Through the tragedy of Yue Fei's execution, Han realized the extent of the rampant corruption throughout the Song imperial court, and retired from military service afterward.

He was born in a time when China was under constant threats by stronger bordering nations: notably the Tanguts' Western Xia, the Khitans' Liao dynasty and the Jurchens' Jin Empire.

In 1105, the Tanguts' kingdom of Xi Xia attacked China and Han Shizhong was conscripted into military service.

[2] In the war against Xi Xia, Han Shizhong distinguished himself by slaying an enemy officer in battle and was given a rank.

Han led Song Jiang's army offensive against the Liao and these stories were written in the Water Margin.

Liang approached Han and asked him why he wasn't showing any signs of joy in the banquet which was thrown in his honor.

The crown prince who would become Emperor Gaozong (宋高宗) successfully reached Henan (河南商丘), ascended the throne and established the Southern Song dynasty.

Meanwhile, while under siege, Zong Ze (宗泽), the Chinese general guarding the northern capital, Kaifeng (開封), was so angered that he felt ill knowing no reinforcements would be sent, and died shortly after, on 1 August 1128.

Many of the Song generals, disgusted by the cowardly emperor, began to retaliate, and Han had to gather up what was left of his force and protect the throne.

A force consisting of local militias and a few well trained soldiers was assembled in a mountain near the Yangtse River, and Han along with his wife hurried to take command of it.

Han gave the false impression that his soldiers had to retreat to a temple up a mountain, which the Jurchens thought of as a time when they could easily captured him.

As the Jurchen commander Jin Wuzhu (金兀术) entered the temple, he was surrounded by a few well trained riders, and he and men in his group were completely cut off from the others by Chinese troops hiding in the road up the mountain.

[citation needed] The Jin navy on the river was checked by a new invention of the Chinese, the tiger ship, which could spill fire from its front using flamethrowing technology imported from the Middle East by way of Arab mariners.

Eventually the Jurchens escaped through a hole in Han's encirclement due to the lack of soldiers—the weakness was revealed by a Song traitor.

Losing many experienced soldiers through the previous invasions, the Jurchens this time had poorer results and after a few battles were almost completely routed.

The Chinese force under Yue Fei and Han Shizhong quickly took advantage of the situation and began a counterattack.

The generals avoided the idea at first, but the emperor began to send more letters and even threatened killing the soldiers' families.

They imprisoned General Yue Fei and were about to sentence him when Han Shizhong asked Qin Hui, "Upon what charges?".

He attacked the emperor and Qin Hui with these insulting words: "They brought their nations into ruins, and there will no longer be any more able generals that will fight for the Song."

[citation needed] People often saw Han riding a donkey along the West Lake, taking a bottle of wine, and sitting and sprinkling a bit of it upon Yue's grave.