Chapter 22: Learning Archery and Thanking the Master: Readers

The Cao family, Sun family, and even Xu family of the Brave and Resolute Marquis’s mansion all came from military backgrounds; whether in the army or the Bureau of Construction, they knew many bowmakers, and through connections, Xu Zaijing finally obtained a bow of moderate size but astonishing draw strength.

Its power was only slightly less than that of a bow used by an average adult.

This made Xu Zaijing, using it for the first time, feel unfamiliar—he had previously been able to draw a bow to full draw with a casual pull, but this one demanded real effort.

Moreover, the arrows used with this bow were specially made eagle-feather arrows, not crafted from the most precious golden eagle feathers, but from ordinary spotted eagles.

For these past days, Xu Zaijing had never asked his stableman master’s name; when he sought to learn, he had intended to inquire clearly, but the stableman had deflected the question.

Xu Zaijing knew this man must once have been a formidable figure!

For now, this stableman was teaching Xu Zaijing and the page Qingyun how to repair bows, how to maintain the eagle feathers on arrow tails.

How to repair them if the feathers became damaged.

Such arrows, in modern terms, were like precision sniper rounds—requiring meticulous craftsmanship.

Unlike modern times, feathered arrows not only needed careful crafting but also careful maintenance, ensuring the feathers did not split or crack, so they could stabilize the arrow’s flight through air currents and strike targets accurately.

After teaching him enough, Xu Zaijing had the servants in the mansion make a life-sized dummy, placed beside the target, equal in height to Qingyun.

His archery was not yet perfected—he could not guarantee hitting any target at will—and he would not risk his page’s life.

After each archery practice, his master would not only care for his muscles but also prepare eye-brightening herbal decoctions, significantly improving Xu Zaijing’s vision.

Such medicinal soups were naturally extremely valuable and costly.

He could not fathom where his master had acquired such knowledge.

A master archer cannot lack sharp eyesight; if he cannot clearly see distant targets or their vital points, how could he ever land a killing shot?

Under his master’s strict instruction, Xu Zaijing’s archery advanced rapidly—within thirty paces, he could group five arrows within an area the size of a copper coin.

Meanwhile, Qingyun was forced to stand before the target; after the first day’s trembling fear that his young master might kill him with one arrow, on the second day, whether numb or otherwise, he could sit beneath the target cracking sunflower seeds.

During breaks in his archery practice, Xu Zaijing always thought of his master.

His father had never told him his master’s identity, and he dared not ask.

When he privately asked Qingyun, Qingyun knew very little about this uncle.

He only said his childhood had once been comfortable.

Several years ago, his family suddenly fell into ruin; he had been cared for for a long time by a servant in Kaifeng, but the servant’s household was poor, merely keeping him from starving.

Xu Zaijing did not press further—his master understood spear techniques, archery, horse appraisal, and possessed such deep knowledge of medicine.

If Xu Zaijing pursued both literary and martial studies, he even suspected his master might teach him tricks for the imperial examinations, helping him decipher the subtleties of the sages’ writings.

Xu Zaijing had also asked Qingyun whether his master had wives or concubines.

Qingyun said he had no clear memory—he was too young then, but vaguely recalled that just as he was about to gain an aunt, his family’s fortunes suddenly collapsed.

Thus, Xu Zaijing naturally asked no more.

That evening at dinner, Xu Zaijing’s two sisters arrived late; Sun Shi was about to send someone to fetch them when Xu Pingmei and Xu Anmei arrived mysteriously in the hall.

“Mother, my sister and I have prepared a gift for Brother Jing.”

Hearing it was a gift for him, Xu Zaijing perked up immediately.

“Sisters, what did you two prepare for me?”

“Guess. If you guess right, it’s yours.”

Xu Zaijing’s eyes darted.

“Hehe, it’s a bow case, isn’t it?”

Xu Anmei frowned at her younger brother.

“How did you know?”

“I saw Sa’er, the maid by Big Sister’s side, secretly measuring my bow.”

Xu Anmei turned to her sister.

“Sister, didn’t you say Younger Brother didn’t know about this?”

A maid beside Xu Pingmei looked startled and quickly said, “Second Lady, I only measured it when Young Master Jing was far away, and there were plenty of clutter there! Who knew Young Master Jing had such sharp eyes?”

Xu Pingmei also looked surprised:

“Younger Brother, are your eyes really that sharp?”

Xu Zaijing said proudly, “I’ve been getting medicinal poultices applied daily by my master—how could my vision not be good?”

Xu Anmei waved toward the door; her personal maid Ye Er walked over carrying a bag stitched from leather and silk.

Xu Zaijing took the bow case from Ye Er; its stitching was fine, embroidered with distant mountains and flying birds—no dazzling artistry, yet every stitch and thread carried the love of his two sisters.

Xu Zaijing examined it carefully, his eyes filled with smiles.

“Thank you, sisters.”

Sun Shi smiled warmly as well.

“Come, let’s eat.”

Pingmei: “Mother, where are Elder Brother and Second Brother?”

“Their tutor took them to a poetry gathering. They won’t be back for dinner. Jing’er, are you truly going to perform before His Majesty’s birthday?”

“Mother, if you have time, please ask my uncles and Uncle Cao to spread the word—whether I’m good enough, let them judge by my archery. No one more skilled than me is younger; no one younger than me is more skilled. Hehe.”

“You little rascal, trying to get me to be your advocate? I’ll still have to vet you myself—see if you’re truly that good.”

“Mother, we’ll vet you too.”

“Good!”

Xu Zaijing grinned.

“Mother, sisters, don’t be scared by my archery.”

“Always boasting.”

After dinner, everyone returned to their quarters; Xu Zaijing now had his own house, closest to Sun Shi’s, staffed entirely by her personal maids.

The next day, after practicing spear and archery, his master led him aside and pointed to several sparrows nodding as they pecked at rice:

“From now on, these birds are your arrow’s prey. Today is the first day—you must hit five sparrows.”

Xu Zaijing nodded, unconcerned.

He crept quietly toward the bow and arrows, but before he could get close, the greedy birds flew off in a flurry.

Xu Zaijing glanced back at his master, who pointed to his own arm—meaning he could not demonstrate.

Hitting a stationary target isn’t skill; hitting moving targets with perfect accuracy is true mastery.

The once-confident Xu Zaijing had to return to practice.

When sparrows were present, he practiced shooting them; when no birds were around, he had Qingyun toss wooden balls to mimic animals.

Of ten shots, he hit only once or twice.

Xu Zaijing began to doubt himself:

“Is it really this hard? Then my flattery plan is doomed!”

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(End of Chapter)