[Five] Die badly

  The leader of the men bowed in the pavilion: "We will offer our skills, please King Yan and the ambassador to enjoy."

  Xiao Wu felt relieved in his heart, he was a martial artist, and naturally knew that the Liao people's horn-butting was similar to the Song people's sumo wrestling and bare-handed combat. Sumo wrestling is actually wrestling, and bare-handed combat is hand-to-hand combat. When he learned from Zhou Tong, his master had said: "Of the eighteen martial arts, the ultimate is bare-handed combat, with every part of the body being a fist, one move and one stance."

  Just as the little fifth thought, the big man in the field had already caught up with the horn and opened it. The drum music suddenly accelerated and slowed down to help the excitement. Each pair of big men first bowed their hands and stood opposite each other for a while, one person moved first, and two people immediately clashed, with different hand movements, either grasping or twisting, and varied footwork, either sweeping or tripping, with the first person falling to the ground as the loser.

  They came and went, shouting and cheering, and soon there were winners and losers. The winners then continued to compete with another pair of winners, until only one pair was left, which was the strongest. The two strong ones held on for a long time, but the slightly thinner one was exhausted and was knocked to the ground by the taller and stronger one.

  The crowd that was eating and drinking with great relish did not forget to cheer, the robust ones were self-satisfied, following the custom, they issued a challenge to the onlookers: "Is there anyone who dares to come down and compete with me?"

  At the sound of a gong, a maid walked out of the pavilion, holding up a green jade scepter and said in a crisp voice: "The King of Yan has spoken, whoever wins this round will be awarded this jade scepter."

  Han Jiuer's eyes lit up and he leaned in close to Xiao Wu's ear: "Brother Five, I really like this jade ruyi, go win it for me."

  Xiao Wu hesitated for a moment before honestly saying: "I learned Bái Dǎ, it's different from Jiǎo Dǐ."

  "No way, I want you to go." Han Jiuer pouted her small mouth, showing off a little girl's temper.

  "Xiao Jiu, watch your identity!" Xiao Wu hastily reminded in a low voice, as one cannot shout "Jiu Niang" in public.

  "I'm here!" Suddenly, a shout was heard from the corner of the tent, and in an instant, a person had flipped over from above the surrounding seats and landed steadily in the arena. It was a young imperial guard, with a dignified appearance and a robust build. He bowed to salute the strong man, "Guo Yao Shi, a man from Bohai Iron Prefecture, dares to ask for your guidance."

  "Alright, let's see the real thing!" The tall and robust man also bowed in return. The Yan King's subordinates were all elite soldiers, but after seeing Guo Yisheng take action, they didn't dare to underestimate him.

  The whole field was quiet, with all eyes on the scene. The two almost simultaneously launched their attacks, both hands grasping at each other, but only exchanged one blow before jumping back, testing each other's strength and weakness.

  Xiao Wu observed the two men's physiques. Although the guard was robust, he was still a head shorter than the tall and sturdy man. He thought to himself that if he were in their shoes, he would definitely attack the tall and sturdy man from three sides, which would be the best way to play to his strengths while avoiding his weaknesses.

  It seems to be what Xiao Wu thought, the guard also kept staring at Gao Zhuang's lower body. Gao Zhuang also noticed it and enticed the guard to attack with his feet stepping left and right.

  Unexpectedly, the guard flashed and rose, rushing into the arms of the tall man, his right hand twisting his neck, his left hand inserted into his crotch, using his shoulder to push him up, and actually lifted the big man horizontally, borrowing force to rotate several times, releasing his hand, the tall man fell head down and feet up to the ground, and had already lost.

  Everyone in the account was momentarily stunned, but Han Jiuer was the first to applaud, leading the whole audience to cheer. Han Jiuer stared at the young guard with a flying spirit, feeling that this person conformed to the image of a hero in his heart, and also gave Xiao Wu a glance: "See, this is what a good man looks like!"

  Xiao Wu also nodded in approval. This guard was indeed a bold and daring warrior, using tactics of deception to attack from unexpected directions. If he failed to strike true even once, he would surely lose, but his bravery was truly exceptional.

  "Good trick!" The tall and robust man lost unwillingly and could only leave the scene with a sullen face.

  Guo the pharmacist received the jade scepter bestowed by the King of Yan, and unexpectedly threw out a battle card again: "I've long heard that the Southern Dynasty's Xiang Pu and Bai Da are highly skilled, with many strong players. Is there anyone willing to give me some pointers?"

