One arrow breaks two strings

  A streak of golden dawn sunlight shines on the turquoise glazed tiles of a mansion, dispelling the cold night shadows accumulated under the eaves. An early-rising magpie flutters over the ridges of the roof, chirping and calling out as it searches for food. The voices of people inside and outside the courtyard gradually grow louder, adding new vitality to this vast and majestic land along the river.

  In the still chilly spring, a rustic man wearing a patched jacket and a worn-out felt hat stood under the grand bird-head gate of a mansion, patiently waiting for the door to open.

  To show respect to the host family, Zhuang Han lowered his head and neck like a ordinary tenant, but when he occasionally raised his head and looked up at the three glittering gold-painted large characters on the signboard - "Day Brocade Hall", what shone through his fur hat were two eyes without any fear.

  The Dayu Hall, located in the state capital of Xiangzhou, Anyang County, is a place where beautiful stories are passed down. It is said that wealth and nobility do not return to their hometown, like wearing brocade at night, "Dayu Hall" was named by reversing this idea. It was built by Han Qi, a three-time prime minister who returned to his hometown. According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, locals were not allowed to hold local official positions, but the Han family had been in charge of Xiangzhou for two generations since Han Qi, showing their prosperity and nobility. The current owner of Dayu Hall is the incumbent governor of Xiangzhou, Han Zhi - the grandson of Han Qi.

  "Quail eggs, quail eggs for sale..." A man with a bamboo basket on his shoulder walked and shouted along the way. The basket was filled with fried dough balls that looked like quail eggs, shining yellow and steaming hot, wafting a fragrant aroma from afar.

  Under the straw hat, his Adam's apple moved noticeably, and he turned unnaturally to one side, trying to alleviate the temptation of the quail chick's hungry stomach.

  The bird-head door creaked open, and a lithe figure darted out like a small rabbit, accompanied by a silvery voice: "Old Zhang, bring two strings."

  Zhuang Han hastily stepped aside and bowed his head in respect, performing a greeting: "Greetings, Ninth Miss! Are you well?"

  She was a young girl not yet of age, wearing a flowing emerald green dress with a fragrant sash, her hair styled in a cute ring-shaped bun, her bangs half-covering her bright eyes that seemed to be smiling and frowning at the same time, her plump red lips dotting her snowy white face, her straight nose and lightly painted eyebrows exuding an innate haughtiness, making me feel pity for her. She was the youngest granddaughter of the Han family, the favorite of tens of thousands - Han Zhizhou's youngest granddaughter, nicknamed Jiuer.

  Since childhood, Han Jiu'er has been accustomed to the care of her family's servants and slaves. She didn't pay attention to this ordinary tenant farmer who was greeting her early in the morning, and she ignored him as if he were invisible, rushing straight to her favorite snack. It was a maid who followed out behind her who greeted Zhuang Han: "Fifth Brother, why are you up so early?"

  Zhuang Han, nicknamed "Fifth Brother", awkwardly held his hand to his hat and stammered: "We've run out of grain at home, I'm looking for the official to borrow some millet."

  "That won't stop you." The maid was concerned about her young master and went straight down the steps, "Ninth Miss, eat less, be careful not to choke."

  "Haha, my Zhang Dage's quail eggs are famous for being crispy and tender, would you like to try a string, Lianxiang sister?" The vendor joked with the maid while skillfully threading two strings of quail eggs with bamboo skewers, sprinkling white salt on them, and handing them to Han Jiuer, "Please, Ninth Miss."

  Han Jiuer grasped a string of something in one hand, hesitated and looked around, seeing that there were still few passersby, she didn't care about her demeanor, and swallowed two in one mouthful, staining her small cherry mouth bright red, then turned her attention elsewhere, skipping and jumping away.

  "Wait for me, little auntie." Lianxiang hastily picked up a few coins from her lotus-leaf wrapper and tossed them to Zhang Dage, then quickly followed behind the young master's buttocks.

  Zhuang Han entered the gate, informed the gatekeeper, and then went to the warehouse through the side corridor to borrow grain from the storehouse head. At that time, it was early spring, when all things were waiting to revive, but it was also the most difficult day for farmers to endure, when the green and yellow crops did not meet, and tenants could only borrow grain from their landlords.

  But what a wonderful mansion, with winding corridors and deep courtyards, bamboo standing opposite the gate, majestic yet elegant, rustic yet refined, truly one of the four great gardens of the Song Dynasty!

