Chapter 64: Grassland 5 Only the bravest and strongest warriors...
But things are different now.
Chen Jinshi, riding on his horse, raised his voice and asked, "Chief Suhe, how do I challenge you?"
"It's simple," Su He said. "It's just wrestling. As long as you can beat the groom in a fair fight, the challenge will be successful."
He glanced at Chen Jinshi with a scrutinizing look, which was meaningful and at the same time, full of contempt.
As Dulan's father, he simply loved this kind of scene, watching several warriors fighting for his daughter until they were bloody.
Du Lan jumped off his horse and walked behind Su He. He said nothing about the matter and did not intend to speak for anyone.
Chen Jinshi also dismounted and walked up to Xie Qingyue, his eyes determined. "General Xie, I will challenge you at the engagement banquet tomorrow."
Xie Qingyue looked at him, was silent for a moment, and slowly nodded: "Okay, I accept your challenge."
As night fell, the yurt was brightly lit. Suhe, Muren, and Tuya sat around the kang table, drinking kumis and excitedly discussing the engagement banquet tomorrow.
It was only then that Tuya realized that Lord Chen was also deeply in love with his sister-in-law, and that he would join those warriors in challenging General Xie tomorrow.
Chen Jinshi wasn't here, so Tuya said to everyone, "Tsk, Master Chen, is this body of yours capable of this?"
Every warrior of Loufan was twice as tall as him. General Xie had been eating beef and mutton for the past two years, and he had grown bigger and bigger, like a black bear.
These people are fighting, and why is Lord Chen, a scholar, joining in the fun? He just stands there like a pretty boy.
Sukh said, "Only the bravest and strongest warriors are worthy of Dulan."
Du Lan walked to the kang and sat down. If she said she was worried about Chen Jinshi, she was still a little worried.
If it comes to a fight of force, after so many years, Du Lan knows clearly that Chen Jinshi is unlikely to defeat Xie Qingyue.
But Chen Jinshi would never admit defeat unless he was beaten to death.
If Xie Qingyue wants to win, he has to beat Chen Jinshi to death on the stage.
So, who will win?
Su He glanced at Du Lan and asked with a smile, "Du Lan, who do you think will win?"
Dulan shook her head, her eyes firm: "Dad, no matter who wins, I will marry him. This is an old tradition of our tribe and cannot be violated."
Su He smiled and teased Qi Qi Ge again: "Who does Qi Qi Ge want to win?"
Qiqige threw himself into his aunt's arms: "I appoint Lord Chen as my uncle!"
Muren stretched out his hand and pinched her cheek: "You are such a heartless little thing. General Xie has been so good to you, and you have already forgotten him."
Qiqige shook his head: "Aunt treats me better. I want to give the more handsome one to her, and I will reluctantly keep the darker and stronger one for myself."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room burst into laughter. Tuya twisted Qiqige's ear and said, "You're dreaming. You're keeping it for yourself."
The atmosphere in the yurt was warm and lively, and the laughter among family members dispelled the coldness of the night, as if no matter what the outcome of tomorrow would be, they could accept it with pleasure.
Several warriors from the Taichiwu tribe arrived as promised. They were all tall and muscular, and I wonder how much they weighed like the former Black Iron.
Although this is the tradition of the tribe, usually when two families have already agreed on a marriage, unless there is a warrior who is determined to kidnap the bride and comes out to "make trouble", the warriors who come to challenge are all invited by the bride's family in advance to show their strength. Although they look strong, they will not actually use any real moves to embarrass the real groom.
Today, the warriors of the Taichiwu tribe received another order from Suhe.
"Today, you have to show some real skills. I don't want to watch them play house on the court for my daughter and make a fool of themselves in front of all the relatives. You have to show the true bravery of the Loufan Warriors!"
The engagement banquet was held in a circle and was full of people. In the middle of the venue, a wrestling arena was formed by enclosing wooden stakes.
Su He, the referee, stood at the sidelines and announced loudly: "According to the rules, the challengers will take turns to compete. If they can defeat the groom, they can take his place. The one who wins the final victory will be the real groom."
Xie Qingyue had changed into his sportswear, and his two brothers stood by to encourage him.
