The Record of Swordsmen in the Late Sui and Early Tang Dynasties

Chapter 953 940 Two: Duan Wuji vs. Sun Tiansheng
When they arrived at the gate of the imperial city, Duan Wuji and Tieniu explained to the waiting guards guarding the gate of the imperial city what they wanted to see the emperor.

The guards guarding the palace gate dare not go in and report!A guard ran in, and after a short time, he ran back again.

"I said Prince Duan, General Duan, the emperor has ordered you two to come in and meet him.

Two adults, you come with me! "

The two followed the guard into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, only to see that Li Shimin was reviewing the memorial!
Li Shimin smiled and said: "I said, two virtuous brothers, you two came to my palace, are you looking for me for dinner?"

Duan Wuji was taken aback for a moment, and couldn't help laughing.

"I said second brother! Don't be so stingy.

To be honest, we did not come at the right time, just in time for eating.

However, the two of us still have two taels of silver on us, why don't we go out to eat later? "

Li Shimin laughed out loud.

"I said brother, you are too good at talking.

At noon, you came to my palace, and I don’t even care about your words for a meal. If this matter gets out in the future, won’t the officials laugh at me for being stingy?
From my point of view, the two of you brothers are dependent on today's lunch. "

Duan Wuji and Tieniu also knew that Li Shimin was joking with their brothers.

Li Shimin asked with a smile: "My dear brothers, I told you two to find someone yesterday, but why didn't you two leave? You two have come to my palace now, don't know what's going on."

Duan Wuji laughed when he heard this.

"I said second brother! We have been busy since early in the morning until now, just to complete the tasks you assigned us.

My brothers and I have found someone, so come and report to you. "

"Oh? What is this man you found?"

Duan Wuji said with a smile: "This man is a criminal, and he is quite young.

I was afraid that you would disagree, second brother, so I came here to discuss it with you. "

"A criminal? Can the criminal go west with the holy monk?"

Duan Wuji said with a smile: "What are you afraid of? He has committed crimes and meritorious deeds, and he happened to be used by us!"

"Then who is this man's name? What crime did he commit?"

"Your Majesty, this man's surname is Sun, and his name is Sun Tiansheng. He committed the crime of theft, and has been sentenced to beheaded.

Ordinarily, the crime of theft should not be sentenced to death, but this kid is very courageous, and he stole things from our palace.

It may be that the officials of the execution department were afraid that you, the emperor, would be angry, so they sentenced him to be beheaded in autumn.

Second brother, think about it!Those who can easily enter the palace, aren't they powerful people?

Second brother, you can forgive his crimes and let him go west with the holy monk.

This must be a very good bodyguard!

I think that if this person protects the holy monk and goes west, he will be able to get back the scriptures, and let my Buddhist circle in the Tang Dynasty add a few more scriptures.

Wouldn't it be enough to let this man surnamed Sun wander abroad for a few years, and then pardon his crimes after he comes back?
Why must he be executed?
Brother, are you right? "

Li Shimin groaned for a while, then hesitantly said: "Is this appropriate?"

After hearing this, Tieniu quickly chimed in and said, "What's wrong with this?

What he committed was not a felony of rebellion, but petty theft.

Second brother, if his crimes are pardoned, one can reflect the benevolence of our Tang Dynasty emperor, and two can also use waste. After he comes back, give him some credit and let him be used by our country. Isn't it better? "

Li Shimin laughed out loud.

"You two brothers came up with such a bad idea, if he is willing to go west with the holy monk, then I will forgive him.

Isn't he just a little thief, what can he do.

Alas, I said brother, do you know how this man's martial arts are? "

Duan Wuji said with a smile: "I have already made an agreement with the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, three days later, I will have a contest with him.

Wouldn't it be all right for me to try his martial arts at that time? "

Li Shimin said with a smile after hearing this: "When the day of the competition comes, I'll go over and have a look.

I've been bored in the palace these days, and I just want to have some fun, be happy.

Both of you brothers are one of the best fighters in my Tang Dynasty, it must be very interesting to let him compete with you brothers. "

"Okay, eat with me later! After dinner, you all go home and have a good rest for two days!

In two days, you will be competing in martial arts. "

It wasn't too long, and the imperial meal was passed on, and the two of them had dinner with the emperor, and then they left and went home.

When Duan Wuji returned home, Princess Mingzhu looked at Duan Wuji and asked: "I said, the head of the family, have you found the person who accompanied the holy monk to learn scriptures?"

