Four young boys rode their horses and started running from the east end of the main shooting range. When they reached the middle of the range, they gathered together and then bent their bows and arrows at the same time. Their movements were uniform and beautiful. More than 10,000 men and women were watching.
When they thought they were going to shoot at the target in the center of the field, they exhaled and raised their voices, and actually used the strength of their feet to roll over until they were almost touching the ground. Then they pulled the bow from under the horse's belly and shot. With a "swish" sound, the four arrows flew away from the string and were inserted into the arrows.
In the inner circle of the arrow target, one of them deviated slightly from the red heart. When the tail of the arrow was still shaking, the four people used their waist strength to get back on the horse, whipping the horse stiff, and the four horsemen stood up. The knights turned their heads away.
He saluted Xiaopan Zhuji and all the ministers in the stands built facing the royal camp. The whole audience burst into applause.
Most of the people were sitting on the large slope between the royal camp and the cavalry shooting range. From a commanding position, they could see more clearly than the people in the stands.
After the four knights left, everyone was shocked by their wonderful riding and shooting. They thought they were not as good as them, so they didn't dare to come out to show their shame. For a while, there were no more performances.
Xiaopan stood up and threw four long arrows at the feet of the knights' horses.
The four young men were so overjoyed that they jumped off their horses, knelt down and held arrows, and then stepped into the stands to accept Xiaopan's reward.
Xiang Shaolong, his three wives, his two beloved maids, Teng Yi, Qin Qing and the Eighteen Iron Guards, were all sitting on the top of the slope, watching from a distance. At this time, he began to understand why the Qin people attached so much importance to these three days.
Field hunting.
It is the Olympics of the Qin people.
Those who are usually interested in fame should practice hard for these three days in order to get the chance to advance to military positions and be appreciated by the royal family, generals and ministers.
What's more, if you are favored by noble ladies like Ying Ying and Lu Dan'er, you can have both fame and beauty.
The annual field hunting meeting inspired the martial arts of the entire Qin State, but not everyone could participate. Except for the soldiers of Xianyang City and the descendants of the ministers, other counties had to be selected first before they could participate in the field hunting meeting.
Qualifications.
Of the three darling wives, Wu Tingfang was the most lively. Her little hands hurt from the slaps and she screamed hoarsely.
When Xiang Shaolong wanted to talk to Teng Yi next to him, he saw that he was in a trance and asked curiously: "What's on your mind, second brother?"
Teng Yi calmed down and said in a deep voice: "I was thinking, why does Lu Buwei look so confident? Isn't he afraid that you and Lu Gong and others will capture him in one fell swoop? Even though the people who came to hunt with him are all first-rate.
There are only one master, but the number is only between a hundred, so even if there are a few more Guan Zhongxie, it will be useless."
Xiang Shaolong said: "The problem is that he knows that I can't use the imperial guards, not to mention he thinks that the crown prince will protect his father-in-law, so how can we dare to act rashly?"
Teng Yi shook his head and said: "This is not like Mo Ao's style. He has always taken the initiative every step of the way, and we are just trying to resolve the resistance. How could he show a loophole at such an important moment?"
Xiang Shaolong thought it made sense and couldn't help but think hard.
Teng Yi stared at Lu Buwei, who was sitting next to Zhu Ji on the other side of the slope, and then moved his eyes to Tian Dan and Prince Dan next to him, and said in surprise: "Why can't I see Tian Dan on such an important occasion?"
Shan's love will be revealed?"
Xiang Shaolong stretched out his hand to summon his two favorite generals, Wu Yanzhu and Wu Shu, and after leading them to inquire about Qi Ren's movements, he smiled and said, "It's useless to dream about this. As long as we keep our guard up, we don't have to be afraid of them."
Wu Tingfang on the other side stretched out his hand to push him and said: "Okay, Xiang Lang, look, it's Xiaojun's turn to appear."
Xiang and Teng were in great spirits, and their eyes fell on the court.
Under the leadership of Jing Jun, more than a hundred cavalry troops were mobilized, half of them were guards from the elite Wu family regiment. Everyone had a shield on the left and a spear on the right. They controlled the horse with only their legs, performing various different tricks.
Formation and style.
Jing Jun was even more arrogant, shouting and commanding, eliciting bursts of cheers and applause.
Hundreds of women's troops crowded on the left side of the stands, led by Ying Ying and Lu Dan'er, cheered for this kid like a cheerleading team.
On the stage, Lu Gong and other important military officials kept nodding, praising, giving advice and talking.
