Today is the seventh day of the opening of the Alimutai Conference. A Jin army knight holding a flag rode his horse to Gongzi Sheng's camp and loudly read out the new competition content of the conference.
Since then, the conference has entered the next stage, the car battle.
This chariot-fighting competition was the product of the early era of feudal states competing for hegemony after the collapse of the Yu Dynasty. The wars between the early states were mainly based on chariot-wars, which was similar to the war pattern between the spring and autumn princes of our era. At that time, the princes were described as National strength and military strength are mainly measured by how many tanks each country in the Central Plains has. The so-called thousand chariots are the middle and superior countries, and ten thousand chariots are the standard for the hegemony of the Central Plains.
At that time, the powerful vassal states were called the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Chariots, describing their domestic chariots as being too numerous to count. This proved that their military power was strong. At that time, the metal smelting technology was too backward, the cost was too high, and the limited Strategic resources can only be given to military aristocrats. Their war methods are the same as those of feudal knight lords in the European Middle Ages. The scale of the war is actually very small. Generally, the archer is on the left side of the car, holding a crossbow and archery, and the driver is in the middle of the car, wearing a short sword. , the main function is to drive the chariot, the right hand of the chariot is the swordsman, holding the spear, the main thrust, called the chariot right or participating in the ride.
At that time, only feudal lords could afford knight suits. First of all, war horses were very expensive, let alone more expensive chariots. Only nobles could drive chariots in battle. Serving in the army was only a privilege reserved for nobles. Chariots are also a legacy from the old aristocratic era.
In the middle and late Warring States Period, as the productivity of various vassal states increased, competition among the vassal states became increasingly fierce. After the advancement of metal smelting technology, metal was no longer a scarce resource. The major vassal states in Zhongzhou Continent began to mobilize ordinary people to join the army. As soldiers, the number of armies in various countries is getting larger and larger, and the scale of wars is getting larger and larger. War is no longer the square dance mode where military nobles competed with each other in the chariot era in the past, but has gradually evolved into a life-and-death competition for survival. , soldiers are deceitful, and wars have become more and more cruel, with tens of thousands of casualties often killed in a battle, which also marks that the era of military aristocracy is gone forever.
Chariot combat generally involves two horses and a two-wheeled chariot. The crew consists of three people: the chariot driver, the spearman, and the archer. The three people must cooperate with each other tacitly, which actually requires the skills and strength of the crew. Still very high.
Although this method of warfare has long been eliminated by the times after hundreds of years of wars between countries for hegemony. With the rise of cavalry and heavy infantry phalanxes in this era, the method of warfare has changed. By the middle and late Warring States Period, chariots had long been reduced to The auxiliary arms of various countries became dispensable, and later evolved into an entertainment project for performances and competitions between the upper-class nobles of various countries. Of course, the Jin Dynasty, as an old vassal state, naturally inherited this traditional art of the Central Plains.
At this time, Yun'er was helping Young Master Sheng put on his armor and protective gear. Mu Sheng naturally had to give full play to his talents and participate in the event as the left shooter of the chariot. After everything was settled, he selected two teammates and had to preview them in advance. Officially debuted in a competitive performance.
At this time, the tent door curtain was lifted, and Wu Xie, with a big beard and a feather fan, came forward. Mu Sheng always felt that Wu Xie's image was more suitable for being a fierce general, and it was completely inconsistent with the feather fan, silk scarf, and Qiang in his mind. The image of a top think tank was wiped out. Every time Wu Xie gave him advice, Mu Sheng always felt like Zhang Fei was waving a feather fan to give him advice...
Mu Sheng looked back and said with a smile, "Why do you have the leisure to come to my place today? Doesn't it mean that you also want to participate in the competition with me?"
Wu Xie shook his head and said with disdain, "I will not participate in the boring games between you warriors. Master, don't you want to participate in the chariot competition? The most important thing in the chariot competition is the driver. I was about to recommend it to you." A talented person, this person is very good at driving, he will arrive at the tent soon, please wait a moment..."
Mu Sheng smiled and said, "That's great. I'm good at archery. I'm worried about not finding a suitable driver right now. I thought this competition would focus on participation, but now I'm pretty sure I'll get a good ranking."
After a while, the guard outside the door sent a message that someone was asking to see him. Mu Sheng thought to himself, the person is here, and immediately waved to summon the person. He saw a man in his thirties, with a calm expression and an average build, coming from the main tent.
The visitor walked quickly, bowed and said, "Feng Wei from Gaolong County, Xiaxue County, please see Mr. Changping."
Mu Sheng quickly helped him up and asked, "Feng Wei? Okay! Okay! No need to be polite. Since it was recommended by Mr. Wu, he will be one of his own from now on. Please give me a seat."
