[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-129":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Shao Song",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1558295,2024,"Chapter 129: Forging the Blade","shao-song-chapter-129",129,"\u003Cp>War is complex, yet simple; cruel, yet gentle; orderly, yet chaotic; it exalts the balance of power, yet also demands miracles and courage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These things manifest in utterly different ways depending on one’s position and standpoint, but in any case, war can never be easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after Zhao Jiu’s old bout of homesickness flared up and he downed a few extra cups of cheap wine, wallowing in self-pity did nothing to help the war situation. When he came back to himself, he still had to face the grim reality of the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, in late autumn of the ninth month, as the main Jin army crossed the river and entered the fray, the Song-Jin war of the second year of the Jianyan era quickly entered a new phase—the most difficult phase for the Great Song, the phase of large-scale loss of cities and territory, of depleted troops and fallen generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the entire ninth month, Zhao Jiu sat idle in Nanyang while front-line reports poured in like snowflakes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All six counties and eleven towns of Zhengzhou fell, with three massacres;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of Kaifeng Prefecture’s sixteen counties and thirty-seven towns, six counties and fifteen towns were lost, with two massacres;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sishui Pass fell;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of Henan Prefecture’s sixteen counties and twenty-one towns, thirteen counties and seventeen towns were lost, with one massacre and two city-burnings;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of Yan’an Prefecture south of Hunchuan was lost;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei County in Huazhou fell and was burned to the ground…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With all the above, plus the defeat of Zhang Jun’s general Liu Bao at Luyi in Bozhou, which triggered a massacre, Nanyang alone had confirmed cumulative losses of over fifty cities, seventeen lost battles, seven massacres, and three city-burnings. Among the dead were one Grand Coordinator and Academician of the Zizheng Hall, six prefectural and military governors, five commanders, and countless lower-ranking officers, county magistrates, and officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the area east of Shuntian Prefecture (Nanjing Shangqiu), the two Jingdong circuits had essentially fallen again. Even if a few remnants remained, with a heavy Jin force stationed in Nanjing, they could no longer affect the fighting in the Central Plains core… no need to say more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this measure, of the four circuits of Jingdong and Jingxi, seventy percent of the prefectures and counties had already fallen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, during their advance, besides the routine large-scale massacres, city-breakings, burnings, and plundering, one thing in particular caught Nanyang’s attention—whether it was Wanyan Wushu in the Zhengzhou direction, Wanyan Talan in the Puzhou direction, or even Wanyan Loushi far off in Shaanxi, all of them carried out large-scale surrender-soliciting activities. From the military power-holders of the Eastern Capital Field Headquarters and the Western Army generals, to leaders of local militias and bandit gangs, to the local authorities of each city, the Jin sent people to urge surrender before almost every battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, what shocked Nanyang even more was that, from the intelligence gathered, the Jin army basically kept its word… any military leader who surrendered was guaranteed to keep his troops, promised official posts were indeed granted, and any city that voluntarily opened its gates, as long as it paid a fixed amount of military grain, was guaranteed to be spared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though unwilling to admit it, for those cities that surrendered, the Jin army seemed more disciplined than the Song army!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, once a city or place had clearly and unmistakably provided large-scale assistance to the Song in battle, the Jin would systematically carry out large-scale massacres and city-burnings after the fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this alternating fire and ice, some front-line cities naturally began to develop a resistance to Song troops—refusing to admit Song forces, and even betraying or confronting them in turn. This caused the already extremely difficult Eastern Capital Field Headquarters’ troops to become constrained on the outskirts of the Eastern Capital, forcing them to gather ever more tightly around the Eastern Capital city itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be fair, this situation was more frightening and terrifying to Nanyang than the massacres or a second fall of the Eastern Capital… because the Jin had actually