  The two countries of Liao and Song were accustomed to calling each other "Southern Dynasty" and "Northern Dynasty", both considering that the world had not yet been unified, and it was not comparable to Shi Jingtang's surrender. Faced with the challenge of the Northern Dynasty's guards, the Southern Dynasty's envoy team was speechless in response. It is said that the envoy team's guards were all selected from the best cavalry of the Great Song - the Dragon Guard Army, and there were many skilled fighters, but they all worried about the national prestige, winning would be fine, but losing would be unbearable.

  The Liao people, who were still brave and fierce, regarded victory or defeat as a common occurrence in the military. The Song people had many worries. Guo Yishi, who had long been ambitious, would not let go of such an opportunity to gain recognition from his lord. Seeing no one responding, he deliberately sneered: "Is it that there is no one in the Southern Dynasty?"

  As soon as these words came out, they were like a provocation, stirring up the Song people around the table to buzz incessantly. There were hot-blooded men who wanted to rise and respond to the challenge, all casting their eyes towards the Korean ambassador in the pavilion, waiting for his order.

  Han Xiaoqiu's face was full of awkwardness, the responsibility of being an envoy is heavy, one misstep could affect his career path. He dryly laughed and said: "Under the King of Yan, indeed there are hidden dragons. With peace as the priority, it's better to have fewer incidents than more. This envoy will borrow a flower to worship Buddha, let's toast to the strong gentleman..."

  Han Xiaoqu thought to laugh it off, but ended up provoking someone, who suddenly stood up: "I am a native of Hebei Province's Tangyin County, Yonghe Township, Xiaotianli Village. My surname is Yue and my given name is Fei Pengju. I dare ask for your instruction!"

  Following the custom of the Song people, he reported his family door in detail to the countryside. Xiao Wu was not a reckless person, on the one hand, he took advantage of the wine, and on the other hand, the patriotic blood in his bones was stimulated, and he didn't care about this move that exceeded his rank.

  Han Xiao's heart was annoyed, this muddy-legged villager was really rude, daring to interrupt his words and respond on his own! And that fake one, this little five must not be too weak, losing the face of the imperial court, but also can't be too strong, in case he hurt the Yan Wang's hand... Alas, why did he bring him here?

  Han Jiuer stared intently at Xiao Wu's back as he walked into the arena, feeling both delighted by his heroic spirit and worried that he might not be a match for the imperial guard, which concerned the honor of the country. She glanced at Guo Yashi again, and felt even more displeased.

  Guo the pharmacist sized up the young servant walking towards him, somewhat underestimating him. The opponent's physique was fairly robust, but much shorter than himself, with a narrow brow and wide forehead, not looking very impressive. However, since he dared to accept the challenge, he must be coming in earnest.

  "Are you looking for a fight?" Little Wu tucked the hem of his white robe into his waistband, clasped his fists together and asked with neither arrogance nor humility.

  "No holds barred, loser falls!" Guo the medicine master intentionally showed off his skills, ignoring the rules of cornering.

  The maid walked out of the pavilion again, holding up a large gold ingot: "King Yan said that the winner will be rewarded with 10 taels of yellow gold."

  Kuo the pharmacist heard this and shook his fist, opening his fists, making a starting pose, observing Xiao Wu's weaknesses, wanting to strike again to defeat the enemy.

  Xiao Wu saw that his opponent was a head taller than him, and he knew that he could only use clever tricks, not brute force. He pretended to be careless and stepped forward with a Black Tiger Heart-Grabbing Punch. Guo Yao Shi dodged to the side and used a single-leg trip, causing Xiao Wu to stumble backward and barely manage to steady himself.

  The two men's strengths and weaknesses were immediately apparent, causing everyone in the team to shake their heads and sigh. Xiao Wu seemed to be in a hurry, twisting his waist and hips, putting all his strength into his legs, and kicking one foot towards the guard's face. Guo Yao Shi didn't dodge or evade this time, transforming his fist into a claw, grabbing towards Xiao Wu's ankle, as long as he got a good grip, he could take advantage of the momentum to lift Xiao Wu up and throw him out.

  Although she was just a bystander, Han Jiu'er felt that Xiao Wu was in danger and couldn't help but exclaim loudly, forgetting to disguise her feminine voice. Fortunately, the drumbeat sounded at the right time, covering it up for her.

