RR Chapter 284

Dressed in a long robe and sporting new boots, Liang Rong, with a soft bow in hand, headed towards the training ground in the rear courtyard of the Governor’s residence. In late autumn, at the end of September, it was time for the imperial examination. The Chongwen Academy needed to clear space for the examination hall, granting a ten-day break to the students. However, Liang Rong did not relax his own demands; instead, he saw this as an opportunity to practice archery more and strive for an advantage in the Six Arts examination.

Upon arriving at the location, Liang Rong discovered that he wasn’t the first one there. In the center of the training ground, a person was bending the bow, drawing the string, aiming at a distant wooden target. Just by looking at the back, this person exuded a compelling aura. With a twang, the arrow feathers streaked through the air, and with a loud thud, the arrow was nailed to the target!

Due to the distance, Liang Rong couldn’t even see which ring the arrow hit. However, this single arrow was enough to widen his eyes with inexplicable excitement. It was an arrow shot by General Yi!

The tale of two thousand light cavalry breaking through You County had already spread through the streets and alleys of Jinyang. Who didn’t know about the loyal and valiant General Yi, who played a pivotal role in lifting the siege of Bing County? Liang Rong, who was somewhat informed about the situation, couldn’t help but be fascinated by the dangerous and passionate narrative. This person was his archery mentor, which alone was enough to fill Liang Rong with pride!

As if sensing someone behind him, Yiyan lowered the long bow in his hand, turned around, and said, “Young Master Rong, you’re here early. Are you here to practice archery?”

Liang Rong hurriedly nodded, “The examination of the Six Arts is approaching, and I dare not neglect my studies.”

Having spent some time with Liang Rong before, Yiyan wasn’t bothered and said, “Shoot a few arrows; let me see.”

Liang Rong’s archery skills were among the best among the children. However, upon hearing Yiyan’s words, he couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. Servants set up the target behind him, and Liang Rong took a deep breath before stepping forward, nocking an arrow, and drawing the bow. It had been a while since he switched to a soft bow, and now, pulling it didn’t require too much effort. Diligent practice pays off at crucial moments, and Liang Rong shot three arrows in a row, each hitting the bullseye!

Feeling excited, he turned around to look at Yiyan, who also praised him, “Young Master Rong, your arm strength has improved significantly, and your posture is excellent. In the next phase, focus on your breathing and try a moving target.”

Liang Rong nodded vigorously and, recalling Yiyan’s recent practice, couldn’t help but ask, “Why did Master Yi start practicing with the target again?”

He knew that Yiyan was left-handed and usually practiced archery with his right hand, rarely shooting at targets. Today, it seemed like he used a left-handed arrow, and it was even aimed at an indoor target, which was quite unusual.

Yiyan calmly replied, “My arm got injured; I need to practice to recover.”

He spoke lightly, but Liang Rong’s heart tightened. He had visited Yiyan before and remembered the bandages vividly. However, Yiyan had never shown any signs of pain, and Liang Rong gradually thought that these injuries weren’t serious. Now, it seemed like things were not as trivial as he thought! To make such a skilled archer retrain, the injuries must be quite severe.

Seeing Liang Rong’s expression change, Yiyan cleared his throat and changed the subject, “How about we shoot arrows together? It’s a good opportunity to practice the rhythm of our breath.”

This was a rare opportunity for instruction, and Liang Rong certainly wouldn’t miss it. Side by side, they assumed their stances—one with a soft bow and the other with a hard bow—and started shooting arrows.

When Liang Feng returned, this was the scene that greeted him. A tall figure and a smaller one, moving in unison, their actions coordinated, diligently practicing archery. The younger one’s face was flushed, and sweat adorned the older one’s forehead, indicating they had been practicing for some time. After completing a round, Yiyan would bend down to offer a few words of guidance, displaying utmost seriousness.

However, now was not the time for desperate practice. Liang Feng cleared his throat, interrupting the two, “Boyuan, the injuries on your body have not fully healed; don’t practice for too long. Rong’er, is your arm feeling sore?”

