"The crimson outside the clouds gradually fades, while within the willows, I fear haste."
A quatrain of seven characters is a form of traditional Chinese poetry, often shortened to "Qijue." It consists of four lines, each with seven characters, originating from folk songs. It has strict rules regarding rhyme and parallelism.
This latter half, provided by Zhou Fugui, can be said to meet the requirements. Considering he is a military general, a martial official of the Great Yan Kingdom, the three siblings Huang Shiba, Huang Shirun, and Huang Daimei were greatly surprised. It was understandable that Huang Shiba, who knew nothing of poetry, would be surprised, but Huang Shirun and Huang Daimei, who were skilled in this art, focused their gaze on Zhou Fugui, examining him from head to toe.
A dog of a foreigner, a Han traitor, capable of composing poetry?
In truth, what relation does the ability to compose poems or songs have to being a foreigner or a traitor? It's just that Zhou Fugui, by his appearance, did not look like someone who would compose poems or songs...
"Only when recommending a drink will the floating reeds be scattered, withering as they bear the heavy scent of rain. The crimson outside the clouds gradually fades, while within the willows, I fear haste."
This poem speaks of plum blossoms, yet it does not contain the character "plum" in the entire verse, making it exquisitely crafted and perfectly matched. Furthermore, Zhou Fugui expressed his urgent feelings.
With a great plague raging and the common people suffering, they are here reciting poetry and composing verses?
"When the Imperial Envoy marches west, extending my life, may it follow where you lead. To live, to live, what can I do about you? Yet your charming glances ignore me." Huang Shirun, having diligently studied the classics since childhood, considered his literary talent to be exceptional. How could he be outdone by Zhou Fugui? Thus, he recited another poem.
This was a hidden-tail poem, where the last character of each of the four lines, when read together, asked Zhou Fugui who his master was.
This time, Zhou Fugui did not hesitate. With a slight smile, he immediately responded: "Across the river, what hinders our connection? To serve as a concubine, I transmit a letter to kill the painter. Vast and boundless, if I am alone, dust flies on the clear road, and no message can be conveyed."
Zhou Fugui's response was also a hidden-tail poem. The last character of each of the four lines, when read together, meant "self-taught."
Huang Shirun was greatly shocked. Visible beads of sweat appeared on his forehead...
Huang Shirun was not sweating from fear, but from astonishment...
Zhou Fugui's poem not only responded skillfully but also subtly revealed his background. "Vast and boundless, if I am alone, dust flies on the clear road, and no message can be conveyed" suggested he had forged his own path alone in this world.
So he was alone? Huang Daimei also understood the meaning of the poem and was greatly shaken in her heart.
The Huang family had originally assumed that Zhou Fugui's family was a prominent clan from the north. After their family surrendered to the Xianbei people, Zhou Fugui, due to his family's influence, held a high position at such a young age.
In this world, for those not born into noble families, a commoner, an ordinary person, is like a blade of grass. To rise to prominence and hold high office is harder than reaching the heavens.
The Great Yan Kingdom, established by the Xianbei, was no different.
If Zhou Fugui truly forged his path alone, then the hardships, difficulties, and suffering he endured would be unimaginable to ordinary people.
What exactly had he experienced? Huang Daimei suddenly became unusually curious about Zhou Fugui's past.
"Daimei, what are they talking about?" Huang Shiba, being a warrior, did not grasp the meaning of such exquisite verses and asked.
"Second brother is asking who his master is, and he says he is self-taught," Huang Daimei replied, casting a glance at Zhou Fugui.
Huang Daimei's tone seemed dismissive, but her expression was incredibly gentle. Her gaze shifted from disdain and anger to admiration, and above all, extreme curiosity.
"The Grandmaster said, 'Warfare is a matter of vital importance to the state; it is the ground of life and death, the path of survival and destruction. It must be carefully studied.'"
