Chapter Three: Finding a Good Master Through Conflict
The boy, his eyes gleaming in the sunlight, raised his head energetically at Yang Xiao, "Come on, let's have a contest!"
"Let's compete!" She twirled the spear in her hand and spurred her horse toward the boy.
Swords and spears clashed, producing a sharp whistle, and the two warhorses, as if in high spirits, neighed and twirled together.
The young general's attack was swift and powerful, his saber whistling through the air. Yang Xiao frowned and saw the blade coming straight at her, so she quickly raised her spear to block. Perhaps because she was no match for his strength, she was jolted back slightly, her hands and fingers going numb.
Yang Xiao hissed in approval, secretly praising her skill. She nodded approvingly, spurred her horse to circle half a circle, and suddenly felt a surge of fighting spirit. Looking at the spirited young general, she already had a plan in mind.
Seeing that she was at a disadvantage, the young man's face immediately showed a triumphant arrogance. Taking advantage of his advantage, he swung his sword again. Yang Xiao glanced at him with a smile, then suddenly turned her waist. The silver spear swung with the momentum and swept across the young man's back.
The sudden attack startled the young general. He quickly turned the blade around and slung the knife behind his back, barely managing to block the powerful blow.
The momentary panic instantly turned the tide of the battle. Taking advantage of the fact that the sword was still on his back, Yang Xiao drew his spear and smashed it down. The young man frowned, hurriedly shouted, and pushed his sword to block.
Knowing that he was weaker than him, Yang Xiao stood up directly from the saddle bridge. In an instant, the spear shaft slammed straight onto the blade, producing a sharp screech.
"Good!" The onlookers cheered. Yang Xiaoshen stood high up, pressing down on the boy so hard that his hands trembled slightly as he gritted his teeth and pushed upwards.
Yang Xiao used all her strength to press down on his knife, gritted her teeth and asked with a smile, "How about it? Do you submit or not?"
The young man seemed determined to fight her to the death, bracing himself against her with his arms. "Do you really think you have the victory in your grasp?" He raised his sword and stood up slightly, staring intently at Yang Xiao.
Seeing his imposing manner, Yang Xiao couldn't help but frown. If this stalemate continued, she would surely lose. Looking at the boy's trembling arms, she suddenly had an idea.
With all her might, she pressed down hard on the gun barrel, intending to dodge him and attack his waist and abdomen.
Perhaps he had used too much force, causing the warhorse to misunderstand, and the chestnut horse suddenly bucked and retreated. Yang Xiao had just released the force in his hands, but was caught off guard by the warhorse beneath him. He quickly sat down to steady himself and swung his silver spear to regain his footing.
The boy's all-out upward lunge missed its target. In a flash, he saw Yang Xiao's silver spear hurtling uncontrollably towards his neck. Startled, he quickly pulled on the reins and leaned back. After dodging Yang Xiao's spear, the warhorse neighed, reared up, and began stamping its feet in place.
This is no competition; it's clearly a death sentence.
The boy, still shaken, breathed a sigh of relief, raised his hand to touch his neck, then frowned and stared at Yang Xiao, who had regained her balance not far away, "You've gone too far!"
Just as Yang Xiao was about to raise her hand to explain something, she saw that the young man had already rallied and was charging towards her on horseback.
She had no choice but to pick up her gun and brace herself to meet the attack. Just as she was about to fight the boy again, she saw another group of people fly out of the city gate. She couldn't help but frown and tighten her grip on her gun.
"Yude! Stop!" The leader, dressed in plain robes, rode his horse toward the two men who were locked in a tense standoff, shouting loudly.
Upon hearing this, the young man quickly reined in his horse, slung his sword behind his back, glared at Yang Xiao with displeasure, and then turned to watch the white-clad youth ride towards him with an unhappy expression.
"Yude, what's going on?" the young man frowned at him. "How could you get into a fight with a guest? What happened to your hospitality?"
"Brother, I..." The boy opened his mouth as if to explain something, but then he was speechless. He sat on the horse's back indignation and crossed his arms unhappily.
Seeing that the young general had finally calmed down, Yang Xiao led his horse forward and bowed, saying, "I was very rude just now, please forgive me, General."
