen Emperor Wusu's imposing presence on the battlefield and wanted to see what kind of spirit he displayed when drawing his bow and arrow.
"What are you looking at me for? Aim."
He was lightly rebuked.
Ji Qingwu turned her head away embarrassedly. Why was her mind still filled with all sorts of random thoughts at this moment? She calmed herself down and took a deep breath.
She missed Emperor Wusu's gaze as he looked down at her, and she didn't see the slight upturn of his lips.
As soon as the arrow left the bowstring, it made a "bang".
The bow is drawn, the full moon shines brightly; the arrow flies, bursting forth like a cold star.
Her tense emotions seemed to fly away with the arrow; without waiting for the palace servants to report, Ji Qingwu already knew the result.
The fabric was light and thin. When the arrow flew out, it brought a gust of wind that blew the gauze skirt onto the bright yellow dragon robe. The skirt spun and wrapped around the robe, then left, and then twirled back onto it.
"The target has been pierced!"
Upon receiving the report from the palace servants, Ji Qingwu did not turn to look at Emperor Wusu this time.
The two were too close now, so she lowered her head and took a few steps forward, trying to avoid any awkwardness.
The hands and shoulders he had held were still burning.
The entire hall erupted in excitement, with the military officers bursting into cheers. They never expected to witness the emperor drawing a bow and shooting an arrow at this otherwise dull palace banquet.
And this woman is quite nice.
To receive a "not bad" from soldiers fighting on the battlefield is already a high compliment.
After those two arrows, Ji Qingwu's reputation among the military generals improved considerably.
However, the Empress Dowager, Ji Qingyuan, and Consort Wei looked much worse.
Prince Yong's lingering gaze lingered on Ji Qingwu's waist. He hadn't expected his cousin to be such a pleasant surprise. She was quite special. In the past few days, he had taken a Hu woman as a concubine, and the novelty was still there. But now, she seemed far less alluring than his fifth cousin.
Emperor Wusu strolled back to his throne and even drank a cup of wine with his ministers. Seeing that his master was in a good mood, Li Yuzong also felt much more relaxed.
Ji Qingwu lowered her head and returned to the south seat. Qiao Shi's heart was in turmoil, as if she had a lot to say, but she suppressed it all and patted her on the back.
He only said three words, "Well done."
It is something the Qiao family can be very proud of that a family of civil officials can raise someone with outstanding archery skills.
Ji Qingwu felt a little embarrassed lately and touched her ear.
Qiao's gaze shifted between the Emperor and Xiao Wu in the hall, hoping she was mistaken.
The palace banquet was drawing to a close.
Prince Yuanheng finally made his appearance.
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