Chapter 303: Arrow Contest in the Military Camp
Zhao Zhen turned to Zhao Ji and said: "Move all the mats to Baishizhuang, and pick five with copper coin patterns and water ripples to take to Jingyang Town tomorrow."
After that, Zhao Zhen and others left the carpenter's workshop and returned to Baishi Valley. Zhao Zhen wrote a statement and sent it to the Ruan brothers. He told Wu Yong about occupying the area around Shijie Lake and asked the three of them to come to discuss it at noon the day after.
For the bamboo mats sent back, Zhao Xing arranged for people to select the ones woven by Qing Miao. Heroes with family members were first selected to send them, and then heroes from all over the country gradually sent them. Cheng Wan'er asked Bai Zhi to take the places of Lin Chong, Jiao Ting and Ruan Xiaoer in person. She also asked Bai Zhi to check the pulses of the pregnant women.
Early the next morning, Zhao Zhen had breakfast, mounted the Zhaoye Jade Lion Horse, accompanied Sanniang and a group of female cavalry, mounted the carriage, brought bone bows and bamboo mats, and supervised the carriage. Go to Jingyang Town. Passing by Black Tiger Temple Town, I rested my horse and chatted with Duan Jingzhu. When I left, I left behind a green bamboo mat.
Arriving at Jingyang Town, it was noon time. Hua Rong and others welcomed Zhao Zhen into the camp.
After seeing the ceremony, Zhao Zhen first asked everyone about the situation in the army. When he heard that everything was going well, Zhao Zhen said: "When I came here, I got some new cool bamboos, woven them into bamboo mats, and sent them to all the brothers. This bamboo mat is the most refreshing, and it will be used in the future. When more are made, the officers and soldiers will also be able to use it."
Li Yingdao: "The officers care about the soldiers, and the officers and soldiers will benefit from this. , I am naturally grateful."
Zhao Zhen said: "When soldiers go to war, they should naturally be more generous. The second thing is that I brought many snake bone bows. Brother Hua Rong serves as the archery instructor of the entire army. The two brothers Li Ying and Sun An also need to worry about training these sergeants. I know that my brothers are good at horse fighting, but it is a pity that there are not enough war horses in the county. After a while, I sent some brothers to go north to buy some. When the time comes, we will form a cavalry army for our brothers."
Hua Rong cheered up after hearing this: "It's a pity that there are few horses in Shandong Province. I was thinking about buying war horses in Qingfeng Village. Unfortunately, both. There were no war horses to buy, and I didn’t have enough money, so I only bought a few for daily riding.”
Sun An said: "Not only are there no horses in Shandong, but also in the northwest, the army is also in short supply of horses. When I killed five iron kite horses, three good horses and two injured horses were all killed."
Deng Fei said: "There are such corrupt officials everywhere."
Fu Yu also said: "We are not afraid of county officials, we are only afraid of current management. This has been the case since ancient times. We who can follow high officials have also cultivated in our previous lives. Blessing."
Everyone laughed after hearing this.
"It is indeed a happy life, with adequate food and clothing, and good wine and meat every day. I would never have dared to think of such a cool mat in the past," said Deng Fei.
"Brothers competing in martial arts every day are much happier than being rich men." Li Yingye said.
While we were talking, lunch was arranged in the camp.
After dinner, Hua Rong and a group of heroes accompanied Zhao Zhen to look around in the camp. Zhao Zhen suggested: "The morale of the army is high. I heard that most of the soldiers brought by Brother Hua Rong are good at shooting. Today, I will call the army sergeants to compete with the villagers in Jingyang Town. I will offer a first-level snake bone bow, which will belong to the winner. The second place will be rewarded with ten taels of gold, the third place will be rewarded with five taels of gold, and the fourth to tenth place will be rewarded with one tael of gold. What do the brothers think?"
Li Ying asked: "Official, Hua Rong? Brother Hua Rong is the master shot that we have seen these days. With Brother Hua Rong here, the others can only compete for the second or third place."
Zhao Zhen said: "Brother Hua Rong is the examiner, so what if he doesn't participate. ?”
Li Yingdao: "That's what's interesting."
Sun An said: "A high-ranking official, you want to call the villagers in the town?"
