xymnovel Chapter 28 Brothers Rush to Go to Other Places
Chapter 28 Brothers Rush to Go to Other Places
According to the Tang Dynasty system, the space between two pillars was called a frame. For the residences of officials of the third rank and above, the number of frames and five rooms could not exceed nine.
Below the rank of prince, no one was allowed to build houses with double-arched ceilings and coffered ceilings. High-rise buildings with panoramic views were exclusively for the emperor, and were forbidden to be built by commoners or in public or private settings.
The Yanzhou Military Governor's Office was built strictly according to regulations, with three courtyards in the front and back. The main hall and the second hall were the offices, while the side rooms on both sides were the residences of the officials and yamen runners on duty.
The innermost courtyard contains five rooms in the main house. The master bedroom of Gao Xingzhou and his wife is in the middle, while Gao Huaixuan and her two siblings each have their own room. The side rooms are occupied by servants and maids who come to serve the master at his call.
That night, the Gao family was destined to have no peace.
Upon hearing that one of her sons was to be sent to another family, Madam Gao immediately flew into a rage, berating and complaining about her husband countless times.
"Since the Kaiyuan era, it has been customary for military governors to send their sons to the capital when they were stationed in important prefectures."
After his wife's emotions had calmed down a bit, Gao Xingzhou explained, "The late emperor was magnanimous. De'er and Liang'er are still young, so he issued an edict to pardon them, allowing the whole family to be together all these years. The new emperor has only been on the throne for a short time and cannot attend to these matters for now. The two brothers will have to leave their parents sooner or later, it's just a little earlier."
"What kind of good life can you have as a hostage? Who knows if you'll be bullied?"
Madam Gao persisted: "Wasn't the late emperor's eldest son killed by that Yuan Xingqin? And your good brother, Ah San, his son and daughter are both in the capital, one is the commander of the Imperial Guards, and the other has become a nun. The father has been branded a traitor, so what good can happen to his children?"
Gao Xingzhou was speechless.
The late emperor ascended the throne but lost his eldest son, a regret that haunted him for life. Li Congke's two children are likely in grave danger as well.
However, the alliance was already set in stone and had to be formed, so Gao Xingzhou could only try his best to appease his wife: "As long as neither of us breaks our promises, how could our son be in trouble? Besides, Yang Hongxin's eldest son is also with me, so neither side will act recklessly."
When it came to matters of great military and political importance, Madam Gao cried and resisted for a while, but in the end, she could not firmly refuse to comply.
She finally asked Gao Xingzhou a question that was difficult to answer: "So, are you planning to send De'er or Liang'er over?"
……
Gao Huaide lay on the bed, looking up at the roof beams, counting them repeatedly, but still couldn't fall asleep.
Who will Father choose to send to the Yang family as a hostage?
The conclusion seemed obvious: it must be his own eldest son, who was never well-liked.
Living under someone else's roof is usually not as leisurely and carefree as it is now. You have to live at the mercy of others and may even have to endure some unpleasantness.
Gao Huaide snorted and waved his fist in the air: Anyone who dares to bully this young master will have to eat a beating from me.
But what if we choose Liangdi instead?
He felt even more sorry for his younger brother, who was still young and should be the one to shoulder the responsibility when things happened.
Unable to sleep soundly, Gao Huaide jumped up, put on his clothes, and went for a stroll in the courtyard to clear his head.
The sky, like a silken curtain, covered the firmament, enveloping the moon's clear light, dotted with stars.
The night was still and quiet, with only the chirping of insects and their rustling sounds.
Gao Huaide felt the gentle breeze on his face, the faint fragrance of woody leaves wafting into his nose, and heard the rustling of footsteps in his ears. It turned out that he wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep at night.
"Liangdi, can't sleep either?"
"Brother, you've come out for a walk too?"
The two spoke at the same time, then fell silent, afraid of disturbing their parents and sister.
They tiptoed to a secluded spot and crouched in the dappled shadows of the trees. Gao Huailiang spoke first, "Brother, do you think the Yang family is easy to deal with?"
"How would I know?"
