A gentle breeze swept the sand, blurring one's vision, as the thunderous beat of war drums reached the ears. In the distance, several armored warhorses galloped swiftly onto the field. Among them, one rider held a large crimson embroidered ball, striking it to the ground with a red brocade rope. Immediately, the sound of a whistling arrow cut through the air, and the surrounding horses reared up. Officers and soldiers drew their bows in pursuit, shooting at the ball. The bright red ball, blazing like fire, rolled rapidly across the yellowish-brown earth, instantly capturing the attention of everyone present.
The mounted archery ceremony had just begun.
On the left, officers stood single-footed in their stirrups, raising their hands to shoot at the ball. On the right, others leaned forward, drawing their bows with both hands. The large crimson ball, struck by arrows, leaped and danced wildly, rising and falling with the force of the rope handler, soaring as high as ten feet, drawing exclamations of admiration from the onlookers.
This group of officers was fierce and valiant, exuding an aura of martial prowess. Their every movement on horseback revealed a rugged masculinity distinct from the civil officials at court.
The female officials watching from the sidelines were so exhilarated they could scarcely utter a word, their lips parting only in soft sighs of wonder. Their gazes remained fixed on the galloping, leaping figures, unwilling to look away.
Meng Tinghui had never witnessed such a spectacle before. For a moment, she widened her eyes, staring at the tall riders and sturdy horses in the distance, feeling that no grander sight could exist in all the world.
...A true man ought to be like this.
In her daze, she heard Shen Zhili lean close and ask, "Earlier, when I urged you to come watch the mounted archery, you refused. Now you don’t regret it, do you?"
She nodded with a smile, leaning forward like the other female officials to get a clearer view.
Shen Zhili linked arms with her and took a few steps forward, pointing into the distance. "This is only the beginning. The best is yet to come—just you wait and see!"
As her words faded, several more riders galloped out, all clad in light armor with loose tassels, exceptionally dashing and heroic. At the forefront was none other than Colonel Di, the one who had earlier flustered and annoyed Shen Zhili.
The female officials, recognizing him, immediately grew restless.
The war drums sounded again. The riders let out three unified shouts, dispersing their horses, and then began performing equestrian feats at a dizzying speed.
One rose from the saddle, right foot leaving the stirrup, bending lightly to hook onto the horse's mane, left foot still in the stirrup, left hand reaching forward to grasp the long mane, right hand holding the reins as they circled the field. Another bent down, gripping the stirrups with both hands, shoulders braced against the saddle pommel, performing an inversion on the galloping horse, remaining perfectly steady whether the horse sped up or slowed. Yet another stood with only one foot in the stirrup, body horizontal to the saddle, one hand gripping the pommel, the other the mane, the free leg stretched straight along the horse's side—a truly astonishing sight.
Shen Zhili murmured softly beside her, "'Saddle offering,' 'inversion,' 'flying immortal pommel horse'..."
Meng Tinghui watched, transfixed, aware that Shen Zhili must have been trained in mounted archery from childhood by her mother and was likely well-versed in these techniques. She listened with a smile as Shen Zhili explained each one.
After the others had performed, Colonel Di, clad in silver armor, guided his horse forward. Then, casually releasing the reins, he leaped from the saddle, urging the horse with a sharp cry to raise its head and gallop ahead.
The female officials stared in bewilderment, unsure what he intended to do.But before the crowd could react, they saw him already sprinting toward the horse. In just moments, he caught up with the warhorse that hadn’t yet reached full speed, grabbed its tail from behind, flipped onto its back, and landed steadily on the saddle.
With a graceful turn, he smoothly drew a long bow, nocked an arrow, and the gleaming white feathers flashed dazzlingly. As the bowstring twanged continuously, one broadhead arrow after another shot through the air, clustering into the slender willow targets standing by the field.
The entire audience was stunned.
Meng Tinghui was also astonished, never expecting him to possess such skill. Her red lips parted slightly, but she found herself at a loss for words.
Shen Zhili, however, let out two soft "tsks" beside her and muttered under her breath, "What’s so impressive? My mother says these flashy moves are useless. True skill lies in killing enemies on the battlefield!"
Meng Tinghui couldn’t help but keep her gaze fixed on Di Nian, who was radiating confidence on horseback, unable to look away for a long while. She silently praised him countless times in her heart. Only when she heard Shen Zhili’s words did she turn back with a faint smile. "What grudge do you hold against him that you must mock him like this?"
Shen Zhili looked unconcerned and pursed her lips. "You think I’m mocking him? Every word I say is a gem of wisdom. Don’t overestimate his skills—if it’s about fancy displays, perhaps Di Nian ranks first. But when it comes to mastering horsemanship and precision in archery, none of the young officers in the army can compare to the Crown Prince."
Hearing this, she raised her eyebrows slightly and turned her gaze toward the Precious Ford Tower.
From such a distance, she couldn’t clearly see his expression, but she faintly sensed he was looking in her direction.
An autumn wind suddenly swept through, causing the yellow canopy in front of the tower to tremble.
He was staring at her.
Watching as her face flushed with excitement over the young officers in the field, observing her fixed, dazed gaze on Di Nian, and noting her eager expression, as if she wished she could step closer to witness the men’s prowess…
A sudden fury ignited within him.
As the cool breeze brushed past, the fire spread through his limbs.
If she had remained still and silent, he wouldn’t have been troubled by distracting thoughts.
But she moved and spoke—her gaze, her expression, her face, her form… every part of her stirred his restless thoughts.
Disgusted with his own childishness, he nonetheless rose from his seat, flung his robe aside, turned, took two large strides to the edge of the tower, and fixed his eyes on the scene below.
The military officers cheered on their horses, the surrounding crowd applauded enthusiastically, and the court ladies smiled charmingly—among them, her.
Seeing this, he narrowed his eyes.
An attendant approached to inquire, "Does Your Highness wish to join the field?"
He nodded, turned to descend the tower, and issued a detached order: "Prepare a horse, a long bow, and twenty arrows."
OpenNovel