Chapter 28: Demonstrating Marksmanship

  Xianfeng had a very good impression of Li Zhen, thinking him to be gentle and refined, but somewhat awkward.

  Especially when Li Zhen took a bite of the dish, paused for a moment, then ate a mouthful of rice and carefully picked up some more dishes, repeating this process. Xianfeng found it even more amusing. Xianfeng said: "Li Zhen, you are a general in the army, training every day and going to the battlefield to fight. Logically speaking, your appetite should be huge, but why are you so refined? Is your stomach small or is the food prepared by the imperial kitchen not to your taste?"

  Li Zhenfang put down his chopsticks and said respectfully: "In front of Your Majesty, I dare not be presumptuous."

  Xianfeng listened to Li Zhen's honest words and laughed, saying: "Since it's a meal, of course, you can't starve your stomach. You usually eat what you eat, I'll see how much your stomach can hold."

  Han Laiyu stood beside him, extremely surprised in his heart.

  This unknown general unexpectedly gained the emperor's favor, which is a great honor.

  Few officials could dine with Xianfeng, and even fewer could get him to care about them. For example, Qi Shan was only allowed to dine with Xianfeng because he had defeated the Taiping rebels, but he did not receive Xianfeng's concern or favoritism, which Li Zhen enjoyed as a result of being in front of Xianfeng.

  Li Zhen looked at the exquisite dishes on the table, a hesitant expression on his face, and said: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid my eating habits are not elegant, and it would be an insult to your refined taste, and might even offend your eyes."

  Xianfeng put down his chopsticks and said: "I pardon you of your crime."

  Li Zhen took a deep breath and muttered to himself, "For your sake, I'll bring out the standard of eating from back then." At this moment, Li Zhen held his rice bowl in his left hand and chopsticks in his right, swiftly sweeping through the exquisite dishes placed on the Eight Immortals table. The speed at which he ate and picked up food was so fast that it left Xianfeng staring with wide eyes, feeling unbelievable.

  Li Zhen's body was robust, and he was a young man in his early twenties. He had a big appetite, and the bowls in the palace were all delicate and small. Li Zhen ate eight bowls of rice, swept away all the dishes on the table, and only then did he let out a slight burp.

  Xianfeng swallowed his saliva, but Li Zhen had actually stirred up his appetite.

  Li Zhen, although rough and unrefined in his eating habits, was secretly observing Xianfeng's movements with the corner of his eye.

  Qishan sat beside Li Zhen, secretly sighing in her heart.

  It's rare to have a meal with the Emperor, how did I end up with such a troublesome person? Qi Shan sighed in his heart and stretched out his hand to pull Li Zhen's sleeve again, hinting that Li Zhen should not be too presumptuous. Li Zhen came back to himself, secretly scolding Qi Shan for being meddlesome, causing him to kneel down again, and said with great respect: "Your Majesty, the slave's table manners are not elegant, disgracing Your Imperial Countenance, please punish the slave."

  Xianfeng noticed Qi Shan's slight movement and said: "Don't scare Li Zhen, Ai Qie."

  After a pause, Xianfeng said: "I see you're eating so deliciously, your appetite is really open. Han Laiyu, let the imperial kitchen prepare another table of dishes, I'm not full yet."

  Xianfeng thought of teasing Li Zhen again and asked: "Li Zhen, bring the dishes back up, can you still eat?"

  Li Zhen shook his head repeatedly and said: "I'm full, I really can't eat anymore."

  Xianfeng heard this and burst out laughing loudly, extremely delighted.

  Before long, the dishes were served again, and Xianfeng was in a great mood, eating two bowls of rice. Compared to Li Zhen, Xianfeng's eating habits were well-taught, with elegant table manners, chewing slowly and swallowing slowly. After Xianfeng finished eating, it took a full half hour before the dishes on the Eight Immortals' table were cleared away.

