My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Li Chengan tapped the table lightly with his right hand and asked, "Rengui, is there something you can't say about it?"

Tell me, and I will definitely stand up for you!

Xue Rengui shook his head: "Your Highness, you are overthinking it. Those five people were indeed not saved by me."

I only managed to save Qin Ying.

Observing Xue Rengui's expression, Li Chengan noticed that Xue Rengui seemed a little uneasy, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, and asked again, "Is that really so?"

"Yes," Xue Rengui said, and then said nothing more.

Li Chengan looked at Ashina Jieshe and asked, "Do you remember? Who saved you?"

"Your Highness, it was too dark at the time, and I couldn't see clearly. I only saw a man in white flash before my eyes and kill the two Turkic soldiers guarding me."

Then he cut my ropes, and by the time I untied them, the man had already ridden a white horse far away. "Ashina Jieshe said.

Li Chengan then asked the four Zhang brothers, "Did you see clearly who rescued you?"

Zhang Zhilong curled his lip and said, "We were all saved by He Zongxian. Not only that, He Zongxian also shot off Ashina Simo's helmet plume."

These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion in the hall.

"Oh? Is that so? Where is the helmet plume?" Li Chenggan asked.

"Right here!"

As Zhang Zhilong spoke, he took a helmet plume from behind the table.

Everyone glanced at it and saw that the plume on the helmet was indeed worn by Ashina Simo.

Because the plume on Ashina Simo's helmet was different from that of ordinary generals, it looked very exquisite and noble.

A white feather was stuck in the middle of the helmet plume.

Zhang Zhilong introduced it to everyone, saying, "This is the helmet plume worn by Ashina Simo."

This was shot down by He Zongxian with an arrow.

Li Chenggan beckoned to him: "Bring me that helmet plume so I can take a look."

Zhang Zhilong then handed the helmet plume to Li Chenggan.

Li Chengan took the helmet plume and examined it carefully.

It was discovered that the top of the helmet plume had been pierced by a bullet.

It should be noted that Ashina Simo's helmet plume was made of a special material, which was very hard. To shoot through it, one would need to have the strength of a thousand pounds in one's arm, as well as a good bow and arrow.

As far as Li Chengan knew, only Xue Rengui's Cloud Piercing Arrow could penetrate armor.

Moreover, the arrow mark matches that of the Cloud Piercing Arrow.

The Cloud Piercing Arrow is also quite special. Besides its hard arrowhead, its ability to penetrate armor is also due to its unique design: a three-edged, sharp tip that expands upon impact, causing even greater damage.

It's very difficult to pull it off because it has barbs on it. If you try to pull it off forcefully, you'll tear off a large chunk of flesh.

After examining the helmet plume, Li Chengan asked, "He Zongxian, was this really the plume you shot?"

"That's right. I've been learning archery since I was a child. I can draw a bow with a draw weight of at least 200 dan (a unit of weight).

Li Chengan nodded: "It seems you've put a lot of effort into archery."

He Zongxian looked displeased: "Your Highness, Your Highness, gentlemen, the facts are undeniable, do you still not believe me?"

Seeing He Zongxian's arrogant demeanor, Qin Ying really wanted to kick him a couple of times.

Qin Ying's eyes darted around, and an idea came to her: "I have a suggestion: let Xue Rengui and He Zongxian have a martial arts contest on the spot."

If we say that He Zongxian defeated Xue Rengui, then we should believe that all the credit went to He Zongxian alone.

In other words, if He Zongxian was no match for Xue Rengui, then it means that He Zongxian was claiming credit for someone else's work.

What do you think?

Upon hearing this, He Zongxian became uneasy, his face turned pale, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

He asked Zhang Shigui in a low voice, "Father-in-law, what should we do?"

Zhang Shigui rolled his eyes at him: "What's the rush? I told you to compete in martial arts, so go and compete."

Upon hearing this, He Zongxian grinned and muttered, "But can I possibly be a match for Xue Rengui?"

"You go on stage first," Zhang Shigui said in a low voice.

At this moment, Xue Rengui waved his hand and said, "He Zongxian is highly skilled in martial arts and is a rising star. There is no need for me to compete with him. Whether I win or lose will not prove anything."

Qin Ying, however, said, "You can't say that. If He Zongxian were a good-for-nothing, how could he have saved so many men in the chaos of battle?"

Li Chengan thought to himself, "Everyone says Qin Ying is a bit rough around the edges, but this idea of ​​hers is actually quite good."

Indeed, how could a good-for-nothing like him possibly have saved all five of them amidst the chaos of battle?

