The two brothers Cao Youwen entered the city from the west gate of Jinling City. The Jinling Heart-Appreciating Pavilion overlooking the west gate of the city has a towering attic and intrigues, attracting the eyes and stops of passers-by from the south to the north.
"Brother, is this the Jinling Heart-Appreciating Pavilion where Xin Jiaxuan wrote poems?"
Cao Youwan, carrying his baggage, asked excitedly.
The Cao family is a famous family. Although the family has declined, the family has inherited it. The children of the Cao family are also both civil and military, and their cultivation is not comparable to that of ordinary children.
"There is no way to serve the country, and there are no comrades. Who can understand Xin Jiaxuan's sadness."
Cao Youwen looked at the towering pavilion and shook his head quietly.
Xin Qiji was a hero, but in the end he had no way to serve his country and died in depression. I hope that under the current emperor's rule, such incidents will never happen again.
He looked at the bustling crowd on the street, all of them were young men with swords and daggers in their backs and handsome figures. It seems that there are many candidates from the Jiangwu Hall who come to Jinling to pursue their dreams.
This further strengthened his confidence in applying for the Martial Arts Hall.
"Brother, do you want to go up there and take a look?"
Cao Youwan asked enthusiastically.
"There are too many people. It's better to go to the martial arts hall first. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Cao Youwen shook his head gently and stepped forward.
He also wanted to pay homage to the ancient relics and admire the sages, but only after getting down to business first.
The two brothers walked leisurely, heading south, and soon reached the Phoenix Terrace area. I saw numerous wine shops on both sides of the street, stalls and hawkers shouting constantly, jugglers performing along the street, and a large flow of people. It was much more lively than outside the city.
"Brother, Jinling City is the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, an important town in the southeast, and the capital of the Song Dynasty. It is indeed prosperous, lively, and rich!"
Cao Youwen watched all this curiously and with great interest.
"It's lively. Where does the prosperity and wealth come from?"
Cao Youwen shook his head, his eyes lingering on the people on the street.
"Look at these people. Most of them have sallow faces and thin muscles, and their clothes are shabby. Only a few have rosy faces and neat clothes. Jinling City, the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties and the palace of the Emperor, is like this. You can imagine the situation of the people in other state capitals in the Song Dynasty. And know.”
Cao Youwen frowned slightly, and Cao Youwan looked at it and found that it was indeed the case.
"Brother, it looks like what the new emperor inherited is a mess!"
Cao Youwan nodded, feeling heavy.
"The people's livelihood is in decline, the officials are corrupt, the Tatars in the north are eyeing us, and there are internal and external troubles. That's why the new emperor implemented the New Deal and founded the Jinling Martial Arts Hall. The emperor worked hard, and we acted in accordance with the times. This is God's will."
If a country wants to be strong, it must first have a strong military. The strength of a military depends on the quality of its officers.
These few words of the emperor are extremely insightful!
"Brother, it seems that you have decided to go to Jinling Martial Arts School!"
Cao Youwan became excited again.
The country is in dire straits, and when it comes to employing people, the eldest brother is worried about the country and the people, so he must go to the martial arts hall to repay the country and provide relief.
The two brothers went north. Suddenly, the people on the street panicked and fled to both sides of the street. The street was full of debris thrown away by the people in a hurry, and it was a mess.
The two brothers raised their eyes and saw a man galloping down the street with a horse. Several people had no time to escape and were knocked to the ground by the horse, groaning on the ground.
"The bird people there are so arrogant!"
Cao Youwan was furious, so he pulled out his knife and was about to take action. A few meters in front of the restaurant door, a tall young man suddenly jumped out and stabbed the man off the horse with a sword.
The horses were still galloping forward. Brothers Cao Youwen and Cao Youwan, one on the left and the other on the right, grabbed the reins on both sides of the horse's bridle, slid out a few steps, and reined in the horse.
The man was knocked off his horse and struggled to get up, his back dripping with blood. The man endured the pain and staggered away into the alley.
No one from the onlookers dared to step forward. Cao Youwan wanted to catch up, but was stopped by the tall young man who had just stabbed someone with his hand.
