Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Every Commoner Has a Responsibility for the Rise and Fall of the Nation

The Big Dipper hung in the night sky like a ladle.

Guo Shao lay flat on the ground, lost in thought. Yang Biao, who was beside him, didn't actually have any irreconcilable conflict with him. Yet, not long ago, they had been at each other's throats over a promotion, bickering and competing, with Yang even threatening to stab him in the back before the campaign began. Fortunately, Guo Shao hadn't held a grudge and had instead saved him with an arrow at a critical moment; otherwise, how could the resentment have been resolved? Thinking about it, if one broadens their mind, sometimes bad things can turn into good ones.

Even late at night, wounded soldiers were still being brought back to the camp, and the fires burned through the night.

When the military clerk was registering names, he called out "Luo Mengzi," and Guo Shao finally found an acquaintance. Luo Mengzi was also excited to see someone he knew, his speech becoming incoherent. "Our company had a hundred men; we didn't see anyone else alive besides you lot! Commander Wang died this morning..."

The three gathered together and sighed with emotion. In the Battle of Gaoping that morning, the armies on the right flank had indeed been much unluckier, suffering the heaviest losses.

Luo Mengzi was a burly man with a large belly and a big, round head. With a tattered cloth wrapped around an injury, he looked quite comical. Guo Shao looked him over and, judging that he wasn't severely wounded, asked, "Why were you only sent back now?"

Luo Mengzi said, "Does Commander Guo not know that we chased after them and fought another battle? We were scattered by Zhang Yuanhui’s cavalry in the morning, so when I saw Commander Wang’s banner, I just followed it. Later, Commander Wang was hacked to death, and I followed some other unit’s soldiers to the east. Then a general came along and said the Khitans had run off and the Northern Han Emperor had fled quickly, ordering all of us survivors to follow the Xiaodi Army cavalry and pursue them north. We ran past Bagongyuan and found a large force of Northern Han troops waiting in a valley, separated by a ditch. It was almost dark by then, but we didn't rest; we fought another battle! Damn it, I don't know the name of the general leading us; he treated us like livestock, only caring about driving us to the front to die... If I hadn't been wearing a suit of iron, I would have been shot full of holes long ago!"

It was clearly a harrowing experience, but hearing Luo Mengzi tell it was inexplicably funny. When he mentioned being "shot full of holes," Yang Biao couldn't help but laugh out loud, though he quickly pulled a long face and scolded, "You old brute Luo, you don't even know how to talk."

Luo Mengzi was thick-skinned and didn't care at all about being scolded. He suddenly looked around mysteriously and whispered, "I heard some news on the way back. They say this war isn't over yet. The Emperor is doing well and wants to take advantage of the momentum to march north to Jinyang and wipe out Northern Han once and for all. Luckily we got wounded; I suppose that’s not a bad thing—we shouldn't have to go anymore! Damn it, walking from Daliang to Gaoping, and now having to walk to Jinyang—all this tossing about has made me lose all my fat!"

Guo Shao wanted to laugh at this, but his smile was extremely ugly. The pain made him look like he was crying, and the way his facial muscles twitched made his expression look truly bizarre. He said, "I don't see that you've lost any fat."

As the three were chatting, someone in the camp suddenly shouted, "Commander Guo! Commander Guo!" Before Guo Shao could react, Yang Biao reminded him, "Is he calling you? Didn't you serve as a commander for a whole day?"

Just then, the person calling out shouted again, "Guo Shao! Guo Shao of the Xiaodi Army!"

Guo Shao then propped himself up with a stick and replied, "This subordinate is here."

Seven or eight men leading horses walked over toward the sound. The leading general immediately drew everyone's attention. Not only was his bearing different from the low-ranking soldiers, but one could tell his status was high just by the silk patterns on his belt! The man was in his twenties or thirties, broad-shouldered and thick-armed, with a square face and a complexion that was dark with a reddish tint. If he hadn't been wearing armor, Guo Shao would have thought Bao Qingtian had descended to earth! The man held two hard wooden sticks, one long and one short, connected by an iron ring. This weapon was somewhat like a nunchaku and was a very rare sight at the time. Hearing others respectfully address him as "General Zhao," Guo Shao’s heart began to race.

