Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 139 The Songs Are Unsatisfactory (1)

When Zhao Xingde lowered his head, he saw a pair of big brown eyes looking up, and couldn't help being absent-minded for a moment.

"Are you looking for this book?" There was a slight curiosity in those eyes.Zhao Xingde saw that "Imperial Administration" was written on the cover, and this book was written by Constantine VII, so he nodded and smiled, "Thank you." He was about to reach for the book, but the book was taken away.Zhao Xingde was caught off guard and almost fell off the ladder.

"The foreigners who come to our country are all for gold, silver, silk and furs. Why are you studying our government?" Her big eyes were aggressive, she stared at Zhao Xingde closely, It seems to be interrogating a spy.

Zhao Xingde spread his hands and said vaguely: "I'm looking for an answer?"

"What answer?" The bushy eyebrows were bent into two arcs, making her look even more aggressive.Zhao Xingde had no choice but to think quickly, and said slowly: "The answer to how to let the ancient civilization continue its tradition and not be trampled by the barbarians." I don't know if there was a little sigh in his tone, which aroused the sympathy of the big eyes, and the eyes also streamed' Showing a trace of sadness, he said in a low voice: "Foreigner, maybe the answer you want is not here." The slender hand that had been holding the book also dropped powerlessly.

"There is a saying in our place that it is called the stone of other mountains, which can be used to attack jade. The ancient civilization may have flaws, but it may not completely disappear and be replaced by the civilization of the barbarians." Zhao Xingde said lightly, "It should not be destroyed by a group of people. A group of robbers broke into the house, killed people and set fire to it." He stretched out his hand and said, "Excuse me, can I borrow this book?"

The girl seemed to be awakened by Zhao Xingde in deep thought, handed the book to him, turned around and left slowly without saying anything more, her dark brown braids were coiled behind her head, and the soft sunlight shone from the skylight On the slim back.

Zhao Xingde watched the long white dress disappear outside the gate, sighed, and looked down page by page of the "Imperial Administration" written by Constantine VII. He has been in office for 46 years, and he is particularly enthusiastic about the study of the system and rituals of the empire. When he was in power, Lumei was about to reach its peak, and gradually showed signs of collapse.

The treasures of the library are not allowed to be taken out, Zhao Xingde brought his own paper and borrowed the library's goose feather pen to copy.For convenience, he jotted down only the important passages.While reading and translating, the left hand is the original volume of Lumeiwen, and the right hand is the running script of Chinese characters.Before I knew it, I was hungry and thirsty. Looking up, the red sun was slanting to the west, and the thirteen golden domes of Hagia Sophia Cathedral reflected the brilliance, so I got up and went back to the barracks.

Stepping into the barracks of the Imperial Guards, I immediately saw three or five Ross people standing in the yard, gesticulating and yelling, with a very arrogant attitude. A group of Xia soldiers surrounded them, and the crowd was excited. "What's going on?" Zhao Xingde asked Jian Cheng who had a resentful face.

Jian Cheng said in a deep voice: "These people are making trouble out of nothing. They came to compete in archery and compare 'shooting' apples with us." His temper is also good, not as humble as he used to be in Taixue.Next to Du Chuijiao, he answered in a low voice: "These barbarians are playing their lives. It is agreed that one person from each side will hold the apple on his head and let the other side shoot. Whether it's the one who moves first because he is afraid of death, or the one who 'shoots' and misses first, even if he loses, he will have to crawl when he meets the opponent in Lumei City."

"Grandma, you can't be ashamed even if you lose your life." Jian Cheng lifted the bow bag in his hand, and without discussing with Zhao Xingde, he said loudly: "I'll compare, who will fight?" Stepping up, Zhao Xingde didn't stop him, and asked: "Where's Captain Duan?" Chen Yongqi replied: "Captain Duan and the ministers of Lumei Kingdom went to meet the emperor, and they haven't returned yet." Zhao Xingde nodded, It seems that this group of Ross people came to provoke at the right time.

The sergeant standing in the middle of the field stepped aside, and one of the three or four Ross men seemed to be the leader. Seeing that Mr. Xia was being challenged, he grinned, took out an apple from his hand pocket, and signaled to Jian Cheng Put it on top of your head and stand in front of it as a target.Jian Cheng was about to receive it, but Zhao Xingde shouted loudly: "Slow down!" Pushing through the crowd, he walked to the front and shouted in a deep voice: "Whoever makes the target first, do you have the final say? How about guessing coins, who loses, who goes first To make an archery target?" He spread his palms, and a gold coin with a reed brow appeared in his palm, with a bust of the emperor on the front and a virgin crowning the emperor on the back.

This Ross man is bold on the surface, but he is cunning on the inside. If Jian Cheng goes straight to hit the apple, he will give the Xia people a hand, and the first arrow will go straight to Jian Cheng's face to see whether he moves or not.Seeing that Zhao Xingde proposed to guess the front and back of the gold coin, he knew that he was on guard and was meditating. Zhao Xingde gave another order to Du Chuijiao, and Du Chuijiao went to find Wang Tongdeng. Surrounded by the door, this scene is no longer a battle of spirits, if the Varyag people really dare to kill, Zhao Xingde will take the lead and chop these three or four people into meat paste.