Feng Wei cupped his fists and said, "Thank you sir."
After seeing Feng Wei take his seat.
Wu Xie said, "Sir, Feng Wei is good at driving. You can try Feng Wei's driving skills later..."
Mu Sheng said happily, "Okay! Why don't we go to the racecourse to test it now?"
Feng Wei bowed his hands and said, "Thank you for your trust, I will do my best."
The two of them came out of the camp together and came to the tall chariot. They saw a young man wearing armor and fully armed checking the harness and the bearings of the chariot.
Mu Sheng pointed at him and said, "Feng Wei, this is Xia Chuan, the captain of the guard in my house. I temporarily brought you here to be the driver. I was worried about where to find a suitable driver. I didn't expect that Mr. Wu actually recommended you to come here." Serve."
Feng Wei smiled and said, "Your Majesty, let's give the chariot a try."
The three of them got on the chariot. Feng Wei flicked the reins and shouted loudly. The chariot charged forward, suddenly to the left, then to the right. The chariot was like walking on the ground in Feng Wei's hands. Mu Sheng nodded secretly when he saw this. As the commander on the left side of the chariot, Sheng pointed at several practice straw handles in front of him. Everyone understood and the chariot rushed forward. After a few arrows were nocked, they hit the target, almost always hitting the target.
Seeing this, Xia Chuan couldn't help but cheer and said, "Your Majesty has good archery skills."
Mu Sheng smiled slightly when he heard this.
At this time, another chariot came towards the racecourse and was also practicing in the racecourse. The sword bearer on the chariot greeted him, "Changping-kun is also preparing for tomorrow's battle?"
When Mu Sheng saw that it was Gongzi Xiu who was holding the sword, he smiled and said, "It turns out to be Ninth Brother."
Young Master Xiudao: "Would you like us two brothers to have a little trial before the game?"
"Okay! I'm about to have a good fight with Brother Ninth."
After saying that, Mu Sheng ordered Feng Wei to drive to the rear and prepare his horse's head towards the chariot repaired by the young master. The chariot repaired by the young master also turned its horse head and rushed towards Mu Sheng's chariot. Both sides shouted loudly at the same time and drove towards the chariot. to each other.
Of course, in this kind of competitive chariot combat competition, the people used are not real ones. The arrows have their iron tips removed, wrapped in cloth, and the cloth is coated with red cinnabar. The long swordsman only holds a wooden spear with cinnabar on the spear tip, and the chariots of both sides compete. After the battle is over, the winner will be decided based on the parts of the armor that were hit and the fighting skills of both sides.
At this moment, Mu Sheng felt the rumble of the chariot under his feet, and watched the chariot of Young Master Xiu in front of him approaching. He just silently drew out his bow and arrow and aimed at the warrior on the other side's chariot. With a whoosh, he hit the opponent with one arrow. The archer on the chariot just shook his head and shouted, "Mr. Changping is good at archery..."
In an instant, the two cars passed by each other. Gongzixiu's eyes flashed, he held his breath and concentrated. Suddenly, he swung his spear and crossed with Xia Chuan's sword. He only heard a muffled sound when it hit the ground. Gongzixiu's wooden spear hit Changge's hand. Xia Chuan's left arm hit him so hard that he almost fell down in the car. This shows the strength and skill of Young Master Xiu...
Seeing this, Mu Sheng also shouted, "Brother Ninth is good at martial arts."
Young Master Xiu turned around and laughed and said, "Thank you, Mr. Changping."
As the chariot turned around, Mu Sheng looked back at Xia Chuan and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
Xia Chuan grinned and said, "Your Majesty, it's just a small matter, but Young Master Xiu's arm strength is indeed amazing!"
Then the chariots of both sides turned around and charged at each other. After a few rounds, both sides had a chance of winning. Seeing that Gongzixiu's chariot was strong in close combat, Mu Sheng ordered the driver Feng Wei to distance himself from Gongzixiu's chariot and guerrilla around the racecourse. , Mu Sheng used his bow and arrows to attack their chariots from a distance.
Although the marksman's ability on the young master's repair car is not as good as Mu Sheng's, he still hits the mark nine times out of ten. After ten standard rounds, the three of us also hit a lot of arrows, and there are red marks on the armor.
After the fight, the two sides drove towards each other and stopped on the spot. Mu Sheng glanced at the red marks on both sides, his heart moved, and he said politely, "It seems that you are the best, Ninth Brother. Shooter, driver, Ninth Brother, you don't have to." They are all top-notch masters!"
