Chapter 277: Both Literary and Martial
At the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, the world changes from morning to evening.

White ducks were swimming in the yellow pond, and the green sorghum stalks were just taller than their heads.

This is August, a long holiday.

Not fast, not slow, not urgent, not slow.

On this rare day off, Ou Zanghua walked into the Leopard Room with an invitation in his hand.

Seeing that White Snake was still sleeping in the palace, he was amazed: This thing is still alive!
Walking further in, we finally saw Emperor Zhengde. He was holding a sheep in his hand. He swung his arm and threw the bleating sheep out.

The next moment, a tiger roared, and the sound of the sheep disappeared.
Ou Zanghua walked in under the guidance of the eunuch and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

"No gift!"

Emperor Zhengde clapped his hands and asked with a smile: "Mr. Ou, come and take a look at the white tiger I raised. Is it majestic enough?"

Ou Zanghua moved closer and saw a white tiger about seven feet long tearing its prey apart below him. Even though he was standing four feet away from it, he could still smell the blood.

"How majestic!" Ou Zanghua smiled and said calmly.

"Haha." Emperor Zhengde laughed triumphantly, then shook his head in disappointment and said, "It's a pity that this guy is so inhumane. I've kept him for more than a year, and he still bared his teeth when he saw me."

After walking down from the Tiger Viewing Terrace, Emperor Zhengde asked curiously, "Hasn't Mr. Ou been very busy lately? How come you have time to come and see me today?"

"I have finished what I have been busy with recently. Today I am here to deliver the invitation to Your Majesty."

As he spoke, Ou Zanghua took out the invitation card he had designed himself, handed it to Emperor Zhengde with both hands, and said, "August 11 is an auspicious day. The Weiyang Palace Huangzhuang Beijing store will open. I invite your majesty and the queen to come."

Emperor Zhengde looked delighted, and after accepting the invitation, he said, "Don't worry, Mr. Ou, I will definitely be there!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After coming out of the Leopard Room, Ou Zanghua got on the carriage and asked Mu Gaoweng to go to Xiaoshi Yongfang to deliver the invitation to Li Dongyang, the chief minister of the cabinet.

However, Mr. Li was not feeling well and was lying on the bed to rest, so his stepson Li Zhaofan took over on his behalf.

Ou Zanghua asked about his mentor's condition with concern, and Li Zhaofan said gently: "Thank you for your concern, Minister Ou. His Majesty has specially sent an imperial physician to watch over him. He is currently in relatively stable condition."

"That's good!" Ou Zanghua felt relieved, chatted with Li Zhaofan for a few more words, declined the other party's invitation to dinner, and got up and left.

At the south end of Ding'anmen Street, there is a courtyard with beautiful scenery, covering an area of ​​about seven acres. In the sixth year of Yongzheng's reign in the Qing Dynasty, Xuanren Temple was built here to worship the God of Wind.

But at this moment, this is the residence of Yang Tinghe, the Second Assistant of the Ming Cabinet.

When Ou Zanghua's carriage arrived, Yang Shen was already waiting at the door. When he got off the carriage with the gift, Yang Shen came up to him:
"Jingyu, please!"

"Brother Yongxiu, please!"

Yang Shen bowed and happily led the way for Ou Zanghua. Although they served in the same court, they had met only a few times. Even Liu Qing and Yang Wangshi met more times in a month than Ou Zanghua and Yang Shen.

There was no way around it. As an editor in the Hanlin Academy, Yang Shen had been staying in the academy to edit books.

Ou Zanghua was busy with the Ministry of Rites, the Honglu Temple, and the Weiyang Palace. Although he was also a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, he never wrote a single word.
"It's rare for Jingyu to come to my house, so today I took out all the treasures my father collected." Yang Shen led Ou Zanghua inside and said with a smile, "I must let Jingyu eat the most authentic Sichuan cuisine."