  Good little Wu, the moment you've been waiting for has finally arrived. The leg that kicked out was frozen in mid-air, and with it as an axis, his upper body rotated, his hands like a crane's beak, pecking at the waist of the guard, wrapping around it, and then charging forward, putting all his weight on him.

  Guo the pharmacist exclaimed, and suddenly understood his opponent's move. He was pressed down by Xiao Wu's momentum, and even with his strong waist strength, he couldn't withstand it. It seemed like he was about to fall over.

  At this critical moment, Guo the medicine master was indeed a tough guy from Liaodong, his four limbs firmly on the ground, like a giant turtle holding up the sky, stubbornly withstanding Xiao Wu's heavy pressure. According to the rules, as long as his body didn't touch the ground, he wouldn't be considered defeated.

  The situation turned around so quickly that before anyone could even blink, Xiao Wu had already gained the upper hand. Cheers and applause erupted from all directions, and even the Liao Kingdom guards couldn't help but move their faces, completely unexpected that this young man from the Southern Dynasty was actually so skilled with his hands. Although the two were evenly matched, anyone with discerning eyes could see that Xiao Wu had nothing to lose and everything to gain, while Guo Yao Shi had everything to lose and nothing to gain.

  Han Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly as he let out a quiet breath, casting a sideways glance at the King of Yan who was still smiling and nodding his head as he watched the scene unfold.

  This ending is for the best, Han Xiaoqi hastily stood up and declared: "This is a draw, which is in line with the principle of valuing harmony."

  The King of Yan also stepped down from the stage, raised his wine cup and said: "Haha, indeed heroes are young! Let me toast to these two good men with a cup! Two valuable items, each take one!"

  Since everyone has spoken, Xiao Wu spared him and stood up, saying "I'm sorry" and thanked the King of Yan for the wine. He took his jade scepter and returned to his seat with dignity.

  Guo the medicine master got up calmly, picked up the gold ingot, and bowed to King Yan: "I'm not skilled enough, I'm ashamed of General Yuan's cultivation, please divide the reward among the brothers."

  "Do not bring shame under our king's account." The King of Yan showed appreciation in his eyes, "Guo medicine master, you are a person from Liaodong, since you do not want to take advantage of things, go and become a commander of the vanguard army instead."

  The vengeful army, with the intention of taking revenge on the Jurchen people, was formed because the Liao army had been defeated by the Jin army several times and lacked sufficient military strength. It recruited famine refugees from eastern Liao and established eight battalions with nearly 30,000 soldiers. As the saying goes, "the times create heroes," Guo Jing rose to the stage of history at this time.

  The banquet ended in the middle, and the accompanying envoy led the Song Dynasty's delegation to rest at Yongping Hall outside Danfeng Gate in Yanjing. When they arrived at the post house, Han Xiao wanted to call Little Wu to scold him for disobeying his orders, but he was too drunk to do so and had to go to bed.

  The night had already changed watches, and the inn was quiet. Han Jiu'er, who had taken a room by himself, couldn't sleep at all. After hastily washing his face, he went to look for Xiao Wu but didn't see him anywhere. When he asked someone else in the same quarters, they said that Xiao Wu had gone out to relieve himself.

  Han Jiuer couldn't wait till nightfall and went to the outhouse to look for him. Under the moonlight, he saw someone from afar, leaning against the wall and vomiting loudly. Listening to the sound, if it wasn't Xiao Wu, who could it be?

  Xiao Wu grew up to be this big, having eaten so much wine and meat today, and also fought a battle with the Liao people. The food had been churning in his stomach for a long time, and it was easy to hold on until they arrived at the post house. As a result, he gave all of it to the land god. Just as he was regretting this, he suddenly heard a loud shout from behind him: "Since we didn't determine victory or defeat earlier, let's compete again. First, take a punch."

  Wu was startled, thinking it was Guo the medicine master coming to pick a fight. He listened carefully for the sound's direction and turned around to grab the person's throat. But how easy was this? However, he felt something slippery in his hand, and there was no Adam's apple. Scared, he quickly let go.

  "Cough, cough... Xiang Yuewu, you want to rob me of my wealth and take my life?" Han Jiuer coughed back into her normal voice. She was used to teasing people with this fake tone, but today she had inadvertently hurt herself.

  "What? Is that Xiao Jiu! Are you hurt?" Xiao Wu was even more shocked, and he leaned in to take a closer look. Although it was dark, he couldn't see clearly no matter how close he got, but he caught a whiff of a long-forgotten scent of a young girl's fragrance.

