Chapter 247

Lin Zezu picked up another five-pound scholar's bow. Compared to the ten-pound military bow he had just examined, this five-pound bow looked far more delicate. It was crafted in a typical Jiangnan style, its core built from bamboo from Mount Xiangfei and layered with mulberry paper, then bonded with a mixture of fish maw glue, peach gum, and spices, leaving a faint, lingering fragrance. The bow body was finished with a base of vermilion lacquer, while both tips were adorned with gold-inlaid bamboo motifs. Inlays of mother-of-pearl and jade further decorated the frame, and even more extravagantly, the string bridges were fashioned from ivory plates. The unvarnished areas at the bow's extremities were left blank, meant for the owner to carve poems or inscriptions. The bowstring was a blended weave of silk and horsehair, dyed a deep, vibrant blue.