Gao Huaide plucked a blade of grass and stirred up the sand: "Besides, Father will only send me, so why do you need to overthink it?"
"You are the eldest son, it should be me who goes."
"You've always been obedient, and you've put in a lot of effort in both your studies and martial arts. How could your father bear to part with you?"
Gao Huaide impatiently snapped the straw in two and patted his younger brother on the shoulder: "Don't worry, it'll only be me."
Gao Huailiang turned around and put his arm around his brother's arm, his still-childish face serious: "Brother, don't say that, and don't deliberately upset Father."
Gao Huaide's body trembled slightly, then he said nonchalantly, "Some people are born to be favored, while others are born to be disliked. There's nothing we can do about it."
Gao Huailiang's next words made him hold his breath: "Brother, you are exceptionally talented in marksmanship, you can learn it quickly and master it with a little practice, why do you act like you have no ambition? Are you afraid of discouraging me?"
The two brothers looked at each other. Gao Huailiang's eyes were clear and bright, and Gao Huaide couldn't help but look away.
The younger brother is right.
With a gun in his hand, Gao Huaide felt as if his arm was extended, able to move as far or as close as he pleased, without the slightest stiffness or strain.
This innate affinity for weapons is a rare talent for martial arts, and it is not something fabricated out of thin air.
Cao Pi, the Emperor Wen of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period, was said to be such a person.
He studied under Tiger Warrior Wang Yue and received instruction from Shi Azhen, a famous swordsman from Henan. In his "Discourse on Fencing", he wrote: "I also learned swordsmanship and studied under many masters. The methods of the four regions are different, but only those of the master in the capital are the best."
"I once drank with General Liu Xun, who was in charge of pacifying the enemy, and General Deng Zhan, who was in charge of fighting bravely. I had heard that Deng Zhan was good at using his arms and knew about the five weapons; he said that he could catch a blade with his bare hands. We discussed swordsmanship for a long time. When we were drunk and our ears were hot, we were eating taro and sugarcane. We used it as a cane and went down from the hall. We exchanged blows several times, and Deng Zhan hit my arm three times."
Cao Pi, despite being the emperor, was able to defeat a seasoned general with a sugarcane as a sword, demonstrating his formidable strength.
Even if Deng Zhan yielded, during Emperor Wen's reign, he could suppress his third brother, the "Yellow-Bearded Boy" Cao Zhang, who was as fierce as a beast, and Sima Yi, whose skills were not yet fully developed; externally, he could also make Liu Bei, the First Ruler, who was also a master swordsman and whose unique "Gu Ying Sword Technique" was used to dominate the late Han Dynasty, wary of him. Knowing that Cao Wei had usurped the Han throne, he dared not launch a northern expedition during his lifetime. Facts speak louder than words. (Note 1)
"As easily as using one's own arm, there are no obstacles or difficulties, and everything is under one's control."
This describes such a level of skill, and in later generations, "arm" became a synonym for spearmanship.
However, Gao Huaide preferred to waste his talent rather than practice shooting properly, partly because he was afraid of discouraging his younger brother, and partly because of his teenage rebellion.
Why must I follow the rules and learn the family's traditional martial arts? Can't I create my own spear technique?
"The Yang family's swordsmanship is also very powerful. My sister said they can even fight our father to a draw. I've also practiced swordsmanship and spearmanship, so I think I won't be much worse than my brother."
Gao Huaide felt that his younger brother had misunderstood the point; being a hostage was not the same as becoming an apprentice.
Seeing that the candle in the master bedroom was still lit, he was afraid of disturbing his parents, so he quickly ended the conversation: "In short, whoever stays behind must be filial to our mother and protect our sister."
"It's settled then."
"Pinky promise."
……
The following day, Gao Xingzhou ordered his children to be woken up early in the morning, and the whole family gathered in the back hall.
Gao Huaide glanced around and saw that his father looked indifferent, his mother had tears on her face, his sister looked worried, but his younger brother seemed the most relaxed.
Everyone's eyes were a little puffy; they hadn't slept well last night. Gao Huaide thought to himself that if he had a mirror, he probably would look the same.