"I've never seen such a rationale before. We've even sent the betrothal gifts. If you're defeated today, do we have to take the betrothal gifts back?"
The eldest brother Xie Qingan said: "As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since they have this custom here, we must abide by it. Besides, will Qingyue be defeated?"
At this moment, Su He loudly invited him to come over: "General Xie, please go on stage and defend the ring first."
As the original groom, Xie Qingyue took a deep breath and strode onto the wrestling arena.
He stood in the center of the field, his eyes as sharp as torches, scanning the crowd around him, and finally fell on Chen Jinshi with a complicated look.
Chen Jinshi had no desire to show off his prowess today, nor did he intend to act arrogantly. His only goal was to win. As the challenger, he could choose to be the last to enter the ring, which was his greatest advantage.
Su He loudly announced: "The challenge begins!"
The people eating below didn't even care about the meat they were chewing, and hurriedly stood up and shouted.
Qi Qi Ge was carried on Mu Ren's shoulders, and he also clapped his hands and shouted.
As soon as he finished speaking, the first warrior of the Taichiwu tribe pounced on him like a tiger, aiming directly at Xie Qingyue.
Xie Qingyue was prepared and dodged the attack deftly. Batu missed, and his massive body nearly rushed out of the arena, drawing laughter and boos from the crowd.
Xie Qingyue seized the opportunity, grabbed Batu's arm with his backhand, and pulled him. Batu lost his balance and stumbled a few steps. Xie Qingyue took advantage of the situation and pressed his shoulder against his back. With a sudden force, he threw Batu to the ground with a "Hey!" sound, sending dust flying.
All around him were boos, and only Qiqige clapped and praised: "Uncle is awesome!"
But this was just the beginning. The second and third warriors came on the court one after another, and they used their true skills in every move.
Although Xie Qingyue was agile and a legitimate military general, he was no match for the enemy's superior numbers.
I heard that in the past, when some tribes married off their daughters, the son-in-law had to get all the relatives drunk before he could be considered successful.
Now I have seen the custom that one needs to defeat all relatives in the family before he can marry his beloved.
Every time Xie Qingyue knocked a warrior down, the crowd would burst into boos.
"Ao Qi, you are so bad! Stand up and hit him!"
Dulan was dressed up today, wearing a brand new red robe. She sat upright on a wooden bench covered with a wool blanket, with a leisurely posture, and her calm eyes were fixed on the stage.
Chen Jinshi was standing not far from her, his eyes also fixed on the stage.
He could clearly see every punch and every dodge of Xie Qingyue, as well as the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and his gradually heavy breathing.
On the court, the fourth warrior had already entered the game. He was a bald, burly fellow, even more robust than the previous ones. His arms were almost as thick as Xie Qingyue's thighs. Without a word, he pounced on Xie Qingyue like a hungry tiger, slamming into him fiercely.
Xie Qingyue had already exhausted most of his strength, and various voices began to appear in the crowd, mixed in with the shouting and booing.
Su He stroked his beard, with a smile on his face that showed he was enjoying watching the fun.
Facing the opponent's collision, Xie Qingyue did not retreat but advanced. Just when the two were about to collide, Xie Qingyue suddenly turned sideways, stretched out his right hand, and accurately grabbed the opponent's wrist.
He growled, and taking advantage of Baru's huge inertia, he did a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw!
Baru's massive body was thrown into the air by him, slamming heavily onto the ground, sending dust flying everywhere. It was so clean and efficient that even Su He couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into thunderous applause.
Even if he was reluctant to admit that the Loufan Warriors were not as good as him, he had to admit that this move was extremely beautiful.
Xie Qingyue shook his numb arms, breathing heavily, his eyes revealing his aroused bloodiness.
At this point, all the warriors invited by Suhe have finished their battles. No one is here to fight to the death, nor is anyone here to really marry Dulan.
Xie Qingyue wiped the blood and sweat mixture off his face with the back of his hand, and finally looked at Chen Jinshi.
Su He was very satisfied with today's situation. Although the Loufan warriors could not beat Xie Qingyue, it also meant that the son-in-law he chose for Dulan was the best warrior.
He began to calmly scan the field and said slowly, "Who else wants to challenge me?"
