I run a training class in Shu Han

Chapter 6 Archery

The following morning at the morning assembly, Yang Hong brought good news.

Chen Hu and Zheng Zhuo inflicted a major defeat on the rebel army, and Huang Yuan led his troops in a rout.

When the good news arrived, the entire court and the public cheered as if they had won a great victory.

Liu Shan, however, remained unusually calm.

Because defeating the rebels was not his ultimate goal.

"Yang, although Huang Yuan has been defeated, do you remember the military pledge you made?"

Yang Hong cupped his hands and said, "Your subject remembers."

Liu Shan nodded slightly.

Just remember.

I dispatched two thousand elite personal guards to quell the rebellion; it would be strange if we didn't win.

The difficulty lies in capturing Huang Yuan alive.

"Your Highness, Generals Chen Hu and Zheng Chuo will continue their pursuit of the rebels and set up an ambush as planned. They will surely capture this traitor alive and hand him over to Your Highness for judgment."

After the morning court session ended, Liu Shan stretched.

His recent dedication to reading and handling government affairs had left him somewhat fatigued, and his lower abdomen was slightly protruding.

It's time to start training.

Before his time travel, no matter how busy Liu Shan was, he would spend an hour every day working out at the gym to maintain his physique and relieve work stress.

Now that Huang Yuan is a fugitive, and there's nothing major happening in Chengdu for the time being, it's time for him to start exercising.

After becoming the crown prince, Liu Shan not only had to learn how to govern the country, but also how to fight.

Liu Bei established his empire in Yizhou by virtue of his excellent martial arts skills, and Liu Shan, as the future emperor, naturally could not neglect it.

Liu Shan returned to the palace, changed into a leather armor and boots, carried a strong bow on his back and a quiver across his shoulder, and rode to Phoenix Mountain, fifteen miles north of Chengdu, under the protection of Zhao Tong.

This is a training ground built by Liu Bei, specifically for the sons of the royal family and court officials to practice horseback riding and archery.

Therefore, it is also known as "Xue She Shan" (Shooting Mountain).

When Liu Shan arrived, the shooting range was very quiet, a stark contrast to the usual scene of galloping horses.

After the Battle of Yiling, many generals in the court died in battle, and their sons were busy with funeral arrangements, so they naturally had no time to come here to learn martial arts.

Guan Xing, Zhang Bao, and others went to Yong'an to await orders, so this place naturally became deserted.

However, as Liu Shan approached, he could still hear the faint sound of arrows.

Liu Shan squinted and, judging from the other person's short stature and trembling hands as he drew the bow, concluded that this should still be a teenager.

Beside the boy stood a general, instructing him on archery.

Whoosh!

The arrow hit the target forty paces away after it was shot.

Although he wasn't in the exact center, the boy was so happy he danced with joy.

"Your Highness, this is my younger brother, Zhao Guang. He has never stopped learning horsemanship and archery since he started," Zhao Tong said with considerable pride.

Zhao Guang turned his head and saw Liu Shan and his elder brother, and immediately ran towards them.

"Zhao Guang greets the Crown Prince."

Liu Shan nodded and said, "This is a shooting range, not the imperial court, so let's skip these formalities."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guang jumped up, grabbed Zhao Tong's hand, and said happily, "Brother, did you see that just now? I can now hit my target with every arrow."

He meant that every arrow he shot hit the target.

Zhao Tong patted his head, his eyes filled with doting affection.

"I see. It seems the new teacher is teaching you very well. I'll be testing your riding and archery skills later; I wonder how you're doing?"

Zhao Guang quickly replied, "Brother, please test me."

Seeing his younger brother's confident expression, Zhao Tong felt somewhat puzzled.

Mounted archery is different from shooting from a stationary position; it requires not only dealing with the jolting of the horse but also aiming accurately.

Just now you were even trembling when you drew the bow. Where did this inexplicable confidence come from?

Liu Shan said, "I admire the boldness of young men."

As the three chatted and laughed, the general stepped forward.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

The general in charge of teaching horsemanship and archery was never the same person, and this was the first time Liu Shan had met him.

"What is the general's title, and what is his rank in the army?"

"This humble general is Wang Ping, a mere gatekeeper."

The gate is a military defensive structure, and the gate general is a military officer in charge of the defensive fortifications.

Wang Ping?

Liu Shan was unsure if the Wang Ping before him was the same Wang Ping he knew, and quickly asked, "When did you join the army, General?"

Wang Ping felt slightly embarrassed when this was mentioned.