"Therefore, it is to be tested by means of five factors, estimated by means of calculation, and the result is to be found: First, the Moral Law; second, Heaven; third, Earth; fourth, the Commander; fifth, Method and Discipline. The Moral Law may make the people entirely foreknow and share the ruler's intentions, so that they will remain loyal to him or death, without any fear of danger. Heaven signifies the interlacing of the yin and yang forces, the cold and heat, the succession of the seasons. Earth signifies..."
"The Grandmaster said, 'The art of using troops is best when the country is kept intact; second best is to destroy it. Therefore, the best policy is to attack the enemy's strategy; next best is to attack his alliances; next best is to attack his army. The worst policy is to attack walled cities. For this reason, to win a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.
"Therefore, the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Next is to attack the enemy's strategy. Next is to attack the enemy's army. The worst policy is to attack walled cities. The method of attacking walled cities is to resort to it only when there is no other recourse. Build your battering-rams and other engines of war, and make your scaling-ladders and other implements of assault, and this will take at least three months to complete; and when the defenders have been worn out by fatigue, and the walls have been battered down, then rush to the assault. But if this is not done, the General is incensed by the delay, and orders his troops to swarm up the walls, like ants, and one-third of his army is destroyed, but the city is not taken. This is the calamity of military operations."
"King Wen asked Duke Tai, 'What is the method of textual warfare?' Duke Tai replied, 'There are twelve sections in textual warfare.'"
"First, based on what they like, and conform to their wishes. They will become arrogant, and will surely do something foolish. If you can take advantage of this, you will surely be able to get rid of them."
"......"
"Brother, military strategies are dead, but people are alive. If Sun Tzu's Art of War says to attack when you have five times the force, and to flee when you are outnumbered, must you gather five times the force to attack? Examples of battles where the few fought the many have occurred since ancient times. When this governor was beyond the frontier, I often fought ten to one, attacking ten with one, and achieved victory after victory. Therefore, the way of using troops lies in adapting to circumstances. Every mountain, every river, every blade of grass, every tree can be utilized and contains military strategy."
"......"
Poetry could not defeat Zhou Fugui, so Huang Shirun tested him with the military strategies he had memorized. However, this played right into Zhou Fugui's hands... Although Zhou Fugui was young, he had joined the army at eighteen, served in campaigns for many years, and commanded troops for many years. How could he be compared to Huang Shirun, a pedantic scholar who only knew how to discuss warfare on paper? In the end, Zhou Fugui spoke at length about the art of warfare, and Huang Shirun nodded repeatedly. Zhou Fugui seemed to have become a teacher imparting knowledge, while Huang Shirun appeared to be a student receiving instruction...
"Father, Commander Zhou is immensely talented; I cannot defeat him..." After a short while, Huang Shirun sighed toward the side room.
There was still no sound from the side room.
"Commander Zhou, you have traveled far and wide. Do you have any interesting anecdotes or strange tales?" Huang Daimei suddenly asked.
"Is this a test?" Zhou Fugui retorted.
"No..." Huang Daimei finally broke into a smile, a radiant smile. "It's just that this young lady is a little curious. What? Commander Zhou is unwilling to speak? If not, then never mind..."
As the saying goes, a beauty's smile can enchant a hundred kinds of charm. Even though Zhou Fugui had encountered many women, Huang Daimei's smile still made him pause before he chuckled, "A beauty's request, how could I refuse?"
Zhou Fugui then took a deep breath and said loudly, "I have traversed Bear Mountain, Nether Valley, Immortal Mist Mountain, and Blazing Fire Valley."
Speaking of traversing Bear Mountain, Zhou Fugui couldn't help but think of Miss Yuan. He had abandoned her that year; he wondered if she was doing well now? Speaking of Blazing Fire Valley, Zhou Fugui couldn't help but think of his cousin, Hu Yan Huijun... He had... her, and he wondered how she was now?
It seemed he and those two were destined to be apart for life, Zhou Fugui thought with a touch of sadness.
