Ming Dynasty Court Secrets - Chinese Dynastic Court Stories (Volume 1 & 2)

Author: Xu Xiaotian / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Now, let it be said that Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da, Tang He, Hu Da hai, Guo Ying, Wu Liang, and the other six walked to Baiyang Village to watch the militia's drills. Upon arriving at the village's training ground, they saw several hundred militia members standing in a single file. In their hands, they held single swords in their right hands and iron shields in their left. In the center stood a ruddy-faced giant, also wielding a sword and shield, loudly demonstrating the techniques of using the shield to wield the sword and how to defend against enemies. That ruddy-faced man was likely the new instructor the villagers had just mentioned. After explaining the techniques, the ruddy-faced man demonstrated them to the group of militia members. He first swung the sword, raised the shield to cover his body, then tumbled to the ground with a flip, suddenly standing up again. Such was the synchronized use of sword and shield—up and down, truly like a god and ghost at play. By the end, only the glint of the sword and the whistling of the shield could be seen, and the ruddy-faced man himself had vanished from sight.
Everyone watched in amazement, unable to help but shout in admiration. Before the cheers had even died down, a sudden clatter echoed. The shield fell to the ground, motionless, while the ruddy-faced man was nowhere to be seen. Instead, around the shield, the glint of swords flashed. After a while, the ruddy-faced man picked up the shield and leaped to his feet, addressing the militia members, "This technique is called 'The Rabbit Fending Off the Hawk.' When employing it, one must inevitably encounter a brave enemy on horseback, one whose strength is beyond one's own. Only then should one use this method to strike at the enemy's horse's legs. Once the horse's legs are injured, the rider will naturally fall, making it easier to deal with."
The militia members listened obediently, while the onlookers could only stick out their tongues in astonishment, unable to retract them for a long while. Hu Dahai couldn’t help but shout in admiration. His shout was as thunderous as the sky, startling everyone. The ruddy-faced man also paid attention and glanced at Hu Dahai. Xu Da scolded him, "Have you noticed how everyone is watching you? With such recklessness, you’ll surely cause trouble sooner or later!" Hu Dahai smiled, "I’m praising him for being good, not criticizing him. Why look so?," he said. Just then, the ruddy-faced man walked over, smiled, and bowed to Xu Da, "You seem to be from out of town. We’ve prepared some light tea for you. Please come inside for a while." With that, he invited Xu Da and Hu Dahai, leading the way ahead. Xu Da had no choice but to follow the ruddy-faced man through the village, looking back at Hu Dahai and saying, "What? Did I get you into trouble?"
Hu Dahai, seeing an unfamiliar person inviting him inside for tea, unsure whether it was good or bad, knew it was his own shout that had caused this and thus lowered his head, unable to speak. Behind them, Tang He, Guo Ying, and the others saw Xu Da and Hu Dahai follow the ruddy-faced man, unsure of whether it was good or bad, and slowly followed them as well.
P117-118