I became a saint by picking up corpses in Water Margin

Chapter 370: Playing Pigs to Eat Tigers, Seeing Through with the Eyes of the Law

Normally, the two families were allies, and they should have been notified if the Jin people made any big moves, but Song Jiang was a little impatient at this time.

It was inappropriate for him to ask immediately, so he and Wu Yong waited at the intersection under the scorching sun, intending to wait for the retreating Jin army to pass through and ask a question at the same time.

The Jin army moved quickly. The first group of troops led the way and arrived in less than half an hour. The leading general was Xishi, Wushi's confidant and deputy.

When Song Jiang saw this, he was delighted and thought to himself that if this man went back to report to Nianhan, perhaps Wushi would stay and eliminate Yang Chang?

Thinking of this, Hei Sanlang rode his horse and smiled as he went forward, clasped his fists in greeting and asked knowingly, "General Xishi, what are you doing?"

"I have been ordered by the Marshal to open the way. I have come to inform General Song that you should cooperate in opening Fengyue Pass. My army will leave the pass soon."

"Of course I will cooperate, but you just arrived, why are you leaving now?"

"This is a summons from the capital marshal, but the reason is unknown."

Xi Shi's answer was flawless. Song Jiang was very depressed, but he still held on to hope and asked with a smile, "Are the general's troops leaving?"

"Everyone is leaving!"

"what?"

Song Jiang got the answer to this question. He looked at Wu Yong in disbelief and asked excitedly, "We have fought so hard to get this situation. If we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to get it again. I wonder if this is your idea or Marshal Wushi's idea?"

"This is the order of the Grand Marshal, and the Grand Marshal Wushi must obey it."

"But I will be outside"

"General."

Seeing that Song Jiang was still arguing, Wu Yong pulled his sleeve and whispered to him, "General Xishi is following orders, we just need to cooperate. It's best to discuss other matters with Marshal Wushi."

"Makes sense."

Song Jiang nodded slightly, and immediately clasped his fists towards Xi Shi and said, "I will send someone to pass the order to open the gate immediately. The general will be released when he passes by later. May I ask where Marshal Wu Shi is now?"

"The Marshal is in the central army right now. If General Song wants to see you, please go there yourself."

The 100,000 Jin troops set up camps for ten miles, and it would take a long time to dismantle the baggage, so it would take too long to finish the journey in one afternoon. Xi Shi set out first at this time, also returning to Cizhou to prepare for the return, but Wu Shi was not in a hurry to leave.

Song Jiang also thought of this and thought he could convince him, so he clasped his fists and said goodbye, "Okay, please do as you please, Commander-in-Chief."

"Captain, should I go and see off the Commander-in-Chief of the Xishi Office, or should I accompany you to the Jinying?"

"You accompany the governor out of the customs, and I can go alone to meet him."

"understood."

Wu Yong thought that if Wu Qimai died, it would be almost impossible to persuade Wu Shi to stay, and it would not make much sense for him to go with him, so he did not follow Song Jiang to give advice.

Song Jiang's heart was full of ups and downs, but now he had completely calmed down. He didn't want to hear Wu Yong's bad words, and still had the fantasy that he could convince Wu Shi.

As the name suggests, the central army of the Jin camp is located in the middle of the ten-mile camp. This can prevent the ally (Song Jiang) from backstabbing, or provide a buffer for Yang Chang's attack, and will not easily affect the command center.

As Song Jiang moved forward, he saw that the nearby camps were being dismantled. He wanted to whip his horse faster, but the area they were traveling in was the Jin army's defense zone and no one was allowed to ride fast, so the scenery along the way was all about dismantling camps and setting up camps.

Fortunately, when we reached the vicinity of the central army, we saw no more signs of evacuation.

He patted his chest and kept comforting himself in his heart: It doesn't matter, even if only half of the troops are left, it is still five times the strength of Commander Yang, and when combined with his own 10,000 people, the advantage is still very obvious.

