Yue Yun: Loyal, Courageous, Kind and Devoted; His Name Lasts Forever (2 of 2)

Yue Yun witnessed the brutal killings and the devastation of his beautiful homeland by the Jin army. He was determined to join the army to serve his country. When he heard that his father was trapped on Mount Niutou while protecting Emperor Song Gaozong, and that the situation was very tense, he wrote a letter to his grandmother and left for Mount Niutou the same evening. Yue Yun rushed up the mountain, attacking the Jin camp along the way. Upon seeing seven truce tablets hanging outside his father's military camp, Yue Yun became very angry. He swung the silver maces and crushed the tablets into pieces. When Yue Fei realized that the person who disregarded military discipline was the son he had not seen for years, he was in great distress. However, to follow established military discipline, Yue Fei had to execute Yue Yun. The generals tried to dissuade Yue Fei and said, "Yue Yun is still young, and it's his first time committing a mistake. The reason why we hung the truce tablets is because no one in the Song military camp can defeat the Jin prince, Jin Wuzhu's son, Jin Chanzi. We suggest that Yue Yun fight the enemy and redeem himself." Yue Fei agreed to allow his son to face the enemy. The generals secretly suggested to Yue Yun, "If you cannot defeat the enemy, then at least try to get out of the enemy's camp and run home to your grandmother." Yue Yun did not let anyone down and was exceptionally brave. In front of the two armies, he struck Jin Chanzi to death with his silver maces. The Yue troop won the battle, and Yue Yun established great merit for dissolving the crisis at Mount Niutou.
Growing up in the military environment, Yue Yun gradually matured and became the young hero of the military in the battlefield. At every battle, Yue Yun was on the front line and won every single battle. He was nicknamed, "The Invincible One." When they regained Suizhou and Dengzhou cities, sixteen-year-old Yue Yun fought on the front line. He was invincible wherever he went. He was the first one to scale the walls at Suizhou City. Afterwards, he immediately led the troops toward the north and regained Dengzhou. When Jin Wuzhu attacked Xuchang City, Yue Fei ordered Yue Yun to lead the troops to meet the enemy head-on. During the close combat with the Jin army, Yue Yun took the lead and defeated the enemy with a surprise attack, and captured seventy-eight leaders of the Jin army. In this battle, Yue Yun destroyed Jin Wuzhu's might and increased the Yue army's morale. Jin Wuzhu was extremely shocked by their loss and sighed deeply, "It's easy to shake the mountain, but very difficult to shake the Yue army!" Several times, Yue Fei sent Yue Yun to transport rice to the victims who suffered from famine and to help people in dire distress. Yue Yun learned to be sympathetic to the soldiers and cared about the people. Therefore, he gained popularity with the officers and the commoners.

Yue Fei was extremely strict with Yue Yun. One time, Yue Yun fell off the horse during practice while wearing heavy armor. His father almost beheaded him. Although the generals pleaded against it, he still received forty stick beatings. Yue Yun excelled in both literature and martial arts, plus he had many accomplishments to his name. However, when Yue Fei reported the officers and soldiers' military accomplishments, he never mentioned Yue Yun's achievements. Furthermore, Yue Fei did not accept promotions offered to Yue Yun by the imperial court. Yue Yun was very much influenced by his father's desire for a simple life. Yue Fei disliked the fraudulent behavior of politicians, and was known for his loyal, honest, and upright character. At a young age, Yue Yun had little desire for fame and profit, and didn't worry about his father not reporting his military accomplishments. He paid no attention to any of that, as he only wanted to regain the lost territory and his homeland, so Yue Yun only held lowly titles. When men of outstanding talent, intelligence, and courage came to have martial arts matches with him, Yue Yun made friends and created a pact with them to serve the country together.

Minister Qin Hui framed Yue Fei using fabricated charges. When he thought about Yue Yun and Yue Fei's courageous general, Zhang Xian, Qin Hui forged Yue Fei's handwriting and wrote a letter to Yue Yun and Zhang Xian. They were deceived by the letter and were also imprisoned. One of Yue Fei's generals, Zhang Bao, came to visit them in prison and pleaded with Yue Fei, "Let's fight our way out." Yue Fei replied, "Since ancient times, loyal officials have not been afraid of death. Let's see how long that traitor is going to last under the broad daylight!" Zhang Bao then asked the other two, and they responded, "I am a loyal official, and I am a devoted son. If Yue Fei does not leave, then how can the two of us leave?"

