found that the contest in front of the palace was likely to become a joke that no one participated, and it was the head of the three yaguan armies, and the commander of the front division of the palace was Cao Yu.

When the deacons were discussing this matter in the political hall, he complained about Wu Haogu in front of Pan Xiao'an in the middle hall of his Cao Jiayuan Cidi (that is, next to Pan Jiayuan).

"Pan Shiyi, don't think I don't know, Cai Jing's performance is actually your brother-in-law Wu Haogu's idea. Cai Jing, a literati from Fujian Road, he knows a fart, where did he come up with the bad idea of winning a house in a martial arts competition? This is clearly what Lao Bianliang, who is familiar with the reality of the forbidden army, came up with...... Of course, this idea is not bad, but he also has to find a step armor of more than 50 pounds to put on it! ”

As he spoke, Cao Yu pointed to a pair of armor that looked quite old in the middle hall, "Old Zhou, serve Pan Xiu to make armor!" also let him know what it is like to wear heavy armor of more than 50 pounds. ”

"Whoa!"

"Captain, this ......"

The person who was called the head of the old Zhou Jiao was a giant man in his sixties with gray hair and beard, with the same surname Zhou and the same name as Guangzu, who was a person from Tongguan, Huazhou. It is the head of the temple in front of the soldiers, of course, the martial arts are high, and he is famous for his good shooting in the Kaifeng Forbidden Army, and he is called "Iron Arm Zhou Tong". Like most of the forbidden army's junior martial ministers, this iron-armed Zhou Tong has a part-time job in addition to being the head of the forbidden army, but he is not a bodyguard in the rivers and lakes, but a teacher of the "sky" character in the Kaifeng Imperial Boxing Gym.

The so-called Royal Boxing Gym is actually a martial arts gym, located outside Jinglong Gate, in the north of the city. In the early years, this martial arts hall was opened next to the Lize Gate in the inner city very close to the imperial city, and later because it did not conform to the aesthetics of the Zhao family of Chongwen and light martial arts, it was moved by Kaifeng Mansion and moved to the north of the city where the barracks gathered.

However, the momentum of the martial arts hall has not decreased because of the relocation, but has increased greatly because a large number of children of the forbidden army have entered the hall to practice martial arts. Especially in the reign of Shenzong, because of the implementation of the "Baojia Law", it was necessary to encourage the people to practice martial arts, so Emperor Shenzong also mentioned the word to the Imperial Boxing Gym. The name "Imperial Boxing Gym" appeared at that time.

Zhou Tongneng became the "Tian" teacher of the Royal Boxing Gym, not only has real skills, but also has a great name, and even Cao Yu and other high-ranking palace commanders also know his name. Therefore, after Song Huizong ordered the palace front division to prepare for the imperial competition, he was transferred to the military case, and the head of the capital was also sealed, and he was loaned to him from the third class of Jiupin.

It was also this Zhou Tong who told Cao Yu that the martial arts competition in front of the emperor was likely to be cold, because the requirements set by the officials were too high, not to mention that ordinary forbidden officers and soldiers couldn't do it, even he, the "iron arm Zhou Tong", couldn't do it - of course, if he was 20 years younger, he could reach the level of Wei Wushu. But not anymore, the old man in his 60s doesn't have that stamina.

Cao Yu didn't believe it at first, didn't he just put on his armor and run 100 miles? So he wanted to find someone to try, so he ordered the front of the palace to bring a few pairs of armor of sufficient weight.

But the report of the riding case surprised him - no! The storehouse of the palace commander who was responsible for managing the armor of the army in front of the palace did not have enough armor in it, and there was no armor of more than 50 catties, so it had to be made on the spot......

By the way, the official title in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty was about 640 grams in later generations, that is, 1.28 city catties. 50 catties is equivalent to 64 catties in later generations, that is, 32 kilograms!

Of course, there is a pair of armor of this weight, and there is a pair in the ancestral hall of Cao Yu's ancestral house, which was worn by his ancestor Cao Bin to the battlefield, consisting of 1825 armor leaves, weighing 55 catties (Song Jin), if you count the full weight of the helmet, it will exceed 60 catties!

"No, no...... Old Zhou, hold me a little bit......"

As soon as the 55-pound heavy armor was put on Pan Xiao'an's body, this descendant of Pan Mei suddenly had a feeling of being pressed by the mountain, and he couldn't stand still, and called Zhou Tong to help him.

"You know it's heavy, right?" Cao Yu patted his chest and said, "The official also wore it once, and he also put on a helmet, and there was always a weight of 60 catties on his body, and his brows never wrinkled." ”

The brows were not wrinkled, and they were not helped, but they couldn't walk anymore - Mrs. Cao pondered at that time: What does the ancestor eat every day? Why is it so powerful? Wearing 60 pounds of armor, you can also go into battle and cut people...... It turns out that the ancestors relied on their strength to eat!

But such a powerful ancestor seems to have been defeated by the Khitans! How strong should this Khitan barbarian be? Northern Expedition Yanyun This kind of thing...... No matter how you look at it, it's unreliable!

"Captain, where can I compare with you!" Pan Xiao'an was still begging for mercy, "You are the commander of the palace in front of the palace, I am a businessman, I don't have so much strength......"

"Hey, why do you sound so wried? It seems that the official is a coolie seller...... By the way, Old Sect Leader Zhou, can you find some bitter men from the forbidden army who pull fiber on the canal to try? ”

"No," Zhou Tong shook his head while taking off the armor from Pan Xiao'an, who was complaining repeatedly, "Tai Lieutenant, do you think that Wei Wushu's strength is as easy to practice?" At least one hundred and twenty or thirty pounds of weight on the body, half a day to run 100 miles...... This is real kung fu! ”

"Strength is also kung fu?"