Sichuan cuisine originated in the Shu Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It first emerged during the Qin and Han Dynasties. By the Han and Jin Dynasties, classical Sichuan cuisine had taken shape and is famous for its "preferential taste" and "spicy fragrance".

Classical Sichuan cuisine developed further during the Tang and Song dynasties, and as the Shu people moved out of Sichuan, Sichuan restaurants spread throughout the capital cities of Kaifeng and Lin'an.

Sichuan cuisine was established as an independent cuisine during the Song Dynasty.

"Then I'm in for a treat today!"

After hearing this, Ou Zanghua handed the gift to Yang Shen and said happily, "I brought some fine wine from the Western Regions. It only needs to be chilled for a moment to become delicious. It is perfect to go with Sichuan cuisine. Let's drink it together with Elder Yang and Brother Yongxiu."

"Easy to say, easy to say!"

With Yang Shen as his host leading the way, Ou Zanghua soon met Yang Tinghe.

Since Li Dongyang spent most of his time recuperating from illness, Yang Tinghe was actually in charge of the affairs of the chief minister as the second assistant.

It can be said that he is now the second most powerful person in the Ming Dynasty.

"Your subordinate Ou Zanghua greets Elder Yang."

"No need to be polite." After returning the greeting, Yang Tinghe forced a smile and said, "Today is a day off, let's relax a little."

"Yes, Uncle Yang."

Ou Zanghua responded, then took out two invitation letters and handed them to Yang Tinghe and Yang Shen, sincerely inviting them to visit the store that day.

Yang Tinghe opened it and couldn't help but say, "Jingyu's calligraphy has improved again. How can I help you?"

Yang Shen, who was sitting on the side, was speechless. Does every father like to insult his own child in front of his friends?
So Yang Shen changed the subject and asked, "Besides inviting us, Jingyu should also be planning to invite other people, right?"

"Yes, I sent invitations to your majesty and the teacher." Ou Zanghua nodded with a smile.

After hearing this, Yang Tinghe frowned slightly and said, "It is not appropriate to invite His Majesty to leave the palace. Your Majesty is a precious person. If you leave the palace, how can we protect Your Majesty's safety? The people admire the emperor. If they offend Your Majesty, what will happen?"

Ou Zanghua said calmly, "Uncle Yang, please rest assured. I will consult with the Jinyiwei and the East Factory to ensure security. The people are honest and kind. As long as the order is maintained, they will not offend Your Majesty."

"What if there is a collision?"

"Your Majesty's civil and military achievements are far superior to ours. It is a blessing for the people that he does not offend them."

Yang Shen almost couldn't help it and quickly turned around.

Yang Tinghe narrowed his eyes, looked at Ou Zanghua with a gentle expression, and was speechless for a moment.

Because he knew that Ou Zanghua was right.
"Well, it's already noon and the dishes should be ready. Father, Jingyu, why don't we go to the dining room and talk while we eat." After holding back his laughter, Yang Shen looked at the two of them and suggested with a smile.

"Okay." Yang Tinghe nodded, stood up and said, "Let's go! There are several dishes today, and I have been looking forward to it for a long time."

This was the first time that Ou Zanghua had eaten classical Sichuan cuisine, including the wine lees that Meng Chang, the last emperor of the Later Shu Dynasty, liked, the pig head with apricot sauce that Su Dongpo liked, and the roasted mandarin duck that Lin Hong, a famous gourmet and Jinshi of the Southern Song Dynasty, had praised highly.

Each dish has a unique flavor, good color, aroma and taste, and paired with chilled wine, it is simply a pleasure.

After leaving Yang's house, Ou Zanghua visited Fei Hong and Liang Chu again and also presented them with invitations.

In this way, all the people in the Ming Pyramid were invited. If someone fired a cannonball at the Weiyang Palace Huangzhuang Store that day, the empire would immediately be shaken by a major earthquake.

