Chapter 4: The Person with a Story (Revised Edition)

  Zheng Yanqing later learned that Zheng Shan was the son of Zheng Yi's brother. With the help of Zheng Yi, Zheng Shan had just stepped down from his position as Governor of Yizhou and was promoted to Right Guanglu Daifu, a position far superior to that of Zheng Dashi.

  In front of Zheng Da Shi, Zheng Shan Guo was just a junior.

  Even as the eldest son of a noble family, when facing an official position lower than his uncle's, he must still show respect.

  Zheng Shan Guo said 'Yuán Fēi', is exactly the legitimate wife of Sui Taizi Yang Yong.

  Later historical records have some sympathy for Crown Prince Yang Yong of Sui, saying that he was warm and gentle in nature, with the demeanor of a superior man. He merely liked luxury and had somewhat of a lust for women.

  Zheng Yanqing was not quite convinced of this statement.

  Since ancient times, the victorious king defeats the defeated villain. The Li Tang took over the Yang Sui Jiangshan, and naturally there will be some whitewashing. Emperor Yang of Sui as the ruler of a fallen nation, can't avoid being slandered. So at that time, as Emperor Yang's counterpart, Yang Yong was naturally beautified. Otherwise, how could they highlight Li Tang's great achievements? Moreover, this "Book of Sui" is from the hands of the Tang people...

  Yang Yong disliked Yuan Fei for a long time.

  Later on, it became interesting that Yun Zhao was trained as a concubine and even more so, she threw her original partner behind her head.

  The former queen was also of noble birth, how could she bear such cold treatment. Moreover, due to physical reasons, she finally died suddenly from heartache.

  Xingyang Zheng family has always supported Crown Prince Yang Yong.

  Although they didn't know what would happen after Yuan Fei's death, everyone in the Zheng family sensed that something was off.

  The wife of Emperor Wen of Sui was Empress Dugu, a woman who was prone to jealousy.

  In his early years, Emperor Yang of Sui had the support of the Dugu imperial family, so he also listened to and followed Empress Dugu's words.

  Yang Yong was greedy for women's favors and originally did not have Empress Dugu's favor.

  The Empress was also chosen by Dugu Queen for Yang Yong, and her death would certainly lead to a conflict between Dugu Queen and the Crown Prince. Moreover, Yang Guang, who is now the King of Jin, has returned from Jiangdu to Chang'an, eyeing the position of Crown Prince covetously.

  So, Yu Fei's death will inevitably trigger a turmoil.

  The Zheng family must prepare for a rainy day, analyze and judge, and make the right choice.

  Guichang Gong Zheng Shan yuan at this time invited Zheng Da Shi to go over and discuss this matter...

  But for Zheng Yanqing, whatever choice the Zheng family made, he was unable to participate in it and had no power to participate.

  After several days, Zheng Yanqing obtained his household registration and officially settled in the Zheng family.

  ——————————————————

  As Zheng Yanqing had expected, the death of Yuan Fei marked the beginning of a struggle between Prince Jin Yang Guang and Crown Prince Yang Yong.

  The Zheng family was also divided in their choice between Yang Yong and Yang Guang. The leader of the Zheng clan, Zheng Xuanwu, insisted on continuing to support Crown Prince Yang Yong. However, Zheng Dashi and Zheng Shan thought that Yang Yong had great ambitions but lacked ability, and had offended Empress Dugu, so it would be better to support Yang Guang. Most importantly, although Yang Yong had always assisted Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Zhou in governing the state, his prestige was far less than that of Prince of Jin Yang Guang. Even with the support of such important officials as Gao Yun, He Ruobi, and Shi Wansui, he could not be a match for Yang Guang.

  There were also capable people like Yang Su and Han Qinhu beside Yang Guang.

  Moreover, Yang Guang had the merit of conquering Southern Chen, especially during his tenure as the defender of Jiangdu, where he recruited a large number of famous scholars from the southern dynasty. Yang Guang himself was also skilled in plotting and won the favor of Empress Dugu, making it difficult for Yang Yong to secure his position as crown prince.

  These two results, more or less, produced internal divisions within the Zheng family.