learned to win people over with political offensives, and the Jin Emperor’s intention to divide and rule the Central Plains was clearly no empty talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, there was good news too: Han Shizhong’s Left Army of the Imperial Camp, by advancing recklessly, had indeed succeeded in drawing Wanyan Wushu’s attention. Ever since Han Shizhong’s forces joined up with the defenders of the various cities of Shunchang Prefecture, and Han Shizhong himself personally led over twenty thousand troops into Yancheng, Wanyan Wushu and Talan’s offensive around the Eastern Capital had indeed shown signs of stalling and hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this good fortune did not last long—the stall lasted less than ten days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As early winter arrived, probably due to reminders and pressure from Grand Marshal Wanyan Zonghan in the Great Ming Prefecture direction, or perhaps because Wanyan Wushu had long wanted to take the opportunity to rest, in any case, after gathering ten thousand troops from Wanyan Balisu, who had rushed over from the Western Capital direction, he turned his attention back to the Eastern Capital. In early October, he defeated the commanders Cao Cheng and Wang Shan in one stroke and captured Zhongmou… at this point, the main Jin army was less than fifty li from the Eastern Capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, the Eastern Capital was once again under siege.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Li Yanxian and Yuwen Xuzhong almost simultaneously sent another piece of bad news—after capturing Yan’an, Wanyan Loushi split off twenty thousand troops for his son Wanyan Huonü to garrison, and himself led thirty thousand Jin troops north. After taking Suide Army, he suddenly set aside the Jin’ning Army before him, turned to cross the Western Xia’s Right Wing Divine Courage Army Command (in the area of later-day Yulin), and surrounded Fuzhou, Linzhou, and Fengzhou so tightly that not a drop of water could leak through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard, the Zhe clan of Fuzhou lost their various fortresses very quickly. The last confirmed news was that the Zhe clan of Fuzhou, loyal to the Great Song for centuries, had apparently surrendered, because Zhe Keqiu, the clan head, soon reappeared—this time to urge the surrender of the Jin’ning Army headquarters, which had effectively become an isolated island in the northwest, on behalf of Wanyan Loushi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Zhe Keqiu’s actions met with an extremely fierce reaction. Xu Huiyan, the defender of Jin’ning Army, ascended the city wall and publicly berated Zhe Keqiu for betraying the state, then drew his bow and aimed at him, forcing Zhe Keqiu to flee in disgrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the Zhe clan of the northwest was the longest-standing border clan in Great Song history, perhaps the most loyal and most unique. The Zhe clan surrendering three prefectures to the Jin was a thunderbolt from a clear sky for the entire Guannei region, and even for Nanyang. What’s more, at this same time, Yuwen Xuzhong also mentioned that Qu Duan was disobeying the commands of his superior, Grand Coordinator Wang Shu. For this reason, Yuwen Xuzhong had already dispatched a special envoy to hurry to northern Shaanxi to urge and counsel Qu Duan, and so on…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, by the onset of winter, the situation for the Song army had completely deteriorated. At this point, neither Zhao Jiu nor anyone else in the Bureau of Military Affairs who was drawing up plans could still dream of having Han Shizhong shut the gate and beat the dog at the northeastern pass of Nanyang… that plan from the Bureau of Military Affairs could already be burned. With no other choice, Zhao Jiu had to personally write an edict ordering Han Shizhong to take the initiative to march north and rescue the Eastern Capital, regardless of the consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, taking things one step at a time was the reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Shizhong’s loyalty and courage were beyond doubt. Upon receiving the edict, knowing full well his forces were insufficient, he immediately set out from Yancheng with his entire army and marched north again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the eleventh day of the tenth month, Han Shizhong himself entered Changshe, the capital of Yingchang Prefecture (in the area of later-day Xuchang), just one hundred fifty li from Zhongmou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the thirteenth day of the tenth month, Han Shizhong left several thousand troops in Changshe as a rear guard, and also left his wife, Lady Liang, there to settle in. He then continued to lead twenty thousand troops forward to Changge, in the northeastern corner of Yingchang Prefecture, now just one hundred li from Zhongmou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fourteenth day of the tenth month, Han Shizhong led his twenty thousand troops east, crossed the Wei River, and entered Kaifeng Prefecture’s territory. That night, they force-marched to Zhujiaqu Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dead of night, after settling everything and just lying down, still thinking of his wife and hesitating over a few scout riders who had not returned, Han Shizhong was suddenly startled by the sound of horse hooves. He quickly scrambled to put on his armor, bare-chested!