Chapter 1 The Unforgivable Righteousness

In the fourth year of Jianyan, Lou Shi suddenly gathered his troops and led them south to invade. The Jin bandits were like man-eating beasts, slaughtering people like flies wherever they went, blood flowing all over the mountains, their inhuman acts unspeakable. When Emperor Shizu heard of this, it was as if axes were hacking at his body and fire was burning his heart. He wept bitterly at his desk, unable to rise. When his ministers tried to dissuade him, Emperor Shizu brandished his sword and slashed the desk, his anger surging, his eyes wide with fury, his eyebrows standing on end, and his teeth gnashing. He shouted, "The people suffer, and I am powerless. The Jin bandits' evil deeds are not just a matter of Song and Jin armies fighting, but a great feud between the Hua and the Yi! Although Song is weak, I still have a brave heart and a loyal liver here. Even if I die, I will let the barbarians know that China still has heroes!" With that, Emperor Shizu personally led the expedition, ordering the two palaces to prepare coffins and forbidding them to be placed in the palace, and instructed them, "If I die, my son will be young and weak, and unable to fight the Jin bandits. Quickly establish the eldest son of a collateral branch as emperor to carry on my legacy. The Jin bandits and the Zhao family, only one can survive, it's a fight to the death."

Grand Councilor Wang, who was with the army, was ordered to garrison Luoyang. Councilor Wang, whose given name was Boyan and courtesy name Tingjun, was from Qimen County, Huizhou, and had passed the imperial examination. In his early years, his family was poor but he was very talented. The Qimen County government, pitying Wang's talent, specially built a Hall of Talents to accommodate him and Qin Hui's teacher, Boyan. Councilor Wang was upright but not inflexible and had written ten volumes of *The Great Righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Annals*, which were widely circulated throughout the world.

At that time, Luoyang was the center of the world. Emperor Shizu believed that Luoyang must be defended, and Councilor Wang was ordered to garrison it in the face of danger. A'lubu, the son of Yehe, and the Han Chinese Han Chang, raided Luoyang, their massive army pressing against the city like a huge wave against the beach, the light of their armor flashing like the light of the sea. The officers and soldiers were all afraid, but Councilor Wang looked at the city walls and suddenly laughed loudly, saying to the soldiers, "These bandits are so huge and their cruelty is beyond words. The Emperor does not hesitate to fight to the death, vowing to stop the bandits at Yaoshan. Why? He is worried about the livelihood of the people. I am the Grand Councilor, my body is worth a thousand pieces of gold, but behind me are my parents, elders, wife, and children. Even facing tigers and wolves, I cannot retreat. Do you all have the courage?" Hearing this, the generals' eyes turned bloodshot, and they loosened their hair and rolled up their sleeves to swear an oath, conveying Councilor Wang's words to the soldiers, greatly boosting their morale.

The Han Chinese Han Chang had not been educated and his temperament was barbaric and intolerable. Luoyang had been under siege for a long time without success. Chang flew into a rage and mobilized his troops, leading his personal soldiers to scale the city walls like ants. Councilor Wang personally braved the arrows, beating the drums to encourage the soldiers. Rolling logs fell from the city walls like clouds, and tumbling stones fell like rain. A rain of arrows was fired, and those hit were pierced through their armor, and blood flowed like a river. The bandits were routed, and Han Chang personally beheaded several fleeing soldiers but could not stop them. He pointed at the top of the city and shouted, "Old Wang, why are you hitting a rock with an egg, stopping my great Jin? Killing and wounding so many of my great Jin warriors, aren't you afraid of being sliced into a thousand pieces?" Councilor Wang laughed and said, "Ignorant child, your words are like a dog's barking. If you understood righteousness, why would you be a barbarian dog? In the past, the Jin bandits slaughtered hundreds of millions of northern people, committing all kinds of evil deeds of rape and plunder. Every northerner has an irreconcilable hatred for them. Dog, listen to this: when you die in the future, will your ancestors ask you if you have avenged your blood feud? How will you answer?"

