[Twenty-Three] Brave Warrior

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  Big Yue Biography [Twenty-Three] Brave Warrior

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  "You scoundrel, kneel down!" The next day, in the main hall of the Yue family home, Yue, who had just returned from the government office with his son, was furious and couldn't contain himself. He held a thick willow branch in his hand and ordered Xiao Wu to kneel in front of him, take off his robe, and expose his back. With each lash, he scolded, "You beast! Our Yue family has been loyal and honest for generations. You're really bringing honor to our ancestors... not only do you drink excessively, but you also get drunk and beat people up. Your father had to go to the government office to be reprimanded because of you. What a glorious legacy you're leaving behind..."

  The self-aware Xiao Wu knelt down with his head bowed, allowing the soft and hard willow branches to fall on his back, leaving behind a trail of blood-red whip marks, without making any excuses.

  Both the father and son were straightforward, and seeing that his son had no intention of admitting his mistake and making amends, he became even more enraged, whipping him with a willow branch until Liu Wei, who was hiding behind the door to eavesdrop, was almost killed by the pain. He quickly took Yue Yun to find her mother-in-law, who was busy in the fields.

  Yao heard that Wu Lang was going to be beaten by his father, so she rushed back with quick steps. Seeing that Yue and Wu were still quarreling, while Wu's back was already covered in blood, she felt extremely heartbroken and rushed forward to protect her son, shouting: "Old man, how can you treat your own flesh and blood like this? Even if he has done something wrong, it shouldn't be beaten to such an extent!"

  Yue Heya had already softened his heart, but was still angry at Wu Lang's stubbornness. Now that he had an excuse, he threw down the willow branch and sat down with a huff, panting: "His mother, it's not that I'm cruel, but this little beast got drunk and hit people, and still doesn't think of repenting... If word gets out, it'll just teach people to say that we parents are in the wrong..."

  "Wulang, did you really get drunk and hit someone?" Mrs. Yao was shocked, turned her head to question Wulang who was kneeling silently, and saw the torn flesh on his back, tears fell down involuntarily, "It's all my fault for not teaching you well..."

  "Mother, it was my fault!" Xiaowu, who had not made a sound when his father beat him just now, could not bear the tears of his kind mother. He knelt down and hugged her knees, crying loudly like he did when he was a child. As he cried, he vowed, "I will never drink another drop of wine in this life! If I break this promise, may heaven strike me with lightning!"

  Xiao Wu was a man of his word, and having sworn an oath to his parents, he indeed quit drinking for good. From then on, no matter how the old vagabond tried to persuade him, he wouldn't touch a drop of wine again. In life, everyone has their own vices, but Xiao Wu had few, and with his unyielding determination, he was able to persevere.

  Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, a year has passed. In the early years of Xuanhe, the Jin State launched a large-scale military campaign against Liao, capturing cities and lands, pressing straight to the Great Wall line, and chasing the Emperor Tianzuo of the Great Liao to flee west into the vast Gobi Desert, cutting off all news from the ruling core area of Yan and Yun. A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day, so Ye Lü Chun, the King of Yan who had met with Xiao Wu once, was enthroned as emperor, known as the Northern Liao.

  It is said that the Jin army won victory after victory, and the Song Dynasty, which had just formed an alliance to attack from both sides, was anxious. If they didn't send troops, Yan Yun would surely fall into the hands of the Jin. In March, Tong Guan led the 150,000-strong army that had pacified the Fang La rebellion, dividing his forces into two routes, east and west, and directly attacking the Liao border.

  The Eastern Route Army, led by the Western Xia general Xiang Shidao, known as "Old Kind", was defeated at Baigou by the Liao army under Yelü Daishi. Due to underestimating the enemy, the Song vanguard collapsed immediately after contact with the Liao army, resulting in a crushing defeat for Xiang Shidao, who had never experienced such a disaster before.

  The Western Route Army led by General Xin Xingzong was also defeated by the Liao general Xiao Gan. According to historical records: "From the south of Yongzhou to the north of Mozhou, between Tangpo and the west of Yongzhou, Baoding, and Dingzhou, the dead bodies were piled up like a mountain, and it is impossible to count them."