Seeing this, the Ross man repented and said, "I don't know how good your archery skills are? Let me hit the apple. What if I miss it?"

When Jian Cheng heard this, he realized that he had been taken advantage of by this barbarian, and he cursed angrily: "My master's archery skills are ten times better than yours. Why don't you and I shoot arrows face to face with a distance of a hundred steps away? Grandpa blinked, This simplified Chinese character will be given to your surname!" He felt ashamed, and almost threw his fist at these Ross barbarians.

All the knights around Xia Xia gathered around, and the face of the Ross man changed slightly, and he boldly shouted: "We just want to compete fairly, do you want to win with more?"

At this time, the situation has changed from being aggressive to being passive. Zhao Xingde said with a slight smile, "Don't be afraid. My etiquette in Daxia has always been a little warmer when entertaining guests." He put the gold coin away He took a bite in his mouth, as if he just took it out of the dead man's pocket, and said in a deep voice, "Guess the coin, who will top the apple first? Or, do you have a better way?"

Several Ross people looked at each other in blank dismay, they discussed with each other for a while, and finally decided that the two sides should have their trusted companions to hold the apple.Jian Cheng asked Chen Yongqi to help him, cupped his hands to Zhao Xingde and said: "Zhao Dutou, I don't need you to end, I can teach them a lesson." Zhao Xingde smiled and nodded, he was very confident in Mr. Xia's archery skills, These Ross people actually want to compete with the Xia people in archery, they are humiliating themselves.

However, with the competition of arrow after arrow, Zhao Xingde's eyes gradually became dignified. The archers brought by the Ross people were very accurate. 'Wearing an apple.His partner also had great confidence in him, the long arrow rushed towards his face with a strong wind, but he didn't even blink his eyes, and the apple on his head remained motionless.

On the contrary, Jian Cheng, although the archery is accurate, but after all, the apple is on the head of the same robe. If there is a slight mistake, he will regret it. As he steps back step by step, his breathing becomes deeper and deeper, every time Although each arrow 'shot' through the apple, the path of the arrow was not as stable as the archers recruited by the Ross people.Chen Yongqi was still calm at the beginning, but after a dozen arrows, his forehead was slightly sweaty, and the apple on his head was shaking slightly.The arrow shooter and the apple-thrusting person, the psychology of both sides influence each other, Zhao Xingde secretly sweated when he saw these two people like this, he secretly thought that he still underestimated the enemy, the Ross must have relied on this archery expert and him Only a pair of partners with the same partner can challenge without fear.

When 'shooting' to the No.17 arrow, although Jian Cheng 'shot' through the apple, his head was slightly off. The arrow cut through the top of Chen Yongqi's head, and blood flowed down his forehead, blurring his eyes. Chen Yongqi still bit the apple. He gritted his teeth and remained motionless.The most important thing for archers to shoot arrows is peace of mind, but Jian Cheng's mood has already appeared a little chaotic.A trace of sneer flashed across the mouth of the Ross archer next to him. He raised his hand and bent his bow to set an arrow, and shot out like flowing clouds and flowing water. Fly away.

Looking at Chen Yongqi, whose face was covered with blood, a trace of sadness flashed in Jian Cheng's eyes, and he was about to forcibly draw his bow, but Zhao Xingde saw something wrong, and said in a deep voice: "Wait a minute." He stepped forward and said to Jian Cheng, "Hold your breath!" , your archery is far better than that barbarian." He raised his head and said to the Ross man, "The companion of this apple is slightly injured, let him go and bandage it, and I will replace it." After finishing speaking, the Ross man did not object. , went to the shooting range, patted Chen Yongqi on the shoulder, ordered him to go down to treat the wound, put the apple on the top of his head, looked at his nose, and adjusted his breath carefully.He cultivated his body and mind all the year round, and now he was standing there calmly, with a calm aura, which infects others unconsciously.

Zhao Xingde himself is also the leading archer in Chengying Camp. He dared to use an apple as a target himself, so he had great confidence in Jian Cheng's archery skills.Not only Jian Cheng, but even the sergeants who were watching secretly let go of their hanging hearts.Jian Cheng took a deep breath, drew the 'shooting' tiger bow with his right hand, released his thumb, and there was a sound of "pop", the arrow pierced through the apple with a strong wind, Zhao Xingde felt a shock on the top of his head, and felt the slightest coolness, his tongue 'Lick' the corner of his mouth, yes, the apple juice is still quite sweet, and a smile appeared on his face towards Jian Cheng.

Afterwards, the situation of one arrow after another was different. With the extension of the distance, the advantage of Jian Cheng's tiger carving bow was revealed. The path of the arrow became more and more curved, and in the end, it was almost necessary to "insert" the apple downwards, and when it also "inserted" the companion's sky cap, the Ross archer voluntarily surrendered.He left despondently amidst Ms. Xia's booing.

"Zhao Dutou, thank you." After all the soldiers cheered, Jian Cheng stepped forward and thanked Zhao De who was biting an apple. After 'shooting' so many arrows, he still felt slightly scared at this moment.Now that I think about it, the archer and his companion who came to compete must be masters who are proficient in this skill that the Ross people are deliberately looking for.Zhao Xingde smiled slightly, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a low voice: "It's nothing, I trust you." Before the two had time to say a few words, they were surrounded by sergeants again.