Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 363 Gao Yanzong and Shi Wansui

The outer training ground of Jinyang.

Outside the parade ground, there are many secret sentries and visible guard posts.

The training ground was exceptionally lively.

I saw many knights running back and forth, shooting at wooden targets in the distance.

The most amazing thing is that those wooden targets can move.

There is a simple wooden track under the wooden man. The wooden man stands on the car and moves repeatedly left and right. The tracks are staggered with each other, and the movement directions and speeds of the wooden men are different.

The knights started running from a long distance and shot arrows. Very few of them missed and most of them hit the target.

Shi Wansui stood not far away, with his hands on his hips, staring blankly at the moving target in the distance.

A man who looked like a military officer stood beside him, bowing his head and explaining to him the buildings and equipment around the parade ground.

Shi Wansui walked forward curiously and looked at the tracks on the ground.

The officer hurriedly explained: "General, this is called a Pegasus target."

"Pegasus?"

"Yes, most of the wooden figures in Jinyang Parade Ground are these movable Pegasus targets. The track underneath is the same as the track on the chariot road. Some of these wooden figures need to be pushed, some can be pulled, and some can walk on their own."

"Leave by yourself?"

"Yes, some places are powered by water, taking advantage of the terrain. Would you like to see it?"

"We'll see later. Do the Jinyang soldiers usually use this kind of target for training?"

"Yes, it has been many years, more than 20 years ago, this kind of Pegasus target has been used in the parade ground here. I heard that when Wen Gaoyang was in power, he wanted to attack the Hu people outside the Great Wall, but the Hu people were good at riding and shooting, and they came and went very quickly. In order to allow his cavalry to compete with the Hu cavalry, he ordered the construction of similar Pegasus targets in various places in Jinyang, so that the cavalry could hit the target when the enemy was moving quickly!"

The military officer said this with a smile, and couldn't help but look at the knights of the Mandrill Camp who were riding and shooting in the distance.

"The Mandrill Camp is really amazing. They can hit the target as soon as they make contact."

Shi Wansui nodded blankly and continued walking with the military officer.

They went around a fence and turned around. Shi Wansui pointed to a section of city wall in front of them.

"I just wanted to ask, this is a tall wall, but there is only this section of it, standing here, with nothing in front or behind, what does this mean?"

"General, this is used to practice siege and defense."

"We have specialized craftsmen who can restore these city walls one-to-one according to the design drawings of many different border cities, so that the soldiers can get familiar with them."

"A little further ahead, there is the Yongfeng City Wall of the Zhou people. They are all built according to the Yongfeng City Wall. Soldiers usually practice attacking on this wall. If they really see it, they will have experience to use."

Shi Wansui was amazed and touched the section of the city wall in front of him.

No wonder the Jinyang soldiers are so powerful.

These training methods are truly world-leading!
The military officer at the side continued to introduce the surrounding training facilities to Shi Wansui with a smile on his face.

"Where are the builders now?"

Shi Wansui suddenly asked.

The smile on the military officer's face disappeared immediately.

"They were ordered to go to the palace, but then they disappeared. When the other craftsmen found out, they fled."

"Can you call me again?"

"Then I have to go find out."

"What are they doing at the palace?"

"I heard that they were also building a city or something like that."

Shi Wansui asked many more questions and could not help but sigh: "No wonder the Jinyang soldiers are so elite. The equipment used for this exercise is different from that of other places. There are special pools, cities, flying horse targets, and even the venue is several times larger than other places. These must be recorded, and other places may follow suit in the future."

Just when Shi Wansui took out his small notebook to record, there was a noise coming from the gate of the training ground.

Shi Wansui turned back suspiciously.

But then he saw a man riding a warhorse, walking into the parade ground with an arrogant look on his face.

The soldiers who were training also put down what they were doing one by one and looked in his direction.

Yuchi Jia in the distance glanced at Shi Wansui, and Shi Wansui winked at him.

The person who came was Gao Yanzong.

Gao Yanzong looked at the elite troops in front of him with a smile.

If we can’t get the elite troops from Jinyang, then of course we have to get the Mandrill Camp.