  The supposedly elite Great Song Imperial Army was defeated so badly by the Liao army, which had repeatedly lost to the Jin army, that it shocked the world and humiliated the Song Dynasty. In Xinpu City, Xiao Wu, who was serving as a patrol officer, heard about the defeat of the imperial troops and felt deeply grieved, wishing he could have fought in person.

  In June, the Northern Liao Emperor Yelü Chun died of illness just three months after ascending to the throne. His wife Empress Xiao took over the government. The Song Dynasty court thought it was an opportunity and gathered a large army again, with Tong Guan as the commander-in-chief and Liu Yanqing, a general of the Western Army, as the military officer, advancing to Xiongzhou to spy on Liao.

  In September, Guo Yao-shi, a commander of the invincible army who had been promoted by Yelü Chong, seeing that Liao's power was already gone, said that this was the time for him to take the golden seal. He then led his original 8,000 troops and surrendered to Song at Zhuozhou.

  Xiao Hou, having lost the crucial barrier of Yanjing, was forced to send an envoy to the Song army's camp to seek peace, presenting a surrender memorial to Tong Guan, expressing willingness to become a vassal and forever be a subordinate. Tong Guan, determined to achieve merit, flatly rejected it and ordered the Liao envoy to leave.

  The Liao envoy, on the eve of his departure, cried out in despair: "For a hundred years, the two countries of Liao and Song have been at peace. The alliance treaty is still intact, every word is still there. You can deceive your country, but you cannot deceive Heaven. The way of Heaven is cyclical, and you will surely suffer retribution!"

  The Song army, from top to bottom, saw the former strong Liao now in such a pitiful state, and they all felt that the foul air that had been pent up for a hundred years was finally released, but they did not know that the last curse of the Liao envoy would actually come true, and later the Song ruler and his ministers would suffer a fate more tragic than that of the Liao people.

  After all, there was a lesson from the previous failure. This time, the Song army attacking Liao was at least more fully prepared in terms of military strength. Not only did they assemble all the elite troops of the Imperial Guard and the Western Army, but also recruited a batch of brave and capable "dare-to-fight soldiers" from the registered households of the two rivers to fight together.

  According to the Song system, men were considered adults at the age of 20. Xiao Wu had just turned 20 this year and had already been thinking about it for a long time. As soon as he heard the recruitment of "dare-to-fight soldiers", he did not hesitate, secretly joined the righteous warriors of Xiangzhou County without telling his family, and went to the gathering place in Zhending Prefecture to enlist.

  At that time, the autumn sun was shining brightly, and the blue sky was spotless. This team of about a hundred Xiangzhou righteous warriors, with bows on their backs and weapons in hand, followed a horse-headed leader and marched northward along the official road on foot.

  Xiao Wu didn't carry a bow, instead holding an iron spear upright with the tip pointing to the sky. He took big strides forward, and on the endless fields, only harvested crops remained. The world was peaceful, yet this small troop marched towards war.

  After walking for half a day, most of the brave men's footsteps became heavy, their foreheads sweating, panting heavily, only Xiao Wu was still walking lightly, thanks to his experience in the Jianghu world.

  To drive away the hardships of the journey, the brave men started talking in a low voice as they walked, without strict control. The two men walking in front and behind Xiao Wu also tried to talk to him, but he was a taciturn and uncommunicative person, so the two men simply ignored Xiao Wu and started chatting with each other.

  Xiao Wu only listened attentively, it turned out that these two were old acquaintances, both archers from Tangyin County, one called the other Zhang Menghuang, and the other called the other Zhao Huzi, indeed people like their names, one was a burly man, and the other had a full beard.

  "This time out, if I don't make a name for myself, I won't be back!"

  Zhao Huzi is straightforward by nature: "I only wish to fight bravely on the battlefield, as for fame and wealth, I haven't given it a thought."

  Zhang Mang, who was walking behind, laughed and said: "Brother Hu, your words are wrong. Haven't you heard that 'one should be a man like Han Wei Gong, and one should marry a wife like Han Jiu Er'?"

