At this time, it was Zhou Kao's turn to shoot the second arrow. Although he pulled the bow, he hesitated a little in his heart, and he kept leading but did not start. Even Zhou Fa had already noticed that Zhou Kao had been waiting too long, and was secretly anxious for him. It is necessary to know that archery is a matter of concentration, and the most taboo is to have distracting thoughts, if you hesitate when you are about to shoot, then the general trend will go.

Zhou Kao also knew that he had been aiming for too long, but he was worried that if the second arrow missed again, it would really be laughed at. He felt that all the eyes of everyone in the courtyard were looking at him at this time, as if they were all waiting to see a joke. With such cranky thoughts in his heart, he became more and more unable to concentrate.

"The left hand is like a stone, the right hand is like an appendage, the right hand is like a branch, the right hand is hairy, the left hand does not know, this way of shooting is also. Cover with a god, not with a ...... of eyes" Zhou Kao's ears suddenly heard a murmuring sound, he followed the voice, it turned out to be Xin Jia chanting words in his mouth. Although Xin Jia's voice was small, it could be vaguely heard because it was very close to Zhou Kao.

What Xin Jia recited was the key to practicing archery. After Zhou Kao, Xin Jia woke up like this, and finally remembered the feeling he felt when he practiced archery on weekdays. Over the years, he has been practicing archery under the guidance of Mane Bear, and his foundation has been extremely solid, but for a while he has some lack of confidence due to the unfamiliar environment and the pressure around him. When Zhou took a deep breath, he took a deep breath, used the fetal breath gong, concentrated the strength of his whole body between his chest and abdomen, his arms did not move, and unconsciously his right hand loosened, and finally sent out the second arrow.

The arrow made a beautiful arc in the air, and finally nailed firmly to the hoof's skin. As the winner raised the flag, Zhou Fa cheered excitedly: "Won!" Hit! A smile also bloomed on Wan Xi's face. Zhou Kao looked at Xin Jia gratefully, and Xin Jia also nodded slightly at him. Zhou Kao looked at his father again, but Zhou Chang's face was still as calm as ever.

Yu Yan snorted in his heart, and secretly thought: I was just hit by an arrow, and I was happy to be like this, I really haven't seen the world. He stepped forward again, and raised his hand again to shoot, but the arrow hit right in the red circle in the center of the hoof's skin. Yu Mengyan saw it on the sidelines, and couldn't help but applaud: "Okay! Shoot well! ”

Zhou Fa was a little incredulous, and asked Wan Xi: "This, is this arrow picked?" ”

"Yes, you see that the flag in the hand of the winner is not raised diagonally, but pointed straight to the sky, that is, it is picked."

Zhou Fa just saw Zhou Kao win back a city, who knew that after the second arrow was shot, the gap was getting bigger and bigger, and he couldn't help but be even more depressed.

When it was Zhou's turn to shoot, he thought: If I can't hit the next shot, then I will have lost more than half of this time, and the next arrow must hit the heart as much as possible. He looked at it carefully for a while, and let go of the arrow, but saw that the tail of the arrow landed on the edge of the red circle in the center, and it was impossible to see from under the corridor whether it was shot inside the circle or outside the circle.

Zhou Fa's eyes were firmly fixed on the winner's flag, and he silently recited in his heart: Zhongcai, Zhongcai, Zhongcai...... Unexpectedly, the flag of the final winner was still raised upward, and Zhou Fa was filled with righteous indignation, and he became more and more convinced that the winner was making trouble. But fortunately, Yu Yan's third arrow only hit the hoof, and Zhou Kao still has at least a glimmer of hope to have a draw with Yu Yan.

Zhou Kao secretly thought: It's a pity just now, it's just a little bit short of being able to get picked. But in this way, even if my last arrow can hit the red heart, at most it will only be a draw with Yu Gongzi. And he only needs to shoot the hoofs again to win. It seems that nine times out of ten, I will lose, or I will just shoot this last arrow.

Since he was no longer obsessed with winning or losing, he left all his previous worries behind, his spirit was more relaxed, and his body was no longer suffocated in the slightest. This last arrow, his movements were as smooth and natural as flowing water, and when he was just full, Xin Jia said: "Okay!" Before he finished speaking, Zhou Kao's right hand had already thrown an arrow. The arrow was as fast as a meteor, and in the blink of an eye, it had already reached the red heart of the shooting marquis.

