Hearing about Chang'an is like playing chess, and the world is full of sorrow for a hundred years.
The princes' houses all have new owners, and their civil and military uniforms are different from those of the past.
——Excerpt from "Eight Poems of Autumn" by Du Fu
…
After the worship, the old patriarch invited Bai Fu and others to visit the mountain col.
This is a deep and huge canyon. It is narrow at first, so it can only be accessed by people. The road is rugged, but after a few hundred steps, it suddenly becomes clearer. The mountains are densely forested, with springs and waterfalls, which is a good place to avoid the rebels.
The old patriarch took out a small amount of food to entertain Bai Fu and others. Most of the food was wild vegetables, and there were also roasted turtle doves and other birds, but there was no food crops such as rice and noodles.
The old patriarch looked apologetic and said: "I am really ashamed that I don't have rich food to entertain the general."
Bai Fu said: "What the old patriarch said is out of context."
The old patriarch ordered someone to pour a bowl of tea for Bai Fu and said: "General, this is wild tea cooked with mountain spring water. It stimulates body fluids and quenches thirst. Please try it."
Bai Fu took a few sips. This unknown wild tea was very bitter in the mouth, but sweet and fragrant. With the blessing of the clear spring water, it had a refreshing floral and fruity aroma.
Bai Fu praised it highly, and Gululu drank a large bowl and felt refreshed.
The old patriarch pointed to the strong man in the black tower and said: "This is my son Huzhu. Huzhu, come and see the general."
Yue Huzhu bowed and said: "I was very offended just now, please forgive me, general."
Before Bai Fu could say anything, Huyan Tieyi on the side was amused. He shouted: "My name is Tieyi, and your name is Huzhu. Half a catty is worth eight taels. No wonder we can't win or lose."
Yue Huzhu nodded slightly and said with a faint smile: "Your Excellency has great skills. I would like to learn from you if I have the opportunity."
Huyan Tieyi blew his beard and glared, and was about to retaliate. When he saw Bai Fu glare at him, he quickly swallowed the words that came to his lips.
Bai Fu called Yue Huzhu to sit down next to him and asked: "Brother Yue, I think the stick technique you just performed should be Shaolin's Lengjia Fuhu Stick Technique, is that correct?"
Yue Huzhu was stunned and said: "General, do you know this stick technique?"
Bai Fu nodded and said: "When I was young, I had an old acquaintance who was a master of this stick technique. However, this stick technique has never been taught to outsiders, how could you learn it? Could it be that you are also a Shaolin lay disciple?"
Yue Huzhu shook his head and said: "General, to be honest, I only learned the name of this stick technique from your mouth, let alone joining the Shaolin sect."
"Oh? Then how did you learn this stick technique?" Bai Fu became interested.
Yue Huzhu said: "Reporting back to General, a few years ago, by the way, it was the year when you and Master Taifu fought against floods and provided disaster relief in Shaanzhou.
During the off-season this year, an old monk with white eyebrows came to our village for alms.
He stayed in our village for several days, gathered the young adults in the village on the grain drying field, and taught us some fist, foot and stick skills.
He said that if bandits are rampant one day, the young and middle-aged people in the village can be organized, and these fists and feet will be enough to help us resist foreign enemies."
Bai Fu broke the casserole to get to the bottom of the matter, and continued to ask: "If my eyesight is correct, the energy you used to perform the stick technique should come from the Yi Jin Jing of Shaolin.
Kung Fu can also be interpreted as the old monk’s alms.
But this Yi Jin Jing is a secret that is not taught in Shaolin. In Shaolin, only individual elders such as the Arhat Hall and the head of Bodhidharma Academy are qualified to practice it, let alone teach it to outsiders."
Yue Huzhu was stunned and said after a long while: "We really don't know this.
Back then, every night during the full moon, the old monk would teach us to meditate and breathe out under the big banyan tree at the head of the village. He said that as long as we persist in practicing every day, we will become stronger and stronger in the future, eliminate diseases and disasters, and prolong life.
At first, everyone didn’t take it seriously, but as time went by, they discovered that this method of meditating and breathing out is very good. Not only does it help you do farm work, you don’t feel sleepy at night, you don’t feel hungry during the day, you feel energetic every day, and you rarely get sick.
From then on, not only the young and middle-aged people in the village, but also women, children and young people began to practice.
After teaching us, the old monk left and has never been seen again."
Speaking of this, Yue Huzhu recalled some past events and said: "Not only that, as far as I know, this old monk also begged for alms in nearby villages, and always taught some kung fu wherever he went.
At first, these boxing and kicking skills were only obsessed with by some young and aggressive young men.