Gao Xingzhou slowly began to speak: "Today, there is something that concerns you all."
coming.
Gao Huaide felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart.
"Yang Hongxin of Linzhou is on good terms with me and wants to exchange his son for something. I also think that if I can learn a thing or two of the Yang family's swordsmanship, it will definitely be of some benefit to you, so I agreed."
After receiving guidance from the extraordinary Chen Tuan in the tower, Gao Huaide learned about the role played by the Yang family of Linzhou in the strategy of blocking the Dingnan Army. He secretly sneered, "They talk a good game, but it's all for official business."
Unexpectedly, Gao Xingzhou said frankly the next moment: "Yanzhou town alone cannot defeat the Dingnan army. The alliance with the Zhe and Yang families has been of great help to my father. This is the main reason."
His gaze swept back and forth between his two sons, then he called out their names directly: "Liang'er, are you willing to go?"
Gao Huailiang stepped forward: "Your son is willing to share your father's burdens!"
Before he could finish speaking, Gao Huaide interjected, "If anyone should go, it should be me, the eldest son, not you, Liangdi."
"Brother, we agreed on this last night..."
Gao Huaide ignored his younger brother and said to Gao Xingzhou, "Father, my brother is young and ignorant. Don't let him ruin your important plans. It would be better if he stayed and I went instead."
Gao Xingzhou sneered, "Judging from your usual behavior, you're probably no more sensible than Liang'er. If you go, you'll only bring shame to the Gao family and make Yang Hongxin look down on you for no reason."
He resolutely rebuked, "Since you know you are the eldest son, then fulfill your duties as the eldest son!"
"Your son and brothers are loving and affectionate, and you, old man, still have to scold them!"
Madam Gao couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she hugged Gao Huailiang and cried, "My poor son is so young, and he has to leave his parents!"
Gao Huaixuan stepped forward to comfort her, but Madam Gao cried even more bitterly: "My poor child, I carried you for ten months and gave birth to you with great difficulty, but your father sent you away as a hostage."
The three of them huddled together, leaving Gao Xingzhou and his son Gao Huaide staring at each other.
Gao Xingzhou's eyes were sharp like a hawk's, and his murderous aura, honed by countless battles, combined with the imposing presence of a military commander, made ordinary people afraid to meet his gaze.
Gao Huaide rarely looked his father in the eye, but at this moment he mustered his courage and refused to back down. The sharpness in Gao Xingzhou's eyes was also far less than usual, revealing a hint of helplessness.
Gao Huailiang finally managed to break free from his mother's embrace, his face flushed red: "Please don't look at me like that. It's not like I'm never coming back. In a few years, when I grow up and return, we can meet again."
"My son, you are so considerate, how can your mother bear to part with you!"
Madam Gao cried and tried to hug him again, but Gao Huailiang quickly used his footwork to dodge and hid behind his sister, causing chaos in the hall.
Gao Xingzhou couldn't stand it any longer and slammed his hand on the table: "It's not like we're leaving right now, what's with all the crying and fussing!"
Upon hearing that they wouldn't be separated from their loved ones immediately, everyone awkwardly stopped their sobbing, and the situation was somewhat brought under control.
Gao Xingzhou snorted coldly: "Liang'er, come with me to see the head of the Yang family."
The exchange of protons was a matter of great importance, and their identities needed to be verified. Yang Hongxin was reluctant to bring it up, so Gao Xingzhou simply took the initiative to have his son come out to meet him, to show that he was open and honest.
Yang Hongxin was overjoyed to see Gao Huailiang and took out a short sword from his waist as a gift.
"Your son has an intelligent face; he will surely become a general of both wisdom and courage in the future. My son, Chonggui, is just like Yang. Brother Gao can tell at a glance that he is my son."
Gao Xingzhou, Zhe Congruan, and Yang Hongxin agreed that after the construction of Kuanzhou was completed, both sides would bring their sons to the new city, where they would dig a pit, slaughter animals to collect blood, and exchange hostages to form an alliance.
That day will be the day the Gao brothers part ways. (Note 2)