Chapter 155

Chapter 155

Han Zongping's visit to Da Tong had two purposes: first, since he was already in Shuozhou, it was only natural to pay a visit to old friends who were so close by; second, he wanted to discuss battle strategies with Zhao Liangchen, as the route from Shuozhou to the capital through Jinzhou was the shortest and most direct. As the commander of Jinzhou, Zhao Liangchen was well-versed in the geography of the region.

Since Zhao Liangchen was willing to remain neutral regarding Han Zongping’s march toward the court, he was certainly cooperative. However, being a scholar, his way of showing hospitality to the Jizhou commander was to invite him to inspect his Da Tong military camp first.

The two commanders walked side by side at the front, followed by Xiao Mu and others.

Perhaps Han Zongping's praise was merely out of courtesy to an old friend, but Xiao Mu was deeply impressed by the discipline and morale of the Da Tong troops, often commenting on them with Xiao Zhen.

The grandfather and grandson seemed like country peasants entering a grand mansion for the first time, trying hard to hide their awe, which only made them appear more inexperienced.

Zhao Liangchen noticed this and whispered to Han Zongping, "Are these two really as capable as you described in your letter?"

Han Zongping smiled, "A hero is not judged by his background. The less they have been trained in regular armies, the more remarkable their talents. My dear brother, don't forget that Dou Dechang, despite coming from a family of generals, looked down on our training methods and military equipment, yet what was the outcome?"

Zhao Liangchen replied, "Brother, you're right. Over the years, many talented officials and generals have been overlooked due to their family backgrounds or lack of connections in the court. I almost fell into that trap again."

Fan Zhao, unable to hear their conversation, noticed the Zhao brothers looking at the Xiao family several times and was genuinely annoyed. Seizing a moment when the Zhao father and son were not paying attention, he approached Xiao Mu and warned, "Old sir, please stop looking around. If you want to see more, I'll take you to Jizhou later. Let's not make a fool of ourselves here, alright?"

Xiao Mu hurriedly apologized.

Fan Zhao then gave Xiao Zhen a warning look before returning to Han Bao, muttering, "These two, they seemed quite composed in Shuozhou, but now they act like country bumpkins."

Han Bao defended them, "It's their first time accompanying their father to see the world. They might be a bit out of place, but please bear with them, General Fan."

Fan Zhao grunted.

Han Bao glanced at Xiao Zhen, a worry crossing his mind—what if Xiao Zhen turned out to be all show and no substance, and ended up losing to Zhao Jin in the upcoming match?

As they continued walking, the group arrived at the drill ground of the military camp.

Han Zongping looked at the two young men, "You wanted to spar, didn't you? How about right here?"

Zhao Liangchen was secretly surprised. A match here would quickly draw a crowd of soldiers. Was Han Zongping truly magnanimous enough not to mind his subordinates losing to Jin in front of the Da Tong troops, or was he that confident in Xiao Zhen's spear skills?

Zhao Jin and Xiao Zhen stepped forward.

Zhao Jin pointed to a row of wooden spears on the weapon rack and asked, "Xiao brother, do you prefer these, or shall we use our own weapons?"

Xiao Zhen replied, "Whatever Second Young Master decides."

Zhao Jin said, "Let's use real spears then, wooden ones aren't satisfying enough."

Both had brought their weapons when they left, so they sent someone to fetch them.

Fan Zhao stretched his wrists, glancing at the gathering Da Tong soldiers, and announced loudly, "I haven't had a good sparring session in a long time. You two go first, and I'll pick someone to spar with later."

The hearts of the Da Tong officers skipped a beat. Who didn't know that Fan Zhao was the fiercest and bravest general under Commander Han?

Zhao Liangchen also smiled helplessly, understanding why Han Zongping was so casual about Xiao Zhen's appearance. With Fan Zhao as a backup, even if Xiao Zhen lost, Fan Zhao would surely win back the face for the Jizhou officers.

With their weapons in hand, everyone retreated to the perimeter of the drill ground, leaving the center to the two robust young generals.

Xiao Zhen was twenty-seven years old, born in the countryside, while Zhao Jin, three years younger, was a tiger cub from a family of generals, making up for the age difference.

Seeing Xiao Zhen standing still with his spear, Zhao Jin took the initiative and attacked.

The clash of the two iron-tipped spears produced a resonant hum that made Han Bao wince. He instinctively observed the reactions of those around him, noting that they were closely following the fight, seemingly accustomed to the sound. Han Bao suppressed his discomfort and continued watching the rapid exchanges between the two.

To Han Bao, Zhao Jin's attacks were fierce, and Xiao Zhen seemed to be on the defensive, retreating to the edge of the arena. This made him anxious, knowing how much his father admired the Zhao brothers. If Zhao Jin won, his father would only look at him with greater disappointment.

Just then, Xiao Zhen suddenly sidestepped to avoid Zhao Jin's spear, changing direction in the process.

Han Bao felt a surge of hope, but it didn't last long as Xiao Zhen was soon forced to the other side by Zhao Jin.

Han Bao: "..."

Fan Zhao was also growing anxious and said to Xiao Mu, "Your spear techniques are both offensive and defensive, powerful and fierce. Why is Xiao Zhen being so cautious?"

Xiao Mu smiled bitterly, "Each of my grandsons has a different temperament. The third and fifth are more like me, while the second is steady and methodical."

Fan Zhao: "So, sending Sun Dian and Changshun to fight Shi Jinhu wasn't a provocation, but because Xiao Zhen isn't as formidable?"

Xiao Mu: "Not that he isn't capable, but he doesn't have the same imposing presence as Sun Dian and the others."

Fan Zhao: "..."

After two hours, the two were still evenly matched.

