Chapter 51: Five Arrows in Succession

  Spring is emerging, snow and ice are melting away. The plains are covered with lush green grass, but the distant mountains still have a thick layer of white snow that has not yet melted. Today, the spring breeze is gentle, the sky is clear and refreshing, with puffy white clouds drifting lazily across the bright blue sky. The new grass growing in clusters on the prairie is soft and damp like a carpet.

  Bi Du and the newly appointed Zhang County Magistrate, along with some officials from the military and local areas, rode their horses around Chicken Crowing Mountain. In front of them was a vast grassland, where several birds flew swiftly close to the ground. Zhang County Magistrate was a jinshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examination) in the 12th year of the Hongzhi reign, although he was only nearly thirty years old and a scholar, his horsemanship skills were quite impressive.

  Bi Du and Zhang Xianling rode side by side, Bi turned his head to smile at him: "I always thought that the riding and shooting skills in the academy were just perfunctory, but now I hear that Master Zhang can shoot a 200-stone bow, and within 100 steps, every arrow hits its mark. That's truly a combination of civil and martial arts."

  He said, his eyes inadvertently glanced at Ma Lian'er, who was riding a dark red horse, wearing a dark green hunting suit, a dark green thin silk cloak, still wearing white bow shoes and a white waistband, with a small curved knife like an elephant decoration on her ribs. Slanting the bow, back arrow bag, that one set of quite exotic ethnic flavor of refreshing dress made her even more dazzling.

  The spring breeze lifted her emerald green cloak, and the riding attire accentuated her slender yet curvaceous figure to perfection. The subtle outline of her youthful body was tantalizingly visible beneath the cloak, making Bi Dou's desire surge as he thought about embracing this enchanting beauty in just two days' time.

  He was too lazy to care about County Master, and he wished that there were only him and Ma Lian'er on this grassland, with the earth as their bed and the sky as their blanket. However, he was after all a high-ranking official of the imperial court, let alone that Ma Lian'er was not yet his concubine, even if she had already been taken into his household, at this time he should be with his colleagues, if he only accompanied his own beloved concubine, it would be too unbecoming.

  County Magistrate Zhang listened to General Bi Du's "flattery" and smiled proudly, stroking his beard and said: "Your Excellency is overpraising me. Although I also learned archery in school, how can I compare with Your Excellency and the brave generals in the army? As for that three-stone bow... I can barely draw it open, but I hit the target every time... haha, General Bi probably doesn't know, the targets in our Fujian province's schools are as big as one square meter.

  A giant target with a diameter of one zhang? Bi Du heard it and was stunned at first, then burst out laughing. The officials beside him, mostly from the north or military leaders, couldn't help but smile, some even coughed to cover up their laughter. A giant target with a diameter of one zhang, if you say that arrows have no misses within 100 steps, it's really nothing to brag about. They didn't expect the targets in the southern academies to be so huge.

  Ma Lian'er rode on horseback, her face seemingly smiling yet not quite, lost in thought as she pondered her own affairs. Ma Xiao carefully observed his sister's expression, seeing that she was calm and composed, thinking to himself that his sister had been moved by Bi Dou's heroic demeanor, with his helmet and armor, and the crowd cheering him on from all sides, and only then did he put his heart at ease.

  Ma Lian'er was deceived by her brother in the morning, saying that he invited her to go for a spring outing and hunting. Ma Lian'er's heart had already belonged to someone, she was happy in her heart, and didn't want to quarrel with her only relative too much. Moreover, when she was outside the pass, she almost rode and shot every day, but after returning to the Central Plains, she hadn't done this for a long time, so she also happily agreed. Unexpectedly, when she rode out of the city on the war horse brought by her brother, she saw a large group of military and local officials, and Bi Du Si was also among them, only then did she understand her brother's intentions.

  Ma Lian'er had the intention to leave immediately, but in front of many unaware officials, doing so would be too impolite. She was afraid that as soon as she left, there would be even more speculation and criticism about her. In the past, she could ignore other people's gazes, but now that she considered herself a member of the Yang family, she didn't dare to be as carefree as before. So she had no choice but to follow them onto the grasslands.

  Last night, Ma Lian'er received a hint from the young lady that she would be marrying into the Yang family, and it was already a done deal. With a mix of excitement and sweetness in her heart, she was completely absorbed in her own emotions. Her bright and clear eyes sparkled with thoughts or smiles or shyness, complementing her beautiful and moving facial features, which were beyond words.

  When Bi Du Shi looked at her with that fervent gaze, she also noticed it. She saw that Bi Du Shi, relying on his status, not only didn't dare to approach and chat with her, but even when glancing at her, he would use the excuse of talking to others, then quickly scan her, as if afraid of losing his general's demeanor, and in her heart, she couldn't help but laugh at his hypocrisy.

  Older brother Yang, oh! Older brother Yang!

