https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-102-Heaven-s-Precious-Gift-to-Her/12606806/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-104-Reporting-to-the-Teacher-Little-Seven-Skipped-Class/12606808/
Chapter 103: Equestrian Archery Lesson
Chapter 103: Equestrian Archery Lesson
Queen Qi allowed Suisui to follow her own pace and only suggested a break when she saw the young girl was getting tired.
Fearing that Suisui would feel burdened and compare herself to her brothers, Queen Qi smiled and explained, "There's no rush, Suisui. You haven't been practicing formally, so it's fine if you can't go as long as your brothers. With consistent practice, day by day, you'll gradually build up your endurance."
This explanation was a bit long, and it took Suisui a moment to understand.
She nodded vigorously, "Okay, I'll listen to Mother. I'll keep trying!"
After speaking, she even took a deep breath, mimicking her brothers, and resumed her horse stance.
Feng Xuanrui and the others didn't hold the stance for too long before they started practicing their archery.
Being the oldest, Feng Xuancang performed the best.
Soon enough, the tutor had him mount a horse to try out equestrian archery.
Feng Xuanjie also had good aim, but his slight build concerned the tutor. Even on the thinnest pony, the tutor worried he might fall off.
And indeed, he had fallen more than once.
So, after asking for his preference and learning that he wasn't keen on riding, the tutor didn't push him further.
Feng Xuanrui, who hadn't practiced in over a month, showed signs of rust and needed more practice to regain his previous skill.
As for Feng Xuanbo...
Well, his aim was truly something else.
On more than one occasion, he hit the target of the neighboring lane.
Feng Xuanrui, exasperated by his brother's antics, turned to him and asked, "Feng Xuanbo, why don't you go try the equestrian archery?"
Feng Xuanbo stubbornly lifted his head and shouted, "I won't!!!'
It was clear that he intended to sabotage others' practices since he couldn't do it himself.
Feng Xuanrui clenched his teeth in annoyance, thinking that he had been too light-handed when he broke Feng Xuanbo's head before leaving the capital.
Feng Xuanbin, being the youngest, also had the least strength.
His bow and arrows were specially made for him.
However...
His aim was about on par with Feng Xuanbo's.
Suisui, who had never seen archery before, was curious and eagerly watched with her neck craned.
Feng Xuanbin, already feeling bored due to his lack of skill in both archery and horsemanship, took the opportunity to sneak away when he noticed the tutor was speaking with Third Brother.
He was an expert at skipping classes, and he believed he had perfected the art of doing so right under the tutor's nose.
Unbeknownst to him, as he stealthily turned, hunched over, and tiptoed away, Tutor Shen casually glanced in his direction.
With only five children in the class, Tutor Shen knew he would notice if one of them was missing, unless, of course, he had gone blind.
However, seeing that Feng Xuanbin was heading in the direction of the Queen, he surmised that the young boy was probably looking to play with his younger siblings.
As long as he was still within the training grounds, he could always be brought back later, so there was no need to call him out right now.
Feng Xuanbin, confident that he had successfully skipped class, sneaked away quietly.
He held out his specially made little bow to Suisui and said, "Sister, look, my beautiful little bow!"
Suisui had never seen such a thing before, and when Seventh Brother handed it to her, she gingerly lifted her hand, wanting to touch it but hesitating. She looked up at Seventh Brother, thought for a moment, and then asked softly, "Can I touch it?"
Feng Xuanbin, not understanding Suisui's cautiousness, directly shoved the bow into her arms. "No problem, sister. If you like it, I can give it to you. I'll just ask Father to make me another one!"
At that moment, Feng Xuanbin completely forgot about the time he got into a fight with another young master over this very bow and ended up with a busted lip.
Feng Xuanbin didn't understand Suisui's hesitation. All she wanted was a bow, and he had no problem giving it to her.
With great generosity, Feng Xuanbin thrust the delicate little bow into Suisui's arms. She awkwardly held it up, examining it carefully.
It was beautiful and finely crafted.
Previously, Suisui had no idea what it was for. But after watching her brothers' lessons, she began to understand.
Feng Xuanbin, having sneaked away from his class, approached Suisui with a bow in hand. At that moment, he didn't have any arrows that fit his small bow, and this troubled him.
Wanting to retrieve them, yet afraid of being caught by Tutor Shen, he was in a dilemma.
However, without the arrows, he thought, how could he give a demonstration? He didn't have any props.
Queen Qi, watching from the sidelines, felt like laughing but was afraid of hurting the children's self-esteem. She forced herself to hold back, and it took quite an effort to suppress her laughter.
She gestured to Haitang for help, and soon, Haitang brought over some small arrows.
Feng Xuanbin spotted them and quickly turned to Haitang, saying, "Thank you, Haitang."
After expressing his gratitude, he remembered that Haitang was the Queen's attendant, and so he politely added, "Thank you, Mother."
The little chubby boy knew how to be flexible and was sweet-talking.
Watching her seventh brother, Suisui couldn't help but feel envious.
She thought, "Seventh Brother is so amazing!"
Queen Qi noticed Suisui's emotions but chose to remain silent, not wanting to interrupt the children's play.
However, Feng Xuanbin was oblivious to Suisui's admiration. He was too engrossed in bragging about his second brother.
Feng Xuanbin didn't realize the impact of his words on Suisui, but Queen Qi did. Yet, she decided not to interfere and let the children enjoy their time.
Feng Xuanbin offered to teach Suisui how to use the bow. Suisui had no prior experience with archery.
Although Suisui possessed considerable strength from her days of labor, she hadn't understood the importance of a horse stance for archery.
The young Feng Xuanbin, despite regularly attending the lessons, didn't comprehend why one needed to squat like a horse to practice arm strength for archery.
He felt that if one wanted to shoot an arrow, they just needed to draw the bow directly!
Feng Xuanbin didn't attribute his difficulty in fully drawing the bow to his lack of strength. Instead, he believed it was because he was still young.
He thought that when he grew up, he would be as capable as his third brother...
No, as capable as his second brother!
As he thought of his second brother, Feng Xuanbin proudly stuck out his little belly and boasted, "Sister, when Second Brother returns, let's ask him to take us out. He's so amazing!"
"He can destroy this little bow in our hands with a single palm strike."
"Even with my small stature, Second Brother can effortlessly lift me with a single hand!"
"Our Second Brother is incredible!"
...
Feng Xuanbin couldn't stop praising his admired second brother, and his desire to brag became uncontrollable.
Listening to him, Suisui's face lit up with admiration, and she exclaimed, "Wow, Second Brother is so cool!"
"Second Brother is so awesome!"
...
Although the praises weren't directed at him, Feng Xuanbin got lost in Suisui's admiration, forgetting himself.
Then, with a mighty pull, he still failed to fully draw the bow.
Not only that, but as soon as he placed the arrow, it slipped due to his uncontrolled force, propelling him backward in surprise.
Feng Xuanbin frantically stepped back, his face paling with anxiety as he cried out, "Whoa, whoa, whoa... save me..."
(End of Chapter)
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