During these few days, he basically did nothing else but stick around Liu Taozi all day, arguing with him and "demanding" him to let him be the commander of the Mandrill Camp. After he demonstrated his bravery, the general finally relented and let him serve as the Left Guard General in the Mandrill Camp.

The chief commander of the Mandrill Camp is the general, under whom are two generals.

General of the Left Guard, General of the Right Guard.

Not long ago, Shi Wansui was promoted to General of the Right Guard due to his military achievements in the south.

Gao Yanzong looked at the elite soldiers in front of him with a look of pride on his face.

He likes to lead elite troops; ordinary knights cannot keep up with his charging speed.

He cleared his throat, took out the token from his waist and showed it to everyone.

"Everyone!!"

"From now on, I will be the Left Guard General of the Mandrill Camp! I will command the camp and train you for the general!!"

Gao Yanzong's voice was loud and clear, and everyone could hear it clearly.

At this moment, Shi Wansui kept pushing away the people in front of him and walked towards Gao Yanzong.

When Shi Wansui arrived in front of Gao Yanzong, Gao Yanzong had already said a lot, all of which were instructing everyone to practice hard and so on.

Shi Wansui raised his head and stared at Gao Yanzong.

He knew how much his general valued the Mandrill Camp.

They actually let this guy be the General of the Left Guard? ?
Could it be that this fat guy really has something?

Shi Wansui put away the contempt and hostility in his heart and bowed his head to Gao Yanzong.

"Long live the Right Guard General Shi, I pay my respects to the Left Guard General."

Gao Yanzong narrowed his eyes. When his brother asked everyone not to be hostile to the royal family, this guy was very angry with him. But when he learned that he had become the commander-in-chief, he immediately lowered his head.

How did such a wimp get selected?

Gao Yanzong raised his head slightly, "Long live Shi?"

"good."

"I heard you have some martial arts skills?"

some?

Shi Wansui slowly raised his head and narrowed his eyes, "Why, could it be that the general also has some martial arts skills?"

Gao Yanzong laughed loudly and jumped off his horse.

The voice was very loud. When he quickly walked in front of Shi Wansui, Shi Wansui looked up at the fat man in front of him.

In fact, Gao Yanzong's height was not too exaggerated. Although he was tall, it was not outrageous. However, his physique was indeed large, which made it difficult for his warhorse.

Shi Wansui was a strong man, but in front of Gao Yanzong, he looked a little thin.

"Would you like to give it a try?"

Gao Yanzong pointed to the side, where several warriors with bare upper bodies were standing. This was the place for hand-to-hand combat.

There are many weapons placed on both sides, most of which are made of wood.

Shi Wansui was not afraid, "Okay."

The two men just walked over, and the soldiers made way for them.

The two men walked onto the stage and took off their shirts.

Shi Wansui was exceptionally strong, with a body full of muscular muscles and extremely long hands, and he looked like he was good at archery.

When Gao Yanzong took off his clothes, his whole body was covered with flesh, which trembled with his movements.

The two picked up sticks from the side and slowly approached each other.

Shi Wansui frowned, his eyes were particularly determined, but Gao Yanzong still had a smiling look on his face.

"Boom~~"

Shi Wansui stood on tiptoe and pounced, flying out like an arrow, with the wooden stick in his hand going straight for Gao Yanzong's throat.

"Crack~~"

Gao Yanzong swung the stick horizontally.

With just one hit, Shi Wansui's wooden stick was hit hard and accurately, and the stick broke directly. Shi Wansui's palm began to hurt. He took a few steps back in astonishment and looked at the monster in front of him in disbelief.

Gao Yanzong looked at the bandages on Shi Wansui's body, especially the wound on his arm, and slowly dropped the wooden stick.

"It's not fair to you. Let's just use our fists."

Shi Wansui dropped the stick, pounced forward again, and punched Gao Yanzong in the face.

The punch was fast and accurate, and he retreated immediately after throwing it to avoid being caught by the opponent.

After being hit like this, Gao Yanzong shook his head. Then, his eyes lit up and he actually laughed, "Not bad, you are quite strong."

Shi Wansui began to get a little angry.

Is this a blatant disrespect to me?
Shi Wansui then stepped forward again, using all the means at his disposal. He moved extremely quickly, using both his hands and feet, and continuously hitting Gao Yanzong with his fists and whip kicks. Gao Yanzong could only passively defend himself and was beaten back repeatedly.

