Although Ding Dusai felt a pain in his heart, he finally picked out a bracelet to give to Liang Hongyu.
"Oh! This gift is too valuable. I don't want to accept it." Liang Hongyu said politely, but the expression on her face revealed her love for the bracelet.
Although she is a heroine, she is still a woman after all, and cannot resist the temptation of beautiful jewelry.
"Sister-in-law, don't talk about whether it's valuable or not. We are family, and we are willing to give it to you." Ding Dusai said sweetly.
Liang Hongyu was so happy that she wanted to hug her niece in her arms and kiss her.
"Sister-in-law, this bracelet is like a night pearl and can shine in the dark. Also, this treasure can absorb the essence of the sun. The more it absorbs, the brighter it shines..." Ding Dusai told her very skillfully the value of this bracelet.
"Ah! This is a priceless treasure."
The two of them held the bracelets and whispered to each other, looking as happy as little girls who had obtained something good.
Zhang Shixun looked at the two of them with a smile. He had heard the name Liang Hongyu from commentaries since he was a child and had great respect for her.
The most famous of her deeds was the Battle of Huangtiandang, in which she fought side by side with Han Shizhong, personally beating the drum and blocking the Jin soldiers on the south bank of the Yangtze River for dozens of men.
In the years that followed, she fought alongside Han Shizhong and became one of the few female heroes in history.
Liang Hongyu's final fate is unknown. There are two main versions, one good and one bad.
The perfect one is: Han Shizhong and Liang retired after achieving success and lived in seclusion in West Lake. Two years after Han Shizhong's death, Liang also died of depression. The couple was buried together at the foot of Lingyan Mountain on Su Causeway.
Afterwards, Song Xiaozong issued an edict to erect a monument and build a temple so that they could enjoy the incense of the world forever.
One bad ending was: In the fifth year of Shaoxing, Liang was suddenly besieged by the Jin army. In the fierce hand-to-hand combat, he was severely injured in the lower abdomen. Liang tore off his sweat towel and tightly wrapped his bloody lower abdomen. He continued to fight with gritted teeth, his blood soaking through his heavy armor. He entered the enemy camp and killed dozens of people. He fell off his horse and died of exhaustion.
Her body was left exposed by the Jin people for three days and then sent back to the Song camp.
Han Shizhong hugged his wife's body and burst into tears.
Of course, her final outcome is unknown.
However, one thing is certain: Liang Hongyu's name was later recorded in the "Annals of the Years Since Jianyan", with only a short sentence: "Lady Liang, the wife of Han Shizhong, the envoy of Huaidong, died. The emperor granted her 500 pieces of silver and silk."
Liang family.
The book only contains surnames, but no given names.
However, no matter what, it is a remarkable thing for a woman to be recorded in history books.
"Hey! Why are you always staring at my sister-in-law?"
Zhang Shixun was stunned, and his thoughts were brought back to reality by Ding Dusai.
Ding Dusai was staring at him with wide eyes.
Han Shizhong grinned and looked at him nonchalantly.
But Liang Hongyu looked at Ding Dusai meaningfully.
"I... I saw that my sister-in-law was very heroic and seemed to have good martial arts skills, so I was very curious." Zhang Shixun hurriedly found a far-fetched excuse for himself.
It is indeed quite rude to stare at a woman, even though she is nominally your elder.
Han Shizhong laughed heartily and said, "Haha! Shixun, you read that right. Your sister-in-law's martial arts skills are no less than a man's, especially her archery skills. She is quite impressive. Not only can she shoot through an arrow from a hundred paces away, but she can also hit the target every time."
"Sir, please stop flattering me. Although I have martial arts skills, they are not as exaggerated as you say." Liang Hongyu said.
"My uncle is much older than my aunt, right?" Zhang Shixun looked at the two of them.
Liang Hongyu was a camp prostitute, so Zhang Shixun didn't dare to ask any questions. However, he couldn't suppress his curiosity, so he asked indirectly about her age.
"Hehe! I'm much older than her." Han Shizhong answered vaguely. As for how much older he was, he kept silent.
Liang Hongyu didn't comment on the age issue. She said, "My grandfather and father were defeated in the campaign against Fang La and were convicted. I was forced to work as a camp prostitute. I met my husband at a banquet and saw his extraordinary demeanor. I fell in love with him at first sight."
She spoke openly about their relationship, neither humble nor arrogant. Although she spoke simply, she did not hide her identity as a camp prostitute at all.
"This is called recognizing a hero with a discerning eye. Come! Let's drink this cup together to congratulate my uncle and aunt!" Zhang Shixun raised his wine cup.
"Dry!"
"Uncle, where do you live now that you're in Tokyo?" Zhang Shixun asked as he poured them some wine.
Ding Dusai didn't wait for Han Shizhong to reply and spoke up. "My mother invited them to stay at our house, but my uncle refused. He only left my aunt at home and went to stay at the inn with his soldiers. It's really infuriating."
"We are all comrades. They live in the inn, and I feel embarrassed to stay at home." Han Shizhong defended himself.
"Are you a little short of money?" Zhang Shixun asked.
"fine."
"What's so good about that? I'm almost out of money for food, and I still have the nerve to say that I owe the inn more than ten days' worth of money. The owner is hounding me for it, and you still have the nerve to say that?" Liang Hongyu pointed at him and scolded him, "I borrowed that money from my sisters last night. When he saw Shixun donating to the Women's Federation, he donated it without blinking an eye. I'm waiting to see how you'll repay me when the time comes."
"Hehe! It doesn't matter. I'm thick-skinned and not afraid!" Han Shizhong just smiled foolishly.
Zhang Shixun stood up and walked away. After a while, he returned with a dirty, torn sack and threw it on the ground. "Uncle, take it when you leave."
"What is this...?" Han Shizhong kicked the torn sack, and a "rustling" sound came from inside.
"They're all copper coins. I don't need them right now. Uncle, use them to pay back the inn and rent a house for your men. As for you and your wife, you can move into the backyard. I'll move to the front yard, which has been empty."
"Great!" Ding Dusai clapped his hands and laughed, "That's best. It saves mother from nagging me all day long."
"Will this work?" Han Shizhong looked at Liang Hongyu and then at Zhang Shixun, unable to make up his mind.
Zhang Shixun said, "This house is large, and it would be fine for your men to live here. However, considering that they will be joining you in the Tianwu Army, it's not appropriate for them to live here. Military officers and men living together will easily arouse suspicion. Those turbans are always looking for faults, so it's better to be careful."
"Okay!" Han Shizhong agreed immediately. "We'll both move in tonight. We're all relatives, so I won't be shy with you."
The matter was settled, and everyone continued to drink and eat. Before they knew it, it was afternoon and the snow outside had stopped.
"Shixun, I'd heard of your renown before I even arrived. The stories of you saving the emperor at Fanlou and suppressing bandits at Wuyou Cave all spoke of you as if you were a god descended from heaven. I, Han, was incredibly envious and secretly vowed to meet you if I had the chance. I never expected to find out after arriving in the capital that we're actually related! Haha!"
Han Shizhong laughed out loud and patted Zhang Shixun's shoulder vigorously: "That's good. With a nephew like you in Tokyo, I don't have to worry so much."
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