This is the most important war in this era. Only an army with as flexible arms and fingers can move them.
Zhao Zhi poked his head over and said excitedly: "Xiaojun is really awesome."
Suddenly, more than a hundred people split into two armies and charged at each other. As they passed each other, they started fighting. After charging back and forth several times, the audience screamed until their voices became hoarse.
Once again, they sprinted towards each other. The two groups joined together and ran to the front of the stand. They stopped suddenly. Jing Jun, who was in the lead, held a gun and a shield. He stood on the horse's back with his feet first, flipped in the air, and crossed the horse's head. The person was still there.
While in the air, Zuo Dun moved quickly in front of him to protect his body, and made a few false stabs with his spear before he landed on the ground and knelt down beside the stand under the small plate. His movements were like flowing water and clouds, without any force at all.
The whole place erupted into the most intense cheers since the entertainment party. Even Qin Qing, who had been sitting next to Ji Yanran with a calm attitude, couldn't help but applaud.
When Xiaopan saw that he was Xiang Shaolong's brother and his skills were so shocking, he jumped up with excitement, pulled out his sword and threw it off the stage.
Jing Jun was overjoyed, holding his sword, and shouted, and more than a hundred people rushed out of the arena, while he went to the stage to receive the reward.
Xiang Shaolong saw that the people in the venue were still not interested in this performance, so he looked towards Ji Yanran who was sitting next to Teng Yi and said: "If Ji Yanran is willing to show off her marksmanship in the venue, I will guarantee that her voice will be no less than Xiaojun's."
Ji Yanran and Qin Qing turned to look at him at the same time. Two beautiful faces appeared in front of them one after another, and Xiang Shaolong couldn't help but feel trembling.
Ji Yanran rolled her eyes at him and said, "Yanran only needs your praise, husband, why does she need everyone's praise?"
Xiang Shaolong's eyes moved to Qin Qing's pretty face, who glanced at him intentionally or unintentionally before returning his attention to the field.
After several groups of warriors representing the imperial guards and the capital guards came out to perform, it was the turn of Ying Ying's daughter army.
In terms of skill, they were far inferior to Jing Jun's cavalry, but the two hundred beautiful girls' well-trained riding, formation, bow and arrow shooting, was an incomparable pleasure.
Among the bystanders, the women cheered, and the men applauded vigorously. Of course, they won a more enthusiastic response than Jing Jun.
The bell rings.
Lu Gong stood up, first saluted the Queen Mother and the Crown Prince, and then announced in his loud and resonant voice that the most important part of the evening performance was to judge the level based on sword skills.
In the solemn silence of the entire audience, he looked old-fashioned, stroking his beard and shouted: "Anyone who can win three games in a row will be given ten pieces of gold by the crown prince, and will be promoted as appropriate. I, the sons of Da Qin, can show us some real skills."
Amidst the thunderous cheers, two people snatched it out.
Lord Changping and more than a dozen imperial guards immediately stepped forward to put on armor for the two of them, and each had a wooden sword.
After the two saluted, they moved their swords to attack. In less than three moves, one of them was struck with a sword.
The bell rang, and Xu Xian, who was responsible for impartiality, announced the victory or defeat.
After more than ten people came off the field, only a young man named Huan Qi could win three games in a row and received the praise of the audience.
While looking for Guan Zhongxie, Xiang Shaolong asked Teng Yi, "Will the second brother go out and test the truth about Guan Zhongxie?"
Teng Yi smiled and said, "That's exactly what I meant."
When the two of them looked at each other and smiled, another person ended up, it was Miao Du.
Not many people in the Qin Dynasty knew him, but when they saw his strong back and strong demeanor, they all started to pay attention. When he reported his official name, they found out that he was a popular figure around the Queen Mother, Miao Du, who had just been promoted to internal history.
At this time, another person appeared. Xiang Shaolong and others looked at it and shouted, "It's wonderful." It turned out to be Lu Can, one of the two masters besides Guan Zhongxie under Lu Buwei.
Teng Yi said with great joy: "We've had a good show this time. Lu Buwei clearly wants to destroy Miao Du's majesty and not give him a chance to show off his prestige."
Xiang Shaolong looked toward the stands and saw Xiaopan, Zhu Ji, Lu Gong, Xu Xian, etc. all showing concern. He was relieved that the contradiction and conflict between Lu Buwei and Miao Du had finally surfaced. If it weren't for the soft armor protecting the lower body
, Miao Du will teach Lu Can to give him a sword blow with those words, which will destroy his ability to please Zhu Ji.