Suddenly, Gao Yanzong stretched out his hand and grasped Shi Wansui's fist, and threw it hard. Shi Wansui was actually thrown up and thrown out.

Shi Wansui barely landed safely, but Gao Yanzong started charging towards him.

When he ran, the ground shook.

The soldiers around were stunned, and more and more people gathered here to watch the two generals fighting.

Shi Wansui was faster than Gao Yanzong, and his fist could often hit the opponent first. However, Gao Yanzong hardly moved after being hit. But his fists frightened the soldiers, so Shi Wansui did not dare to be hit.

Gao Yanzong kept forcing his opponent’s movement, forcing him into a corner, and then he lunged forward and caught him.

The two men grabbed each other's shoulders and began to wrestle.

Both of their faces turned red. Shi Wansui gradually became exhausted and his body was constantly pressed down. Just as he was about to be pinned to the ground by Gao Yanzong, Gao Yanzong suddenly withdrew his hand.

Shi Wansui staggered and Gao Yanzong supported him.

Shi Wansui raised his head, and Gao Yanzong burst into laughter.

"It's almost time. If you keep fighting, you'll get hurt. Your injuries haven't healed yet, so it would be unfair if I beat you."

"When you recover, we'll come back again!"

Shi Wansui took a few steps back and saluted Gao Yanzong, "Yes."

"Why be so polite!"

Gao Yanzong, however, directly pulled the other person over, put his arm around his shoulders, and squinted his eyes so much that they were invisible.

"I'm a straightforward person, so I'll tell you the truth. I thought you were a wimp and wanted to beat you up, but I didn't expect you to be such a good fighter. To be honest, after I became an official, my brothers couldn't beat me anymore, and many people in the army were unwilling to compete with me. This is the first time someone has beaten me so hard!"

Shi Wansui chuckled, "The general is truly brave."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"How many???"

"Seventeen, almost eighteen"

Gao Yanzong was amazed and pinched Shi Wansui's arm, "Amazing! I'm five years older than you!"

"When I was your age, I was still feeding people. Well, you are pretty good."

"From now on, don't call me general. Just call me brother. We should call each other brothers. At your age, you can compete with me. If another five or six years pass, who will be your opponent?"

Shi Wansui blushed a little at the praise and lowered his head, "I don't deserve it."

Gao Yanzong looked at the other soldiers and said, "Everyone, go train!"

"only!!"

Everyone received the order and after seeing Gao Yanzong's bravery just now, they did not dare to underestimate the new officer and continued with their previous training.

Gao Yanzong just pulled Shi Wansui off the stage.

"Brother, follow me, I'll treat you to some fruit juice!"

"Brother, the alcohol ban is in place. Drinking alcohol will result in heavy fines, and generals and officials will be punished more severely."

"I know!"

The two men walked to a stable in the parade ground, changed their clothes, and Gao Yanzong asked someone to bring some drinks, anything would do.

After changing clothes, a soldier brought tea.

Gao Yanzong sat here helplessly and drank tea with Shi Wansui.

"I really don't know when the prohibition will be repealed. I haven't had alcohol for a long time."

Gao Yanzong muttered a few words, then looked at Shi Wansui's arm, "Are you okay with your injury?"

"no problem."

"And your forehead. How did you get hurt?"

"I met a fierce general in the south, Xiao Mohe."

"How does it compare to me?"

Shi Wansui was silent for a moment and did not reply. Gao Yanzong was very surprised. "Is he stronger than me?"

"He was also injured at the time so it was hard to tell who was better."

Gao Yanzong laughed and said, "No problem, next time we meet, we'll fight together!"

"what??"

Shi Wansui thought Gao Yanzong wanted to take his place, so he asked, "Brother, isn't it a bit unethical to fight two against one?"

"It's OK. My brother, um, the general once said that evil cannot prevail over good."

"In the future, when we meet an enemy general, we will attack together. If they can stop us, they are righteous. If they can't beat us, they are evil. Evil cannot prevail over righteousness! Those who can't defeat us are evil! Don't worry about it!"

Shi Wansui looked confused.