Duan Wuji said with a smile: "I only found one today, but I haven't decided yet.

After three days, you will know if this person is okay?

Three days later, I will have a martial arts competition with him. Let me see how his martial arts are.

If his martial arts are good enough, then he is considered one.

If his martial arts are not good enough, then I will think of another way!
I'm going to take a good rest these two days, and I won't sleep with you anymore.

I have been tossing about that all night, how can I have so much energy? "

Princess Mingzhu smiled and said: "My emperor brother is really a person who arranged such a job for you.

well!There is really no way.

Since we can't be together these days, you should have a good rest!
After a few days, maybe you will be more satisfied there. "

Duan Wuji smiled and did not speak.

Princess Mingzhu walked in, while Duan Wuji sat in the study and continued to drink tea and rest, quietly waiting for the coming of the martial arts competition!
Three days passed in a flash, and when it came to the day of the martial arts competition, Duan Wuji packed up early, and Duan Wuji rode his horse straight to the Xingbu.

When he arrived at the gate of the Criminal Department, Duan Wuji got off his horse and went in to report to the soldiers guarding the yamen.

Not long enough, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment led the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment to greet him from the lobby.

"I said, Prince Duan, you came here really early today.

The Wang family is thousands of years old, please come inside quickly! "

Duan Wuji laughed when he heard this.

"I came early, didn't you come earlier?"

"Hey, I said Prince Duan, the emperor has sent someone to inform us that today you are going to compete with that Sun Tiansheng.

Dare we come over sooner?

We came too late, once the emperor finds out, shouldn't we wait to be scolded?

Your Majesty has notified the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty for this martial arts competition, and asked them to watch it.

With such a big battle, how could we not come here earlier! "

Duan Wuji listened and nodded.

"Do you two know, where does the emperor want us to compete?"

"Of course I know this, the emperor has already said, let you compete in the small school field outside the capital, it is more spacious there.

Prince Duan, go ahead and rest for a while!We'll go there together in a while. "

Duan Wuji nodded after hearing this, and then tied the horse to the horse stake in front of the criminal department.

Afterwards, he followed these officials and walked straight to the lobby of the Ministry of Punishment.

After entering the lobby, Minister of the Ministry of Justice immediately ordered people to offer fragrant tea.

Duan Wuji waited beside him while drinking tea.

Several officials drank two cups of tea with Duan Wuji, and the Secretary of the Criminal Ministry said: "I said that the Wang family is a thousand years old, just staying here is annoying enough, or we should go to the scene earlier."

Duan Wuji listened and nodded.

"Well, that's fine too.

Then let's go there early. "

The Secretary of the Criminal Ministry shouted loudly to the guards outside: "Come here! Detain that criminal named Sun Tiansheng, and let's rush to the small school yard immediately."

The servants under his command immediately started to act after hearing the order.

Duan Wuji came out from the lobby, untied the rope and waited there, when Duan Tie Niu came galloping on horseback.

"I said brother, why didn't you say wait for me when you went out?"

Duan Wuji grinned when he heard this.

"Brother Tie Niu, I'm really sorry.

Because I was so preoccupied these days, I forgot about it in a hurry. "

Tie Niu shook his head helplessly.

"I said brother, where are you two competing?

Is the emperor settled? "

"It's settled. The martial arts competition is held in a small school field outside the city. Civil and military officials are all going to watch Le'er."

"What's the fun in this? This is obviously a chance for our buddies to show their faces!

Let's go, it's not like we don't know the small school grounds, so let's go there right away.

Let's find a tree to rest for a while, and when they are all here, let's compete in martial arts. "

Duan Wuji got on his horse, and the two brothers left the east city gate and ran straight towards the small school grounds.

The small school field is three or four miles away from the capital, and it covers an area of ​​more than 100 mu. This place is usually sparsely populated, and the ground is almost covered with grass.

This is the place where the soldiers took the time to come and practice.

Normally, there was no one to manage them. The two of them sat and rested under a big willow tree next to the school grounds, waiting quietly for the arrival of the emperor and civil and military officials.

An hour later, the minister of the Ministry of punishment led his officials to come first.

Not long enough, Li Shimin arrived with civil and military officials.

Li Shimin sat on the high platform, talking with civil and military officials.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Justice ordered people to remove the locks on Sun Tiansheng's body and let him exercise his muscles and bones.