When the young man saw Yang Xiao come to apologize, he was furious. "What's wrong with you? You said it was just a friendly spar, so why did you try to kill me? Even if I'm not as skilled, you don't have to kill me!"
Yang Xiao was momentarily at a loss for words, so he could only sigh, shake his head, and clasp his hands in a fist salute, saying, "I am truly sorry for the mishap just now. My riding skills are not good enough, and the warhorse was only recently acquired. Just now, the warhorse moved erratically, and I was unable to keep my balance..."
She sighed and tugged at the reins. The chestnut horse, as if it had done something right, kept swishing its tail and raising its head, demanding a reward.
The boy then noticed Yang Xiao's brand-new saddle and stirrups. He was stunned and stood there in surprise. "You mean, this warhorse is something you acquired recently, and you haven't fought alongside it before?"
“That’s right.” Yang Xiao nodded, carrying his gun. “Please forgive my previous offense, General.”
"If it's a misunderstanding, then it's alright." The young man quickly waved his hand, then looked thoughtfully at Yang Xiao's warhorse, as if recalling the battle just now.
The young man in white, looking at his brother who was lost in thought, shook his head and sighed. He then turned to Yang Xiao, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "My brother was very rude just now. I am Zhongli An, courtesy name Lunhong. I apologize to you on his behalf."
“It’s alright…” Yang Xiao answered, then suddenly realized something and looked at the young man in shock, “Wait, you…”
She stared incredulously at the gentle young man before her. "Could you be the newly appointed Governor of Ji Province, Lord Zhongli?"
Zhong Li'an smiled and nodded gently, "That is indeed me."
The young man then came to his senses, the anger in his eyes completely gone. He smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yang Xiao. “My name is Zhongli Shuo, courtesy name Yude.” He then turned to Zhongli An. “Brother, Miss Lingyu just said that she traveled all the way from Jiangnan to the north to seek refuge with you. I just… wanted to spar with her and test her strength.”
"Yude, stop making excuses," Zhongli An said reproachfully, giving Zhongli Shuo a reproachful look. "You attacked without asking why, and now you're using Lixian as an excuse? What if the young lady gets hurt?"
"My lord, it's alright. As the saying goes, you don't know someone until you fight them. It's fate that we're sparring with General Yude today," Yang Xiao quickly smoothed things over. "Besides, my riding skills were poor just now, and I almost hurt Yude. I should be the one apologizing."
“Lingyu is right,” Zhongli Shuo nodded arrogantly. “So you’ve never fought anyone on horseback before, yet you were able to outmaneuver me in every move today? How did you manage that?”
Yang Xiao smiled and tilted her head. "In your opinion, am I strong enough to serve the lord?"
Upon hearing this, the two brothers couldn't help but laugh. Zhongli Shuo quickly waved his hand, "What are you saying? If even you can't come to serve your brother, then all of us under your command should have been dismissed long ago."
The subordinates who had come with Zhong Li'an couldn't help but burst into laughter, and the onlookers gradually dispersed amidst the joyful atmosphere.
Zhong Li'an looked at Yang Xiao approvingly, "We have all witnessed Miss Lingyu's abilities. Would you do me the honor of coming to my residence for a few drinks?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao could not hide the joy in her eyes. She smiled and clasped her hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your kind invitation, Your Excellency. I will gladly accept your offer."
“Alright,” Zhong Li’an spurred his horse around and said, “Miss, come with me.”
Zhong Lishuo twirled the sword in his hand and spurred his horse to follow beside Yang Xiao. "Although I have lost to you today, I am not convinced. After you and this warhorse have worked together well, we will have another match."
“Alright,” Yang Xiao said, smiling at Zhong Lishuo. “It’s a deal.”
"By the way, Lingyu," Zhongli Shuo looked at Yang Xiao's warhorse again and asked with interest, "Does your warhorse have a name?"
Yang Xiao looked down at the chestnut horse beneath him, which seemed somewhat dejected after being ignored for trying to curry favor. Yang Xiao couldn't help but smile, raising his hand to stroke its head. The warhorse immediately raised its head in response, as if it could sense its master's feelings.