Han Chang was filled with shame and anger, his blood rushing to his head. He tore off his clothes and went naked, punching his horse with his fists to vent his anger. The horse died after three punches. Chang's anger did not diminish. He drew his knife and killed several bandits before stopping. He pointed his knife at the city and shouted, "When I break the city in the future, I will tear the old man apart, hang his head for ten years, and bury his body in the city gate, trampling it for ten thousand generations to vent my anger!"

The bandits' forces were great, and Luoyang fell after all the garrison soldiers had died. The officers and soldiers wanted to protect Councilor Wang and leave the city, but he refused, saying, "The soldiers of this city are brave men who died without hesitation! Today, the Emperor is the hero of the world, and with the unity of the people, the Jin bandits will surely be defeated. They are just a pile of old bones in a tomb! I only regret that I cannot personally see the Emperor plow their courts and sweep their dens, going straight to Huanglong! After I die, please cremate me and turn me into a gentle breeze to follow the Emperor!" The officers and soldiers tearfully said goodbye. Councilor Wang raised the fire and shouted, "The Great Righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Annals still has no annotations, I will use my blood to consecrate it!" And then he died.

Han Chang broke into the city but could not find Councilor Wang. Suddenly, he saw a fire rising several feet high in the city, the sky and earth changing color, and the whirlwind weeping as if crying. Chang led his troops into the city, wanting to desecrate Wang's body, but the whirlwind suddenly grew larger, carrying a lot of ashes and rising up, surrounding Han Chang and not dissipating. The ashes blocked Chang's seven orifices, and Chang could not speak or breathe. He grabbed his face with his hands, and blood flowed from his seven orifices. Before long, Chang scratched out one of his eyes, blood spurting everywhere, but he could not brush away the remaining ashes in his eye. A moment later, Chang died on the spot, his death was horrible to behold. The bandits were terrified and knelt on the ground to worship, none dared to desecrate Councilor Wang's body.

After the great victory at Yaoshan, Emperor Shizu heard of Councilor Wang's death and grieved for several days. He wrote a eulogy to mourn him, but stopped after half a verse, choked with sobs and unable to continue writing. There was a mad monk from Lingyin Temple on Flying Peak Mountain who traveled to Luoyang and wrote a crooked poem at the site of Councilor Wang's remains: "Originally two treacherous leaders in the British Hall, one accompanied a civet cat and one followed a dog, thinking of drawing a knife to make it quick, so as not to fail the young man's head." After writing, he laughed loudly and left, everyone thought he was crazy and did not take it seriously.

*Tales of the Northern Song Dynasty: Gods and Constellations, Volume 5*

Chapter 2 Ghost Warrior God General

At the beginning of the Jianyan era, Prince Qin appointed the Rear Army Commander. His troops rebelled and playfully killed the remonstrating minister by the river. The Chancellor Li Gang was greatly alarmed and bowed his head, saying, "I am greatly guilty! The situation is urgent, Your Majesty, please flee quickly!" Then he forced the Emperor out of the camp. That winter, the evening wind was like knives and arrows, the cold splitting iron and stone. After Emperor Shizu had traveled halfway, the cold wind grew even stronger, and the sky and earth were in chaos. The sun, moon, and stars could not be seen. He raised a torch to look around, but the forest was deep and he did not know where he was.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled, and Emperor Shizu's mount neighed, rose on its hind legs, shook its head and tail, and refused to move. A cavalry general vaguely appeared in the forest. Taking advantage of the lightning to look, this general was neither human nor ghost, but seemed like a shadow or smoke. He was nine feet tall, with a two-foot-long beard, a face like a heavy date, and awe-inspiring power. He held a giant Spring and Autumn blade in his hand, and his precious horse was strong and spirited, roaring like a dragon and a tiger. The soldiers were shocked and cried out to protect the Emperor, surrounding him. After taking ten steps, the general dragged his blade and fled. Emperor Shizu was surprised and led his armored soldiers to chase after him and ask him questions, but the general did not answer.

