Love Affairs in Chang’an

Chapter 22: Gun competition on the school field

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After drinking a glass of wine, Qin Mubai also felt a little burning, but he immediately filled up another glass of wine, stood up, walked to Li Ji, and said, "Uncle Li, I would like to toast you a glass, too."

"Okay. But I don't have the capacity of your Uncle Cheng. Let's just have a quick drink." Li Ji raised his glass with a smile and took a casual sip. Qin Mubai raised his neck and drank, his face turned red, and he said, "Uncle, you can do whatever you want, but juniors have to do it first out of respect."

"Good man! Second Brother Qin, your Sanlang is a good man!" Li Ji stroked his slender beard, looked at Qin Mubai with a smile, and nodded in approval.

"You two brothers are laughing at your useless dog." Qin Shubao laughed happily and raised his glass, "Brothers, I respect you again, let's do it!"

The three old friends of Wagang, who had known each other for decades, laughed and raised their glasses and downed a glass.

Cheng Zhijie became a little confused after drinking these two large glasses in a row. He shook his head, his face was as red as a monkey's butt, and his eyes were a little straight.

"What the hell kind of wine is this... I was knocked unconscious in just two glasses!"

It made everyone laugh again. The atmosphere at the table became relaxed, casual and intensely joyful.

After three rounds of drinking, everyone, including Qin Mubai, was a little tipsy. It can be seen that Qin Shubao's friendship with Cheng Zhijie and Li Ji is extraordinary. The three of them got acquainted twenty or thirty years ago. They have been fighting side by side since Wagang Village and sharing life and death together. Their friendship is extraordinary.

Especially Cheng Zhijie, he treated Qin Shubao like a brother. The two of them once left Wagang to live with Wang Shichong, and at the same time joined Li Shimin, becoming fierce generals of the Xuanjia Cavalry, the strongest unit under Li Shimin's command, and fought side by side in blood for more than ten years. After Li Shimin succeeded to the throne after the Xuanwumen Incident, the two men respectively served as the left and right Longwuwei generals, responsible for commanding the imperial guards to suppress the capital.

It can be said that the two have shared life and death together since they were teenagers, and their relationship is even better than that of biological brothers.

"How come these two good brothers, who have been serving as officers and soldiers abroad all year round, meet up to come back to Chang'an together and still have time to see me, an old loser?" Qin Shubao asked the two of them after the wine was half drunk.

Cheng Zhijie took the words and said: "Second brother, you don't know yet? Last year, Li Jing and others led the troops to pacify Tuyuhun and won a great victory. Not long ago, Master Wang returned to the court. Seeing that the New Year was about to come, the emperor issued an order A banquet was held in the palace to celebrate Li Jing and others, and all of us generals who were serving as officials were transferred back! "

"Oh, that's right." Qin Shubao nodded calmly, but his eyes suddenly dimmed a bit.

Even the generals who were sent away were called back, but no one came to invite me, Qin Qiong!

Li Ji seemed to have noticed Qin Shubao's emotional fluctuations, and smiled slightly: "Second brother, actually, I came today, firstly to visit my second brother and reminisce about the past, and secondly, to invite you to a banquet with me. Emperor. Your Majesty said that this grand event would lose a lot of flavor if it did not include Brother Qin, because no one can forget that Brother Qin was the most powerful general in the Qin Dynasty and the famous Iron-blooded God of War in the Tang Dynasty! "

"Haha, Mao Gong, you have become more and more talkative in the past few years since you became an official!" Qin Shubao laughed loudly, "Well, thank you very much, Brother Yu. Come, let's have another drink." !”

When Qin Mubai heard this conversation, he couldn't help but think: Cheng Zhijie is outspoken and outspoken, while Li Maogong is careful and tactful... In official circles, it is often the tactful people who get along well.

Li Ji is now the governor of Bingzhou, in charge of almost all the military power in Shandong of the Tang Dynasty (not the current "Shandong Province", but the vast area east of Mount Wei), and almost a quarter of the army in the Tang Dynasty. Holding it in his hand, it can be said to be a pillar of the entire dynasty, supporting half of the country in the east and north, and suppressing all the Yi and Di tribes in the north so that they do not dare to move.

In contrast, Cheng Zhijie was just an ordinary distant governor. Although he was named General Zuo Wuwei, the imperial army was no longer under his command.

Li Ji's ability may be stronger than Cheng Zhijie, but the saying "character determines success or failure" may not be an exaggeration when applied to official circles.

Cheng Zhijie drank a lot of wine, and his eyes were a little red. He smelled of alcohol and slapped Qin Mubai hard on the shoulder, saying: "Sanlang, you look so similar to your father, have you learned from him?" What’s the ability?”

"Uncle Cheng refers to martial arts?"

