Chapter 106

Chapter 106

In the mounted archery competition that followed, Han Zhang was, without a doubt, still the victor.

Though Kang Zhanxun was exceptionally gifted, the poison had ultimately taken a toll on his body.

Moreover, having long lived in the capital and indulged in a life of luxury, he had never faced the flames of battle. No matter how refined his riding and archery skills, he could not surpass someone like Han Zhang, whose physique surpassed ordinary men and who had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Had it been any other skill, Han Zhang might not have dared claim to be the best, but in the art of mounted archery, he feared no one from any era.

In the apocalypse, resources were scarce, and firearms were saved for life-or-death moments. On a normal day, everyone killed zombies with primitive tools like machetes and crossbows.

Those who survived to the end in such a hellish purgatory were all battle-hardened killing machines—fierce warriors capable of standing against ten thousand troops!

On the training grounds, Han Zhang galloped like the wind, steady as a rock, drawing his bow to a full moon, arrows flying like shooting stars.

Every arrow that tore through the air pierced multiple prey, and wherever his arrowhead pointed, not a single shot missed!

"One arrow, three kills!"

"One arrow, four kills!"

"Heavens... one arrow, five kills!"

As the number of prey pierced by Han Zhang's arrows continued to grow, waves of gasps of amazement rose from the crowd, each louder than the last.

Even Kang Zhanxun stood frozen in place, mouth agape, completely still.

From the earlier stationary archery display, he had guessed Han Zhang's mounted archery would be extraordinary, but he never imagined the man would be this formidable!

Wait—he was a scholar, wasn't he? How was it even possible for him to be this powerful in martial arts?

Kang Zhanxun questioned his very existence, then tossed his bow aside with a look of utter defeat, waving a hand listlessly.

"No more, no more. Brother Han, your skill of never missing and piercing multiple targets with every arrow is truly beyond us mere mortals. I'm far outmatched and concede defeat. I yield, I yield..."

There wasn't even any prey left on the field—what the hell was he supposed to shoot at?

Thinking back to his earlier arrogance, when he'd proudly believed he could match his opponent, Kang Zhanxun felt his face burn with embarrassment.

Indeed, one should never overestimate oneself. There's always someone stronger out there!

"Hahaha, well said, well said! There's no prey left on the field, so even if Brother Kang wanted to act, he'd have no chance... Brother Han is truly a beast!"

The surrounding students burst into knowing laughter, tinged with goodwill.

They couldn't blame Kang Zhanxun for backing down—the guy was simply too terrifying. A fifteen-strength heavy bow with perfect accuracy was utterly demoralizing!

Besides, accepting defeat cleanly and gracefully was itself a mark of character.

Kang Zhanxun was arrogant, and a bit of a playboy, but he was a man of his word. His straightforward, aboveboard candor earned admiration.

After all, the world was full of petty people who refused to accept defeat and held grudges, seeking revenge.

Han Zhang rode over on his fine horse, dismounted with a smile, and extended a hand to Kang Zhanxun, pulling him up as he laughed heartily:

"Brother Kang, don't take it to heart. I just rely on a bit of natural strength. Not to mention a fifteen-strength bow—even a thousand-pound boulder is nothing to me."

"As for mounted archery... though I come from a farming family, my ancestors had some prosperity. My family is descended from the Quyang Han clan of Yanzhou. My grandfather traveled north and south in his youth and worked as a bodyguard for many years. Thus, the sons of the Han family have practiced martial arts since childhood and never let up."

So, it wasn't strange that his archery and horsemanship were exceptional—besides talent, he had family elders to teach him.

For a family like the Hans, fallen from prominence to humble status, having some heritage to fall back on was hardly surprising.

"I see! I never expected Brother Han to be a descendant of a noble clan—my apologies for not realizing it earlier! But even with family teachings, without natural talent, one could never reach such heights. I accept my defeat today wholeheartedly."

Upon learning that Han Zhang's ancestors were from a noble clan, Kang Zhanxun immediately grew respectful.

After all, in ancient times, family status mattered immensely. A fallen noble clan and a true peasant family were treated very differently in the world.

Just look at the famous beggar emperor Zhu in history—after achieving greatness, he still traced his lineage and claimed to be a descendant of Zhu Xi, showing just how much this era valued class.

This was also why Han Zhang dared to keep showing off his abilities.

As for whether the Han family would suspect him?

Of course not. Since the original owner had entered private school, the family had treated him as an adult and greatly respected his personal space. He spent most of his time at the academy, only going home on rest days.

So, the Han family didn't really know much about what the original owner was up to.

Borrowing a prestigious name could save a lot of trouble, so Han Zhang naturally made the most of this advantage.

Since their horses had stopped not far from the viewing stands, these words also reached the ears of those seated nearby, and the crowd suddenly understood.

"I was wondering how a man of humble origins could have such bearing and learning—so he's actually a descendant of a noble clan..."

"The Quyang Han clan—my father once mentioned them. They were one of the top families in Yanzhou back in the day, but unfortunately, they hit hard times. They hit troubled times and made a disastrous marriage alliance, which brought about their downfall..."

"But now the Han clan has produced a talent like Brother Han, equally skilled in letters and martial arts. Within a few years, the family's prestige will surely be restored..."

