Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 169 Guo Gong's Generous Gift
"Although it was my first time meeting Zhang Lang, we were immediately drawn to each other."

Yang Sixu first looked at Zhang Dai and said, then pointed to Gao Chengxin and continued, "This servant was ordered by the Duke of Bohai to give me a lot of the profits from that flying money business. Since I know that this business was obtained from Zhang Lang, I have already benefited from it before we even met."

Although I am not short of money and silk, my men need these benefits to make a living. Since I have received this, I should express my gratitude. Among these items is a rhinoceros armor, which I obtained during the recent campaign. I will lend it to Zhang Lang so he can wear it close to his body to protect himself from swords and arrows.”

A waiter stepped forward and opened the brocade box, inside which lay a pair of dark-colored, smooth-lacquered leather armor. Upon seeing this, Zhang Dai was moved and couldn't help but lean forward, raising his hand to carefully stroke it.

Each piece of this rhinoceros hide armor is about the length of an adult's thumb and slightly wider. The pieces are joined together with strong adhesive thread. The armor pieces feel warm and soft to the touch, but are very resilient when pressed firmly.

Some of the nail plates had occasional signs of damage, but these were repaired with paint. Beneath the complete leather nails, there were hundreds of nail plates that had not been attached but had already been treated. These nail plates were thin at the edges and slightly thicker in the middle, and they also felt very high-quality to the touch.

The armor plate was lifted up, revealing a sleeveless half-body armor over a meter long. The lower part of the armor could be extended to cover the vital parts of the torso. Because it was made of rhinoceros hide, it was much lighter than iron armor of the same length, and Zhang Dai could lift it with one hand without any effort.

With the help of a servant, he put on the armor. Because he wasn't particularly tall or strong, the armor looked a bit loose on him. But that wasn't a big problem; he could simply trim some of the plates at the joints to tighten it.

The armor wasn't too heavy to wear, though it did affect movement somewhat, but not too severely; running, jumping, and swinging arms were still possible.

However, the thick layers of nail plates and the very poor breathability of the lining make it fine in the cold winter months, just like wearing a thick leather jacket. But if you wear it for a long time in the summer or autumn, it will probably be unbearably hot.

Clang!
Zhang Dai was just enjoying the feeling of putting on the armor when a sudden gust of wind blew behind him, and a tremendous force struck him from behind, as if a stick had hit him hard in the lower back, causing him to fall forward. Fortunately, someone caught him in time, but the spot where he had been hit in the lower back still ached faintly.

Enraged, he turned to see who had attacked him, only to see Yang Shaoyi standing there holding a horizontal sword. It turned out that what he had just seen wasn't a wooden stick at all; Yang Shaoyi had actually drawn his sword and slashed at his lower back!
"How are you feeling, Liu Lang?"

As Yang Shaoyi sheathed his knife, he smiled and asked him.

Zhang Dai was both amused and exasperated. "Damn it, are all the eunuchs in the Yang family this reckless? They draw their swords and try to kill me without even warning!"

Despite still feeling resentful, he had to admit that the leather armor was indeed quite protective. Although his lower back was still a little sore, the force was evenly distributed, and it didn't leave any injuries on his body.

"There's a slight dull ache, but it's nothing serious."

As he answered, he pulled the armor plate from his lower back and saw a deep white dent on it, indicating that Yang Shaoyi had used a lot of force in his strike, but still hadn't managed to cut through the armor plate.

In fact, the inner lining of the leather armor also has an inner support made of animal horns and ribs, which can also play a certain role in dissipating force. However, the armor is still not very well fitted at the moment, so Zhang Dai still suffered a considerable impact.

However, the protective power of this leather armor is obviously very adequate, especially in the city and the marketplace where heavy weapons such as spears, lances, battle axes, and iron spikes cannot be used. Wearing such leather armor, covered with a brocade robe, is enough to withstand most sudden attacks from swords or arrows.

"Thank you, Lord Guo! Thank you so much, Lord Guo, for lending me this life-saving item!"

After removing the rhinoceros armor, Zhang Dai quickly bowed to Yang Sixu to express his gratitude.

Yang Sixu chuckled and said, "Zhang Lang has high aspirations, but his skills still need practice! If he really intends to follow me and claim credit next year, he needs to seriously train in military skills. On the battlefield, no one can afford to look after anyone else!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai felt deeply ashamed. He knew that Yang Sixu had deduced from his slow reaction to the knife strike that he was currently just a talker and didn't possess any outstanding martial arts skills. However, he was still young and could still learn.

"If this armor stays with me, it will only gather dust in the storeroom. If it can help the men guard against stray arrows and hidden arrows, then it will not be useless. It is not a precious item, so keep it and return it after the matter is over."

Yang Sixu waved his hand, signaling the attendant to help Zhang Dai put away the rhinoceros armor. Along with the armor came some maintenance materials, and of course, the most important thing was the armor tally jointly signed and issued by the Ministry of War, the Imperial Household Department, and the Crown Prince's Inner Palace.

Tang law strictly prohibited the private possession and manufacture of armor and crossbows. One set of armor and two crossbows resulted in exile for two thousand li; three sets of armor and five crossbows resulted in strangulation. Private manufacture was punishable by double the penalty, and this prohibition applied to both leather and iron armor.

