Chapter 6 Real Skills
No one can predict the future for sure, and the most important thing right now is to live well in the present. Moreover, it is already the end of the year, the emperor has returned victorious from the battle, the crown princess is hosting a banquet, and the whole palace is bustling with activity.
But all this excitement belonged to others. Zhu Yuhuan was still busy learning horse riding and archery from his master Liu.
Although she said she was learning horse riding and archery, riding was too difficult for a child. Zhu Yuhuan just sat on the pony and the eunuch led the horse around the field a few times, instructing her when to squeeze the horse's belly and when to pull the reins. They just considered it as practice.
But archery was different. Zhu Yuhuan was still young and a girl, so her strength needed to be trained. Not to mention her short arms and legs, so ordinary bows and arrows could not be used. The armory searched for a long time but couldn't find a suitable one. In the end, they prepared an extra set of miniature bows and arrows for Zhu Yuhuan, which even the officials of the armory found quite ridiculous.
The Ministry of War could not help but feel strange. If the emperor was training his future great-grandson, it would be fine, but why would he train a little girl like Zhu Yuhuan? When they heard that it was Liu Yongcheng who was teaching her, they were even more puzzled.
The Arsenal and the Ministry of War were puzzled, and even Liu Yongcheng, who was sent to teach Zhu Yuhuan, was very puzzled.
But after all, it was the emperor's order, so Liu Yongcheng naturally responded respectfully. According to Zhu Di's order, he arrived at the training ground on time to "teach" Zhu Yuhuan.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived at the door, he saw Zhu Yuhuan sitting on a horse, followed by a eunuch leading the horse. She was holding the reins with both hands and was obviously a little nervous.
Liu Yongcheng looked at the guard standing by and asked, "How long has the young master been training here?"
"To reply to the lieutenant general, it has been half an hour."
Liu Yongcheng was stunned. He looked at the dim sky and felt in his heart that a little girl could have such perseverance.
Including today, Zhu Yuhuan had been arriving at the training grounds this early for ten days in a row. Every day, he'd ride for half an hour, followed by basic exercises and bow drills a hundred times. The winter in the capital was always harsh, and yet such a little girl could persist in riding and shooting in such weather. If she were a man, she might have even emulated the emperor's demeanor.
Zhu Yuhuan rode around for a while before running to Liu Yongcheng and greeting him with a smile, "Good morning, Master Liu!"
Liu Yongcheng probably understood that the "morning" was a greeting, and replied, "You are very polite, young master. The weather is getting colder. You should come later next time."
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "A day's plan begins in the morning. Going to bed early and getting up early is good for your health. Although the weather is cold, my mother prepared thick clothes for me. Besides, I am sweating after practicing every day, so I am not cold."
When Hu Shanxiang heard that Zhu Yuhuan was really going to start practicing martial arts, she was almost furious. She wanted this little girl to be obedient and not cause trouble, but she started practicing martial arts while studying. Unfortunately, no one in the family wanted to discipline her except her. The prince, the princess, and the grandson all let Zhu Yuhuan do whatever she wanted. Even as Zhu Yuhuan's biological mother, Hu Shanxiang had no say in her daughter's education. She could only make her daughter some smart and thick clothes to prevent her from catching a cold from practicing martial arts in winter. She also found a piece of leather to make a wrist guard as Zhu Yuhuan said.
The reason why the prince's family had such an attitude was, after all, because the master appointed by Zhu Di was Liu Yongcheng, and Liu Yongcheng often followed Zhu Di around. He was neither from the prince's faction nor from the King of Han's faction. As long as he could make friends with him, even if he could not find out the news about the emperor, he would always be able to make a sound. After all, most of the people who participated in the Jingnan Rebellion were on good terms with the King of Han Zhu Gaoxu, which was indeed disadvantageous to the prince.
It just so happened that Zhu Yuhuan was born with a strong personality. Even though she was a girl, she was still impressive. With her personality, it was not difficult for her to get closer to Liu Yongcheng.