After being informed by the guards, Song Jiang entered the Jin army tent. He saw that except Wu Shi, all the other generals were not there, and his heart sank again.

Aren't they all preparing to withdraw their troops?

"Marshal Wushi."

"We are not outsiders. General Song, please take a seat."

Wu Shi saw Song Jiang saluting, so he politely invited him to come forward and sit down, and asked, "We have been ordered by the Grand Marshal to return to Hebei soon. Do you know that General Song knows?"

"Got it. Song is here for this purpose. Marshal, do you really want to withdraw everyone?"

"What else? That's an order from the Grand Marshal."

"We can't miss the chance to capture Hedong. Even if there is something very important, we should take our time. We Han people have an old saying: 'A general is not subject to the orders of the king when he is away from home.' Besides, the Grand Marshal is not the king."

Before Song Jiang finished speaking, he heard Wu Shi teasingly retorting, "Your Song generals like to act on their own, so their fighting ability is not strong. We Jurchen men obey orders and will obey our superiors absolutely. I will not disobey orders."

"No, I didn't ask the Marshal to disobey orders, but is there a compromise? You should know Dai Zong's ability. You can ask him to go to Yanjing to meet Marshal Nianhandu and report the various losses of retreating at this time. Maybe he will support you to stay."

"I don't think this is necessary?"

Seeing Wushi's calm answer, Song Jiang hurriedly added, "Since General Xishi has already set out, it doesn't matter if you are a little late, right? Didn't Salihe return? Once he finds out the strength of Shexian County, we can use the existing forces to attack. It should be relatively smooth by then. The wall of Shexian County is only a dozen feet high, so it is easy to attack."

"Chief Yang is not simple!"

"No matter how extraordinary he is, he is still a mortal. The key is how many generals of the Jin Kingdom did he kill? If the Marshal captures him and brings him back to Yanjing, wouldn't that be a great achievement?"

Although Song Jiang was like a pimp, talking nonsense, Wu Shi's expression remained calm.

"The commander-in-chief's order is not negotiable. I have sent scouts to call back Salihe. Tomorrow, all 100,000 troops will leave the border. Captain Song, please stop trying to persuade us. If you think this is a rare opportunity, why don't you ask your emperor for more troops?"

"This"

Song Jiang was instantly rendered powerless, thinking that the imperial court was now surrounded by enemies, so how could it mobilize all its troops to deal with Yang Chang?

The most important thing is that this is his opponent. If Yang Chang is defeated by other generals, where will he put his face? Will he still have a place in the court?

Thinking of all this, Song Jiang suddenly leaned forward and asked the core question, "As the saying goes, everything happens for a reason. Marshal Nianhandu insisted on recalling 100,000 troops. It can't be a whim, right? Could it be that something big happened in the Kingdom of Jin?"

"Ok?"

Wushi's eyes were evasive, and he was caught by Song Jiang without realizing it. He said casually: "Although I don't know the reason for the withdrawal, it should be a normal military deployment. You should know that we are the Western Route Army, and our defense areas are all stationed in the front line of guarding Yunzhong Prefecture. In short, don't make blind guesses. This matter has nothing to do with the Jin Kingdom."

"Oh, I see."

After hearing this, Song Jiang knew that he could no longer persuade him, so he said goodbye and left immediately.

The messengers all admitted that something big had happened in the capital, but Wushi swore that it had nothing to do with the Jin Kingdom. What could this mean if he had something to hide?
But once the Jin army left, Song Jiang would have trouble defending Fengyue Pass, not to mention attacking Shexian County for revenge, because this pass mainly defends the north, and everything to the south is a camp, which is equivalent to fighting the enemy with your back exposed. Song Jiang rode back to the camp and saw Wu Yong waiting at the gate from afar. He couldn't wait to communicate when they met.