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grand Commandant!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Shizhong, still fastening his armor, hurried out of the bedroom and ran straight into several panicked subordinates from the Beiwei Army in the courtyard. The leader was Cheng Min, who had already risen to commander of the Beiwei Army. “Is this a Jin attack?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the ground tremble like an earthquake, Han Shizhong’s face turned ashen. By now, how could he not know that Wanyan Wushu had never “overlooked” him? The ten or so days of hesitation before must have been preparation for this battle, and capturing Zhongmou was nothing but a lure aimed at him. “The Jin have calculated this old Han down to the last detail! Damn that so-called Fourth Prince—he’s still holding a grudge from the Huai River!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Min grew even more urgent: “Grand Commandant, with this sound of hooves, how many troops…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No less than thirty or forty thousand, that’s for sure!” As he spoke, Xie Yuan, the commander of the Cuipian Army and deputy commander of the Left Army of the Imperial Camp, also rushed into the courtyard house serving as the central army headquarters, still fastening his armor. “Fifth Brother… make a decision quickly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What decision is there to make?! Can we hold out or fight here?!” Han Shizhong put on his helmet but did not hurry to lower the bronze faceguard. Instead, with a ferocious expression, he picked up the bronze mask and strode outside. “Pass my order… every unit, by commander, break out immediately under cover of darkness! Every man who can get away, get away! Head east, head south—whatever you do, don’t go west back to Changge. Best to go south; there are big bridges at Songlou and Xutian to the south, and from there you can circle back to Changshe!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan and the general Wang Sheng, who had just arrived outside the courtyard, both froze for a moment, then each exhaled a puff of white breath and turned without a word to leave at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, in the pitch-black night, with the thunder of hooves, the main Jin cavalry force descended in full force. Han Shizhong, caught completely off guard, could only break out in a desperate scramble… truly leaving it to fate. For the overall Song war effort, this battle, doomed to a great defeat from the start, was truly adding frost to snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving aside how Han Shizhong fought his way out in the dark, with the battle turning into a chaotic melee from the first clash, on a gentle slope a few li north of Zhujiaqu Town, beneath a few torches, the instigator Wanyan Wushu, seated casually on a tall horse, watched the swift reaction and chaotic fighting in Zhujiaqu Town and couldn’t help but frown slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fourth Prince need not worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catching Wanyan Wushu’s displeased expression, a middle-aged scholar who had previously passed the palace examination and been appointed a county magistrate, and had just surrendered to the Jin, cautiously reined his horse forward and flattered eagerly. “In this student’s view, the Fourth Prince’s feint to the east while striking west, and what they call ‘openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing at Chencang,’ truly captures the essence of military strategy—a stroke of divine genius… Han Shizhong, surrounded on all sides by our Great Jin’s iron cavalry, is surely doomed to die here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What divine genius is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanyan Wushu frowned at the scholar. He felt like lashing out, but for some reason, after shifting in his saddle, he suppressed his anger and spoke frankly. “That Han Shizhong fell for my earlier bait-and-lure tactic only because the overall situation was so broken that he had no choice. If I were in Han Shizhong’s position, wouldn’t I have come to rescue the Eastern Capital? As for tonight’s business, it’s nothing but relying on the advantage of cavalry. If Han Shizhong had twenty thousand horsemen, how could I have surrounded him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar was momentarily stunned, not knowing how to reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fourth Prince looked out at the chaotic battlefield ahead and grew even more emotional:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the current battle, to be honest, Han Shizhong’s reaction has already exceeded my expectations. If I were in that town, I’d probably have just waited to die—how could I have decided to break out so quickly? Just for that reaction alone, he can be called a famous general. You’re a scholar; if you don’t understand military strategy, say less. Just focus on being my clerk. In the future, when our Great Jin sets up a new