  Zhuang Han knew the rules and didn't dare to linger in the garden, he just kept his head down and walked quickly. Unintentionally, he turned around a corner of a house, but was stopped by someone shouting: "Little Five, wait!"

  Zhuang Han turned his head and bowed: "Master is well!"

  The gentleman was dressed in Confucian attire, with a white face and whiskers, elegant and refined. Behind him followed a yellow-haired book boy, who walked up to the front with a steady gait: "I have some free time to come to the book building, I'd like to borrow a few books from you."

  Zhuang Han bowed again with joy: "Thank you, sir, for your care!"

  "You're welcome!" The Confucian scholar watched as Zhuang Han's figure disappeared into the distance, nodding his head slightly.

  "Sir, you lent a book to a rustic fellow like Zhang, isn't that a joke?" The book boy didn't understand.

  "Don't judge people by their appearance, is he an ordinary farmer?" The Confucian scholar smiled and shook his head. "The recorder of the yamen has returned from Kaifeng Prefecture to visit his relatives and is waiting for me at Wangji Building, let's hurry."

  Inside the Dayu Hall, Wangji Building and Shulou are opposite each other in the north and south, while Xiyutai Pavilion and Guanyuxuan respond to each other in the east and west, with Kangyiyuan Garden in the middle. The two characters "Wangji" of Wangji Building come from Taoist terminology, which means forgetting the cleverness of the world, being calm and free from disputes. The poet Li Bai also left a famous sentence: "I get drunk again and enjoy myself, and forget my worries with Tao Qian".

  In those years, Han Qi's Forgetfulness Pavilion was a famous building, and it can be said that he used his heart to build it. However, the descendants of the Han family later used the Forgetfulness Pavilion as a place for discussing state affairs, which is another kind of misinterpretation. As for outsiders who have the qualifications to enter the pavilion to discuss matters, they are naturally the trusted advisors of the Han Mansion, and can be seen as Confucian scholars.

  The two men entered the Wàng Jī Lóu, where a tall, dignified-looking man in his forties, dressed in brocade, came forward to greet them. He invited the scholar to take a seat and a servant girl presented tea. The scholar addressed him as Sī Lù Xiāng Nèi, who was actually Hàn Zhāo Zǐ, the eldest son of Hàn Zhī Zhōu and the father of Hàn Jiǔ ér. He had been appointed as a ?óng Wù Láng through imperial favor and served as the registrar of Kāi Fēng Prefecture.

  "Sir, I have been entrusted by the imperial court to lead a mission to Liao this autumn to congratulate the Khitan ruler on his birthday." Han Xiaocong dismissed the servants and maids, his expression solemn. The Song people considered themselves orthodox and were accustomed to referring to the Liao emperor as the Khitan ruler.

  "Oh, the official has taken on this great responsibility, a fortunate event indeed. His career path will surely progress smoothly." The Confucian scholar stroked his long beard, congratulating him with pleasure, but in his heart he felt a slight surprise at the official's attitude of treating him like a great enemy.

  "Sir, you are not aware that the imperial court has secretly dispatched an envoy to travel across the sea to the northern lands to negotiate with the newly risen Jurchen tribes, planning to attack the Liao State from both sides and retake the sixteen prefectures of Yan and Yun." Even though there was no one else in the room, Han Xiao still looked around cautiously and lowered his voice.

  "Is this true? Is the news reliable?" The Confucian scholar lost his composure, stood up from his seat with a rustling sound, and asked two consecutive questions.

  "Absolutely true! Reliable!" Han Xiaoquan was full of confidence in the source of this shocking news, and it's no wonder. The Han family of Xiangzhou had been operating for generations and could be considered one of the most prestigious families in the world today. Royal relatives were all over the court, and major events in the country couldn't escape their ears and eyes.

  "Hurrah, the world is fortunate! Our ancestors are at peace! The Han Chinese empire that was sold out by that traitor Shi Jingtang will be restored soon!" The Confucian scholar couldn't help but shed tears of joy. For many years, the heavy burden on the hearts of countless loyal and honest scholars of the Song Dynasty has finally seen a glimmer of hope for relief.

  "What I'm worried about is that if the Liao people get this news, will it harm the lives of those who come next." Han Xiaoqu expressed his concerns about the trip to Liao.