"Nonsense!" Cheng Zhijie said loudly, "Could it be that reciting poetry is just a way of flattering people? Your father and I are both serious martial artists. We can't do anything except lead troops to fight on the battlefield!"

Subtext, it seems to be a satire on Li Ji's smooth and hypocritical appearance.

Li Ji just smiled indifferently, Qin Shubao waved his hand gently at him, and could only shake his head and smile bitterly: "Ignore him. This stubborn old ghost has such a rotten mouth that can't spit out ivory." "

"Ignore them, tell me, how are your martial arts skills?" Cheng Zhijie held Qin Mubai in his arms.

"My nephew is not talented. He has not learned one ten thousandth of his father's martial arts skills, so he is only half-skilled." Qin Mubai replied with a smile.

"How can that be done?" Cheng Zhijie roared loudly, and slapped Qin Mubai hard on the shoulder to lift him up, "Let's go, I'll show you some moves! This second Qin brother can't even teach his own son any skills. , are you waiting to bring it into the coffin? Come on, let me teach you a few tricks!"

"Brother Cheng, we are here to visit Brother Qin today to reminisce about the past. Why don't you want to cause trouble?" Li Ji advised.

"You don't have to worry about it! My second brother, you won't feel bad if I teach your son some kung fu, right?" Cheng Zhijie jumped up without saying a word, and pulled Qin Mubai to leave.

Qin Shubao shook his head helplessly and said with a smile: "Since Yao Jin is so interested, let's come and watch the show together!"

Cheng Zhijie's original name was Cheng Yaojin, but he later changed his name to "Cheng Zhijie" with the courtesy name Yizhen. Now except Qin Shubao, probably no one would call him by his old name "Yaojin" so affectionately.

"That's right, haha!" Cheng Zhijie laughed hahaly, "Remember when we were young in Wagang, there was no day when we didn't compete with real swords and guns, and we were sweating profusely and even bleeding? As a person? A strong-willed man should have courage and blood—nephew, come with me!”

After saying that, Cheng Zhijie grabbed Qin Mubai's wrist with a big hand like a vise and dragged him towards the polo field in the backyard.

Qin Mubai smiled helplessly and had no choice but to let him go. A good man doesn't fight with a drunkard, not to mention he is his father's friend and an elder.

Qin Shubao and Li Ji also followed out one after another, attracting Liu family, Qin Shuang'er and some servants to watch. Martial arts were popular in the Tang Dynasty, and martial arts competitions were popular with everyone, so it was naturally a normal thing.

Cheng Zhijie was so excited that he went to the stable and picked out two good horses. He picked up an eight-foot horse stall and asked Qin Mubai, "Boy, what weapon do you use?"

"My father taught me how to shoot."

"Well, your marksmanship is good." Cheng Zhijie said, "Back then, Brother Qin's pair of maces, a pair of fists, and a spear made all the heroes in the world frightened. Since you are learning marksmanship, it's good that I, Old Cheng, have been doing it all his life. Ma Shan, let me teach you a few tricks today! Mount the horse for me!”

Qin Mubai and Li Ji stood not far away and laughed together. Li Ji said: "This old ghost Cheng is bullying the younger generation. He has swords and sticks and guns all his life. He has been playing horse racing for thirty years. How can nephew Mu Baixian be his opponent? Not to mention Mu Baixian. Nephew, looking at the world, I am afraid that there are only a few people like you and Yuchi Jingde who are his opponents."

"I'm an old man. It's hard for me to move. How can I mount a horse and fight?" Qin Shubao said with a smile, stroking his long beard, "But Yao Jin has good intentions. In his eyes, my son is just like his own son." . This guy is both rough and subtle. What he does often seems absurd but actually has profound meaning. I want to see what he means today.”

"Haha, let's wait and see. I'm also very curious about your master's martial arts." Li Ji nodded and smiled, already staring at the school field.

Qin Mubai picked up a spear and mounted his horse. He held the spear in his hand and said, "Uncle Cheng, the sword has no eyes. How about we remove the spear tip and use a cloth dipped in lime?"

"Bullshit, fart!" Cheng Zhijie said loudly, "When you go to the battlefield, will the enemy be so polite to you? My dear nephew, remember this for me. When you go to the battlefield, don't put any nonsense in your mind - just remember There is your enemy in front of you. If you don't kill him, he will kill you. Only in this way can you survive. I have been fighting with you for decades, and I don't know how many people have died under our guns. My brother and friend died in front of us, and we finally understood this truth - do you remember it? "

"My nephew understands!" Qin Mubai responded loudly.

"Okay. Now use all your moves on me! Beat me to death!" Cheng Zhijie shouted loudly.

Cheng Zhijie's sound was like a huge thunder with a hint of murderous intent, which frightened Mrs. Liu, Qin Shuang'er and the palace servants in the distance and screamed. Qin Shubao and Li Ji were indifferent, with smiles on their faces.