"Chief Suhe," Chen Jinshi's voice was not loud, but it instantly drowned out all the noise, "I challenge you."
When he looked up, there was no contempt, no arrogance, only a firmness that was almost cold.
Xie Qingyue carries the majesty of someone who has long held a high position and commands thousands of troops. This is the aura that has been accumulated after years of immersion in the military camp.
Chen Jinshi, who had been a civil servant in the imperial court for three years, carefully understanding the intentions of his superiors, no longer had that outward and intimidating aggressiveness, but had something new in him.
It was a kind of calmness that made him seem to be in control of the overall situation, yet it made it impossible for people to see through his depth.
He walked up to Xie Qingyue, without holding his head high, but nodded slightly: "Thank you, General. Thank you for your kindness."
Xie Qingyue looked at him, a hint of fatigue flashing in his eyes, but more of a kind of excited, warrior-like excitement. He smiled, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, sweat dripping down his jawline.
"Master Chen, please."
There was finally a hint of something else in Du Lan's always calm eyes.
Fate is always so unforgiving. It was only today that I realized that Chen Jinshi has really grown up a lot, so much so that he can never go back to his former appearance.
Maybe she always had some different feelings for him, she loved him.
Seeing this, Su He casually said, "Let's get started."
Before he finished speaking, Chen Jinshi took action. He knew where his weakness was and he had to make a quick decision.
Xie Qingyue's physical strength had also been exhausted, and he also adopted a tactic of quick victory.
Facing a collision of full-force blows from both sides, the two bodies collided fiercely. Chen Jinshi felt a huge force rushing towards him, his chest felt like it was hit by a hammer, the pain was unbearable. He groaned, his body involuntarily flying backwards, falling heavily to the ground.
The gap between the two widened over three years, and the difference was not just in size.
"Wow!" the crowd exclaimed.
The fall was so severe that Chen Jinshi felt like his bones were about to break.
Although Xie Qingyue was also shocked and took two steps back, he was a military general after all, and his ability to withstand attacks was far better than Chen Jinshi.
He shook his numb arm and looked at Chen Jin who fell to the ground, a complicated look flashed in his eyes.
Chen Jinshi got up, a wicked smile flashed across his lips. He could still hold on, so he tried again.
Xie Qingyue rushed forward without any hesitation, wanting to take advantage of the victory and end the battle.
Chen Jinshi's pupils suddenly shrank. He endured the severe pain and rolled over at the moment when Xie Qingyue's fist was about to fall, narrowly avoiding it.
"Whoosh!" The fist hit the ground, raising dust.
Xie Qingyue's attack missed, but he continued to attack. Like a tiger descending from a mountain, he unleashed a furious onslaught on Chen Jinshi. Each punch was powerful and deep, each kick carrying a whistling sound.
A heavy punch landed on his cheek, and he felt his teeth loosen, blood instantly oozing from the corner of his mouth. Another whip-kick landed on his side, and he curled up in pain, nearly losing consciousness. Qi Qi Ge cried out in shock, nearly crying.
Du Lan dug her fingertips into her palms, but in order to maintain the fairness of the game, she could not show any expression on her face.
Xie Qingyue stopped attacking, looked down at him, and said in a deep voice: "Master Chen, it has been three years. You are no longer my opponent. Your battlefield is not here. Admit defeat and go back to the capital."
Chen Jinshi slowly raised his head, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at Xie Qingyue with cold eyes: "I, Chen Jinshi, have never admitted defeat since I was a child!"
After saying that, he suddenly propped himself up with his arms and assumed a fighting stance again.
Even though every breath he took was in pain and his body was shaking, he still stood there.
This is the rule of Loufan. If they want to become Dulan's husband, they must stand here and fight.
Xie Qingyue's eyes had to become fierce. He took a deep breath and attacked again. This time, he used all his strength and punched Chen Jinshi directly in the chest!
Chen Jinshi burst out with brute force from nowhere, and the two men immediately started fighting each other.
Chen Jinshi gave up all defense, and every punch he threw was filled with the ruthlessness of burning himself to death.
He was hit hard by Xie Qingyue's punch, and blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth, but he took advantage of this gap and swung his fist hard at Xie Qingyue's nose.
"Bang!"
