Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 53

The trip to the Liao Kingdom made Zhao Xingde realize that there is a huge gap between paper knowledge and reality, especially when the two armies are at war. Most of the literati in this era have no experience in marching and fighting. Take it for granted, especially many formations of the Privy Council are extremely complicated, and it is impossible to complete them in actual combat.Therefore, in addition to teaching at the righteous school, Zhao Xingde often asked the soldiers about the actual situation of the battle. After coming and going, he gradually let go of the airs of a scholar, and the soldiers also thought that Mr. Zhao was amiable.In the minds of these soldiers, Zhao Xingde is knowledgeable and an official who can talk. On the other hand, he is approachable and does not belong to any faction in the army. Some kind of vague hope, but also able to speak freely.In this way, the life appearance and thoughts and feelings of the soldiers of the imperial army in the Song Dynasty seem to be gradually opened in front of Zhao Xingde as a heavy door.

Different soldiers had similar experiences, some were orphans, and their father fell ill and died while leaving the garrison.The epidemic is also the biggest cause of death of the imperial army in peacetime. If the epidemic is severe, the entire camp stationed will be burned.Many of them grew up in widow villages in the army, and now they can’t remember what their father looked like. They started working as part-time hawkers after they could walk, and falsely reported their age to join the army at the age of 15.Some have been in the market since they were young, and joined the army in order to feel proud, but after getting tattooed on their faces, they were even more looked down upon.Some desperately captured the head, but in the end they couldn't compete for credit, and the head was given to other soldiers by the Shangguan.Some were bullied so badly by old soldiers that they had no choice but to bully others after they became old soldiers themselves.Women in the capital are too expensive, and many soldiers volunteered to leave Hebei to marry their wives.Some have ways of earning money in addition to their military pay, and they can hire someone to stand in for Dianmao. They are envied because they have money to marry concubines.Many people in the Zhenbei Army regarded Han Shizhong, who was promoted quickly, as a role model, and they heard that he deliberately humiliated those who came from the general family.Everyone didn't care much about the veracity of what the officer said, as long as the salary was deducted a little less, and Han Shizhong's military salary was the least deducted.

As he talked more and more with the soldiers, Zhao Xingde's original idea of ​​just wanting to learn about the real war from the soldiers became less and less.In the past and now, he has read many books that are full of myths about princes and generals. Ordinary soldiers are reduced to boring numbers. No one remembers their names, and no one cares about their encounters and feelings.Zhao Xingde wanted to record these living soldiers, and this idea became more and more intense, filling his mind every day, and after each conversation, he couldn't wait to make notes.

On the eve of the printing of the literacy book, which mainly includes the quotations from Confucius and Mencius, Zhao Xingde burned the manuscript. He decided to use the language of the soldiers to write the stories of the soldiers, and use this kind of script to teach the soldiers to read.In a letter to Chen Dong and others in the Neo-Confucian Society, Zhao Xingde wrote: "In the past, Bai Letian, a great talent, asked poems to old women, so that ordinary people can know the way to rule chaos. The name of poetry history is enough to shine through the ages. This dynasty The sages did not take rhetoric, but wrote to convey the truth, and my brother admired it very much. My brother wanted to imitate the others, and compiled this book to teach soldiers and soldiers. This book uses the language of street talk, records small things, and describes the sufferings of the army, so as to open up Its meaning is to express its words and lead to righteousness. It is hoped that with modest efforts, it will spread the way of sages. The Master said that there is no difference in teaching. I will encourage you all.”

The new characters take the form of biographical biographies, and ten articles describe ten kinds of military stories. Every time Zhao Xingde writes an article, he has to read it to dozens of soldiers in the free school. Zhao Xingde then changed the text to be more plain and clear until all the testers could understand the whole story without hindrance.Because Han Shizhong was quite popular among the soldiers, Zhao Xingde planned to arrange "General Han" at the end of the book, but Han Shizhong hesitated.

"Will this thing really be printed as a book?" Han Shizhong carefully held up the half-finished first draft with his thick and hard palm, "Just like Li Yaoshi and Yang Lao Linggong, let future generations never forget it." Remember, there are constant offerings?" His eyes flashed with piety and envy.It is said that people rely on clothes and horses rely on saddles. Now Han Shizhong has Li Hongyu to dress him up when he goes in and out. He is not dressed in a mess like before, with light furs and belts. He really looks like a general.

"Just use the five hundred guan from the trip to the Liao Kingdom, which is enough to print it." Zhao Xingde affirmed, "It's hard to say anything else." Zhao Xingde thought for a while, and explained seriously, "To be famous forever, you must have Something to remember."

"That's what happened." Han Shizhong exhaled lightly, and carefully put the manuscript back on Zhao Xingde's desk. He frowned, twisted his hands, hesitated for a while, and finally raised his head and said to Xingde He said: "Dong Ming was a good man, he died before he had time to save a queen, and the incense of the Dong family was cut off. You are the champion of the article, can you give him this article so that future generations will remember it?" ?”

