直捣黄龙 — “Strike directly at Huanglong”

The idiom '直捣黄龙' (zhí dǎo huáng lóng) originates from the Southern Song Dynasty and is famously associated with the renowned general Yue Fei. Yue Fei was a brilliant military strategist and a paragon of loyalty.

He learned martial arts from his mentor Zhou Tong, and after Zhou Tong's death, Yue Fei would visit his grave monthly to sweep it. His father encouraged him, saying, 'If you ever have the chance to serve the country, you should do so with the same dedication!' In the fourth year of Xuanhe, Yue Fei joined the army. His exceptional bravery and skill in battle led him to rise rapidly from a common soldier to a respected leader.

He treated his subordinates with great kindness and generosity: when a soldier fell ill, he would personally brew medicine for them; if a soldier died in battle, he would ensure their family was cared for. All rewards from the imperial court were distributed among his troops. Before any military operation, he would gather his officers to discuss and finalize plans, ensuring his army remained calm even when encountering unexpected enemies.

Despite his benevolence, Yue Fei maintained extremely strict military discipline. On one occasion, a soldier took a hemp rope from a civilian to tie a saddle, and Yue Fei had him immediately executed according to military law. When the troops had to camp overnight, even if villagers offered shelter, no one dared to enter their homes. The common people respectfully called his forces the 'Yue Family Army' (岳家军) due to their impeccable conduct.

Over more than ten years, the Yue Family Army fought valiantly, recovering vast territories. During the decisive Battle of Zhuxian Town, they inflicted a crushing defeat on Jin Wuzhu, the Jin general. The Jin forces lost all morale, while the Song army's spirits soared. People in the Jin-occupied territories also rose in support, making the recovery of the Central Plains seem imminent.

Overjoyed, Yue Fei declared to his officers, 'We will march directly to Huanglongfu and drink heartily with all of you there!' (Huanglongfu, now in Nong'an, Jilin, was then the heartland of the Jin Kingdom.) This powerful declaration embodied his resolve to strike at the very core of the enemy's power and bring an end to the conflict.