  Xianfeng let out a satisfied belch and said: "Li Zhen, you're skilled in using foreign guns. Give me a demonstration."

  Li Zhen said: "Performing for Your Majesty is a great honor for me in three lifetimes."

  Li Zhen paused for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, ordinary foreign guns are not easy to use. The foreign gun I have is at the relay station and has not been brought into the palace, so it may be somewhat inconvenient now."

  Xianfeng waved his hand and said, "Never mind, I will send someone to fetch it."

  At this time, Xianfeng ordered: "Han Laiyu, send someone to bring Li Zhen's foreign rifle into the imperial palace."

  "Ah!"

  Han Laiyu bowed and responded with a slight nod, then stepped away in small steps.

  Xianfeng took Qi Shan and Li Zhen out of the imperial dining room and headed to the martial arts training ground where they normally practiced archery. After entering the training ground, Xianfeng said: "Li Zhen, whatever you need, just arrange it. This time, I want to see your performance. If you can't show off your divine marksmanship skills, that would be a crime of deceiving the emperor."

  Li Zhen said confidently: "Your Majesty, I will definitely make you open your eyes wide."

  Qishan swallowed his saliva, wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead, and was a little worried in his heart. Li Zhen hesitated for a moment, then instructed the small eunuch following beside him: "Prepare three arrow targets, and prepare ten small flower vases."

  The little eunuch nodded and quickly ran away.

  Xianfeng asked: "Li Zhen, you only want the quiver and vase, nothing else?"

  "Your Majesty, the archery target and the vase are enough."

  Xianfeng nodded and stopped talking.

  In a short while, the little eunuch had set up three targets at 100 paces, 150 paces and 200 paces respectively, divided into three levels. As for the ten flower vases brought over, they were placed aside temporarily unused. Half an hour later, Han Laiyu brought over Li Zhen's sniper rifle.

  Xianfeng's eyes shone brightly as he ordered: "Li Zhen, begin."

  "Yes, sir!"

  Li Zhen replied and carefully checked the bullets in his sniper rifle, saying: "Your Majesty, I'll shoot at a target 100 paces away first."

  Xianfeng nodded and stood aside watching.

  Li Zhen raised his sniper rifle, aimed at the target 100 paces away, and pulled the trigger.

  Bang!

  A gunshot rang out, followed instantly by a muffled thud.

  "Bullseye!"

  A moment later, the eunuch standing beside the target shouted.

  Li Zhen didn't stop, and successively aimed at the targets 150 steps and 200 steps away, then calmly pulled the trigger. Two bullets flew out quickly, finally hitting the red heart of the target with precision. Xianfeng watched from the side, slightly nodding his head, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.

  However, Xianfeng said: "Li Zhen, hitting the target with an arrow is not unusual. In my Imperial Guard, there are also many talented individuals who can shoot accurately at a hundred paces and hit their mark every time."

  Li Zhen said: "Your Majesty, hitting a stationary target is nothing remarkable."

  "Oh, what else do you plan?" Xianfeng asked with a smile.

  Li Zhen stretched out his hand, pointing at the vase on the ground, and said proudly: "Now let someone pick up the vase on the ground, then continuously throw it into the air. I'll use my foreign gun to aim at the flying vase and hit it one by one. Ten vases, must all be hit."

  "Good!"

  Xianfeng's eyes suddenly lit up, and he ordered: "Han Laiyu, you come and throw the vase."

  "Ah!"

  Han Laiyu inserted the duster into his waistband and walked to where the vases were placed, bent down and picked up a vase with each hand, smiling and saying: "Li Canjiang, are you ready?"

  "Cheers!"

  Li Zhen nodded slightly, concentrated his mind and grasped the sniper rifle in his hand.

  Xianfeng and Qishan stood by, watching quietly. Especially Qishan, who was already excited but also extremely tense, fearing that Li Zhen would make a mistake, yet expecting him to show off his skills.

  PS: Update 2