Others had also heard that Xue Rengui was exceptionally skilled in martial arts, and that he had shown his talent in this battle.

Moreover, Xue Rengui was just a commoner, which everyone found incredible. They also wanted to see how good Xue Rengui's kung fu was.

So everyone chimed in, urging the two of them to have a competition.

Xue Rengui had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Zhaoren Palace was very spacious, with tables arranged in a row on both sides and a red carpet in the middle.

The group closed the door; after all, they were family, and they didn't want to hurt each other in a fight.

Therefore, they sparred.

When Xue Rengui stood on the red carpet, he was a handsome and dignified man.

No one would believe he was just a commoner. It's like when the eighteen warlords fought Hua Xiong; none of them could defeat him. Later, the archer Guan Yu stepped forward.

Guan Yu was also handsome and imposing.

Yuan Shu felt that sending Guan Yu into battle would damage the reputation of the various warlords.

Cao Cao, however, disagreed.

Cao Cao thought Guan Yu had an extraordinary appearance. If it weren't for the fact that he was a horse archer, who would know that he was a horse archer?

Guan Yu's feat of killing Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm has become a legendary tale.

Li Chengan felt that Xue Rengui was somewhat similar to Ma Chao, the hero of the Three Kingdoms period. What Li Chengan admired even more was Xue Rengui's introverted personality and his dislike of showing off, unlike some people who flaunt their abilities everywhere.

He Zongxian didn't want to go on stage, but things had already come to this point, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go on stage.

He Zongxian and Xue Rengui stood facing each other.

He Zongxian appears to be about three sizes smaller than Xue Rengui.

He Zongxian was not only ugly, but also looked extremely sleazy and listless.

He and Xue Rengui were from completely different worlds.

At this moment, Qin Ying shouted, "This is a friendly exchange of martial arts skills. Both sides should stop when they have made their move and must not use poison. Do you understand?"

"We understood," Xue Rengui and He Zongxian replied.

He Zongxian glanced at his father-in-law, Zhang Shigui, as if he were distracted.

Qin Ying raised her right hand, then quickly brought it down: "The duel begins!"

Xue Rengui crossed his arms and stared at He Zongxian.

He Zongxian rolled up his sleeves and tightened his belt, so that there was no tightness at all when he stretched his arms and legs.

He first practiced his boxing routine himself.

This is called giving yourself courage.

Then, he circled Xue Rengui three times, demonstrating various moves.

His moves looked rather strange, sometimes like monkey fist, sometimes like mantis fist, and sometimes like crane fist.

One moment it's like Crane Fist,

He Zongxian circled around until he was behind Xue Rengui, and then, unexpectedly, he suddenly kicked out with his right leg, striking Xue Rengui in the waist.

This move is extremely insidious and vicious. If it lands properly, Xue Rengui would surely suffer broken bones and fractured tendons!

Logically speaking, martial arts competitions should be conducted fairly and squarely, with prior notice given, in accordance with the rules.

but,

He Zongxian didn't even say hello before kicking down.

Xue Rengui was observant and attentive to all directions.

Hearing the ominous wind behind him, he didn't turn around. Instead, he leaped forward, jumping five or six steps away, thus avoiding He Zongxian's kick.

The two then began to fight in the hall.

In terms of martial arts skills, He Zongxian was slightly better than the four Zhang brothers.

but,

How could he possibly be a match for Xue Rengui?

It wasn't that Xue Rengui couldn't defeat He Zongxian, but rather that Xue Rengui had his own concerns.

……

Last night, the Tang army and the allied forces of five nations decisively defeated the Turkic army.

Xue Rengui began to show his talent.

He had just returned to his camp when Zhang Shigui found him.

Zhang Shigui's face was gloomy: "Xue Rengui, it seems we are quite destined to meet. I met you on the other side of the river."

I even ran into you in Luoyang!

Xue Rengui naturally understood the veiled sarcasm in Zhang Shigui's words.

but,

Zhang Shigui held a high position and wielded great power, so Xue Rengui dared not offend him: "General Zhang, whether you are in Hedong or Luoyang, you are working hard for the country, which is admirable!"

Zhang Shigui secretly recruited 30,000 strong men in Hedong without reporting it. He knew that Xue Rengui's words were also pointed.

Zhang Shigui nodded: "You still have relatives back in your hometown of Longmen County, Jiangzhou, Hedong, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Rengui's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "General Zhang, what do you mean by that?"

Zhang Shigui waved his hand: "You don't need to be nervous. Your parents are both in good health. I didn't mean anything by it."