This Lu can be shaped like an iron tower, with dark skin and a fierce appearance, which makes people feel chilled. After putting on their armor, the two of them circled around very carefully.
Ji Yanran sighed: "Lu Buwei knows the strengths and weaknesses of Miao Du very well, so he must be 70-80% sure that Lu Can will be punished."
Xiang Shaolong saw Na Lu Canmu's expressionless expression, which made people unpredictable, and nodded: "This man should be a strong man who is good at attacking hard, and his main focus is attack. Lu Buwei just wanted to kill him as soon as he made a move, and Miao Du parried.
He was powerless, made a big fool of himself, and belittled his status in the hearts of Zhu Ji and the people of Qin."
Before he finished speaking, Lu Can shouted loudly and charged with his sword.
Qin Qing couldn't help but praise: "Master Xiang is so clever at anticipating the enemy like a god." Everyone had no time to reply and was focused on the fight in the field.
The sound of wooden swords whistling through the air could be heard endlessly. Everyone held their breath and watched the most exciting and exciting fight since the beginning of the sword competition.
Miao Du didn't know if he was asking himself whether his physical strength was not as good as Lu Can's, or whether he was trying to trick him into using up all his strength and dodge with his swift movements, but he didn't use any force.
When Lu Can's fourth sword struck head-on, Miao Du let out a loud shout and repeatedly used his sword to provoke him, but he still only defended but did not attack. He chose to defuse rather than forcefully block.
Lu Can's killing instincts aroused, his sword momentum changed, and he attacked like a violent storm.
Miao Du also changed his fighting style, strictly sealing the frame, adopting a roaming fighting style, fighting and then retreating, circling around the field, his footwork was steady, and he did not show any sign of defeat.
When masters compete with each other, their momentum is extraordinary.
Ying Ying's daughter Jun saw Miao Dufeng's handsomeness and took the lead in cheering for him. Whenever he used a strange move, she would shout and cheer him crazily, which added a lot of momentum to him. Teng Yi sighed: "Lu Can fell into a trap."
Xiang Shaolong knew in his heart that Lu Can and Miao Du were not far apart. The former was better in physical strength and the latter was more flexible in footwork. However, in terms of strategy, Miao Du showed his full potential, while Lu Can was more powerful.
When the energy is exhausted and the strength weakens, it is the time to show off the power of poison.
Zhao Zhi asked in surprise: "Why didn't Lu Buwei send Guan Zhongxie to face the consequences?"
Xiang Shaolong looked towards her and saw that Tian Zhen and Tian Feng were so nervous that they were hiding their eyes and did not dare to look further. He couldn't help laughing and said: "If Guan Zhongxie ends up, then there will be no room left."
Lu Can was eager to win, and the attack became more urgent. Everyone fell silent and watched the battle. The sound of wooden swords clashing could not be stopped.
Miao Du suddenly stopped retreating and shouted wildly. His wooden sword was like a furious dragon coming out of the sea. He slashed horizontally with a sharp "snap" sound, which actually shocked Lu Can back half a step. Then he used his advanced moves, like platoon.
Like a huge wave in the sky, they counterattacked towards Lu Can. The cheers sounded like thunder again, shouting and cheering.
Teng Yi shook his head and sighed: "Looking good has so many benefits."
At this time, Miao Du in the field became more and more courageous as he fought, his wooden swords whirled and danced wildly, forcing Lu Can to retreat step by step. However, this person was also extremely tyrannical. Although he was at a disadvantage, he still did not panic at all. He was so good at martial arts. The people of Qin, both men and women, are intoxicated.
At this moment, Miao Du suddenly drew his sword and retreated fiercely, saluting: "Brother Lu is a master of swordsmanship. I don't think I can win."
The whole place suddenly fell silent.
Lu Can was stunned for a long time before he knew how to return the favor, and then the two of them knelt down to the stands.
Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi looked at each other in shock. Neither of them expected that Miao Du had played such a beautiful trick. He could not only save Lu Buwei's face, but more importantly, he had to gain the upper hand before retreating. Otherwise, the next challenger would be Guan Zhongxie. That's terrible.
Xu Xian judged the two of them to be indifferent, and each of them was rewarded with five gold pieces. The spectators were a little uninterested.
Fortunately, the next ones to appear were all masters, representing Duqi and Imperial Guards respectively. After repeated competitions, General Wang Ling's deputy general Bai Chong finally won two games in a row. As long as he wins one more game, he will be rewarded.