  Zheng Xiangguo and others began to look for opportunities to get along with Yang Guang, while Zheng Xiangu continued to openly support Yang Yong.

  In the tenth month of Kaihuang 20, i.e., the third year that Zheng Yanqing arrived at the Zheng household, Emperor Wen of Sui deposed Yang Yong as crown prince and reduced him and his sons to commoner status. In the eleventh month, he created Yang Guang, the Prince of Jin, crown prince, and in the next year changed the era name to Renshou, ending the three-year struggle over the position of crown prince.

  The Zheng family was not significantly affected in this struggle.

  Although Zheng Shanwilling stood on the wrong side, Emperor Yang of Sui did not blame him excessively. Instead, he enfeoffed Zheng Shanwilling's two brothers, Zheng Yuanyu and Zheng Yuancong, as Duke of Chenguo and Baron of Yong'an respectively. In the eyes of all civil and military officials in the imperial court, the Zheng family of Xingyang seemed to be more favored.

  "Give before you take!"

  Zheng Dash said privately to Zheng Shi'an: "It's good that we support the Crown Prince, but it's bad for the Empress and the King of Jin. I'm afraid it won't last long."

  Zheng Yanqing secretly agreed with Zheng Dashis point of view.

  However, Zheng Yanqing cannot put his energy into such things now, because he has many things that need consideration.

  The fate of the Zheng family is for the Zheng family to worry about.

  For centuries of aristocratic families, they will have their own means of self-preservation.

  Before you know it, Zheng Yanqing is already three years old. If calculated according to the Sui Dynasty's method of calculating age, he is actually five years old.

  Thanks to Zheng Shi'an, although Zheng Yanqing was only a slave of the Zheng family, he lived very comfortably.

  Zheng Dashan selected a house in Anyuantang and gave it to Zheng Shian. It was a narrow and long quadrangle courtyard, not very large, but well-equipped. From the main gate, walking inside, there were a central hall, a backyard, and a main bedroom. On both sides of the east and west wings, there were two corridors that could be used for living quarters or raising livestock.

  Xu's mother and daughter lived in the corridor house in the front yard.

  What Zheng Yankang cares about is also derived from Xu's mother and daughter.

  Xu's mother was no longer a nanny.

  After Zheng Yanqing was weaned, Zheng Shian let Xu's mother continue to stay in his mansion.

  Mending and washing... In Zheng Shi'an's view, although Zheng Yanqing had been weaned, he was still young after all and needed to be taken care of.

  Zheng Shi'an's position in the Zheng family was extremely special. Although he was also a lowly born servant of the Zheng family, at An Yuan Tang, apart from Zheng Da Shi and his son Zheng Ren Ji, it was Zheng Shi'an who held the most power. Even after Zheng Ren Ji remarried and welcomed the clever daughter of Qing He Cui as his new wife, replacing Zheng Shi-An's position in An Yuan Tang would not be an easy task.

  So Zheng Yanqing was also a humble origin, in Anyuan Hall, but lived extremely carefree.

  He was interested in Xu's mother and daughter because he found that they had many secrets hidden on their bodies.

  In the first year of Ren Shou, on a day in March, Zheng Yanqing, dressed in white, sat on the steps at the entrance of the central hall, watching Duduo dancing with her fists and feet in front of the hall. Duduo was already eight years old, perhaps due to practicing martial arts, she had developed physically very early. At just eight years old, she was quite tall, almost a head taller than Zheng Yanqing, and was born with a slender and elegant figure, looking like a little beauty.

  Tuo Tuo's boxing technique is not very complicated.

  Staring intently at his palm, he threw a punch that seemed slow but withdrew his hand as fast as lightning.

  One move, one release, one fast, one slow, changing unpredictably, producing an extremely strong visual conflict. Zheng Yanqing was not the first time to see Duoduo practicing boxing, in fact, two years ago, he discovered that Duoduo had a secret of martial arts. Also because of this, he had a stronger curiosity about Xu Mama and her daughter, guessing their origins more than once.

  "What is it that you're practicing, Elder Sister Duo?"

  Zheng Yanqing didn't understand martial arts in his past life, but he was extremely curious and yearned for it.

