The emperor's voice was powerful and resonant, and white mist billowed from the steed's nostrils.

The generals shouted in unison, "We are willing to follow the Emperor to our deaths! To protect the country and drive out the traitors!"

Just then, a subordinate general stepped forward and was rebuked by Yao Pingzhong: "Who are you? How dare you be so insolent before the Emperor!"

Someone tried to stop him, but Zhao Huan gestured for them to move aside.

The man was dressed in the armor of a low-ranking military officer. He was burly and stood at least eight feet tall. After dismounting, he knelt on one knee and said in a loud voice, "This humble servant, Han Shizhong, pays his respects to the Emperor! This humble servant is willing to serve as the Emperor's protector and will protect the Emperor even unto death!"

Yao Pingzhong then shouted, "Who do you think you are? Your official rank is low, how could it be your turn to protect the Emperor! Get out of here immediately, or you will be subject to military law!"

Zhong Shidao said, "Wait a minute, Xi Yan, it was I who sent Liang Chen to protect the Emperor!"

After saying this, he turned to Zhao Huan and said, "Your Majesty, I am old. Although I can protect Your Majesty, I fear I am no longer up to the task. My death is a small matter, but the safety of Your Majesty is of utmost importance. You are a brave and skilled general. I humbly request that you come to protect the Emperor!"

Zhao Huan stared intently, and the firelight cast a clear outline on Han Shizhong's angular face.

This person was none other than Han Shizhong, a renowned historian in later generations and one of the four generals who revived the Southern Song Dynasty!

I never expected him to be in Hedong!

Zhao Huan was overjoyed and quickly dismounted to help Han Shizhong up: "I have also heard that Commander Zhong praised you for your courage and resourcefulness. It is my good fortune and the good fortune of the country that the Song Dynasty has a general like you!"

Han Shizhong, a subordinate general, was helped up by the emperor himself. Hearing the emperor's praise, he was so excited that his face turned red. He wished he could present Wanyan Loushi's head to the holy emperor right then and there!

"I am deeply grateful for the Emperor's praise; I could never repay it, even if I were to be shattered to pieces!"

"I don't want you to repay me with your death! I want you to live! The Song Dynasty still needs a general like you!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Later historians praised Emperor Zhao Huan for his broad-mindedness, which was as vast as the sea and the stars. Han Shizhong, recommended by Zhong Shidao, was not treated poorly by the emperor because of his humble status. Instead, the emperor discovered such an extraordinary general in this situation and eventually placed him in the Hall of Martial Valor in the "Heroes of the Empire".

Yao Pingzhong was full of frustration and bitterness. He had requested to fight many times, but the emperor had suppressed him. He originally planned to receive the emperor's personal expedition this time and protect the emperor on his side, but he did not expect that Han Shizhong would appear. This must be a deliberate act of the emperor's teacher!

There was already a competitive relationship between the Yao family army and the Zhong family army. Now, Yao Pingzhong was even more displeased with Zhong Shidao. Zhe Keqiu chuckled coldly on the side, but didn't seem to think anything of it.

Zhao Huan mounted his horse, with elite guards protecting him on both sides.

"My men, follow me and charge! Kill that bastard Wanyan Loushi!"

The Song army was in high spirits and charged towards the battlefield from an open area three miles outside Licheng, like a sharp sword.

At this moment, the Song army's disguised camp was engulfed in flames. The two armies fought fiercely, and everywhere there were scenes of knives slicing into flesh and bone. People died every moment, and blood gathered into streams on the ground.

Some green recruits didn't even have time to swing their swords and kill their first enemy before their heads were chopped off. After their heads rolled off, their mouths were still moving, and the last image in their minds was their old mothers waiting for their sons to return home.

The battle situation changed from the initial situation where the Song army outflanked the Jin army from both sides and suppressed the Jin army with numbers, to the appearance of Wanyan Loushi, who easily tore apart the Song army's formation on a wide field.

Like pieces of round paper being torn apart, Wanyan Loushi's cavalry moved as if they were in an empty land, turning everything in their path to dust!

Wanyan Loushi was not only a prominent figure in the Jin Dynasty, but also a household name in the Western Liao Dynasty. He once joined forces with Wanyan Zongxiong to defeat a Liao army that was ten times the size of the Jin army, shocking the entire Liao Dynasty in the war to destroy Liao.

His most famous feat was his rampage from Northeast China all the way to Northwest China, slaughtering most of the country; no one could stop his might.

He was not only the bravest warrior in the army, but also a man of great strategy. Whether in siege warfare or field battles, he could make the most correct judgments based on the changing situation.

Take this instance, for example. Just as Zhao Huan's royal army arrived at Licheng, scouts reported that the main force of the Song army had not entered the city but was stationed in the field. He concluded that the Song army must be exhausted after marching for more than a day, so he launched a fierce attack.

The intention to launch an attack could not be too obvious, so they pretended to attack the city to lull the Song army into a false sense of security, while their real target was the Wang army.

Fortunately, the Song army's commander-in-chief was a seasoned veteran like Zhong Shidao, who saw through Wanyan Loushi's feint attack. Otherwise, the Song army would have suffered heavy losses, and after the battle, Hebei and Hedong would have been surrendered to others.

Zhao Huan's mind went blank, his blood vessels bulged, and all he could hear were roars and the sounds of killing. He felt as if he had been plunged into a hellish abyss.

This is what it feels like to go to the battlefield for the first time. No wonder many new recruits have their necks torn open before they even have a chance to swing their swords!

Fortunately, Zhao Huan was surrounded by elite warriors on all sides, and the main force of the Song army was the strongest lineup. As soon as they charged in, they were like a tank group in later generations, thrusting towards the right flank of the Jin army.

Like a knife and fork piercing a cake, under the emperor's personal command, the Song army unleashed its full fighting power and easily tore open the Jin army's right flank.

In an instant, more than a dozen Jin soldiers were knocked down and some were trampled into mincemeat by the Song army's horses.

"Kill! Let us rebuild China with our blood and flesh!"

The roar of thousands of men was unstoppable.

Zhao Huan was surrounded in the very center, with Han Shizhong staying close to him. All the warriors around him were willing to die to protect the emperor, which meant that Zhao Huan didn't even have a chance to draw his sword and kill anyone. Zhao Huan felt frustrated, thinking that his attempt to break out like this was completely pointless.

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