Qin Mubai gritted his teeth and thought: Some unofficial histories and novels said that Cheng Yaojin used a wooden axe. It seems that the rumors are just rumors after all and cannot be taken as true. If there was a competition in archery, I'm afraid I wouldn't lose to any of them; in this instant kung fu and spear skills competition... I'm afraid I'd lose far. Cheng Zhijie has been riding horses for half his life, and his spear skills are definitely at an advanced level. I tried my best to fight with him, and I thought it was a great experience!

"Uncle Cheng, this junior is offended!"

His eyebrows sank and his tongue exploded with spring thunder. Qin Mubai shouted angrily and spurred his horse forward. A long spear in his hand flew forward like a letter of poisonous tongue and struck directly between Cheng Zhijie's chest and abdomen.

Cheng Zhijie seemed to be half drunk and half awake, sitting on the horse without moving. He saw Qin Mubai's sharp and domineering spear stabbing him at an extremely fast speed. He just smiled, raised the gun with one hand and one elbow, and fired out with one shot. With a "dang" sound, Qin Mubai's gun was taken away!

The moment the Pegasus passed the gap, Qin Mubai's gun power was knocked out, and the door around him opened wide. Cheng Zhijie's gun was like a cold water snake, attacking his back quickly and cunningly!

In this flash of lightning, Qin Mubai felt a sudden chill in his heart: Not good!

Before he could react, he was shot in the back.

pain!

"Bang!" The force of the shot was irresistible, and it actually knocked Qin Mubai off his horse!

It fell to the ground with a "plop", it was so miserable!

Fortunately, the horse's speed was not very fast. Cheng Zhijie obviously had reservations and did not try his best. Although Qin Mubai fell to the ground in a bit of embarrassment, his injuries were not very serious.

Liu and Qin Shuang'er in the distance screamed in fright and were about to run over. Qin Shubao shouted: "What are you doing? Back off!"

"Yes..." When Mrs. Liu and Qin Shuang'er met Qin Shubao's sharp eyes, they didn't dare to make any mistakes. They could only watch Qin Mubai slowly get up from afar with worry, stamping their feet anxiously.

"Haha, brat, you haven't fought on a horse yet, have you? No, no, no, if this were on the battlefield, you would already have a transparent hole in your body! Your marksmanship is too scattered and you are extremely inexperienced, and it is not even remotely practical. , I can only coax the eldest girl. If you go into battle, you will be killed in half a round." Cheng Zhijie pointed his gun at Qin Mubai and shouted carelessly, "Get on the horse and wait for me to fight again. Teach you some practical skills!”

Qin Mubai patted the dirt on his hands, gritted his teeth and nodded heavily, then mounted the horse again with the gun in hand.

Li Ji laughed heartily: "Old Ghost Cheng's men really have some skills. Back then, he and you were both known as the Tiger and Lion Generals of the Prince of Qin's Palace. It seems that they are indeed well-deserved!"

"Oh, Lao Cheng's kung fu has never been bad. Even when I was in my prime, I wasn't sure I could beat him." Qin Shubao said, "Moreover, Lao Cheng has a temperament. When encountering a strong opponent, the stronger he gets, the more he fights. Do you still remember when he and Pei Xingyan fought against Wang Shichong? "

"Of course I remember," Li Ji said. "He and Pei Xingyan went to rescue Shan Xiongxin, but they were surrounded by Wang Shichong. Pei Xingyan was hit by an arrow and fell from his horse. Cheng Laogui single-handedly entered the siege to rescue him, fighting his way through the crowd. A bloody road rescued him. At that time, Cheng Laogui was pierced by a gun in the thigh. He immediately drew his sword and cut off the gun. He also killed the person who stabbed him with the gun, and then fought with extreme ferocity. , the sergeants who surrounded him were so scared that they didn't dare to pursue him. He then fought his way back with the injured Pei Xingyan. "

"Haha, yes!" Qin Shubao sighed with emotion and said, "After that battle, I really admired him. Not to mention his martial arts and courage, in such a dangerous situation, he would rather die together than He is willing to abandon his brothers to survive alone. This kind of loyalty is admirable. "

"Haha, if you want to talk about Yi Bo Yuntian, who after Qin's second brother would dare to boast?" Li Ji laughed.

On the other side, Qin Mubai was thrown off his horse by Cheng Zhijie for the sixth time. He was so embarrassed that he was covered in dirt and his teeth were bared.

"No, no, come again!" Cheng Zhijie was still yelling, "Qin Sanlang, who taught you your ghost marksmanship? It's really terrible! You, me and your father are not as good as you, me and your father if you have a hundred skills combined. Your opponent! Don’t you think it’s embarrassing if the tiger father has no son?”

Qin Mubai was so angry that he climbed on the horse again and fought with Cheng Zhijie.