Zhu Zhanji followed Zhu Di on this northern expedition and had some understanding of his physical condition. Not to mention that when Zhu Yuhuan went to visit Zhu Di that day, the old man actually fell asleep while reading a book, which showed that his health was not as good as before.
——The emperor is obviously getting old and frail, and it’s hard to say when this will happen. The King of Han is watching him closely, so although it’s not a serious enemy, it’s better to be more cautious.
Liu Yongcheng nodded slightly, and then urged Zhu Yuhuan to practice archery as usual. They practiced until dawn, and Zhu Yuhuan was already sweating profusely before he took a break.
In order to maintain good health, Zhu Yuhuan sleeps more on weekdays, and after exercising, his health has indeed improved a lot.
Zhu Yuhuan took the water handed to him by the eunuch beside him and drank several sips. He then wiped the water droplets from the corners of his mouth, bowed with a smile and said, "Thank you, Master Liu, for your guidance. I will go back to study now."
Seeing that her hand holding the teacup was still trembling slightly, Liu Yongcheng said, "Young Master, please rest for a while before going back. Studying and practicing martial arts are not all done at the same time. It is best to relax and control your bowstring."
Zhu Yuhuan understood Liu Yongcheng's hidden meaning, blinked, and then said obediently: "Disciple will listen to Master Liu."
This drill ground was originally used by Zhu Di to train his personal guards, but in recent years, he'd been busy with northern expeditions and had rarely visited, so it became a training ground for the palace soldiers. Zhu Yuhuan practiced in just one corner of the ground, but the other soldiers, seeing Liu Yongcheng, Zhu Di's favorite, were naturally putting in their best efforts to demonstrate their abilities. Zhu Yuhuan didn't find it boring standing there; simply watching the soldiers' drills was incredibly entertaining, akin to watching a sports game on a modern sports channel.
Seeing that she didn't feel any fear or uneasiness watching the soldiers fighting, Liu Yongcheng couldn't help but ask, "Why did the young master want to learn horseback archery?"
Zhu Yuhuan had been fascinated by the scene, but upon hearing Liu Yongcheng's voice, he turned around and said, "I've heard from Grandpa that during the Jingnan Rebellion, Grandpa went out to fight, leaving Grandma with Grandpa to garrison Shuntian. They deployed defenses in an orderly manner, and in times of crisis, they encouraged the women to join them in the fight, fighting to the death. That's how Shuntian was saved. It's clear that Grandma wasn't just an ordinary virtuous queen, but a remarkable woman who fought alongside Grandpa, sharing weal and woe."
Liu Yongcheng smiled and asked after hearing her say this, "So, young master, do you want to be as accomplished in both civil and military affairs as Empress Renxiao?"
Zhu Yuhuan shook his head and said seriously, "We are living in a peaceful and prosperous age now, but our family ultimately won the kingdom through military prowess. We cannot let this long period of peace lead us to forget how to wield a sword or a gun. I am not gifted by any means, and I dare not aspire to be like my great-grandmother. I only wish to train myself diligently. If the Ming Dynasty can be of use in the future, I will do my part and live up to the upbringing of my great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and the people of the world."
Liu Yongcheng didn't expect that a little girl like her could have such awareness. He stood there in a daze, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Zhu Yuhuan then chuckled again, revealing a sly and mischievous look, and said, "Besides, my great-grandfather is a great hero, and I am his precious great-grandson. Naturally, I can't be a wimp. Otherwise, it would be so embarrassing if the news got out. I must have some real skills to avoid bringing shame to my great-grandfather."
Liu Yongcheng couldn't help but laugh too, then said, "Young Master, there's no need to be so modest. Although you're young, you're not mediocre in talent. As long as you practice diligently, you'll definitely be able to acquire real skills in the future."
Zhu Yuhuan bowed respectfully to Liu Yongcheng again and said, "Thank you, Master Liu."
She was not afraid of Liu Yongcheng training her, but she was afraid that Liu Yongcheng would just fool around because she was a girl. After all, only what she had learned was real skill, and no one could take it away from her. Even in the worst case scenario, if the Battle of Tumu really happened and the Tatars reached the gates of Beijing, at least she could protect herself and the capital.
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