Emperor Shizu chased him harder and the general moved faster. Emperor Shizu stopped, and the general also stopped. Emperor Shizu seemed to understand something, and called for the patrolmen to follow him quickly. After traveling several miles, the stars appeared. After traveling several more miles, he saw the bright moon. The soldiers all looked happy and thanked the general for leading the way. Suddenly, thunder rumbled again, and the general turned into fireflies. Emperor Shizu looked closely and realized that they were not fireflies, but the torches of the Rear Army Commander's central military tent.

Emperor Shizu sighed and said, "The loyal soul of China led me here. Han Liangchen will not fail me." Then he called out Liangchen's name loudly, led his horse into the tent, and told him everything that had happened. Later, he bestowed a jade belt to encourage him.

*Tales of the Northern Song Dynasty: Gods and Constellations, Volume 3*

Chapter 3 Dream Gift of Supreme Treasure

In the second year of Jianyan, Liu Guangshi abandoned Zhang Jun, the Commander of the Vanguard Army, in Xi Cai, and the Jin army surrounded the city of Xi Cai, looking towards Mount Bagong. Mount Bagong was where the Emperor's carriage was located. Jun once said, "My love for money is like licking honey from a knife's edge. Even if it kills me, it's hard to stop!" Those who are greedy for money mostly cherish their lives, and everyone on Mount Bagong said that Zhang Jun would surely surrender.

One evening, Jun patrolled Xi Cai to the northwest. Most of the sentries were alert and saluted, but one sentry seemed to be asleep, lazy, and negligent, and did not notice him. This sentry had a very ugly appearance, a hateful face, and unkempt clothes. He did not salute when he saw Jun. Jun was angry and captured him. The sentry glared at him and shouted, "Why punish me without teaching?" Jun said, "You were ordered to be a sentry here, but you are sleeping soundly and negligent. What is wrong with punishing you?" The sentry laughed loudly, his voice like a giant bell, and said, "I was sleeping soundly, but my sentry duty was not neglected." Then he sat down on the ground. This soldier pointed to the sky and the earth, describing from dawn to dusk the number of Jin soldiers, their equipment, and their objectives, clearly presenting them. Jun sent his men to check, and there were no mistakes. Jun was very surprised and set up a wine banquet in the hall to apologize. The soldier did not decline and consumed it all in a short time. Jun reflected on himself:

"In the future, I must not be impatient. How many capable people are there in the world? If you suspect someone, don't use them, and if you use someone, don't suspect them."

That night, Jun wanted to go to bed, but suddenly golden light shone brightly in the hall. A military general wearing a golden crown, the crown like dragon horns, and wearing golden armor, the armor like dragon scales, strode in. Looking closely, it was the former soldier. The soldier said, "My name is Zhang Yongzhen, the River God of the Huai River. I am ordered by the Heavenly Emperor to help the Emperor. Today, I received a meal from you, and I should leave something behind. I know you are very greedy for money, so what I give you is the supreme treasure of the world, and it will arrive in a moment." Jun hurriedly bowed to him and asked what the treasure was. The River God laughed and said, "You need to remember these two words: 'A generous promise: crossing the snow at night to deliver the enemy's head; sharing food and clothing, sharing salted duck with soy sauce at the same table.'"

With that, the golden light faded greatly. Jun woke up suddenly, realizing it was just a dream. He vaguely saw a person standing in front of the bed. Looking closely, it was Emperor Shizu, who had come in person after crossing the snow in the face of danger. Jun prostrated himself on the ground and bowed, feeling very surprised. Emperor Shizu helped Jun up, said words of encouragement and comfort, and gave Jun a food box. Jun opened the food box and saw a head of Liu Guangshi and a salted duck missing one foot.

