I became a saint by picking up corpses in Water Margin

Chapter 356 The Hunt Begins
The war had just begun, and although Song Jiang's side responded hastily, the situation was far from collapse. So when they heard the sound of the horn, the soldiers on both sides were stunned, but they responded subconsciously.

Qin Ming and other generals covered the large group and fought while retreating, while Wu Song, Yan Qing and others pursued them in victory, until they chased them ten miles away and Licheng appeared in front of them, and the attacking and defending soldiers stopped at the same time.

Ruan Xiaoqi experienced the thrill of killing the enemy on horseback for the first time. He found that the people around him suddenly slowed down or even stopped. He quickly turned his horse around and came back to find Wu Song.

"What's wrong with you? Keep killing!"

"Something weird."

"What's so strange?" Seeing Wu Song frowning, Ruan Xiaoqi immediately tried to comfort him based on his own understanding: "Brother, are you saying that Song Jiang should retreat? Of course he has to retreat since he can't win."

"You can't say that. Song Jiang retreated before he was defeated today. This move is really strange. Maybe it was Wu Yong's plan. Besides, the sun is blazing high in the sky now. The soldiers are prone to fever. I don't think it's advisable to pursue them further."

"What's the point of planning? Apart from trying to win people over, what other plans does Wu Yong have? Isn't it just that he lost the battle and we took the initiative? Today's opportunity is really rare, we'd better eliminate him in one fell swoop!"

"Don't get excited, Xiao Qi."

Yan Qing and Ruan Xiaoqi expressed their own opinions, but Wu Song agreed with the former and said, "General Manager Yan has made thorough considerations. I don't care whether it is Song Jiang or Wu Yong's plan. Anyway, Licheng is right in front of us. It happens that the temperature is not suitable for pursuit at this time. We might as well go into the city to rest and understand the situation with Sun Li and others before making plans."

"Ah? Just let Song Jiang get away like that?"

Ruan Xiaoqi's tone clearly showed that he had not yet had enough killing.

Yan Qing added, "Based on my understanding of Song Jiang, he won't give up so quickly. And once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Since he took the initiative to stir up trouble, the King of Jin will definitely not let it go. So he must have other plans, but we don't know."

"correct."

Ruan Xiaoqi was originally feeling disappointed, but suddenly an idea occurred to him and he shouted excitedly, "Didn't my sister-in-law capture Dong Ping? This guy is a general under Song Jiang, he must know the tricks of the black man, bring him out and torture him severely."

"Song Jiang hasn't gone far yet, and this place is not suitable for torture. Let's go into the city first."

"Brother is right. You lead the main force into the city to join Chief Steward Sun first. I will lead a team to continue surveillance to prevent Song Jiang from playing tricks."

"Thank you, Brother Xiaoyi. See you in Licheng later."

Wu Song bowed to Yan Qing and said goodbye, then immediately led his army to Licheng.

Song Jiang had no time to attack the city in the past two days, but the continuous military mobilization made the defenders suspicious. Even though there were only a small number of surveillance troops outside the city, Sun Li did not dare to send anyone out to confirm.

There was no way. He had too few troops, and Song Jiang had blocked the way to the west. When the hope of breaking out became slim, he could only stay in Licheng and wait for an opportunity.

It was not until the reinforcements showed up today that Sun Li believed that it was not Song Jiang's plan. He then took several key defenders in the city and went out of the south gate of Licheng two miles to meet Wu Song.

After some greetings and reminiscing about the past, Sun Li led the reinforcements into the city.

As Wu Song walked along the way, he learned the details of the loss of Fengyue Pass and She County, as well as the strength of Song Jiang's troops.

Afterwards, they arrived at the Licheng government office, and the brothers took seats according to their official positions.

As the son-in-law of the emperor, Yang Chang's sworn brother and second-in-command, and also the main commander of the reinforcements, Wu Song should have sat in the main seat and issued orders, but he insisted on following Hu Sanniang to the main seat.