Seeing his father, Liang Rong hastily stepped forward to bow, “Master Yi’s instruction is excellent; Rong’e’s arm is just slightly sore…”

“You won’t be able to lift it tomorrow.” Liang Feng chuckled and had a maidservant wipe Liang Rong’s face, taking out a handkerchief and handing it to Yiyan.

Their fingertips lightly touched for a moment before separating. Yiyan wiped the sweat from his forehead, tucked the handkerchief into his chest, and casually asked, “Lord, aren’t you going to the government office today?”

Now, even if he wasn’t in the main hall, he should be in the study. He had seized the opportunity when the other party was busy with official duties to come out for some archery practice. Unexpectedly, he was caught red-handed.

Liang Feng smiled faintly, “There’s something I want to show you.”

After saying that, he lowered his head to Liang Rong, “Rong’er, you have a day off today. Would you like to come and broaden your horizons with your father?”

Uncertain about what his father wanted to show them, Liang Rong would not refuse any opportunity to accompany his father. He nodded immediately, “Rong’er would like to go!”

Liang Feng chuckled, “We’ll be traveling a bit today. Why don’t you ride your little horse?”

After instructing his son, he turned to Yiyan and asked, “Is your leg fully recovered?”

Yiyan nodded, “Doctor Jiang said it’s no problem.”

With Jiang Da’s assurance, Liang Feng nodded, “Then let’s ride together.”

When the lord was about to travel, the arrangements below were naturally swift. However, this time Liang Feng didn’t prepare an honor guard; he only brought a small guard. After leaving the city, they leisurely headed towards the foot of Longshan Mountain. There were originally many villas and estates for high-ranking families here, exclusively for escaping the summer heat. However, many had been damaged or destroyed due to years of warfare, giving the area a somewhat desolate appearance. The guards didn’t stop, continuing forward. After bypassing a mountain ridge, the scenery suddenly opened up.

When they saw the scene in front of them, Yiyan shuddered all over and blurted out, “Horse Racing Ground!”

Indeed, it was a horse racing ground. In front of them, two mountains surrounded an elongated open area. In the mountain depression, lush green grass and clear river water made it seem like autumn had slowed down a few steps, still presenting a vivid and rich green. In this fertile wilderness, numerous horses were leisurely grazing on wild grass. In the distance were paddocks and houses for the servants, evidently creating a well-organized horse racing ground.

Seeing Yiyan’s pleasantly surprised expression, Liang Feng smiled, “The horse racing ground is not bad. I just obtained two thousand horses from the Tuoba clan. In the future, we’ll be able to provide warhorses for our cavalry.”

Currently, it was the honeymoon period between Bing County and the Tuoba clan, and trade between the two sides was flourishing. Horses were the most significant item in these transactions. The Tuoba people’s horses were much cheaper than those of the Jin people. However, no matter how cheap, Liang Feng couldn’t entrust the lifeline of his cavalry to the Tuoba clan. Therefore, building a horse racing ground was inevitable. Coincidentally, there were quite a few defections from the Xiongnu tribes, and he recruited some experienced herders, intending to train a group of his own horsemen.

After the excitement, Yiyan thought about the practical issue, “This horse racing ground might cost quite a bit.”

Establishing a system from scratch always came with a hefty price tag. No matter how much Yiyan liked it, he had to consider the cost.

Liang Feng, however, smiled, “This is just the Jinyang Horse Racing Ground. Later on, we will establish pastures in Xinxing and Yanmen counties as well. Combining farming and herding, it won’t be long before we don’t have to rely on others.”

Xinxing County and Yanmen County were already close to the border, with plenty of grasslands suitable for grazing. Liang Feng didn’t have the intention of completely reclaiming barren fields there. After all, the population was sparse, and these areas were adjacent to the territories of the Qiang and Xianbei peoples, located on the frontline of the war. Instead, he preferred to maintain some nomadic customs, gradually increasing the population engaged in agriculture as the cities revived. Occupying land in this steady and solid manner was much more profitable than hastily reclaiming and cultivating land. Moreover, the border pastures could serve as the first line of defense against invasions. In the future, the cavalry would likely have to undergo trials in the border counties.

