Chapter 12: The Glory of the Crown

  The journey to Liao made Zhao Xingde realize the huge gap between book knowledge and reality, especially in battles. Most literati of this era had no experience in military campaigns, and their writings on warfare were either copied from predecessors, hearsay, or mere speculation. The many formations depicted in the Imperial Secretariat's diagrams were overly complicated and impossible to execute in real battles. Therefore, during his spare time from teaching at the Imperial Academy, Zhao Xingde often asked soldiers about their actual combat experiences. As he did so, he gradually put aside his scholar's airs, and the soldiers found him affable and approachable. In the eyes of these soldiers, Zhao Xingde was a knowledgeable man who could hold conversations with them, yet he was also down-to-earth and didn't belong to any particular military faction. When talking to Zhao Xingde, ordinary soldiers felt they could speak freely while harboring certain vague hopes. Thus, the lives and thoughts of the Song Dynasty's imperial guards seemed to unfold before Zhao Xingde like a heavy door slowly opening.

  Different soldiers have similar experiences. Some are orphans, their fathers died of illness while on garrison duty. Epidemics were also the main cause of death for soldiers during peacetime, and if an epidemic was severe, the entire camp would be burned down. Many people grew up in the widow's village in the army and can no longer remember what their father looked like. After learning to walk, they became peddlers, and at 15 years old, they falsified their age to join the army. Some have been mixed with the common people since childhood, joined the army to gain a reputation, but after being tattooed on the face, they were even more despised. Some desperately beheaded enemies, but failed to win recognition for their achievements, and the credit was taken by other soldiers. Some were bullied by veteran soldiers and could only wait until they became veterans themselves before bullying others. Women in the capital are too expensive, many soldiers went to garrison in Hebei to get married. Some had ways to make money outside of their military pay and could hire people to take their place on duty because they had money to marry concubines and were envied by others. In the army that guards the north, many people regard Han Shizhong, who was promoted quickly, as a role model. It is said that he deliberately humiliated those from aristocratic families. People don't care much about whether what their officers say is true or not, as long as they are slightly less stingy with their pay, and Han Shizhong was the least stingy with military pay.

  As he talked to more and more soldiers, Zhao Xingde's initial idea of understanding the true war from them gradually faded away. In the past and now, he had read many books filled with myths about kings, generals, and marshals, while ordinary soldiers were simplified into dull and tasteless numbers, with no one remembering their names or caring about their experiences and feelings. Zhao Xingde wanted to record these living soldiers, and this idea grew stronger every day, filling his mind, and after each conversation, he eagerly took notes.

  Before the printing of the primer mainly based on Confucius and Mencius, Zhao Xingde burned his manuscript. He decided to use the language of soldiers to write stories about soldiers, using this primer to teach soldiers to read. In a letter to Chen Dong and others from the Li Xue Society, Zhao Xingde wrote: "In the past, I admired Bai Letian's great talent, asking old women for poetry, so that ordinary people could understand the way of governance. The name of poetry history is enough to shine for thousands of years. The predecessors of our dynasty did not take elegant words, but used literature to carry the Tao. I deeply admire this. I am now trying to follow their example, compiling this primer to teach soldiers, using the language of street talk and alley discussions, recording trivial matters, describing the hardships in the army, opening their minds, conveying their words, guiding them with great righteousness. I hope that with my humble efforts, I can spread the way of the sages. The Master said: 'There is no class distinction in teaching.' Let us work together to strive for this."

  The new script took the form of biographies, with ten chapters recounting ten stories from military life. Each time Zhao Xinde finished writing a chapter, he would read it aloud to dozens of soldiers in the barracks. If anyone failed to understand or showed difficulty understanding, Zhao Xinde would revise the text until all his listeners could comprehend the story without any obstacles. As Han Shizhong was quite popular among the soldiers, Zhao Xinde planned to include a final chapter called "General Han", but Han Shizhong hesitated.

  "Will this really be printed into a book?" Han Shizhong carefully picked up the half-finished draft with his rough and hard palms, "Just like Li Yaoshi, Yang Lao Linggong, to be remembered by later generations, and worshipped forever?" His eyes flashed with a hint of piety and admiration. As the saying goes, people rely on clothes and horses rely on saddles, now that Han Shizhong has Li Hongyu to dress him up when he goes out, he no longer wears his clothes in disarray like before, but instead looks like a real general.

  "Just use the 500 guan from that trip to Liaoguo, it's enough to get it printed." Zhao Xingde said affirmatively, "As for the rest, it's hard to say." After some thought, Zhao Xingde explained seriously, "To be remembered for centuries, you must have something that can make people remember."

  "It's like this." Han Shizhong let out a soft sigh and carefully put the manuscript back on Zhao Xingde's desk. He furrowed his brow, clasped his hands together, and hesitated for a moment before looking up at Xingde and saying: "Dong Huan was a good man, but he didn't leave behind any descendants when he died, so the incense of the Dong family was cut off. You are the number one scholar in literature, can you let him have this piece, so that later generations will remember?"

  Han Shizhong looked at him with anticipation, Zhao Xingde hesitated for a moment and finally said: "Okay, I'll give it a try." He put away the draft, spread out a piece of yellow rice paper, ground some pine smoke ink, dipped his brush in the inkstone, and said to Han Shizhong: "You go first, tell me about Dong Doutou's life story. Pause for a moment, then added emphasis: "There must be something memorable."

