Thirty battles died

  Pingding Army is a place name. The whole country of Song Dynasty was divided into 24 routes, and the capital city Kaifeng Prefecture was not included in it. Each route was set up with prefectures, states, armies, and monitors, which were roughly equal in level. Among them, many armies were set up in key passes, and many monitors were set up in mining areas. Some armies and monitors also belonged to prefectures and states, and then there were counties below. The names of the later governors, state governors, county governors, etc., originated from Song Dynasty.

  Pingding Army was named after the pacification of Northern Han by Song Taizu and Song Taizong. It is about 3-4 days' journey from Xiangzhou, located between Taiyuan Prefecture and Zhending Prefecture, and is a crucial transportation hub connecting Hedong and Hebei routes, an important strategic location that cannot be ignored.

  As a result, the small military city, with only a few hundred households, was garrisoned by five different military units, including infantry and cavalry. The infantry consisted of two battalions each of the Divine Elite Army and the Brave and Vigilant Army, totaling 2,000 soldiers; while the cavalry had one battalion of the Broad Elite Army, with 500 mounted troops. Adding to this were the families of the soldiers, bringing the total number of people to over ten thousand, more than the city's original residents. Thus, the Pacification Army seemed like a large military camp.

  When the 25 "effective soldiers" from Xiangzhou who were allocated to the Guanghui Army arrived at the camp, those inexperienced military dependents and more than a dozen "new soldiers" who had never been in the army before were amazed by the magnificent barracks and the numerous officers and men. Especially Little Yue Yun was so delighted that he did several backflips. Only Xiao Wu and his group of "daring warriors", who were old comrades, had stayed in Liu Yanqing's camp of 100,000 soldiers and were not surprised at all.

  Twenty-five people first went to the command post to report, as usual received a lecture, and were then assigned to the same battalion. At the head of the battalion, they received their monthly rations and cloth allowance, and only then moved into the vacated barracks, starting completely fresh garrison life.

  The Pingding Army was originally near the northern border of Song and Liao, but due to the return of Yan territory, it became an inland area, and its strategic position was lowered. However, the court had no intention of defending against the newly adjacent powerful neighbor, the Jin Dynasty, and still deployed heavy troops on the northwest border between Song and Xia, and even entrusted the defense of Yan territory to the original Liao general Guo Yao-shi and others, which is a rare case in history.

  The court's singing and dancing life also affected the military camp, and the discipline of various imperial guards was slack. Even some generals deliberately kept their troops undermanned to reserve vacancies, embezzle and privately swallow military salaries.

  The Pingding military camp was no exception. Originally, according to the military system, soldiers trained once a day and had a monthly review. That year, in order to recover Yan and Yun, the imperial court also encouraged the generals to govern, and successively formulated various battle formations and drill methods, even detailing the "step-by-step archery, shooting, hand operation, footwork, step movement, and step-by-step marking" for infantry training and "six affairs of horse riding, horseback riding, spear throwing, and horseback fighting" for cavalry training. The regulations were illustrated with diagrams to clarify them, ordering all soldiers to study them thoroughly, claiming they were the most subtle. However, these regular practices also gradually fell into disuse due to the court's laxity and the generals' indulgence.

  Xiao Wu watched with his eyes, anxious in his heart. Although he had never looked up to the discipline and combat effectiveness of the government army, at this moment as one of its members, he couldn't help but hope to make a change. With his current utility, he could only influence a fellow villager who came out.

  The ancients said that relatives are those within the five degrees of mourning, and outside of that, it's all about one's hometown and local community. In the army, hometown ties are especially strong, because when life and death hang in the balance on the battlefield, soldiers from the same region can unite as one. This group of soldiers from Xiangzhou gradually gathered around Xiao Wu, among them were naturally some of Wang Gui's former subordinates who were known for their bravery in battle, but also inseparable from Xiao Wu's moral integrity and martial prowess that was enough to win over the masses.