"Brother, why don't you catch him and hand him over to the government?"
Seeing the tall young man stopping him, Cao Youwan became anxious.
If he hadn't seen the tall young man knocking the man off his horse, Cao Youwan would have suspected that they were in a group.
The Cao brothers had amazing powers and stopped the horses, which also surprised the tall young man secretly.
"Two brothers, he is just a gangster who stole a horse. He has been injured. We are not familiar with the place, so there is no need to be familiar with him."
The tall young man said loudly and put away the sword.
The Cao brothers are travel-hardened and speak with Northern accents, so they must be travelers as well.
Just as Cao Youwan was about to ask a question, his eldest brother Cao Youwen came over with his horse.
"Second brother, the younger brother is right, he is just a gangster who steals horses. Who knows if they are colluding with the government officials."
Cao Youwan was stunned, then nodded slightly.
"Brother, your accent seems to be Huaixi accent. Why did you come to Jinling City?"
"Brother, my younger brother, Lu Wende, is from Anfeng, Huainan West Road. I came to Jinling City to pass the Jinling Martial Arts Academy."
Lu Wende did not dare to neglect and saluted with clasped fists.
"Brother Lu, it turns out that you also came to take the exam at the Jinling Martial Arts Hall. We are the same. This is my eldest brother Cao Youwen, and I am Cao Youwan, from Liting, Tongqing Prefecture."
Cao Youwan was very excited and rushed to speak out.
"Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. Lu Wende has met my two brothers."
"We are all brothers in the world. We are lucky enough to meet each other. How about we go have a drink together?"
"Brothers, please!"
All three of them smiled and tied up their horses and entered the restaurant.
"Brothers, please stay!"
Several people rushed over from a distance, and the first one was tall and sturdy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, with a Chinese character face, majestic, and a weathered look on his face.
"Brother, are you okay?"
Several people turned their heads, and Cao You saw that the other party was extremely majestic, wearing a helmet and armor, and seemed to be a soldier, so he quickly clasped his fists and saluted.
"Brother, this horse is mine. I don't want it to be stolen by thieves. Was this horse intercepted by you?"
The majestic man looked at the tied horses and understood everything instantly.
"So that's it."
Cao Youwen looked at the few followers around the majestic man. They were strong and brave, and they were indeed generals in the army.
"Brother, it's better to meet by chance than to invite. In that case, let's have a drink together."
Cao Youwen was straightforward by nature and immediately extended an invitation to the other party.
"Brothers, please!"
The majestic man was also extremely generous, clasping his fists and smiling.
The four people went upstairs and sat down, saying each other's names.
It turns out that this majestic man is Meng Gong, who was summoned by Zhao Hong to Jinling City to face the Holy Spirit, and the others are his brothers and followers.
"Brother Meng, it turns out that you were summoned by His Majesty. Do you know what it is?"
Lu Wende, who is young at heart, asked curiously and enviously.
This Meng Gong was majestic and domineering, which made him sincerely admire him.
"Your Majesty asked the courtiers to recommend talents, and an official in the court recommended me. Your Majesty asked me to come to Jinling to meet him at the end of February. I don't know about the other brothers."
"Brother Meng, both your father and son are heroes in the fight against the Jin Dynasty, and your loyal and shun army is also a leader in the frontier army, with countless meritorious service. We brothers give you a toast!"
Cao Youwen signaled, and Cao Youwan and Lu Wende quickly raised their glasses together.
Compared with the white bodies of the three of them, the Meng Gong brothers are both veteran generals on the battlefield. They followed their father to defeat the Jin army many times in Zaoyang and Xiangyang. They are real tough men on the battlefield, which the three of them really admire.
"Come on, brothers, let's do it!"
Brother Meng Gong raised his wine glass, clinked it with the three of them, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Brother Meng, as it is said in the "Tatar Policy", the Tatar cavalry is indestructible and much stronger than the Jin army. Two years ago, our Song Dynasty border army was defeated by the Tatar army. Brother Meng thought that the Tatar army was defeated. How powerful is the Tartar army?"
