Chapter 16: Music and Songs (II)

The small training ground behind the Zichen Hall was soon tidied up by the eunuchs. The sun gradually rose, filling the air with a warm atmosphere. Surrounded by the majestic palaces, this military training ground lost some of its sternness and gained a sense of grandeur typical of a prosperous era.

After hearing the words of the Imperial Concubine, the Emperor truly became interested. Though his hair was already gray, he remained in excellent health. The elders in the palace often said that the Emperor was skilled in horseback riding and archery in his youth and was the most favored among the younger princes. Although peace reigned now and he rarely participated in autumn hunts, skills like these were hard to forget once learned. Moreover, our Emperor was the chosen son of heaven, blessed by the heavens. He wanted to take this opportunity to stretch his limbs and refresh his spirit, and it was only natural for his subjects to fully support him.

As for General Li Kuo and General Li Xiao, they were great heroes who had emerged from the battlefields of Longyou. At a young age, they led an entire battalion to assist General Gao in conquering the region, achieving remarkable feats. According to the veteran soldiers of the Tongwu Camp, General Li was exceptionally skilled in horseback riding and archery, hitting his targets every time on the battlefield. Most miraculously, he could draw his bow and shoot arrows calmly while riding at full speed, even killing enemy leaders. Thanks to these skills, General Li was invincible on the battlefields of Hehuang—a true lucky general.

One was the wise and mighty Emperor, the other a youthful hero full of vigor. How could anyone miss such an exciting competition? Not only were the guards on duty around the training ground eager to watch, but even the eunuchs and maids who were not skilled in martial arts, after obtaining the Emperor’s permission, gathered happily to await the start of the event.

As the judge for this competition, the Imperial Concubine sat on a terrace fifty steps away from the training ground, attended by her maids. She tasted the lychees newly brought from Lingnan while observing the competition and evaluating the participants.

Li Longji went to the inner palace to change into golden armor. Under the sunlight, it shone brilliantly, so dazzling that it was hard to look directly at. Perhaps because he hadn’t worn military armor for a long time, the Emperor felt quite excited wearing it. With golden armor, black boots, and fluttering colorful flags, it reminded him of his youthful days. Back then, full of vigor, he had suppressed rebellions and pacified the Empress Wei, creating the prosperous Kaiyuan era—a legacy surpassing even that of the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors!

This world, these magnificent lands of the Tang Dynasty, all shone because of Li Longji’s diligent governance!

In the blink of an eye, decades passed. As he grew older, his descendants took up the banner of the Tang Dynasty and continued to forge ahead…
“Sanlang, I’m watching you!”
Yang Yuhuan waved from a distance, her voice as clear as a silver bell.
“Mm.”
Li Longji raised his arm and waved vigorously at Yang Yuhuan. Whether due to the weight of his armor or his advancing age, he was slightly out of breath.
Turning to Li Kuo, Li Longji said in a firm voice, “General Li must be aware that I intend to compete with you in archery today!”
After a brief pause, he raised his right arm and pointed to the metal discs hanging from thick ropes thirty steps away.
“As a military man, General Li likely disdains such trivial games as shooting at targets. So, I’ll compete with you in shooting at these metal discs. I’ll shoot three arrows. The first arrow is called ‘Arrow Piercing the Metal Disc’—when my arrow passes through the disc, it must not touch it. If it makes a sound, it means my archery skills are insufficient!”
Li Longji narrowed his eyes and waited for Li Kuo’s reply.
“I leave it entirely to Your Majesty’s decision!”
Li Kuo clasped his fists and replied loudly. At this point, there was nothing left but to go forward step by step.
“Good! My second arrow is called ‘Phoenix Spiral’—when my arrow passes through the disc, it will pause briefly before falling to the ground. If it misses or goes through too quickly, it still counts as my loss. The third arrow is called ‘Holding the Moon in My Arms’—my arrow will cut the rope holding the metal discs, but the discs must not fall to the ground. I’ll ride my horse to catch them. If I fail to cut the rope or the discs fall, it’s still my loss!”
Li Longji spoke all the rules at once before spreading his hands, waiting for Li Kuo’s response.
“I shall obey your orders!”
Li Kuo smiled bitterly inwardly. Most of these archery techniques were flashy but impractical. Clearly, the emperor had practiced them for a long time. Although his own archery skills were decent, he might not be able to master these techniques in a short time. But could he refuse now?
“Good. Bring me my bow!”
Li Longji ordered without hesitation.
Gao Lishi personally brought Li Longji’s three-stone golden imperial bow and a dark black hu lu (note 1) to him, saying respectfully, “Your Majesty, the bow is here.”
“Mm, Yuan Yi, today you must watch carefully to see if my archery skills have declined!”
Li Longji stroked his beard proudly, a smile spreading across his eyes. Having served him his whole life, Gao Lishi knew well that his master loved grandiose displays and hated it when a subject became more famous than him. Glancing at Li Kuo, Gao Lishi sighed inwardly, hoping the young man would know when to advance and retreat.

