An article in the Hong Kong Wen Hui Bao stated that there is a part of our body whose hardness ranks second only to diamonds, which is the enamel covering the outside of the teeth. Although not thick, this enamel is very hard and is the hardest tissue in the human body. There is a saying, "Biting the teeth and swallowing blood," meaning it's not an easy thing for someone who does not have deep hatred to bite their own teeth until they break.
The article mentioned a historical anecdote called "Zhang Xun Chewing Teeth," which tells about a righteous man from history who had issues with his own teeth.
During the An Shi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, An Lushan was extremely arrogant, and wherever the rebel army went, they burned, killed, and looted. An Lushan's son, An Qingxu, sent General Yin Ziqi with an army of 100,000 troops to attack Suiyang. At that time, Zhang Xun, the Censor-in-Chief, was defending Suiyang. Seeing the enemy coming fiercely, he could only hold the city firmly. When commanding the battle, Zhang Xun was impassioned, shouting slogans to boost morale. Due to excessive anger, his eyes bled from straining, and his teeth made grinding sounds as many of them were broken.
Due to lack of external aid, Zhang Xun's army was besieged by the rebel forces for a long time, and supplies ran out. Many soldiers starved to death, and it seemed like they couldn't hold on any longer.
At this point, Zhang Xun presented his concubine to the officers and soldiers, saying: "We have been lacking food for a long time, but our loyalty and righteousness have not diminished. I regret that I cannot cut my own flesh for all of you to eat. How can I be reluctant to sacrifice a concubine while watching the soldiers starve?"
The soldiers below immediately erupted in protest: "You mustn't kill her!" "Even if you do, we won't eat!"...
But Zhang Xun didn't care about all that. With a heavy heart, he chopped up his concubine, cooked a large pot of soup, and forced the soldiers to eat it.
Imagine, could one concubine fill the stomachs of so many defenders of the city? Was Zhang Xun doing this to buy military loyalty or to boost morale?
Later, when the city of Suiyang fell, Zhang Xun became a captive. Yin Ziqi, the enemy general who had been blinded in one eye by Zhang Xun's men, had long heard the story of "Zhang Xun Chewing Teeth." He approached Zhang Xun and stared at him intently, saying, "I've heard that every time you fight, you strain your eyes until they bleed and grind your teeth until they break. Why go through such trouble?"
Zhang Xun replied, "I wanted to swallow all of you rebels, but unfortunately, I lacked the strength!" Yin Ziqi still had some doubts and used a big knife to pry open his mouth. Indeed, there were only three or four teeth left inside.
Zhang Xun then loudly cursed Yin Ziqi as a pig and a dog. Despite being somewhat magnanimous, Yin Ziqi was not angry. On the contrary, he was moved by Zhang Xun's loyalty and decided to treat him well. However, his subordinates kept advising him: "Don't waste your effort. This man is upright and loyal, and definitely will not serve you. Moreover, he has the support of the troops, so he cannot be kept alive for long!" It was then that Yin Ziqi developed murderous intentions.
Regarding the episode where Zhang Xun killed his concubine to reward the soldiers and strengthen their morale, Mr. Han Yu held a different opinion. He specifically wrote an article to investigate, stating that Zhang Xun killing his beloved concubine did not conform to the facts; actually, Zhang Xun's concubine committed suicide upon seeing the dire situation.
Mr. Han Yu might have somewhat embellished Zhang Xun's image. A person who could grind all their teeth to pieces must have a heart harder than their teeth. In a male-dominated society, at a moment of life and death, circumstances force people to change. Zhang Xun killing his concubine should be a certain fact.
Mr. Lu Xun said, "Being unfeeling does not necessarily make one a true hero, and loving one's child does not prevent one from being a man." From a humanitarian perspective, Zhang Xun does not count as a true hero.