Although Hu Sanniang was Yang Chang's wife, she had always taken care of the family and did not interfere in military and political affairs. Usually she only managed the Sparrow Army on behalf of Yang Chang. At this time, her status rose to that of a princess, but her prestige and power were not as great as Wu Song's.

If Yang Chang had not helped her break through Qi Refining before the march and obtained the morale-boosting [Cihang] attribute, she would not have replaced the warlike Qiu Qiongying this time. However, she always took Wu Song as the main person during the march, and the generals in the tent were always in second place.

So when faced with Wu Song's repeated requests, Hu Sanniang showed a puzzled expression and asked curiously: "Second brother, why are you so polite today? I have no experience in commanding a large army. I have always been the second in command in the army and obeyed orders. I can just do it as usual."

"No."

Wu Song interrupted him with a wave of his hand, and said sternly: "In the army, you can be simple, but in the government office, you can't mess up the hierarchy. My sister-in-law is now the princess, so you should sit in the honorable position."

"Can"

"Captain Wu is right. It is natural for the princess to sit in the main seat. Even if the Prince of Jin were here, wouldn't you sit next to him?"

Hu Sanniang wanted to refute, but was interrupted by Gu Dasao before she could say anything. She had no choice but to wait for her to finish speaking before continuing to express her concerns.

"The main thing is that I am sitting in the main seat. I have no ideas and cannot make decisions. It is the same as not sitting there. Dong Ping will be brought to trial later. Wouldn't it be a joke for outsiders?"

"He is a prisoner, captured by my brother and sister-in-law. If he dares to ridicule me, Wu Song will beat him with his fists!"

"Please take a seat, Princess!"

Mrs. Gu took the lead in making a commotion, and everyone in the hall echoed her. Hu Sanniang had no choice but to sit on the main seat in the south for the first time in her military uniform.

"I cannot refuse such a kind invitation. I will take the place of King Jin, but I will have to trouble my second brother to preside over the subsequent interrogation and discussion."

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. This is what we should do."

Wu Song bowed to Hu Sanniang, then sat down at her head with his sword and horse, and shouted to the guards at the door, "Bring Dong Ping to the hall!"

"Yes!"

Soon, several guards brought Dong Ping, whose hands were tied, into the hall, pushing and shoving him.

Looking at Hu Sanniang on the stage in front of him, Dong Ping wanted to hate her but couldn't. Who could fall into the same pit twice? And the familiar faces on both sides reminded him of the past.

At that time, when Dong Ping was brought before Song Jiang, it was exactly the same scene. It is possible that the old brothers present witnessed Song Jiang treating the wise man with respect.

Are they going to do the same old trick today?

Hu Sanniang sat in the main seat. Does this mean that Yang Chang was cursed by witchcraft and that Hedong is now ruled by women?

Can I agree to this?
"Dong Ping, tell me."

"An? Tell me? What?"

Wu Song stood up and walked in front of him, looking at him like the tiger on Jingyang Ridge, bringing Dong Ping, who was daydreaming, back to reality, and startled him so much that he subconsciously shrank back.

Hu Sanniang hasn't even opened her mouth yet, but Wu Song stood up first. Could it be that they are not trying to surrender, but want to kill me?

"Don't play dumb. Why did Song Jiang retreat today? What is his conspiracy with Wu Yong? If you don't want to suffer, tell the truth!"

"This"

Dong Ping was stunned when he heard this, and asked with a bitter face: "I was captured by the general, how can I know what happened afterwards?"

Ruan Xiaoqi also stood up, frowned and stared at him, asking: "Isn't this the plan of Song Jiang and Wu Yong?"

"How could this be premeditated? General Song has twice as many troops as you do. He had no reason to retreat. Perhaps it was because Guo Sheng was injured and I was captured that you launched a surprise attack?"

"You really don't know?"

"If I really knew something, I wouldn't have fought today."

Although Dong Ping looked distressed and had other guesses in his mind, he didn't know what the future would be like, so he was unwilling to say it out for the time being.