  "Alright, alright." Han Shizhong rubbed his hands excitedly. Zhao Xingde was even more thrilled to write a biography for Dong Ha than he would be writing one for himself. He hesitated for half a day before suddenly asking: "Where should I start?" "Tell the story from when you first met General Dong, from the beginning." "That year, military rations hadn't arrived yet, and it was bitterly cold in the depths of winter. I stole money from a brothel customer, and Flower Legged Turtle chased after me. I hid in a pile of coal by the Bian River, where I happened to meet Old Dong, who was collecting coal. That's how we met, I suppose."

  "Ah, heroes rise from humble beginnings." Zhao Xingde nodded and asked: "What else?"

  Han Shizhong continued: "I asked Old Dong, we all came from the same camp, and since then, we have been sworn brothers..." "Dong Yu was the most literate in the camp, usually I would let him write military documents, if there was an opportunity to study, he would definitely pass the imperial examination..." "In the third year of Chongning, following the Xiwu Army on a border patrol, Dong Yu single-handedly beheaded three enemy soldiers, and was the bravest in the whole camp..." "After five years of being stationed outside, I returned to find that my original sweetheart had been sold by her heartless parents, Old Dong has been searching for this woman all along..." "In the second year of Zhenghe, a subordinate's mother died, and there was no money for the funeral, Old Dong helped out generously..." "When you were running the charity school, among the twenty taels I contributed, half of it came from him."

  Han Shizhong's words, tinged with a hint of sadness and nostalgia, moved Zhao Xingde deeply. As he wrote, his brush slowly brought to life the image of a good man, Dong Huan. By the time Han Shizhong finished speaking, three large sheets of paper were filled with ink, requiring only minor revisions before they could be used as the final chapter of the manuscript. After some deliberation, Zhao Xingde decided to add a preface to the entire story: "Dong Huan, the commander-in-chief, was a subordinate of General Han Shizhong and died heroically in battle against the Ma bandits. At that time..."

  After completing the first draft of the ten articles, Zhao Xingde again found many people to review them, including ordinary soldiers and common people from the market. He sent copies to his friends in the Li Xue Society, such as Chen Dong, asking them to check if there were any places where the meaning was not correct. He also asked the teachers of the Yi Xue to try lecturing on the content several times, and the feedback from all sides was still okay.

  Deng Su mentioned in his reply that Xingde wanted to use written words to teach and educate the common people and soldiers, widely spreading the way of propriety and righteousness. His original intention was good, but the language used was not elegant or precise. He suggested that Xingde should at least refine and embellish the text a bit, so as not to become a laughing stock. It seemed that the gentlemen in the society knew the pros and cons, but if this draft fell into other people's hands, they might think that Xingde was incapable of writing articles.

  He Fang and Zhu Sen's reply pointed out the places in Xingde's text where the meaning could be discussed, saying "At a time when the world is in decline, it is fortunate that General Dong's writings can make people know that integrity and righteousness still exist, and people's hearts are upright."

  On the eve of the New Year, a heavy snowstorm blocked the road, and Zhao Xingde spent the night at Han Shizhong's home with several officers from the town's northern garrison. The red clay stove burned charcoal to warm wine, and the unique aroma of Liao State liquor made Xingde almost forget what the light wine of Bianjing tasted like.

  Outside, the sound of firecrackers echoed several times. Everyone was drinking and waiting for their host, Han Shizhong, to return. It's not easy being a red person in front of the general either. On New Year's Eve, they still had to accompany General Du in the mansion.

  Li Hongyu, after marrying Han Shizhong, became even more forthright and unrestrained in her original nature. When the men of the house were not around, she would personally come out to entertain Shizhong's close friends without regard for propriety, and everyone would be even less restrained, making merry and drinking with abandon, just like when Han Shizhong was present.

  Just as the atmosphere was harmonious and joyful, two military officers, one in front of the other, carrying lanterns, returned with General Han Shizhong, Commander-in-Chief of the Second Army of the Northern Garrison. His face looked somewhat uncertain, "Several thousand Hu cavalrymen have been pacified, and the Young Marshal wants to establish them as the Fifth Army of the Northern Garrison." "What?" "This is outrageous!" Several generals of the Northern Garrison immediately cried out in protest.

  In the past, when selecting the elite of Hebei's Xingying to fill up the Zhennan Army, they were all dispersed and incorporated. As a result, many old members of the Zhennan Army were promoted level by level. Some became heads or deputy heads, heads became battalion commanders, and battalion commanders became army commanders. Han Shizhong was even promoted from battalion commander to army commander in one step, which made others envious. Now, each of the Zhennan armies has only three thousand people, far short of the full quota of five thousand. Everyone is looking forward to continuing to move up, but unexpectedly, these newly arrived Hu people cavalry have formed a separate army!

  Everyone was scolding and rebuking, but they ended up provoking the hostess of this house. Li Hongyu gave Han Shizhong a sideways glance, slammed the wine jug on the table, and said: "On New Year's Eve, you just had to bring up these things. If you want to continue talking about it, I'll retreat to my inner chamber."