  Xiao Wu's martial arts skills are not to be mentioned, and soon after entering the camp, he was promoted to a low-ranking military officer with super strong archery skills and 100% accuracy. This low-ranking military officer position is responsible for leading a team of ten soldiers on night patrols, which is a tough job. At that time, the world was at peace, and other patrol teams often slacked off, walking around casually before finding a place to sleep. Only when it was Xiao Wu's turn to lead the team did he do his job meticulously, striking the watch drum all night and inspecting every nook and cranny without missing anything. As for regular training exercises, he was also diligent and never missed a beat.

  If things go on like this, the soldiers will inevitably have some complaints. Xiao Wu said: "Raising an army of a thousand is for use at a critical moment. If we are slack and idle in peacetime, when it comes to actual combat, I'm afraid even saving our lives will be too late. As soldiers, we should always feel the sword hanging over our heads; otherwise, we will surely lose our heads to others!"

  Among the soldiers, there were those who had been on the battlefield before, and they thought so too. From then on, no one raised any objections again.

  What made Xiao Wu even more convincing to the crowd was his care for his comrades in difficulty outside of military affairs. The general salary of Song Dynasty soldiers included food money, monthly grain, and winter clothes, as well as special allowances, snow-cold money, firewood money, silver shoe money, and charcoal money. Under normal circumstances, a "useful soldier's" salary could support the whole family without worrying about food or clothing, but if there were many children, or only one son with elderly parents to care for, it was difficult to make ends meet. After Xiao Wu became a squad leader, his salary increased, and his family of three naturally lived better, but he didn't mind his wife's dissatisfaction, every month he would distribute the surplus money and grain to his comrades in difficulty, as long as his own family didn't go hungry or cold, it was enough.

  Thus, Xiao Wu gained a good reputation for his bravery and righteousness in the Guang Rui military camp, making many friends. The soldiers from Xiangzhou looked up to him with pride, and the hundred cavalrymen under his command trained diligently every day due to his influence.

  Xiao Wu stepped forward towards his dream, one of the benefits of being a student at this school was that he could borrow books from the library. In his spare time after class, he would dive into the dusty bookroom and devour the military books of various dynasties that had been untouched for years.

  It's no wonder, compared to the literary and military talents of previous generations of generals, the Song Dynasty, which valued literature over martial arts, had an unimaginably low requirement for its generals. Many were illiterate rough men, like Liu Guangshi, a general from a military family who couldn't even write his own name but still managed to climb to high positions. Without knowledge of literature and writing, how could these great generals learn from the experiences of their predecessors? This directly led to the Song Dynasty's warriors being narrow-minded and lacking in strategy on the battlefield, only able to passively follow orders from the court and suffer defeat.

  Xiao Wu inadvertently opened a door for himself to the Hall of Fame, but it is also inseparable from his love of reading since childhood and his lofty aspirations.

  In the library, there are thousands of military books stored, enough to fill a house. Only a few have been read by Xiao Wu, while the rest are either known by name but not in detail, or even unknown altogether. From this, he came to realize that the current dynasty is not only home to rigid and outdated military texts like "Wujing Zongyao", but also has its share of unique and insightful military texts comparable to those of Sunzi and Wu Qi, two great military strategists of the past. For example, there are texts such as "Renshi Junlu" by Fu Yanqing, "Xingshi", "Xuanjiang", and "Lianbinglun" by Chen Guan, "Jiangshuai Yaolue" by Hu Dan, and "Bianshen Yaolue" by Jing Tai, which focus on military governance. Then there are texts such as "Hujingjing" by Xu Dong, "San Chao Jing Wusheng Lue" by Wang Su, "Shiqi Shi Bai Jiang Zhuan" by Zhang Yu, "He Boshi Beilun" by He Qufei, and "Xiucheng Fashi Tiaoyue" by Shen Kuo, which focus on strategic planning and tactics.

  Facing the vast array of military books, Xiao Wu felt that what he had learned was insignificant, and reading them was a struggle. After all, he had only attended "winter school", where being able to recognize characters was enough, but it was hard to compare with those who had studied gradually and systematically. Sometimes, because of a key phrase or an allusion he couldn't understand, he would lose his appetite and sleep poorly. However, in the vast military camp, he couldn't find anyone to explain things to him, until his wife scolded him, calling him a "book fool".

