Chapter 7: The Dispute of Chariots and Cavalry
Therefore, although Fan Yang is greedy and despicable, if the sovereign wishes to turn and befriend the Zhao family, in the view of this humble servant, it is still too early...
Bo Yi was an ancient ancestor of the Ying surname. Due to his expertise in raising horses and livestock, he was promoted by Emperor Shun, who granted him the surname Ying and conferred upon him a fief. Fei Chang was a warrior of the Yin and Shang dynasties, skilled in charioteering, and he once carried Tang Wu to the Battle of Ming Tiao, which resulted in the downfall of Xia Jie. Zhao Zao Fu was a minister during the Western Zhou period. When Emperor Mu traveled westward to Kunlun Mountain to meet the Queen Mother of the West, he appointed Zhao as his military commander, and it is said that he could travel twenty thousand miles in three days and nights.
However, he would not hesitate to seize the title of heir originally belonging to Beru, showing no courtesy whatsoever
Moreover, the State of Song is, after all, a descendant of the Wei clan and the only remaining dukedom in the world. Even the Son of Heaven of Zhou treats it with the courtesy of a guest. How has it now fallen to the point of serving foreign lords? Before coming here, Le Qi still harbored a glimmer of hope in his heart, wishing to establish an alliance with the Duke of Jin in a dignified manner and then bring this alliance document back to the capital of Song, Shangqiu, in a straightforward manner.
Chen Yin, the character Zi Hu, gazed at the Zhao clan's convoy, which had swiftly transformed from disarray to order, and replied: "I believe that if Zhao Yang were present, or if his chancellor Dong Anyu were here, the Zhao forces would be like tigers and wolves. However, if Zhao Yang is absent and there is no capable sovereign to lead, the Zhao clan would be nothing but a scattered mass!"
Compared to Zhongxin and Shuqi, he is indeed a gentle and kind elder brother. Zhao Wuxu can only keep this in his heart and feel grateful in silence
Alas, at this point, I can only take a gamble.
But how could Zhao Zhongxin, who was still unconvinced, simply let it go
The white elk? Xiao, Zhao Yang, and Le Qi, being well-read and knowledgeable, could not help but be moved upon hearing this; after all, it is a rare auspicious beast in the world
Le Qi slightly shook his head at Chen Yin, indicating that he had no other choice. He and Zhao Yang exchanged a few more humble words before the two gentlemen entered the hunting grounds side by side
In the past, he had shown no interest in Zhao Wuxu, and even felt a sense of aversion and distance. However, at this moment, that robust young man riding alone on horseback, despite still having a youthful and innocent face, exuded a spirited and upward momentum, indicating that he would undoubtedly become a valiant warrior in the future
Zhao Wuxu pointed to the saddle on the horse's back and said: "Father, please take a look. During my time in the stable, I had a sudden inspiration and created this object, called a saddle. From now on, riders can sit firmly on the horse, and even if they let go of their hands, they will not easily fall off."
Only Zhao Wuxu secretly complained to himself: "In fact, I turned thirteen in August..."
"Commander Jia, heed my command and reorganize the formation. Beru, you will be the center army, Zhongxin and Shuqing will be on the right flank, and Wuxu will be on the left flank"
He organized his thoughts and explained: "Father, the son is disordered and guilty, yet he does not feel remorse; riding alone on horseback is lowly and useless. On the contrary, I believe it is more suitable for hunting and combat than a chariot."
In the face of the formidable Zhao Yang, it is unwise to confront him head-on; adopting a humble posture is undoubtedly the correct approach.
Since you have praised the solitary ride so highly, let me see how much prey you can obtain. If it is less than what your brothers have caught, do not blame me for the punishment. You three must not hold back; give it your all in the hunt. If you lose to a twelve-year-old child, you will return home today with empty stomachs
The Grand Minister of State of the Song Kingdom, Le Qiyuan, observed this scene from a distance. He turned his head to ask his charioteer, who was also an important minister, Chen Yin: "Zihu, what do you think of the Zhao clan's army?"
Zhao Yang commanded the Yu people managing the hunting grounds to offer sacrifices of cattle, sheep, and pigs to the mountain god and water lord of this place, and then blew the deer horn to commence the hunt
The doctor, who is known as a professional in horse training and is reputed to be a reincarnation of the famous horse connoisseur Bo Le, is more familiar with the temperament and uses of horses than with his own wives and concubines in his bed.