  There is such a sentence: In every man's heart, there is a martial arts dream...

  Even someone as gentle as Zheng Yance was no exception. For two years, he often sat on the steps watching Doudou practice, while Doudou went from initial rejection to taking him for granted and eventually ignoring his existence.

  "Descend the Dragon's Power!"

  She answered casually.

  She is no longer the little girl who would pull out a knife three years ago. And towards Zheng Yanqing, she doesn't have that much hostility either.

  She also knew that Zheng Yance was a very strange little guy.

  He is not as active as children of the same age, and most of the time he is quiet like an adult. For example, when practicing boxing, ordinary children can't hold their breath, even Doudou feels bored every day when practicing boxing.

  Ke Zheng often sat for half a day watching her practice boxing.

  On ordinary days when there is nothing to do, he would take a small stick and write or draw on the sandy ground in the backyard, looking somewhat lonely.

  Xu's mother was particularly interested in his behavior and even let Dudu practice with him.

  So, Duoduo didn't have a particularly good impression of Zheng Yance, but she couldn't say she disliked him either. She just felt that when they were together, although it was a bit dull, she could also feel calm and peaceful. It was a very strange feeling, one that Duoduo found hard to put into words.

  "Dragon Subduing Technique?"

  Zheng Yanqing seemed to ask lightly: "Duo Duo sister, where did you learn this skill from?"

  Xu's mother was not at home at this time, and Zheng Shian was attending to Zheng Dashi in the study of Anyuan Hall. Only then did Zheng Yanqing open his mouth to ask questions.

  "I... learned it since I was little."

  Duo Duo's response also seemed casual, but her tone was tight, without revealing any information.

  But Zheng Yanqing still got some news: Duoduo's origin won't be too low!

  A good saying goes: "The poor are skilled in writing, while the rich are skilled in martial arts."

  Poor families have no other means, they can only rely on reading books to seek a way out; but for those who practice martial arts, they need to spend money on various aspects, ordinary family children, even if they want to practice martial arts, cannot afford the expensive fees.

  In the third year of Zhengjia, Zheng Yanqing heard and saw things with his own ears and eyes, and naturally understood many things, including the meaning of this sentence.

  Duo Duo wiped her face and sat down beside Zheng Yanqing.

  After exercising, she sweated a lot, but there was a faint scent of girl's body fragrance in the sweat, perhaps it was what people often called 'fragrant sweat'.

  "Little scholar, you watch me practice every day, are you thinking of learning?"

  Because Zheng Yanqing likes to write and paint, Duoduo jokingly calls him 'Xiucai'. This Xiucai originally meant a person with exceptional talent, but later it became a kind of honor.

  Duoduo said: "I once heard people say that a man should take up the three-foot sword and strive for achievements. Look at you, idle all day, only knowing how to hold branches and scribble on the ground, with no strength to bind a chicken. How will you make a name for yourself in the future? Why don't I teach you some skills? Who knows, one day it might come in handy. But can you bear the hardship?"

  There is a hint of disdain between words.

  Compared with the emphasis on literature and de-emphasis on military affairs in later generations, the martial spirit of Sui and Tang dynasties was quite prevalent.

  After experiencing the Five Barbarians' invasion and the division of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, even those aristocratic families who were known for their expertise in classics and history had to emphasize both literary and military pursuits. Take the Zheng family as an example: the Jingting Hall focused on literature, while the Anyuan Hall discussed martial arts. Zheng Dashi's ancestor, Zheng Lianshan, was a military general who rose to prominence through his bravery, and later there were also Zheng Xianhu, Zheng Wei, and Zheng Ding, all of whom were renowned for their exceptional courage and military prowess throughout the land south of the Yangtze River.

  Zheng Dashou was also skilled in riding and shooting, able to ride fierce horses and draw strong bows when he was young.

  It wasn't until Zheng Renji's time that, due to his poor physical health, he switched to specializing in military strategy, but still belonged to the category of martial affairs.

  Zheng Yanqing's heart skipped a beat.

  He knew that after the great undertaking, a chaotic world would come.

  Being able to learn a skill for self-defense is also a good method. I remember that during the early Tang Dynasty, it was an era when famous generals emerged one after another.