  "When two countries are at odds, they do not kill the envoys who come! The Khitan people are no longer the untamed tribe of old, and should not make things difficult for you." The Confucian scholar also walked out of his brief loss of composure and into deeper contemplation. "The Khitans often say that if the Jurchen people exceed 10,000, they will be invincible, which shows how formidable the Jurchen people are. Although the court's move is not bad, I fear there may be a risk of plotting with the tiger to get its skin. What if the Jurchen people destroy the Khitan and then turn their covetous eyes on our Great Song? Will we not be inviting disaster?"

  "Haha, sir, you're worrying too much. How can those Tartars who are used to living in icy skies and snowy lands get accustomed to the spring waters and autumn moons of our Great Song Dynasty?" Han Xiaoji disagreed, "Besides, can the several hundred thousand border soldiers of our dynasty just be idle?"

  Just as the host and guest were expressing their own views, a string of chaotic voices and footsteps were suddenly heard outside, followed by urgent knocking on the door. Han Xiaoqu frowned and asked, "What's going on?"

  "Something terrible has happened! Ninth Miss has been kidnapped by bandits, hundreds of them are gathering outside the manor, and even the county government office is surrounded...". Before the servant could finish reporting, the sound of clashing metal was already faintly audible.

  "What? Jiǔ Yāo Tóu...... How can this be good?" Han Xiao Chuo's face suddenly changed, stunned like a wooden chicken. Han Zhi Zhou was trapped in the state government office, and at this moment, the person who should have been in charge of the matter in the daytime hall was actually this big official, but he had lost his mastermind.

  It turned out that Rong Sheng remained calm in the face of danger, and immediately opened the door to see Lian Xiang rushing towards him, crying so hard that her tears were like a river: "Sir, it's all my fault, I didn't take good care of Ninth Miss."

  "You wretched servant girl, you've come back!" Han Xiaoqu found a target for his anger and, without asking any questions, kicked Lianxiang to the ground.

  "Wait!" The scholar stopped Xiao Xuan, while looking at the chaotic scene of family members and servants, and said in a deep voice, "Don't panic! Where is the housekeeper? Where are the guards?"

  "Sir, sir..." The crowd seemed to have found their leader and gradually quieted down.

  The stout steward, Han Han, rolled over like a meatball and said with a frightened expression: "Your Honor, sir, I have ordered the guards to defend the gate and the vital points, but there are too many bandits, and I fear we won't be able to hold out for long."

  "All the men in the house who are skilled in martial arts, take up arms and assist in defending the courtyard. All the women, retreat to the inner hall. I will accompany the county magistrate's wife to the upper floor and negotiate with the bandits!" The scholar gave a crisp order, showing a general-like demeanor.

  Han Xiaoji, who had lost his composure, hastily made his way to the Zhengmen Tower under the escort of several armed men, completely devoid of his usual demeanor. Along the way, he repeatedly implored Ru Sheng: "It's all up to Master Quan... it's all up to Master Quan..."

  It was during this period that Zhao Ji, who was posthumously known as Huizong, was in power. His literary talent and governance abilities were in absolute contrast to each other. Corruption was rampant in the government, and uprisings broke out among the people, bringing a once prosperous empire to its knees. The Hebei province's Xiangzhou region was particularly plagued by natural disasters, which led to an infestation of bandits.

  The world is not at peace, and the rich are mostly self-protected. The Han Mansion was no exception, with high walls surrounding the Jin Tang courtyard, watchtowers built at each corner, a battlement every ten steps, and guards skilled in archery. Although it couldn't be called impenetrable, it was still easy to defend and hard to attack. Therefore, the group of bandits surrounding the Jin Tang courtyard did not dare to launch an immediate attack, but instead shouted and created a commotion, testing the Han Mansion's reaction.

  Han Xiao stood trembling on the watchtower, relying on the sunlight to see only a dense black mass of people in the distance, far beyond the range of the archers at the Han Mansion. There were both infantry and cavalry, all with red scarves tied around their heads. The people of Song Dynasty rose up with flags, mostly using red scarves as identification, symbolizing the will of heaven, commonly known as "Red Scarf Kids". Of course, there were also those who mixed in with ulterior motives.

  "Father, save me..." A clear and melodious female voice echoed through the air. Who else could it be but Han Jiu'er? She was being held captive by a fierce bandit on horseback, her skirt disheveled and her hair scattered, clearly after a struggle.

  "Jiǔ Piāo Tóu......" Han Xiaoqu saw his daughter's miserable state and was heartbroken, pounding his chest and stamping his feet. Why did he come back to visit his family only to encounter such a disaster? He quickly turned to the scholar, "Sir, please save my little girl!"