  "What do you want to do?" Han Jiu'er and Xiao Wu's noses were close together, a strong smell of vinegar came over, and she instinctively pushed him away.

  "Nine... nine miss, I didn't mean to... " Xiao Wu suddenly realized that he had overstepped the boundaries between men and women, and in his panic, he began to stutter, making it even harder to explain himself.

  "Only you know that you didn't mean to... thank you for the jade pendant..." Han Jiuer's cheeks suddenly felt hot, fortunately it was dark and her red face couldn't be seen.

  "So late, does Ninth Sister have something going on?" Xiao Wu also felt a wave of panic, wanting to hurry back to her room.

  "Brother Wu, the city of Youzhou is right in front of us. Didn't we agree to go and take a look?" Han Jiu'er said with a pitiful expression, fearing that Xiao Wu would refuse.

  "Alright... just this once, don't make it a habit."

  Yanjing city is 36 miles in circumference, the city wall is 3 zhang high and 1.5 zhang wide. The imperial city is built in the southwest corner of the city. There are eight gates outside the city, with Danfeng Gate near Yongping Hall being the south-west gate, also known as the south gate of the imperial city, which is set but not open. To enter the city, you can walk through the nearby Kaiyang Gate.

  Xiao Wu and Han Jiu'er slipped out of the door and found a camel car near their home that specialized in transporting night customers, saying they were going to the night market. It turned out that during the Song and Liao dynasties, it was a time of unprecedented prosperity in commerce, and the night market emerged as a result. Especially in the capital city, the night market lasted until the third watch, and then opened again at the fifth watch, bustling with activity, and the streets were crowded with people all night long.

  The rickshaw man cheated, opening his mouth to two hundred copper coins. Han Jiu'er was straightforward and threw out five taels of silver, wanting to go to the most fun and lively place. The heavenly god of wealth descended, and the rickshaw man was overjoyed, beaming with delight. He picked up the lantern and respectfully invited the two noble guests into the carriage, chatting incessantly along the way about the charm of Yanjing.

  Xiao Wu and Han Jiu'er didn't say much either, leaning against the car window, watching the night view while listening to Car Fu Hai's explanation. Only then did they realize that the majestic city wall they had just passed was the foundation of the Imperial City. First, it was the suburbs, with sparse stars and fires in the residential areas. As they entered the city gate, the lights were lined up, illuminating the magnificent buildings, scattered like stars, the streets were neat and tidy, wide and straight.

  The coachman introduced, the prosperous place of Yanjing, is the three markets in the north of the city. The mountain treasures and sea goods are all gathered here, eating, drinking, and traveling at your leisure. Xiao Wu first entered the big city, looked around with a busy schedule, thinking that this was originally my Han people's mountains and rivers, one day I will take it back.

  The camel or went straight or turned, without taking the shortcut, walked for about half a time, a hot wave rushed to the face, the noise suddenly came, but saw a big archway, inside the lanterns were like daylight, men and women, people coming and going, extremely lively.

  "Sir, we've arrived. This is the most lively and entertaining Beiluo Fang in Yanjing City." The coachman reined in his horses and stopped the carriage, saying politely, "The city gate will close at the third watch tonight. Are you planning to stay overnight? I know a good place to lodge."

  "Coachman, we'll be back soon. Please wait here and the fare will be added separately." Han Jiu'er's conversation was very measured, which made him seem more mature than Xiao Wu.

  "Great, great!" The driver was overjoyed and couldn't close his mouth. Today's luck is indeed good!

  "Little Nine, where are we going for a stroll?" Little Five also felt at ease following him and asked Han Jiuxiao to make the decision.

  "Nature is where people go to play." Han Jiuer turned her face back to its usual cheerful self, and hesitantly stretched out her small hand. "Fifth Brother, hold my hand, don't lose me in the crowd."

  "Oh!" Xiao Wu thought it made sense, and awkwardly held her hand, feeling the soft and cool palm. Suddenly, he remembered that this was the second time they had touched hands, and his heart felt a little strange.

  "Second Brother, are you leading an ox?" Han Jiuer also noticed and felt a slight flutter in her heart, but she found it amusing and teased him.

  "Isn't that..." Xiaowu's face turned bright red, how could he say that he had never held hands with a girl and strolled through the streets.

