Military achievements
The first time he came to the military camp and saw the soldiers training every day, the deafening shouts made his blood boil. He finally found a sense of belonging here, as if he was born to belong here.
When he was in Hanjia Village, he spent all day stealing, fighting and causing trouble with the children in the village. At that time, he thought he would live like this for the rest of his life.
Until one day, when he was playing in the water with his friends in the village as usual, Ah Gou suddenly said to him, "Brother, look, a large group of people are riding horses towards us."
Agou was some distance away from them, so they did not hear the sound of horse hooves. The others looked in the direction of Agou's finger, and sure enough, there was a large group of people, all wearing felt hats, boots, and scimitars on their waists. They were riding tall horses and were galloping majestically towards the place where they were playing, splashing layers of water wherever the horses' hooves went.
Agou said enviously, "This is what a man should be like!" But he didn't expect that danger was approaching him.
Han Shizhong saw the man riding his horse towards them and shouted, "Oh no! Ah Gou, get out of the way!"
By the time Agou came to his senses, it was too late. The group of people did not care whether there was anyone in front of them. They chopped off Agou's head like chopping off a tree, without realizing that the one falling was a young and vibrant life.
Blood gushed out, instantly dyeing the entire shallow water area red. Seeing this, others swam towards the deeper parts of the river in fear.
Han Shizhong swam forward desperately, his head still filled with the bloody scene just now: Agou's head was cut off by the scimitar and fell into the water, his eyes were wide open in fear, as if lamenting this sudden disaster.
It was not until he was completely exhausted that Han Shizhong looked back. The group of people he had just met did not catch up with him. Several of his companions behind him had been swimming hard forward. After seeing him get ashore, they followed him ashore as well, and finally collapsed from exhaustion on the river bank.
When they came to their senses from their fear, they heard Xiaopang from the same village say, "I remember now. I heard my grandfather say that those people were the Jin people. Wherever they went, they left no one alive. Everyone who went to the north with my grandfather to do business died under the butcher knife of the Jin people. They would wipe out anyone who was not of the same race..."
The moonlight shining on the shallows was no longer as soft as usual. It was cold and strange, like an invisible ghost wandering in the shadows.
They listened quietly to Xiaopang's narration, and felt increasingly colder all over, as if they were about to be swallowed up by the quiet moonlight. A burst of cold air suddenly spread throughout their bodies.
Only then did Han Shizhong realize that they were all naked. Everyone looked at each other without saying a word. Under normal circumstances, they would definitely laugh at each other, but at this moment, there was only endless silence.
They didn't dare to go to the water to get their clothes, so they had to find a few leaves to cover their buttocks and walked home with heavy steps. Fortunately, it was dark and no one saw their funny appearance.
Han Shizhong had a nightmare at night. He dreamed that Agou’s bloody hands were reaching out to him, shouting, "Brother Han, save me!" He woke up from his sleep, covered in cold sweat.
The next day, I heard people in the same village talking about Agou's tragic death. It was said that Agou's parents cried by the river all night until their voices became hoarse, and they did not collect Agou's body until dawn.
On the day of the funeral, everyone in the village came to see Agou off. The sky was gloomy and covered with dark clouds. Paper money was flying everywhere. The white paper money was scattered into the sky and fell like snowflakes, covering Agou's grave. Faint cries began to be heard from the crowd, and the cries became louder and louder, and the sadness spread endlessly.
From that day on, their parents never let them go out again, for fear that they would encounter the Jin people again if they went out.
Han Shizhong has the same nightmare every night, and he can no longer be the carefree boy he used to be.
Until one day, he suddenly said to his parents: "I want to join the army."
His father looked at him as if he were a monster. "You are the only son in the family. Do you want our Han family to be extinct?"
Nothing could stop the boy's desire for revenge. His father ultimately gave in and left him with only one sentence: "You can leave after you get married."
After getting married, Bai was very filial to his parents, and he gradually accepted Bai. Although they did not have a loving relationship as husband and wife, they treated each other with respect.
Without any worries, he fought more bravely, always leading the charge and risking his life.
When he first joined the army, the Northern Song Dynasty and the Western Xia were engaged in military friction, and the Song army was attacking a city in the Western Xia.
A chill wind whipped yellow sand into Han Shizhong's face, stinging it. He crouched in the shadow of the siege tower, the whistling of arrows and the wails of wounded soldiers filling his ears. This Western Xia city had been under siege for over two weeks, and the corpses piled beneath the walls were beginning to stench.