  Ma Lian'er thought of Yang Ling, and her heart felt sweet. Yang didn't care what others thought or how they looked at him. On that day, the two returned to the city from the mountains, and Minister Min and General Jiang were all on the city wall. However, when Yang entered the city, he only tightly hugged the crying YOUNG daughter in his arms, coaxing her and teasing her, as if no one else was around. His eyes looked at YOUNG like they were looking at a treasure in his heart.

  Ma Lian'er thought of this, and her heart couldn't help but feel warm. As long as there was a day when he could look at her with the same loving eyes that he used to look at Ai Lian, she would be willing to wait for three years, or even thirty years, or even a lifetime.

  As she thought about it, Ma Lian'er couldn't help but smile slightly again.

  Jiang Bin stared at her, his eyes fixed on her as she smiled sweetly like a peach blossom unfolding. Her smile was so captivating that it left him breathless. That day when Ma Lian'er returned from outside the city, her clothes were dirty and her hair disheveled, yet in his eyes, she already looked like a heavenly being. Now, with her light makeup and tight-fitting dress, she looked stunningly beautiful, leaving one speechless. Oh my god, if he were to pin down such a lovely young woman under him...

  Jiang Bin swallowed his saliva, looked up and glared at Bi Chun with hatred, thinking to himself: "Damn it, if I were also a great general, I would definitely marry such a woman, only then would this life not be lived in vain".

  When Bi Chun wanted to take Ma Lian'er as his concubine, he also heard some rumors from the mouths of his personal soldiers in the Bi Du Si army. Today, Bi Chun invited all the local officials to go on a spring outing, but only brought this one woman with him. In fact, it wasn't just him; most of the officials present had already guessed a few things.

  Suddenly a fat marmot sprang out of the grass in front and rushed towards a nearby mountain bay. Guan Shouxin shouted loudly, "Sir, look over there! There's a marmot!"

  Everyone had a military bow on their back, and now they all held the bow in their hands. However, none of the officials took action. The guards shot arrow after arrow, but only blocked the deer's path, scaring it towards him. The prey was left for the general to shoot.

  That poor fool was frightened by the accurate archery of the Imperial Guards, running around in all directions. The two leaders, General Bi Du and Magistrate Zhang, held bows and arrows in their hands, but neither of them took action, instead pushing and yielding to each other, saying things like "Please, sir, shoot first and hit a bullseye, let us see your skill."

  Ma Lian'er saw that they were hunting in such a hypocritical and perfunctory manner, without any of the joy of going on an outing or hunting, and couldn't help but hum a tune of disdain, turning her head away in contempt. Zheng Dapeng, Bi Du's personal bodyguard, rode his horse to the front and said to Bi Chun and Zhang County Magistrate: "Everyone, today Miss Ma is the only woman among us, I think it would be better to let Miss Ma take the first shot, Miss Ma is dressed in military attire, her archery skills must be extraordinary."

  The so-called three-stone-hard bow, hundred-step-within arrow-no-empty-shot Zheng master, facing the dozens of steps away that fat rabbit was really a bit daunting, afraid that one arrow flew out and really hit the head prize: full hall of inverted prizes. So after hearing Zheng's words, as if encountering a great amnesty, he hastily clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "Very good, very good, women are not inferior to men, so please let Miss Ma shoot this arrow, we will wait with bated breath."

  Bai Duzheng's eyes softened, and he finally had the opportunity to look at Ma Lian'er without fear of ridicule. He smiled and said, "Miss Ma, please show off your skills." As soon as he spoke, the crowd parted to make way for Ma Lian'er, leaving her in the center.

  It was actually because of Zheng Dapeng's careless remark that Ma Lian'er shot the first arrow, and Bi Duosi had a sudden idea to please her. However, Ma Lian'er didn't know the inside story and thought it was Bi Duosi who colluded with his personal soldiers, setting up this trap in advance, which made her even more disgusted.

  She narrowed her eyes, curved like a crescent moon, and smiled: "General Bi has been through hundreds of battles, with an aura that is oppressive to people. Lord Zhang shoots arrows with precision, never missing his mark. A mere woman carrying a bow is just for show; how could I dare to embarrass myself in front of the two of you? I'd rather witness the bravery of the two of you."

  Her voice was soft and sweet, actually just intentionally making her voice a bit more tender, but from the mouth of such a beauty, others felt charming and captivating.

  Ma Ang knew it was bad as soon as he heard it, his own sister's temper he understood the most, knowing that when his sister spoke in this tone, her patience was about to run out and she was about to lose her temper. He just wanted to rush up and mediate, but unexpectedly Jiang Bin, who was beside him, heard Ma Lian'er's enchanting and bone-penetrating tone, and his bones went soft, almost falling off the horse.

  At this time, everyone was listening to Ma Lian'er's words. He was also the closest to Ma Lian'er, and suddenly all eyes were focused on him. Jiang Bin, who had a thick enough face, also felt a little embarrassed. Fortunately, he was quick-witted and hurriedly laughed: "Ah, Zhang Daren said that women are not inferior to men, I thought of Yang Yishi's wife."

