The Autumn Archery Competition, Arrows Flying High

The following day, the autumn air was crisp and clear.

The sky was a clear, clean blue, with a few thin, wispy white clouds floating on the horizon, moving slowly.

The field outside the back gate of Wansong Academy has changed its appearance today.

A simple wooden platform was erected in the field. The platform was not high, only a little over three feet high. A straw mat was laid on the platform, and several low tables were placed on the mat, with ceramic cups on the tables. These were the seats for the gentlemen and guests.

Not far from the stage, there were two targets. The targets were arrow stacks made of straw, tightly packed, with a piece of white cloth pasted in the center. A fist-sized red heart was drawn on the cloth with cinnabar. Hitting the red heart meant "hitting the target".

On one side of each target stood a wooden post. Small red and white flags were tied to the posts, fluttering slightly in the wind. These were used by the "victors," who were the ones who held the flags and announced the winners during the archery ceremony.

Raising the red flag means hitting the bullseye, raising the white flag means hitting the target area, and not raising the flag means missing the target.

The field was surrounded by mats made of rushes, and the mats were already filled with students.

Almost all the teachers and students of the school attended today.

Several gentlemen, including Meng Wenlang, Yao Ji, Tao Yan, Yang Su, and Shi Can, came.

The two dormitories, A and B, had a total of about a hundred students sitting in a dark mass. Some sat upright, some whispered to each other, and some craned their necks to look at the target.

Sun Yuangui was dressed in brand-new clothes today, looking exceptionally smart. He sat among the students of the Jia Zhai Academy, his voice booming, talking to several classmates beside him: "In my opinion, the winner of today's autumn archery competition will be either Liang Shanbo or Xiao Hu!"

Jia Boyang retorted, "Liang Shanbo has only been practicing archery for three months, how could he possibly win first place?"

Sun Yuangui chuckled: "I'm betting on Liang Shanbo. Want to make a bet? If you lose, you'll treat me to a meal of wild rice and mutton stew at the Fine Cuisine Kitchen."

Jia Boyang curled his lip slightly: "No betting."

He also signed up for the competition today, but he knew in his heart that his archery skills were just for fun.

He glanced at Liang Shanbo sitting nearby, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Wang Shu and Gu Jun sat side by side. Wang Shu's bamboo and wood composite bow rested on his lap, its craftsmanship exquisite. Gu Jun's bow was lighter and less powerful; he appeared calm and composed, as if he were merely there to observe the ceremony rather than participate in the competition.

Zhu Yingtai sat beside Liang Shanbo, her face calm, but her heart was in turmoil, filled with both anticipation and nervousness for her brother Liang.

Her gaze fell on Liang Shanbo. Liang Shanbo was looking down, lost in thought.

"Brother Liang," she called out in a low voice.

Liang Shanbo turned his head and looked at her.

Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she only managed to utter one sentence: "You... be careful."

Liang Shanbo smiled slightly and nodded: "Don't worry, my good brother."

Xiao Hu was sitting among the students of Yizhai. Today, his hair was loose, and a mulberry bow was resting on his shoulder.

Wei Cong and Zhou Daoxian sat beside him, each carrying a mulberry bow. Wei Cong remained calm, his gaze fixed on the target. Zhou Daoxian, however, was somewhat restless, occasionally adjusting his bowstring and counting the arrows in his quiver.

At that moment, a noise came from the stage.

Meng Wenlang rose from his seat, surveyed the students below the stage with a calm and composed gaze, and spoke in a louder voice: "Today's autumn archery competition is not merely about winning. Archery is one of the Six Arts, and the ancients used it to observe virtue. When the mind is upright, the body is upright; when the body is upright, the arrow is straight; when the arrow is straight, the hit is slight. If one misses the target, one should reflect on oneself. This is the meaning of archery."

He paused for a moment, then introduced the archer specially invited for this autumn archery event, Pei Liang, the county magistrate of Qiantang.

Pei Liang stood up from his seat, bowed slightly, and cupped his hands to the crowd below. He was about forty years old, of medium build, with a short beard on his chin, wearing an official robe, and a ring-handled sword at his waist.

His gaze swept across the audience, then lingered on Xiao Hu's face for a moment before he nodded slightly, clearly recognizing him.