"This humble general surrendered to the Han Dynasty during the Battle of Hanzhong. Before that, I was a...acting colonel in Cao Cao's army."

The name and the person matched.

That's it!

Wang Ping distinguished himself in the Northern Expedition, not only being appointed as a military advisor but also commanding the Wudang Flying Army, becoming a renowned general.

However, he is currently both a surrendered general and a boorish man who cannot read a single character. After surrendering, he can only serve as a gatekeeper in charge of building defensive fortifications.

Now, having been reassigned to teach these sons of princes and ministers horsemanship and archery, he felt even more bitter.

"Since the general is capable of being a teacher, his skills must be exceptional. How about he teaches this prince how to ride and shoot?"

"This humble general will certainly provide you with careful guidance."

Wang Ping was overjoyed.

Although he failed to secure an important position in the army, he heard that the Crown Prince was rudimentary in riding and archery. He thought that if he could teach him well, the Crown Prince might be pleased and promote him.

Liu Shan walked to the archery range, aimed at the target fifty paces away, and drew his bow.

In his previous life, Liu Shan, as an elite individual, also had some knowledge of archery.

However, the bows used in modern times are composite bows, which are more energy-efficient and more stable than the rigid bows of ancient times.

Oh my God!

Liu Shan held his breath as he drew the bow, his face turning slightly red, but fortunately he managed to draw the bow fully and his arm did not tremble.

But this stable state could not last long. Liu Shan took advantage of the fact that he could still hold on, quickly aimed, and then shot the arrow.

puff!

With a soft thud, the arrow struck the bullseye.

Zhao Guang immediately cheered.

Zhao Tong and Wang Ping, who were standing beside him, seemed to be deep in thought.

Although this was Wang Ping's first time seeing Liu Shan shoot an arrow, he had already learned about the prince's archery skills from others.

He is skilled in riding and archery, but is restless and cannot sustain his activity level for long.

This means that Liu Shan was a skilled archer, but he lacked patience and would become distracted after shooting a few arrows.

However, Wang Ping noticed another flaw in Liu Shan's archery skills: insufficient strength.

The arrow hit the bullseye, but the arrowhead didn't penetrate deeply enough. If the opponent was wearing soft armor, this force wouldn't be enough to cause a penetrating wound.

"At my age, I can already draw a bow with a weight of one stone, and the arrowhead can pierce through armor. Your Majesty is a veteran of many battles, but the Crown Prince has not truly mastered it. Alas!"

Wang Ping silently shook his head in his heart.

After shooting the first arrow, Liu Shan drew his bow again and aimed at the target fifty paces away.

puff!

Another arrow hits the bullseye.

"good!"

Zhao Guang cheered like a little fanboy.

"Brother, the Crown Prince's archery skills are superb, why do you look so unhappy?"

Zhao Tong whispered, "You don't know this, but the Crown Prince hits the target every time he shoots an arrow for the first ten times, and then..."

After shooting two arrows, Liu Shan began to get used to the hard bow in his hands, and his bow-drawing movements became faster and faster.

Fearing that he would lose his breathing rhythm, Wang Ping hurriedly reminded him, "Your Highness, you can adjust your breathing and concentrate after each shot."

But Liu Shan simply nodded and did not follow Wang Ping's advice to adjust; instead, he accelerated even further.

puff!

puff!

boom!

boom!

As each arrow was fired, the sound of it hitting the bullseye grew deeper and deeper.

Well?

Wang Ping was the first to notice something was wrong.

Because Liu Shan's arrows were becoming increasingly powerful with each shot.

To his even greater surprise, every arrow hit the bullseye.

Although he was still far from meeting the standards of an army archer, he was close to meeting the standards of an ordinary soldier.

boom!

As the last arrow struck the lower left side of the target, Liu Shan sighed with some regret.

"What a pity, it wasn't a perfect shot."

Wang Ping quickly said, "Your Highness, do not be discouraged. Archery skills cannot be mastered overnight; it takes three years of study to achieve even a minor degree of proficiency."

Liu Shan tossed the strong bow in his hand to Zhao Tong and laughed, "General Wang is right, everything requires accumulation over time. I've heard that you are illiterate, but now that you've submitted to my Han Dynasty, you must learn."

Wang Ping chuckled and said, "Your Highness, I am just a rough man. As long as I know how to fight, that's enough. Why bother learning these formalities? Besides, there are quite a few illiterate generals in the army."

"If General Wang wants to remain a mere guard, he need not study. But if he aspires to become a general capable of guarding a region, then he must study extensively."

"General, you should discuss this further!"