Not two years later, An Lushan's rebels invaded Henan Province. Only then did everyone discover the benefits of learning martial arts, so the villages organized themselves to practice boxing and sticks to defend the village.
Each village also organizes competitions between villages from time to time to encourage everyone to compete in martial arts.
But no one has ever known the origin of the old monk."
"The secret of Shaolin's kung fu has spread like this?" Bai Fu frowned, puzzled, and thought to himself: "I'm afraid this is another unsolved scandal."
Bai Fu quietly sipped tea, contemplating and saying nothing.
While he was thinking about it, the old patriarch summoned the slingshot boy headed by him and repeated the dialogue: "This is my grandson, his name is Yue Suigong.
Gong'er, show the general the kung fu taught by the holy monk to you."
Yue Suigong curled his lips and hummed: "My kung fu is used to kill enemies, not to perform tricks for others."
Yue Huzhu's face darkened and he snorted coldly.
Yue Suigong had always been in awe of his father, so he hurriedly restrained his disrespectful attitude. He did not dare to neglect, took out his slingshot, raised his hand, pointed it outside the house and fired.
The stones on the slingshot flew out silently, without any amazing momentum or speed.
Tang Kui and Hu Yan Tieyi looked at each other and wondered what was so powerful about this skill.
Bai Fu smiled and said nothing, looking intently outside the room.
"Whoosh", the stones flew back quickly and shot towards the front door of Huyan Tieyi.
Huyan Tieyi was startled and was about to dodge when he suddenly thought that General Bai was behind him.
To dodge rashly and put the general in danger is a taboo in the army.
Huyan Tieyi shouted loudly and was about to punch out and knock down the stone.
I saw the pebbles falling suddenly, landing just one step away from Huyan Tieyi.
"Wow!" Huyan Tieyi yelled angrily when he was teased. If General Bai hadn't been there, he would have jumped over and beat the naughty kid.
"Come back!"
Bai Fu clapped softly and said with a smile: "It seems that this old monk is not only of high seniority, but also has taught you a lot. He actually taught you all this skill."
Huyan Tieyi secretly asked Tang Kui: "Military advisor, isn't this kung fu very powerful?"
Tang Kui smiled and said, "Have you ever heard of the Seventy-Two Special Skills of Shaolin?"
"Look at me, I've never eaten pork and never seen a pig running! Of course I've heard of it." Hu Yan Tieyi was dissatisfied and muttered in a low voice.
Tang Kui said with a smile: "Most of the seventy-two stunts were created by Shaolin monks of all generations, and only a small part of the martial arts were taught by Patriarch Bodhidharma himself.
This 'Return to Come' is one of them..."
…
After dinner, the old patriarch took the initiative to bring up the matter of recruiting soldiers.
The old patriarch said to Bai Fu: "General Bai, the young men in my village are unwilling to join the army. It is not because they do not want to protect their families and the country and serve the court, but because they have great distrust of the generals of the Tang army stationed around them.
As my son said before, in the past two years, many men among the villagers have signed up to join the army, but they all died on the battlefield inexplicably and became cannon fodder.
You are different from them, you are our great benefactor!
The lives of the villagers within hundreds of miles around are all given by you and the Grand Tutor.
I will personally take part in this recruitment matter and promise to persuade the folks in Shaanzhou to join your army."
Bai Fu was overjoyed and quickly stood up to bow to the old patriarch.
After the inquiry just now, Bai Fu knew that the Xiangyong in this area were not ordinary strong farmers, but half martial artists with Shaolin martial arts skills.
If he undergoes rigorous training in the army, given time, he will definitely become an elite warrior who is no less than a soldier in the Wei Dynasty.
However, even so, we cannot dry up the lake and fish.
After discussing with the old patriarch, Bai Fu reached an agreement: "Families with more than two males can send one person to join the army; the age of joining the army is between sixteen and forty years old; if one person joins the army, the Tang army can support five people every month."
The food and wages..."
Speaking of food, the old patriarch said: "The land in Shaanzhou is fertile due to the alluvial deposits of the Yellow River and is rich in food. The people hid in the mountains and did not dare to farm. First, they were afraid of killing by the rebels, and second, they were afraid of looting by the Tang army.
If the general can garrison troops to protect the farmland, the people can work freely. In this way, not only will the Tang army not need to provide food, but the people can also turn over the remaining food as military rations."
Bai Fu discussed it with Hu Yan Tieyi, Tang Kui and others and thought this method was very good.
Bai Fu decided to mobilize two groups of troops to come here to train troops in the fields.
In addition, the Anbeiting Army has powerful cavalry and can patrol and defend a larger area. In this way, the problems of food and troop sources can be solved.
After everyone finished their discussion, it was getting late, so Bai Fu said goodbye to the old patriarch, Yue Huzhu and others one by one.