Chapter 6: There are those who possess courage

Yue Fei then realized that it was his senior brother Lin Chong who had arrived, and he let out a heavy sigh of relief. He then heard Yue Fan laugh and say, "Since you already know that the visitor is not an enemy, why draw swords against each other?"

Yue Fandao: "If the northern enemy invades from the south, can such a garrison defend the territory of the Song Dynasty? If the garrison is in such a state, are there any other capable soldiers in the Song Dynasty?"

Yue Fei had imagined more than once that if the Song Dynasty had a bit of backbone and a modicum of military strength, perhaps after the great mistake was made, there could have been a chance to mend the situation, a slight opportunity to continue its glory... If only ten percent... no, one percent of Yue Fei's spirit and courage could be transferred to Zhao Gou... perhaps China would not have taken that path... Even after Zhao Gou fled to Hangzhou, there was still a chance... perhaps China would not have taken that path... Even after Zhao Gou fled to Hangzhou, there was still a chance... In that case... the Chinese people might not have had to struggle painfully to this day... perhaps...

The person is Lin Chong, the second disciple of Zhou Tong. Lin Chong, the instructor of the Imperial Guard in Dongjing, is known as "Lin Chong the Leopard Head." "Xiao Liu" is the term Lin Chong uses to refer to Yue Fan. Similarly, Lin Chong refers to Yue Fei as "Xiao Wu."

However, there were very few literati like Fan Zhongyan during the Song Dynasty. Fan Zhongyan was well-versed in both literature and martial arts. Does that mean all literati were equally proficient in both? Not to mention the Song Dynasty's preference for idle talk and lofty ideals, it was exceedingly difficult to find an official capable of practical governance. The military leaders during the Jingkang and Jianyan periods grew gradually amidst the flames of war, maturing through failures and bloodshed, rather than emerging as prominent figures before the conflicts began. Furthermore, the difficulty of finding an official who could accomplish practical tasks in the Song Dynasty, which valued idle talk and lofty ideals, cannot be overstated. The military leaders of the Jingkang and Jianyan periods developed through the trials of war, maturing through failures and bloodshed, rather than revealing their talents prior to the onset of war.

As Yue Fei and Yue Fan were once again heading to the location of Zhou Tong to learn martial arts, suddenly a figure burst forth from the dense forest, wielding a bright silver spear aimed directly at Yue Fei and Yue Fan. Yue Fei was taken aback and hurriedly swung his staff to defend himself. Yue Fan, with a shift in his gaze, revealed a smile and calmly evaded the spear's point, pulling his elder brother Yue Fei, who had been pushed back five steps by the spear, and said with a laugh: "Master Lin, your esteemed presence is unexpected; why do you draw your sword without a word?"

It is imperative to head south, to take action, to prepare land in Jiangnan in advance, preferably in Lingnan, yes, Lingnan! Recruit and train private soldiers to protect one's own property, to become a local magnate, to defend the territory, to avoid being ravaged by the Jurchens, and instead being plundered by those military bandits. This also prevents falling victim to Qin Hui's strategy of "southerners from the south, northerners from the north" in seeking peace.

Lin Chong did not directly answer Yue Fan's question, but instead held Yue Fan's shoulder and said: "Xiao Liu, this must have been told to you by County Magistrate Zhang, right? County Magistrate Zhang is a scholar, and those scholars have always looked down upon us martial artists, belittling us. It is not surprising that he would say such things. However, Xiao Liu, you must understand that when the country is in trouble, it is only us martial artists who can step up. What use is it to have a wealth of literary knowledge in the face of iron cavalry and steel blades? You know this better than anyone, don't you? Otherwise, why would you practice martial arts?"

The master of the great spear looked at the startled Yue Fei and the composed Yue Fan, set down the spear, and said with a smile: "Xiao Liu, your eyesight has improved greatly, but why not spar with me to see how you fare?"

Since Lu Junyi and Lin Chong have already appeared, will other characters also make an appearance? Wu Song? Song Jiang? Chao Gai? Lu Zhishen? Li Kui?