*Tales of the Northern Song Dynasty: Earth Gods and Hermit Immortals, Volume 5*

Chapter 4 Nine Dragon Well

In the first year of Jingkang, on the Xin Si day of the first month, flying sand suddenly rose, and day and night were dark. The sound of the sand was like the night crying of hundreds of ghosts. On the Wu Shen day of the second month, a strong wind rose in the northeast, and snow fell during the day. The sand and snow were chaotic, and dust filled the air. The wind roared like the mourning of ten thousand beasts. On the Ji Ji day of the third month, at the fifth watch of the night, a thick fog spread, covering the sky and the sun. Thunder rumbled like the scolding and punishment of immortals, constantly day and night. In summer, drizzling rain fell continuously, and the yin was continuous and unresolved. Summer acted on autumn orders, and the four seasons were reversed. In winter, hailstones damaged crops, and the weather did not clear for more than twenty days. The snow was more than ten feet deep, and the strong wind knocked down houses and broke trees. Countless signs of the end of the world.

In the second year of Jingkang, the two emperors were taken north as prisoners. Emperor Shizu ascended the throne. At first, he was disheartened and did not know the mandate of heaven. When he arrived at Bozhou, he dreamed that purple energy fell into the Mingdao Palace. He sent people to inquire, but they replied that there were no unusual signs. He dreamed of this several times. Emperor Shizu was surprised and went there in person. He saw that this palace was very different from the past. Golden light burst out, purple energy was pressing, divine smoke was curling, and immortal music was playing. When he asked his attendants, they all said that they could not see anything and that it was no different from usual.

Emperor Shizu understood and secretly went to the palace. Inside the palace, to the left, was a Nine Dragon Well, with a faint sound of thunder. Emperor Shizu reached out and entered the well. At first, he could not find the way. After walking ten steps, it suddenly became clear. There was heaven, earth, mountains, and water. The well had become its own world. An old man in Taoist robes appeared and shouted, "I am the Three Pure Ones, my Taoist name is Jizi, the head of the three hundred and sixty points of immortal positions. You are the Son of Heaven, but you are gradually losing the mandate of heaven!"

Emperor Shizu bowed and asked him. The old man said, "The mandate of heaven means that swords and axes cannot harm the body, and ghosts and gods cannot seize the soul. Why? Because that person carries the thousand-year-old heritage of China. Ghosts and gods are all transformed from this heritage, how can they hurt him? What is this heritage? This heritage is the people!"

The ancestors pioneered and worked hard to open up mountains and forests, only to have an inch of land. Later generations either passed on thousands of years of culture to enlighten the people. Therefore, those with the mandate of heaven have great sages to assist them. Or when they encounter barbarians, the world is in turmoil, and heroes will leave their parents and children and go forward generously, unafraid of the mountain of knives, and calmly crossing the sea of fire. Therefore, those with the mandate of heaven have brave warriors to protect them.

There are thousands of people who enlighten the people, and people can only cherish one or two, it is difficult to cherish thousands. There are thousands of brave men, and history can only record one or two, it is difficult to record thousands! You claim to have the mandate of heaven, you should know to continue the aspirations of the people of China! The pain of swords and axes added to the people should be like the pain added to your body; hunger befalling the people should be like befalling your body! It is not that you can only gain the world by inheriting the mandate of heaven, but only those who act on behalf of the people can gain the mandate of heaven! You go and resist the disasters of war on behalf of the people, and bear the disasters of starvation for the people, then the mandate of heaven will be on your body."

Emperor Shizu was greatly enlightened, bowed three times and came out. He then vowed to revitalize the Song Dynasty, to live up to the people, and to carry on the heritage of China.

*Tales of the Northern Song Dynasty: The Three Pure Ones and the Four Emperors, Volume 1*

Chapter 5 Begging for Auspicious Words

In the second year of Jianyan, Emperor Shizu visited Nanyang. The government was in harmony, and all things were reviving. Zong Bi feared Emperor Shizu's potential as a hidden dragon and gathered troops in the north to break him, but there were no good strategies in the military conference. Qin Hui was a member of Wanyan Chang's staff. Zong Bi cherished Hui's talent and served him with luxurious treasures and fine horses, and provided him with fresh and fatty delicacies. Whenever there were major events, he would personally inquire about them.

Hui was greedy for wealth and gave Chang and Zong Bi three strategies to help them plan their invasion of the south. Before leaving, he instructed Zong Bi, "The Emperor is heroic and martial, but the culture of the South has thousands of years of deep heritage, and they must have something to rely on. You should open up avenues for speech, learn local customs, and be careful not to suffer unexpected disasters." Zong Bi agreed but did not take it seriously.