The winner held the flag high above the top, signaling that the arrow had been picked. But Zhou Kao just sighed lightly, he thought: Looking at this Yu Gongzi's archery, it is by no means mediocre, and there will be no inexplicable mistakes in the future.

Zhou Fa saw that Zhou was in the exam, and he wanted to raise his arms and cheer, but when he heard Yu Mengyan shouting: "Shoot down!" Only then did he remember that Yu Yan still had an arrow missing. Even if he wins the weekly exam, Yu Yan's chances of winning are still very big. Zhou Fa only prayed silently in his heart: don't be hit, don't be hit......

However, Yu Yan was determined to win, and he would not accept the result of a draw at all. He didn't careless about this last arrow, and shot it steadily. Zhou Fa saw that his prayer did not work, so he became more and more annoyed, and said to Wan Ji: "They have been treacherous and deceitful several times, how can the eldest brother win?" ”

Unexpectedly, Wan Xi said: "This round is just a test shot, and the results are not calculated, and there will be no penalty for drinking; Later, they will have to compete with four more arrows, and that will be the official competition. So I don't think there's any need for the winner to cheat. ”

Zhou Fa was very surprised and said, "Cousin, are you saying that the results just now are not counted?" ”

"Yes, you see that Lord Yu Hou didn't count the chips, so the test firing just now is just equivalent to practice, and it doesn't matter who wins or loses, it doesn't have any effect."

Zhou Fa had nothing to say now, he thought that the winner was biased in favor of Yu Yan, which was pure speculation and did not have any real evidence. He thought: To know if the winner is cheating, he can only go to the shooter to check it. But when he looked at the Shooter, he saw that the winner was pulling out the arrows from the Shooter one by one, and this time it was really a death without proof. Zhou Fa couldn't think about it, so he had to give up.

At this time, Yu Yan ordered people to take eight feather arrows and stick them on the chest. Yu Mengyan said: "The test launch has ended, and now the first shot has officially begun." Whoever shoots the hoofs gets one chip, and whoever shoots gets two. The chips obtained from the upward shot are placed on the west side of the bark tree, and the chips obtained from the downward shot are placed on the east side of the bark tree. After the four arrows are shot, those who have less money must be punished for drinking. Is it all clear? ”

Zhou Kao and Yu Yan bowed to Yu Mengyan again. Zhou Kaoyuan also thought that the result had been decided, and there was no change, but he didn't expect Yu Hou to say that the official competition had just begun, and he couldn't help but be happy and worried in his heart. The good thing is that he still has a chance to be ashamed, but the worry is that he is not sure that he will be able to win against Yu Yan.

If I lose this time, won't I be humiliated twice in a row? Then what face do I have to sit on this court?

Xin Jia saw Zhou Kao's worried look and said, "Kao'er, come here, I have something to say to you." ”

Zhou Kao walked to Xin Jia's side and shouted, "Uncle." ”

Xin Jia said: "Actually, the arrow you have just shot is better than the other, which is called getting better." On the other hand, that Yu Yan is just a fluke, which is better than you. So as long as you keep the momentum you have, it's not without a chance to win. Now is the time for you to show your strength, and don't mess with yourself. ”

Xin Jia's words swept away the gloom in Zhou Kao's heart like seeing the sun. He thought, "What my uncle said is very true." Compared to the test shot just now, I already know the characteristics of Yu Ren's bow and arrow, and as long as I can learn the lessons of the previous one, I will definitely be able to play better this shot.

At this time, Yu Mengyan ordered: "Arrows!" Zhou Kao bowed to Xin Jia, returned to the frame, and took four arrows from Yu Ran. This time, it was Zhou Kao who shot first, and he tried to recall the situation of the last arrow he first shot, hoping to take the lead first.

When he let go of the arrow, he silently recited in his heart: Medium! Then his eyes were fixed on the trajectory of the arrow's flight, and he didn't even dare to blink his eyelids. To his great astonishment, the arrow ended up on the bow above the hoof's skin, and the recipient didn't even have to look behind the shot, because anyone could see that the arrow had missed.

Even Yu Mengyan was surprised, he had already taken an arithmetic chip and held it in his hand, but now he had to put the calculus chip back into the bark tree. Xin Jia and the others all looked at Zhou Kao with a puzzled expression, but Zhou Kao himself was also at a loss, standing in place at a loss.

At this time, Yu Yan stepped forward and said, "Master Zhou, please let go, it's time for me to shoot now." ”

Zhou Kao took a few steps back and asked himself repeatedly: What did I do wrong? How could there be such a big mistake all of a sudden? When he first shot just now, he could still think of his problem, but now he has no clue.