  It is said that good people will have heavenly help. Just when "book fool" was in endless trouble, he received a package from Xiangzhou one day. At first, Xiaowu thought it was sent by his hometown, but after looking at the address, it turned out to be from a tea house in Anyang County, the county seat of Zhou. Who could it be? Xiaowu curiously opened it and found a thick letter, with a cover page written in elegant small characters - "The general dies in battle, the brave warrior returns after ten years". His heart suddenly skipped a beat.

  Xiao Wu, of course, recognized the owner of this handwriting. If it wasn't Han Jiu'er, who else could it be? Fortunately, he hadn't returned home; otherwise, he really didn't know how to explain things to his family. Without looking closely, he just thought about where this manuscript should be placed. Suddenly, an idea struck him - the book storage room was a good place to go.

  Because Xiaowu often came, there were no important or valuable things in the warehouse, and the warehouse owner was too lazy to open the door for Xiaowu every time, so he gave him a key. As a result, this warehouse became Xiaowu's private study room.

  Xiao Wu brought the package to the study, placed it on the desk, suppressed his random thoughts, and carefully opened the manuscript. After a quick glance, he felt relieved that there was no mention of private matters, not even a simple greeting. It turned out to be several volumes of handwritten military treatises by Han Jiu'er. He took another close look, and his heart was filled with wild joy. It was a comprehensive analysis of military strategies, including some classic quotes that Xiao Wu had not fully understood before. It seemed as if Han Jiu'er was the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang, who had calculated Xiao Wu's confusion from afar and came to provide timely enlightenment.

  At this time, Xiao Wu had already studied the ancient and modern military books, and quickly saw that the various military laws on this manuscript were mostly from the "Wujing Qishu", namely the seven military classics determined by Song Shenzong: "Sunzi Bingfa", "Wuzi", "Liutao", "Simafa", "Weiliaozi", "Sanlue" and "Li Weigong Wen Dui". The article listed out each item, analyzed them in a simple and easy-to-understand way, with theories and examples, making it especially suitable for Xiao Wu and other martial artists with limited literary skills to read.

  Xiao Wu was overjoyed, reading by the lamp at night. It was a cold winter month, and the chill seeped into his bones. Xiao Wu read on, rubbing his hands together for warmth, unaware of the passing hours. He didn't feel the slightest bit sleepy until he reached the last page, where he found a note: "Brother, I have returned to my hometown and cannot bear the mundane affairs, so I closed myself in to study the 'Wu Jing Qi Shu'. After three years of hard work, I finally completed this book. I hope it can be of some help to you. If you have any doubts, please reply to the address below, and I will correspond with you through letters, engaging in a battle of wits from afar. It's a wonderful thing! Best regards to Ah Sao and Yun'er. - Xiao Jiu's handwriting."

  A gentle letter, just like ordinary brother and sister correspondence, with courtesy and moderation. However, Xiao Wu inferred her distress from the two sentences "cannot bear the disturbance of mundane affairs" and "to avoid my father and brother's scolding". An eighteen-year-old young lady, still confined in the boudoir, yet devoted to military books, how could her father and brother not be anxious?

  Xiao Wu felt a pang of sadness, the not-so-long period he spent with Han Jiu'er was enough to make him understand her temperament - she would rather die than yield, never looking back. He had intended to advise her but didn't know where to start, besides, he was the real source of trouble, and now in this life, they were destined to be apart.

  As soon as he thought of this, Little Five's head sprang to life with a sense of guilt towards someone, and it was still a young woman. What could he do to make up for Heaven's mistake? Perhaps, sending letters back and forth was the only thing he could do, let alone her intelligence, knowledge, and grasp of military strategy were exactly what he needed most now as a good teacher and friend. With his chest rising and falling, he immediately took up his brush, wrote down the doubts and understanding in his mind on paper, finished it with one stroke, sealed it into a letter, ready to be sent back and forth.

  When Xiao Wu returned to the barracks in the midst of the din, it was already past midnight. He first lingered for a moment in front of his six-year-old darling who slept alone in a small bed, tenderly stroking his little face before burrowing into the warm bedding of the big bed.