Sun Tiansheng was kicking, kicking and punching, not to mention his joy.

Li Shimin said to Sun Tiansheng: "I say, Sun Tiansheng, you were sentenced to be beheaded outside the palace for stealing things from the palace.

However, God has the virtue of loving life. As long as you sincerely repent and are willing to protect the holy monk to go to the west to learn scriptures, I will forgive your crimes.

When you come back, I will properly arrange an official position for you, so that you can live a worry-free life in the future. "

Sun Tiansheng bowed his head when he heard this.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for being merciful, isn't it just protecting the holy monk to go west?
My Sun Tiansheng is willing to take the crime and make meritorious deeds to atone for my fault. "

Li Shimin nodded after hearing this, and then said loudly: "The criminal Sun Tiansheng is willing to protect the holy monk to go west. I will absolve him of his guilt and let him regain his freedom!"

When Sun Tiansheng heard that the emperor had opened his golden mouth, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity, I, Sun Tiansheng, realized my mistake.

From now on, I, Sun Tiansheng, must be a good person and never do wrong again in this life. "

Li Shimin laughed when he heard this.

"I said Sun Tiansheng, if you know your mistakes, you can correct them, and there is nothing good about it.

You protect the holy monk to go west. On the way west, you only need to lead the horse with the holy monk, carry the burden, and be responsible for protecting the safety of the holy monk. "

"Your Majesty, Caomin is willing to go west with the holy monk, and protect the holy monk to bring the scriptures back to my Tang Dynasty."

"Well, that's all right!

Then you hurry up and go to the martial arts competition with Prince Duan, you have to show your real skills, and let us all open our eyes today. "

"Yes! Xiaomin obeys the order."

Sun Tiansheng walked into the arena and clasped his fist at Duan Wuji.

"I said, Prince Duan, thank you for your praise and giving me this chance to live, you are the Guanyin Bodhisattva who saves the suffering!

I, Sun Tiansheng, kowtow to you. "

Duan Wuji hastily stretched out his hand to help him up.

"I'm talking about Sun Tiansheng, Duan Wuji is also a martial arts practitioner, let's have a good match today!

For so many years, I, Duan Wuji, have never met an opponent. Let's have a good fight today!

Sun Tiansheng, what weapon do you use? "

"Returning to Prince Duan, although Sun Tiansheng knows all kinds of weapons, my favorite is a big stick made of mixed iron.

If I had a big iron rod, I believe you, Prince Duan, would not be my opponent either. "

Duan Wuji laughed out loud.

"I said Sun Tiansheng, and I, Duan Wuji, are just big sticks.

Let's have a stick-to-stick match today!

Brother Tieniu, bring your big stick here.Let Sun Tiansheng use it first, and see if he uses your big stick in his hand or not. "

Tieniu took off his big stick from his horse and brought it over.

"I said, little grandson, you can use my big stick, my big stick is the same as my brother's big stick.

There is no difference in weight, so just compare it between the two of you.

I'm also watching the excitement from the side, how about your kung fu eye? "

Sun Tiansheng took the big stick and swung it around.

"Well, yes, it's a little heavy, but I can still move it.

Prince Duan, take off your big stick, let's quickly compare and see which of us is more capable. "

Can Duan Wuji be afraid of him?Duan Wuji took off his big stick and walked into the arena.

The two stood in their positions, and the two sides raised their sticks to fight in one place.

Duan Wuji uses the Wuji stick method. Although this set of stick method is derived from the Arhat stick method in Shaolin Temple, after Duan Wuji's improvement and simplification, it is quite different from the Naluo method. It was omitted by Duan Wuji.

Duan Wuji's stick technique is more practical, it's really vicious tricks, strange tricks, dangerous tricks, strange tricks emerge in endlessly!

Sun Tiansheng's set of stick techniques is called Yesha stick technique, which is also a unique move with a variety of tricks!

When two people are recruited together, they will not give in to each other, they both want to win!

That Duan Wuji became more and more brave as he fought, and Sun Tiansheng became more and more fierce as he fought!

The time is not too long, the two of them have gone through a hundred rounds, and the two of them still haven't decided whether they won before giving birth!
Li Shimin was afraid that there would be casualties if the two of them fought red-eyed, so he quickly ordered someone to stop, and the two jumped out of the circle immediately after receiving the order.

(End of this chapter)