The Impetuous Vanguard Contends for Merit at the Eastern Gate; the Blue-Faced Beast Tests His Skill in the Northern Capital

The Impetuous Vanguard Contends for Merit at the Eastern Gate; the Blue-Faced Beast Tests His Skill in the Northern Capital A poem says: Convicted and exiled to the northern lands, He fights for glory on the drill ground. When matched against a worthy foe, no luck can save you; When a true general meets a fine warrior, each shows his skill. The magpie-painted bow is drawn like a full moon; The steel-tipped spear thrusts with a frosty wind. Even a man who can shoot a tiger or split a willow leaf by arrow Must here decide who is stronger. Now Zhou Jin and Yang Zhi reined in their horses beneath the army banners and were about to fight. Wen Da, the army inspector, shouted, “Stop first!” He went up to the reviewing hall and reported to Grand Secretary Liang: “Your Excellency, these two are competing, and though we cannot yet tell who is better, spears and swords are weapons that wound. They are meant for killing bandits. If they are wounded in an internal contest, one might be crippled, or worse, killed. That would be bad for the army. We can remove the spearheads from......