gnovel Chapter 48 The Yang Family's Sons' First Stay
Chapter 48 The Yang Family's Sons' First Stay
Upon returning to Yanzhou, Madam Gao saw her husband and eldest son return. Thinking of her second son who had already gone far away, she couldn't help but hug Gao Huaide and weep bitterly once again.
Gao Huaixuan stayed with her mother to comfort her, but she noticed there was another person present and gently tugged at Madam Gao's sleeve.
Yang Chonggui stood awkwardly to the side.
"You must be a child from the Yang family. Your room has been cleaned and tidied up. Let Xuan'er take you there."
As Madam Gao spoke, she reluctantly let go of her hand, as if afraid her son would run away.
Gao Huaide finally managed to break free and quickly caught up with his sister, feeling extremely ashamed of what had just happened. Fortunately, Yang Chonggui didn't seem to care.
Leading Yang Chonggui to a row of guest rooms on the side, Gao Huaixuan pushed open the door of the first room and asked softly, "How about this one? If you don't like it, we can change to another one."
The girl was beautiful and had a sweet voice. Yang Chonggui had never interacted with girls before, so he didn't dare to look directly at her and murmured softly, "This place is very nice."
Gao Huaide was about to tease him about why he had become so soft-spoken when his sister stopped him with a look.
"Don't be shy, just make yourself at home."
Gao Huaixuan told Yang Chonggui not to be shy about making any requests and to just tell her.
"What should I call you?"
Before Yang Chonggui could answer, Gao Huaide interjected, "Sister, let's call him Gui-ge'er."
"Brother Gui".
Gao Huaixuan read it aloud: "Really?"
Yang Chonggui didn't like being called that, finding it vulgar and nouveau riche-like, and protested to Gao Huaide several times, but to no avail. For some reason, he silently agreed when the girl addressed him that way.
Eight years later, because he shared the same name as the emperor, Yang Chonggui changed his name to avoid the taboo, and "Gui Ge'er" became the unique title for the Gao siblings.
Yang Chonggui settled down at the Gao family's house.
……
"De'er, you will first pass on the essential teachings of my father, the Gao Family Four Seasons Fist. Do you still remember them?"
"The spring breeze style is gentle, the summer breeze style is sticky, the autumn wind style is vigorous, and the winter hurricane style is tough. There are 108 styles in each style, totaling 432 styles. He has a lot to learn."
Gao Huaide recited it like a rhyme.
Seeing his half-hearted attitude, Gao Xingzhou said seriously, "The Four Seasons Fist is actually the 'Thinking Succession Fist,' created by your grandfather. It integrates fist and weapon techniques and is the foundation of the Gao family's spear style. I will observe you in a while. If my instruction is not thorough enough, you will be held responsible. Do you understand?"
Gao Huaide hurriedly defended himself: "I taught him with all my heart. If he can't practice well, you can't blame me!"
Yang Chonggui said earnestly, "I will definitely practice hard. If once isn't enough, I'll practice a few more times."
Hey, you're such a simpleton.
Gao Huaide secretly thought to himself: If you never leave yourself a way out, what if the result is not as you wish? Are you just going to bang your head against a wall and die?
However, he knew that his father liked this kind of meticulous personality.
"Very good, this is the spirit and energy that a martial artist should have. You are a few years older, but you should learn from Chonggui."
See, Gao Xingzhou's reaction was exactly as expected.
Gao Huaide sighed, glared at Yang Chonggui resentfully, and accepted the task of passing on his father's skills.
"The human skeleton is like a spear, with the spine as the shaft for generating power, the elbows and knees as the spear tip for injuring, and the fists and feet as the spear tassels for feinting and deceiving the enemy."
Gao Huaide stretched out his fist and shook it.
"When your torso is trained to the strength and elasticity of a white waxwood staff, you can throw a punch without swinging your arm, relying entirely on the power stored in your waist and hips. At that point, learning spear techniques will be much more effective."
The Six Harmonies Spear Manual states: "To master the spear, first master the fist." The Gao Family Four Seasons Fist also shares similarities. (Note 1)
Gao Huaide explained with his mouth and gestures. He had a very solid foundation under the strict supervision of Gao Xingzhou since childhood, which made him very adept at it.
"Spear techniques are like fist techniques. For example, a spear strike is like a fist strike. When the opponent thrusts forward, don't block or parry, but instead meet the attack head-on and strike down!"
He mustered his strength and slashed out suddenly, with the force of an eagle catching a chicken and the weight of a bear shaking its shoulders, his fist almost reaching Yang Chonggui's face.
Yang Chonggui memorized the information intently, without taking a single step back.
"Take my Golden Rooster Nodding, for example. It looks like a light tap, but it actually springs and releases force, containing a powerful energy that can penetrate armor. If it were a gun, you would already be dead."
Gao Huaide pecked Yang Chonggui, but seeing that he didn't react, he found it rather boring.
What a blockhead, so boring.
He abandoned his boxing stance and switched to verbal instruction.
"For example, both the 'bengqiang' (striking spear) and 'bengchui' (striking punch) use the horizontal force at the front end to deflect the opponent's thrusting spear. This is called 'low strike, high attack,' and the back and forth strikes never miss."
"There are also spear thrusts and drill punches, spear smashes and pounding punches, all of which have the same wonderful effect."