"We've charged for the seventh time, but we still can't get through." The old soldier beside him spat out a mouthful of blood foam, his voice hoarse, "That Xixia garrison commander Li Liangfu is a ruthless character, his arrows never miss a target."
Han Shizhong narrowed his eyes and gazed towards the city walls. Behind the arrow emplacements, a general in silver armor commanded the defenders. It was none other than Li Liangfu. Whenever the Song army's attack intensified, the man would draw his bow himself, and a Song soldier would fall to the ground.
"This isn't a solution." Han Shizhong gripped the knife handle tightly, the wooden handle gleaming with sweat from his palm. He suddenly remembered how, at the age of twelve, he had charged into the midst of five thugs to save Ah Gou from a bully.
The fear I felt then was exactly the same as it is now. But the look in Agou's eyes before he died came to mind, and a surge of blood rushed to my head.
"Prepare the grappling hook for me!" said Captain Han Shichong.
"Are you crazy?" the captain grabbed him. "Do you want to die?"
Han Shizhong grinned and pointed to a corner of the city wall. "The defense there is weak. I'll go up and kill the guard. You can take the opportunity to attack the city."
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed the grappling hook and rushed towards the wall. The first arrow grazed his ear, and the second pierced his left arm. Han Shizhong groaned, but didn't pull out the arrow, letting the shaft swing with his movements to avoid bleeding.
The Xixia soldiers on the city wall spotted this desperate Song soldier and immediately rained arrows down. A crossbow bolt pierced his calf, and Han Shizhong almost let go. He bit his lip to stay awake, the taste of blood filling his mouth. His fingers were already bloody, but he felt no pain, only the pounding of his own heartbeat in his ears.
When his head popped out of the battlement, Li Liangfu was shooting arrows at him with his back to him. Han Shizhong leaped onto the wall, and when Li Liangfu heard the sound, he was about to turn around, but the blade flashed with a cold light, and his head was chopped off by Han Shizhong.
"The Song army has breached the city!" Han Shizhong seized Li Liangfu's head and hurled it outside, his roar drowning out the clamor of the battlefield. Seeing their leader dead, the defenders fell into chaos. A resounding crash erupted from the city gates as the main force of the Song army finally broke through.
At the celebration banquet that night, Han Shizhong, with his left arm wrapped in blood-soaked sackcloth, still drank three bowls of strong liquor. Just as the officers and soldiers were drinking until their faces flushed, the rapid sound of horse hooves broke the celebration.
"Report—The Xixia prince consort is personally leading 30,000 Iron Harriers to attack!"
The tent fell silent. The Iron Harriers were the most elite heavy cavalry of the Western Xia, both men and horses clad in heavy armor. The captain's wine bowl fell to the ground with a thud, shattering into pieces.
"Withdraw...withdraw troops?" someone suggested in a low voice.
Han Shizhong slammed the table and stood up: "If we retreat today, they will attack Weizhou tomorrow!" He turned to the commander, Zhong Shi, and said, "I request your order to fight!"
Zhong Shidao looked at the wounded young man and asked, "How many people do you want to bring with you?"
"Eighteen riders are enough." Han Shizhong's eyes were blazing, "but we need real warriors."
Zong Shidao was silent for a long time, then suddenly took off his sword and handed it to him: "I have thirty-eight personal soldiers, you can choose from them."
At dawn, Han Shizhong quietly left the city with his 18 riders, each of whom had two pottery jars filled with kerosene hanging next to their saddles.
In the morning mist, the tents of the Western Xia army stretched for miles, and the large tent embroidered with a golden wolf in the center of the army was particularly eye-catching.
Han Shizhong lowered his voice and asked the old soldier beside him, "Who is the Xixia prince consort?"
"Do you see that cavalry general wearing a felt hat? That's the Xixia prince consort."
The old soldier licked his cracked lips and said, "Boy, are you really going to charge the central army? That's taking the general's head in a battle of ten thousand people!"
Han Shizhong didn't answer. He remembered how the cavalry had acted so arrogantly when Agou was beheaded by the Jin soldiers. A surge of anger surged in his chest, and he suddenly drew his sword: "Follow me and kill the enemy!"
Eighteen riders charged at the Xixia army like sharp arrows. Before the first sentry could react, Han Shizhong struck him down with a single blow. They exploited the gaps between the tents, throwing lit fire pots everywhere, causing chaos.
