Chapter 346: Overwhelmed
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Brilliant! Simply brilliant…!” The Emperor couldn’t help but exclaim when he saw the neatly lined up arrows.
As the ruler of the Great Han Empire, he definitely had met all kinds of astounding warriors. Not only that, but the capital city was also filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. It went without saying that the Emperor had keen eyes too. Many people around him could mirror Yan Liqiang’s accuracy across this distance. In fact, almost anyone who had attained the Fourth Heavenly Layer and above in archery would be capable of doing this. However, Yan Liqiang’s draw speed and his extraordinary control were the two factors that greatly shocked him.
Over the distance of more than a thousand meters, the number of arrows Yan Liqiang released in a minute was nearly equivalent to the number that ten Fourth Heavenly Layer archery experts could release. His capability might not mean much to some experts in close combat, but it was extremely terrifying on the battlefield where attack range mattered. For this exact reason, archers were regarded as the most powerful warriors in every tribe. Since bow and arrows were the most powerful weapons, the military favored archery the most. Therefore, Yan Liqiang’s ability was definitely a nightmare for all his enemies on the battlefield.
The Emperor had the four targets carried over because he wished to a.s.sess Yan Liqiang’s arrow control. From this, he would be able to estimate the amount of undiscovered potential left in Yan Liqiang’s bowmans.h.i.+p and see if he had hit a dead end in his archery cultivation. If those arrows were not neatly embedded in the targets, that would be an indication of Yan Liqiang’s limit in his control over his arrows. However, the sight before him showed that it was Yan Liqiang’s best performance. If he had such extraordinary control over every arrow he released, then that meant all this was too easy for him. He definitely had unlimited potential in archery and a lot of room for progress ahead of him.
Yan Liqiang was usually a humble person who didn’t like to show off. However, being high-profile at times could also be strategic, as it was a form of self-preservation. If one didn’t exhibit their strength and potential, how could one convince another party to heavily invest in them, thus increasing the chips in one’s hands? This would urge those ill-intended people to consider the consequences before making a move against him. Now that the Emperor was here when the Minister of Justice in the Great Empire wanted him dead, Yan Liqiang couldn’t let this golden opportunity slip away.
Yan Liqiang appeared to be calm and responded with only a small smile at the praises and exclaims of admiration that the Emperor was showering him with.
The Emperor’s gaze finally s.h.i.+fted from the four targets to his face. “We see that you are still very calm and composed. It would seem like you still have a lot of energy left to expend. With the same shooting speed, how many more arrows can you release?”
“Probably another few hundred of them…”
“What if you go slower then?” The Emperor pointed at the spot where those four targets were. “If there is a group of infantrymen rus.h.i.+ng toward you from there, how many arrows do you think you can release before they reach you?”
Yan Liqiang gave it careful consideration. “As long as I have enough arrows with me and the warbow in my hands isn’t worn out, I should be able to release about three hundred at those average infantrymen across this distance!”
“Three hundred… That means if there is a company of enemy soldiers rus.h.i.+ng toward you, you will be able to eliminate half of them by the time they reach you. If the size of your enemies is under three hundred, they will be annihilated before they even reach you…”
A company of soldiers was six hundred men. If Yan Liqiang could shoot three hundred of them with his arrows over this distance, then that meant he could eliminate half a company of soldiers. The deduction the Emperor made was flawless.
Yan Liqiang only smiled humbly. “Well, I have never tried that before so it is hard to say. The battlefield is always constantly changing. The opponents will not stand there idly, waiting to be slain. They have s.h.i.+elds to protect themselves. Not only that, but they may also have expert archers that may pose enough of a threat to me that I will have to evade or counterattack them. Therefore, the three hundred arrows I can release is merely a possible figure!”
“Di Longtu once set a record of killing a thousand soldiers alone in a great battle during an expedition in the past. It was a record that robbed the enemies of their courage. From Liqiang’s display of strength today, you will definitely be able to carry on Di Longtu’s proud legacy if given enough time!”
His Majesty had certainly given Yan Liqiang a high evaluation which he dare not accept.
“Your modesty is unwarranted. Given the skills you have exhibited today, it is only a matter of time before you are capable of great achievements on the battlefields!” The Emperor thought to himself for a moment before he turned around to look at Eunuch Liu. “Liu An, does Commandant Yan have any other duties a.s.signed to him in Deer Villa apart from being the superintendent of the archery range?”
Eunuch Liu quickly stepped forward and bowed in response. “Your Majesty, Commandant Yan currently isn’t a.s.signed to any other responsibilities aside from his superintendent role at the archery range!”
The Emperor lowered his head slightly then looked at Yan Liqiang with a solemn expression. “Yan Liqiang, heed my decree!”
