"Come, give it a try!" Yunzuo commanded directly, a hint of excitement in his tone.Huh?? Fu Xuechen had no choice but to slowly step forward, slowly select the most finely crafted arrow from the bunch, and then slowly take her position at the shooting line, nocking the arrow onto the bowstring. She couldn't help but feel that time was passing so slowly—why hadn't the afternoon lessons started yet? Why hadn't the instructor arrived…"Yuchen, why are you so slow?" Yunzuo couldn't help but ask. He hadn't yet suspected that Fu Xuechen was just going through the motions, because although her movements were slow, her posture was exceptionally graceful and composed, exactly like her performance during the martial arts archery examination that morning."Am I slow?" Fu Xuechen argued slyly: "My father always said that practicing archery requires the utmost patience and care. One must not be hasty or careless."Yunzuo was speechless. The next moment, he watched as Fu Xuechen drew the bowstring, aiming distantly at the straw target ahead. With a release of her fingers, the arrow shot out. The process from drawing the bowstring to releasing the arrow, however, was surprisingly swift."No! You're clearly being slow when you should be fast, and fast when you should be slow!"Yunzuo broke into a sweat, watching helplessly as Fu Xuechen's arrow grazed the edge of the target and flew off. Unable to hold back, he hurried forward, circling behind Fu Xuechen and placing his hands over hers—one on the hand holding the bow."Don't rush to shoot just yet! When practicing, you must first ensure that all your postures are correct and your aim is accurate. Also, the fingers drawing the bowstring, and the web of the hand holding the arrow…"As he explained, Yunzuo personally adjusted Fu Xuechen's fingers, fine-tuning and correcting the slight errors in her grip and arrow placement. He also taught her how to use clever force to reduce the arm strength required to draw the bowstring.To be honest, the Fu Xuechen who had crossed over had only inherited the original host's muscle memory. By that time, the original host had already completed her archery training, and what remained was simply continuous practice.Moreover, as a woman whose life was mainly confined to the inner courtyard, Jingbei Marquis hadn't noticed that her shooting posture had gradually developed slight distortions. He hadn't been able to point them out in time and provide corrections.It wasn't until this moment, after listening to Yunzuo's explanations and receiving his hands-on corrections, that Fu Xuechen barely grasped the correct archery posture. However, if she didn't firmly remember this posture later, her old habits would surely resurface.But at this moment, it was a bit difficult for Fu Xuechen to focus on practicing archery.The Sixth Prince, who loved playing the teacher, was simply too close to her. He was practically pressed against her back, his words spoken like whispers, his warm breath directly brushing against her ear and temple. Even though she clearly knew he didn't see her as a woman at all, and even though she knew he was just a thirteen-year-old minor, Fu Xuechen, pretending nothing was amiss, felt the tips of her ears quietly turn red."That's it! Just like that, hold still! Don't shoot until I tell you to!" After correcting Fu Xuechen's posture, Yunzuo slowly released her hands, instructing her while gradually stepping back.Once Yunzuo had retreated, he observed that Fu Xuechen's posture remained perfectly maintained. Satisfied, he nodded lightly and called out softly: "Shoot!"Fu Xuechen reflexively released the string. The arrow shot out with a "swish," landing with impeccable precision on the straw target—right in the bullseye."Excellent!" Yunzuo praised, turning back to see the faint blush on Fu Xuechen's face, which even spread to the tips of her ears. With her fair skin and delicate features, the rosy flush against her pale complexion made her look even more stunning!Yunzuo was momentarily dazed but didn't think much of it, assuming Fu Xuechen was simply happy and excited. He smiled and said, "See? Listening to me was the right call! Your foundation is already solid. Just remember the posture and feeling from earlier, practice more, and you'll easily beat Xie Yucheng and the others!""Thank you so much! Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness!" Fu Xuechen chuckled, but her right hand, which had drawn the bow, was hidden behind her back, secretly shaking—this was exactly why she often spent two minutes on preparatory work but only a few seconds on drawing and shooting the arrow!Keeping the bow fully drawn for so long had left her arm sore and tired!"Again, again!" Yunzuo's enthusiasm remained undiminished, intending to reinforce the lesson for his study companion.Fu Xuechen jumped in alarm. She couldn'tt do it again. If the instructor came over later and asked everyone to practice archery, she would have already exhausted her arm strength. If her arm became too sore and numb to lift, she would suffer for it.Her thoughts shifted, and as she slowly selected another arrow, she deliberately changed the subject: "Your Highness, I wonder if our army has fire lances?""Yes, we do. Why do you ask about fire lances?" Yunzuo replied casually.Fu Xuechen's eyes lit up: "What kind of fire lances are they? Are they widely used?""Yuchen, haven't you seen one before?" Yunzuo paused. "Right! Fire lances are only found in the Firearms Battalion. They're quite rare elsewhere."Fu Xuechen sighed: "I heard my father mention them once. I heard fire lances are fascinating! Unlike archery, which requires years of practice from childhood, along with talent and diligence—taking anywhere from a few years to over a decade to master—fire lances can be mastered by anyone with just a month or so of practice, and they can achieve excellent results! If fire lances were widely used, why would we even need to practice archery?"Yunzuo laughed upon hearing this: "Hahaha! Yuchen, you've never seen one in person, so you're overestimating fire lances!"Fu Xuechen looked unconvinced: "How could that be! In this world, among the natural forces mastered by humans, none are more common or powerful than fire. The destructive power of fire rivals storms and tsunamis. Firearms allow humans to concentrate fire's destructive force on enemies. Injuries from firearms are even more fatal than those from swords or arrows. Your Highness shouldn't underestimate fire lances."Yunzuo shook his head repeatedly: "No, no! You've got it wrong! Although they're called fire lances, what actually strikes the enemy is just iron, copper, or lead pellets—not fire. These pellets are round and have far less penetrating power than arrows.""Not to mention, firing a fire lance requires loading gunpowder and pellets first, then lighting the fuse. It's cumbersome and time-consuming, far less convenient than drawing a bow and nocking an arrow. In rainy or snowy weather, you can't even light the fire. Its range is also very limited, and its accuracy is poor. Beyond a hundred paces, it's difficult to even injure someone.""There are also many other minor issues, such as causing trouble, being prone to misfiring, being heavy and difficult to carry, and even exploding and injuring the user after prolonged use. In short, the fire lance is not as formidable as you might imagine."It turned out that the development of firearms in this era was still at such a primitive stage, not even reaching the level of flintlock muskets.Fu Xuechen now had a clear understanding.
Chapter 16
The Prince Does Not Compete for the Throne