Qin Hui killed Yue Fei, Yue Yun, and Zhang Xian on the eve of the Chinese New Year in 1142 AD. People were in tears when they heard the news, and they hated Qin Hui. They made flour dough into a human shape, fried it in a wok, and named it "Pan-Fried Hui." Later on, they cast galvanized iron into the shape of Qin Hui, and made it kneel in front of Yue Fei's grave.

The righteous ones will eventually triumph, and the evildoers will forever be cast down and remembered in the hall of shame. History and people will clearly show who is righteous and who is evil, and who is the true hero!
A poem was written to praise Yue Yun: "A brave young man goes to the battlefield, his high aspiration and strong spirit melt the autumn frost. He gains high honor by serving the country and the people. His name will be praised forever!"

岳云: 忠勇仁孝　英名永存  (下)

岳云目睹金兵对自己同胞的残害、对锦绣河山的蹂躏，更坚定了他从军报国的意愿。当他得知父亲岳飞为保宋高宗被围困在牛头山上、军情十分紧急时，他给祖母写下留言后独自夜奔牛头山，杀透番营，冲上了山，见父亲的军营外挂著七道免战牌，非常愤怒，举起手中银锤将牌子砸的粉碎。岳飞见破坏军纪的却是几年未见的儿子岳云，他十分痛心，但为了整肃军纪，岳飞欲斩岳云以正军法。众将苦劝，说道：「岳云年轻，又是初犯。再有挂免战牌只因金兀术儿子金蝉子宋营中无人能敌，不如让岳云迎敌，戴罪立功。」岳飞同意让岳云出马，众将悄悄告诉岳云：战不过时，打出番营跑回祖母那儿去。岳云不负众望，骁勇异常，两军阵前，以银锤将金蝉子击毙，岳军得胜，为解牛头山之危立下大功。

在岳家军中，岳云渐渐成熟，成为战场上勇冠三军的少年英雄。岳飞各次征伐，岳云首当其冲，战无不胜，军中称他为「赢官人」。在收复随州、邓州等地时，十六岁的岳云一路冲锋在前，所向披靡，第一个登上了随州城垣。紧接着又率军北征，收复了邓州。金兀术攻打许昌时，岳飞令岳云率军迎战，岳云与金兵短兵相接，他身先士卒，出奇制胜，大败金兵并生擒大小首领七十八人。这一仗，岳云大灭了金兀术的威风，长了岳家军的气势。对此，金兀术大为震惊，曾仰天长叹道：「撼山易，撼岳家军难！」岳飞还多次派遣岳云运米赈济饥民，解救百姓急难，所以岳云也体恤士卒，爱护百姓，深受将士和百姓们的拥戴。

岳飞对岳云要求非常严格。一次岳云披着重甲练习从马上不慎摔下，差点被父亲斩首，众将苦求，但仍被重责四十军棍。岳云文武双全，功绩卓越，但岳飞在一般情况下，只报将士们的战功，却对岳云的战功都压下不上报，并且多次拒绝朝廷为岳云加官。岳云受父亲生活简朴、厌恶官场欺诈、忠诚正直的品行所感染，小小年纪就懂的淡泊名利，所以他对于父亲多番不报战绩总是泰然处之。他从不在意，心中只想收复中原，收复祖国河山，所以一直只任武翼郎、左武大夫、忠州防御使等职。一些豪杰之士慕岳云之名找他来比试武功，岳云就与他们结为兄弟，共同报效国家。

秦桧以「莫须有」的罪名陷害岳飞，想到岳云、岳飞的部将张宪有万夫不挡之勇，就仿照岳飞笔迹写信把他二人也骗到狱中。岳飞部将张保到狱中看望他们，请求说：「我们打出去吧。」岳飞说：「自古忠臣不怕死，天日昭昭，看那奸臣能受用到几时！」张保又问岳云、张宪二人，二人说：「为臣尽忠，为子尽孝，父亲不出去，我二人如何出去！」

一一四二年除夕之夜岳飞、岳云及张宪一起被秦桧害死，全国人民闻之无不下泪。百姓们人人痛恨秦桧，他们把面食捏成人形，放入油锅炸，并取名「油炸桧」。后来，人们又用白铁铸成秦桧等人像长跪在岳飞墓前。
正义必胜，小丑和邪恶必将永远被钉在历史的耻辱柱上遗臭万年。历史和人民明辨：甚么是正义，甚么是邪恶，甚么是真正的英雄本色！

后有诗赞岳云：「年少威风上战场，凌云壮气傲秋霜。为国为民终永誉，留得英名万古扬！」