The Art of War Chapter 11: The Nine Battlegrounds

  Xu Ning saw that the notorious Gao Ya Nei was so "courteous and humble", he felt greatly surprised in his heart, thinking to himself: "Indeed, hearing about someone is not as good as meeting them in person!" The Golden Gun Battalion was a subordinate of the Imperial Guard's Cavalry Command, and since the position of Commander-in-Chief was currently vacant, it was temporarily overseen by the Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guard. Therefore, Xu Ning was also Gao Ya Nei's subordinate. Seeing Gao Ya Nei being so modest and humble, putting on an air of intentionally trying to win people over, he naturally didn't dare to be slow in responding, and hastily thanked him profusely.

  A few people chatted in front of the gate, Lu Zhishen soon became impatient and strode into the inner room. Lin Chong knew his temper and didn't mind, stretching out his hand to invite Gao Qiu and Xun Ning inside. However, Gao Qiu was a man who respected his teachers and valued morality, insisting that Lin Chong go first, then yielding to Xun Ning, pushing and yielding for a while before they all entered the courtyard.

  It was already lunchtime, so Lin Chong ordered the wine and food to be brought out. They set up a banquet under the pagoda tree in the courtyard, on a stone table. He also called out the maid, Jin'er, to warm the wine. As soon as Jin'er came out with the wine jug, she caught sight of Gao Qiang and her expression turned sullen. As she warmed the wine, she was heavy-handed, spilling some on him, and clinking the cups loudly on the table, making a "clattering" sound. This made Gao Qiang extremely embarrassed, and Lin Chong couldn't do anything about it no matter how many times he tried to intervene.

  After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, several people talked about martial arts, and gradually they got into the right mood. Those three were all military officers, practicing a style of kung fu, and when they started discussing it, their words flowed freely, their interest soared, and although Gao was not knowledgeable in this area, he was thrilled to see his childhood heroes talking about guns and sticks in front of him, and he kept refilling their wine cups.

  The three men's martial arts were different. Lu Zhishen was from the Guanxi military system, under the command of Zhongyi Dao, and had fought against the Western Xia and Hexi tribes for many years, emphasizing powerful simplicity, with a focus on iron rod techniques. After killing Zheng Tuo and escaping to the Jianghu, he also clashed with top greenwood fighters like Cui Daicheng, incorporating various folk styles into his staff techniques, making him the most versatile of the three in terms of martial arts.

  Lin Chong was a true master of the imperial army's spear and staff techniques. In the Northern Song Dynasty, there were countless famous generals who used spears in battle, such as Yang Family Spear, Gao Family Spear, and Hu Family Spear, all of which were renowned for their spear techniques in the military. The founding emperor Zhao Kuangyin was also famous for his military exploits with a single staff, earning him the nickname "One Staff Conquers Four Hundred Armies". During the Song Dynasty, the military system adopted the strategy of strong trunk and weak branches, concentrating elite soldiers and fierce generals in the capital, known as the Imperial Guard, which was the cream of the crop. The instructors of spear and staff techniques for the Imperial Guard were elected by the soldiers and lower-ranking officers, each one being a true master of their craft. Lin Chong's mastery of spear and staff techniques can be imagined.

  Xu Ning was again a unique figure, skilled in the use of the hook spear. The hook spear is said to have originated from the Eastern Zhou period, when long-handled weapons were popular, and the ge (dagger-axe) and ji (halberd) were its representatives. During the Three Kingdoms period, the flying general Lü Bu used a halberd, with his "heavenly painted halberd" causing ghosts to be afraid, and at Tiger Trap Pass, he single-handedly held off tens of thousands of enemy troops from the east, starting a trend of using halberds. After the Tang Dynasty, the use of halberds gradually decreased, while spear techniques became more popular, probably because the head of the halberd was too heavy, making it inconvenient to wield and not conducive to widespread use. By the Five Dynasties period, famous generals Li Cunxiao and Wang Yan Zhang were both skilled in using spears, with Wang Yan Zhang being known as "Wang Iron Spear", which further emphasized the importance of spears in the military.