Zhao Zhen said: "After all, we are all new here. The town wants to reassure the villagers, and at the same time, it also deters lawbreakers. If there are any heroes in the town, they can be recruited into the army. Therefore, this competition does not distinguish between men and women. Young and old, anyone who is good at shooting can participate. My brother asked people to shout in the town. At the end of the day, there will be a competition in the school field. Anyone who has nothing to do can come and watch. "
Sun An listened and said. : "I will find a few people with loud voices to shout around the town."
Li Yingdao: "I told the sergeant to set up an archery target on the school ground."
Hua Rong said: "I have never used a snake bone bow. I just wanted to go and take a look. I wonder how powerful the snake bone bow brought by the officials is?"
Zhao Zhen said: "We will prepare it separately. Those who have signed up to participate, please take note of the list. Those who do not participate in the competition should be fully clothed and maintain order on the school grounds. "
Everyone should leave and go about their business.
Zhao Zhen took Hua Rong to try the bow. Looking at the neatly arranged bow arms, bow strings, and arrows, Zhao Zhen said: "Brother Hua Rong, the snake bone bows sent this time range from six to nine. Unfortunately, the elasticity of the snake bones is not good after all, and they are attached again." Ox horns, sheep horn pieces, etc. can enhance the bow power, and the bows made of snake bones of the first-level green anaconda are still the most powerful. The bows made by the green anacondas were used for less than 30 bows, and the remaining bows were not powerful enough and could only be used as hunting bows. Except for the fourth-level green anaconda snake bones, all the other suitable snake bones were used, and only more than 3,000 six buckets were obtained. There are only 20 of the above bone bows, there are more nine-dou bows, and there are more than 200 eight-dou bows.”
"On the contrary, I got seven snake-bone bows at this level and two snake-bone bows at the second level. They all used advanced materials. The second-level bows even used advanced tiger sinews as strings. Although all nine bows are "Badou bows, the range is farther than a stone bow."
"This time I sent 300 six-double bows, 500 seven-double bows, 3,000 bow strings, and 30,000 archery, tapered arrows, and armor-piercing arrows. As a standing stock of bows and arrows in the army, brothers are good at training these soldiers. Brothers also often go to the Wanzicheng recruit camp to practice one or two. It would be best if everyone can shoot."
Said Zhao Zhen. He took a second-order snake bone bow in his hand and handed it to Hua Rong: "Brother, how about you try this bow? It may be better than the thin gold magpie painting bow used by brother?"
Hua Rong stretched out his hand to take the bow, He took it in his hand, stretched out his hand to try it, and took out two more arrows. Just as a line of wild geese flew over, Hua Rong said, "Master, please watch me shoot the last two wild geese."
After that, he started shooting the last two wild geese. Two arrows were shot, and the last two geese fell straight down.
Zhao Zhen urgently asked Zhao Ji to take people to search for it. Hua Rong took the snake bone bow in his hand and said, "Master, this bow is really good. My third-order clay-gold magpie-painted thin bow has the same bow power as this second-order snake bone bow." It looks like a bow, but much lighter."
After a while, Zhao Ji and others retrieved the two wild geese that had fallen outside the camp. Zhao Zhen saw two wild geese shooting at the head of the wild goose, and praised: "Brothers are really good at shooting, just like Li Guang's rebirth. It is really a blessing for Liangshan to have brothers reunited!"
The search by Zhao Ji and others alarmed many people inside and outside the camp. When they saw the two wild geese shot down by Hua Rong, everyone praised them. All the villagers and soldiers in the town admired Hua Rong. From then on, everyone called Hua Rong the "God Arm General".
A high platform has been set up on the school grounds. Zhao Zhen and other heroes took the stage. Nearly 400 people who signed up stood under the stage. The other sergeants stood around to block the dealers who came to watch the competition from flooding into the archery range.
With the drawing of corners and the beating of drums, the noisy school grounds suddenly became quiet.
Zhao Zhen did not say much, and asked several villagers with loud voices to shout loudly. The sergeants and villagers who signed up next, a team of 30 people, each received five arrows, and shot them 80 steps in front of each other from a drum. grass target.
Nearly an hour later, after a round of competition, 17 people hit all five arrows, and 14 people wearing armor were all sergeants brought by Hua Rong. The three people dressed as hunters, the two older ones, are two brothers, the elder brother Qiao Bai and the younger brother Qiao Yang. The younger one is called Huabao.
Zhao Zhen saw it and smiled secretly: "In the first round, seventeen people with all five arrows were selected. How do you think the competition will proceed next?"