With a dull sound, Xie Qingyue's nose bridge broke and he felt a sore nose. Chen Jinshi seized this critical opportunity and, regardless of the severe pain in his body, pounced on him and hugged Xie Qingyue's waist tightly with his arms.
Xie Qingyue did not stop attacking, but Chen Jinshi completely gave up on defense and used the last bit of his strength to push Xie Qingyue's burly body backwards.
“Plop!”
The two fell to the ground together, with Chen Jinshi falling on top of Xie Qingyue.
The crowd around suddenly quieted down, and everyone watched the scene nervously.
Xie Qingyue had exhausted all his strength, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move the person on top of him.
He could feel Chen Jinshi's hot breath and the almost burning heat coming from his body.
He knew in his heart that if this continued, the two of them would end up in a fight to the death.
He knew for sure that Chen Jinshi had two broken ribs, but he still did not defend himself. Not only did he disregard his own life, but every move he made was aimed at taking his life.
Xie Qingyue began to weigh his options.
Is it worth it for a marriage?
Xie Qingyue was reluctant to get up. Chen Jinshi's eyes were unusually bright as he stared at Xie Qingyue's eyes intently.
There was even a hint of excitement.
Xie Qingyue's expression became complicated. Chen Jinshi seemed to be expecting to die on this stage?
When Su He started counting down, he was still weighing the pros and cons in his mind. If he turned over and stood up, he was not sure that he could escape unscathed and defeat Chen Jinshi.
Beat Chen Jinshi to death? He's not that crazy.
He looked at Chen Jinshi's eyes that were burning with madness, and suddenly realized that he could not win this battle.
"I... give up." Xie Qingyue's voice was hoarse, but with an unprecedented calmness.
Su He stared at him and asked, "Are you sure? Thank you, General."
Xie Qingyue turned his head to look at Du Lan. She was still sitting there calmly. She seemed to know that any reaction she made would affect the outcome of the battle.
She wanted Xie Qingyue to completely make his own decision on whether to admit defeat or continue fighting, not based on her preference.
Her impartiality is also the ordeal that Chen Jinshi must go through.
When he was her child, she could spoil him, favor him, and pamper him endlessly.
But now he is vying for the title of her husband, so she should no longer favor him.
Chen Jinshi, rely on yourself.
Su He walked forward, looked into the eyes of Xie Qingyue, who was standing under Chen Jinshi, and asked again, "General Xie, it's just a broken nose. You won't be able to survive like this, right?"
Xie Qingyue withdrew his gaze from Du Lan, slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was already clear-headed.
"I give up," he repeated, his voice low but resounding. "I lose, I lose. I accept the loss."
The smile on Su He's face finally faded. He looked at Xie Qingyue, then at Chen Jinshi, who was lying on top of him, barely breathing. Finally, he raised Chen Jinshi's arm and announced loudly, "I declare that the challenger Chen Jinshi wins!"
Qiqige jumped excitedly on Muren's shoulder, shouting, "Uncle won! Aunt! Uncle won!"
Dulan breathed a sigh of relief and slumped in his chair.
Her relief was not because she could marry Chen Jinshi, but because Chen Jinshi saved her life.
He was an extremely stubborn person. Even if she told him that in the worst case scenario, she would marry Xie Qingyue first, it would be fine. As long as he was alive, she might remarry him when she reached middle age.
As long as people are still alive and strong, there will be no shortage of firewood as long as the green mountains remain.
As a man, you should take a long-term view.
Chen Jinshi was not willing to listen to this.
This is the thing that Chen Ying can't do anything about him.
As a woman from the grassland, she had no concept of loyalty, and she had always heard that men from the Central Plains were fickle and had three wives and four concubines.
She left the capital three years ago, and her reluctance to leave him came more from family ties, after all, they had been together for many years.
She has always been open-minded about the feeling of sleeping in the same bed, and believes that it is enough to have each other and enjoy each other for a period of time.
But I didn't expect that he was so stubborn about being together for the rest of his life.
If he wants to be her man for life, he has to listen to her.
She stood up, walked to the wrestling arena, squatted down, and squatted next to Chen Jinshi's head. She stuffed a pill into his mouth and pinched his wrist to check his pulse.
Xie Qingyue was supported by his two brothers and was still able to stand.