  But he also didn't know what kind of state he could cultivate into.

  "Duo Duo sister, can I also practice martial arts?"

  "Why can't you? You're only five years old, it's the perfect age to start practicing martial arts. As long as you can endure hardship and persist, you'll definitely be able to master it."

  Zheng Yankuang thought for a moment and pretended to be innocent: "Then I'll practice too!"

  "Little scholar, practicing martial arts is not an easy thing. Apart from the skills, you also need to take various medicines... That requires a lot of money and silk. You'd better discuss it with your grandfather and see if he's willing to let you practice martial arts. If your grandfather agrees, I can give you some medicinal pellets. However, the cost of preparing these pellets is quite astonishing!"

  A faint smile like a small fox appeared on Duo Duo's face.

  The tone was somewhat enticing, causing Zheng Yance to be extra cautious.

  "Sister, is practicing martial arts expensive?"

  "Of course, there is a saying that it takes 100 days to lay the foundation, 1,000 days to refine the energy, and 10 years to transform the spirit, and even after 60 years, one may still be empty-handed. Each step requires a large amount of wealth as its basis. Just laying the foundation alone, if the luck is good, it can be achieved in 100 days; if the luck is bad, it may not yield any results even after 10 years. Not to mention that after laying the foundation, one still needs to change bones, change tendons, and wash the marrow... Each step requires a huge price to pay."

  "When I used to practice martial arts, my master who taught me the Dragon Subduing Skill said that practicing martial arts requires talent, but even more so, it requires persistence. So, talent and perseverance take up six parts, while the remaining four parts are money, three parts are fate, and one part is opportunity... Opportunity is indeed important, but without financial support to lay a good foundation, you can forget about achieving success. These four elements are indispensable, do you understand?"

  Her smile is very bright and her tone is also very gentle.

  After living together for three years, Zheng Yankai rarely saw Dudu speak in such a tone.

  Among them, Zheng Yanqing's character inherited from the previous life was somewhat cold and believed in 'the gentleman's friendship is as thin as water'. If it wasn't for a close friend, it would be difficult to have a very close relationship. On the other hand, Xu Mu's mother and daughter had some mysterious backgrounds, making Zheng Yanqing cautious. Duoduo was not an easy girl to get along with, so although they lived under the same roof, they rarely had intimate conversations.

  The sudden change in Duo made Zheng Yanqing more cautious.

  However, he was good at hiding his thoughts, and as a child, even adults found it hard to detect changes in his mind, let alone Doudou who was only seven or eight years old. The more she smiled and spoke kindly, the more cautious Zheng Yance became.

  "Duoduo, have you completed your foundation building now?"

  Duoduo first showed a proud expression, then shook her head lightly and said, "Originally, I could have completed the foundation two years ago and entered the refining stage of Qi and bone. But... Little Show, I'm not stupid, it's just that due to limited conditions, it was delayed!"

  This little girl doesn't really want to teach herself martial arts, she's probably going to use her own convenience to complete the foundation of her skills.

  Who is Zheng Yanqing?

  Although Duoduo had been very careful, Zheng Yance still saw through her thoughts unintentionally.

  It seems that when Dodo entered the Zheng family, she was in the foundation-building stage. She hid in the Zheng family for two reasons: one was to hide herself, and the other was probably due to the pressure of life. As a slave, how much income could she have? Just seeking warmth and food was enough. But Dodo wanted to practice her skills, build her foundation, and needed medicine to assist her. Without money or silk, how could she accomplish anything?

  "Duo Duo Jie Jie, without the help of medicine, is it very difficult to complete the foundation?"

  "Uh-uh, it's not that... Master said that persistence can lead to breakthroughs, but the earlier you complete it, the better. The older you get, the harder it is to break through. If you miss the best age for refining your qi and bones, you might as well forget about reaching the realm of a Grandmaster."

  Zheng Yanqing had never heard of such a saying before and couldn't help but ask: "Then who is the great master in today's world?

  What was originally a very ordinary question somehow made Duoduo feel annoyed.

  "Little scholar, why ask so many questions? You only need to tell me whether you want to learn the Dragon Subduing Technique from me or not?"