Cao Youwen seemed to be very concerned about the side affairs of the Song Dynasty.
"If it's a field battle, our army lacks field maneuverability, and I'm afraid it won't be a match for the Tatar army. But if it's a city defense, and everyone works together, our army can be in an invincible position."
Meng Gong said it without thinking.
Obviously, he also analyzed the strength of the Tatar army.
"If the emperor wants to launch a northern expedition and expand his territory, a field battle with the Tatar army will be inevitable. I don't know what the situation will be like then?"
When Cao You heard that there was something in the words, he said it directly.
"Brother, you are right. This is probably the original intention of His Majesty in establishing the Jinling Martial Arts Hall. Your Majesty did not belittle yourself, but practiced it with dedication, which is in line with the trend of our dynasty."
Meng Gong looked at Cao Youwen and nodded in agreement.
The emperor's original intention of establishing the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall, as well as the "Tatar Strategy", his intention to organize military equipment and organize and train the new army are clearly revealed.
"Brothers, you have come all the way here to take the Jinling Martial Arts Examination?"
After a few words of conversation, Meng Gong also understood the intentions of several young people coming to Jinling.
Among the group of people, Meng Gong is the oldest, nearly 30 years old. Brothers Cao Youwen and Meng Jing are both twenty-two and thirty, while Lu Wende and Meng Ying are the youngest, both only seventeen years old.
Summoned by the emperor, Meng Gong, like everyone else, was ready to apply for the martial arts hall.
Everyone knows that most of those who enter the martial arts hall are disciples of the emperor, and at least they can reach a higher level, much faster than him who can fight with swords and guns on the battlefield.
Meng Gong looked at Lu Wende and the Cao brothers with admiration in his eyes.
These people are tall, mighty, and fierce, and are born to be soldiers.
"Jinling Martial Arts Hall is definitely a good place to learn skills. After completing your studies, you will become an officer. You can serve your country loyally and make contributions!"
Lu Wende made no secret and said it with great interest.
He would be embarrassed to say anything about restoring the glory of his ancestors, the Lu family.
"The same goes for us brothers. Fight fiercely on the battlefield, serve the country, and honor our ancestors!"
Cao Youwan couldn't wait, and then Lu Wende said it.
"Brother Cao, what about you?"
Meng Gong picked up the wine glass and clinked it with Cao Youwen.
Among the group of people, Cao Youwen was distinguished in appearance, steady and strong, and somewhat different from others.
"A gentleman cultivates his character, manages his family, governs his country, and brings peace to the world. Restoring the Central Plains and shrouding corpses in horse leather is my lifelong ambition."
Cao Youyou heard Youyou say it and drank the wine in one gulp.
The emperor of the Song Dynasty established a military lecture hall in Jinling, crossed the Yangtze River and headed north, and his ambition to make a comeback was clear. As a minister, if you can be admitted to the martial arts hall, you should be able to restore your homeland and be willing to serve as a pawn.
"The survivors shed tears in the dust, and will never forget Master Wang for another year."
Meng Gong was also confused and raised his wine glass.
"I would like to toast all brothers and wish them immediate success, meritorious service on the battlefield in the future, honor their ancestors, and leave their names in history!"
"Everyone, please!"
Everyone raised their glasses together, everyone was excited.
One of Meng Gong's followers hurried upstairs and saluted with clasped fists.
"General, news just came that His Majesty has come to Jinling and checked into the Jinling Lecture Hall!"
Everyone looked at each other, and everyone was happy.
Sure enough, the emperor came to the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall. It seemed that if he went to the Martial Arts Lecture Hall, he could see the emperor himself.
"Brothers, what kind of king will this new emperor be?"
Cao Youwan was so excited that he asked loudly.
"Why are you so anxious? When we arrive at the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall and meet the emperor himself, we will understand everything."
Cao Youwen looked at his interested brother and spoke softly.
The new emperor of the Song Dynasty, who compares favorably with Emperor Qin, Han Wu, and Emperor Tang and Song, will not let them down, right?
Talents such as the Meng brothers and Lu Wende are all going to the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall. Talents from all over the world will gather together, which is very exciting.