Only a few words, but when heard, they formed a magnificent scene. Yiyan’s breath became hurried, “Within ten years, I, as a subordinate, will be able to forge an invincible cavalry for the Lord!”

An invincible cavalry capable of resisting all enemies! Perhaps even surpassing the times of Emperor Wu of Han!

Looking at that confident and bold face, Liang Feng felt an overall sense of relief. Beside him, Liang Rong had long been awed by this scene and asked with reverence, “Father, what about these horses in winter?”

Liang Feng chuckled lightly, “There are people here to harvest pasture and feed them. In the future, if Rong’er wants a foal, you can choose one here.”

“I want to ride the great horses of the Wusun in the future!” Liang Rong immediately responded loudly.

“If you can ride, of course, you can. But now…” Liang Feng’s words paused, turning his head, “I do have a few horses here that need Boyuan’s help to inspect.”

Staring at those pitch-black starry eyes, Yiyan seemed to realize something, and his shoulders suddenly tensed up. However, Liang Feng didn’t give him much cushioning time. A crisp sound of hooves approached, and ten steeds appeared in front of the three.

Without saddles or bridles, only glossy manes and robust bodies, those untamed high-headed horses exuded a joyful arrogance, even their hoofbeats carried a sense of pride. These were the rare Wusun famous steeds seldom seen on the grasslands—ten of them!

Yiyan tightened the reins in his hands, causing his mount to fidget beneath him. A voice sounded beside him, “A good general deserves a fine steed. I gifted Zhuri to you that day, and I’ve never regretted it. It saved you for me.”

Yiyan’s figure trembled, dismounting with a flip. Perhaps he jumped too quickly; his steps stumbled for a moment. However, he didn’t stop, striding past numerous horses and stopping in front of a spirited one. This horse wasn’t entirely pure white, adorned with several patches, yet its divine demeanor rivaled any other.

Seeing someone approach, the horse tilted its head, gazing at the man before it with long-lashed, large eyes—neither fearful nor disdainful, only curious and intrigued. After a moment, it snorted, approached, and bumped its head against the man’s forehead.

Yiyan extended his hand, and with trembling fingers, gently brushed the bridge of the horse’s nose, “Is the name Zhuri still good for you?”

Whether it understood or not, the dappled white steed stretched its neck and bumped him again. Yiyan burst into laughter. Pressing against its back, he gracefully mounted without a saddle or reins. Despite lacking these, he and the horse seemed to merge into one. Ignoring those around him, he gave a light shout, “Let’s go!”

The horse let out a long neigh, sprinting away, nimble and swift, like chasing the sun with the wind!

Watching their rapidly disappearing figures, a smile crept onto Liang Feng’s lips. The lingering pain of that day, he would gradually ease for him. Offering him the finest horse, selecting the sharpest sword, forging stability in the rear, defending the city, breeding numerous steeds—these were all things he could provide!

On the side, Liang Rong furrowed his brows, glancing at his father. For some reason, he suddenly felt that everything before him was separated by something. It seemed like those words, that joy, belonged to an unspoken understanding between the two. Was it because General Yi’s martial prowess was unparalleled that he received such profound affection from his father?

Liang Rong bit his lip, once again lifting his gaze to the towering Wusun steeds. Perhaps he would never achieve extraordinary feats like General Yi. Still, as his father’s only son, he held an irreplaceable status. And he, one day, would fulfill his father’s expectations.

The soft neighing of the horses mingled with the rustling of grass. The autumn wind carried a slight chill, and the boundless green meadow stretched endlessly.

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Translator’s corner:

I’m so happy for Yiyan ૮₍ ꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ ₎ა He deserves only the best ૮₍ ꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ ₎ა