One day, Zong Bi raided Nanyang, burning, killing, looting, and slaughtering the people. His subordinates advised him, "Hui told us that the Emperor has come to Nanyang, and there must be spiritual energy here. Don't harm living beings, lest you suffer unexpected disasters." Zong Bi looked down on them and was displeased: "The Southerners are pedantic and cowardly, their words are extremely absurd. The words of culture are old news! The Emperor Taizu started with riding and shooting, how could he rule the north by reciting poems? I am a wolf, born to be king, the Southerners are rabbits, born to be slaves, why should I learn from them?" His subordinates nodded and dared not speak.

Nanyang has lush forests and majestic mountains, called Funiu Mountain, which was built by the Chang'e divine ox. The four seasons are like spring, and the immortal energy is abundant. There is a pit viper in the mountain, which turns into a *jiao* after five hundred years. After cultivating for thousands of years, it could not achieve enlightenment. It happened that Emperor Shizu came to Nanyang, and it obtained this great opportunity and attained enlightenment. After more than a month, it walked the *jiao* and rose, intending to transform into a dragon. However, the *jiao* needs human help to transform into a dragon. Looking at the crowd in the air, if the crowd pointed and said, "This is a dragon," then it would transform into a dragon. People are the spirit of all things, and their words contain cause and effect. Respecting others is like respecting oneself, and evil words will inevitably backfire. Therefore, there is a folk saying about walking the *jiao* -- it is also to beg for "auspicious words."

At that time, Zong Bi was holding a military conference on the plain. Nanyang had been under siege for a long time without success, and he was becoming increasingly annoyed. Suddenly, golden light flashed, auspicious clouds were densely distributed, majestic horses knelt and neighed, strong mules fell to the ground and wailed, hawks and falcons cried and flew, and a giant python appeared, hovering in the air. Zong Bi was shocked, drew his knife and pointed angrily, shouting:

"What kind of monster are you? Why are you disturbing my army's morale?"

The *jiao* dragon was furious and said, "I am a dragon! Everyone knows the auspicious words of walking the *jiao*, why don't you know, dare to insult me as a monster? You are a barbarian, unlearned and unskilled. Since you have entered China, why don't you know Chinese characters and inherit Chinese traditions? The sage teaches without discrimination, and never belittles you based on blood. The three thousand Great Daos can all be learned. If you accept education, you will be a Chinese disciple! But you are all beasts in human skin, unwilling to accept education. The butcher's knife can be added to one person, how can it be added to the world? I see that you are nothing more than the remnant ice of the end of winter, thinking that you can compare to precious jade, but when the weather is cold, you can still exist, but when the weather is warm, you will disappear! It is a pity that Chinese children like Qin Hui, who seek temporary enjoyment, offer poisonous schemes to harm their ruler and father, willingly become barbarians, and are not ashamed but proud of it, truly a failure of education. Now that the world is getting warmer, I will see where your remnant ice can exist!"

With that, the dragon's roar shook the sky. With one roar, flying sand and rocks covered the sky and the sun. With the second roar, torrential rain fell from the sky, and thunder was born on the plain. With the third roar, the ground shook and the mountains swayed, and mud pellets fell from the sky. After the three roars, it slowly cleared up, the wind was light and the clouds were light, and the *jiao* dragon's figure disappeared completely. However, many of Zong Bi's generals died from the power of the mud pellets.

*Tales of the Northern Song Dynasty: Earth Gods and Hermit Immortals, Volume 8*

Chapter 6 Martyrs' Shrine

In the fourth year of Jianyan, after the great victory at Yaoshan, the Jin people fled, and the people gathered along the water, forming villages in a scattered manner, either gathering firewood or farming, recuperating and recuperating. By the spring of the fifth year, the population gradually prospered, cooking smoke rose, the elderly were shaded by flowers, and the children played and were raised. Young and strong women had dreams and worked diligently, their faces shining with light.