Looking at this leader, could it be Zhao Kuangyin?

Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, was a household name even in the modern era. Guo Shao had long known he was a man of this era, but even serving in the same Imperial Guard, he had never had the chance to see him in person. If he were truly meeting Zhao Kuangyin, how could he not be moved? This was a world-famous figure who would go down in history, and Guo Shao was seeing him with his own eyes!

"Are you Guo Shao? Guo Shao of the Xiaodi Army?" The big man spoke with a resonant, clear voice.

Guo Shao hurriedly said, "Reporting to General Zhao, this subordinate is indeed Guo Shao of the Xiaodi Army."

Zhao Kuangyin nodded approvingly. "Was it you who shot and killed the Northern Han general Zhang Yuanhui with an arrow?"

Guo Shao tried hard to control his inner excitement, striving to appear neither humble nor arrogant. "Yes. This subordinate heard someone shouting that Zhang Yuanhui had arrived, so I drew my bow to the full and fired an arrow. It seems to have hit him in the neck."

Although he said it lightly, in the midst of a chaotic battle, hitting a moving target from a distance was difficult enough, let alone hitting a small target like the neck—and killing him with a single shot! Others might not understand, but as a fellow warrior, how could General Zhao not know how high the difficulty was?

"Good! Good!" Zhao Kuangyin laughed heartily, his voice full of vigor, as if it were about to echo through the mountains.

Zhao Kuangyin laughed again. "Commander-in-Chief Zhang reported the merits to the Emperor today. Among the many generals who fought bloodily on the field, he only strongly recommended two; you are one of them. Although you are only a commander, killing Zhang Yuanhui in battle earns you this honor! That Zhang Yuanhui was known as the fiercest general of the Han army, famous throughout the world. With him dead, the Northern Han army has lost its spirit."

"The rise and fall of the world is the concern of every man. That Later Han Emperor called himself a nephew to the Khitan barbarians and colluded with foreign invaders to kill the people of our Central Plains. Zhang Yuanhui and his ilk were all accomplices. Killing him was a joy to this subordinate's heart, and it was my duty!" Guo Shao didn't know if speaking like this was appropriate, but fortunately, he was able to adapt and speak fluently when facing a general of much higher status. An average low-ranking soldier might not have been able to keep his composure or speak so clearly.

"Oh!" A look of surprise appeared on Zhao Kuangyin's dark face, but he immediately burst into laughter. "What a fine 'the rise and fall of the world is the concern of every man'! I, Zhao Kuangyin, respect heroes who understand the great righteousness and possess both loyalty and courage. When we return in triumph, I will certainly invite Commander Guo to drink heartily—we won't stop until we're drunk!"

Guo Shao hurriedly said, "This subordinate is of low rank and humble status. General Zhao’s kindness in treating his inferiors with such courtesy is truly overwhelming."

Zhao Kuangyin said, "By the way, when Commander-in-Chief Zhang mentioned you to the Emperor today, the Emperor gave his royal word, saying, 'He should be appointed as a Commander.' Work hard, and there will certainly be rewards when we return to the capital."

"Many thanks to Commander-in-Chief Zhang and General Zhao for speaking well of me before the Emperor."

Zhao Kuangyin nodded and said, "I have said all I need to say. I have other matters to attend to, so we shall talk another day. You all take good care of your wounds."

Guo Shao hurriedly cupped his hands in a salute to see him off, and Yang Biao and the others also quickly bowed in farewell.

After the group left with their horses, Luo Mengzi said happily, "This is great! Commander Guo is going to get rich! If the Emperor rewards you, it won't be like taking money and splitting it among a huge crowd!" Yang Biao didn't speak, but the look he gave Guo Shao was already different.

Guo Shao said generously, "If there is indeed a monetary reward, the brothers shall all have a share. Besides, Brother Yang’s merits in killing the enemy on the front lines today were no less than mine; it’s just that the higher-ups didn't see it."