Yue shook his head and said, "Senior brother, what is the need to lie in front of me? Don't you know that you have never lied? Your smile is truly too fake."

Yue shook his head and said, "No, no, it’s not like that, Senior Brother. You are in the Tokyo Imperial Guard; you should know best what the Imperial Guard is like, shouldn’t you?"

Yue Fan released Lin Chong's hand, revealing a cold smile: "A million people? United as one? Senior brother, even if you do not know, does your father not know? The Imperial Guards? They have not fought for a hundred years; even iron men can rust, let alone living beings. Senior brother, can the Imperial Guards truly fight?"

In the early Southern Song Dynasty, a chancellor named Lü Yihào once remarked to Zhao Gou that when literati discuss national affairs, what concern is it of the military? The military should only be responsible for execution. He even cited an anecdote about Emperor Gaozu of Han as an example, bluntly stating that literati are human beings, while military generals are merely dogs tasked with executing orders, lacking the qualifications to deliberate on national matters. Upon hearing this, many military generals were so incensed that they wished to draw their swords and enter the capital to slay Lü Yihào.

Lin Chong was taken aback, then furrowed his brows, and finally let out a sigh: "Even so, what of it?"

However, it will not be long before the Chinese follow in the footsteps of the Europeans, struggling to survive under the dual threats of barbarism and the teachings of Cheng-Zhu philosophy, everyone is the same, east and west are consistent, and * pictures * books oh yeah

Lin Chong was taken aback, then shook his head: "With a hundred thousand imperial troops, how many people does Northern Liao have? Not to mention that the treaty between the two countries is still in effect, even if Northern Liao were to launch a large-scale invasion from the north, so what? We have a large number of people united as one, and naturally we can defend against national humiliation. Why do we need the local militia?"

At this moment, no matter how great the talents of Lin Chong and Lu Junyi may be, what difference does it make? Wars between nations cannot be decided by one or two individuals; even the emperor cannot dictate the outcome of a national war. There are too many factors to consider. No matter how talented Lin Chong is or how well-versed he is in military texts, what does it matter? In the eyes of the various officials in Dongjing, Lin Chong is merely a dog.

Yue Fei cheered and ran over, pulling Yue Fan along. Every time Lin Chong came from Dongjing, he would bring many delicious treats, which Yue Fei loved the most, and Yue Fan enjoyed them as well. As they walked, Yue Fan looked at Lin Chong's tall figure and couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. He was unsure if it was because he had suddenly appeared in this world, where the historically non-existent Lin Chong and Lu Junyi had emerged in the late Northern Song Dynasty. Yue Fan did not know what the differences were between this Northern Song and the one in history; it was the same Song Dynasty, the same Emperor Huizong... As he walked, he looked at Lin Chong's tall figure and couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. He was unsure if it was because he had suddenly appeared in this world, where the historically non-existent Lin Chong and Lu Junyi had emerged in the late Northern Song Dynasty. Yue Fan did not know what the differences were between this Northern Song and the one in history; it was the same Song Dynasty, the same Emperor Huizong... the same old thief Tong Guan, the same treacherous minister Cai Jing, apart from the additional heroes from Water Margin...

Dogs do not need to have their own thoughts; they only need to execute commands. If a battle is won, it is the achievement of the literati; if a battle is lost, it is the fault of the dogs themselves. At the turn of the Song dynasty, faced with the attacks from the Jurchens, the retreat of the Song army was tragic, the foolishness of the Song court was evident, the military strategies were absurd, and the national decisions were ridiculous. All of this began from the exhaustion and frustration hidden beneath Lin Chong's smile. Yue Fei could see that the tragedy of the Song dynasty was still unavoidable. If that is the case, why linger here, waiting to be sacrificed for those fools?

However ... ...