  As for the revival of the hook spear, it was a matter of this dynasty. During the Taizu period, the Party item Li Jiqian occupied Lingzhou and established the Western Xia. When Yuanhao came to power, the army forged linked horses, wrapping people and horses in iron armor. Five riders formed a group, charging forward without any obstacles, and swords, guns, and arrows could not stop them. The Song army had no good way to deal with it, and after repeated battles, they still couldn't win. Someone thought of the old halberd, but many halberd techniques were no longer passed down. They imitated the shape of the halberd and added a horizontal branch to the spear, which not only stabbed but also had the effect of sweeping horizontally. Using it to defend against linked horses was very effective, and the use of hook spears was summarized from repeated battles.

  However, the Jin Gun class used hook sickle guns not to train any special troops, but because Emperor Huizong saw someone holding a hook sickle gun in the army one day, and unknowingly touched his artistic cells. He felt that there were countless profound meanings on the small branches of the gun, but he couldn't come up with a poem at the moment, so he regretted it. So he ordered the Jin Gun class to use hook sickle guns, and also asked them to be gilded, so that His Majesty could see them every morning and evening, which would help trigger artistic inspiration.

  Gao Xiang listened with great interest, suddenly remembered something and asked: "Xu Jiao, I once heard that your family has a treasure armor, which is a fine-made wild goose feather lock armor. It's light and sturdy when worn on the body, and swords, guns, and arrows can't hurt it. It's called Sai Tangying, may I take a look?"

  Xu Ning's face immediately turned ugly upon hearing this. He knew that this armor was coveted by many high-ranking officials, and Yang Yun, the commander of the Imperial Guard, had once offered 30,000 taels to buy it from him. Xu Ning had declined, saying that it had been stolen by bandits, thus dispelling their envy. But how did this High Commissioner know about this matter?

  However, although it's hard to say this, he couldn't help but smile wryly and say: "It's a good thing that you know, General. This armor of mine is quite eye-catching. Last year, our superior, Commander Yang, wanted to buy this armor from me, but unfortunately, it was stolen by thieves. As a result, I was scolded by Commander Yang, and the opportunity to be promoted to the Golden Spear Battalion was also lost. It's really shameful."

  Gao heard something strange, the Liangshan Po hadn't even raised the pole yet, where did the timing of the theft of armor come from? After careful consideration, he suddenly remembered: it turned out that Xu Ning was afraid that he would have to go on stage later and left the precious armor to protect his life. Even if someone offered a high price to buy it, first of all, the other party was a superior, and it was unknown whether the money could be obtained. Even if it was sold at a high price, what use would the wealth of ten thousand families be if he were pierced by an arrow on stage one day? He didn't want to sell it, and he was afraid that the high-ranking officials would ask for it repeatedly, so he made up a lie, saying that it had been stolen by thieves, but actually hid the armor in a box under the house beam.

  He was well aware of the other's intentions, but didn't fall for it. At this point, he couldn't say much, so he pretended to be disappointed and regretful, saying that unfortunately, he wouldn't get to see the precious armor again. He patted his chest and assured Xu Ning that he would definitely find a way to retrieve the armor in Kaifeng Prefecture, and when the time came, he only hoped to catch a glimpse of it. Xu Ning secretly laughed to himself, while outwardly thanking him profusely and cursing the thief for being heartless, even stealing something as precious as the general's personal belongings. They both understood each other's intentions, but couldn't express themselves, so they just drank their wine in silence.

  As they were talking about the precious sword, Lu Zhishen suddenly remembered Gao Qiu's sword and mentioned it to Lin Chong and Xu Ning. Lin Chong was overjoyed when he heard this and said to Xu Ning: "Brother, you don't know that Commander Gao's precious sword is famous throughout the capital, and he treasures it extremely highly. It's not something that ordinary people can even see, let alone today when we have the opportunity to behold its splendor, which is truly a great fortune."

  Xu Ning was also curious, urging Gao Qiang to take out his treasured sword. Gao Qiang said, "Let's show off our style too! Although you've hidden your precious armor so tightly that not even a breeze can get through, I won't be as stingy as you." He then reached for the waist and pressed the clasp, and with a "clang", his treasured sword was already in hand.

  Lin Chong and Xu Ning were both excited, passing the knife back and forth in their hands, admiring it repeatedly, and praising it continuously. Suddenly, Xu Ning said: "Sir, my younger brother is skilled at making military equipment, which is a fine craftsmanship passed down from our ancestors. If you permit me, I would like to invite my younger brother to come and take a look at this knife together, so that he can understand the method of its manufacture."