Everyone looked at Hua Rong, seeing Hua Rong frowning and looking down, said nothing. Deng Fei said: "Master, the marksman in the army must not only shoot accurately, but also shoot far. Why not push the target back 20 steps, in order, 100 steps, 120 steps, 140 steps, 160 steps, Set up the target at 180 steps, shoot at the grass target at 100 steps, and then shoot at the same five arrows. The one with the most hits wins."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Zhao Zhen also said: "This is a good method. Please ask Brother Fu Yu to arrange straw targets. Brother Deng Fei will discuss the regulations with the seventeen sharpshooters below. If anyone wants to change their bows, I will bring eight bows this time." There are ten each of Dou, Jiu Dou, and One Stone Bow for them to choose from." With that, Zhao Ji followed Deng Fei down the stage to ask the archer who won the preliminary round.
After a while, the archery target was erected, and the archer also selected the bow and arrow to use. A trumpet sounded, and the second round of competition began, still with a drum.
All the archers on the field held their breath and concentrated, holding their bows and arrows, and shooting towards their respective targets.
After the drums were played, the counting sergeant came forward to count, recorded them in a book, and sent them to the stage.
Zhao Zhen looked through the roster and saw that all 17 people hit the 100-step and 120-step targets, 11 people hit the 140-step target, five people hit the 160-step target, and three people hit the 180-step target.
After Zhao Zhen looked at it, he handed it to Sun An and Li Ying. After the two looked at it, Li Ying said: "I don't think two of these three dealers hit the 180-step target."
Zhao Zhen called out. The seventeen archers on and off the stage came up in four columns.
Zhao Zhen first asked the three Orions: "Would the three of you be willing to join the army and become bow and arrow instructors? The salary is the same as that of an officer. If you teach bow and arrow with merit, you will be rewarded separately."
Orion Qiao Bai and Qiao Yang said in unison: "I would like to teach bow and arrow in the army."
Zhao Zhen looked at Hua Bao, who had his head lowered, and said deliberately: "What do you think, little brother?"
The hunter who called himself Hua Bao was about to speak when Hua Rong beside him said: "No."
Seeing everyone looking at him, Hua Rong scolded Hua Bao: "Little sister, you are still causing such nonsense." When?"
The young Orion raised his head and protested: "What's wrong? Didn't the sergeants and dealers in the town compete?"
Li Ying said with a smile: "It turns out to be General Hua. Girl, no wonder you are so good at shooting."
Fu Yu also said: "It is true that there are no restrictions on men and women. Besides, it is not that there are no women in the army. My wife [Feijianxian] Wu Sanniang and Mrs. [Yizhang]. Qing] Hu Sanniang and the female cavalry under his command, all of them are skilled in martial arts. The Hua family's shooting skills can also stand in the army."
Hua Rong had to say something more, and Zhao Zhen said quickly: "It's true that I didn't say it clearly. Sanniang, if the Hua family sister wants to join the army, how about going to Madam's place?"
Hu Sanniang understood and said: "What the official said is "Although the female cavalry is good at swordsmanship, she can't do archery. It would be best if the Hua family's sister can come." "
Zhao Zhen said to Hua Rong, "Brother Hua Rong, this female cavalry doesn't need to be in the army. She doesn't need to do anything, and she doesn't need to be in the army. She only has to practice riding on a daily basis. It is more convenient for her to stay there because she is a woman. It saves her from being unable to stay at home and wandering around. "
Hua Rong said helplessly: "Everything is done according to the orders of the officials."< br>
After that, she said to Hua Baoyan: "If you join the women's cavalry team, if you mess around again and get punished, don't cry."
Hua Baoyan said: "Who is messing around? I'm in the archery competition. Come."
Seeing that Hua Rong no longer objected, Zhao Zhen said with a smile: "In today's competition, you and the seventeen best ones don't need to compete anymore, Qiao Bai, Qiao Yang, Hua Bao. The three of you, Yan, have the best shooting skills and are tied for first place. I only brought one of the first-level snake bone bows with me today. You can follow me to Liangshan County to get the bow."
"Tie for second place. The two who are tied for third place are rewarded with five taels of gold, and the next six are rewarded with one tael of gold. They all serve as archery instructors and receive an extra salary.”
Everyone heard this and expressed their thanks.
(End of this chapter)