Chapter Seventeen: Flutes and Songs (III)

Mounting the horse, drawing the bow, tensioning the string, shooting an arrow.
A series of movements performed in one go—not particularly agile, but still fairly swift.
Watching that slightly hunched back, Li Kuo felt a shock that struck him straight in the heart. The young man could hardly believe that such a sequence of actions was carried out by an old man in his sixties, even though it was an emperor who ruled over the entire world.
Born in the most prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty, the young man was naturally aware of the great achievements of this sage emperor, who could be compared to Emperor Taizong. Yet, the oral traditions among the people of Chang’an clearly lacked the power to awe them. From the vendors hawking their wares in the Twenty-Three Alleys by the lake to the laborers in the Western Market seeking employers, they all regarded these stories merely as a spicy seasoning in their ordinary lives—something to stir a faint ripple in their souls, to prove that their humble existence still went on and had not been forgotten by the world.
Those who sought to learn about the emperor’s deeds were mostly weary laborers. They would sit down on the benches in teahouses, gulp down bowls of plain tea, and praise the emperor’s wisdom and the peace he brought to the land. After that, those who wanted to indulge in pleasure would do so, and those who needed to make a living would go about their tasks. In the end, what they were seeking was still their own lives.
But this shock that came from the depths of the heart resonated right in the soul. The most noble man in the Tang Empire rode his horse, holding the reins, silently fighting against fate—a struggle that seemed trivial to ordinary people. Was it all for the sake of a simple praise like “Your Majesty is valiant”?
The emperor’s actions that day completely changed Li Kuo’s view of life. Even those as noble as an emperor had to constantly struggle against fate and heaven.
Sometimes life is like climbing a mountain; one will never know the scenery below until they reach the summit, and the choice of path determines the difficulty of the climb. To see through the clouds and understand the world, one must move step by step toward the peak, and those halfway up are undoubtedly the most suffering.
Retreat, and all previous efforts will be in vain; advance, but one doesn’t know where the path lies.
But if one doesn’t reach the peak, will this cruel world devour this humble being in an instant? Even the emperor, who stood at the peak, was still fighting hard against fate.
“General Li, General Li!”
Gao Delun grabbed Li Kuo’s robe sleeve and shook it twice before waking the young man from his reverie.
“General Li, it’s your turn to shoot arrows.”
Gao Delun winked at Li Kuo gently.
“Oh.”

Li Kuo nodded, then turned to Li Longji and bowed, saying, “In that case, I shall show my incompetence!”
Since weapons were not allowed when entering the palace, Li Kuo did not bring his familiar black bow. He asked the palace guards for a sturdy bow weighing about three stones and found its tension to be quite suitable.
The first two arrows were not difficult, and Li Kuo completed them effortlessly. Now, everyone in the arena had gathered around, waiting for General Li to shoot the third arrow. Once that arrow was fired, the difference would be clear!
The young man took the reins from the guards and leaped onto the horse’s back. Although this horse was not as agile as Qingfeng, it was still a trained palace horse, so its speed was decent.
Li Kuo tightened his grip on the horse’s flanks, concentrating all his strength in his hands. He drew an arrow from his quiver, gradually drawing the bowstring taut, and with a loud shout, shot the arrow. However, the arrow’s trajectory was too high; although it stayed in the air longer, its force was greatly reduced. As expected, by the time the young man rode up to the target, the arrow had barely arrived. The rope tied to the target trembled slightly before breaking. Li Kuo calmly caught the falling target and turned his horse back to where he started.
“I have completed my task, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm, my dear, come and see who is better in this competition—me or General Li.”
Li Longji stroked his beard as he walked toward Yang Yuhuan, his eyes filled with laughter.
He was very satisfied with the young man’s performance today. He knew when to advance and retreat, and understood what was right and wrong—truly earning real military merits at such a young age.
“Oh?”
Although Yang Yuhuan was not an expert in archery, she could tell something from the power and speed of the third arrows shot by both men. For some reason, the young man had chosen a safer method by raising the arrow’s trajectory. But this inevitably reduced the arrow’s force, making it less powerful than those shot by Li Longji.
“Judging from just these three arrows, the third young man’s shots please me more.”
Yang Yuhuan spoke softly, her words gentle as a spring breeze.
“General Li’s arrows also have their merits.”

Gao Lishi smiled and nodded at Li Kuo, his eyes filled with admiration. He himself was also skilled in archery, so how could he not know the secrets behind it? Li Kuo seemed to have shot the arrow with all his strength, but by adjusting the angle slightly, he caused the arrow to lose much of its force as it fell. Thus, the accuracy of the arrow remained intact, proving his own precise shooting skills. Yet, it was slightly weaker than the emperor’s, showing the gap between them. Such cunning should not belong to a youth who has not yet reached adulthood.

“Thank you, General Gao, for your praise.”

Li Kuo bowed and said, “Though I have practiced archery for only a few days, I can barely ensure that my arrows hit the enemy soldiers. How dare I compare myself to Your Majesty? Today’s competition gave me the honor of witnessing your extraordinary skills; it is truly a blessing in my life. Your Majesty’s archery skills far surpass mine, and I certainly dare not pretend to be as skilled as you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty’s archery is superb. Why would the Imperial Concubine go to such lengths? She might as well take lessons directly from you.”

Yang Zhao also joined in, adding his comment.

“Sigh.”

Li Longji pushed his hands together and said, “At my age, it’s fine to try my skills occasionally, but how can I practice with weapons every day? Yu Huan has only learned a little archery and doesn’t need to fight in battle. In my opinion, General Li is more than enough to be her teacher.”

“Yu Huan, what do you think?”

Li Longji gently tucked a strand of hair behind Yu Huan’s ear and spoke softly.

“Third Brother is such a slacker!” Yang Fei teased. “In that case, I’ll have to trouble the teacher.”

Yu Huan bowed slightly to Li Kuo in a graceful manner.

“Your Majesty, you’re too kind to me!”

But Li Kuo dared not accept such a bow from Yang Fei. He immediately knelt on one knee, refusing it.

“It seems my young master lacks courage.”

Yu Huan smiled lightly and stepped beside Li Longji. “Then, I must ask Third Brother for a favor—grant my young master a token allowing him free access to the palace!”

She raised her eyebrows slightly and leaned forward, immediately resting herself beside the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Longji.