Wu Yong heard what he had guessed, so he suggested, "Since the Jin army's retreat is irreversible and we can't deal with Yang Chang independently, why don't we think about the aftermath in advance?"

"Cleaning up the aftermath? Is it possible to do so? The Jin people have wronged me!"

Song Jiang clenched his fists and shook them. He wanted to curse but was afraid of losing his composure in the camp, so he started cursing after entering the big tent. "You son of a bitch Jin people, why didn't you tell me earlier if you couldn't fight? You've caused me to lose many soldiers and generals."

"Fengyue Pass is definitely not something we can defend, and based on Chief Yang's previous habits, he probably won't leave Taihang now. Why don't we take the initiative to show our good will and give it up, and then send someone to negotiate peace with him?"

"Now the situation is like fire and water. Even if he wants to make peace, I don't want to!"

"Don't say angry words, Commander."

Wu Yong fanned Song Jiang and patiently advised him, "There are no absolute enemies in this world. Although Yang Chang is hateful, he is very powerful. It is actually good for us to have him help contain the Jin Kingdom."

"What do you mean?"

"Taiwei, think about it. The Jin people are now entrenched in Hebei. If they want to go south, they can attack the capital. They have always been a great concern for us. If we can take advantage of the civil unrest in the Jin Dynasty to recapture Hebei and regain the Great Wall, not only will your Majesty's territory be expanded, but you will also have a barrier in the north. Your Majesty's prestige will easily surpass Zhao Huan. Who will then accuse us of selling out our country?"

"hiss"

Song Jiang took a deep breath and imagined himself taking back Hebei for the Song Dynasty. Perhaps he would have a chance to be crowned king?
I want to be crowned king too!

However, Yang Chang is not easy to deal with at the moment, but the Jin army is not a pushover either. With only these few soldiers left, how can he conquer Hebei?

Wu Yong seemed to see his worry and immediately followed up with a reminder, saying: "Recovering Hebei is not a trivial matter. It is difficult to accomplish it with our army alone. It is best to report to His Majesty for his decision. However, we are familiar with the terrain of Hebei, which is an advantage that others do not have."

"The Jin army has many soldiers and is strong. How many people are needed to retake Hebei? I have less confidence than I do in taking over Hedong."

"The situation has changed. If Wuqimai dies and the crown prince is killed in advance, the Jin Kingdom will fight for the throne and there is a high possibility of a civil war. The tribes and small countries that are dependent on them will definitely take the opportunity to launch a rebellion. Do you think they will send troops back? Only then will there be an opportunity."

"This battle went badly, and I was worried about how I would be able to report it to His Majesty. This intelligence can be considered as compensation. Alas."

Song Jiang sighed, and then asked again: "How should we deploy now?"

"First, you can send Dai Zong to Hebei to inquire whether the Jin emperor has passed away. Such a big thing cannot be covered up. Secondly, pay close attention to the movement of the Jin army. Finally, find a way to negotiate peace with Yang Chang. As long as the conditions are not too extreme, you can agree to them first."

"I'm just afraid he won't want to talk."

"Most definitely."

Wu Yong was very confident.

He believed that since Yang Chang had established his rule over Hedong and became the King of Jin, he must have intended to become emperor. If he had ambition, he would not be obsessed with trivial matters and would put interests above all else.

The Song Dynasty was founded only a hundred years ago, and the conflicts of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms were recorded in history books. Wu Yong had a deep memory of this period of history.

Seeing that Wu Yong's words were convincing, Song Jiang began to make arrangements according to his strategy. Although he had already had second thoughts about the Jin people, he still remained submissive on the surface.

Of course, Nianhan asked Wushi to return as soon as possible. He would not wait for Salihe to withdraw to Fengyue Pass before leaving, but would wait until tomorrow morning and set off directly.

After all, Salihe was Aguda's adopted son, and was also the person sent by Wuqimai to share power with the Western Army. Wushi hoped that he would die at the hands of Yang Chang.

