Wu Yong said to me, "Go and tell the leaders of the conference."
I said, "There's no time to waste, let's just get started—Brother Song Qing, go tell Xu Delong to clear out the area as soon as possible, I'll take care of the horses."
I glanced at the film crew. They had just returned from the mountains and had no idea what a martial arts tournament was. They seemed quite impatient and wanted the tournament to end as soon as possible so they could rush to film.
So I said with some concern, "I'm afraid this won't be easy to handle."
Duan Jingzhu said, "What's so difficult about that? If they won't give it to us, we'll just steal it!"
Shi Qian: "Thumbs up!"
Chapter Thirty-Three: The Qin Dynasty's Rangers
I am indignant about Duan Jingzhu and Shi Qian's suggestions. It's not that I don't approve of stealing, but I have absolutely no confidence in stealing horses in the current environment. In their time, stealing a wild horse was no different from stealing a bicycle. Even if Duan Jingzhu stole the "Jade Lion Shining at Night," it would be equivalent to stealing a Lamborghini. On the other hand, if I brought 60 Xiali cars to the Southern Song Dynasty and they were stolen, even if someone knew how to drive them, I think solving the case would be a piece of cake.
So I told Duan Jingzhu, "Your task is not to steal, but to select a few good horses."
I took him to talk to the crew. I was just about to ask them who was in charge when I immediately spotted a guy covered in pockets. I grabbed him and shook his hand: "You're the director, right?"
Mandou glared at me and said slowly, "I'm the assistant director, what's up?"
"Nothing much, I just wanted to borrow a few horses." I explained my plan to hold an exhibition race. I thought he would readily agree, but instead, he spoke in a bureaucratic tone, "That's not easy. Our horses need to rest and recuperate for the filming later. Besides, these horses are worth hundreds of thousands each. Who will be responsible if they get damaged?"
It's really a problem that I didn't watch the martial arts tournament. There are probably only about ten people in this place who don't recognize me, Xiao Qiang.
I lit a cigarette for Mandou and said with a forced smile, "Our people are all experts, there's no way there will be any problems." Mandou took a puff of my cigarette, gave me a sidelong glance, and didn't say anything.
I could only try to make conversation: "What are you guys filming?"
"The documentary, 'The Rangers of the Qin Dynasty,' is going to be broadcast on CCTV in the future."
I said, "Oh. Then I'll find someone to help you. You can ask him about props, formations, and stuff."
Mandou scoffed: "We have advisors."
I laughed: "Have your advisors ever seen rangers, let alone the Qin Dynasty?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
I said, "I've met the person I found for you before." Seeing the strange look in his eyes, I quickly said, "Okay, I'll find him for you first. By the way, I've only seen the horse, not the person."
Mandou: "Props and actors, come over here."
"Then you don't need to call yourself an actor. I have some ready-made ones. I'll have them film for you in a bit, and I won't charge you."
Man Dou scoffed, "You think you can just find two people to sit on it? You'd have to know how to ride!"
Duan Jingzhu, who had been pacing among the horses, laughed upon hearing Man Dou's words, "Nonsense!" He then mounted a black horse. Man Dou exclaimed in alarm, "Get down! You haven't even put the saddle on yet! You'll fall and die!"
Duan Jing patted the horse's rump, and without even turning its head, it ran two graceful laps around the small arena. He jumped down, patted the horse's neck, and said, "Has this horse had diarrhea lately?"
Man Dou asked curiously, "How did you know?"
Duan Jingzhu stroked the horse's neck and said, "You've spoiled a good horse. Next time you feed it, let it dry a little. Besides, this horse hasn't been trained much, so it's not good for fighting, but it's usable enough."
He tossed away his cigarette butt and said, impressed, "You're pretty good." Now he believed me and asked, "Do all those people you mentioned know how to ride them?"
I said, "Don't worry, they can even help you take your driving test on horseback." I had heard Xu Delong say that the Beiwei Army were cavalry on horseback and infantry on foot, that goes without saying.
This time, Mandou offered me a cigarette, smiling obsequiously, and said, "Then that consultant you mentioned..."
I was originally going to call Qin Shi Huang, but then I thought it would be better to ask Xiang Yu than the fat man. Although Qin Shi Huang was fierce, he was ultimately pampered and couldn't compare to Xiang Yu, who had fought countless battles against the Qin army. I puffed on a bag full of cigarettes and said arrogantly, "I'll have him come over in a bit. Will the horse loan be possible?"
"Pick whatever you like—"
Duan Jingzhu selected six of his best horses, saddled them, and led them to the center of the training ground, where the heroes were already in position. The spectators, seeing that someone had first dismantled the arena and then brought the horses back, were all puzzled and forgot about causing trouble, whispering amongst themselves.
Lin Chong and his men were as affectionate towards horses as Zhang Shun and his men were towards water. He walked up to a horse, stood beside it, first touching its nose, then letting the horse look at him carefully. I think he was probably trying to connect with the horse. On the battlefield, a commander without a horse would not only become a target for the enemy but also be unable to command the battle. Therefore, cultivating a bond with the horse before battle is essential. This is similar to a long-distance driver getting into a new car and testing the clutch.
