My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 168 Taishan Clan
On the seventh day of the eighth month, in Taishan County.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Inside Yangjiawu Fortress, the sound of arrows piercing the air rang out continuously. In the inner courtyard, a beautiful young girl transformed into a ruthless 'archery' machine, firing arrows with extreme precision. Although she couldn't hit the bullseye every time, she never missed a shot, and every arrow hit the target.

Many ordinary soldiers in the army might not have such archery skills, so it's hard to imagine that a woman could be so accurate with her archery.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on the girl's forehead, eventually gathering into droplets that dripped down her rounded chin and onto the ground.

"My lady is truly a master archer; even the most valiant soldiers in the tribe are no better than her."

The maidservant serving beside her was also quite young. When she saw that the girl's quiver was empty, she immediately stepped forward to wipe away her sweat with a handkerchief, and didn't forget to shower her with compliments.

"not enough……"

The girl looked thoughtful, then shook her head. "It's still a long way off."

"Go and fetch that bow."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, the maidservant frowned and muttered softly, "Why must you make things so difficult for yourself, my lady? My lord has already said that even among soldiers, those who can draw this bow are extremely rare. You are but a mere woman..."

Why is it that if a man finds it difficult, a woman is necessarily unable to do it?

The girl's voice was somewhat cold, yet pleasant to the ear. Her question left the maid stammering for a long time, unsure of how to answer. She could only pitifully take over the powerful bow that was almost as tall as a person from the side.

Drawing a bow tests physical strength, and men are naturally stronger than women.

The maid didn't know why her mistress was so determined to draw a two-stone bow. She had heard that those who could draw a two-stone bow were the most precious talents in the army, and only the bravest warriors could do it.

Although my wife is usually quite lively, she is ultimately a delicate woman with fair skin and slender arms and legs.

The girl had large, bright eyes that seemed to speak volumes. She held the two-stone bow in her hands and stared at them for a while.

His bright eyes held a hint of resentment, yet also a touch of determination.

The girl held the bow in one hand and the bowstring in the other. After taking a deep breath, she began to steady herself and exert force to draw the bow.

Her fair and round face, as white as a pebble, turned slightly red from exertion. The clenching of her teeth forced her delicate features together, making her look extremely comical.

The bowstring has been pulled quite a bit, but it's still a distance away from being fully drawn.

The maid was both shocked and heartbroken, especially seeing the girl's delicate right hand fingers, wondering how much pain she had endured to forcefully draw the bowstring.

finally.

The girl was still too weak and ultimately failed to draw the two-stone bow in her hands. After catching her breath for a moment, she couldn't hide her disappointment and let out a soft sigh.

"Still can't do it?"

The image of a handsome young man involuntarily appeared in the girl's mind, standing on the courtyard wall with a bow in hand, showing no fear even when facing hundreds of soldiers.

This scene was deeply etched in the girl's mind when she was young. Even after many years, it was still vivid in her mind: the boy's heroic figure, the fear of the soldiers in the central army, and... the heart that was deeply attracted to him when she was young.

"How come... he doesn't look strong at all, and he's fair-skinned like a woman, how come he could pull it open so easily?"

The maid didn't hear her mistress's mutterings. Instead, she looked at the fingers with bloody marks from being strangled and said with heartache, "Why does my mistress have to push herself like this?"

"Because it's an agreement."

"Promise?"

The maid didn't understand, but then she remembered that the maid who had married into the family and served her mistress had said that her mistress practiced archery because of a handsome man.

No wonder...

His wife was already of marriageable age, but he refused all the marriage proposals from various powerful families.

Could it also be related to that man?

Just then, footsteps sounded, and a burly man walked into the inner courtyard.

The man looked extremely strong and muscular, with a powerful stride, and was a rare and brave man. His voice was rough and extremely bold.

"Chang Chu, are you struggling with this bow again?"

The newcomer was Yang Kan, followed by a beautiful woman holding a boy in her arms.

"Greetings, elder brother; greetings, sister-in-law."

The girl was Yang Changchu.

Yang Kan was already married, in a normal marriage alliance between powerful clans. His wife was from the Pei clan of Hedong. Although the Pei clan of Hedong was not listed as a "Han Chinese high-ranking family" like the Cui, Lu, Zheng, and Li families during Emperor Xiaowen's "Taihe Reform" and "Clan Determination", it did not mean that their strength was inferior to those four families. It was simply that they were not very close to the Yuan clan of Xianbei.

That's why Yang Kan, this tough and ruthless warrior, chose to marry a woman from the Pei family.

"If Chang Chu were a man, wouldn't he be as brave and valiant as my husband?"

"Like me? That's absolutely impossible."

Yang Kan shook his head.

Yang Changchu was not angry. Instead, he teased, "Being as brave as my brother is only considered average. To be as valiant as the second son of the Gao family would be truly rare."

After marrying into the family, Madam Pei had heard of the Second Son of the Gao family more than once. Not only her sister-in-law, but her husband also mentioned him frequently. She just wondered what kind of outstanding person he was that her husband and sister-in-law remembered him so fondly.