emperor in Henan, your prospects won’t be lacking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.” The scholar quickly composed himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence returned to the surroundings, and Wanyan Wushu continued to calmly observe the battlefield. But as time passed and the sounds of battle clearly shifted southward, this Jin commander, who had just orchestrated a perfect ambush, kept his brow furrowed, and it grew tighter and tighter… after all, as he himself had just said, with the overall advantage and a deliberate plan, plus the flatland cavalry advantage, this battle should have been a thorough and complete annihilation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once the Left Army of the Imperial Camp—the most combat-effective Song force—was annihilated as a unit on the Henan plain, once Han Shizhong, the number one famous general of the Great Song and the very backbone of the Zhao Song emperor, died in that town, then in Wanyan Wushu’s view, this southern campaign would be as good as won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, this was the fundamental reason Wanyan Wushu, under pressure from Zonghan after his elder brother Wanyan Eliduo had returned north to Yanjing, forcibly altered the established strategy and painstakingly designed this ambush and surprise attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, for this Fourth Prince of the Great Jin, the battle on the Huai River was carved into his bones. How could he possibly “overlook” Han Shizhong, the actual Song field commander that day?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would never forget Han Shizhong for the rest of his life, just as he always remembered that the fundamental target of this campaign was that Zhao Song emperor, no one else!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could even write the four characters “Jin Wu Dao Shu”!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only now did Wanyan Wushu realize a major flaw in his design—he shouldn’t have chosen to advance and encircle at night for the sake of surprise, because it severely diminished the effect of the planned annihilation! He should have had Han Chang, Wanyan Balisu, and the others use their cavalry advantage to complete the encirclement in broad daylight with good visibility, then slowly work things out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, since things had come to this, there was no use dwelling on it. Jin Wushu could only stand here, waiting for news to arrive at dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In winter, dawn came extremely late, and it seemed that whatever one feared most would come to pass. Not only did Jin Wushu fail to receive good news of Han Shizhong being captured or killed, but he instead received a message that could be called counter-evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you're saying that last night you engaged a sizable and highly elite Song cavalry unit wearing bronze masks, but they repeatedly charged, repeatedly rescued small trapped groups of troops, and finally broke away from you to the south?\" Jin Wushu looked at Wanyan Balisu, who was saluting him with clasped hands, and frowned slightly. \"Not to the west?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" The imperial clan general and Wanhu of the Western Route Army, Wanyan Balisu, replied calmly from horseback. \"He must have guessed that we sent men to take Changge City, so he headed straight south toward the fortified city of Changshe (later Xuchang). However, last night our men loosed arrows like rain, and many of those cavalry fell from their horses. For all we know, Han Shizhong might have already been trampled into mud...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is no 'for all we know' when it comes to a man like Han Shizhong!\" Jin Wushu interrupted him expressionlessly. \"Unless I see his corpse with my own eyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fourth Prince, even if Han Shizhong isn't dead,\" Wanyan Balisu frowned slightly and spoke cautiously, \"last night we still won a great victory. The Song lost nearly half their men, at most ten thousand escaped, and of those who could hastily regroup and follow toward Changshe, I estimate only a few thousand. That hardly seems enough to...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What exactly are you trying to say?\" Jin Wushu interrupted him again, causing the surrounding officers and scholars to not even dare breathe loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm saying that Han Shizhong's forces are broken and can no longer rescue Dongjing. So when will the Fourth Prince go take Dongjing?\" Wanyan Balisu spoke with a hint of anger, raising his head to face him. \"I hear that Zong Ze inside Dongjing has been worn down by the recent battles and is gradually failing, but he's keeping it secret to stabilize the army's morale. That being the case, once we easily take Dongjing...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why should I go take Dongjing?