Ou Zanghua naturally would not let this happen, so the next day he went to see Jinyiwei commander Qian Ning.

Dongzhimen Street, Beizhenfusi, when Ou Zanghua came in, a sharp arrow shot towards him.

Ou Zanghua grabbed Chen Mengji and dodged the arrow with a single step. Chen Mengji was stunned for a moment before he realized that he had almost been killed!
"Hahaha, my hand slipped for a moment. I'm so sorry!"

A big man with a white face, long beard, broad back, eyes like copper bells, tall head and big ears, holding a longbow in his right hand and an arrow in his left hand, said words of apology, but there was no politeness in his tone.

This person was the adopted son of Emperor Zhengde, the 'imperial bastard' Qian Ning.

Qian Ning looked at Ou Zanghua and praised him with a fake smile: "Minister Ou is indeed very skilled. Why don't you come to the Imperial Guard? I need talents like you here."

"Commander Qian, you are joking. I am just an ordinary scholar."

Ou Zanghua smiled and said calmly: "As the emperor's closest army, the Jinyiwei should have many people like me. Maybe they are not used to Commander Qian's working style, so they did not show their talents!"

Qian Ning narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "Minister Ou seems to have a problem with Qian!"

Ou Zanghua said cheerfully: "No, no, I only have Your Majesty and the court in my heart."

"Hahaha"

Qian Ning laughed loudly and said to the Jinyiwei standing beside him, "Give Minister Ou the sword!"

"I heard that Minister Ou is a master of Hengshan Sect. I have long wanted to meet him! Please give me a chance, Minister Ou."

"That's what Commander Qian said."

Ou Zanghua held the sword tightly, and said with a helpless tone: "Then let's make it clear first, don't get impatient, and don't complain!"

"What man would complain?!"

Qian Ning became more and more angry, and he suddenly rushed forward, snatched the sword from the Jinyiwei and started attacking.

The so-called Diao Dao is what later generations called a three-pointed, two-edged sword, which was formed in the Song Dynasty.

This weapon has a forward center of gravity, sacrificing a certain degree of flexibility, but has tremendous chopping power.

The key is flexibility, which can be compensated by long-term training.

Liu Jing, the most powerful general in the late Ming Dynasty, could wield a 120-jin sword on horseback, making him a unique figure of the time.

While running, Qian Ning used a kick-handle flick of the knife, followed by a powerful chop of Huashan, and slashed towards Ou Zanghua.

Ou Zanghua drew out his sword to block, but the huge force made his expression change. The sable-haired sword weighed at least one hundred pounds!

He took advantage of the situation to release the force and moved the knife to the ground.

With a loud "bang", the originally solid stone slab was instantly broken into pieces like fragile paper under Qian Ning's amazing brute force, with gravel flying everywhere and dust filling the air.

Qian Ning seemed to be able to foresee the opportunity and immediately used the Iron Ox to plow the land with a broadsword, chasing after him like a shadow.

Ou Zanghua quickly retreated several steps. Seeing this, Qian Ning sneered. His attack did not slow down but became more fierce.

The knife in his hand was suddenly raised up, drawing sharp arcs in the air. In a flash, he had changed from "Iron Ox Plowing the Land" to "Lifting and Sliding". The tip of the knife flashed with cold light and came straight towards Ou Zanghua.

Then, he used another "horizontal cut" move. The knife was as fast as a rainbow, with a sound of breaking through the air, and in one fell swoop, he forced Ou Zanghua into a desperate situation.

Chen Mengji, who was standing by, swallowed his saliva. He thought, his boss wouldn’t be killed by the commander-in-chief, right?
However, Qian Ning underestimated Ou Zanghua. He used the Lake Light and Autumn Moon sword technique, Clear Autumn and Green Waves style, and coordinated his footwork to avoid horizontal cuts and slashed his sword diagonally. There were six changes of moves in it. No matter how Qian Ning defended, Ou Zanghua would disarm him.