"The Song army is attacking our camp!" The Xixia soldiers panicked and scattered. Though the Iron Harriers were elite, their heavy armor made it difficult for them to turn. Han Shizhong led his men, charging left and right, seemingly unstoppable.
The Xixia prince consort was about to mount his horse when he suddenly saw a group of Song soldiers charging towards him. Before he could mount his horse, the young Song general in the lead suddenly accelerated and his horse reared up!
"Die, you bastard!" Han Shizhong roared, shaking the heavens. The Xixia prince-in-law hastily raised his sword to block, but saw a flash of cold light, and his sword was cut off at the handle. Before he could react, Han Shizhong had already raised his sword and taken his head amid the chaos.
Han Shizhong held up the head of the Xixia prince consort and said, "The Xixia prince consort is dead!"
This roar was like a thunderclap. Seeing their commander dead, the Xixia army collapsed. The Song army seized the opportunity and launched an all-out attack, beheading thousands and seizing countless weapons and supplies.
When the victory report reached Tong Guan, the Northwest Envoy, he was sipping tea. He listened to the report nonchalantly, then suddenly sneered, "One man killed two generals in a row? I'm afraid the Xixia people deliberately sent them there."
The general of the border army said anxiously: "I saw it with my own eyes, it can't be fake."
Tong Guan sneered, "How do you know it wasn't Han Shizhong who teamed up with the Xixia people to put on a show for us in order to gain military merit?"
"This..." Since Tong Guan said so, the border army generals were afraid of his power and didn't say anything more.
Tong Guan pondered for a moment and said, "Forget it, let's give Han Shizhong a promotion to Cheng Xin Lang."
When the border army generals told Han Shizhong the news, this tough guy who remained calm in the midst of thousands of troops suddenly became so angry that he trembled all over.
"Tong Guan actually accused me of collaborating with the enemy?" Han Shizhong punched the pillar. "The military exploits that my brothers sacrificed their lives for are only worth a ninth rank?"
"I'll go talk to Tong Guan." Han Shizhong said and was about to walk out of the tent.
The general of the border army hurriedly grabbed Han Shizhong's arm and said, "Now is the time for us to act rashly because of an invasion by a foreign enemy. Besides, even if he doubts your military achievements, he will still give you a promotion."
Han Shizhong was no longer as impulsive as before when he heard this. He just said, "Well, you have been very kind to me. I can't cause you any trouble."
In the second year of Xuanhe in the Northern Song Dynasty, Fang La rose up with the slogan "Kill Zhu Jie". Within a few days, hundreds of thousands of refugees responded. Most of these refugees suffered from the Hua Shi Gang. The rebels quickly occupied Shouchang, Fenshui, Xincheng and other counties, and approached Hangzhou, the command center of the Hua Shi Gang.
In the spring of the third year of the Xuanhe reign, the plum rain arrived exceptionally early in the south of the Yangtze River. Han Shizhong crouched in the dense forest outside Qingxi Cave, the rain seeping through the cracks in his armor and into his inner garments, chilling him to the bone. He wiped the rain from his face and gazed toward the flickering lights of a cave in the distance—that was Fang La's final lair.
"General, Bangyuan Cave is just ahead." The hunter, Lao Zhang, who led the way, lowered his voice and drew a rough map on the mud with his rough fingers. "Behind the cave is a path for herbalists, leading directly to Fang La's quarters."
Deputy General Wang Yuan frowned and said, "The mountain roads are slippery and dangerous on this rainy night. It would be better to wait for the main force to encircle us..."
"Wait?" Han Shizhong sneered, raindrops dripping from his brow. "Tong Guan's army is still dawdling a hundred miles away. By the time they arrive, Fang La will have already fled." He took off his heavy armor, leaving only his sword. "Pick twenty skilled fighters and follow me."
The mountain path was more treacherous than expected. Some sections were almost vertical, requiring both hands and feet to climb. A soldier accidentally stepped on empty air, and his scream echoed through the canyon for a long time before the sound of falling water could be heard. Han Shizhong gritted his teeth, digging his nails into the cracks in the rock. Blood mixed with rainwater left dark red marks on the stone wall.
After climbing to a crack on the cliff wall, which was only wide enough for one person to pass sideways, a voice suddenly came from the front.
"The king said we'll move at daybreak." A hoarse voice approached. "Those Tong Guan lackeys will never be found..."
Han Shizhong held his breath, clinging to the rock face. Two rebel patrolmen passed by the fork in the road, torches in hand. The flames illuminated their tattered straw sandals. Most of the rebels were poor civilians forced into a corner.