If she remembered correctly.

When my sister-in-law met that young man, she was just a seven or eight-year-old girl.
Faced with his sister's teasing, Yang Kan was both amused and annoyed. He retorted defiantly, "I may not have been as good as Erlang in the past, but if we were to compete again now, it's still uncertain who would win!"

The girl giggled, a hint of anticipation in her heart, "Brother, have you found out any news about Erlang?"

Yang Kan shook his head. "In this vast sea of ​​people, even if Erlang has a considerable reputation, trying to find out information from so far away is like looking for a needle in a haystack."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Yang Changchu's face, but he quickly composed himself. "Someone with such a high reputation, even if something happened to him, it would make sense. He must be alive and well."

"Of course, how could such a remarkable person die so easily?"

Yang Kan shares the same view as Yang Changchu, but after his father's death, Yang Kan is currently the head of the Yang clan of Taishan.

He also had to consider his family's situation, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "But things in this world are unpredictable. Chang Chu, you can't just stay in the clan and wait forever, can you?"

"I'm not in a hurry, why are you in such a rush, brother?"

"........."

Yang Kan sighed, but he wouldn't force her. He had watched his sister grow up since she was a child, and they had an excellent relationship. He wouldn't force Yang Changchu to marry into another powerful family for the sake of the family's interests, making her a mere tool for marriage alliances.

This is the ultimate fate of women born into prestigious and wealthy families in this era.

She was pampered and cared for from a young age, but the price was... starting at thirteen or fourteen, she would be arranged by her family to marry a man she had never met and whose personality she didn't even know.

Whether a marriage is happy or not is not important; what matters most is that it can be used as a bargaining chip for family alliances.

"Never mind that, I did receive some good news that might help me find Gao Lang."

"What news? Tell me quickly, brother!"

Unable to hide her excitement, Yang Changchu suddenly looked up, grabbed Yang Kan's arm, and began to whine, "Tell me quickly!"

Yang Kan said helplessly, “I received an official document from the court that the rebellion of the Six Garrisons has been quelled. The court has ordered that more than 200,000 surrendered people from the Six Garrisons be settled in the three prefectures of Ji, Ding and Ying for food. It should be easier to find out their whereabouts now.”

Taishan Commandery is located in Yanzhou, which is very close to Jizhou. Being close makes things much easier.

It's better than being far away in Heng and Shuo prefectures or even the six towns in the north. Being closer means the Yang family can ask other powerful clans for help inquiring about things.

"really!"

Yang Changchu was overjoyed. "Then why don't you quickly send someone to find out the news, brother?"

"The person hasn't arrived yet, there's no use in you being anxious."

Yang Kan smiled and said, "There's another piece of news."

"what news?"

"In a few days I will set off for Yongzhou to help the court quell the rebellion."

Yang Changchu was taken aback. She knew her brother's personality very well, especially after their father's death, when his hatred for the Great Wei had increased to a new level. Why would he help the Great Wei quell the rebellion?

Perhaps sensing her confusion, Yang Kan immediately explained.

“I am going to help Prince Qi, Xiao Baoyin. I am his subordinate general. It is not easy for the Han people in the Central Plains. Prince Qi’s defection to the Xianbei was also forced by circumstances. But he is a member of the royal family of the Southern Dynasty, so I should help him. I am helping Prince Qi, not the Great Wei.”

Yang Changchu nodded and asked, "Brother, is there something you need to tell me?"

"I'm passing this message on to you, but I also advise you not to get worked up over this bow. If you keep pushing yourself like this, your hands will be covered in calluses, and you won't look like a woman anymore. You don't want to meet Gao Lang and, despite being a woman, not have hands as smooth as his, do you?"

"What's wrong with a woman playing with a bow all day long?"

Yang Changchu looked nervous, his hands clasped together unconsciously, and he secretly touched his palms with his fingers to see if it was really as exaggerated as Yang Kan had said.

Yang Kan was definitely exaggerating.

Even with the Gao family's strong genes, it was impossible for Gao Yu's hands to remain completely unaffected by his intense use of bows and arrows.

Gao Yu has a fair complexion, like a woman, but the skin on her fingers and other parts of her body is still very rough and calloused year-round.

After persuading Yang Changchu to leave.

Yang Kan turned back to Pei Shi and said, "After I leave, please take good care of the house."

"My husband, please rest assured, I will take care of everything."

"Then I'll leave it to you. If you have nothing else to do, try to visit Chang Chu more often and offer some advice. It's not that you have to force her into a marriage, but Gao Lang's fate is uncertain, and we can't let her wait in vain."

Madam Pei smiled and shook her head, "My husband is exceptionally brave, but he doesn't understand much about women's affairs. I am also a woman, how could I not understand what Chang Chu is like? I can't persuade him."

Upon hearing this, Yang Kan simply sighed.

Why did I have to take Yang Changchu to wander around Luoyang like that?

Is it okay now?
孽 孽!
(End of this chapter)