I have a son-in-law named He Zongxian. He's about the same size as you and also likes to wear white.

To be honest,

The imperial court was planning to promote him, but he had no official rank or title.

I heard you did a lot of good work last night.

Therefore, I've come to discuss this with you: could you perhaps give all the credit for your achievements to He Zongxian?

In order to pave the way for his son-in-law's promotion, Zhang Shigui disregarded his reputation and could utter such shameless words!

Xue Rengui originally did not want to agree to this.

but,

He then thought about it again; Zhang Shigui's power was extremely strong, one could say he dominated the area.

On the one hand, he was a favorite of the emperor; on the other hand, Zhang Shigui held military power, while he was just an ordinary commoner. How could he possibly defeat him?

Moreover, Zhang Shigui's daughter married Li Daozong, thus gaining access to the imperial family.

Xue Rengui thought to himself that his only purpose in coming here was to participate in the martial arts examination; as for merits or demerits, they didn't matter.

I'm not even a common soldier now. Even if the court knows that I made those achievements, what can they do about it?

It's estimated that the imperial court won't take credit for it.

What I value most about Li Chengqian is his character, talent, and wisdom. As for fame and fortune, they are nothing but fleeting clouds and insignificant to me!

Why offend Zhang Shigui for such a small achievement?

Therefore, Xue Rengui also gave the captured helmet plume to Zhang Shigui and promised Zhang Shigui not to tell anyone about it.

Zhang Shigui took the helmet plume and patted Xue Rengui on the shoulder: "Tomorrow I hope you can cooperate with He Zongxian and make the performance more realistic. Don't give yourself away. I won't treat you badly in the future."

Thus, Zhang Shigui and Xue Rengui reached an agreement.

……

To be honest, someone like He Zongxian could be knocked to the ground with just one punch from Xue Rengui.

However, Xue Rengui thought of the agreement between himself and Zhang Shigui, so he held back, raising his fist several times before pulling it back.

He and He Zongxian went back and forth for about ten rounds, with no clear winner.

The so-called layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

Li Chenggan also had some knowledge of martial arts.

He noticed that on several occasions, Xue Rengui could have easily defeated his opponent.

However, Xue Rengui withdrew his moves, as if he was holding back.

Li Chenggan frowned, wondering what was going on.

At last,

He Zongxian punched Xue Rengui in the abdomen.

Xue Rengui suddenly fell to the ground.

The scene erupted in uproar.

Li Chengan was also taken aback and exclaimed, "Rengui, are you alright?"

"Your Highness, I'm alright."

He Zongxian raised his hands, looking very excited: "Xue Rengui is too kind!"

Qin Ying quickly went over and helped Xue Rengui up from the ground: "Rengui, this doesn't seem like your style."

Xue Rengui blushed: "I already said, I'm no match for him. He Zongxian is indeed an outstanding martial artist."

"Really? This kid's impressive! You go and rest first," Qin Ying paused, "I'll have a go at him."

"I can tell his worth just by looking at him."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shigui immediately said, "Your Highness, gentlemen, He Zongxian has already sparred with Xue Rengui and exhausted much of his strength. How can he continue the match?"

This is clearly unreasonable.

Is Qin Ying going to take advantage of someone's misfortune? Therefore, I object.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao also stood up to object.

In fact, Li Daozong was a sensible man.

Li Daozong was also an outstanding martial artist. Just now, he had already realized that He Zongxian was no match for Xue Rengui.

He felt there might be something fishy going on.

However, Zhang Shigui is his father-in-law, so how could he not side with Zhang Shigui?

If Zhang Shigui is offended, will Lady Zhang forgive him?

I don't know how long I'll have to sleep in a separate bed with him.

Li Daozong cleared his throat: "Please sit down, everyone. I think General Zhang is right. He Zongxian has already had a match."

It would indeed be a bit unfair to continue the competition.

If Qin Ying wants to compete with him, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Isn't the martial arts exam coming up soon?

Perhaps you'll meet in the exam hall.

After all, Li Daozong was Li Shimin's younger brother and held considerable power.

Therefore, everyone still had to give him some face.

Qin Ying said, "Very well, Your Highness, your handling of this matter is indeed fair!"

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong blushed.

Qin Ying continued, "I have another idea."

Li Daozong then asked, "What other ideas do you have?"

Qin Ying pointed to the helmet plume: "Just now, didn't He Zongxian say that this helmet plume belonged to Ashina Simo, and that he shot it through with an arrow?"

Okay then.

Let's place this helmet plume at the main entrance of Zhaoren Palace.