Then Lin Chong swiftly mounted the horse, rode it around in a large circle, and said, "It's quite obedient, but unfortunately, it's not powerful enough." Duan Jingzhu said, "Yes, that's why I brought six horses at once, so we can take turns riding them."
At this moment, Dong Ping also chose his horse, took it for a spin, and returned to the field. On horseback, he clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "Brother Lin Chong, then I must offend you."
Lin Chong returned the greeting and said with a smile, "Brother, please show mercy." He then spurred his horse and galloped away. As he passed the weapon rack, he reached out and grabbed a long spear. Dong Ping picked up two short spears. The two men prepared their weapons, spurred their horses around once, and then stood facing each other.
Some of the more astute audience members had guessed our intentions from the start. Now, seeing that the two generals were indeed going to fight on horseback, they were filled with curiosity and wonder, and waited quietly to see what would happen.
Dong Ping spurred his horse forward, brandishing his twin spears like a soaring eagle. Lin Chong subtly turned his horse, adjusting his angle, and the two clashed as their horses passed each other. Dong Ping thrust his spear straight at Lin Chong's chest, while raising the other high, ready for a counterattack. Lin Chong deflected Dong Ping's first thrust with the tip of his spear, the shaft trembling wildly like a twisting silver dragon. Dong Ping's second thrust was perfectly parried, a feat of exquisite skill. The assembled heroes cheered, exclaiming, "Brother Lin Chong's skill is truly unparalleled!"
The two exchanged blows in an instant and then turned their horses around. Most of the spectators were laymen and could not see the subtlety of the move; they only gave a few sparse claps because they saw the two men's superb horsemanship.
Seeing this, Lin Chong and Dong Ping exchanged a glance. This time, as their horses passed each other, Lin Chong unleashed a flurry of spear flourishes, while Dong Ping, seemingly out of nowhere, wielded his spears in a whirlwind of motion, drawing cheers from the audience. After their display of skill, the two engaged in combat. Lin Chong thrust his spear into the ground like a cone, and Dong Ping, realizing he couldn't withstand the attack, scurried under his horse's belly. Suddenly, he thrust his spear upwards from the side. The audience saw Dong Ping vanish into thin air, and then a massive, whip-like weapon emerged from under the horse's belly—a truly dangerous and ruthless feat that elicited gasps of surprise. As if anticipating this, Lin Chong caught the spearhead with one hand and twisted his own spear under the horse's belly. The spear moved with the agility and cunning of a woodpecker's tongue, instantly pulling Dong Ping up.
Seeing that Dong Ping was weak, Zhang Qing seized a horse, brandished his spear, and shouted, "Brother Dong Ping, I'm here to help you!"
Three men and four horses clashed in a fierce battle. Xiang Yu, itching to fight, pulled a spear from the weapon rack, weighed it in his hand, and tossed it aside. He then picked up a few more, exclaiming in disappointment, "These spears are like chopsticks!" Finally, he grabbed a slightly heavier one and mounted the horse. The result was hilarious: Xiang Yu riding the crew's horse looked like an ordinary person riding a large dog, his legs practically touching the ground. When he spurred the horse, its back buckled, nearly throwing Xiang Yu off. If Xiang Yu hadn't used his spear to land and quickly jumped to the ground, the horse would likely have coughed up blood.
By this time, the three men were fighting fiercely, their four spears flashing dazzlingly. The audience was gradually getting into the action; usually, when watching live-action combat on television, it seemed like whoever was stronger would "cut down the other with a single blow." But now, it was a completely different story. Because they were on horseback, their bodies were in the air, increasing their height and making it more difficult to strike accurately and steadily. However, this also gave them more room to maneuver, resulting in more ingenious, ruthless, and vicious attacks.
Wu Yong glanced at the audience, who were all holding their breath, and said, "If only we could add fuel to the fire now." Before he finished speaking, Hu Sanniang finally charged out on horseback. Actually, given her nature, she had wanted to go for it for a while, but she hadn't had both of her twin swords ready. She charged out wielding her twin swords, causing the audience to gasp: "Look, two swords!"
And that's not all: Hu Sanniang is wearing a long wig and a light pink T-shirt today. Riding a horse and wielding two swords, she charges in, which is both extremely shocking and extremely eerie.
In fact, Lin Chong and his companions were in a similar situation. Zhang Qing was still wearing the Golden Apple Robe, while Dong Ping was fighting on stirrups in leather shoes. This spectacular scene was truly unprecedented. The audience had long forgotten why they were there, jumping around in surprise and laughter, much like a qigong master performing a ritual.
After the audience's attention was diverted, someone informed me that the Chairman had invited me in. I entered the office and found a family already seated there. The Chairman casually introduced them to me: "These gentlemen are comrades from the National Economic Planning Agency, the Land Administration Bureau, and the Ministry of Education. I won't introduce the others yet; you'll naturally deal with them later..." As he spoke, the Chairman kept glancing outside, clearly not wanting to miss this exciting horse battle. Although he was speaking, his mind was elsewhere. After he finished speaking, he finally couldn't help but exclaim softly, "Excellent marksmanship!" The people in the room exchanged glances and let out a helpless yet knowing smile.
The chairman looked at it for a while longer before realizing that everyone was waiting for him to continue. He coughed awkwardly and said to me succinctly, "I've called you here today to discuss the expansion of Yucai School."