"Today, Magistrate Pei will serve as the Archer, responsible for issuing orders, making judgments, and arbitrating. All students should strictly obey his commands."

After Meng Wenlang finished speaking, he cupped his hands in greeting to Pei Liang and then sat down at his seat again.

Pei Liang raised his hand and announced loudly, "Participants, enter according to your assigned numbers!"

On the field, a servant held a wooden box containing dozens of bamboo sticks. The participating students took turns drawing bamboo sticks from the box to determine their order of appearance.

Sun Yuangui drew the third lot.

Jia Boyang drew the twenty-third lot.

Wang Shu drew the twentieth lot.

Gu Jun drew the 25th lot.

Liang Shanbo's fortune slip was the thirty-third one. Zhu Yingtai leaned over to take a look and whispered, "It's better if it's a little later."

Xiao Hu drew the thirty-sixth lot, which was further back in the draw.

Wei Cong drew the ninth lot.

Zhou Daoxian drew the fourteenth lot.

After the draw, Pei Liang raised his hand again and announced, "Go out in order. Each person will have five arrows. If one arrow hits the bullseye, raise a red flag and score two points; if it hits the surface, raise a white flag and score one point; if it misses, do not raise a flag and score no points. After all five arrows are used, tally the scores and compare them later. Begin!"

The two winners walked to the two targets, standing upright.

The first student to draw a line walked to the shooting position. The shooting position was thirty paces from the target, and a line was drawn on the ground in white lime to mark the shooting position. He took a deep breath, nocked an arrow, drew the bow, aimed, and released the arrow.

The arrow flew in an arc, passing over the target.

The winner does not raise the flag.

The student sighed and drew a second arrow.

Meanwhile, the students who signed up for the second time shot their arrows at the other target, but they also missed.

On the field, the students either watched intently, discussed in hushed tones, or bent down to wipe their bows and arrows.

The autumn sun shone warmly, and although the autumn wind was not strong today, it carried the fragrance of pine resin.

Zhu Yingtai sat at the table, her gaze occasionally drifting to Liang Shanbo beside her.

Liang Shanbo knelt on the mat, his posture upright. His bow rested on his lap, and his quiver stood at his feet. His expression was calm, his gaze fixed on the field, revealing no emotion.

Sun Yuangui, the third to draw, stepped up to the shooting position. He took a deep breath, drew his bow, aimed, and released the arrow. The arrow struck the target squarely, and the winner raised the white flag. He chuckled and drew his second arrow. The second arrow missed the target. He scratched his head, somewhat annoyed. The third arrow missed the target again. The fourth arrow also missed the target. The fifth arrow barely hit the target.

After five arrows, Sun Yuangui had scored two points. He sighed, put away his bow, and returned to his seat. As he passed Liang Shanbo, he said with a wry smile, "Brother Liang, I was just joining in the fun. Now it's your turn."

Liang Shanbo smiled slightly.

One by one, students stepped up to their shooting positions, drew their bows, and released their arrows, raising red and white flags alternately. Some scored only one or two points out of five arrows and retreated dejectedly; others scored five points out of five arrows and beamed with joy; some arrows went too far astray and flew into the target next to them, causing the other students to burst into laughter.

When Wei Cong took to the field, he scored six points with five arrows, hitting the bullseye once and the target area four times, without missing the target at all.

When Zhou Daoxian took to the field, he scored six points with five arrows, including two bullseye shots, two hits on the target area, and one miss. He returned to his seat with a smile on his lips.

Although he and Wei Cong both scored six points, according to the competition rules, in case of a tie, the number of times the bullseye was hit was compared. He hit the bullseye twice, while Wei Cong only hit it once, so he won.

When Wang Shu entered the arena, his posture was ramrod straight, every movement meticulous. He nocked an arrow, drew the bow, aimed, and released. The first arrow struck the bullseye, the red flag was raised, and a low murmur of admiration rose from the audience. The second arrow hit the bullseye. The third arrow, again, hit the bullseye. The fourth arrow, hit the bullseye. The fifth arrow, still hit the bullseye.

After five arrows, Wang Shu scored a total of seven points, hitting the bullseye twice and the target area three times.

As he stepped down from his shooting position, he bowed to the gentlemen on the platform and County Lieutenant Pei Liang, his expression composed.