\" Jin Wushu interrupted him a second time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanyan Balisu fell silent... If he forcibly contradicted him, he could of course say it was the Grand Marshal's order, but some things were truly not his place to meddle in, especially since his elder brother, the Taiyuan Garrison Commander Wanyan Yinshuke, had been unwell ever since returning from the south last year, and had specifically given him instructions before he left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Balisu, are you trying to say that the Grand Marshal gave an order?\" However, Balisu wanted to give the Fourth Prince face, but the Fourth Prince had no intention of giving Balisu face. Instead, he directly exposed him from his vantage point on the slope, in front of everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" Wanyan Balisu could only salute helplessly from horseback at the foot of the slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's true that the Grand Marshal gave an order, but I am the commander of an entire route army. How I handle military affairs here is my authority.\" Jin Wushu said calmly. \"Moreover, I also have the National Lord's decree... Balisu, let me ask you again: what is the first article of the National Lord's decree? Is it not that wherever the Song Emperor is, we must pursue him there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\" Wanyan Balisu grew even more angry but was helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then which is greater: the National Lord's decree or the Grand Marshal's military order?\" Jin Wushu pressed relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what exactly does the Fourth Prince intend to do?\" Balisu quickly feigned impatience to avoid this frustrating question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will naturally follow the National Lord's decree and hurry south to Nanyang to find the Song Emperor!\" Jin Wushu finally changed his expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And Dongjing?\" Balisu was speechless. \"Can't we take Dongjing first and then go south?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't there still Talan with his tens of thousands of troops?\" Jin Wushu finally lost all patience. \"I am now formally giving the order: ignore the scattered remnants. You will be the vanguard and head south to Changshe immediately. Han Chang and I will follow shortly. Let's see if Han Shizhong is dead or not?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening, before the Jin had arrived at the city walls, inside Changshe city, Han Shizhong, who had just fled back into the city, lay naked on a couch, eyes closed, silent. Visibly, the Military Governor's back was a bloody mess, with not an inch of good skin left, and his thighs and arms also had torn, bloody flesh. And it was under these circumstances that Lady Liang suddenly, with tears in her eyes, presented a bamboo basket before her husband.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Liang's hands were stained with blood, and the basket was densely packed, also stained with blood—it was filled with twisted arrowheads and barbs... Judging by the weight, it must have been several catties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that Jin arrows were especially good at piercing armor, and Han Shizhong had been in such a hurry to don his armor yesterday that he hadn't had time to put on the silk lining he usually wore to stop arrowheads. As a result, in the chaotic night battle, who knows how many arrows had pierced through his iron armor and lodged into his back through the gaps in the armor plates. Han Shizhong had always been a rogue by nature, a rogue to the point of not caring about his life, so when he returned, he did nothing else but ordered Lady Liang and the army surgeon to first cut out every arrowhead from his back with knives. Two of them had struck his arm and gone deep into the bone, and when they couldn't be pried out immediately, he simply forced Lady Liang to wrap the trigger mechanism of a Ke Di bow around them and fire it, to forcibly yank the arrowheads out of his flesh... With such a display, it was no wonder that even Lady Liang, a woman of the military who was used to her husband's ways, would shed tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back to the present, Han Shizhong, lying on the couch, lifted his head slightly and glanced weakly at the bamboo basket. At first he said nothing, but then suddenly grinned fiercely: \"This much weight is enough to forge a knife... Take it and have the city's blacksmith cast me a short blade. In the future, I, the rogue Han Wu, will use this very knife to flay Jin Wushu alive, to avenge the ten thousand men lost yesterday. If I don't, I swear I'm not a man!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he finished speaking, blood streamed from Han Shizhong's back, and his voice shook the roof tiles. The gathered officers and soldiers, including the city's defending officials and clerks, who had all been dejected, sorrowful, and panicked, were instead jolted into a renewed spirit upon hearing these words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Sorry, it's a bit late, but if I didn't write this scene out, this chapter would clearly be incomplete. My apologies.\u003C\u002Fp>",3807,"2026-06-06T07:45:46.639Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","6c22d48a180b8bf7895c310553504d7de236e67ca4e9ef8cdb837d441c8daeb2","shao-song-chapter-130","shao-song-chapter-128",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]