Chapter 61: Divine Arm Camp

Today court was dismissed early; the Emperor, his mind fixed on the bow and arrow crafted by Quan Quan Aoyu, left the throne hall as soon as there were no major matters to attend to.

Quan Quan Aoyu successfully crafted a bow and arrow; after verification, without internal force, its range reached 863 meters. Even more incredible, the weight of the bow body was less than one jin! The Emperor was overjoyed and hurried to the Royal Archery Range, eager to see it with his own eyes.

In this age of cold weapons, the bow and arrow is one of the most important weapons on the battlefield, yet the effective range of ordinary bows and arrows tops out at around 100 meters. Special bows and arrows capable of reaching 300 meters are not only extremely rare but also require a powerful archer to wield them. In the Qibao Pavilion of the Emperor Tianqi Imperial Palace, a bow and arrow weighing 118 jin is enshrined, said to have a range of 500 meters, but to date, no one has been able to draw its string.

When Jun Jun Zijin handed the stainless steel formula to Quan Quan Aoyu last time, she also gifted him a set of Turkish flying bow blueprints. She had no resistance to this wooden Crown Prince who resembled Lei, and couldn't help but think of more ways to help him. She had seen detailed records about this bow in her past life's library; Jun Jun Zijin herself had not researched this bow extensively, but had carefully studied it then simply because she was amazed that its range could reach 1200 meters. Anyway, she had meticulously copied down the manufacturing process, special structure, and required materials described in the book and handed them to Quan Quan Aoyu. Whether it could be made, and to what extent, was no longer her concern.

Quan Quan Wuji arrived at the Royal Archery Range and saw the brand-new bow and arrow placed beside Quan Quan Aoyu. The bow body was small; at a glance, one could hardly believe it possessed such power.

"Father, this arrow is named 'Flying Arrow'. Its center of gravity lies at the end of the rear groove. The arrow shaft is spindle-shaped. The rear groove design is unique: it has a very narrow entrance, then splits to accommodate the bowstring, and finally closes. This allows the archer to prepare an arrow nocked on the string, ready to fire, even while on horseback."

Quan Quan Aoyu leisurely showed every part of the Flying Arrow to Quan Quan Wuji, explaining its ingenious features. Quan Quan Wuji listened, repeatedly marveling, and could not wait to try it himself.

Quan Quan Wuji ordered the target moved back 600 meters. The little eunuch tasked with moving the target thought he had misheard and stood frozen, not moving. The Emperor's limit before was 300 meters; moving the target 600 meters away—was his hearing failing?

Quan Quan Wuji glared:

"I told you to move it back 600 meters. Did you not hear?"

The little eunuch trembled all over in fright and hurriedly rolled and crawled to move the target.

Quan Quan Wuji, unable to wait, picked up the bow and felt it was incredibly light. He nocked the arrow, drew the string full, and with a "whoosh," the arrow shot out like a meteor. After tracing an arc in the air, it plunged straight into the center of the target 600 meters away.

The little eunuch froze again, his eyes wide, his face filled with disbelief. It took him a long while to come to his senses, and he secretly sighed that he had truly opened his eyes today.

In fact, at a distance of 600 meters, the bullseye was no longer visible, but for Quan Quan Wuji, who had once won an empire from horseback, whether the bullseye was clear or not was not an issue.

Quan Quan Aoyu revealed a rare smile and praised, "Father, you are truly as sharp as ever! Your bearing is no less than in your prime."

Quan Quan Wuji threw his head back and laughed loudly; Quan Quan Aoyu's praise pleased him immensely.

"This bow is indeed miraculous and extraordinary. It is a divine gift from heaven. Our dynasty shall surely awe the four directions." Quan Quan Wuji withheld no praise.

"Yu-er, you try it." Quan Quan Wuji handed the arrow to Quan Quan Aoyu.

Quan Quan Aoyu took the arrow and ordered the little eunuch to move the target back another 250 meters. Was the Crown Prince mad? The little eunuch held back words he desperately wanted to blurt out, assuming the Crown Prince was just teasing him, and moved the target back another 250 meters.

Quan Quan Aoyu stood firm, nocked the arrow, and drew the string. Suddenly, he released his grip. The arrow flew from the string accompanied by a sharp whistling sound. The arrow seemed to carry the power to break the wind, leaving a blurred afterimage in the air, and steadily pierced the bullseye 850 meters away.

