In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

Soon, Li Shimin got off to a winning streak.

He drew his bow and pulled the arrow in one fluid motion, as if the King of Qin had been resurrected. He easily hit the target a hundred meters away with a single arrow, a truly masterful display.

The crowd erupted in applause, with everyone shouting "Great shot!"

Li Shimin, beaming, laughed and said, "You old fogies, you've gone a bit too far. It's only been a hundred paces."

"Come on, who's next?"

"I'll do it!" Cheng Yaojin shouted, volunteering.

"Hahaha!" Li Shimin laughed loudly, and the others laughed and cursed, creating a very pleasant atmosphere.

The moment Cheng Yaojin's arm, as thick as a rock, grasped the bow, the bow began to tremble, as if it could not support his arm strength.

Li Yuanchang was terrified by what he saw, and he secretly marveled at the amazing genes of the Cheng family. As far as he knew, all of Cheng Chuliang's brothers possessed such immense strength, especially Cheng Chuliang!

call out! !

Cheng Yaojin shot an arrow with astonishing force, but the arrow completely deviated from its course, failing to hit the bullseye and missing the target entirely.

"puff!"

"Hahaha!" Yuchi Gong burst into laughter.

Li Shimin was also amused.

"Damn it, there's definitely something wrong with this bow and arrow. It doesn't count, it doesn't count, let's start over!" Cheng Yaojin cursed.

Li Shimin glared and laughed, scolding, "Zhijie, you must not disrupt justice."

Cheng Yaojin pursed his lips and then retreated sheepishly.

Li Yuanchang, standing to the side, smiled without saying a word. He had seen Cheng Yaojin fight before; he wasn't like this when he quelled the rebellion in Liangzhou.

His archery skills were certainly not good, but they were definitely not that bad either. It was only a hundred paces. To put it bluntly, it was just for the sake of the show.

He may seem like a simpleton, but he is actually very wise!

Judging from Li Shimin's delight, one can tell just how valuable Cheng Yaojin was.

"Who's next?" Li Shimin shouted.

When everyone declined, Li Ke volunteered: "Father, I am willing to give it a try."

"Very well, let me test your archery skills over the years to see if they have deteriorated." Li Shimin looked at Li Ke with satisfaction in his eyes.

Li Ke smiled, then stepped forward, kicked the quiver, and landed it steadily in his hand.

Li Yuanchang's eyes lit up slightly.

This one move alone shows that Li Ke is quite capable.

Immediately afterwards, Li Ke drew his bow and shot an arrow. Although he was not particularly burly, he unleashed astonishing arm strength.

He arched his back and sang, his body as still as a javelin.

Without years of martial arts training and archery practice, it would be absolutely impossible to have this ability.

The elite of the elite cavalry, including those standing nearby, couldn't help but show their approval in their eyes.

call out! !

boom!

The arrow hit its mark perfectly, earning a round of applause from the audience.

Next came several generals of the 100 cavalry. A hundred paces was nothing to them.

The last to appear was Li Yuanchang, who also faced no pressure.

Next, the second round was two hundred steps, and the third round was two hundred and fifty steps!

At this distance, most people's arrows could no longer hit their targets reliably, including Li Shimin.

He was no longer the young man he once was; his arrow nearly missed the target, prompting Li Shimin to laugh at himself.

Only Li Yuanchang and Li Ke could hit the bullseye.

Li Shimin simply let the two have a final competition, moving the target to a distance of about 300 paces, which is about 200 meters.

Historical records indicate that Lü Bu shot the halberd at the gate of the camp, which was approximately 200 meters.

Shooting an arrow that far isn't difficult; the real challenge is hitting the target—it's an almost superhuman feat.

Anyone who can shoot to this level would be directly promoted to the rank of archer brigade commander in the army.

"Seventh Uncle, please go first." Li Ke said with extreme humility.

Li Yuanchang smiled, and seeing the urging gazes of Li Shimin and his ministers, he had no choice but to step forward.

The bow and arrow he was using at that moment were not the modified composite bows; their power and accuracy were significantly inferior. So he wasn't being modest; he genuinely lacked confidence.

He tried to regulate his breathing, drew the bow to its limit, and then released it.

call out! !

The arrow emitted a piercing whistle, and under the watchful eyes of many, bang!

The arrow struck the scarecrow again, but it missed too far and only hit its arm.

Even so, there was still a gasp of surprise from the audience.

"King Han, what excellent archery skills!"

"It can still hit from 300 paces away, and it's very powerful!"

Li Yuanchang smiled and offered his seat: "King Wu, come on in. His Majesty's reward is yours."

Li Ke quickly said he dared not.

Then he stepped forward, drew his bow and arrow, his body already upright, facing the sunlight, his profile illuminated by the light, making him appear extremely three-dimensional.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong, and the others exchanged glances.

My heart skipped a beat; he looks so much like His Majesty when he was young.

Li Shimin stroked his mustache, his eyes filled with images of his younger self.

Li Ke adjusted the situation several times before finally selling it.

call out! !

The arrow shot like a rainbow piercing the sun, with immense force.

boom!

The arrow also pierced the scarecrow's arm.

The soldiers watching gasped again, erupting in deafening applause: "King Wu, what excellent archery!!"

"I have disappointed my father and all the ministers."

"I shot at the forearm, and Seventh Uncle shot at the upper arm. Logically speaking, Seventh Uncle should have won," Li Ke said with regret and humility.

A wave of comforting voices swept around.

Even Li Shimin said, "Ke'er, you did very well, surpassing me. Your archery skills are superb; though you lost, you are still honorable!"

Only Li Yuanchang, his sharp eyes fixed on Li Ke, saw through him but said nothing.

Li Ke's adjustments just now were probably intentional; he deliberately lost. He could have even hit the target's upper body directly, but he didn't.

Deliberately shooting from behind, deliberately losing to oneself, is both a way to conceal one's true abilities and to do someone a favor.

Li Yuanchang gave Li Ke a deep look.

This kid is a bit different from the historical records!

Historical records indicate that Li Ke did not achieve much throughout his life. In fact, he even engaged in excessive hunting and damaged crops while in his fiefdom, which is a dark history.

The only remaining highlight is the phrase "His courage and decisiveness are like mine" that Li Shimin was recorded in historical books.

But based on Li Yuanchang's two encounters, this kid was not only humble and eloquent, but also had first-class archery and horsemanship skills.

Even this deliberate act of losing is not something that ordinary people can do.

Could such a person be a spoiled brat who overindulges in hunting?

This also conflicts with my understanding of the English fruit category. Thinking about this, Li Yuanchang understood.

Perhaps there are few truths in history books. People say that King Zhou was licentious and tyrannical, but he only had one son. Everyone says that Ji Fa was a young hero, but this guy had dozens of children.

The difference between a hero and a coward is just one win or loss.

The truth and falsehood have long been lost in the river of history; otherwise, why would Changsun Wuji risk his reputation to unjustly kill Li Ke?

This in itself is an affirmation of Li Ke's abilities.