In the Song Dynasty, becoming a military official required a certain degree of courage; otherwise, it was simply shamelessness. One could not be a military official without ambition and courage. It is not just that scholars looked down upon warriors; even common folk held warriors in disdain. The perception of warriors in the Song Dynasty was that they were mere dogs under the command of scholars. Regardless of how many defeats a scholar suffered or whether they had any military skills at all, they were still considered more noble than warriors. Scholars held military power, which made it more convenient than for warriors.

Lin Chong nodded and said, "Let us go, Master has been waiting for you for quite some time. Let us go together. Senior Brother has brought back many of your favorite foods from Dongjing City, so hurry up!"

Where do so many possibilities come from

Yue reached out and grasped Lin Chong's hand, removing it from his head and holding it tightly: "Senior Brother, if life in Dongjing is not pleasant, then let us leave. I am planning to persuade my father to relocate our family to the south. We can go together, and in Jiangnan, preferably in Lingnan, we can establish a larger estate, purchasing several hundred to a thousand acres of fertile land, creating a grand manor, recruiting hundreds of workers. During the busy farming season, we will cultivate the land, and during the off-season, I will leave it to you to manage, becoming a local magnate, safeguarding the land and its people, just like Senior Brother Lu. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Yue Fei had always admired this skilled senior brother, and he was very pleased to receive his praise: "Thank you, senior brother!"

Hero, a tragic hero, can only be described this way, with no other alternative

The tragedy of Lin Chong is merely a reflection of an era. The tragic figure is not solely Lin Chong; those with talent who go unrecognized are not limited to him alone. The tragedy of Lin Chong represents the tragedy of an entire grand era, and it is inevitable. How should one put it? ... Those who seek to make their way in the world will eventually have to pay the price.

Yue turned his head and saw Lin Chong walking out of the house

Lin Chong arrived at Zhou Tong's home, where they indeed saw many bags of special products from Tokyo. Although military preparedness was neglected during the Song Dynasty, it is undisputed that the spiritual and material life of this era represented the pinnacle of ancient Chinese civilization. Consequently, historians worldwide refer to the Song Dynasty as China's Renaissance period, characterized by extreme cultural prosperity and material abundance, with the populace enjoying considerable wealth. At one point, the GDP of the entire Song Dynasty accounted for half of the world's total, and the flourishing commerce led to the emergence of the precursor to the bourgeoisie—the citizen class.

Not right, those fools did not die; it was the common people who perished, killed by the Jin, killed by the Han, killed by the enemy, killed by their own, killed by foreign soldiers, killed by their own army, eaten by the enemy, eaten by their own, eaten by the official army, eaten by the bandit army, eaten by those stronger than themselves! ... Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, killing back and forth, eating back and forth, all that remains is a sigh—how cheap the lives of the common people are

The Lin Chong and Yue He before me bear no difference from the Lin Chong recorded in the books. My father was an official in Dongjing, and my father-in-law was also a military instructor, which can be considered a background from an official family, albeit one of military rather than civil service. The suppression of military generals during the Song Dynasty successfully eradicated the vigorous martial spirit that had prevailed since the early Tang Dynasty, leading to the complete disappearance of the martial spirit in the mid-Northern Song period. The once-heroic aspiration of "Better to be a captain of a hundred than a scholar" has vanished, leaving behind the ironically poignant saying, "Good iron is not used to make nails, and good men do not serve in the army." The suppression of military generals during the Song Dynasty successfully eradicated the vigorous martial spirit that had prevailed since the early Tang Dynasty, leading to the complete disappearance of the martial spirit in the mid-Northern Song period. The once-heroic aspiration of "Better to be a captain of a hundred than a scholar" has vanished, leaving behind the ironically poignant saying, "Good iron is not used to make nails, and good men do not serve in the army."

Yue Fan did not know, he did not even know whether he would be tragically driven to death. He is the younger brother of Yue Fei. Who is Yue Fei? No matter when, General Yue Fei will always be a hero against the Jurchens. The Jurchens will march south, they certainly will, Yue Fan believes that the general direction will not change, and the sudden appearance of one hundred and eight people who originally did not exist will not stop the Jurchen troops from advancing south. Moreover, Song Jiang is indeed a historical figure. These one hundred and eight heroes must have their own prototypes in the real world. History has not changed; only the names have changed.