When Xiang Shaolong saw that the people on the stage were getting more important, he was so frightened that the boys who were originally eager to give it a try gave up their thoughts and said to Teng Yi: "Guan Zhongxie is about to take action." Teng Yi said: "There is still Zhou Zihuan."
Before he could finish his words, Zhou Zihuan, who was half a head shorter than Lu Can but still stronger than him, stepped out of the riding range.
Everyone saw that after Bai Chong easily defeated two people in a row, this unknown man still dared to challenge, they all responded with cheers, pushing the atmosphere to a fiery peak.
Under the gaze of everyone, Zhou Zihuan picked up the wooden sword and weighed it in his hand. He suddenly pulled out the dagger and sharply slashed it. The sharp end of the wooden sword flew off immediately, leaving only half a foot in length.
Everyone was stunned, not only because he used such a short sword, but also because to cut through a hard wooden sword like he did, no matter how sharp the dagger was, the force required was even more shocking.
Zhou Zihuan apologized to Xiao Pan and said: "Please forgive me for using a dagger." Xiao Pan was very interested and made a gesture to ask him to feel free to compete.
Bai Chong showed a solemn expression, opened the door, and prepared for the attack. This was different from the casual and calm demeanor of rushing to attack.
Xiang Shaolong and others knew that he was timid.
As the saying goes, "One inch short, one inch dangerous." If Zhou Zihuan dared to use such a short sword, his swordsmanship would naturally follow a dangerous and strange path, making it difficult for anyone to defend against it.
Lu Buwei is only a master of the two generals below, so no one dares to underestimate him, let alone someone like Guan Zhongxie.
Zhou Zihuan heard a groan from the field, and saw him move forward with lightning, and the wooden sword turned into a phantom, and like a monster covered with swords, he slammed into Bai Chong, and hit Bai Chong at such a risk. Everyone is seeing the Dharma for the first time.
Bai Chong didn't know how to deal with it, so he shouted loudly, took half a step back, and then swept away with his sword.
With a sound of "Du", Zhou Zihuan appeared, holding Bai Chong's long sword on the outside with his dagger, and at the same time, he crashed into Bai Chong's arms.
Bai Chong was caught off guard and hit his chest with his shoulder. He immediately lost his sword and fell to the ground.
No one could have imagined that the war would end immediately with a single face-to-face meeting, and no one knew how to applaud.
Wang Ling and Bai Chonggu were disgraced, Lu Gong and others also felt uncomfortable, and the atmosphere was extremely embarrassing for a while.
After a while, Lu Buwei took the lead in applauding.
Bai Chong got up and left like a defeated rooster.
Xiang Shaolong felt cold after seeing this, secretly thinking that Zhou Zihuan must be a master of close combat, and he might not be able to please him either.
The whole audience was in awe, Zhou Zihuan stood firm and proud, waiting for the next challenger. After a long time, no one dared to come forward. Xiang Shaolong saw that Lu Buwei couldn't stop talking to Zhu Ji, and it was obvious that he had many subordinates.
Showing his power and high spirits, his heart moved and he asked: "Where is Xiaojun?"
Teng Yi also thought that only Jing Jun's skills could create clever things, and said distressedly: "I don't know where this guy has slipped away. Without our nod, how can he dare to go to war?"
At this time, Xu Xian said loudly on the stage: "Is there anyone else who can challenge me? If not, I will consider Zhou Zihuan, the general of the Lu Xiang family, to have won three games in a row."
It was so quiet inside and outside the venue that you could hear a pin drop.
Xiang Shaolong secretly sighed in his heart, if Zhou Zihuan was allowed to "win three games in a row" like this, no one from the Duqi and Imperial Guards would even think about being a human being when they saw Lu Buwei in the future.
At this moment, someone in the crowd shouted: "Where is Commander Xiang?" One voice was echoed by thousands of people.
Since the battle between Xiang Shaolong and Wang Jian, he has been firmly regarded as the number one swordsman in the Western Qin Dynasty in the hearts of the Qin people, and because of his status as a "fellow clansman", in this situation where outsiders are showing off their power, naturally everyone wants him to come out.
Get back the situation and save some face.
Suddenly the sound of "Xiang Shaolong" made the mountains roar and the valleys responded.
When Xiang Shaolong saw everyone in front and behind him looking at him, he groaned in his heart. Even if he didn't have a leg injury, it would be very difficult to defeat Zhou Zihuan, not to mention his difficulty in moving now.