  Xiao Wu Leng suddenly heard the name Han Jiu'er, his footsteps paused for a moment before he regained his composure, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, wanting to hear what these two had to say.

  In front of him, Zhao Hu Zi was also stunned, touching his head: "The previous sentence is often heard from people, Han Wei Gong Yi Jin still in the countryside, built a magnificent hall on flat ground, really admirable. But who is this later sentence talking about?"

  "Alas, how ignorant I am! Han Jiu'er is the great-great-granddaughter of Han Wei Gong, only 28 years old, as beautiful as a heavenly immortal, and with talent and emotions to boot. The young masters from good families who came to propose marriage almost trampled the threshold of Huajin Hall to pieces. Unfortunately, this little lady has high standards, and doesn't think any of them are worthy, even going so far as to write a poem called 'Lamenting Heroes' - I wonder if she's pining for someone from our own ranks?"

  This is the first time Xiao Wu has heard news of Jiu Niang in over a year. The memories of their past encounters flooded his mind like a burst dam, and his eyes became moist. On that day when they parted ways, he thought he would forget her, but now he realizes that the lovely little girl had left an indelible mark on his heart, one that he cannot forget for this lifetime.

  Five days later, on the large drill ground of True Prefecture, a dense crowd of righteous and brave warriors from all over the country stood in their varied uniforms, numbering several thousand. Liu Wei, the advisor to the Pacification Commissioner's office responsible for recruiting troops in Hebei Province, stood on the reviewing platform in full military attire, inspecting the troops.

  "When the country is in danger, when a single man stands up, many brave warriors will listen to my command...” Liu Wei was over 60 years old, but his voice was as loud as a bell. As a scholar-official with a military career spanning twenty years, he had a unique way of selecting "dare-to-fight soldiers".

  Under Liu Wei's order, the righteous and brave men in the same camp were divided into two groups again. Each group shot mud-covered arrows and headless wrapped grey spears at each other, requiring them to "kill each other" like two armies facing each other, with the number of grey spots on their bodies deciding whether they would stay or leave. The righteous and brave men from Xiangzhou were divided into two teams, each with 50 people, becoming enemies of each other. Xiaowu and Zhang Mangdang, Zhao Huzi were in one team.

  Xiao Wu let out a sigh of relief, his rich combat experience made him unafraid of this selection method, and he couldn't help but admire Liu's wisdom, feeling relieved that the Song army wasn't all incompetent.

  The drums sounded, at this moment of deciding fate, Xiao Wu gripped the headless spear tightly, abandoned the muddy bundle of arrows and didn't use them, faced the sky-filled arrow rain, and together with his comrades-in-arms shouted loudly, charging towards the "false enemy" in front.

  Xiao Wu charged forward, his wooden spear shaft lighter than an iron spear. Fortunately, he had learned from Hua and Shang how to wield it with a light yet heavy touch, like a windmill, sending arrows flying and mud splashing everywhere. The "enemy" in front of him had already pounced, the two armies clashed, and the battle was intense.

  Xiao Wu's marksmanship was not as good as his archery, but it was more than enough to deal with a few country soldiers. He fired shot after shot, hitting several of them in a row. The enemy formation saw him coming fiercely and three people jumped out, surrounding him in the center.

  Those three were all good at martial arts. The first one, a big man with a sandy face, used his spear as a staff, with great strength and momentum, entangling himself in a fierce battle with Xiaowu. Another red-faced young man specialized in attacking Xiaowu's lower body. There was also a white-faced handsome young man who dodged and feigned movements, his spearhead darting out like a snake spitting its tongue, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

  Xiao Wu felt a sense of pressure, and according to his "strong against strong" style, he should have focused on the sandy-faced big man, but instead, he felt that the white-faced young man was the most dangerous, clearly waiting for an opportunity.

  It was a chaotic scene with guns and sticks flying everywhere, arrows shooting in all directions, white dust filling the air, and the sound of killing echoing through the sky. Although they were not fatal, the headless spears and mud-ball arrows still caused severe injuries when hitting vital parts, leaving many vomiting blood and wounded, feeling no different from a real battlefield.