If Yang Chang is dead, even if he surrenders to Hu Sanniang, he will have no future and will have to give up everything he has. His family in Yingtian will also suffer. If he can endure until Song Jiang wins, he will still have a chance in life.

So, hold on.

Don't be like Zhu Gui, who confessed everything after being captured. Not only did he fail to become a guest of honor here, but he also offended his former master Song Jiang. That would be a waste of time.

Seeing that he could not get the truth out of Dong Ping, Wu Song had Dong Ping taken away and put him in jail, intending to make further decisions after Yang Chang returned.

As soon as Dong Ping was led out of the hall, Mrs. Gu suggested mysteriously, "Captain Wu, why don't we lock Dong Ping and Zhu Gui up together? Maybe we can get some information out of them." "Hmm?"

Wu Song blinked, and he suddenly remembered that when he was a captain, Yang Chang had taught him an interrogation method, which was to use the confessions obtained during separate interrogations to continue to extract the truth from the person.

Isn't it that Mrs. Gu's idea is to create an opportunity for collusion? Isn't the desired intelligence here?
"Wonderful."

Wu Song nodded and praised, "No wonder everyone praises my sister-in-law as a female Zhuge Liang. I didn't expect you to have such a flexible mind. I'll leave this matter to you. Report any good news to me in time."

"Don't worry, Commander. I will definitely take care of it." Mrs. Gu agreed without hesitation, and before leaving, she did not forget to say goodbye to Hu Sanniang, "Princess, I'm leaving now."

"Good work."

"As you should, Boss, let's go."

Watching the backs of Sun Xin and his wife leaving, Ruan Xiaoqi curiously asked Wu Song: "Brother, what did she mean just now? Why didn't I understand?"

"I can't say for sure. We'll know when we see."

Wu Song shook his head, then looked at Sun Li and asked, "By the way, Chief Steward Sun, Licheng has been under siege for a long time. How much food and grass are left? Has the order in the city been greatly affected? What are the casualties in the early stage?"

"Return to the Captain."

Sun Li stood up and answered them one by one with his fists clasped: "Licheng is an important town in Luzhou, and the military treasury is still sufficient."

Hu Sanniang, who was sitting in the main seat, heard that some people were worried about Yang Chang's safety and caused a lot of panic among the people, so she volunteered and said, "The panic is caused by King Jin. I need to come forward to appease them and not let Song Jiang take advantage of the opportunity."

"The princess is a noble lady."

"You gave me my identity. I am just an ordinary person. Before King Jin went to the capital, he also told me to visit the people more often and encourage them."

"Don't worry, Steward Sun. The princess often went deep into the people in Yangqu and encouraged the soldiers in the army. Everyone supports and recognizes her, so she can really solve the difficulties in Licheng."

With Wu Song's help, how could Sun Li say no? He immediately said that he would wait for Mrs. Gu to come back and let her take Hu Sanniang to inspect the city.

Mrs. Gu had not returned from the prison deployment yet, and Yan Qing, who had been following her outside the city, returned first.

Ruan Xiaoqi was even more excited than Wu Song when he saw him. He rushed to the door and asked expectantly, "Brother Xiaoyi, did Song Heizi run away?"

"No." Yan Qing shook his head solemnly and said sternly: "Song Jiang retreated to the Wuliu Forest in the east of the city. It seems that he has a backup plan."

"Liulin?"

When Sun Li heard these two words, he also stood up excitedly and added: "That's where he originally camped. Wu Yong's original camp was also there!"

"What on earth does this fellow mean?"

Ruan Xiaoqi expressed everyone's thoughts, and Wu Song analyzed and shook his head.

"Today's withdrawal is strange. Could it be that they want to trap us in Licheng, but their troops are not enough to trap us, or will they bypass Licheng and attack the more empty cities in the rear?"

"Isn't that possible? If the supply line is bypassed, it will be gone. Isn't he afraid that the army will run out of food?"

"What is he afraid of? Brother Xiaoyi, have you forgotten what we did before? If the army is out of food, we can just get it from the locals. Can we let Hei Sanlang starve?"