In this somewhat different era, will Lin Chong still be as frustrated and tragically doomed to death as he was in another timeline?

Lin Chong has arrived

Yue gazed directly at Lin Chong: "It is precisely because I know that I say this, Senior Brother. I understand that you will certainly not agree or believe me if I say this now. However, Senior Brother, if one day you find that what I said is true, come here to find me. We will head south together. I will wait for you until you come for this. I believe you will come, Senior Brother!"

Lin Chong paused slightly, turned his head to see Yue Fan, and revealed a smile: "Of course, Senior Brother is in Tokyo, doing quite well"

"Senior Brother, how are you in Tokyo?" Yue Fan stepped out of the house and asked Lin Chong, who was sitting on a stone bench, silently stroking his sword.

It can even be said that during the Song Dynasty, China was the first place to witness the emergence of capitalist sprouts, while at that time, Europeans were struggling to survive under the dual threats of the Inquisition and barbarism

Yue Fei happily selected the things he liked, while Zhou Tong watched Yue Fei and his two young disciples, Yue Fan and Yue Fei, with a smile. Having no descendants of his own, he regarded Lu Junyi and Lin Chong as his sons, and treated these two young disciples, Yue Fei and Yue Fan, as his grandsons, showering them with great affection

Lin He let out a faint sigh as he looked at the book, then revealed a smile: "Xiao Wu, your martial arts have greatly improved. Being able to block my strike in such a state is commendable, which shows that you have not been negligent or careless."

Lin Chong opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. He replaced his expression with a gentle smile and gestured for Yue Fan to come over to his side. Yue Fan walked over, and Lin Chong placed his large hand on Yue Fan's head: "Little Liu, at such a young age, where do you get so many thoughts? Your senior brother knows you are clever; you are the next little Yan Xiangong. Hehe, don't think too much. Study well, and strive to achieve success in the imperial examinations. When the time comes for the names to be called at Donghua Gate, your senior brother will be proud. Just make sure you don't forget your senior brother then!"

After the Treaty of Chanyuan, the military preparedness of the Song Dynasty declined. The significant enrichment of material civilization following the reign of Emperor Renzong had already predetermined the tragic outcome of the Song Dynasty. Even the only military force capable of combat, the Western Army, lost its originally elite fighting capability due to the dual effects of military corruption and officer corruption, leaving only a hollow shell. The tragedy of the Song Dynasty had become inevitable

Lin Chong widened his eyes and asked in confusion: "Jiangnan? Lingnan? What... what is the reason for this? Xiao Liu, you must not speak carelessly; Tangyin is the ancestral land of your Yue family, how could your father agree to your migration south? Furthermore, why migrate to Jiangnan? Or even to Lingnan? A wild and uncivilized place, where could one find a place to settle and make a living? You must not speak recklessly!"

Yue Fan enjoys reading, considering it a means of preserving his own supplementary products; reading is his greatest passion, posing no danger to life. Apart from being unable to read "Dream of the Red Chamber" to the end, he has read the other three great novels. He has read "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" seven times, skimmed through "Water Margin" about four times, and read "Journey to the West" countless times. Although he does not have a detailed understanding of the specific stories in "Water Margin," he still remembers the one hundred and eight heroes clearly, and he knows quite a bit about the disheartened talent Lin Chong.

Understanding the course of history brings this particular benefit

Since then, there has been a serious discord between the civil and military officials of the Southern Song Dynasty, with intense opposition. The repeated failures of the northern expeditions were accompanied by internal instability within the court, factional struggles among scholars, conflicts between civil and military authorities, and the struggle between proponents of war and peace. Although Lü Yihua's statement is merely a personal opinion, it offers a glimpse into the fundamental view of Song Dynasty scholars towards military generals—dogs, mere dogs executing orders.