  As if returning to the years of Thirty-six Oaths, bloody rivers and lakes, Xiao Wu gradually fell into a life-and-death struggle, with a fierce glint in his eyes, like a lone wolf surrounded by hunters, searching for an opportunity to break through and kill.

  The three men, seeing Xiao Wu's appearance, were also affected and simultaneously exerted their full strength. The burly man with a sandy face let out a loud shout and struck down with his rod. The red-faced young man behind him rolled on the ground, his spear sweeping in a fan shape towards Xiao Wu's knee pit. The white-faced young man to the side also launched an attack at the same time, shaking his spearhead and pointing it at Xiao Wu's chest.

  Good little five, waiting for this desperate situation, all potential burst out in an instant, the perspective captures three enemies outside the body, the body bends and jumps from almost impossible angles, just between the gaps of the three guns "plop, plop, plop" shoots out three shots...

  Suddenly, the gongs sounded loudly, and the crowd of brave warriors who were in the midst of a fierce battle stopped fighting as if they had just woken up from a dream. Xiaowu and the three men glared at each other, only to see that the big-headed Han had a gray spot on his forehead, the white-faced young man had a gray spot on his chest, and the red-faced young man was the most miserable, with one bullet hole in his head, chest, and foot. Looking at Xiaowu again, he was spotless from head to toe, not even breathing heavily. As for the other brave warriors, they all had dusty heads and faces, and it was unknown how many bullets and arrows they had suffered, their martial arts skills clearly inferior.

  "Those four heroes, report your names!" The one on the watchtower, Liu Bei, pointed at Xiaowu and shouted out to ask. The scene of the three heroes fighting against Lü Bu had already caught his attention.

  "Little man from Tangyin County, Yonghe Township, Xiaotielou, I am Yue Fei!" Little Wu knew he had passed the selection, and with a sigh of relief, he bowed his head in response.

  "Men and women are from Tangyin County's Jishan Township, Ganhuarili Village, Wang Gui!" The burly man with a sandy face bowed deeply.

  "I am Xu Qing from Tong'an Village, Jishan Township, Tangyin County!" The red-faced young man was a bit stunned and forgot the self-proclaimed title when meeting an official.

  Xiao Wu did not expect that these two were from the same county as himself, and suddenly felt a bit closer. He only heard the last white-faced young man say: "I am Zhang Xian from Rongqingfang, Huang County, in the mansion of the great general."

  "Alright! Yue Fei, I'll let you be the officer of this team in Xiangzhou. Wang Gui, Xu Qing, Zhang Xian, follow Officer Yue!" Liu Hui wisely recognized talent and promoted Little Five to officer on the spot. The team was a new military system established by the Song Dynasty, with 50 people per team.

  "Even a minor official can give orders!" Xiaowu was both shocked and delighted, finally able to fulfill his lifelong ambition.

  One hundred men from Xiangzhou's Righteous and Brave Army were left behind, including Zhang Mangdui and Zhao Huzi, to form a team under Xiao Wu's command. Liu Fu finally selected fifty teams of "Dare-to-Fight Warriors" to form an army, which he personally trained.

  In nearly a month of drills, the "Dare to Fight Warriors" mainly practiced two things: one was the long spear battle array, used to deal with the Liao army's cavalry, and the other was the knife-shield combined attack, which was used for attacking cities, also showing the Song army's determination to capture Youzhou City. The Song court was even more urgent, and actually renamed the still-unrecovered Liao capital Yanjing as Yanshan Prefecture, and urged Tong Guan to advance quickly.

  Just before the "Dare to Fight Warriors" of Hebei were about to rush to the border, Liu Wei, who was originally serving as a counselor in the Xuanfu Envoy's Office, was suddenly reassigned as the prefect of Zhending due to differing opinions with Tong Guan, and remained behind.

  Xiao Wu saw that the country was in a critical moment of using people, but he abandoned capable people and a layer of gloom appeared on his heart. However, with his current humble position, he didn't even have the opportunity to express his opinion, and could only follow the arrangements from above, following the "Dare to Fight" troops to arrive at Xiong State, where they were incorporated into Liu Yanqing's large camp.