The frustration in Zhou Kao's heart was something he had never tasted in his life. He could barely feel anything happening around him, until after Yu Yan finished shooting an arrow, Yu Mengyan said twice in a row: "Shoot up!" He gradually came to his senses.

Ah, Yu Gongzi finished shooting an arrow, I don't know if he was hit? Zhou Kao glanced at a chip on the ground on the east side of the bark tree, and realized that Yu Yan's first arrow had hit the hoof. He raised the bow in his hand, but when he raised his eyes, he saw that the arrow he had shot was still on the white cloth where he bowed, which was particularly dazzling.

If only this swallow shot was over now. Thinking like this, Zhou Kao's left hand holding the bow gradually drooped. But will my father allow me to quit like this?

Zhou Kao's gaze shifted to Zhou Chang, who was also staring at him. There was no anger in Zhou Chang's eyes, not even disappointment, but Zhou Kao was very familiar with this look, which would only occur whenever Zhou Chang encountered a predicament, stubborn, never yielding, although not vicious, but revealing a ruthlessness that could not be turned back.

Under the gaze of Zhou Chang's eyes, Zhou Kao had no choice but to bite the bullet and raise the bow again. After a slight adjustment, he fired a second arrow. When the arrow landed on the shooter, Zhou Fa couldn't help but cry out "ah", and then reached out to cover his eyes and didn't dare to look again. It turned out that the feathers of the arrow still looked like they were outside the hoof's skin, but it was impossible to see where the cluster of arrows had hit.

After a while, Zhou Fa secretly glanced out through the gap between his fingers, and saw the winner's flag fluttering in the air, so he lowered his hands and let out a sigh of relief.

Zhou Kao was also shocked into a cold sweat, thinking: It's dangerous, it's dangerous! If this arrow misses again, then there is really no need to compare.

Yu Yan saw that his arrow also hit the hoof, and scolded in his heart: Stinky boy, luck is good, if you let me be two points ahead, you will have no skills.

Although Yu Yan was eager to expand the lead, the second arrow still only hit the hoof, and his face became more and more ugly, worried that if he continued like this, if he was shot out of the Zhou Kao, then his own business might be in vain.

And Zhou Kao always had a feeling lingering in his heart at this time, that is, compared with the first shot, there seemed to be something wrong, but he couldn't say what was wrong. Even so, after shooting two arrows, he gradually figured out a little pattern, and his panicked mood calmed down a little.

Zhou Kao glanced back, and there was one counting chip on the west side of the bark tree, and two on the east side. He steadied himself and fired a third arrow, which was only a little short of the red circle in the center of the hoof. He thought: Sure enough, there must be something that has changed, and this change did not appear out of thin air, after all, there are still traces to follow.

Just as he was still thinking about the reason why the first arrow missed, there was a sudden burst of cheers in the courtyard. Zhou Kao secretly screamed in his heart: Not good! He looked up, and it was really Yu Yan's third arrow.

After all, this shot was a formal competition, so after Yu Yan was picked, the ministers and servants in the Hou Mansion hurriedly praised Yu Yan: "The prince is too powerful!" "The archery of the prince is unparalleled in the world!" The sound of sycophancy endures. And Yu Yan raised his arms high, with a smug smile, and accepted all these words calmly.

Yu Mengyan said to Zhou Kao at this time: "Zhou Gongzi, it's time for you to shoot the last arrow." The widow needs to remind you that the next shot has four chips, so unless you can pick this arrow, the first shot is over, and the next shot does not need to shoot a fourth arrow. Please. ”

Zhou Kao said in his heart: In this case, I can only try my best not to let this Yu Gongzi win too easily. He took the last arrow from his belt and buckled it to the string, and shot an arrow from the center of the hoof's skin. This time, as he thought, the arrow cluster "snorted" through the red heart, and the arrow feather trembled endlessly.

But no one cheered for his belated Zhongcai, and even Zhou Fa was silent. Because everyone knows that with the strength that Yu Yan showed before, it is easy to miss it, so it is difficult to escape defeat in the end.

Zhou Kao himself also sighed in his heart: After shooting an arrow, it is too difficult to reverse the disadvantage. If I can shoot one more shot, maybe I still have a chance.