The little eunuch was so frightened he dropped to his knees with a "thud." Was the Crown Prince even human? Quan Quan Wuji was very satisfied with the little eunuch's reaction and praised:

"Excellent! Truly worthy of being my son!"

Quan Quan Wuji cheered loudly, his eyes filled with relief and pride.

"Yu-er, this arrow's range is so far, its speed so fast. It truly lives up to its name; it is indeed the Flying Arrow." As Quan Quan Wuji spoke, he nodded repeatedly, his face full of admiration.

"Yu-er, immediately begin mass production and establish a special arrow unit. You shall command it. Call it... the Divine Arm Camp." Quan Quan Wuji ordered.

With the blueprints contributed by the Jun family girl and the successful creation of the Flying Arrow, these were blueprints that could be used to manufacture in batches, not just a single bow and arrow. This meant that not only did Emperor Tianqi possess a weapon far superior to other nations, but his most beloved son also gained an extra trump card.

Quan Quan Wuji pondered for a moment, then said:

"That girl, I am thinking of granting you marriage soon. What are your thoughts?"

How could Quan Quan Wuji not know why his son had not yet requested a marriage grant? But he was a father and a monarch. That girl's wisdom indeed should remain by the Crown Prince's side, but if, because of the identity of Crown Princess, she could not escape open attacks and hidden arrows, then she was not worthy of being by his son's side.

In fact, Quan Quan Aoyu was also pondering this matter. The day he returned from the tea house opposite the Linglong Pavilion, he had made his decision. Now that the girl was gradually revealing her talents, many things could neither be avoided nor hidden. Rather than helping her secretly, it was better to protect her openly and rightfully. Besides, some in the harem were unwilling for noble ladies from prestigious families to marry into his Eastern Palace. Given the girl's current situation, a marriage grant would not face significant resistance.

A slight smile curled Quan Quan Aoyu's lips. He bowed respectfully to Quan Quan Wuji and said sincerely:

"Father is wise. Your son begs Father to grant me marriage to the Second Young Lady of the Jun family."

Xiang Xiang Junzheng was also in an extremely good mood today because Jun Jun Zijin had given him an object called a fountain pen and taught him how to use it; it was indeed a fine object. When working in the palace, he brought it out like a treasure. His colleagues were all envious, borrowing it one after another to examine, unable to put it down, and praising how greatly this object improved office efficiency. They praised him for having such a clever daughter, truly a great fortune. The news spread quickly.

Quan Quan Wuji had just returned from the archery range when he heard this news. He was filled with curiosity about this mysterious object. Unable to wait to see it with his own eyes, Quan Quan Wuji summoned Xiang Xiang Junzheng. After Xiang Xiang Junzheng demonstrated it, Quan Quan Wuji took the object, turning it over and over to examine it, simply refusing to return it to Xiang Xiang Junzheng.

In his heart, he cursed how such a blockhead as Xiang Xiang Junzheng could have produced such a clever girl. Did this fool not see that he, the sovereign of a nation, could not bring himself to ask a subject for an object?

Quan Quan Wuji waited for a long while but still did not receive Xiang Xiang Junzheng's initiative to offer the fountain pen to him. His heart was filled with disappointment. He sighed secretly and thought, "Never mind. Considering the merit of his daughter contributing the Flying Arrow manufacturing process, I will endure."

Xiang Xiang Junzheng finally raised his head, glanced at Quan Quan Wuji, but said nothing.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng was truly wronged. How could a second-rank official of the court lack such perception? But he simply could not bear to part with it. What if he offered it to the Emperor and then it was gone? Yet, since the Emperor wanted it, he had no choice but to give it. It was truly a maddening dilemma.

Quan Quan Wuji forced a slight smile and said:

"Jun, this pen of yours is truly a fine object!"

Xiang Xiang Junzheng nodded and said, "Yes, this is an object my second daughter tinkered with in her spare time."

Quan Quan Wuji's heart felt stifled. He knew he should not be jealous of a subject, but he could not control his emotions. Just as Quan Quan Wuji was about to explode from frustration, finally, he heard Xiang Xiang Junzheng's heavenly voice:

"I report to Your Majesty! If you like this fountain pen, this humble subject is willing to present it to Your Majesty. This is but a small token of my heart; please accept it with a smile. I daresay my second daughter can craft another one without difficulty."

Quan Quan Wuji was in high spirits, automatically blocking out the hint of show-off in Xiang Xiang Junzheng's words. He simply waved his hand and said, "Reward!"