Qian Ning's expression stiffened as he realized this.

But how could Qian Ning be an ordinary expert? !
Qian Ning held the knife diagonally upright to block Ou Zanghua's sword, then kicked the hilt and the blade quickly cut over.

Ou Zanghua was surprised, but he had to use his lightness skills to keep his distance to avoid getting hurt on the face.

The Minister of Rites said in amazement: "Knife-kicking skills? That's really rare!"

To explain with the game, the knife kicking technique is an advanced skill of long-handled weapons. Legend has it that this set of techniques came from the Tang Dynasty's Modao team.

Long-handled weapons are heavy, and it is difficult to change moves quickly using only the strength of your hands.

The core of the knife kicking technique is to wield the knife with the foot. When the enemy and us are fighting a life-and-death battle, a kick on the knife can instantly change the knife style and catch the opponent off guard.

"Haha, you are worthy of being a scholar. You read a lot of books!" Qian Ning laughed and turned around to attack again.

While spinning, he grabbed the end of the handle with one hand and swung it. The distance between him and the opponent, which was originally ten feet, was suddenly pulled in.

After Ou Zanghua dodged by bending down, Qian Ning had already used his second move of bayonet thrust, and the three points and two edges seemed to pierce his abdomen.

Faced with such a ferocious attack, Ou Zanghua once again used his footwork to dodge, then turned around and approached, slashing across with his sword.

Qian Ning dodged sideways and suddenly used a counter-attack with his sword.

Ou Zanghua looked calm, the tip of his sword drew a small arc and was placed accurately between the knife and fork. At the same time, he used the force of Qian Ning's opponent to counter his opponent's attack, and the sword body shook, dissolving Qian Ning's attack into nothingness.

"Good swordsmanship!" Qian Ning's eyes lit up and he couldn't help but praise.

"Go on!" Ou Zanghua shouted softly, and moved again, approaching like a dragon playing in the water. His sword skills were sometimes agile and elegant, and sometimes strong and fierce, forming a sharp contrast with Qian Ning's knife skills.

The two men fought back and forth, the fight getting faster and faster, the shadows of swords and the lights of knives intertwined, cutting the surrounding air into pieces, making bursts of sharp sounds of breaking through the air.

"Swish!" Qian Ning took a few steps back before he stood still after hearing two "Swish!" sounds. He looked down at his Feiyu suit that had been cut open, his expression very gloomy.

He never expected that the Right Vice Minister of Rites' swordsmanship was so advanced. He even felt that the opponent was not taking it seriously as the fight progressed.

Ou Zanghua made a sword flower with one hand, then shook his wrist, and the long sword flew out of his hand, and pierced into the scabbard with a "swish" sound: "Commander Qian, we have agreed that you can't get angry and don't complain."

"Good, good, good. I am happy to have seen the Hengshan swordsmanship today!" Qian Ning forced a smile, threw the fallen knife to his subordinate beside him and said, "Remember to take out my weapon next time. I am not used to your weapon."

"Yes!" The Jinyiwei whose weapon was robbed didn't dare to say much and could only lower his head and answer.

Qian Ning turned around and sat on the armchair, raised his chin and asked, "What is it that Minister Ou has come to the Northern Pacification Office for?"

Ou Zanghua looked serious and said, "Please ask Commander Qian to investigate the environment around the Weiyang Palace Huangzhuang store on Chongwenmen Street before August 11, do a good job of protection, and maintain order on the scene."

Qian Ning sneered: "Do you think my Jinyiwei is owned by your family?!"

"Your Majesty will visit the store that day."

Qian Ning's expression relaxed and he showed an honest smile: "This is the duty of the Jinyiwei. Who else but me? Please rest assured, Minister Ou, leave everything to the Jinyiwei. There is no need to go to the Dongchang again."

"Commander Qian, I still like your rebellious look at the beginning. How about you recover a little?"

(End of this chapter)