  "When are women allowed on the battlefield? But that day, the Tartars attacked the city, and Yang's wife dressed as a man to help our army fight bravely on the city wall. Isn't she just like Hua Mulan, a heroine who doesn't yield to men? Yang's wife once shot dead a Tartar challenger at the foot of the city with one arrow. When I went down to collect the body, I saw that the arrow had entered from the back of his neck and exited three inches below, passing through his body, killing him with one shot. What great archery skills! Haha, what great archery skills!"

  Bi Du Si smiled and said, "Yang Yi's hands are not even strong enough to tie up a chicken, but unexpectedly Mrs. Yang has excellent martial arts skills. Miss Ma, don't be modest either, why don't you also show off your skills?" In fact, Bi Du Si didn't care about Ma Lian'er's archery skills at all, he just wanted to coax her into being happy and having fun, even if she made a mistake, he would just laugh it off, after all, she was a woman!

  Ma Lian'er was indeed grateful to Han Youniang, and had already regarded her as her closest sister. However, the human psyche is most subtle, and in her subconscious mind, she deeply feared that Youniang would gain more recognition from everyone than herself, and that her future status would be unattainable by Youniang. If Youniang continued to excel over her everywhere, she would have even less sense of security in her heart.

  As soon as Jiang Bin mentioned that Yu Niang's archery skills were excellent, Ma Lian'er suddenly felt a competitive spirit. She no longer declined and instead took down her bow and arrow, reaching behind her back with her right hand to pull out five arrows from the quiver. The crowd couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, unsure of what she was going to do. Some officials who didn't know martial arts secretly sneered, thinking that she didn't understand archery at all.

  Ma Liang'er raised the reins, galloped a few steps, dropped the reins and picked up her bow, holding four arrows in her right hand with the arrowheads pointing downwards. She placed one arrow on the string, took a deep breath, drew the bowstring back to its fullest extent, and shot an arrow out.

  The crowd had not yet turned their heads to see if the arrow hit its mark, when Ma Lian'er was like a conjurer, her right hand flicking out another arrow onto the string. Her movements were swift and unmatched, the bowstring humming "zhēn zhēn" as five arrows shot out in rapid succession, each one following the last in a continuous flow, leaving onlookers dazzled and unable to keep up.

  Five arrows shot out, Ma Lian'er turned her hand and slung the bow back over her shoulder, turned the horse's head around and came back, smiling brightly: "A young woman lost her grip."

  Everyone was stunned, and after hearing this, they looked up to see that the five arrows were pointing towards this direction, forming a pentagon shape surrounding the trembling rabbit in the middle. The distance between the five arrows was almost identical, as if measured.

  After a while, one of Bi Du's subordinates suddenly exclaimed: "Continuous shooting method! Legend has it that the fastest arrow shooter among the Tartars' Jebu tribe could only shoot nine arrows with one hand, but Miss Ma can actually shoot five continuous arrows, so amazing! So amazing!"

  Everyone who heard it, whether they understood or not, praised in unison. Bi Du's face was both shocked and delighted, and he was lavish with his praise. Ma Lian'er cast a glance at Jiang Bin with her big, shiny eyes, a hint of pride on her face.

  Just then, a horseman came galloping from afar, and everyone turned their heads to look. As the man drew nearer, they saw that he was wearing a postal station's uniform, riding a postal horse, and as he arrived in front of them, he pulled on the reins, his face full of anxiety as he scanned the crowd.

  Ma Lian'er saw him and recognized that he was Han Wei, the elder brother of Yu Niang. She hastily stepped forward two steps and asked: "Elder Brother Han, how did you come here?"

  Han Wei was covered in sweat, and it was unclear whether he was anxious or exhausted. He lifted his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his face while saying: "Miss Ma, I've been searching for you everywhere. Suddenly, a high-ranking official arrived in the capital with an imperial edict, ordering Yang Ling to return to the capital immediately. Your sister and brother-in-law asked me to inform you, but I didn't know where you were hunting, so I ran around...".

  He hadn't finished speaking when Ma Lian'er let out a cry of surprise, her legs clamping tightly around the horse's belly as she urged it forward like flying, not even looking back as she galloped towards the sound of the rooster's crow. The officials looked at each other in dismay, and those county government officials were whispering among themselves with suspicious expressions. As soon as Ma Lian'er heard that Yang Ling had left, her butt was on fire, and she didn't even leave behind a single polite phrase, she and Yang Ling having no familial relationship and no past dealings, who would believe that the two of them didn't have any private affair?

  Bi Du's face turned iron-green, his triangular eyes gleaming with a fierce light, and his body trembled slightly. Ma Ang rode up to him on horseback and said timidly: "Bi... Bi Daren..."

  Bi Du Si sneered, turned his body, drew his bow and shot an arrow. The bowstring wailed, the sharp arrow whizzed through the air and pierced the rabbit that was trapped in the five-branch arrow enclosure, not daring to move.