Not only ordinary people, but even officials who privately possess crossbows, banners, or other such items in their homes will be punished.

The "Jia Fu" is a register for a single suit of armor, recording its origin, the armory from which it was used, its intended purpose, and its expiration date. If discovered, it would be traced back to its source using this information. If the source could not be traced, it would be considered possession of contraband and punished accordingly. If the source was traced but the facts were inconsistent, all relevant officials would be implicated and punished.

Therefore, Yang Sixu's decision to lend this leather armor was not based on the value of the item itself, as the armor was something that money couldn't buy anyway. What was more important was the right to use the leather armor.

If this armor were to cause problems with Zhang Dai, Yang Sixu would bear implicated responsibility, even primary responsibility, facing serious charges such as stealing military equipment from the treasury and engaging in unauthorized transactions. However, by lending it to Zhang Dai, he meant he could withstand investigation and cover for any problems that might arise.

With this rhinoceros armor, Zhang Dai's ability to survive was greatly enhanced. If he were to be attacked in the city, he could maximize his chances of survival in the first instance. At the same time, he carefully stored away the armor talisman, lest he be exiled two thousand miles away again for hiding the armor.

Yao Chong's grandson, Yao Hong, was recently exiled for taking horses from the official stables without permission. Although having rules doesn't necessarily mean they have to be enforced, if things are taken seriously, breaking the rules will definitely result in a beating. With this tally in hand, even if others want to investigate, they will be looking for Yang Sixu.

"These two servants, one named Jinhuan and the other Yinhuan, have been raised by me since childhood and are quite skilled in wrestling and fighting. They will be temporarily assigned to Zhang Lang. If the servant at the North Gate dares to order a desperate attack, with these two servants protecting him, Zhang Lang can be kept safe for the time being."

Yang Sixu then pointed to two robust eunuchs who entered the tent and said to Zhang Dai, "First you gave me rhinoceros armor for self-defense, and now you've sent me personal guards. You've certainly done a good deed."

"Your kindness, Lord Guo, is truly overwhelming! Now that I have received such a great favor, I will certainly do my utmost to serve you if you ever need my assistance!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai was overjoyed and quickly thanked Yang Sixu again.

"Since I have accepted this task, I must do my utmost to ensure its thoroughness. If I am negligent and cause Zhang Lang to be harmed by my servant, it would be better to simply refuse. I will remember this favor. Zhang Lang may not be able to help with anything significant right now, so he must strive for advancement and not forget this kindness when he becomes prominent next year!"

Yang Sixu was certainly not a benevolent philanthropist; he expected something in return for every favor he did, using his current surplus of manpower and resources to forge a bond of gratitude. Of course, Zhang Dai couldn't offer him any help at the moment, but he entrusted this favor to the future, which could be seen as an expression of his appreciation and high regard for Zhang Dai.

Zhang Dai was naturally not afraid of owing favors; he believed in repaying kindness in return. Since Yang Sixu had been so kind to him today, he would certainly do his best to help him if he encountered any trouble next year. Not to mention, if Yang Sixu was willing, he would even cover the cost of his and his family's epitaphs!
To reassure Zhang Dai, Yang Sixu instructed the two eunuchs, Jin Huan and Yin Huan, to go to the training ground and demonstrate their martial arts skills.

So the two jumped off the bamboo platform and went into the training ground. They took off their robes to reveal their well-proportioned muscles, which looked very powerful. They then began to wrestle and test their strength against each other.

Although their movements weren't particularly visually appealing, the way they managed to step into the loose soil several inches with each rise and fall demonstrated their considerable skill.

Gao Chengxin was also a master in this field. Seeing this, he couldn't help but feel itchy to fight. So he took off his robe and entered the arena to compete. He fought against the two brothers, and they ended up with one draw and one loss, so he didn't gain any advantage.

Zhang Dai was also surprised by the result, so he simply had An Xiaochen brought in and let him compete against the two of them.

Since joining Zhang Dai's tutelage, An Xiaochen's living conditions have greatly improved. He is no longer as thin as before, and his physical strength has returned to its peak.

As a fierce general who had fought many battles, he was also very skilled in combat. He fought against both eunuchs and won.

But when he confidently asked the two brothers to come up together, the Golden Ring and Silver Ring brothers performed at a level where one plus one is far greater than two. In just a few exchanges, they locked An Xiaochen firmly to the ground, forcing him to bang his head on the ground and shout that he had lost.

"These two men are indeed quite skilled. With their protection, the master can go out without worry."

After testing the two men's skills, An Xiaochen also came to Zhang Dai and praised them.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Dai was overjoyed and repeatedly thanked Yang Sixu. The increased protection he had received greatly enhanced his sense of security.

"Zhang Lang, there's no need for thanks. I have many sons and grandsons, and I can't necessarily take good care of them all or arrange a bright future for them. It's their good fortune that you've favored and kept them. If they don't obey, discipline them strictly. If they serve well, reward them generously. As long as the rewards and punishments are fair, it's fine for them to stay with you for a long time."

Yang Sixu then summoned the two men and gave them a lecture, before speaking to Zhang Dai.

(End of this chapter)