Inside a villa district on the Chang'an Peninsula, the sound of a small whip and Cheng Yaojin's curses continuously emanated from within.
"I've told you countless times, and you still can't remember!"
"To express surprise, you must use 'Ben Gong Cao!'"
"To express anger, you must use 'Ben Gong Cao!'"
"To express sadness, you must use 'Ben Gong Cao!'"
"To express excitement, you must use 'Ben Gong Cao!'"
"These three simple words, why can't you ever remember, you wench?"
"..........."
The guards outside, members of the Tianhuo Army, seemed accustomed to it, standing at their posts like ancient pines, unmoving.
Upon seeing Fang Er approach, they all raised their right arms in unison.
"Greetings, Duke!"
Fang Er smiled and nodded at them before proceeding directly into the villa district, heading towards the villa numbered 006.
Upon opening the door, he saw Cheng Yaojin holding a whip, while Chai Shao sat dejectedly, flipping through a thick booklet in his hands.
The booklet contained subtle differences in Chai Shao's life compared to the Chai Shao of this world.
They weren't obvious, but noticeable to anyone familiar with him.
Fang Er offered Cheng Yaojin a cigar, "How is it? With his current performance, can he pass muster with Yue'er?"
He didn't mention Li Shimin. A daughter knew her father best, and if he could pass Chai Yue's scrutiny, Li Shimin would surely be satisfied.
Cheng Yaojin gritted his teeth and swung the whip again at Chai Shao's back.
"Pia........."
The sound was soft, indicating he hadn't put much force into it.
Then, he spoke smugly, "Don't think I'm bragging, Brother Cheng!"
"When it comes to training people, old Cheng is the best!"
"With his current performance, I won't say he'll definitely pass, but at least he won't make any major blunders."
As the whip landed on him, Chai Shao instinctively furrowed his brow, stood up with a whoosh, and hurled the booklet in his hand at Cheng Yaojin.
"Ben Gong Cao!"
"They are clearly the same person, why are there so many differences!"
"I refuse to believe Chai Yue won't recognize me as her father!"
"Cheng the Demon, I warn you, if you dare whip me again, I'll kill you!"
His explosive attitude amused Fang Er.
Yes, this was the attitude Chai Shao should have!
"Ya ya ya ya...?"
Cheng Yaojin also laughed. The Chai Shao from a moment ago was a bit timid, but now he had suddenly become defiant.
He looked at Chai Shao with disdain, "What, did you take drugs?"
Chai Shao instantly rolled up his sleeves and gave him the middle finger.
"I'll go to your grandma's! If you're not happy, let's fight!"
This time, Fang Er was even more satisfied.
The Chai Shao before him wasn't just similar to the original Chai Shao; he was practically the same person!
He gestured outside with his finger, "His behavior seems fine, let's have a duel and test it!"
"See if there's a significant difference in his combat prowess."
Fighting was almost a daily occurrence for the hot-blooded men of the Zhenguan Dynasty, so if this Chai Shao's skills were too lacking, it wouldn't make sense.
As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Yaojin had already darted out, casually grabbing a ribbed steel bar from the doorway.
By the time Chai Shao and Fang Er arrived outside, Cheng Yaojin was already ready.
Chai Shao stood with his feet at a comfortable width, also holding a ribbed steel bar.
With no proper weapons available, using this was the most fitting substitute.
The four-meter-long ribbed steel bar, weighing several dozen pounds, was wielded with vigor by both men.
Fang Er had just found a comfortable spot to sit when they began their back-and-forth battle.
The two ribbed steel bars clashed, sending sparks flying, and the "dang dang dang" sound was incessant.
Wang Xuance and Xue Rengui approached Fang Er, crouching down on either side of him.
"Duke, this subordinate feels that doing this is somewhat inappropriate."
Fang Er's brow furrowed slightly as he looked back at Wang Xuance. "Explain yourself."
Wang Xuance scratched his head. "This subordinate believes that what is fake will always be fake. No matter how thorough our preparations, there will inevitably be oversights. If Madam discovers the truth, I fear you will be in a difficult position. Furthermore, if we truly intend to deceive, it is unfair to the original Duke of Qiao. He died in battle and rightly deserved posthumous honors and rewards, but using a fake to replace him might nullify all these accolades."
Fang Er had initially thought he was worried about something else, but upon hearing his explanation, he smiled and shook his head.
"None of that is a problem."
"At the Duke of Qiao's status, further rewards hold little significance. Becoming a king without a surname is unrealistic, as he is a驸马 (son-in-law of the emperor). Minor habitual differences are difficult to change all at once, but it's not a major issue, especially since Yue'er hasn't seen him for a considerable time."
"It's normal for habits to change after living here for so many days."
Wang Xuance said nothing further, merely lowering his head, contemplating if there were any other overlooked details.
While they were speaking, the fight between Cheng Yaojin and Chai Shao continued.
Cheng Yaojin unleashed his "Three Axe" moves with the ribbed steel bar, attacking Chai Shao relentlessly with chops to the head, picks at the teeth, and jabs at the ears.
Chai Shao, on the other hand, treated the ribbed steel bar like a Ma Shuo (a type of spear), using flicks, thrusts, sweeps, and lifts with consummate skill.
Finally, Cheng Yaojin, caught off guard, was sent flying four or five meters by a flick from Chai Shao.
"Damn it!"
Upon landing, he scrambled to his feet, clutching his waist with his right hand, staring at Chai Shao as if he had seen a ghost.
"You're cheating, you bastard!"
Chai Shao scoffed, "Go to hell! This is Tai Chi!"
"If you can't take a loss, just admit it, don't make excuses!"
"If you dare to provoke me again, believe it or not, I'll beat the shit out of you!"
This arrogant demeanor left Cheng Yaojin somewhat speechless.
Meanwhile, Fang Er watched, dumbfounded...
Although the information provided to Chai Shao included a video of Tai Chi spear techniques, he hadn't expected Chai Shao to learn so quickly.
The late father-in-law had indeed studied Tai Chi, but at that time, he had learned the modified version by Sun Simiao.
However, the father-in-law back then had taken half a month to perform it completely, whereas this Chai Shao had only been learning for maybe ten days?
Was this learning speed too much?
Could it be that people in parallel worlds, even if identical, had differences in their comprehension?
This was merely a question, and the answer was not important.
Seeing the two of them confronting each other, their eyes practically flashing fire, he quickly stood up to change the subject.
"Let's conclude the sparring with fists and sticks. Next, I have other questions."
Cheng Yaojin, grumbling, walked over, grabbed Wang Xuance by the arm, and placed him aside. He then sat down beside Fang Er.
Chai Shao tossed the ribbed steel bar into the nearby grass, lit a cigarette himself, and after exhaling a smoke ring leisurely, said slowly.
"Ask away, my son-in-law!"