When Yue Fei was around fifteen or sixteen years old, the Jurchens from the north invaded the south, and the corrupt and incompetent rulers of the Song Dynasty were continuously defeated, with the country at a critical juncture of life and death. Yue Fei joined the army to resist the Liao Dynasty. Soon after, due to the death of his father, he left the army and returned to his hometown to observe the mourning rites.

 

In 1126, when the Jurchen troops launched a large-scale invasion of the Central Plains, Yue Fei joined the army once again. Before departing, Lady Yao called Yue Fei to her side and asked, "Now that the country is in a time of crisis, what are your plans?"

 

"To go to the front line to fight the enemy and serve the country with utmost loyalty!"

 

Hearing her son's response, Lady Yao was very satisfied. "Serving the country with utmost loyalty" was exactly what she hoped for her son. She decided to tattoo these four words on his back to make him always remember them.

 

Yue Fei took off his upper garment, revealing his thin back, and asked his mother to begin the tattooing.

 

Lady Yao asked, "My child, the needle is very painful, are you afraid?"

 

Yue Fei replied, "Mother, a small needle is nothing. If I am afraid of a needle, how can I go to the front line to fight?"

 

Lady Yao first wrote the words on Yue Fei's back, then began to tattoo them with an embroidery needle. After the tattooing was done, Lady Yao applied vinegar ink. From then on, the words "Serving the country with utmost loyalty" were indelibly etched on Yue Fei's back. His mother's encouragement inspired Yue Fei. After joining the army, Yue Fei quickly rose to the rank of Bing Yi Lang due to his bravery in battle. At this time, the Song capital, Kaifeng, was besieged by the Jurchen army. Yue Fei went with Deputy Commander Zong Ze to the rescue and defeated the Jurchen army several times, earning Zong Ze's appreciation and praise, saying "His wisdom, bravery, talent, and the arts, ancient generals cannot surpass," and later became a famous hero in the resistance against the Jurchens, revered by people of all ages.