Han Shizhong
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|- !style="background:#ccf; border-bottom:1px solid #ccd2d9" colspan=2|Names (details) |- |align=right width=150px|Known in English as:||width=150px|Han Shizhong |- |align=right|Traditional Chinese:||韓世忠 |- |align=right|Simplified Chinese:||韩世忠 |- |align=right|Hanyu Pinyin:||Han Shizhong |-
Han Shizhong (韓世忠) (1089-1151) was a Chinese general of the Late Northern Song Dynasty and the Early Southern Song Dynasty. He dedicated his whole life into serving the Song Dynasty and performed many lengendary deeds. It is said that the general has scars all over his body and by the he retired, there were only four fingers left on both of his hands. General Han distinguished himself in the series of war against the Jurchens, and was reputed to win battles in situation where he had to face larger amount of enemies with smaller numbers of soldiers. It is also known a military inventor, his inventions including various modified bows, and chain like armor, horse jumping obstacle, and the archery target. His wife, Liang Hongyu was also known to have a exception military mind.
Early Life
Han Shizhong was borned to a poor farming family in a village of the Shanxi province, in the year 1089. He was borned in a time where China was under constant threats by stronger bording nations; notably the Tanguts' Xi XIa,the Khitans' Liao Empire and the Jurchens' Jin Empire. In 1105, the Tanguts' kingdom of Xi Xia attacked China and Han Shizhong was conscrpted into military service.Early Military Career
In the war against Xi Xia, Han Shizhong distinguished himself by slaying an enemy officer in battle and was given a rank. This achivements was followed with greater successes, and he was hence promoted into lieutanaut. The war between Song China and Xi Xia was emerged into a war of a larger scale when the powerful Jin and Liao entered and supported different sides (Jin and Song; Liao and Xi Xia)). It ended when the Jin emerged victorious over the Liao armies. Despite a victory against their enemies, the Song government had little to celebrate as peasent rebellions began to plague their land. In Ad 1120, Han was sent as a deputy of General Wang Yuan to supress a local rebellion. It was reputed that he alone infitrated into rebels' stronghold and captured the leader. Han was nicked named, "Enemy of a Million" (萬人敵)and was rewarded handsomely for his efforts.Meeting with Liang Hongyu
A banquet was soon held in Han's honor for this success. During this banquet, Han meet his future wife, Liang Hongyu. Liang Hongyu was a military prostitute and was serving the officers in the banquet. It is said that Liang caught eye of Han, who was sighing instead of celebrating like the others. Liang approached han and questioned him why he wasn't showing any signs of joy in the banquet which was thrown in his honor. Han replied that this was a small victory and that he was worried about the Jurchens who showed signs of hostility to the Song regime. He stated that hurt him to imagine the damage that war may bring upon the peasents. Liang was in awe of Han, and the two quickly become very close to each another. Liang decided to follow Han and the two soon were married.The First Invasion of the Jurchens
Soon, Han's greatest fear approached as the Jurchens treacheriously betrayed its alliance with Song, and attacked the Song army by surprise. Han was enlisted as the many deputies under General Liang Fongping; he was given fifty calvary to take back the fortress of Yishan from the Jurchens. Many regarded this as a suicidal assault since there are over 2000 experienced Jin troops guarding it. However, Liang enforced the idea and Han didn't rejected it. Miraculously, Han emerged victorious over the Jurchens. Yet, Han have no time to celebrate as all other armies under Liang had been defeated or routed by Jurchens.The Second Invasion of the Jurchens
In AD 1215, under its founder and perhaps its greatest leader, Wányán Āgǔdǎ, the Jin army destroyed the Liao Empire and swiftly made Xi Xia and Goryeo (Both Allies of Liao) into tributaries through a swift battle which destroyed the forces of the two later nations. That very same year, the Jurchens assembed a large force consisting of Jurchens, Tanguts, Khitans and Koreans to made a second attack on China. Han was defending the city of Zhaozhou once again under General Wang Yuan. After few months of battle, the city's supply was cut short. Han asked for three hundred calvaries and one night made a surpise attack on the enemy encampment. This attack caught the Jurchens by surprise and they began to scrambled and swinging their swords on anyone they see. By daytime, many of them had trampled over one another, amongst those fatalities was the commander of the invading Jurchen force. The Jurchens had no choice but to retreat. Thus, the city of Zhaozhou had been relieved. Despite this victory, most other defense again was defeated and amongst them and the two Song emperors was abducted by the Jurchens. In Ad 1217, Han was given a thousand man army to escorted the crown prince to safety in Southern China, he was checked by a army ten times larger but once again emerged victorious and forced the enemy to retreat. Crown Prince Gaozong successfully reached Hainan and etablished the Southern Song Dynasty. Shortly, the capital was moved to Yangzhou. Han persuaded Gaozhong to restore the Lost lands on the North, yet, Gaozong only wanted to be the emperor and neglect the advise. Meanwhile, the Chinese general gurading the Northern Capital, Kaifeng was angered to the level he felt ill knowing no reinforcements was to been sent, and die shortly after. The City was surrendered shortly after. The year was AD 1218.The Third Invastion of the Jurchens
The Fall of Kaifeng boost the morale of the Jurchens, and they attempted a thrid invasion. Gaozong saw little intentions to make a good defence against the Jurchens, he feels the strong generals around him make him vulerable and want them to lose so that he can by unthreaten by them. Han facing enormous odds, was beaten off for the first time. Many of the song generals digusted by the cowardly emperor began to retaliate, and Han had to gathered up what is left of his force and protect the throne. He successfully captured the renegade generals and scattered their forces. It is stated that Han actually condemns the emperor and the emperor apologized and finally show signs of making better support for the generals defending china.Despite early successes of the Jurchens, the Jurchens was beaten off by another general, Yue Fei in series of battles. The Jurchens under a crowned prince, with a large force of hundred thousand force decided to avoid Yue and and took a route to cross a to invade capital and abducted another emperor. A large force was assembled in a mountain near the mouth of the river, and Han along with his wife hurried to take command of it. In his journey, he stayed in a local temple where he came face to face with few Jin Generals and over hundred Jurchen warriors. Despite the factm Han only had a few guards and his wife along with them, they manage to fend them off and took the heads of some Jin Generals. The group arrived shortly at the mouth of the river.
