Chapter 4

Liang Xiao was furious. "Don't talk big. Try it yourself, maybe you won't last as long as I do."

The prisoner remained silent, raising the wooden staff in his hand and pointing it at Liang Xiao.

Liang Xiao's face changed dramatically, and he involuntarily shivered, as if the prisoner was holding not a wooden staff but a deadly crossbow.

The prisoner said calmly, "Your courage is commendable, but your strength is lacking. You are not fit for great things."

No matter how dull Liang Xiao was, he knew he had encountered a master. Despite holding a crossbow, and the prisoner only having a wooden staff and being a cripple, if they really fought, it was uncertain who would live and who would die.

A smart man doesn't take unnecessary risks. Liang Xiao put away his crossbow and bowed. "I am ignorant and presumptuous, showing off in front of an expert. Please forgive me, Master Huan."

The prisoner put down the staff and gently patted his injured leg. "You are more clever than that foolish boy."

Liang Xiao was taken aback but then understood. Tuniu had carried his crossbow from the western suburbs, and the prisoner had come from the west, so he must have seen the crossbow.

"Master Huan has keen eyesight," Liang Xiao said, half-complimenting, half-sarcastically.

"Of course. To master archery, you need not only strength but also keen eyesight. At a hundred paces, a person's face is as small as a bean. Without exceptional eyesight, how could you hit the target every time?"

Liang Xiao was skeptical. He had always been doubtful about hitting a target at a hundred paces. As Master Huan said, at a hundred paces, a person's head looks like a bean, and it's hard to see clearly, let alone hit it accurately every time.

"Whether you can hit a target at a hundred paces depends on two things: talent and proper training. Both are essential," the prisoner glanced at Liang Xiao. "Don't overthink it. Throughout history, very few people have truly achieved this."

Liang Xiao's eyes twinkled. "Can Master Huan hit a target at a hundred paces?"

"No," the prisoner shook his head without hesitation. "My eyesight is good, but I lack the talent to hit a target at a hundred paces."

Liang Xiao's lips curled slightly. "What can Master Huan do, then?"

The prisoner stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Do you know how many types of the highest archery skills there are?"

Liang Xiao shook his head. He really didn't know. In his previous life, he knew nothing about archery, and in this life, he knew very little. He was just naturally better at it than most people, but he was far from being able to hit a target at a hundred paces.

"Archery is one of the six arts. It is used to observe virtue in literature and to secure the state in martial arts. In ancient times, there were five types of archery: Bai Shi, Can Lian, Yan Zhu, Xiang Chi, and Jing Yi, all emphasizing etiquette. Today, there are Qiang Qiang, Ci Fei, Ji She, and She Sheng, all emphasizing practicality."

Liang Xiao listened with great interest, but the prisoner stopped talking and stared at him. "You take your mother's surname. Who is your father?"

Liang Xiao blinked and shook his head. "I don't know. My mother has never told me."

The prisoner pondered for a moment and then said, "I am tired."

Liang Xiao was disappointed but saw that the prisoner was unwilling to continue. He nodded reluctantly. The skills were the prisoner's, and if he wanted to learn, he had to see if the prisoner was willing to teach. If the prisoner refused, he couldn't force him. Fortunately, they lived under the same roof, and there would be other opportunities.

With the idea of learning in mind, Liang Xiao's attitude changed completely. He discussed it with his mother, slaughtered a chicken, bought some wine, and cooked a large pot of rice, inviting the prisoner to a hearty meal. The prisoner didn't refuse, eating voraciously and finishing the entire chicken, leaving not even a drop of soup for Liang Xiao. He also ate more than half of the pot of fragrant rice, leaving only a little at the bottom for Liang Xiao and his mother.

After the meal, the prisoner went to rest. Liang Xiao looked at the leftovers, thought for a moment, and stood up, picking up his crossbow.

"Mother, you eat first. I'm going out for a bit."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to shoot some fish," Liang Xiao smiled. "Prepare some firewood and water. I'll be back before dark and cook a pot of fish soup for us to eat."

In the Han Dynasty, ordinary people ate two meals a day: the morning meal, called Chao Shi, usually between 8 and 9 AM, and the evening meal, called Mu Shi, usually between 3 and 5 PM.

For ordinary people, after the evening meal, they would go to bed as soon as it got dark, saving lamp oil and skipping a meal, which was fine. However, for Liang Xiao and his mother, one had to work the night shift weaving brocade, and the other was still growing and dreaming of a military career, becoming a general and a marquis. Two meals a day were barely enough, especially since the prisoner named Huan had eaten a large portion.

Liang Xiao didn't mind eating less himself, but he didn't want his son to go hungry. It was still early, and sending Liang Xiao to shoot fish outside the city was a good way to supplement their food. In the Wu and Chu regions, people ate rice and fish soup, and outside Guangling City was a large river with many fish and shrimp. As long as one was willing to put in the effort, they could have a good meal without spending a penny, which was always the best choice for ordinary people to treat themselves.

Liang Xiao had done this many times before. It wasn't dark yet, and he had already shot a dozen large fish, gutting them by the river.

While handling the fish, Liang Xiao suddenly remembered something that all time travelers should do: what year is it, and what day is it?

He sat down, threw the fish aside, and carefully recalled. Although the original Liang Xiao's memory didn't have a specific year, he knew it was the Han Dynasty. However, some information was very valuable.

First, the Kingdom of Jiangdu. According to his knowledge from the future, the Kingdom of Jiangdu didn't last long, only two generations. The current king should be the first generation, Liu Fei, who was later known as King Yi.

Liang Xiao made this judgment based on another piece of information: the prisoner said he was from Wu and was punished for following Wu Wang, which should refer to Liu Bi. In other words, the rebellion of Wu and Chu had just ended, which happened during Emperor Jing's reign. Wu would not reappear until the Three Kingdoms period.

Considering the new emperor's ascension a few years ago, Liang Xiao was almost certain that it was the early years of Emperor Wu's reign.

Once he reached this conclusion, Liang Xiao suddenly became excited.

The era of Emperor Wu was great. It was a time of great passion and vigor. After six or seven decades of accumulation, the Han Dynasty was at its peak. Soon, Emperor Wu would wage war against the Xiongnu, and famous generals like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing would emerge, ushering in a new era. Emperor Wu and his ministers defeated the Xiongnu, who had dominated the grasslands for centuries, restoring the Han's dignity and spirit. The Han Dynasty, which had been humiliated by marriage alliances for decades, finally shed its shame, and "Han" became the name of a nation.

For Liang Xiao personally, this was undoubtedly the best era. Before the imperial examination system, commoners had few opportunities, but the era of Emperor Wu was a time when commoners could become officials and slaves could become generals. The imperial examination and the recommendation system were secondary; military merit was the fastest way to rise.

In the age of cold weapons, the bow and crossbow were the most important weapons, and archery was almost synonymous with martial arts. With my strong arms, I am naturally suited to be a great archer, and a military career is a natural path. No wonder my mother is so confident that I can become a marquis and a general.

Wait, if my mother is so insightful, could she also be a time traveler?

Liang Xiao shivered. If that were true, this world would be terrifying.

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