“Watching fish and admiring flowers, boating on the lake—Your Highness has no interest in those today. I want you to accompany me in practicing bow and crossbow!”
“Ah?”
Sun Jian was stunned.
If his memory served him correctly, shouldn't horseback riding and archery be pursuits for princes?
Why would a princess of Great Qian be involved in such things?
“Ah what ah!”
“I just like horseback riding and hunting. Is there a problem?”
Li Qianrou had a proud and cute look, a stark contrast to the weak and shy appearance Sun Jian had first seen her in at the Eastern Palace.
“No problem, no problem.”
Sun Jian felt embarrassed. What was the point of arguing with this young lady? Whatever she said went.
Anyway, it was only four hours; let her do whatever she wanted.
The two hit it off immediately, and Li Qianrou took Sun Jian and the maid to the training grounds.
Fortunately, there was a training ground near the Imperial Garden, and the three of them quickly arrived.
This training ground was a place where the princes and members of the imperial family of the inner court learned and practiced archery and competitive sports in their childhood.
Unlike the royal training field, this place specialized in archery practice, so its scale was not large.
The training ground was an open-air large platform, round and square.
On one side, tables were filled with various bows and crossbows; on the other side, there were many round, straw-made targets.
“There, your task today is to teach me archery.”
“Ah? But Your Humble Servant doesn't know how to shoot arrows.”
Sun Jian was speechless; in his previous life, he was a delivery man, so how could he know archery?
Even though in this life, his combat prowess had been enhanced by the system, and his body had been strengthened, he could pull a considerable number of heavy stone bows, but he had never practiced archery.
He could draw the bow, but he couldn't aim or shoot accurately.
“You're lying!”
“People say that you have unparalleled literary talent, and your martial arts are even more extraordinary.”
“You were able to seriously injure General Li Mu of the Jinwu Guard, who serves by my Father Emperor's side. How could you not know how to shoot arrows?”
Li Qianrou blinked her big, watery eyes, looking doubtful.
“Your Humble Servant really doesn't know…”
Sun Jian was once again close to tears.
“You!”
Li Qianrou was so angry that she was speechless.
Perhaps she felt guilty for having wrongly accused Sun Jian, or perhaps she was afraid that Sun Jian would not respond to harshness.
Then she changed her communication method, her tone full of cuteness.
“You… just teach me, okay?”
“Please~”
Wow!
Was she a two-faced person??
Sun Jian was stunned at that moment.
It must be said that Princess Changle was the same as when he first met her.
Although her personality was more playful and cheerful than before, her skin was still white as snow, her features delicate, and her figure excellent, and her stunning and extraordinary temperament was undeniable.
If Sun Jian had the opportunity, he would of course like to interact with such a stunning beauty, but he really didn't know how to shoot arrows!
“Your Highness, may I ask why you insist on learning archery?”
Sun Jian put his hand on his forehead, “Why didn’t you choose something like weaving, embroidery, needlework, or even music, chess, calligraphy, and painting?”
Li Qianrou snorted coldly, then explained to Sun Jian, “Who says I don’t know needlework and music, chess, calligraphy, and painting?”
“I know all of those things.”
“All of them?”
Sun Jian widened his eyes, looking incredulous.
Who would have thought that a pampered princess would know all these things?
This Princess Changle is not simple!
Li Qianrou continued, “Yes, I’ve been learning those things since I was little; there’s no challenge at all.”
“The reason I want to practice archery is because the Grand Court Assembly of Great Qian, held every two years, is only three months away.”
“Hmm? Every two years? Grand Court Assembly?”
Sun Jian frowned; he felt that the name was familiar, but he couldn't remember it.
“Yes, the Grand Court Assembly, it's a grand event held every two years!”
“At that time, all the vassal states of Great Qian will come to pay tribute, and even Great Zhou, Great Xia, and Great Song will send envoys.”
“I also want to show my abilities before my Father Emperor at the Grand Court Assembly!”
“Although I am a woman, the Grand Court Assembly doesn't refuse women's participation, and throughout the dynasties, there have been many female generals who were as good as men!”
Li Qianrou became more and more spirited, and even raised her chin in the end.
“Alright, alright.”
Sun Jian shrugged; he didn't bother to dwell on the Grand Court Assembly three months later; since the princess insisted on learning, he could only accompany her!
“Your Highness, I have a question.”
“If you can answer my question, then I will teach you archery. I will not only teach you, but I will also give you a superb bow.”
Sun Jian looked serious.
He had an infrared semi-automatic compound bow in his backpack, along with 10 arrows; he might as well give it to Princess Changle as a gift.
“Wow?”
When Li Qianrou heard that Sun Jian would not only personally teach her archery but also give her a superb bow, her eyes lit up.
She had long heard that Sun Jian could invent various kinds of weapons and military armaments, and it seemed that this was no lie.
“Ask away.”
Li Qianrou cleared her throat, looking cute.
Sun Jian's question was very simple, or even somewhat silly.
“Your Humble Servant has always been puzzled why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is named Li Qiancheng, you are named Li Qianrou, Princess Taiping is named Li Qianxue, and other princes all have names starting with Li Qian, but why is the Second Prince called Li Chengru?”
This question had troubled Sun Jian for a long time.
Sun Jian had just thought of it a moment ago.
He was the kind of person who didn't like to keep questions bottled up; he would ask someone if he thought of something, and if he couldn't find anyone, he would forget about it and ask later.
“Oh, so that's it!”
Li Qianrou giggled and began to answer Sun Jian's question.
In a few words, Sun Jian understood.
It turned out that when the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were born, the existing territory of Great Qian was still fragmented and had not been unified.
At that time, Emperor Qianwu was still young and just a feudal lord, known as King Qian.
At that time, the emperor didn't bother with generation order when his children were born, so the names of the Crown Prince and the Second Prince didn't follow the established lineage.
Later, the Crown Prince unfortunately died. When the Third Prince, the current Crown Prince, was born, Emperor Qianwu established a new lineage order, and the names of later princes and princesses used "Qian" as the common character before their given names.
“So that's how it is.”
“Understood!”
Sun Jian nodded.
This reminded him of the Great Ming Dynasty recorded in later history.
It seemed that the eldest grandson of the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was called Zhu Xiongying, and only later were his grandsons named Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yunsheng, and so on.
This concept was similar to what Li Qianrou had said.
“Okay, I've answered your question. Now you can teach me archery, right? And when will you give me the bow you promised?”
Li Qianrou stretched out her jade hand, looking expectant.
Sun Jian, considering Li Qianrou’s help in answering his question, decided to give her some face.
“Close your eyes.”
Li Qianrou clearly didn't understand, “Ah? What?”
Sun Jian repeated, “I told you to close your eyes!”
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