The Battle of Huantindang
The battle that soon to take place will be known as Huantindang (黃天蕩), the outnumbered chinese forces stay quiet for a while. Han gave false impressions that his soldiers have to retreat to a temple up a mountain which the Jurchens thought of it as a time they can easily captured him. Little did they know, it is a trap that Han deployed for them. As the Jurchen commander entered the templed, he was surrounded by a few well trained riders, and his branch is completely cut off with the others by chinese troops hiding in the road up the mountain. It aroused a popular saying of the time, " a hundred thousand lured to a trap, and it takes only eight thousand riders to cut them off." 十萬敵兵來假道，八千驍騎截中流.On the otherhand, the Jin Navy on the river was checked by a new invetion of the Chinese,the Tiger Ships, which can split fire from its front using flamethrowing technology imported from the Middleast through Arab mariners. They attacked hearing the signal of Liang Hongyu who beat the wardrums in a hill nearby. The tiger ships quickly pierce through Jin ships and the Jin Navy was in the edge of being routed by their enemies. The Jurchens were trapped for forty days where almost half their force was routed, and the Jin prince who commanded the Jurchen army even sent messangers to the chinese commander and offered bribes to them to beg for mercy. Han neglect the request, yet, the Jurchens did escaped through a loophole in Han's surroundment due to the lack of soldiers. The position was given out by a traitor in the ranks of Song. Despite, the ability to escape, the Jurchens was checked by General Yue Fei and almost entirely routed before they get back to Jin territory. The thrid nnvasion was again a military diseaster for the Jurchens.
The Fourth Invasion of the Jurchens
The Jurchens again assembled another force, consisting seventy men in Ad 1137 and began the fourth invasion. Losing many experienced soldiers through the previous invasions, the Jurchens this time with yet poorer results and after a few battles are almost completely routed. The Chinese force under Yue Fei and Han Shizhong quickly took advantage of the situation and began a counterattack. In less than a year time, the Chinese almost reached the Jin Capital.
Later part of his life
The night before they entered the Jin Capital, the emperor of China showned worries about saving the two previous emperors in the Jin Capital and order the general to come back. The generals neglected the idea at first, but the emperor began to sent more letters and even threats on killing the soldiers' families. Yue Fei woed in tears and stated, "Thrity years of effort now in wasted." The general were called back to Court, and this time meet with the wicked chancellor Qin Hui and many of the treacherous officials and generals who did little effort to defend their country. They jailed general Yue fei and was about to sentenced him. Han asked, "What crime had Yue commited?" to Qin Hui. Qin Hui simply stated, "Not Neccessary" Han then replied,"How can you can convinced people with "Not Necessary"?" Later, Han was so outraged than he laughed and throw his helmet and sword of him, which are both symbols of the a chinese general. He tackled the emperor and Qin Hui with insultful words, " They bought their nations into ruins and there will no longer be any more able generals that will fight for the Song." Soon, he retired from military service and when General Yue was executed, he neglect Imperial decree to arrest Yue's family, and escorted the Yue Family into safety. He and his family retreated into the rural areas and die in the year 1151.Achievements
Han Shizhong was credited to invented many military invetions, amongst various modified armor and bows, horse jumping obstacle that trained calvaries and the archery range to train the accuracy of archers and mounted archers. His military career enabled China to surived the Jurchen invasion and along with Yue Fei, they crumpled the Powerful Jin Military. It is because of this lack to the decline of the militaristic Jin, and ables the rise of Genghis Khan and the Mongols.
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