At that time, three or five young children were playing with bamboo horses and green plums, holding sticky poles or catching kites. Suddenly, a yin wind rose and carried the kites away. The children were in great chaos, calling and chasing them, staggering and supporting each other, running quickly with tears in their eyes but unable to catch up. Before long, the kites could not be seen. The children lost their kites, as if they had lost a supreme treasure, some rolled on the ground, some cried, some stomped their feet and beat their chests, and some hugged their heads and did not speak. After a while, the children were hungry and wanted to go home, but they could not find the way.

The sky gradually darkened, and wild beasts roared in the forest. The children ran in panic, unable to see clearly, and their tattered clothes made it difficult to walk. The roaring became louder, and a rustling sound was behind the children. As night fell, the children were weak, the roaring became louder, and green light appeared in the rustling sound, shaped like two eyes, like a wolf or a tiger. The children were terrified, screaming and shouting, calling for their fathers and mothers, trying to hide in the bushes but unable to find them. The green eyes were getting closer, the roaring revealed a greedy sound, and a fishy wind rose.

Suddenly, something broke through the air and killed the green eyes. The wild beast screamed repeatedly, and a burly man appeared in mid-air, his voice like a giant bell, shouting loudly, "What kind of dog is this, trying to hurt my children?" The beast was frightened and ran away, the fishy wind calmed down, and the roaring stopped. The burly man called his friends and carried the children away. The children felt as if they were in the arms of their fathers and brothers, and they were relieved. Hungry and sleepy, they fell asleep sweetly. In their dreams, several soldiers looked at the children and smiled, some stroked the tops of their heads happily, and some played with them with melons, fruits, and chicken. The soldiers and the children were all happy. After it was over, one of the men pointed out the road home to the children, and the soldiers dispersed.

The next day, the children gradually woke up and looked around. They were in a temple. The children chose a road and returned to the village. The villagers were overjoyed. When they returned home, their fathers scolded them and their mothers loved them. The children told them everything that had happened. The parents were shocked and connected with the villagers to visit the temple. At that time, there was a high monk, whose secular name was Li Xiuyuan, who traveled here and accompanied the villagers to the temple, bowing in all directions and saying, "This temple was established by the Emperor after the great battle at Yaoshan, and what is enshrined is the heroic spirit of China. Without these heroic spirits, there would be no peace today. I have often heard that there are yin winds and ghost fires in the tombs, but this temple, although it is the tomb of ten thousand people, has no yin wind, but an aura of righteousness! The Son of Heaven is the god who receives the mandate of heaven and acts on behalf of the law. The heroic spirits sealed by the Son of Heaven will surely enrich the people. You must offer them well."

The villagers looked at it and saw that the warm wind was indeed pleasant, as if stroking their skin and bones. They admired and bowed. The children disturbed them, but the heroic spirits were not angry. They sacrificed melons and fruits, and those who ate them were happy. They were true fathers, brothers, and children. The temple became increasingly popular, with sacrifices and tributes throughout the four seasons. Children played outside, and villagers bowed inside. Not seeking fame or fortune, but only taking care of their children, brothers and fathers.

*Tales of the Northern Song Dynasty: Gods and Constellations, Volume 1*

Chapter 7 Fortune Telling

Prince Qin, whose surname was Han, given name Shizhong, courtesy name Liangchen, was from Suide Army, Yanan Prefecture. He was born with divine power and extraordinary bravery. In the past, when Prince Qin was capped, a wild horse attacked a passerby. Prince Qin went into the mountains bare-handed, wanting to subdue this evil beast. After three days, a strange horse appeared on the ridge, with two-toed hooves, deer antlers, tiger eyes, elk body, and ox tail, its mane fluttering like flames, its body hair like scales, roaring with wind and stepping on clouds. Prince Qin was fearless and flew forward, grabbing the deer antlers and wrestling with it. The horse opened its mouth to devour him, but Prince Qin blocked it with his knee, and the horse could not open its mouth.