"Of course!" Zhou Tong nodded and said, "Those skillful kung fu in the Imperial Boxing Gym are not much use on the battlefield, and the battlefield relies on solid stupid kung fu, which not only has to have strength, but also has to be durable." Carrying a weight of one hundred and twenty or thirty pounds and running 100 miles is a test of durability. ”

"And durability?"

"Of course you have to be durable," Zhou Tong said with a smile, "Captain, you read the records in the war book and battle strategy, it is common to fight dozens of battles a day during battlefield battles, how can you do it without durability?" ”

Is there really such a record in the book of war? Cao Yu thought about it for a while and decided to take the time to find a few ancestral military books to take a good look at.

Zhou Tong, who has been the head of the sect for half his life, is still showing off his knowledge of military science, and told Cao Yu seriously, "The current martial arts only know the strategy formation, but ignore the strength. In fact, we have to rely on our strength to fight to the death. If the soldier has no strength, the strategy, the formation plan, the battle strategy, and the military discipline are all empty......"

What he said was rough, but the truth was right. The heavy infantry in the era of cold weapons is a strength job, first more than 100 catties are carried on the body, and they can run, fight and last, and then talk about other things.

Otherwise, you won't be able to go to the battlefield, what's the use of saying anything else?

"What then? What to do? Cao Yu stroked his slap, and he was also a little at a loss, "Pan Shiyi, Old Sect Leader Zhou, you have to think of a countermeasure for this official, you have to fool this matter!"

In October next year, no one can go to the Imperial Martial Arts Competition! This can be told to the world, if no one goes to the competition, where will the face of my Great Song official family go? ”

It doesn't seem to matter if there is anyone to defend the official family of the Great Song Dynasty, but the face of the official family is very important!

"Then, let's find someone to practice quickly!"

Or does Pan Xiao'an have a way, "The house is rewarded, and no one will be willing to practice, right?" ”

"That's right," Zhou Tongdao said, "These days, the leaders of the front division of the palace have said that the soldiers below have practiced hard, and the younger leaders themselves have been training hard. But...... A year and a half is still a bit short, and I'm afraid I won't be able to practice much. ”

"Then ...... Then you'll have to figure it out! You're the head of the sect! Pan Xiao'an looked at Zhou Tongdao, "Old Sect Leader Zhou, you can make a price, how much does it cost?" ”

"Pan Shiyi," Cao Yu looked at Pan Xiao'an in his eyes and shook his head, "That's not a matter of money. ”

"Yes, it's not about money." Zhou Tong nodded heavily, "Pan Xiuzao, can you give me a three-courtyard courtyard in Kaifeng Mansion City?" ”

"Yes, yes!" Pan Xiao'an knew that there was a play, so he nodded immediately, "I'll give you a ...... of 20,000 yuan Is there a way? ”

"There you have it, you have ......"

Pregnant? Cao Yu looked at Zhou Tong and rolled his eyes for a while, you old guy already had a way not to say it earlier, and he just wanted to blackmail the house from the rich man Pan!

Zhou Tong smiled apologetically at Cao Yu, he was also the same as Lin Wancheng, he was a "Bianpiao" from Shaanxi, and he didn't have a house! And there is a son and a daughter in the family, none of whom are married...... In addition, he has recently become an official, so he wants to find a house, preferably young and beautiful!

Uh, don't look at Old Man Zhou 61, but people are in good health, and they are all muscles when they take it off, and they still need women very much......

"What's the best idea, let's talk about it!" Cao Yu pointed at Pan Xiao'an, "In terms of money, he is a lot of money, and he won't rely on your house." ”

Of course, Zhou Tong knew that Pan Xiao'an's reputation was very good...... How to open a "bank" with a bad reputation?

didn't talk nonsense at the moment, so he put his ideas together: "Taiwei, cultivation, in fact, the progress of practicing in your own home is relatively slow." ”

"How is it at home?" Cao Yu interjected, "Isn't it in the barracks?" ”

Zhou Tong smiled bitterly, "That's not much difference." ”

Cao Yu frowned bitterly, as if something was going on!

"How do you practice that?"

"You have to get out of the house and lock up and practice." Zhou Tongdao, "What you eat, drink, use, when to sleep, when to get up, how much you practice every day, and how to practice, you must have rules." In this way, you can get twice the result with half the effort. ”

Practicing is not just a matter of blindly working hard, but must have scientific training methods.

"If Taiwei and Xiuzao can trust the lower officials," Zhou Tong said again, "Our Imperial Boxing Gym can help." It's just a boxing gym...... It's not an official. ”

"Just say how much it wants!" Pan Xiao'an immediately understood.

It costs money to practice! Food, drink, use, teacher, and venue......

"A 150 hair, 15 months of practice. However, people have to go down to the officials to see it in person, and if they can't practice, they don't have to enter the museum. Zhou Tong had already calculated it, and immediately said to Pan Xiao'an, "This month and next month will be selected, under the age of 20, strong soldiers can come to practice, but they have to sign life and death documents."

In addition, there are only a few teachers in the Royal Boxing Gym, and they can't teach if they have more. Therefore, only 300 apprentices can be accepted, and about 150 can be trained, and a total of 45,000 yuan will be spent. ”

"Okay!" Pan Xiao'an had a bold face, patted his chest and said, "Let this money be good for Wu Hao!" ”