Yan Liqiang was taken aback before he hurriedly stepped forward and cupped his fist to accept it.
“Henceforth, you shall be promoted as Huwei Commandant, an Armed Imperial Guard of Fifth Grade and a bronze tiger buckle belt will be bestowed upon you! You shall be appointed as the deputy manager of Deer Villa and concurrently be in charge of the Royal Crown Prince’s archery lessons!”
The series of t.i.tles bestowed upon him stunned Yan Liqiang greatly. A Huwei Commandant was a rank above Yinyang Commandant, and it was cla.s.sified as a mid-upper position in the military. A Fifth Grade Armed Imperial Guard was akin to an honorary status from his previous world while the ‘Imperial’ in the t.i.tle indicated that one had certain privilege to come and go from the royal palace. Bronze tiger buckle belts were bestowed to the emperor’s armed guards. A deputy manager of Deer Villa would be Eunuch Liu’s a.s.sistant, a significantly higher position than the archery range’s superintendent in Deer Villa. Being appointed as the Crown Prince’s mentor in archery was something even more amazing. This wasn’t a simple military position; it was a position that could allow one to be close to the Crown Prince and provide the easiest way to earn his trust and favor. When the Crown Prince ascended the throne in the future, his meteoric rise would be imminent…
Yan Liqiang finally knew what it felt to be overwhelmed with the Emperor’s favor.
He didn’t respond until he noticed the meaningful glances that Eunuch Liu kept throwing at him, then quickly prostrated himself before the Emperor. “Thank you, Your Majesty! Yan Liqiang shall accept the decree!”
The Emperor didn’t stay very long at the archery range. After bestowing the great gift upon Yan Liqiang, he left a few minutes later. Eunuch Liu and Yan Liqiang escorted the Emperor to Deer Villa’s entrance and watched as he got onto his royal carriage. Escorted by a group of guards and honorary guards, the royal carriage then magnificently made its way back to the Imperial Capital city. Right before the Emperor left, he gifted the powerful twenty-picul warbow to Yan Liqiang.
Yan Liqiang was still in a daze after the Emperor left.
“Liqiang, you and I are partners in Deer Villa from now on!” Eunuch Liu turned his head around and smilingly told Yan Liqiang.
Yan Liqiang scanned his surroundings. All the supervisors and soldiers standing at Deer Villa’s entrance were looking at Yan Liqiang differently compared to yesterday. When Yan Liqiang’s gaze swept across them, an ingratiating smile immediately appeared on their faces. Supervisor Wen in particular had a broad, rotten smile.
It went without saying that words about Yan Liqiang’s promotion from the Emperor spread like wildfire in Deer Villa.
“I dare not, Eunuch Liu! Our relations.h.i.+p shall remain the same as it has always been. Naturally, every decision for Deer Villa is still yours to make, Eunuch Liu. I will only focus on eating and training in Deer Villa as I am still incapable of managing people and other affairs, so those things will still be in Eunuch Liu’s capable hands. If you have any orders for me, just send Little Chun and Little Li to inform me at any time!” Yan Liqiang smiled back at Eunuch Liu, being as respectful as he was before. “I am still clueless on some of the appointments His Majesty made and would like to ask Eunuch Liu for guidance!”
Eunuch Liu laughed heartily, knowing deep down inside that he hadn’t misjudged Yan Liqiang’s character.
……
“The Crown Prince’s archery lessons?” It was only in the evening when Lin Qingtian looking at the report in his hands inside the study room of the Grand Chancellor’s Office. He immediately knitted his eyebrows together as the expression on his face darkened…
“My lord, His Majesty’s appointment for Yan Liqiang has attracted a lot of attention. That lowly Yinyang Commandant, Yan Liqiang, immediately became well-known in the Imperial Capital city. His Majesty promoted him after he gave the Ministry of Justice a slap in the face. Not only that, he was even appointed to be in charge of the Crown Prince’s archery lessons. I don’t really care about my pride, but I have a feeling that His Majesty’s decisions seem to be aimed at you…” The Minister of Justice, Gu Chunyi, pointed out treacherously beside him.
Lin Qingtian was silent for half a minute. He gently tapped on the piece of paper in his hand and finally spoke up indifferently after a good while. “The Crown Prince will one day rule over the Great Han Empire. Therefore, his study is no trifling matter. It is not only His Majesty’s family matter, but also the nation’s matter. It is too much of a reckless decision to put a lowly commandant who isn’t any much older than him to be in charge of his lessons. The capital city doesn’t lack any archery experts, so why must he choose a brat? This matter should be brought up for discussing during the court a.s.sembly…”
The Minister of Justice, Gu Chunyi, pondered over the Grand Chancellor’s words before a smile slowly broke across his face. “Good thinking, my lord…”