Did the Seventh Prince attend court today?

After the target practice, there is the practical mounted archery test, which is divided into two parts: shooting on horseback and shooting on galloping horse. The former is shooting at a slow, steady pace on a horse, while the latter is shooting rapidly on a galloping horse. The latter is more difficult, but the test requirements are the same: missing the target three times will result in failure.

This is the Crown Prince's greatest weakness.

The previous exams show that the Crown Prince's foundation is not bad, and he has obviously put in the effort. However, he only knows how to practice hard without finding the right approach. In addition, he is prone to nervousness, so his results often fall short of expectations.

Soon the guards brought out the horses needed for the archery test. This time, the test was still conducted in pairs, with each person taking the test with their own study partner. The first test was horseback archery.

Before the exam began, Youlu called the eldest prince aside. Before he could speak, the eldest prince interrupted, "What should we do, seventh brother? I'm so nervous. Although I passed the target shooting test, it was mostly by luck. I have no confidence."

Youlu chuckled; the eldest prince really knew how to put pressure on himself.

He smiled encouragingly, "How could that be! Eldest brother is truly amazing, it's not just luck, that's your real strength! Believe in yourself, you can definitely do riding and archery too!"

"Really? Is it true?" The eldest prince was still uneasy.

The child has failed too many times and has lost all confidence.

"Of course!" Youlu replied decisively.

The eldest prince's confidence was rekindled under his unwavering, trusting gaze. He clenched his fist and encouraged himself, "I can do it!"

A deer joined him, shouting, "You can do it!"

After shouting "I can do it" three times, the eldest prince felt his blood boiling. At this moment, his confidence soared, and he wished he could immediately mount his horse and shoot through all the targets in the arena.

Just as he was about to leave, Lu stopped him and instructed, "Now that we've finished chanting the slogans, let's highlight the key points."

The eldest prince's eyes sparkled; his seventh brother was about to impart another secret to him!

"The core of mounted archery lies in the word 'stability.' First, when moving, we must grip the horse's flanks tightly, and our bodies should rise and fall slightly with the rhythm of the horse's gallop, rather than swaying from side to side. This makes it easier for us to aim. Second, we must use the stirrups to stabilize our lower body while riding, so that we can use the momentum to draw the bow. Finally, when shooting, we must still follow the rhythm of our breathing and aim in advance."

You Lu specifically picked out some little tricks that the eldest prince might not have noticed and talked about them.

The eldest prince exclaimed as if enlightened, "Seventh brother, you explained it so clearly! I understand it immediately. Uncle usually doesn't explain things in such detail, and the martial arts teachers always talk at length, which I often can't remember."

Lu raised an eyebrow smugly; of course, this was his way of teaching according to the student's aptitude.

Looking up, he found Su Yan'an huddled behind the First Prince with his ears perked up, having overheard quite a bit.

Seeing him looking over, Su Yan'an smiled generously and said, "Hearing your words is better than reading for ten years. I thank Your Highness for your guidance."

Pixiu (a mythical creature) tsk tsk, [In a way, Su Yan'an truly lives up to his reputation as the eldest grandson of Prime Minister Su.]

Youlu nodded in agreement.

The proctors had already begun calling out names, so the eldest prince and Su Yan'an had to return to the examination hall.

This time, the eldest prince and Su Yan'an took the exam first as well.

Su Yan'an gracefully mounted his horse and smiled at the eldest prince, "Ali, let's have another competition this time."

The eldest prince gripped the reins tightly, his eyes resolute. "I will not let my seventh brother down."

Recalling what had just happened, his younger brother had tugged at his sleeve as he was leaving, whispering, "Eldest brother, you don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. Our goal is to pass the exam, so there's no need to focus on the target. Hou is our goal."

Being too sharp and ambitious is not necessarily a good thing. The eldest prince understands this principle. He is also aware of his own strength. If he is too fixated on his goals, it will be unrealistic and may backfire. In the end, he may not even be able to pass the exam.

As a second-best option, securing a stable situation for himself is what he can do.

The eldest prince's heart burned with passion.

He has four younger brothers, but this is the first time he has truly felt how wonderful it is to have younger brothers.

Xiao Qi understands him, comprehends him, supports him, and can even help him. How fortunate he is to have such a caring younger brother.

The actual archery practice began, with the eldest prince taking the lead, sitting steadily on his horse, adjusting his breathing, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow in one smooth motion.

"The First Prince, Marquis of Zhonghou! Su Yan'an, the top scholar!"

With the first arrow, Su Yan'an took the lead again.

Su Yan'an's eyes lit up as he rode his horse to the side of the First Prince and said, "The Seventh Prince's method is really useful. I'm suddenly a little envious of you, kid."

The eldest prince simply smiled slightly.

In the next nine arrows, the eldest prince aimed for the bullseye each time, striving to get closer to the bullseye with each arrow. He was steady and accurate, hitting the bullseye nine times out of nine, and finally hitting the target with the last arrow, thus surpassing Su Yan'an with a score of ten points higher.

The Crown Prince's progress was evident to the naked eye, thrilling the onlookers. When his last arrow hit its mark, a burst of enthusiastic cheers and applause erupted around him.

The deer and the pixiu sang and danced, even happier than if they had won first place themselves.

Although Su Yan'an hit the target three times, he missed twice and almost failed. But his results were still quite impressive.

They were all hot-blooded young men, each with a competitive spirit, and Su Yan'an was no exception. However, he could accept defeat gracefully and readily accepted the fact.

But after stepping down, he couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks: "I didn't lose to you, I lost to the young prince. In the end, the young prince pulled you aside to whisper something, he must have taught you some other secrets. I'm not convinced, let's compete again next time."

The eldest prince, rarely so proud, abandoned his usual gentle and polite demeanor and raised an eyebrow at Su Yan'an defiantly: "I have a seventh brother, you don't."

Su Yan'an: "..."

What's going on? I'm so angry!

After the eldest prince came the fourth prince. You Lu understood that the order of all the exams was based on age, so the eldest prince was always first. No wonder the eldest prince was so easily nervous; after all, he was the eldest brother and had to set an example for his younger siblings, which added to the pressure.

Seemingly to prove that his success in the target practice was merely a fluke, the fourth prince performed poorly in the horseback archery, failing after only six arrows.

Surprisingly, the Fifth Princess was quite skilled in archery and horsemanship. Dressed in a striking red outfit, she was dashing and hit the target nine out of ten times, scoring higher than Su Yan'an.

Seeing You Lu's surprise, Su Yan'an quickly explained, "The Fifth Princess has always been quite skilled in martial arts. The martial arts teachers often lament that if she were a man, she would surely achieve great feats in the future."

The eldest prince, who had been beaten to the punch, rolled his eyes at his friend and said gently, "Fifth Princess is indeed skilled in both literature and martial arts. If it weren't for Seventh Brother's guidance today, she would probably be the champion again."

Youlu nodded thoughtfully.

Pixiu: [Boss, what mischievous idea are you hatching now?]

A deer smiled and said, "Guess."

The Pixiu rolled its eyes and ran away.

After the pacing archery test, the galloping archery test began. This time, the eldest prince continued to perform steadily and passed with a score of eight. Su Yan'an also realized the reason for his failure in the previous test. He no longer blindly pursued the highest score but instead sought victory through stability, ranking first with a score of nine.

As for the fourth prince and the fifth princess, one was still unqualified, and the other missed the target three times due to her "eagerness to win," so she was also unqualified.

Thus concludes this monthly martial arts assessment. The examiners will soon submit the recorded results to Emperor Wulong, at which point rewards and punishments will be determined.