As the footsteps faded, Han Shizhong quickened his pace. The crevice suddenly opened up into a naturally formed cave. Dozens of lanterns hung among the stalactites, illuminating the cavern like daylight. On the platform below, a dozen ragged children lined up for porridge, while high up on a stone bench, a figure in a bright yellow robe reviewed documents.
"Your Majesty!" The old woman pulled her grandson to his knees and kowtowed, "This child's parents both died in the Huashi Gang..."
Fang La helped the old man up and said in a gentle voice: "Don't worry, old man. When my army attacks Bian Jing..." Before he finished speaking, he suddenly looked up alertly and met Han Shizhong's eyes in the crevice.
"There are soldiers!" Fang La shouted, overturning a table to block his way. The cave was immediately in chaos, and guards rushed in from all directions.
Han Shizhong leaped down, his sword slashing a silver arc. The first guard who rushed forward spewed blood from his throat, and the second was kicked away, crashing into a stone pillar. More swords and spears closed in on him.
"Han Shizhong is here!" he shouted, "Just arrest Fang La, and leave the rest alone!"
The rebels were startled by his words. They had long heard of the "Ten Thousand Enemies"'s mighty reputation, but now, seeing this blood-soaked killer, no one dared to step forward. Fang La took the opportunity to retreat into the darkness and yanked the iron chain on the wall.
With a loud "boom", iron bars suddenly fell from the cave ceiling, trapping Han Shizhong inside. Fang La sneered: "What enemy of ten thousand? Just a wild beast..." Before he finished speaking, his pupils suddenly contracted.
Han Shizhong actually grabbed the iron bars with both hands, his arm muscles flexing. With the sound of metal deforming, a gap was forcibly opened in the fine iron fence.
"Stop him!" Fang La turned and ran. Han Shizhong rushed to catch up, but saw a one-eyed man rushing out from the side, with a big knife at his throat. Han Shizhong dodged to the side, and the blade cut a bloody wound on his collarbone. He raised his hand and swung the blade, and the one-eyed man fell to the ground, lifeless.
Fang La had already fled to the cave entrance and was about to mount the warhorse brought by his personal guards when he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. Han Shizhong placed the tip of his knife against the back of his neck, and his voice was as cold as ice: "If you move one more step, I'll cut your head off."
"General Han!" Fang La said in a trembling voice, "You also come from a poor family. Why would you risk your life for that tyrant? If you only release me, the gold and silver in the cave..."
Han Shizhong hit Fang La on the knee with the back of his knife, and Fang La fell to his knees with a scream.
"When my brother died at the hands of the Jin army," Han Shizhong tore off his bloody wrist guard, revealing an old scar on his wrist, "your men were stealing his family's life-saving food."
Shouts and cries of killing could be heard from outside the cave. Wang Yuan and his men were charging in. As Han Shizhong escorted Fang La out of the cave, the sky was just beginning to turn pale. The rain had stopped, and a hazy mist rose from the mountains, as if to bring an end to the uprising that had lasted for over a year.
On his way back to the army, Han Shizhong passed through Jingkou and it was there that he met Liang Hongyu. He was upset that Tong Guan had taken away the credit for his capture of Fang La that day, so he just sat in a corner drinking alone, unaware that he and Liang Hongyu had started an indissoluble bond because of Tong Guan.
Although Tong Guan attributed his achievement to his confidant Xin Xingzong, someone later told Zhao Ji about this matter. He was promoted to Chengjielang because of this achievement. No one dared to look down on him anymore, but respectfully called him General Han.
That year, he was twenty years old, an age full of vigor and vitality. He went home and was about to tell his parents and Bai the good news.
Just as he excitedly rushed into the room, he saw a tragic scene: his parents and Bai Shi were lying in a pool of blood. Several large red and bloody words jumped out at his eyes: "If you kill our king, I will kill your parents, wife and daughter."
He suddenly felt dizzy and a bloody feeling surged into his heart, and he fainted.
After he woke up from his grief, he buried his parents and Bai next to Agou.
Bai died because of him, and he once swore that he would never marry again in this life.
But now, despite the vows he made, he had fallen for another woman, a feeling that made him feel guilty towards the Bai family. The Song Dynasty was currently experiencing a precarious situation, and a man with lofty ambitions should not be caught up in petty love affairs. Such inexplicable emotions would only affect his mind and should be extinguished immediately.
Thinking of this, Han Shizhong made up his mind to leave Jingkou as soon as possible.
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