Yang Chonggui listened to the explanation of boxing principles, but he was completely confused. He couldn't help but say, "Everything you say sounds plausible, but my dad says that if you don't practice boxing, you're nothing. Let's spar a bit."
"Why are you getting handsy?"
Gao Huaide muttered something, then suddenly took a step forward and delivered a drilling punch straight to his chin!
This time, Yang Chonggui no longer stood still and raised his arm to block.
Just then, Gao Huaide took a step and fell, his fist clenched and thrust into his throat. He then withdrew his fist and instead thrust his elbow, the tip of his elbow striking his heart.
Yang Chonggui crossed his arms to block, and Gao Huaide immediately followed with a knee strike to his groin, which he quickly pulled in to dodge.
Gao Huaide unleashed a powerful horizontal strike, their arms colliding and pushing Yang Chonggui away.
The two fought briefly, sometimes together, sometimes apart, exchanging blows in an instant.
"You attacked me from behind; that's unsportsmanlike conduct!"
"That way it will leave a lasting impression."
Gao Huaide argued vehemently: "When you go to war, the enemy won't give you a heads-up before attacking. You have to be on guard at all times."
Yang Chonggui admitted that there was some truth to what he said, but he still felt that his actions were despicable and vile.
"Why do you always hit vital points?"
"Here?"
Gao Huaide pointed to his groin, where he had used the force of a kick to strike four places at once: breaking through the door, drilling into the throat, hitting the groin, and piercing the heart.
In a real fight, without holding back, Yang Chonggui would have had his jaw dislocated, his throat shattered, his heart struck, his genitals damaged, and his pubic bone shattered, ultimately leading to his death.
"When fighting, you should attack the enemy's vital points. Why bother with prolonged grappling?"
Yang Chonggui was at a loss for how to explain things to him.
Gao Huaide came up and put his arm around his shoulder: "What's the point of practicing boxing? Come on, come with me. The city is not like a poor backwater. There are plenty of fun and lively places here."
……
While his son and Yang Chonggui were playfully fighting, Gao Xingzhou arrived at the Jietang Hall and sat down to meditate.
"You actually succeeded just like the late emperor, you're something else, Indian!"
Gao Xingzhou murmured.
He had considered the possibility of Li Congke winning, but the difference in strength was too great, and according to common sense, there was absolutely no chance of a comeback.
Fu Yanqing had once asked himself whether he should continue to deal with the Dingnan Army. Now the question was before him, and there was no way to avoid it.
Li Conghou has already been deposed; is it still necessary to follow his orders?
With Li Congke newly enthroned, his top priority was to organize the court and consolidate power. The regional military governors on the frontiers only needed to submit their pledges of allegiance, and they would likely not cause any further trouble.
If Li Yichao were to show deference to the new emperor, he would lose the justification for attacking the Dingnan Army.
With reforms and changes, the country has changed hands, and the fate of the nation is sealed. How should we deal with the current situation?
Gao Xingzhou fell into deep thought.
Instead of assisting in the Jingnan Campaign during the crisis, Li Congke took the opportunity to expand his power. How would Li Congke view this?
Even if the new ruler wins by raising an army without authorization, he will likely still harbor some resentment.
Besides, even if I raise an army, would the Fu Yanqing and Zhe Yang families still cooperate?
If Li Congke were to appoint him to another position, would he agree?
If I agree, all my previous plans will have been for nothing, like doing a wedding dress for someone else.
If he refused, his old friendship with Ah San would be gone, and from then on, as military leaders, they would be outwardly friendly but inwardly estranged, always wary of each other.
In reality, annexing a neighboring town is subject to various checks and balances, and the opponent is not easy either; it's not that simple.
During the chaotic late Tang Dynasty, many military governors spent their entire lives guarding their own territory and could only protect themselves, never venturing beyond their own domain.
The system of regional military governors was able to extend the life of the Tang Dynasty for more than a hundred years. Did they really think that all the emperors and officials of the past dynasties were mediocre and incompetent?
Gao Xingzhou suddenly chuckled.
Why are you in such a hurry?
Having lost Suizhou, Li Yichao is about to find himself in a precarious situation, surrounded on three sides, and must be eager to find a way to reverse his passive position.
If the Dingnan Army cannot help but strike first, it is reasonable for them to retaliate.
"Let's wait and see if you can hold out."
A cold glint flashed in Gao Xingzhou's sharp eyes: "Order the chief secretary to prepare a congratulatory memorial; this commander is going to the capital to meet the emperor!"
The military governor's personal journey to the capital was undoubtedly the most direct way to demonstrate his loyalty to the new emperor.
Gao Xingzhou made up his mind that he might as well take his time to build good relations with the court and wait for the Dingnan Army to make the first move.
Moreover, he did want to meet Li Congke.
When the late emperor ascended the throne, he lost his eldest son, a tragedy of a white-haired man burying a black-haired man. Gao Xingzhou had witnessed this once before.
It remains to be seen whether Li Congke's two children will survive this ordeal.
As for the current emperor, who has been deposed and demoted to Prince of E, Li Congke would not let him go. The thought of his adopted son and biological son turning against each other, and another of the late emperor's few remaining bloodlines about to be lost, filled Gao Xingzhou with a sense of sorrow.
Li Congke probably wouldn't make things difficult for the late emperor's concubines.
Once memories buried deep in his heart for many years resurfaced, countless thoughts became uncontrollable. Gao Xingzhou temporarily set aside military and political affairs, and the past flooded his mind like a tide.