  This night, is Xiao Wu's unprecedented joy in this life, in this bustling and unfamiliar foreign land, he seemed to have shaken off all the heavy burdens and shackles, accompanied by a radiant and innocent face, back to the carefree childhood... The scene is like a dream, people are like illusions, heart is like intoxication!

  "The Han family's smoke and dust are in the northeast, the Han general is leaving home to defeat the remnants of the bandits... The warriors on the battlefield are half dead and alive, the beauties under the tent are still singing and dancing... The young woman in the south of the city wants to cut off her intestines, the soldiers in the north of Ji are empty-handed... Don't you see the bitterness of fighting on the sandy field? To this day, I still remember General Li Guang." Han Jiu'er was murmuring the famous poem "Yan Ge Xing" by Gao Shi, intentionally or unintentionally changing a word. The original text was "To this day, I still remember General Li", but she recited it as "Fei Jiangjun", which also referred to one person - the great Han general Li Guang who had outstanding military achievements, yet also had a double meaning with the person in front of her.

  Xiao Wu was deeply moved, thinking that the Flying General Li Guang had a tragic life. He was unparalleled in archery and had kept the Xiongnu at bay for many years, yet he never received any noble title in his lifetime. In the end, he could not bear to face the corrupt officials and took his own life with his sword. This is indeed a case of "a good man does not die a good death", leaving later generations to lament and sigh!

  At this time, the Song Dynasty's envoy team was walking on the ancient road of Juyongguan Pass, with two mountains towering on either side, steep valleys and layered peaks stretching out in all directions. It was late autumn, and the maple leaves on the mountain were a deep red, like waves rising up, a beautiful sight to behold.

  The Liao Emperor lived in the Upper Capital of Linhuang Mansion, and his entourage rushed northward from Yanjing, passing through Juyongguan Pass, via Shunzhou to Zhongjing, continuing further north. Along the way, what they saw became increasingly desolate, with sparse human habitation, and thickets of withered grass, a truly barren land where mountains and rivers reached their end.

  As they approached the capital, a message arrived from the relay station that the Emperor of Liao was not in Linhuang Mansion, but had gone to Autumn Mountain to hunt. It turned out that the Emperor of Liao followed the tradition of nomadic tribes and did not like to stay in palaces for long, but liked to go hunting all over the place, known as "spring water, autumn mountains, winter and summer hunting". Autumn Mountain refers to the mountain where they hunted in autumn. Sua is a Khitan word, referring to the emperor's mobile palace.

  Qiu Shan was in the midst of a mountain range in Qingzhou, and his team had to turn back and hurry along, lest they miss the birthday of the Liao Emperor. At that time, the autumn wind was howling, it was still warm at noon, but suddenly cold at night, and since there were no relay stations on the road, sometimes they had to set up tents and camp in the open, and even had to carry water with them as they traversed the desolate desert, it can be said that their hardships were unbearable.

  Xiao Wu and Han Jiu'er didn't feel the hardship at all. As young people, they were full of curiosity about new environments and got along well with each other. Along the way, they spent their days and nights together, so it was naturally enjoyable.

  As they entered the mountain forest, the trees reached for the sky, and the mountain road became increasingly rugged, making it impossible to drive a carriage. They had to dismount their horses and proceed on foot with great difficulty when they arrived at the most treacherous terrain.

  Han Jiuer was a delicate little girl, although she had not bound her feet, she could not walk on the rugged and thorny road, so she had to ride a horse, with Xiao Wu carefully leading the way, receiving the same treatment as the national envoy, her special identity was also hard to conceal.

  The team marched through the forest, occasionally startling rabbits to run and deer to jump, birds to fly and eagles to rise, making Han Jiu'er look delighted. Xiao Wu under the horse, however, didn't have such a good interest, fearing that some big insects or wild beasts would suddenly appear, checked his bow and arrow again, and held the iron spear in his hand, keeping an eye on all directions and listening carefully. The team's guards also had their swords at the ready, prepared for any unexpected event.

  Look at the sunlight shining through the branches, it's almost noon. Han Xiao had been sitting on his horse for a long time and was both tired and hungry, so he shouted to the guide in front to stop and rest for a while.

  The team got a brief relaxation, gathered together, and took dry food and water to eat. Just as they were chatting and laughing, suddenly a whistle sounded, and more than a dozen green shadows jumped out of the grass, with long guns and spearheads shining with cold light, surrounding the team. Behind the big trees on the periphery, more than a dozen archers also appeared, with sharp arrows on their strings, pointing directly at them...