Le Qi sighed deeply; he was acutely aware that during this mission, the state of Jin was fraught with internal strife, the government was weak, and it would inevitably be unable to protect the envoy from Song. Once he set foot on Jin's territory, he would become the target of competing factions among the six ministers, and he would have no choice but to make a decision among them. This situation was akin to entering a storm of arrows and a forest of blades, where a moment's carelessness could lead to irretrievable disaster
The performance of Wu Xu can be considered acceptable; however, his deputy, Er Yu, Xi and Mu Xia have long since dismounted and are bowing their heads to the ground.
He instructed someone to go to the vicinity of the grave of Jie Zitui to see if there was any news of the musician Bo's advisor, Gu Buziqing. If he was still there, he should be invited to the banquet.
Zhong Xinyi, filled with righteous indignation, pointed at Wu Xu and rebuked, "Absurd! In hunting battles, one should deploy a proper army formation, with Yu Rong, Duo She, and Che You each fulfilling their respective duties. This has been a tradition since ancient times. As a gentleman of the noble clan, you neglect your proper duties and instead study single-rider equipment. What kind of propriety is this?"
Isn't it a bit like your younger self
What kind of nonsense is this
At this moment, Zhao Wuxu was rapidly contemplating strategies in his mind, as the stories of Zhao Yang from his previous life flashed one by one in his thoughts. He felt that he seemed to have grasped a certain key point.
Thus, after his advisor Gu Buziqing calculated an ominous hexagram for this journey, he resolutely designated his eldest son as the heir of the family, ensuring that if anything were to happen to him, there would at least be someone in the family to take care of matters
Although the Zhao family has been skilled in horsemanship for generations, after several hundred years of living in comfort and privilege as noblemen, their ancestral skills have become somewhat rusty
A single stone stirs up a thousand waves, the scholars and officials glanced at their magnificent and imposing chariots, then looked at the three steeds that appeared somewhat feeble, finding it almost unbelievable
Upon arriving in the State of Jin, the Fan and Zhao clans engaged in open and covert struggles within the court, dragging the envoy from Song into their conflict. After Fan Yang lost his diplomatic authority, he vented his frustration on them, stubbornly refusing to allow the Duke of Jin to meet with the Song envoy. Consequently, in order to successfully complete his mission and return home, Le Qi had no choice but to rely on the assistance of the Zhao clan.
Father, please see, if one could have a cavalry unit during the hunt, one would be able to gallop over ditches, climb hills, charge through obstacles, cross rivers, and pursue game, what joy would that not bring
In fact, at the very beginning, Zhao Yang intended to come over and give this disorderly lowborn a good lesson, even contemplating pulling him off his horse and dragging him behind the chariot for a while
Wuxu let out a sigh of relief, having finally managed to deceive the old man.
The descendants of the Zhao family look down upon the ancestral skills, is this not a case of "forgetting one's roots"
Wu Xu was quite clear about this; compared to Zhong Xin, today he had to pass the test set by Zhao Yang. He simply turned over and mounted his horse again, holding his bow and gesturing left and right, demonstrating several high-difficulty moves
Brother Zhong, please do not forget! What were my Zhao family's ancestors, Bo Yi, Fei Chang, and Zao Fu, known for doing?
However, the young Zhao Wuxu then uttered a series of resounding and bold declarations. In the Spring and Autumn period, people often spoke of their aspirations, and when Zhao Wuxu compared himself to Duke Wen of Jin and Zhao Xuanzi, Zhao Yang began to view this "lowly son" with newfound respect
Another vassal, Chen Yin, suggested that we might as well hold our noses and choose a strong figure among the Six Ministers to align ourselves with
At this moment, Zhao Yang's war chariot had already turned back, and he apologized, saying: "The young ones have been foolish, causing Lord Le to witness a farce."
Seeing Zhao Wuxu bow his head in apology, the legitimate eldest son Bolu also took the opportunity to interject: "Wuxu is young and inexperienced, please do not punish him, Father..."
Zhao Yang also harbored some doubts, not because he was conservative in his thinking, for the transition from chariots to cavalry took a long process of three hundred years.
Zhao Wuxu replied with neither humility nor arrogance: "Brother Zhong, your words are incorrect. If Wuxu were truly indifferent to horses and harnesses, that would indeed be a case of forgetting one's ancestors"
The little schemer Uncle Qi Yue felt increasingly uneasy as events began to deviate from his expectations following Zhao Wuxu's whip. He was contemplating whether he should say something, but Zhao's second son, Zhongxin, who had been indoctrinated with the superiority of chariots by his family teacher and family elder since childhood, was the first to find it intolerable.