  Although it is called "Dare to fight", after all, it's not a regular official army, and they don't even have the qualifications to wear red battle robes, so they can only wear black warrior robes. Every day during routine drills, when they see the Imperial Guard or Western soldiers, they have to dodge out of the way. Xiao Wu is unhappy in her heart, but she doesn't dare to overstep the rules, and can only remind herself that she came here to serve the country, not to fight for some empty reputation.

  Perhaps due to the feeling of being inferior, the "dare-to-fight" soldiers unexpectedly became united and worked extra hard in their training, determined to prove themselves on the battlefield. Wang Gui, Xu Qing, and Zhang Xian, who had not gotten along with each other before, also became good friends with Xiao Wu, helping him deal with the disobedient old soldiers from his hometown, especially Zhang Mangdang, who was ambitious and looked down on young Xiao Wu, often challenging his qualifications as a team leader and trying to replace him.

  On this day, Xiao Wu led the team to practice the long spear battle array, which was quite dull. Meanwhile, a group of Western soldiers on the side were practicing the six skills of horse archery: what are the six skills? One is straight shooting with a flowing mane, two is back shooting, three is disk shooting, four is shooting at close range, five is field warfare, and six is wheel turning. Those Western soldiers showed off their marksmanship on horseback, dazzling everyone's eyes.

  Xiao Wu saw the team split up and shouted loudly, but heard a strange voice from the formation: "Those who can't shoot arrows, can't bear to see others shooting arrows?"

  Who else would dare to mock like this except Zhang Mangdang? Xiao Wu saw that not a few soldiers were also sneaking a laugh, and he knew that if he didn't establish his authority now, he really wouldn't be able to hold on as the team leader. He immediately stopped training with a wave of his hand and looked at Zhang Mangdang with an expression as calm as still water: "Brother Zhang is from an archery background, naturally you're good at shooting arrows; can you let Flying and the brothers in the team see your skills?"

  "It doesn't matter if you don't have a discerning eye, it's just that no one compares, and can't muster up the spirit?" Zhang Mang raised an eyebrow, speaking boldly without shame.

  "Do you think that just because your surname is Zhang, you can shoot a good bow? I'll accompany you!" A person stepped forward, it was Zhang Xian, but he forgot that his own surname was also Zhang.

  "Zhang Xian, Fei won't be shooting arrows, is Brother Zhang trying to teach me? How can I refuse his kindness? Come on, bring the bow!" Xiao Wu's words exposed Zhang Mangdang's intentions and declined Zhang Xian's good intentions.

  "Zhang Mangdang, how can you not get along with Officer Yue? Don't let outsiders laugh at us country folks?" Zhao Hu Zi, who had a good relationship with Zhang Mangdang, advised.

  "Mind your own business!" Zhang Mang was not about to let such a great opportunity for showing off pass him by.

  As they spoke, the soldiers had already brought two bows and two quivers of arrows, handing them over to Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu then gave one bow to Zhang Mangdang, while the rest of the soldiers looked on with curiosity, eager to see how these two would wrap things up.

  "General Yue, what target are you shooting at? Choose one yourself!" Zhang Meng said with a strange and ambiguous tone.

  "Fire...!" Xiaowu hesitated for a moment before pointing at a flagpole dozens of steps away, "Shoot it."

  As soon as this statement came out, not only did Zhang Mang's face show disdain, but also Wang Gui, Xu Qing, and Zhang Xian, who had supported Xiao Wu, were greatly disappointed. Such a close target, any archer can easily hit it, why did Xiao Wu do this, is he timid?

  "Good! Officer Yue, please go first!" Zhang Mang had already been humiliated in his heart.

  "The elder goes first, then Brother Zhang invites!" Xiao Wu humbly insisted.

  "Deference is not as good as obedience, look at that shot!" Zhang Mang said with a smile, showing off his exceptional archery skills, drawing an arrow and shooting it in one swift motion.

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