After a while, the horse gradually lost its strength. Prince Qin flew on top of it, grabbing its mane with his left hand and punching it with his right fist. The horse was dizzy and knelt on the ground, and surprisingly spoke human words, "I am a Qilin. I cannot fight you now, please be my mount." Prince Qin was overjoyed and took it as his mount. He fought in the south and north in the future, establishing meritorious service.

Prince Qin was violent when he was young and often roamed the streets. There was a fortune teller, with long hair and Taoist robes, who slept soundly every day. He only divined three fortunes a day. After calculating, he would return, either taking no money or taking ten thousand gold, and everything he calculated would come true. Prince Qin was very surprised and went to have his fortune told.

The fortune teller sat and slept soundly, his eyes half-open and half-closed, and did not respond to Prince Qin's request. Prince Qin was furious and poured water on him. The fortune teller sighed and said, "Why did you have to do this? Your fate is so noble that it cannot be described. Strange, strange, the divination says that a noble person at Yaoshan is waiting for you to save him. If you save him, you will be a king." Prince Qin did not understand the meaning and asked him in detail. The fortune teller said strangely, "I don't know why this noble person is like a civet cat?" Prince Qin claimed to be a street urchin, unsure of his future. He mistakenly thought the fortune teller was mocking him and punched him in anger. The fortune teller said angrily, "My master is Huashan Fu Yaozi. Now he has broken through the golden elixir and transformed into a nascent soul, and ascended to become an immortal! You have humiliated me so much, I will surely take revenge on your descendants!" Prince Qin did not take it seriously.

Several years later, Prince Qin joined the army, accumulated military merit, and became a general. Emperor Shizu ascended the throne, and Prince Qin made contributions in protecting him, and was heavily used in front of the imperial carriage. Later, he accompanied Emperor Shizu to fight in the south and north, east and west, accumulating countless merits. At the time of the great battle at Yaoshan, Emperor Shizu personally led the expedition. Prince Qin thought of the fortune teller's words and secretly speculated, staring at Emperor Shizu secretly. When the battle was in full swing, Lou Shi led his personal soldiers and suddenly attacked Emperor Shizu, wanting to assassinate the king! Everyone was shocked and could not stop him for a moment. The Jin soldiers kept killing, and the armored soldiers of the imperial carriage stood up to block them, but they fell as soon as they touched the Jin soldiers. Lou Shi deceived himself that there was no one in front of the carriage and pointed his bow at Emperor Shizu. The officers were afraid that Emperor Shizu would be in danger, and they were in great chaos. Only Prince Qin was calm and pointed left and called right, summoned a bow and arrow, and shouted: "Where is Lou Shi?" After three roars, the Qilin carried Prince Qin standing up, high above, and saw a Jin general in silver helmet and golden armor, looking at himself. Prince Qin exhaled and opened his voice, drawing his bow like the moon, this arrow was like a thunderbolt through the air, like a floating meteor, hitting Lou Shi in the center. Lou Shi was fierce and still wanted to assassinate the Emperor. The Qilin under Prince Qin roared to the sky, and Lou Shi's mount was frightened, and the horse lost its footing. Emperor Shizu was not afraid in the face of danger and commanded calmly, beheading Lou Shi. The morale of the Song army was greatly boosted, and the Jin army was broken at Yaoshan in a moment.

After the war, Prince Qin was awarded the title of Duke of Yan'an, but he had no son for several years. Thinking of the words of the fortune teller in the past, he regretted his youthful recklessness and took his wife to Huashan to repay his wishes. However, the fortune teller was in seclusion and could not be seen. So again and again, he was able to see the fortune teller, narrated everything that had happened before, donated offerings, and apologized repeatedly. Later, he finally had a son and married a princess. After this incident, Prince Qin cultivated moral speech and kept awe, treated people kindly and lived in peace with the world. He accumulated meritorious service in the Northern Expedition and was rewarded. Later, he followed Emperor Shizu to move the capital to Beijing, and his praises filled the court. He ended his life without regret.