Its crimson fur shone brightly under the blazing sun, like flowing clouds. Yang Xiao gazed at the mane that resembled flames and said, "How about we call it Crimson Flame?"
"And the gun?" The boy looked at the gun in her hand with admiration. "This gun suits your fighting style perfectly. Is it newly made?"
Yang Xiao was taken aback by what she heard, then smiled broadly as she looked at the gun she was holding tightly in her hand. “This gun,” she said, stroking the barrel with emotion, “has been with me for three years. It was a gift from an old friend in Yuzhou.”
Zhongli Shuo nodded approvingly, then asked with interest, "We also have old friends in Yuzhou. May I ask who gifted this spear to us?"
The image of her from the past flashed into Yang Xiao's mind, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her face. She then looked at the sunlight and sighed, "It was just a brief encounter. If I were to bring it up rashly, I'm afraid it would cause trouble for my benefactor."
“That’s true.” Zhong Lishuo nodded with a smile, then quickly changed the subject, pulling Yang Xiao aside to chat about random things.
Zhong Li'an looked back at the two who were already chatting and laughing freely, and smiled heartily. He then led the two of them on horseback at a brisk pace towards the mansion.
Three fine horses galloped across the city's main street and arrived at the governor's office in a short while.
-
"Come, have a seat." Zhong Li'an ushered Yang Xiao into the mansion and asked the servants to brew her a cup of tea. "This is a new tea that someone sent over a few days ago. Today's hospitality is rushed, so I can only bring it out to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey. I hope you won't find it offensive."
"You're too kind, Your Excellency," Yang Xiao said, accepting the teacup with both hands and leaning down to gently sniff the tea. "It is truly an honor for me to be able to appreciate such fine tea at Your Excellency's residence."
Zhong Li'an nodded with a smile, pondered for a moment, then put away his joking tone and looked at Yang Xiao solemnly, "Now the world is divided and heroes are rising up. Jiangnan has a great power. Why not assist those nearby, instead of coming all the way to find me?"
“Brother, you…” Before Yang Xiao could speak, Zhongli Shuo frowned and interrupted, “We finally have a capable person come to join us, why would you—”
"Yude." Zhong Li'an turned to look at his younger brother, then fell silent.
Ignoring the brothers' stalemate, Yang Xiao gently skimmed the tea foam with the lid, took a sip, and said, "Jiangnan... my ambitions lie elsewhere." She set down her teacup, looked up at the two men, and said, "If we get to the bottom of this, we'll inevitably have to talk about my background. Would you two be willing to do me the honor of hearing it?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li'an looked at Yang Xiao solemnly and said, "If you are willing to speak, how could we not listen? Please speak freely, we will listen attentively."
Zhong Lishuo nodded, and seeing that Yang Xiao still didn't speak, he said impatiently, "Lingyu, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us quickly."
Yang Xiao nodded and smiled, "You two are descendants of the famous founding prime minister Zhongli Zhao, so you naturally know the impact of the late emperor's passing on the court and the country."
“That’s natural.” Zhongli An frowned and sighed. “The last emperor was dissolute and indulged in debauchery, favoring treacherous officials and alienating loyal ministers. He allowed shameless villains to stir up trouble and make the world miserable for their own selfish interests.”
“Yes,” Yang Xiao nodded in agreement, “The first thing treacherous officials do when they come to power is to persecute the loyal and good. Old Master Zhongli Zhao was exiled to Jizhou, General Bai Yao was forced to resign and live in seclusion in Yuzhou, while Yang Zhen insisted on staying in the court, only to end up with the death of his wife and the separation of his children, and was even demoted to the northern Qiang border... The loyal and good are all gone, people are in a state of panic, and local powerful figures are eager to make a move, trying to get a share of the spoils in this fragmented land.”
“That is true, but Lingyu, you—” Zhongli Shuo was about to ask Yang Xiao about her background, but he met Zhongli An’s dissatisfied expression and had no choice but to shut up.
Yang Xiao was amused by Zhong Lishuo's expression. She waved her hand dismissively, sighed, and leaned back in her chair. "My father is General Chixiao—Yang Zhen."
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