  In the darkness, Liu Mei let out a soft hum and pressed her warm body against him. She had been waiting for him. Her life as a wealthy woman had made her plumper, but she was dissatisfied with one thing - her husband's devotion to military affairs and his focus on martial arts had left her feeling neglected. In a low, resentful tone, she whispered: "Bookworm, are you still reading those useless things? Have you found any golden houses or beauties like Yan Ruyi?"

  Xiao Wu's heart skipped a beat again, knowing that Hun Jia was just speaking carelessly, but somehow her words hit the mark. In the book he read tonight, there really was a Yan Ruyi, and he didn't dare respond. Instead, he felt guilty towards Hun Jia and hastily made amends by pulling her into his arms.

  Fortunately, the lights were dim and her heart was fluttering, otherwise Liu Mei would have definitely noticed Xiao Wu's abnormality as a couple who had been married for many years. But she was covered by her husband's broad chest, and her body softened, scolding: "Yue Lang, hold me tight..."

  After practicing, Little Wu hesitated for a while and finally sent the letter anonymously to the delivery shop. From then on, he exchanged letters with Han Jiuer, tacitly understanding each other, only discussing military strategy without mentioning anything else, but that kind of transcendent spiritual connection was unprecedented in this life.

  Xiao Wu, who inherited his father's kind and gentle nature, was not a lucky man who could easily navigate between two women. However, fate played tricks on him, and he not only had a wife as beautiful as a flower, but also gained a wise and clever confidante. The bitterness and sweetness of this situation were known only to himself.

  Here is the translation:

  It was again during the warm flower blooming season that Xiao Wu received Han Jiu'er's fifth letter, and they discussed the method of using both regular and irregular forces. Han Jiu'er began by quoting from "Sun Tzu" - "In all warfare, use normal force to engage, and abnormal force to win. Therefore, those skilled in unusual maneuvers are as infinite as the heavens and earth, and as inexhaustible as the rivers and seas." And "those who can adapt to changes in the enemy's situation and gain victory are called divine". The tone was set, with hints of expectation that Xiao Wu would become a great war god. They also discussed military classics from their own dynasty, such as "Tiger Seal Classic" - "The art of using troops lies in adapting to change", "Wu Jing Zong Yao" - "If the abnormal is not based on the normal, there will be nothing to rely on; if the normal is not based on the abnormal, it cannot win", and "He Doctor's Comprehensive Discussion" - "Do not use law as a defense, but use law as an application". Finally, Han Jiu'er presented his own view: "Use strategy as the primary consideration, and emphasize adaptability!"

  Xiao Wu sighed and lamented, what a pity that she was born as a daughter. If she were a man, she would have been an excellent military commander. After thinking for a long time, she wrote down several large characters on the desk in the study: "There is no extraordinary strategy in using troops, victory is achieved by responding to changing circumstances!"

  "Brother, you're really here! Aunt is worried to death. Yun'er went out to play this morning and hasn't returned home all day. Wang Da Ge is leading the brothers to search for him all over the camp." Zhang Xian rushed in, panting and covered in sweat.

  "Has Yun'er disappeared?" Xiao Wu's heart sank, and he immediately ran out of the study with Zhang Xian, first rushing back home to see if that kid had returned.

  "Brother-in-law......" Liu Bi rushed to Xiao Wu and burst into loud wailing, a typical woman who loses her composure as soon as something happens.

  "Don't cry, daughter. Yun'er will be fine. I and Zhang Xian will go find him right away." Xiao Wu was still calm and thought to herself that this was a military camp, no evil person would dare to enter, and her son was also very sensible, he wouldn't run around without reason, he must still be playing somewhere in the big camp.

  Xiao Wu and Zhang Xian went out again, only to run into Wang Gui and a group of Xiangzhou soldiers, all with anxious faces, clearly having not found what they were looking for. Xiao Wu calmed down and told everyone to sit down together to recall where and when they had last seen Yue Yun today.

  Twenty or thirty people were chattering, and Xiao Wu roughly heard that the last time everyone saw Yue Yun was when the morning training ended. He was fooling around with the crowd, and then he disappeared without a trace.