  "Good fellow! You want goods, just speak up, don't hurt Ninth Maiden." The scholar stuck out his head and shouted down.

  "Scholar, you're quite perceptive! If you want a high-ranking official position, you'll have to accept our offer; if you want wealth, you'll have to pretend to be one of us! We don't ask for much, just provide 100,000 taels of silver and we'll retreat and release the hostages. Otherwise, this lovely young lady will become Zhang Chao's wife." The bandit leader, who was holding Han Jiu'er hostage from behind, shouted out their demands to the scholar.

  "Hum! Treacherous soldier, I, my father will not forgive you!" Han Jiu'er couldn't help but struggle again, seeing her father helpless, she brought up her grandfather's name.

  "Hmph, you little stinker, not big in size but with a big mouth. I know your father is Governor Zhou, but unfortunately he's too busy to care about you." The bandit leader said as he pinched Han Jiu'er's tender face without being polite.

  "Damn you, stinky thief..." Han Jiu'er cursed loudly, but was held tightly by the bandit chief and couldn't move anymore.

  "Good fellow! Don't cheat me, my daughter. Prepare the silver immediately! Where is the accountant? The accountant is where?" Han Xiaoqu repeatedly responded and loudly called for the accountant to come up.

  The Confucian scholar furrowed his brow, but also felt there was no better way. In order to ensure the safety of Ninth Miss, he could only agree to the bandit's conditions for now.

  In a moment, a lean and gaunt old accountant climbed up the watchtower with a laborious gait as if blown by the wind, panting and coughing, and whispered to Han Xiaoji: "Sir, last year for sending New Year's gifts to the officials in the capital, and this year there is still the Spring Festival, the expenses are enormous, and the silver in the mansion is less than 50,000 taels."

  "What?" Han Xiaoqu was anxious and stared with wide eyes, but he couldn't blame the account room. He turned his pleading gaze to the scholar, "Sir, it's up to you."

  The Confucian scholar gritted his teeth and took over the hot potato, shouting to the bandits again: "Good fellow, there is not much silver in the government office, only five thousand taels can be gathered, can you make an exception?"

  "How can the vast Han Mansion not even have 100,000 taels of silver? You have half an hour to prepare it, otherwise don't blame me for being rude to your young mistress!" The bandit leader didn't believe it at all and issued a final ultimatum.

  "Alright, I'll do it! Let's go down and join in." The scholar saw no room for maneuvering, gave a signal to Han Xiao, and pulled him along as they went downstairs together.

  "The whole village is surrounded, where can we still gather 50,000 taels?" Han Xiaoji was like a headless fly, completely losing his direction.

  "Father, we'll take people to kill our way out and fight to the death to rescue Ninth Sister!" The two young masters rushed over, clenching their fists and rubbing their palms together. They were Han Xiaoquan's eldest son Han Xie and second son Han Bin. As Song people valued literature over martial arts, the two young masters had never learned any martial skills, but their desire to protect their sister was not just empty words.

  "Are you two trying to get yourselves killed as well?" Han Xiaoqu rebuked his two sons, who were as weak as a pair of chickens without strings. "Sir, what's your plan?"

  "Now the only plan is to deceive heaven and cross the sea, to make five million taels of silver into ten million, to dispatch a few skilled fighters to escort it, and at the moment of handing over to the robbers, to seize Ninth Sister back in one breath." The scholar slowly expressed his own idea.

  "It's all over now." Han Xiao turned to the surrounding guards, Zhuang Han and the family slaves, "Whoever is willing to go, I, Han, will thank them heavily!"

  Who would have thought that a group of people would retreat in unison, this is a task that requires putting one's head on the line, and besides, there are many thieves outside, no real skills, who dares to take on the tough job?

  "Whoever can save my daughter, Han will grant any of his requests!" Han Xiao's eyes turned green, and he recklessly offered a reward without hesitation.

  "Give it a try, little guy!" One person stood out from the crowd, and all eyes around him focused on him, amidst a buzzing sound.

  "You..." Han Xiao looked at this person with a mixture of unfamiliarity and suspicion, having no impression of him whatsoever. Judging from his attire, he should be a tenant farmer.

  "Xiao Wu!" The scholar's face showed delight, with a hint that destiny was at work in this person.