Have Xue Rengui and He Zongxian stand two hundred paces away and shoot at the helmet plume; let's see who can pierce it.

If He Zongxian could shoot through the helmet plume, then it would prove that all these achievements were made by He Zongxian.

in other words,

If He Zongxian couldn't shoot through the helmet plume, it would prove he was an imposter.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan thought Qin Ying's idea was quite good: "Then let them rest for a while, and then have an archery competition."

He Zongxian sat next to Zhang Shigui, and when he heard Qin Ying come up with this terrible idea, he panicked.

He thought to himself that when Lü Bu shot the halberd at the gate, the distance was only 150 paces.

That damned Qin Ying wanted him to stand two hundred paces away; how could he possibly hit the target?

That range is too far, what should we do?

Li Chenggan felt that Qin Ying's mind was becoming increasingly sharp and quick.

He also wanted to see just how good Xue Rengui's archery skills were.

However, Xue Rengui said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, General Zhang, I think we don't need to have this archery contest."

Because the current situation is completely different from the situation on the battlefield.

People only unleash their full potential when facing life-or-death situations.

"What do you mean by that?" Qin Ying asked.

"I'll tell you a story here, and maybe you'll understand."

then,

Once, Li Guang was on a mission, passing through the mountains and forests,

Suddenly, he felt a foul gust of wind coming from behind him, as if a tiger were pouncing on him.

He quickly nocked an arrow, turned around, and shot at the tiger; the arrow went right in.

Later, he discovered that it was not a tiger, but a huge rock.

Li Guang himself was also taken aback when he saw it.

He hadn't expected his arrow to penetrate the stone.

To test his archery skills, he shot several more arrows at the boulder, but they failed to penetrate it.

This shows that human potential needs to be stimulated.

In other words, even if He Zongxian couldn't pierce the helmet plume at this moment, it doesn't prove anything.

Therefore, let's skip the archery competition.

Everyone could hear clearly that Xue Rengui was obviously speaking up for He Zongxian.

Li Chengan didn't understand what had triggered Xue Rengui's sudden 180-degree turn.

but,

He couldn't ask in front of everyone.

Zhang Shigui laughed heartily: "Xue Rengui is right!"

Human potential needs to be unleashed, just like Li Guang.

Without the tiger's sneak attack, his arrows were not as penetrating.

Therefore, all those credits were made by He Zongxian.

Emperor Daozong is requested to truthfully report to the court why Emperor Zongxian is requesting credit.

Li Daozong neither agreed nor disagreed.

Li Chengqian fixed his gaze on Xue Rengui and asked, "Are you really not willing to continue the competition?"

Xue Rengui bowed and said, "Your Highness, I truly believe that archery is meaningless."

"Alright, since you don't want to compete, I won't force you. Go and rest."

"promise!"

Xue Rengui agreed and turned to leave.

at this time,

Li Daozong asked, "Gentlemen, what do you think should be done with those Turkic prisoners?"

Zhang Shigui harbored resentment because the Turkic soldiers had captured his four sons. He said, "None of these Turkic soldiers are good people. We should kill them all. Keeping them around will only cause trouble."

Ashina Jieshelu turned pale upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "Zhang Shigui's mouth is really sharp. By saying that, you've dragged me into this too."

Ashina Jieshe stood up and bowed: "Your Highness, Your Majesty, everyone, I am truly sorry."

Last time, Zhang Shizheng and Hegan Chengji vouched for me, allowing me to go back and recruit my old subordinates.

To be honest, I was terrified I wouldn't be able to do this well. After returning to the Turkic Khaganate, I secretly contacted some nobles and former subordinates, and gathered several thousand men, preparing to defect to the Tang Dynasty.

Unexpectedly, things weren't kept confidential enough, and the information was leaked.

Ashina Simo took advantage of my unpreparedness and sent men to arrest me.

He and I look very similar, and then he impersonated me and led an army to attack Luoyang.

After much thought, I realized that it was my overconfidence in being clever that caused the delay and disappointed the Crown Prince's expectations of me. I feel deeply ashamed.

but,

Those Turkic soldiers are all good soldiers. I hope you won't kill them all; please spare their lives.

Zhang Shigui said with a grim face, "Your Highness, Daozong, everyone, letting a tiger return to the mountain will bring endless trouble."

Back then, at the Battle of Julu, 200,000 Qin soldiers surrendered to Xiang Yu.

In the end, Xiang Yu still had them killed. Did Xiang Yu enjoy killing people?

In my opinion, that's not the case; those people simply had to be killed!

Therefore, these Turkic soldiers must be killed!