Li Longji shifted his feet slightly, applying gentle pressure with his left foot. He casually drew a feathered arrow from Gao Lishi’s quiver, pressed the string with his thumb, wrapped his index finger tightly around it, and slightly curled the other three fingers. Gradually increasing his strength, he drew the three-stone heavy bow back behind his ear. Taking a deep breath, Li Longji narrowed his eyes and aimed precisely at the target thirty steps away. “Whoosh!” With a crisp sound, the arrow left the bowstring and flew swiftly toward the target. In an instant, the golden arrow passed through the target and landed steadily on the ground after traveling a short distance. “Excellent! Your Majesty is truly valiant!” Seeing Li Longji succeed on his first shot, Yang Zhao exclaimed in admiration. His shout prompted the guards, eunuchs, and maids around him to applaud, and even Yang Yuhuan covered her lips, revealing two faint dimples. “Mm.” Li Longji nodded in satisfaction—apparently, his archery skills had not declined! Wanting to show more of his skills in front of his beloved, he drew another arrow from the quiver. Taking a deep breath, he drew the bowstring back to a full moon shape, but this time he relaxed his grip on the string slightly. With a whoosh, the arrow shot out like lightning, heading straight for the target. As soon as the arrow passed through the target, it fell straight to the ground as if under some magic. “Great! Your Majesty is truly valiant!” Seeing Li Longji successfully shoot the second arrow, Yang Zhao cheered loudly, waving his fists. “Your Majesty is valiant!” “Your Majesty is valiant!” The eunuchs and guards echoed his words. “Yuan Yi, help me onto the horse!” Clearly still eager to shoot another arrow, Li Longji wanted to do so immediately. Under normal circumstances, he would never allow anyone to help him onto the horse. But after falling off his horse outside Huaqing Palace the previous year, he had become anxious and insisted that his trusted eunuch Gao Lishi help him mount the horse. With the guards holding back the horse in front of him, Gao Lishi supported Li Longji’s waist with one hand and pulled up the stirrup for him with the other. After some effort, Li Longji finally managed to climb onto the horse. Both of them were sweating, and they exchanged a knowing smile. Time was relentless; they had both aged! Yet Li Longji was a king who refused to accept old age or fate. After checking that everything was fine by patting the horse’s belly, he took the bow and arrow from Gao Lishi.

After drawing the bow several times to full tension and adjusting the angle several times, Li Longji was finally satisfied. Archery from a horse was different from shooting on foot—it required a stable grip and a swift pull on the reins. Only by releasing the reins just before drawing the bow could the warhorse be controlled. However, the bow couldn’t be drawn too early, as that would cause the rider’s body to shake, nor too late, as that would lead to panic.

Glancing at the golden coin target, Li Longji took a deep breath, tilted his head slightly upward, pressed his thighs tightly against the saddle, and immediately nocked an arrow and drew the string. He deliberately bent the bow upward by a large arc to increase the time the arrow spent in flight. Yet even so, the accuracy of the arrow’s descent was greatly reduced, making it difficult to control. Moreover, even with a greater arc, the arrow’s descent was only slight—was it possible to catch it before it hit the ground?

Li Longji didn’t have time to worry about these things. He pushed hard with his right side and waist forward, released his fingers from the string, and sent the arrow flying toward the golden coin target with great force. At the same time, he tightened his grip on the horse’s belly and whipped its rump fiercely.

“Go!”

Driven by the whip, the horse rushed at incredible speed toward the golden coin target fifty steps away. This was a Dayuan warhorse, renowned for its astonishing explosive power. While an ordinary horse would take at least four to five seconds to cover thirty steps, the Dayuan horse needed just over two seconds! (Note 3) Twenty steps, ten steps, five steps…

The arrow flew over its peak and plummeted rapidly, cutting through the rope. The golden coin fell swiftly toward the ground under the force of the arrow.

“Up!”

At the moment the coin was about to hit the ground, Li Longji spurred the horse forward and reached out to catch it! …

Note 1: Hulu: A small quiver used for holding arrows, also known as “Hulu,” could generally hold 30 arrows. Invented by northern ethnic minorities, it was very popular during the Tang Dynasty, used by both the Tang Dynasty and the Xiongnu.

Note 2: Wang Ju’s “Shi Jing” describes foot archery: “Between the left thigh and hip, position both feet in a square shape first, then stand upright. Next, turn the left foot so that the big toe points at the center of the target. This prevents the bow from forming a ‘T’ shape or being too wide. Open the palm of the left hand slightly, loosen the lower two fingers, and turn the bow so that the upper part can follow the arrow’s direction while the lower part rests under the scapula—this is called ‘adjusting the bow.’ Release the string with the right hand, turn the hand backward with full force, ensuring the shoulder, arm, and wrist are straight. Keep the palm upward to reveal the palm lines, without exposing the fingers—this is called ‘pressing the elbow and lifting the wrist.’”

Note 3: Dayuan horses could reach speeds of 50–60 kilometers per hour, while Mongolian horses generally topped out at 30 kilometers per hour. One step in the Tang Dynasty was 1.514 meters, so thirty steps was less than 50 meters—meaning the Dayuan horse could cover that distance in just over two seconds.