When he glanced at Chen Jin who was still lying on the ground, there was no more resentment in his eyes, only a hint of complicated relief.
You're on your own.
He nodded slightly to Du Lan as a greeting, then turned and left.
"Chen Jinshi, how are you?"
Du Lan checked his pulse and then asked him softly how he felt.
Chen Jinshi opened his eyes and used up almost the last bit of strength in his body. He suddenly raised his hand, grabbed the back of Du Lan's head and pushed her head down.
Du Lan exclaimed, and before she could react, warm lips covered hers.
Chen Jinshi's lips were cracked and he looked disheveled after the fight, but he kissed Du Lan extremely hard, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones and blood.
Du Lan froze for a moment, then closed her eyes, put her arms around his neck, and responded to the kiss.
Qi Qige opened her eyes wide with curiosity and was about to step forward to poke the two people, but Tuya pulled her back and covered her eyes.
"Qiqige, General Xie is in a bad mood right now. Go over with some candy to comfort him."
As she spoke, Tuya stuffed a handful of candy into Qiqige's hand and pointed in the direction of Xie Qingyue.
Qi Qi Ge was quickly distracted by this incident. He took the candy and skipped away happily.
The kiss was so deep that they were both almost suffocating, and then Du Lan slowly let him go.
He was still lying on the ground, gasping for breath.
The guests began to eat.
"Chief Suhe, congratulations on finding a perfect son-in-law."
Su He glanced at Chen Jinshi, and finally a smile appeared on his face. He bowed to the guests who came to congratulate him and said, "Congratulations, everyone. Enjoy your meal and drink well."
"Come here, carry the son-in-law to the yurt to rest, and call Muren over to see him."
Du Lan stood up, and several young herdsmen immediately stepped forward and lifted Chen Jinshi onto the wooden board.
The guests ate barbecue and drank wine while enthusiastically discussing the thrilling contest that had just taken place.
"I didn't expect Lord Chen to be so reckless in a fight!"
"Su He really found a good son-in-law."
Suhe accompanied several tribal elders to drink, and as he listened to their discussions, the smile on his face grew brighter.
Xie Qingyue sat aside, and Mu Ren came over to check his injuries.
"Ah, General Xie's nose is badly injured, and the nosebleed hasn't stopped yet. Let me bandage it for you."
Xie Qingyue nodded, and Muren took out the herbs and gauze with swift movements. He first used clean water to clean the blood on Xie Qingyue's face, then applied the crushed herbs on his nose bridge, and finally wrapped it carefully with gauze.
"Alright, General Xie, this herb has the ability to stop bleeding and reduce swelling. It will be fine in a few days." Mu Ren patted his shoulder and quoted a famous saying from the Central Plains to comfort him, "Victory and defeat are common in the military. Don't take it too seriously."
There was a piece of hemostatic cloth stuffed in General Xie's nostrils, and Qi Qi Ge giggled when he saw it.
Muren's face darkened, and he poked Qiqige's head: "Qiqige, should you smile when you see someone hurt?"
Qiqige stopped laughing, shook his head, and held out his palm with a few candies in it: "Uncle, eat some candies, and the pain will go away."
Xie Qingyue looked at the little girl who was trying not to laugh and rubbed her head: "Thank you, Qiqige."
Muren pretended to teach Qiqige a lesson again: "I've taught you the meaning of 'uncle' several times, why are you still calling me that?"
Xie Qingyue stopped Mu Ren, and the fatigue in his voice was immediately dispelled: "Forget it, it's normal for children not to understand these things."
He picked up a candy, peeled off the wrapper, and put it in his mouth. The sweet taste spread on the tip of his tongue, and it seemed to really dilute the dull pain from his nose.
Singing began in the distance. Chen Jinshi was placed on the kang covered with a thick wool blanket, and Du Lan covered him with a warm quilt.
Muren came back from Xie Qingyue and leaned against the door to look at him.
"Master Chen, you must get well soon. There's a lot of work to do at home. You have to continue the work that General Xie left behind."
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The author has something to say: Muren: A brother-in-law who doesn’t help pick up sheep droppings at home is not a good brother-in-law
Qiqige: One uncle, two uncles, three uncles, four uncles...
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