Although Yu Mengyan was a little reluctant, he still took out two counting chips from the bark tree, put them on the west side, and then said, "Shoot down!" ”

Standing under the eaves, Yu Yan had just made a gesture of opening his bow, and there was another cheer in the courtyard. It turned out that at this time, almost all the people in the Hou Mansion crowded into the courtyard, all wanting to witness how Yu Yan won.

Yu Yan was also about to show off his skills in front of everyone, so he turned his back to shoot Hou, and suddenly twisted his arm and twisted his waist, turned around and shot an arrow into the hoof. This shot was quite difficult, even Xin Jia and Zhou Chang nodded in approval, and the laughter and shouts of the people in the courtyard were like a tsunami.

Seeing this scene, Zhou Kao's mood was even more depressed. He walked up to Xin Jia and Zhou Chang, bowed to the two and saluted, "The child is useless, and he has disgraced his father and uncle. ”

Xin Jia smiled slightly: "This is just a swallow shot, you don't have to worry about it." That Yu Gongzi has the right time, place and people, and you are only slightly inferior, so it is not bad to achieve such a result. ”

Zhou Kao secretly thought: My uncle is just comforting me, I don't know how my father feels? He raised his head to look at Zhou Chang, and shouted with some hesitation: "Father." ”

Zhou Chang waved his hand and said, "At your age, it's good to suffer some setbacks." Knowing that there are people in this world who are stronger than you, you will not stop moving. ”

Zhou Kao bowed and replied, "Only, father." ”

At this time, Zhou Fa came over and grabbed his hand and said, "Big brother, when I practice archery in the future, I, I will definitely avenge you for this arrow." ”

When Zhou Kao heard this, he couldn't help but smile dumbly: "I have a fair competition with that Yu Gongzi, and if I lose to him, what revenge can I get avenged?" ”

Zhou Fa frowned, scratched his head and asked, "Then should we just admit defeat?" Don't you compare with him again? ”

"If you lose, you have to pester others to compare, how can it be a gentleman's doing?"

Unexpectedly, Wan Xi said: "You treat others as a gentleman, but others may not treat you as a gentleman." ”

Zhou Kao was puzzled and asked, "Why did my cousin say this?" ”

Wan Xi shook her head and didn't answer, but asked rhetorically: "Cousin, did you feel the weight of the arrow change just now?" ”

Zhou Kao said: "The weight of the arrow is different, which has a great impact on the result of archery, how can I not know this? But I can be sure that the arrows used in the test shot are the same length, light and heavy, and there is no difference. ”

Wan Xi lowered her head and was silent after hearing this, but Zhou Fa said, "Big brother, cousin, what are you two talking about?" Why can't I understand? ”

At this time, Yu Mengyan called out from the side: "Master Zhou, come quickly, come quickly, the wine is poured!" ”

Zhou Kao had no choice but to turn around. Wan Ji said to Zhou Fa: "I was thinking that when I tried firing before, my cousin could hit the hoofs with every arrow; Why did the first arrow miss when it came time to shoot? Could there be something strange about this? I tried to recall that during this period, my cousin's bow never left his hand for a moment, so it could only be that there was a problem with the arrow. ”

"What's wrong with the arrows?"

Wan Xi shook her head and said, "Just now my cousin said that the length of the arrows is the same, and I can't think of a reason now, or maybe I didn't guess it right at all." ”

Although both of them are smart people, how can they find out the trick if they still have little experience? Zhou Kao came to Yu Mengyan, but saw him holding a piece of rice in his hand. This is a large wine vessel, which can hold enough Sanjue wine. Yu Mengyan said with a smile: "Master Zhou, although my son is just a fluke, you still have to drink this wine." Zhou Kao knew that he couldn't push it, so he could only reach out and take it. When he was drunk, he only felt that his stomach was overturning, and he hurriedly reached out to cover his mouth, so that he didn't spit out the wine syrup he drank.

Seeing this, Xin Jia said to him, "Kao'er, you go back to the seat and rest for a while." Although Zhou Kao stumbled a little, his mind was still clear. He took off his robe, put on his left sleeve, and went straight back to the court. Yu Mengyan said to Xin Jia: "But there is still a second shot, can Zhou Gongzi continue to compete?" ”

Xin Jia said: "Forget it, my nephew is indeed not strong enough to drink, even if he compares again, the result is still the same." ”

Yu Mengyan said: "Since this is the case, it is not easy to be reluctant. It's just that these salute vessels have been taken out, and they always need to be used to the fullest. Lord Xinjia, why don't you and I have a game? ”

"Good! Lord Yu Hou has this Yaxing, and Xin should accompany him. ”