Chapter 656: Chapter 492 Compliments
These bracelets were clearly often handled, possibly often worn; thus, he couldnât take them. Forget it, if he wanted Mutton Fat Jade chess pieces, he would just keep an eye out for his teacher later.
Besides, he still had a piece of Mutton Fat Jade raw stone, and if push came to shove, he would just cut and polish that stone.
"Your Highness, Princess! The Princely Heir will begin soon." The maid delivered the bracelet and then came to report.
Princess Rong Jia twisted the handkerchief, looking at the situation in Lake Heart Pavilion; the Eldest Princess thought she was afraid her own brother might lose but paid no mind. She just ordered the maid to report a few peopleâs scores from time to time.
First, Qin Min started, and Gu Chengyu noticed that Qin Min had stepped back two paces from before.
He calculated Qin Minâs distance to the pot, about three meters; Qin Min stood right at the pavilion entrance.
Three meters is not far for those who practice martial arts, but for those who donât, it would be challenging. Moreover, the arrows here differed in length from ordinary ones; the throwing arrows here were longer.
Qin Min raised the arrow in his hand, aimed at the potâs mouth, and after a brief aim, threw out the arrow.
Gu Chengyu heard a clanging sound; as expected, the first arrow steadily entered the pot.
"Oh! Heir Qinâs hand is truly steady; this first arrow alone shows Heir Qinâs excellent eyesight." Lu Chen moved his steps to stand beside Gu Chengyu and whispered.
Gu Chengyu smiled upon hearing this; Qin Min seemed to throw the first arrow quite casually. But he had already been aiming before the start.
After all, it was the first arrow; wouldnât it be an opener?
Following that, Heir Qin launched the second throw, and under the gaze of everyoneâs anticipation, the arrow stably entered the potâs mouth.
Everyone cheered and praised Heir Qinâs superb skill.
Subsequently, he threw five consecutive arrows, only missing one that landed in the potâs left ear.
Zhu Pang was somewhat worried; Heir Qinâs skills were extraordinary. Looking at the chess pieces of Mutton Fat Jade and the Blood Jade Peaceful Heart, he couldnât help but sigh.
"Jinyu! I think youâre in a tight spot today! Heir Qinâs skills are way too high; he might just perfectly hit all ten arrows."
Shooting into the double ears also counts; itâs just slightly inferior to hitting the potâs mouth. The double ears are a bit larger than the potâs mouth, thus the hit rate is naturally higher.
Gu Chengyu nodded, "Heir Qinâs skills are indeed high; it seems my Blood Jade wonât be returning."
However, Gu Chengyu originally hadnât planned to retrieve it; he had already decided not to win the opener.
After Qin Min finished shooting his arrows, Zhou Yuewei hurried forward to verify.
"A total of ten arrows, eight entered the potâs mouth, two pierced the left ear."
In fact, everyone had already witnessed it firsthand, but for fairnessâs sake, verification was still needed.
The record of Heir Qinâs score was saved, and Shao Lin volunteered to enter the second round.
Gu Chengyu carefully observed Qin Minâs body movements and expression earlier; Qin Minâs foundation was stable, indicating that his martial arts roots were not weak. But when throwing the arrows, his body slightly leaned, just a tiny deviation, which led to two arrows entering the left ear.
Maybe it was Qin Minâs habit; he was trying to correct it, as seen by his two adjustments in posture during the process.
Afterward, Gu Chengyu shifted his gaze to Shao Lin, who volunteered. Naturally, he was confident in his own skill. The first arrow naturally entered the potâs mouth, winning everyoneâs praise.
"Your Highness! The Princely Heir hit all, but two pierced the left ear." A maid hurried into the courtyard to report.
The Eldest Princess smiled widely, with pride in her expression. The eldest had always had immense expectations placed upon him, receiving instruction from renowned teachers since childhood, and having famous martial artists teach him martial arts.
The eldest clearly had talent in martial arts; otherwise, she wouldnât let him pursue a military position.
For noble families like theirs, a civil servant was not the best path. She had calculated that Da Xing, coveting the border, would make earning merits not difficult.
Civil servants are suppressed by Xia Qing, making it hard to rise. Besides, her father had strong mistrust towards civil servants due to fears of forming cliques. Min becoming a military general would remove any concerns his grandfather might have over him.
As for military authority, her father had the Tiger Talisman, and wasnât too wary of the commanding leaders. Furthermore, with Da Xing constantly making moves at the border, even commanders find themselves troubled, having no time to scheme for other matters.
Mrs. Ke hurried forward to compliment, "You have raised the Princely Heir excellently; there are few as both brave and skilled in the entire Capital."
"Indeed! It truly makes others envious! My eldest still hasnât matured, just knowing how to play crazily all day long."
This comment came from Mrs. Zhao, the wife of Minister of the Ministry of Justice Zhou Xiang, Zhou Yueweiâs mother.
Mrs. Zhaoâs remark was not entirely flattery; her eldest truly loved playing, and Heir Qin had always been the model among noble sons in the Capital.
"Your eldest is quite genuine! Still so young! At this age, itâs normal to love playing. Even Min used to make me worry."
The Eldest Princess had a good impression of Mrs. Zhao; although she was the spouse of a fifth-rank official, she was quite capable. Besides, her eldest son and Min had good private relations, always looking up to Min. Naturally, the Eldest Princess was inclined to give face.
As for Mrs. Ke, she wasnât her good daughter-in-law, always smiling to others. A small household bride like this, who came as a concubine, she usually disdained.
Mrs. Ke realized her face had turned somewhat unpleasant as the Eldest Princess didnât respond to her.
Yao Mengxian furrowed her brows, looking at Gu Chengyu opposite Lake Heart Pavilion; she had overheard the conversation between the Eldest Princess and the Princess.
The Eldest Princessâs second son liked that bracelet very much. If Gu Chengyu won first prize, it was hard to say if it would displease the Eldest Princess and the second son.
After all, heâs a student of a teacher, and Gu Chengyu is filial to his grandfather and grandmother.
Besides, no denying that Mr. Guâs gifts to his maternal family landed in her lap. Therefore, she had always felt embarrassed to face Mr. Gu.
Yao Mengxian hesitated about whether to remind him? But under everyoneâs gaze, how could she remind him?
Nearby, Yao Mengdie noticed Yao Mengxian being distracted and quickly spoke, smiling, "Third Sister, are you worrying about Mr. Gu? Mr. Gu is a civil servant; today, he might lose. Look, not only Heir Qin, but even that young man is strong!"
Right after Yao Mengdie finished, the pavilion came alive with cheering.
Yao Mengxian realized, indeed! Mr. Gu is a civil servant; even if he can throw arrows, he surely canât possibly hit them all. She was worrying about nothing.
However, Yao Mengdieâs voice wasnât restrained. As soon as she finished, some girls nearby began to murmur softly.
Yao Mengxian realized the indiscretion, "Fourth Sister, I was just admiring the Qionghua! Donât speak recklessly; focus on watching the contest."