  Gao Liang suddenly remembered that Xu Ning's brother-in-law was not the Golden Leopard Tong Long? However, according to Master Shi's account, this man should have been a soldier under Yan'an Prefecture in the west first, responsible for making military equipment. Later, due to his love of gambling, he lost his family and drifted into the rivers and lakes to make a living by selling his art. How did he end up in Dongjing Bianliang?

  But this is not a good question to ask, otherwise I would have become a monster myself. I hurriedly smiled and said: "This is very good, according to my father's words, this knife was introduced from the Western Regions by a big merchant, so no one can recognize its manufacturing method. If Uncle really knows, I will go back and tell my father, please order the military equipment supervisor to manufacture it, which would be a great achievement."

  Xu Ning was overjoyed, never expecting this little servant to be so resourceful. Lin Chong's discerning eye had indeed not erred. Lin Chong also liked the idea and hastily ordered his family members to go to Xu Ning's home to summon Tang Long.

  Time was not long, a sturdy man followed Lin Chong's family and hastily entered, Gao Qiang glanced at him briefly, seeing that he was slightly taller than Xu Ning, with a collapsed nose and small eyes. The most striking thing was the big freckles all over his face, which made it clear that he was "Golden Leopard" Tang Long. However, according to what Shi Da said, this man's whole body was covered in freckles, could it be that he had some kind of skin disease? Ugh, it's better to keep a distance from him.

  That man came closer, and Lin Chong had met him before. They exchanged greetings. Xu Ning saw that he was familiar with Lu Zhishen and Gao Qiu's sole son, and the man, upon hearing that he was Gao Qiu's son, smiled so hard that his ugly face scrunched up: "Your humble servant Tang Long, at your service, sir. I hope you're doing well."

  Gao Jian waved his hand and said, "Tang... this, Uncle Tang doesn't have to be so polite. As a respected elder and my master's brother, I should be the one calling you 'Uncle'." Tang Long hastily thanked him, refusing to acknowledge this uncle of his. Jokingly, did he have multiple heads to dare claim to be Gao Jian's brother?

  They exchanged polite words, but Lu Zhishen was impatient. In the end, it was Lin Chong who spoke up, and only after Gao Qiu called out "Old Brother" did he stop. Tang Long's body had already relaxed by three-tenths.

  When Xu Ning explained the purpose of his invitation and flashed the knife, Tang Long was shocked. The worldly flattering expression on his face disappeared, his eyes shone brightly, and he exclaimed: "This, this is probably a Damascus treasure knife forged from Wootz steel from Tianzhu?!"

  Everyone saw him call out his origin in one breath, and they were all invigorated. Lin Chong hastily asked: "Tang Xian-di, do you know the method of forging this sword?"

  Tang Long ignored him, his hands rubbing back and forth on the blade's surface with a look of infatuation, speaking as if in a trance: "My late father once said that ten million eight thousand li to the west, there is a great country called Tianzhu. In the past, Tang Xuanzang went there to retrieve scriptures. This land produces fine steel, which the locals call Wuzi steel, and it's extremely tough. Further west lies a great country called Dashi, with a large city called Damascus, where many skilled craftsmen live. They smelt Wuzi steel into knives, taking years to complete. The top-grade ones are curved or straight as desired, can cut through iron like mud, shine brightly but dimly, and even after beheading thousands of people, the blade remains new. These are the world's number one precious knives."

  Gao Jian was enchanted and asked repeatedly: "Tang brother, what other wonders does this knife have? How was it forged?"

  Tang Long was like a dream come true, seeing that the official was asking him questions, he hurriedly smiled and said: "I report to the official, this knife is often whistling at midnight if it has killed many people, this is a strange thing. As for the method of forging, hehe, the official asked the right person."

  Everyone was overjoyed, and Lu Zhishen was the most impatient. He repeatedly asked: "What is the method of creation, speak quickly, speak quickly!"

  His voice was loud and clear, which startled Tang Long: "In the past, my father had a chance to learn from a master craftsman who wandered into the Central Plains and taught me how to make knives. However, to forge this knife, only the finest Uzi steel will do, which is a difficult thing."