*Tales of the Northern Song Dynasty: Earth Gods and Hermit Immortals, Volume 6*

Chapter 8 Commoner

There was a man from Hebei named Bei Yan, a fierce general. In the past, Yan was a commoner in Hebei, working as a tattoo artist. He had learned eighteen martial arts techniques and helped the old and weak. The villagers admired him. It happened that the Jin bandits abused Hebei, and the people suffered greatly, abusing and killing the people. It was once heard that a bandit general led his knife to slaughter the people, counting the number of people killed as a game. The evil of the actions that angered heaven and people could not be spoken. When they arrived at Yan's village, Yan protected his hometown and hid in the mountains and forests, killing dozens of bandit soldiers on the way. He was wounded in several places, and blood flowed endlessly. When he entered the mountain, he lost consciousness. The villagers fed Yan with vegetable soup. After several days, the food ran out, but they still could not bear to cut off Yan's soup. The Jin bandits surrounded the mountain and set it on fire. Cries of grief were everywhere, and the pitiful screams could not be heard. Most of the villagers died, and Yan's wife and children all died.

Two or three remaining children wanted to protect Yan and flee, but the smoke was poisonous, and those who were poisoned collapsed. Suddenly, white light rose, and the two or three children carried Yan and rose with the wind, throwing him to the riverbank. A monk appeared in the wind, his body smelled terrible, his crown was crooked and his shoes leaked, he seemed to be laughing and crying, his behavior was crazy, and his words were tongue-tied. He rubbed mud pills into Yan's mouth, and Yan woke up. The monk told Yan everything that had happened before. Yan heard it and was filled with grief and anger, tearing his hair and shouting for his wife, children, and villagers, grabbing a tree with his fingers and sinking them three inches into the wood. After a while, his heart was as dead ashes, and he wanted to kill himself and follow his family and villagers. The monk stopped him and said, "I am the Dragon-Subduing Arhat. There is a fellow disciple, the Golden-Winged Garuda, in front of the Buddha. He heard the Buddha lecturing. The Peng is as good as evil, and because he killed a mouse, he sinned against the Buddha. The Buddha punished him by descending to the world. You still have cause and effect here." With that, he pointed the way with his finger and left with the wind.

Yan was very surprised and followed the road. After several days, he encountered a government army camp, with the Yue character banner flying in the wind. The army's discipline was remarkable, the soldiers held their heads high and their chests out, their voices like Hong Zhong, three people forming a column, two people forming a row. There were some people at the camp gate, offering food and drinks to worship them. Yan was overjoyed, not wanting that there was such a heavenly army in the world, and that his great revenge could be avenged. So he joined the army. Since Yan joined the army, he only heard that there would be a battle with the Jin bandits the next day, and Yan would surely have bloodshot eyes, sleepless day and night, sharpening his knife endlessly. He did not rejoice even in accumulating meritorious service to become a general, only hoping to kill bandits every day.

In the tenth year of Jianyan, Emperor Shizu led an army of 300,000 on the Northern Expedition, and had a major battle with the Jin bandits at Hulu Pass. Wei Wang Yue Gong led Yan to press on the left wing. After several days of fighting, the sky was dark, the ghosts cried and the gods were shocked, and there was no victory or defeat. Yan was furious and offered a plan to sacrifice himself as bait. Wei Wang loved his soldiers like sons and wanted to take Yan's place, but Yan bowed and kowtowed repeatedly, pounding the ground with his fists, and the whole camp was shocked. Yan raised his red eyes and said, "Yue Gong is a heavenly god descended to earth and must not be lost. It is Yan's own wish to go this time! Even if I pour out the three rivers and four seas, it will be difficult to wash away my blood feud with the Jin bandits!" Wei Wang saw an opportunity and knew the cause and effect of Bei Yan, and it was difficult to reverse the heavens, so he agreed to it. Yan was overjoyed and returned to the camp to sharpen his knife. Everyone in Yan's camp had a deep blood feud with the Jin bandits, and the sound of sharpening knives filled the camp.

The next day, Yan led three thousand elite soldiers, arriving at the Jin camp in a moment, kicking through three linked camps in a row, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, the bandit army was in great chaos. Yan beheaded the bandits with a giant blade, the blade passing through armor, and blood flowed