  "Yun'er wanted to play with my big hammer, I was afraid he would get hurt easily because of his small strength, so I didn't give it to him. I just said wait until he grows up and then I'll teach him." Xu Qing recalled.

  "Right, around noon, I and Wang Wan brothers passed by the Jia Zhang Ku, saw a small figure, like Yun Er, just searched for a circle, but did not find." And Xiao Wu's mother, Yao Zheng, who lived in the same village, also provided a useful message: Jia Zhang Ku was an armory.

  "This kid......" No one knows a child better than their parents, and Xiao Wu had more or less figured out his son's whereabouts. He stood up, clasped his hands together in respect, "Everyone, you've all worked hard, go back and rest now. I'll go with Wang Da Ge, Zhang Xian Di, and Xu Xian Di to capture him and bring him back, give him a good scolding, and make him apologize!"

  Everyone saw Xiao Wu's calculating look and advised him to disperse. The four brothers went to the warehouse, called the storekeeper, opened the door of the armor warehouse, entered to search, and found Yue Yun sleeping soundly among a pile of knives, guns, swords, and spears, with a pair of iron gauntlets still in his arms.

  Originally Xiao Yue Yun had a youthful heart, Xu Qing didn't let him play with the big hammer, so he himself sneaked into the armory to find one, and indeed found this pair of lightweight iron gauntlets.

  Tiegu Duan is a kind of long-handled small hammer, not a weapon for the battlefield, but rather used in military ceremonies. The head is shaped like a garlic press and is about one-third the size of an ordinary large hammer. A pair can weigh nearly twenty kilograms, yet Xiao Yunchun was able to wield it with ease - truly inheriting the divine strength of Xiao Wu. Judging from his appearance, he must have been exhausted from practicing and overslept.

  Xiao Wu was both heartbroken and furious, and without saying a word, he kicked his son awake with one foot and scolded him loudly: "You little beast, you sleep so soundly, worrying your mother and all the uncles! Just wait and see if I don't break your legs!"

  Xiao Yueyun opened his eyes in a daze, and as soon as he saw his strict father, the sleepiness disappeared, and he quickly hid behind Wang Gui, who had always been kind to him: "Big Uncle, save me."

  Xu Qing and Zhang Xian stepped forward to intercept Xiao Wu, speaking on behalf of Yue Yun: "He's just a child, don't bother with him... after all, whose children aren't mischievous like this..."

  Xiao Wu saw this and suppressed his anger, taking his son back home but wanting to teach him a lesson. He didn't even let him eat dinner, telling him to stand facing the wall and reflect on his actions. Liu Wei naturally felt sorry for her son and secretly gave him food to eat. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yue Yun was also a stubborn child; since his father hadn't spoken, he wouldn't eat or move, standing in front of the wall no matter how his mother tried to persuade him.

  Liu Wei was anxious and pulled Xiao Wu over, her eyes brimming with tears: "You father and son duo, are you intentionally trying to drive me mad?"

  Xiao Wu saw the Hun family crying, his heart softened, and he stared at his son: "You little beast, you want to learn martial arts? Tomorrow morning, come with me to practice! Aren't you going to eat?"

  "Thank you, Father!" Little Yue Yun was overjoyed when he heard this and, fearing that his father would change his mind, quickly ran to the dinner table and started eating.

  Xiao Wu had originally wanted his son to build a good physical foundation, so he hadn't formally taught him martial arts. Today, seeing that his son really wanted to learn and was now old enough, he agreed to teach him.

  Because Yue Yun loves the hammer, Xiao Wu has a good grasp of gunplay, so he thought of a way to have both, and asked the military craftsman to make a pair of iron hammer guns. The gun head is four-sided with a sharp point, very sturdy, occupying one-third of the entire gun body, and the handle is shaped like a wheat ear, also known as a wheat ear gun. It can be used as a hammer or as a gun, but it's a rather difficult weapon to use.

  From then on, the Guang Rui military camp had an additional strange scenery. Every day during training, a seven-year-old boy held a pair of iron spears that were almost as tall as him and followed in the ranks, with a solemn expression, full of energy, like a soldier without exception.