"hiss"

Yan Qing and Ruan Xiaoqi answered one after another, making the hall quiet in an instant.

Chirp. Chirp.
The chirping of cicadas outside the house disturbed the ears, making everyone inside the house feel upset.

This group of people are all rough and unkempt men who are not afraid of using fists and weapons, but it is indeed difficult for them to use their brains to compete with Song Jiang.

At this time, Hu Sanniang saw Sister Gu appear, so she stood up and walked down the stairs to say to everyone, "Everyone, please take your time to discuss. Sister Gu and I will go to the city to inspect it and do our part."

"Sister-in-law, protect the princess!"

Sun Li's subconscious polite words caused Mrs. Gu to smile, "Uncle, what are you talking about? The princess's martial arts are much better than mine. You two can have a good chat first. I will help my sister-in-law cook in the evening and make some delicious dishes for the brothers to drink with."

"Uh, okay."

Without Hu Sanniang present, no one could come to a conclusion. Wu Song then ordered Sun Li to reinforce the city's defenses, and he and Yan Qing went to the camp to inspect and comfort the people. He thought that no matter what schemes Song Jiang played, he would be right to defend Licheng.

At night, after helping Mrs. Le in the kitchen, Mrs. Gu ran to the prison to replace Sun Xin, so that her husband could have more contact with Wu Song and others.

Sun Xin can now kill Yan Shun alone. He is no longer a small-time scoundrel who sells wine and runs a shop. He has the ability to sit at the same table with Sun Li and others.

Wu Song knew about his performance, so he showed him enough respect at the banquet and raised his glass to toast him several times, as a response to the Dengzhou faction.

The heroes were drinking enthusiastically when Gu Dasao suddenly appeared in a hurry, running and shouting: "Brothers, I have important information. Song Jiang is waiting for the Jin army to come to help!"

"what?"

Everyone lost interest immediately. Several brothers who were originally drunk were awakened at this moment and gathered around to ask for details.

After hearing this, Ruan Xiaoqi cursed: "Song Jiang colluded with Jin Gou. If I had known that he wanted to delay time, I should have chased him down today!"

"it's useless."

Yan Qing waved his hands helplessly, muttering, "Song Jiang has twice as many troops as us. He took the initiative to retreat today to preserve his strength. We can't kill him no matter how hard we try. Even if he fails, we can still retreat to Shexian and hold on until the Jin soldiers come to help."

"We can't just sit there and do nothing. We'd better drive this traitor out of Fengyue Pass before the Jin army arrives!"

"It also."

"Xiao Qi is right. If we allow them to go along with the evil, the consequences will be disastrous. We must fight even if it is difficult, otherwise the people of Luzhou will suffer. They trust the King of Jin so much, and the King of Jin will definitely not want to see that. I have decided to take the initiative to attack tomorrow!"

Wu Song spoke with such conviction that Yan Qing and Sun Li felt that they had no chance of winning, but it was not easy for them to dissuade him. Instead, Sister Gu said cheerfully, "I have thought of a way that may help us defeat Song Jiang in one fell swoop!"

"Speak quickly!"

"So and so."

Mrs. Gu explained the plan in a few words, and everyone at the table applauded.

Wu Song immediately ended the banquet and ordered everyone to go to the camp immediately to prepare for the decisive battle tomorrow.

On May 22, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

The soldiers from Licheng appeared outside Song Jiang's camp, but the other side seemed to have guessed it and had already lined up there to wait for the enemy.

The morning light shines on the soldiers, and the golden light illuminates the earth.

A big war is ready to begin.

Directly north of the battlefield, on the banks of the Sanggan River in Datong, Yunzhong Prefecture, the rising sun shone on the grass by the river and on the backs of two riders, one of whom had a bald head that was shining with golden light.

On the ridge on the south bank of the Sanggan River, a pair of sharp eyes were staring down the mountain, watching the two running black shadows.

A hunt is about to begin.

(End of this chapter)