The Crown Prince, who had come specifically to watch Han Zhang's archery today, nodded slightly and praised with a smile: "Truly worthy of a noble descendant. Such a well-rounded talent is a rare find indeed."

After a moment's thought, he turned to the academy instructor beside him and said with a smile:

"Today's mounted archery examination showed excellent performances from all students. It seems the instructors of the Imperial Academy have done a fine job nurturing talent, and their methods have improved another step."

"Coincidentally, I have recently developed an interest in the art of mounted archery. I shall hold a banquet shortly—would the instructors please bring the top ten students from the examination to join me for a discussion and exchange of ideas?"

The Crown Prince shared a close bond with the current emperor, and Han Zhang was a talent the Emperor Taixuan had specifically instructed the Crown Prince to recruit. So his overture now was perfectly aboveboard, with no need for secrecy.

The academy instructor cupped his hands in deference: "It is our honor that Your Highness would extend such an invitation."

He then sent someone to summon Han Zhang and the other nine students to the banquet.

With the Crown Prince extending the invitation, no one dared delay. They immediately went to change clothes and tidy themselves, and to inform their families.

At the viewing stands.

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince was hosting a banquet for the top ten students in mounted archery, the family members all beamed with joy.

With the Crown Prince's position secure, earning his appreciation meant certain ascent in the future!

"Excellent! Husband, hurry off to the banquet. Be sure to perform well and not disappoint His Highness's kindness! Don't worry about me—I have servants accompanying me. I'll make my way home on my own."

Shen Qinglan was beaming with delight, urging Han Zhang to leave immediately, afraid that any delay might ruin the impression he made before the Crown Prince. There was not a trace of their usual reluctant farewells.

At a moment like this, romantic sentiment was far less important than a bright official future!

He still hoped his husband would climb the ranks and become a prestigious official's spouse!

Han Zhang: …

Hadn't he said his husband was a total lovesick fool, head over heels for him?

Seeing his young husband so blithely unconcerned, Han Zhang felt uneasy and ended up asking Shen Huaizhi and the others to keep an eye on him before rushing off to attend the Crown Prince's banquet.

Once the ten scholars departed, the academy's students and their families started buzzing with envious chatter.

Shen Qinglan and the other spouses and ladies instantly became the center of attention.

Though no one needed to grovel or suck up, seeing that these scholars had bright futures, some surface-level networking was still in order.

After all, you never knew when you might need these connections.

Shen Qinglan wasn't shrewd, but he got the social game. He dropped his earlier showing-off attitude and genuinely worked on building good relations with the spouses and ladies who came over to chat, expanding his own social circle.

Since everyone was keen to get along, the gathering was all laughter and harmony.

Of course.

Not all the spouses and ladies were good at playing the social game.

Especially the young ladies and lads who'd had run-ins with Shen Qinglan before—seeing him doing so well now, they were deeply annoyed.

The most bitter of all was none other than Miss He! (The He family daughter Shen Qinglan had been set up with earlier—a setup from Chapter 57.)

Back then, Shen Qinglan's blind date with the He family's son at the temple had flopped.

On the way back, they ran into Han Zhang's "heroic rescue" stunt with the wolves. The He son, still bitter from the failed matchmaking, planned to secretly stab Shen Qinglan in the back while he was fighting the wolves, aiming to kill him.

But Han Zhang caught his sneaky move. Instead of harming his target, he lost his own life, even taking his own mother down with him.

As a result, the He family had no suitable son for marriage alliances, unable to use a new daughter-in-law's dowry to plug the family's financial hole.

With no other options, He's father was forced to hand over his most beautiful daughter as a concubine to an elderly superior, trading her for power and gain.

Miss He didn't dare blame her cold-hearted father, the real culprit, so she dumped all her resentment on Shen Qinglan instead.

She felt it was all Shen Qinglan's fault—if he had agreed to the He family's marriage proposal earlier and gone along with their plans, her mother and brother wouldn't have met their tragic end on that matchmaking day, and she wouldn't have ended up as a concubine to an old man!

These past days, her father had kept her confined at home to curb her temper.

Only today did she tell her father that the Imperial Academy was full of noble scions, and she might snag a higher-status match—only then did he let her out for some air.

Why should she suffer so, sacrificing for her family, while Shen Qinglan was doted on by his parents and could still be living large even after marrying into a poor family?

If Shen Qinglan had agreed to her brother's proposal early on, bringing a generous dowry to fix the family's money problems, none of this would have happened, and she wouldn't have become the family's throwaway.

It was all Shen Qinglan's fault—every bit of it!

Miss He twisted her silk handkerchief until her knuckles turned white, grinding her teeth so hard it hurt.

Since Shen Qinglan had married into a humble family, he could forget ever getting back into the upper crust!

A fierce blaze of hatred burned in her eyes.

Miss He scanned the noble ladies around her, her gaze finally landing on someone not far off—

On a young lady in pink, decked out in pearls and jewels, with only passable looks but a snotty attitude—the Fifth Prince's cousin, Zheng Yufu.

Zheng Yufu came from a noble family but had a nasty, domineering streak and a head as empty as a pumpkin.

And she was the one most jealous of Shen Qinglan's looks. Using her as a weapon was just perfect!