The sun rose higher, and Han Bao was sweating from standing still for so long. After another two hours of immobile exposure to the sun, he no longer cared whether Xiao Zhen won or lost, only hoping the match would end soon.

Zhao Jin was also getting impatient. Having sparred with many opponents over the years, this was the first time he faced someone like Xiao Zhen, who wouldn't let him win quickly, making the repeated circling around the arena frustrating.

"Do you have any other moves?" Zhao Jin asked, frustrated.

Xiao Zhen replied, "Since I am under General Han's command, this match concerns his reputation. I would rather delay and ensure stability than rush and risk defeat."

Zhao Jin: "Victory and defeat are common in warfare. Don't overthink it. Enjoy the fight."

Xiao Zhen: "Sparring with Second Young Master is already a pleasure for me."

Zhao Jin: "..."

He found no joy in it at all.

Another half-hour passed, and Zhao Jin, drenched in sweat, finally succumbed to fatigue, his weapon knocked out of his hand by the equally sweaty Xiao Zhen. As he stepped back, Xiao Zhen advanced with his spear, stopping it just short of Zhao Jin's chest.

Zhao Jin wanted to speak, but a drop of sweat rolled down his face and into his mouth, tasting salty.

Xiao Zhen sheathed his gun and said solemnly, "Thank you for your forbearance."

Logically, no matter who won, the spectators should have cheered. However, at this moment, even Fan Zhao wanted to curse Xiao Zhen, let alone the Da Tong soldiers who had come for the excitement but were forced to endure the heat and the match due to their respect for Han Zongping.

Only Zhao Liangchen managed a forced smile as he praised Han Zongping, "Truly a brilliant general who captured a city through wisdom. So young yet so composed, many fierce warriors would retreat in defeat before him."

Han Zongping glanced at Fan Zhao and said, "If Fan Zhao could be one-third as steady as Xiao Zhen, I could entrust Jizhou to him with peace of mind."

Regardless, the sparring session that had lasted nearly an hour finally came to an end.

After lunch, Han Zongping and Zhao Liangchen went to the study to discuss important matters, while Xiao Zhen accompanied the old man back to the guest quarters.

Just returned from the banquet, both grandfather and grandson reeked of alcohol. Xiao Zhen first escorted the old man to his room.

Sitting in a chair, Xiao Mu looked at his grandson and smiled, "You almost got me sunburned, young man."

Xiao Zhen only dampened a towel and handed it to the old man to wipe his face.

The water was cool, washing away the alcohol and sweat, making him feel better. Xiao Mu sighed, looking at his grandson, "Do you feel wronged?"

Clearly capable of winning gracefully, he had to hold back due to his family background, neither overshadowing the Zhao family's young master nor provoking jealousy from General Han's son.

Xiao Zhen smiled, "Not wronged, just a bit too much sun, my face will get darker again."

Xiao Mu: "Dark or not, Aman won't mind."

A hundred pretty boys couldn't compare to his second grandson.

—

After resting for a while, Xiao Zhen went out. Learning that Han Zongping was still in deep conversation with Zhao Liangchen and Han Bao was resting, he walked out on his own.

Just as he reached the gate, Zhao Jin caught up, "Xiao brother, wait!"

Xiao Zhen turned around.

Zhao Jin punched his shoulder, "Let's find a quiet place for another round? Just the two of us, show me your true skills."

Xiao Zhen looked at his right arm and said apologetically, "Second Master's kind invitation is hard to refuse, but my arm is sore, and I truly don't have the strength for another match today."

Zhao Jin: "...Alright, where are you going?"

Xiao Zhen: "We're leaving for Shuozhou tomorrow, I want to walk around the streets and see if there are any local specialties to take back."

Zhao Jin: "For your brothers? You really are a good elder brother, come on, I'll accompany you."

Xiao Zhen hesitated.

On the street, Zhao Jin pointed to a tavern, "The wine here is quite good."

Xiao Zhen: "Drinking isn't allowed in the army."

Unable to drink, Zhao Jin thought of horses, "We've specially bred a batch of fine steeds from the grasslands. If you're willing to spar with me again, I can give you five of them."

Xiao Zhen paused, then said, "Too many brothers, five aren't enough to share, and fine steeds are too valuable. I cannot accept gifts without merit, please understand, Second Master."

Zhao Jin: "That's not a problem, but I rarely give gifts, and I'm not sure what other local specialties to offer."

Xiao Zhen: "It's already an honor to have Second Master accompany me, I'll choose myself."

Zhao Jin nodded.

As they walked further, a farmer carrying two baskets of golden yellow apricots approached. Since Da Tong was relatively peaceful, people had extra money to spend, and several people gathered to inquire about the price.

Seeing Xiao Zhen staring at the apricots, Zhao Jin smiled, "Our Da Tong apricots are indeed sweet and sour. My mother buys two baskets every year and eats until her teeth ache."

Xiao Zhen led him over, while others picked ripe ones, Xiao Zhen bent down and chose the firmer ones.

Seeing him pick more and more, Zhao Jin specially bought a basket from a nearby stall.

Such a mighty general, yet he squeezed among women holding children to pick apricots.

Just as Zhao Jin was about to marvel at not having such a good brother, he suddenly realized, "I heard Second Lady is also with the army, are these for your sister-in-law, Xiao brother?"

Xiao Zhen nodded.

Zhao Jin: "..."

By the time they returned to Zhao's residence side by side, Xiao Zhen had only bought a basket of apricots the size of a child's fist.

At parting, Xiao Zhen asked Zhao Jin, "Considering the hour we sparred this morning, could Second Master gift me a fine steed from the grasslands?"

Zhao Jin: "Of course, I'll go select one now."

Xiao Zhen: "It's for my wife, a fast runner will do, no need for a particularly large or strong one."

Zhao Jin: "..."