Zhao Zhongxin was instantly rendered speechless
It is fortunate that he had paid little attention to Zhao Wuxu over the past decade, and was unaware of his temperament and manner of speaking; otherwise, he would certainly have harbored great doubts about the drastic changes in his son's character.
Zhao Yang, however, was unwilling to let the matter rest: "You all be silent and let him continue speaking on his own."
On the contrary, Zhao Yang was very eager to learn and truly embodied the principle of not being ashamed to ask questions. He was the first high-ranking official in the State of Jin to promulgate codified laws within his territory; he was also a reformer in China who proclaimed that slaves who achieved military merit could be rewarded and granted land.
He immediately requested Zhao Yang, saying: "Father, words alone are not enough; only on the hunting grounds can the truth be seen! In terms of chariots and cavalry, may I compete with Wu Xu to see who is superior?"
Faced with Zhao Yang's questioning, Zhao Wuxu could not help but break into a cold sweat. Indeed, Zhao Yang was a formidable figure; his anger instilled fear in the feudal lords, let alone his own vassals and subordinates. Only the two old ministers, Dong Anyu and Yin Duo, dared to touch his tiger's whiskers.
Since this is the case, you have made this saddle, which counts as a small contribution, so I will temporarily pardon you for the crime of disorder!
Zhao Zhongxin, once again in the realm of Zhao family anecdotes where he excels, found himself at a loss for words, thoroughly embarrassed by the impudent interjection from someone he has always looked down upon.
While saying this, Wu Xu stole a glance at Zhao Yang's expression and noticed that his beautiful beard was no longer trembling, indicating that his anger had dissipated. He was now looking at the saddle and Wu Xu on the horse's back with interest
The postman with a scruffy beard had been squinting his eyes while observing. He commented: "My lord, the young gentleman is not wrong; the slow movement of the chariots is a disadvantage, while the speed and agility of a lone rider is an advantage. I believe we can use the knights as the eyes of the main force, to scout, keep watch, track down targets, and attack scattered and fleeing enemies."
It is evident that the history of the Zhao family is inextricably linked to horses, and even their distant relatives, the people of the Qin state, became prosperous thanks to Qin Feizi, who served as a horse herder for King Xiao of Zhou.
The expert in horse racing did not deny Zhao Wuxu, and Zhao Yang also made a decision.
The crowd responded solemnly: "Indeed!"
... ...
This time, it was Zhao Zhongxin and his Imperial Guards who were left dumbfounded. Is this how the matter is simply brushed aside?
Zhao Wuxu deliberated on his tone and said: "Father, Wuxu does not have the command token and was unable to summon the war chariot, which is why I took the liberty to come alone on horseback..."
At this moment, Zhao Yang's desire for talent suddenly arose, yet he remained somewhat uncertain about what Zhao Wuxu had said. Therefore, he lowered his head and asked his military advisor, "Ziliang, my illegitimate son speaks quite convincingly; what do you think? Is it really possible to achieve such an effect just by changing a piece of horse gear and riding alone?"
This suggestion was exactly what Zhao Yang desired, and since it was a competition, he decided that all four of his sons should participate! He then took up the bronze axe and began to command the convoy
The servant responded affirmatively and approached Zhao Yang, saying: "Your Majesty has arrived just in time. This year, the deer are well-fed in the autumn. Recently, I spotted a white elk entering the hunting grounds, but unfortunately, it is extremely vigilant, and despite several attempts to capture it, we have been unsuccessful."
The head of the Zhao clan, who would later be honored with the title "Zhao Jianzi," was not a conservative old noble.
Among the six ministers, who is truly the strong one? The Fan family is currently in power, but they are advanced in age and it is uncertain how many more years they have left; on the other hand, Zhao Yang is in his prime, with a strong and assertive style, and should not be underestimated. However, even if Fan Yang were to die tomorrow, the ruling power in Jin would still belong to the Zhi family, leaving no room for him. The other families, namely the Zhonghang, Han, and Wei, are also not easily dealt with. The situation in Jin is so complex that it is as if it is obscured by heavy curtains, making it impossible to discern its true nature. The Fan family is currently in power, but they are advanced in age and it is uncertain how many more years they have left; on the other hand, Zhao Yang is in his prime, with a strong and assertive style, and should not be underestimated. However, even if Fan Yang were to die tomorrow, the ruling power in Jin would still belong to the Zhi family, leaving no room for him. The other families, namely the Zhonghang, Han, and Wei, are also not easily dealt with. The situation in Jin is so complex that it is as if it is obscured by heavy curtains, making it impossible to discern its true nature