Hearing this, Young Master Xiu smiled and said, "Well, Lord Changping's archery skills are rare in the world. I think that Lord Changping should use your strengths and avoid weaknesses to adopt guerrilla tactics in tomorrow's official competition. You can use your magical archery skills to be invincible."
"Brother Ninth is right! It's a good suggestion."
Mu Sheng glanced at the elegant-looking archer on the chariot and asked, "Brother Ninth has many talented people under his command? Who is this archer? His archery skills are on par with mine."
Young Master Xiu smiled and patted the archer on the shoulder and said, "His name is Wei Man. His ancestor is the queen of Xiling Lord Wei Da. He is also a disciple of my house. He is proficient in archery, so I asked him to come and compete with me."
Wei Man stepped forward and cupped his hands and said, "I have met Mr. Changping."
Mu Sheng looked at Wei Man for a few times and said with a smile, "Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you! After Brother Wei is actually the Lord of Xiling, there are indeed many talents in Ninth Brother's house!"
Young Master Xiu waved his hand and said with a smile, "Chang Ping Jun, you have just opened a government office not long ago. As time goes by, in the name of Mr. Chang Ping, sages from all walks of life will come to join you. You are one of the best. As the only prince among the princes to be crowned king, there will be many people who will cross the threshold of your family."
Mu Sheng smiled and said, "Hey! I also don't understand. I don't have the power to compete with the imperial court, but my father would actually make me a king on a whim. Let's do it! Brother Ninth, how about we have a competition?"
Young Master Xiu smiled and said, "Okay! Let's come again."
The chariots of both sides once again distanced themselves from each other and fought together, and the horses and men neighed again. It was so lively...
After the morning's chariot duel ended, at meal time, the chariots from both sides said goodbye and left for their respective camps.
On the way back, Young Master Xiu turned around and saw the back of Lord Changping's driver. He was silent for a while and asked Wei Man, "Mr. Wei, what do you think of this Lord Changping?"
Wei Man chuckled and said, "A child with a yellow mouth is nothing to worry about."
A trace of doubt flashed in Young Master Xiu's eyes and he said, "Mr. Wei, after all, he is the only prince among the princes besides the prince. We should not take him lightly."
Wei Man heard this and said, "Young Master, you can rest assured. Your Majesty's purpose in making the king this time is to suppress the prince's party, which is gradually getting bigger. This Changping Lord is a good shield. Young Master, you should know that if a tree is beautiful in the forest, the wind will destroy it." , if this Lord Chang Ping has a clearer mind, he will definitely take the initiative to get close to the young master and join forces to deal with the East Palace."
Hearing this, Young Master Xiu nodded repeatedly and said, "Sir, you are right."
Gongzi Sheng Camp
Returning to the camp, Mu Sheng recalled the car battle just now and turned to Feng Wei and said, "Your driving skills are indeed good. It seems that we are expected to advance this time!"
Feng Wei said, "Your Majesty, just trust me and leave the chariot to me. I guarantee it will be safe."
When Mu Sheng heard this, he patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "Okay! Okay! It'll be up to you then."
Early the next morning, the rumble of drums sounded in the camp, and the chariot competition officially began. Many participating chariots, with red silk tied on their horses' heads, entered the racecourse. Flags were fluttered around the racecourse, high platforms were built, and dignitaries from the imperial court were high in the stands. .
For chariot competitions, it is obvious that the Hu people are not very interested in fighting. They feel that two horses pulling a heavy chariot is neither flexible nor efficient. It is simply unbelievable. Therefore, there are very few onlookers under the high platform. This kind of fighting ceremony is The degree of transformation is greater than actual combat, but this is also the fighting legacy of the old aristocrats in the era of the Central Plains countries.
Historically, when a real chariot participated in a battle, there were one hundred infantry auxiliaries behind the chariot. These one hundred infantry auxiliaries were usually domestic slaves raised by the three nobles on the chariot. They were private soldiers. The chariot was not only for fighting. The platform is still a small combat command platform. Now, chariots have long been reduced to spectator sports. There is no need to engage in the same thing on the battlefield. Only chariots participate in battles.
The chariot competition kicked off with the sound of drums and trumpets. In private, it was rare for someone to take advantage of the situation and set up a gambling game.
At this time, Wu Xinjun's Young Master Ziqing was on the stage looking at the dozens of chariot teams in the audience. He was also hesitant about which team to bet on. Seeing Changping Lord's chariot enter the stage, Wu Xinjun's Young Master Ziqing relaxed his brows. Call the retainers to whisper. After listening, the retainers understood and went to the secret bank to place their bets. The Alimutai Conference was not only a place for alliances between the emperor and various tribes in the grassland, but also a private competition for financial resources between the dignitaries of the imperial court. A vanity fair that shows off family background.