Gao Yanzong continued, "Besides, you and I are not knights-errant. We are generals. If we kill an enemy general, how many brothers can survive? Who cares about morality or not? Letting our own family survive is the greatest morality!"

"You are still young and have a lot to learn. Come to think of it, I have always wanted to have a younger brother. Hahaha, that's perfect."

"Brother, don't you have a younger brother?"

"There is one, but it's a pity that he has grown crooked. No one has taught him over the years. He is greedy, steals money, is lazy, doesn't like to study, and doesn't learn martial arts. What a pity."

"Then why not?"

"Yes, my brothers and I are going to send him to the frontier as a soldier to see if he can change anything."

"Let's not talk about him anymore. Brother, tomorrow we have to lead the army to various military training grounds. I know those Jinyang soldiers best. If we don't suppress them from time to time, they will definitely cause chaos. When the time comes, we will put on a show. You cooperate with me. I will tell you which ones are the troublemakers. You can beat them up and I will come out to persuade them to calm down."

"okay."

Jinyang Palace.

Zu Ting fiddled with the many documents in front of him, spreading them out one by one. The entire hall was filled with them, leaving almost no place to stand.

"My lord, that's all for now."

"These are all former royal family members and old generals who were originally granted titles."

"I think the number of kings should be limited and should not be allowed to increase too much. Among the royal family, Gao Yu and Gao Changgong should be able to become kings based on their military achievements."

"Over the years, Gao Yu has been in charge of the appointment and dismissal of officials in the entire north, as well as agriculture, sericulture, industry and commerce, and other major affairs. He has done a very good job. With such achievements, I think it is okay for him to continue to be a prince. Gao Changgong defeated the Turks and then followed you to attack Chang'an. He has made great contributions. Previously, Wei Xiaokuan wanted to attack Lingzhou while you were away, but was also repelled by him. With these merits, it is okay for him to retain the title of prince."

"As for the rest, it's not so good. Besides, do their past titles need to be changed to new ones?"

"And the title of King of Qi, should Gao Yin inherit it?"

Liu Taozi was standing in front of Zu Ting, watching Zu Ting making changes to such a big thing. Zu Ting did not dare to make the decision entirely by himself. It was obvious that he was quite conflicted inside, as these things were not so easy to resolve.

Just as the two were discussing, Yao Xiong walked in quickly.

When he saw the documents on the ground, he didn't dare to step on them. He took a long detour and walked carefully to Liu Taozi's side, then looked down at the documents a few more times.

"Brother."

"what happened?"

"Gao Yanzong and Shi Wansui have been taking the Mandrill Camp to various military training grounds these days to provoke and beat up their officers, and even let the two sides compete. Is this what you meant?"

"What's the trouble?"

"No, it's just that some of the officers below are worried. They are afraid that doing so will cause chaos."

"The Jinyang soldiers have always respected the strong. Gao Yanzong knows how to deal with them, so there is no need to pay attention to him."

"only."

Yao Xiong wiped his hands again, thought about his words, and said with a smile: "Brother, there is one more thing."

"You said."

"I want to attack Suizhou."

"Ok?"

At this moment, Zu Ting, who was sorting out the documents on the ground, raised his head.

Liu Taozi frowned, "Why?"

"Earlier, the Zhou people sent troops to contact Duan Shao, but Duan Shao escaped. Then I sent people to investigate and interrogate the captured prisoners. I found out that these people were from the pseudo-Zhou Danzhou army."

"I sent more than 300 people across the river to observe Danzhou and found that the enemy was moving troops from Suizhou to Danzhou to reinforce Danzhou's defense."

"It is freezing cold now. The river to Danzhou and Suizhou is frozen. The Zhou people are chipping away at the ice to prevent us from crossing the river."

"It snowed heavily this year. Many places in the north and south were frozen. I tried it and found that the soldiers could lead the horses through."

"Wei Xiaokuan stationed his troops at the front line to fight against Lanling King. If my brother lets me lead the troops to attack Suizhou, even if we can't capture it, it will make Wei Xiaokuan afraid to deal with Lingzhou with all his strength and he has to pay attention to the rear."

"Mr. Bao once told me that when facing a man like Wei Xiaokuan, you have to keep him busy and let him think more, which can save a lot of trouble."

(End of this chapter)