  This young Zhuang Han, who came to borrow grain early in the morning, did not say much. He silently removed his fur hat, revealing a large and tender head, with a typical Guanzhong face, big ears, short eyebrows, thin lips, and an unremarkable appearance. Judging from his age, he was at most 16 or 17 years old. The only thing that stood out was the occasional flash of sharpness in his small eyes, which made his normally slouching body suddenly stand up straight and majestic.

  The long river of history flows forward along an unstoppable trajectory, but there are always some destined people who will be swept up by a sudden wave and rise to the forefront of the turbulent times, becoming a pillar in the midst of the torrent or even reversing the tide!

  Under the gaze of suspicion, Zhuang Hanshao strode up to the watchtower in big steps, observed for a while, and then came down with a thud. With confidence, he said to Han Xiaoquan: "Give me a bow, the best one in the mansion!"

  "What's the best bow? Fetch it quickly!" Han Xiao Chu had always looked down on martial arts that only relied on brute force, and didn't have a concept of good or bad bows. A guard responded to his call and soon returned with a heavy, intricately carved hard bow, but without any arrows.

  "Are you going to test me?" Xiaowu hummed softly, took over the bow and arrow, put on the deer horn thumb ring, hooked the bowstring with his right hand, grasped the bow arm with his left hand, drew an empty string, and suddenly it was full moon.

  "Wow!" The connoisseurs among the crowd exclaimed in unison, it turned out that this hard bow with a strength of three stones was something no one in the mansion could draw, and the highest record for drawing a bow by a soldier of the Great Song Dynasty was also only three stones. The various guards who had originally thought they were being humiliated and intentionally made to lose face to Zhuang Han all yielded.

  Xiao Wu took a deep breath to calm the crowd, and with another burst of strength, "Dang" - the bowstring snapped. The onlookers were stunned into silence, and the guards at the gate were left speechless. This was because Zhuang Han's draw weight had already exceeded three dan, which according to the Song Dynasty's system, one dan being equivalent to 92.5 jin, was nearly approaching 300 jin.

  Even a layman like Han Xiao would see that Zhuang Han's martial arts skills are extraordinary. He didn't expect to have such a person hidden in his own household, and he couldn't help but reveal a joyful expression: "Good fellow, quickly save my daughter!"

  Xiao Wu threw away the intricately carved hard bow and bowed his head, saying: "Sir, this is a testing bow, what I want is a shooting bow."

  "What?" Shi Qian immediately shot the target, Han Xiao Quan reacted and shouted at Zhu Hu Yin in anger, "The fire is burning on our eyebrows, yet you still have a private heart to compete for victory, quickly bring the bow, I want the best shooting bow!"

  "Dad, I know where it is, I'll go get it!" Second Master Han Bin saw that his sister had a chance of being rescued and volunteered to sprint away.

  The Confucian scholar who had been silent all along finally spoke up: "Xiao Wu, how do you plan to rescue Ninth Miss?"

  "Sir, to capture the bandits, we must first capture their leader. Once the tree falls, the monkeys will scatter! I plan to shoot and kill the bandit who is holding Ninth Maiden hostage with one arrow." Zhuang Han showed great respect for the scholar, concisely explaining his plan.

  "Ah also! Good fellow, the thief is very far away. What if you miss with one arrow? Wouldn't that harm the young girl instead?" Han Xiaoji was shocked to hear this and spoke out what everyone else was thinking.

  "Xiao Wu, the bandits have stopped two hundred steps away. Even the best archers lose their accuracy at this distance. Can you?" Lian Ruheng also thought it was unlikely. It's common knowledge that the normal shooting range of a Song Dynasty archer is within one hundred and fifty steps, and even the top-notch experts don't exceed one hundred and seventy steps.

  "So I want the best bow!" Xiao Wu's calm demeanor far exceeded his age, he didn't say another word, standing there like a tree stump, and actually closed his eyes to meditate.

  Time is pressing, Han Xiaoqiu finally grasped this lifesaving straw, and also saw that the Confucian scholar had some understanding of young Zhuang Han, so he could only use people without suspicion.

  Everyone was suspicious and inquiring about the true identity of this Xiao Wu. He was a tenant who had just joined at the beginning of the year, from Tangyin County adjacent to Anyang County. He worked diligently from dawn till dusk, and was taciturn and unassuming, but unexpectedly turned out to be a hidden talent.

  "Good archer is here!" The second son of Han Bin had not yet arrived but his voice was already heard, and the crowd who were anxiously waiting all turned their heads to look.