Salihe marched all night yesterday and only arrived near She County this morning. After resting for two hours until the afternoon, he slowly approached the city of She County.

The messenger sent by Wushi set out from the Jin camp of Fengyue Pass almost at the same time as Salihe finished his rest, so the main force would definitely not be able to wait for him.

While Salihe was stationed in Shangjing, he heard rumors about Yang Chang one after another. Now he really wanted to meet him at the front line, but reason told him not to be impulsive.

However, according to Song Jiang's intelligence, Yang Chang had only 10,000 men in She County, while Salihe also had 10,000 men, so he was not afraid.

He waited until the soldiers and horses had rested, then he raised his flags and marched towards Shexian in a swagger, just to see Yang Chang's reaction.

If this man is really as strong as the legend says, he should leave one or two thousand people to guard the city and lead the rest of the troops out of the city for a decisive battle. If Yang Chang is not as strong as his reputation suggests, he will stay put and not go out. If he leads more than 10,000 people to fight, it means that Song Jiang is spreading false information and Salihe will leave immediately.

Unfortunately, Yang Chang’s response was not what he had expected.

After capturing She County yesterday, Yang Chang sent scouts to Fengyue Pass as usual, so when Salihe was halfway there, She County already knew his whereabouts.

At that time, Sun Li also suggested an ambush, but was directly rejected by Yang Chang.

Firstly, the terrain in the northern part of Shexian is flat and not suitable for an ambush. Secondly, the soldiers were tired from marching and attacking the city, and needed enough time to recuperate instead of dragging their tired bodies out in the sun to wait in advance.

When Salihe's troops approached, Yang Chang left Sun Li to guard She County and led 2,000 cavalry to fight.

Yang Chang often defeated the larger force with a smaller one, and Sun immediately felt that he was too arrogant. It was not easy for him to continue to dissuade him in front of others, so he went to the north gate of She County when he received the order to defend the city.

In the past few days, Sun Li fought two battles with Yang Chang, and each victory seemed unreal. Today he would stand on the top of the city wall and see with his own eyes how Yang Chang used his troops.

Around 3 p.m., Sun Li could already see the flags of the Jin army. After waiting for a while, Yang Chang finally moved. Together with Hu Sanniang, he was seen encouraging the two thousand cavalrymen before the battle.

Yang Chang himself has the [Po Jun] aura, and with the encouragement of Hu Sanniang [Ci Hang], the morale of the soldiers will be doubled. If they can kill a general before the battle, the morale boost will probably reach its limit.

As Salihe moved forward, he listened to the news from the scouts ahead. He didn't believe that Yang Chang would "seek death", but he had to believe it after seeing it with his own eyes, so he couldn't help but sigh.

"Is Commander Yang arrogant, or does he look down on us? He has 10,000 soldiers and horses, but he is not using them. He is actively reducing his forces to fight. I have fought for so many years, and I have never encountered such an opponent."

"The late emperor has taught us many times that seeing is believing and hearing is not. No matter what the rumors about him are, we will bite him with five times the force and tear the flesh off his body!"

The person who answered the phone was named Jiagu Xienu, a fierce general under Aguda. In the years since Aguda's death, he had been staying in Shangjing with Salihe.

Salihe nodded repeatedly, and at the same time reminded the generals beside him, "I heard that Yang Chang is amazingly powerful. If he takes the initiative to challenge you to a fight, you must not rush into battle."

"What if someone challenges us? We have not been on the front lines and might be looked down upon. We can take advantage of this and play the pig to eat the tiger."

"Then you can give it a try. Then you can kill a general and dampen Yang Chang's enthusiasm!"

"I have no choice but to accept your request!"

Xie Nu from Jiagu responded in a resounding voice.

While the Jin people were discussing countermeasures, Yang Chang had already used his [Eagle Eyes] and [Eyes of Insight] to see Salihe and his generals clearly, and of course he also discovered Jiagu Xienu.

(End of this chapter)