Han Shizhong looked at him expectantly all the time, Zhao Xingde hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "Okay, I'll give it a try." He put away the first draft, spread out a piece of yellow rice paper, rubbed some pine ink, and used it for shorthand He dipped his 'mao' brush into the inkstone, and said to Han Shizhong: "Tell me first, Dong Dutou's life story." After a pause, he said with emphasis, "There must be something memorable. "

"Okay, okay." Han Shizhong rubbed his hands excitedly. Zhao Xingde was more happy to write a biography for Dong Ming than to write a biography for himself. How did you get to know each other? Let’s start from the beginning.” “That year, before the military rations came down, and it was cold in the twelfth lunar month, I stole the money from the customers of the brothel, and I was chased by the scumbag, and I went to the Bian River. Hiding in the charcoal heap, I happened to meet the old Dong who picked up the coal, so it was considered an acquaintance."

"Well, heroes start at the end." Zhao Xingde nodded, but did not write, and asked: "What else?"

Han Shizhong continued: "When I asked Old Dong, everyone came out of the same battalion. Since then, they have been brothers in life and death..." "Dong Ming is the most literate in the battalion. I usually hand over all the military books to him." He wrote that if he had the opportunity to study, he would definitely be a Jinshi..." "For three years in Chongning, he patrolled the border with the Xiaowu army. Dong Ming beheaded three heads by himself, and he won the whole battalion..." "Out After returning home for five years, the original lover was also sold by the cruel parents, and the old Dong has been looking for this woman..." "In the second year of Zhenghe, the subordinate died of his mother, and he had no money to pay for the funeral. The old Dong gave all his money to help..." "When you started the charity school, among the twenty pieces I sponsored, half of them were his."

Zhao Xingde was quite moved by Han Shizhong's slightly sad reminiscences. Under the pen, he slowly outlined the image of a good man Dong Ming. It can be used as the last article in the dictionary after deletion and modification.After thinking about it again and again, Zhao Xingde still added a paragraph before the whole story: "Dong Mingdutou, a subordinate of General Han Shizhong, died heroically in the battle with the horse thief. At that time..."

After the first draft of the ten articles was completed, Zhao Xingde asked many people to read it, including ordinary soldiers and ordinary people in the market. He sent the manuscript to Chen Dong and other friends of the Neo-Confucian Society, and asked them to review whether there was any content in the text. For the unrighteousness of the righteousness, the teacher of Yixue tried to explain the content of the calligraphy several times, and the responses from all parties were acceptable.In his reply, Deng Su mentioned that Xingde wanted to use words, etiquette and righteousness to educate the tattooed soldiers in the head of Guizhou, and spread the way of etiquette and righteousness widely. The original intention was good, but the slang words were neither elegant nor precise. A little refinement and embellishment will not make you laugh and be generous. It seems that the gentlemen in the society know the cause and effect.However, He Fang and Zhu Sen wrote back that after pointing out that the morality in Xingde could be questioned, they said, "When the world is going downhill, Dong Jun's biography will let people know that righteousness still exists, and people's hearts will be righteous."

On New Year's Eve, when heavy snow covered the road, Zhao Xingde spent time at Han Shizhong's house with several officers of the Zhenbei Army.The red clay stove warms the wine with charcoal, and the unique spirit of Liaoguo Jiuhan made Xingde almost forget the taste of Bianjing's light wine.

From time to time there were a few bangs of firecrackers outside, and everyone was drinking while waiting for the owner Han Shizhong to come back.It's not easy to be a popular person in front of the commander-in-chief. Those who celebrate the new year have to spend the New Year's Eve with the adults at the commander-in-chief's mansion.

Since Li Hongyu married Han Shizhong, her original bold nature became more and more obvious. She didn't care about the taboos when the man in the family was away, and she came out to entertain Shizhong's friends in person. Exhaling anger is no different from when Han Shizhong was there.

Just as they were enjoying themselves, two soldiers, one in front and one in the back, carried lanterns, and Han Shizhong, the commander of the Second Army of Zhenbei, came back.His face was a little cloudy and uncertain, "Several thousand Hu cavalry were recruited, and Tong Shuai will be established as the fifth army in Zhenbei." "What?" "It's really unreasonable!" Then he called out.

A few days ago, when the elites of the Hebei camp were selected to replenish the Zhenbei Army, they were all broken up and incorporated. Therefore, many old people in the Zhenbei Army were promoted step by step. He was promoted to the commander of the battalion capital, and the commander of the battalion capital was promoted to Yuhou, the capital of the army. Han Shizhong was promoted from the commander of the battalion capital to the commander of the army capital, which made others envious.Right now, there are only 3000 soldiers in each army in the north of the town, which is still far from the full quota of 5000. Everyone is counting on to continue to go up, but who knows that this newly arrived barbarian cavalry actually formed an army alone!

Everyone was swearing at each other, but it made trouble for the hostess here. Li Hongyu gave Han Shizhong a look, put the jug on the table, and said angrily: "On New Year's Eve, I just mentioned this. If I want to talk about it, I will Let's hide in the inner room."