flstandardbreds Chapter 139 Zhao Heng: I am the true successor of the Song Dynasty
Chapter 139 Zhao Heng: I am the true successor of the Song Dynasty
It took Wu Mao two whole days to reach the outskirts of Tangyin County. When he and his only surviving astigmatic subordinate saw the soldiers of the Li family army guarding the city gate, they rushed over with tears in their eyes.
The soldiers on guard duty also saw the two men. Looking at their tattered clothes and faces, one of the soldiers said to his superior.
"Boss, two fellow villagers have arrived. They look like they've fled from elsewhere during the famine."
The officer looked up and said, "Sigh! It's all because of this damned world. Look at that short, fat guy over there, he's so hungry his eyes are practically popping out of their sockets. I'll take him to our mess hall for something to eat later."
Wu Mao approached the officer and immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
“Sir, we come from Junxian County and have come specifically to join the Li family army. We were originally a martial arts scholar from Junxian County. In addition to our martial arts skills, we also have some knowledge of military strategy. We hope that you will accept us as your men.”
The officer finally understood that the two men had come to enlist. He sized up Wu Mao, and although he was kneeling on the ground, it was clear he was trained. However, the man next to him was less impressive. Putting aside his physique, his eyes were off. If the officer were to give him a gun, he worried that his gaze might be directed at one of his own.
The officer thought for a moment and said to Wu Mao, "Our Li Family Army is currently recruiting soldiers, but we also have assessment criteria. We won't accept those who don't meet the criteria."
After saying that, he gave the man beside him a meaningful look. Seeing the officer's disdain, the man with astigmatism began to say, somewhat defiantly, "Back in my day, I was also... *sobs*..."
Wu Mao quickly covered the astigmatic man's mouth and said to the officer with a smile, "He meant that he used to be a cook, so even if he couldn't fight on the front lines, he could still help out in the kitchen."
The officer led the two to the mess hall for a bite to eat, and then they went to the drill ground, where many new recruits were receiving training. The officer told Wu Mao to test his skills first, as he couldn't just believe Wu Mao's side of the story.
Although he hadn't practiced for a long time, Wu Mao was still a martial arts scholar after all. He saw the stone weights next to him, the two largest of which weighed fifty jin.
Wu Mao took off his shirt and easily lifted the stone locks in both hands, then began to demonstrate a set of hammer techniques. Watching Wu Mao's impressive performance, the new recruits who were training stopped and all turned to look.
After Wu Mao put down the stone lock, he picked up a long spear and began practicing a set of spear techniques on his own. This set of spear techniques had been passed down for generations in the Wu family, and it was said that one of the Wu family's ancestors had even fought alongside Zhao Kuangyin in battle.
Upon witnessing this scene, the officer's hands began to itch as well. He picked up a long spear, and the two began to spar.
In ancient battlefields, the spear was said to be the king of all weapons. On the battlefield, generals used their spears to charge into battle and kill enemies, and were invincible.
Two long spears danced in the air. Wu Mao's spear moved like a dragon, its tip like the dragon's head, weaving back and forth amidst the opponent's attacks. The officer's spear technique, however, seemed different, possessing a powerful and expansive style. Knowledgeable soldiers recognized it as a spear technique passed down in the Song army, supposedly created by Zhao Kuangyin and on par with Taizu Changquan (Emperor Taizu's Long Fist).
The two fought back and forth for over a hundred rounds, until finally Wu Mao flicked his spear and pressed the tip against the officer's chest.
After a brief moment of surprise, the officer said, "Good marksmanship, kid. You're qualified to join our company."
Before Wu Mao could even agree, another officer stepped forward and said, "Come join our Second Company, we'll give you a squad leader position right away."
After some "friendly exchanges," Wu Mao was selected to join the First Company and became a member of Li's army. Astigmatism, who came with him, also got a job in the mess hall because of Wu Mao's connections. He was responsible for cooking and odd jobs. Although it wasn't as prestigious as Wu Mao's job, at least he had a place to stay.
Upon entering the military camp, he was first given two sets of military uniforms and spent most of the day learning the Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention from the officers. These rules and regulations made Wu Mao dizzy. To his great surprise, there was a rule that visiting brothels was not allowed in the Li Family Army. If caught, one would be directly discharged from the army.
Wu Mao had previously served in the Song army. In the Song army, as long as you maintained a good relationship with your superiors, you didn't need to train regularly. He often hung out with the veteran soldiers, eating and drinking freely, and frequenting brothels was a common occurrence. Wu Mao carefully reviewed the regulations again. He knew that the Li family army was different from what he had imagined, and he needed to learn from them.
While Li Zhen was vigorously carrying out infrastructure construction and expanding his army, Zhao Heng was having a hard time. To the north, tens of thousands of Jurchen troops were eyeing him covetously, and to the south, the Song army was advancing along the Grand Canal from Yangzhou. Although Han Shizhong painstakingly organized his troops to resist, they were still driven back to the walls of Chuzhou.
This time, Liu Guangshi, the commander of the Southern Song army, received a secret order from Zhao Gou to take Chuzhou City with all his might and capture Zhao Heng at all costs.
In truth, Liu Guangshi was reluctant to accept this order. He and Han Shizhong had served in the same court and were quite familiar with each other, but now they had chosen to serve different masters, so they could only meet on the battlefield.
Inside Chuzhou City, Han Shizhong was persuading Zhao Heng: "Your Majesty, the enemy's forces are overwhelming, and we are afraid we cannot withstand them this time. The navy from Fuzhou will arrive by noon. We should retreat to Fuzhou in the south and then devise a grand plan."
Zhao Heng said coldly, "Retreat, retreat again. I was defeated in Bianjing and was captured by the Jurchens. Now that I have just returned to the Song Dynasty, I have to retreat again. It seems that Heaven does not want to help me."
After a long silence, Yue Fei spoke up: "Your Majesty, there are no invincible generals on the battlefield. Your Majesty is the rightful emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. As long as we retreat to Fuzhou first, I believe that with Your Majesty's reputation and prestige, countless generals loyal to the Great Song Dynasty will join us. Now the Jin people are watching us like tigers eyeing the side. Once we fight the puppet Song army, when both sides are greatly weakened, that will be the time for the Jin people to launch a large-scale southward invasion."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng's resolve wavered. Although he knew that his ninth brother, Zhao Gou, had colluded with the Jurchens to assassinate him, he also knew that the Song Dynasty was part of the same cause. If the Jurchens benefited, how could he face Emperor Taizu after his death?
Han Shizhong spoke up again: "What Yue Fei said earlier is correct. Moreover, the Great Song Dynasty now not only has His Majesty himself, but the Emperor Emeritus is also still alive."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng became excited: "What? You mean Father is still alive? No, didn't he die of illness in Five Kingdoms City back then?"
Han Shizhong: "This humble general only recently received the information that the Emperor Emeritus is currently in Tangyin County with Princess Shunfu. Princess Shunfu's husband now commands a formidable army. Just last month, they fought a battle against the Jin army in Neihuang County, routing those arrogant and domineering Jin people."
Zhao Heng was surprised to find that besides his father, Zhao Yingluo was also alive. Since that was the case, he had to live even better; he couldn't die here.
So he said to Han Shizhong, "General Han, you make the arrangements. If the enemy is too strong, we should retreat. We should develop our strength properly and then let Father see which of his two sons is the chosen one and the qualified successor of the Song Dynasty."