Liang Hongyu and her two daughters also ate with gusto, praising the food as they ate.
After three rounds of wine and five dishes, the four of them were already drunk and the atmosphere in the living room became lively.
"Uncle, the Liao Dynasty is already a grasshopper in autumn and is on the verge of destruction. How come your army of 100,000 was defeated so miserably?" Zhang Shixun deliberately brought up the topic.
"Oh! Don't mention it. One incompetent general can exhaust the whole army. Liu Yanqing has no way of commanding troops and is as cowardly as a mouse. Upon hearing that the Liao army is attacking, he fled before even seeing the shadow of the enemy. An army of 100,000 was defeated without a fight. It is simply a shame for the Song Dynasty." Han Shizhong's chest heaved as he spoke of this, and he was filled with anger.
"My husband has a clear conscience. All the armies were defeated, but you led your troops to a surprise attack on Hutuo River and won a victory." Liang Hongyu said.
"I have too few men under my command, only fifty cavalrymen. This is just a small victory, not enough to affect the overall situation." Han Shizhong sighed and said, "It's a pity that my official position is too low and the troops I lead are too few. It's a pity!"
"What is your current position, uncle?" Zhang Shixun asked him.
"Just a little Wu Jielang."
He is the Wujielang, the 38th rank among military officials.
Zhang Shixun was a Wugonglang, ranked 35th, and there was a gap of several levels between the two.
It was not easy for Han Shizhong to get the title of Wu Jielang. He earned his rank by fighting on the battlefield.
He came from a poor family and joined the army in his teens. He fought against the Xixia, Liao and Jurchen peoples, not to mention the campaign against Fang La.
"What is your current job?" Zhang Shixun asked.
"Just a small team."
The military system of the Northern Song Dynasty was very chaotic and complicated. Wang Anshi reformed the military system. The local army was different from the imperial guards. It used the reformed method of appointing generals. From top to bottom, it was divided into four levels: army, general, department, and team. Han Shizhong's team commander was the lowest level.
Han Shizhong took a sip of wine and said, "I returned to the capital this time by paying money and using connections. Who would have thought that after returning to the capital, no one would pay attention to me. After all, I am a defeated general, and everyone avoids me."
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