"Traversing Bear Mountain, Nether Valley, Immortal Mist Mountain, and Blazing Fire Valley?" Upon hearing this, Huang Daimei involuntarily walked closer to Zhou Fugui.
Thus, Zhou Fugui spoke at length about the strange tales and peculiar events beyond the frontier, captivating Huang Daimei and her two brothers. Huang Daimei, in particular, wished she could grab Zhou Fugui, lock him up, and then have him talk for three days and three nights, or a thousand and one nights...
"Hmm... Hmph... Cough... Cough... Cough..." At this moment, three coughs came from inside the room.
"Hmph... Cough..." Huang Shiba also coughed and said to Zhou Fugui, "The martial arts world unites friends! Commander Zhou is a brave general on the battlefield, and his martial arts must also be extraordinary. Why don't my siblings and I have our eyes opened?"
Is this just a request for money and supplies? Why all the trouble? Zhou Fugui muttered in his heart and then asked, "How shall we compete?"
"Does Commander Zhou specialize in weapons or bare hands?" Huang Shiba asked.
"Bare hands are for women. Let's use weapons," Zhou Fugui said slowly, taking his heavy sword from his back. He then glanced at Huang Daimei...
Huang Daimei gave Zhou Fugui a sidelong glance. Zhou Fugui mistook this roll of her eyes for a flirtatious glance...
"Hmm, Commander Li, go and test Commander Zhou's martial arts," Huang Shiba nodded and instructed a branch leader surnamed Li, who had been in the training hall.
Zhou Fugui then walked down to the training hall with his sword. A burly man holding a ghost-head saber also descended from the training hall. Facing Zhou Fugui, he twirled the ghost-head saber in his hand and said with a ferocious expression, "Commander Zhou, this saber is called the 'Blood Thirsty Blade.' Countless souls have died beneath this blade. Be careful!"
"No need for pleasantries!" Zhou Fugui slowly gripped the hilt of his heavy sword and smiled. Then, he raised the heavy sword high. With a "whoosh," he struck towards the head of the branch leader surnamed Li with lightning speed.
Strike first, suffer later! In facing the enemy, there is no time for etiquette or pretense. This was the experience, or rather, the lesson learned by Zhou Fugui during his many years of campaigning.
Zhou Fugui's sword strike was like a rainbow. A flash of white light appeared, and the blade reached its target. The branch leader surnamed Li, who had not finished his posturing, hastily raised his saber to block.
Zhou Fugui's attack was too fierce, causing the clothes on the branch leader's back to be soaked with sweat.
"Clang!"
"Crack!"
The saber and sword clashed, producing a piercing sound. Zhou Fugui's sword split the Blood Thirsty Blade, which had killed countless people, held by the branch leader, into two pieces.
Zhou Fugui's attack not only split the Blood Thirsty Blade in two but also, with undiminished force, sent the branch leader staggering backward. With a "whoosh," he crashed through the wooden railing at the side of the training hall and fell down...
Zhou Fugui stood coldly with his sword. He glanced downstairs and saw that the branch leader surnamed Li was simply lying sprawled on the first floor. He had not rolled down the wooden stairs, so he had only fainted and was not in mortal danger.
Those who came out of the Ice Bone Camp in Xue Lin City were all fierce warriors!
Zhou Fugui stood with his sword, his robes fluttering slightly in the breeze, appearing exceptionally powerful and imposing, yet also exceptionally suave and unrestrained. Huang Daimei's eyes seemed to sparkle with tiny stars...
"Commander Zhou, excellent martial arts!" Huang Shiba exclaimed greatly upon seeing this, then slowly drew a slender and long fine steel sword.
Compared to Huang Shiba's imposing physique, the slender fine steel sword seemed somewhat out of place. However, Zhou Fugui knew that Huang Shiba was no easy opponent. Thus, he gripped his heavy sword tightly, narrowed his eyes, and watched Huang Shiba.