Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 118 Are you Zhang Heng, the boatman of Jiangzhou? (Two chapters in one, words)
The three thieves who were forced to kneel on the spot all went to see Shi Xiu.

But Shi Xiu turned around and left without looking at the three people.

At this, Su Wu's heart immediately moved. Just now, his words were just tentative and there was a hint of bluff in his words. Now seeing Shi Xiu turned his head away, he knew in his heart that among these three people, there must be a famous thief.

Su Wu was not in a hurry. He first looked carefully at the three people kneeling on the ground. When the three people saw Su Wu looking at them, they immediately lowered their heads.

Su Wu spoke up: "Since you are a bandit from Liangshan and have fallen to such a state, no matter if you are a big bandit or a small bandit, you have no chance of survival. You will die anyway. Before you die, you can keep your name and surname. Isn't it a good name to be a reputable man standing in the world?"

Su Wu then looked at Shi Qian and said, "You two, Shi Qian and Shi Xiu, although you both wanted to join the bandits, you have not really joined them. These Liangshan bandits have killed countless innocent people in Jiangzhou to save Song Jiang. Recently, the bandits in the surrounding areas have also committed countless acts of burning, killing and looting. You are not fellow travelers, let alone the brotherhood of the Jianghu. Shi Qian, do you think you are or not?"

Shi Qian nodded immediately: "General, what you said makes sense. I am a thief and have never killed anyone. I am different from these Liangshan bandits..."

Su Wu smiled and nodded: "Well, since I want to serve in the army now, how can I not be sworn enemies with these Liangshan bandits?"

Shi Qian nodded: "They must be mortal enemies, but it's a pity that I don't know them. Brother Shi Xiu knows them... I will talk to Brother Shi Xiu about it..."

As he spoke, Shi Qian squatted down beside Shi Xiu, first looked at the three men, then spoke: "Brothers, they are going to die anyway. They are both big thieves and heroes. What the general said makes sense. They should not change their names or surnames... This will preserve their reputation..."

Shi Xiu turned around, looked at Shi Qian, and said, "Shi Qian, I am a person who wants to die. I am doing this just because you want to live... How can I say that you want me to betray others? No matter what, they ended up like this just to help me save you... I will just die..."

Shi Qian sighed, feeling helpless.

In fact, Su Wu was not angry. Instead, he felt that Shi Xiu was becoming an even better person.

The more I think it's good, the more I think about this kind of person. Why should I follow the thief? If he is forced to do so and has no right way to go, then it's fine. But now that there is a right way, then we should let him go on the right way.

People like Shi Xiu are loyal, righteous and upright in their hearts, and many things are actually not that complicated.

Su Wu did not want Shi Xiu's loyalty, nor did he worry whether Shi Xiu would remain loyal in the future.

Because such a person has his own likes, dislikes and pursuits.

He just had to seriously look at what Su Wu was doing, whether it was for the country or for the people, or even to fight for his life against foreign enemies.

Shi Xiu would naturally work hard to uphold his loyalty and integrity.

It is not a question of whether he is loyal to Su Wu or not, but that he will follow his own inner values ​​and judgment.

Even if Shi Xiu had to die, he should have died on the battlefield killing the enemy or in the trap camp while charging.

This is also in line with Su Wu's own inner thoughts.

So, now, at this moment, there is only one thing Su Wu has to do, which is to let Shi Xiu live, either in a daze or unwillingly. As long as he is alive, he can see what Su Wu is really doing.

Su Wu started to operate and just said: "Someone come here!"

"Have!"

"Go to the government office and report that we have found another thief, and that he was identified by soldiers Han Shi Xiu and Shi Qian!" Su Wu gave the order.

The three living thieves, Shi Xiu and Shi Qian, all looked at Su Wu in surprise.

The soldier turned and left.

Shi Qian asked blankly: "General..."

Su Wu just smiled and said, "It's not difficult for me to identify the bandits, which is a trivial matter."

"General, do you really know who these three people are?" Shi Qian asked.

Su Wu shook his head: "I don't know, but I'll know in a day or two."

Shi Qian naturally didn't believe it, and Shi Xiu didn't believe it even more, because most of Song Jiang's subordinates were from the southern underworld. How could the people of Dongping Prefecture recognize their faces?
The three thieves also turned their heads away, thinking that Su Wu was helpless.

But Su Wu turned around and said, "Okay, that's enough for today. Brother Shi Xiu, you should take good care of your injuries. As for Shi Qian, you should take good care of Brother Shi Xiu..."

Having said that, Su Wu led everyone there.

Only Shi Xiu and Shi Qian were left in the house. Shi Qian asked doubtfully, "Could it be that General Su really knows the identities of those thieves?"

Shi Xiu sneered: "As long as those three people don't speak, how can he know?"

"What if he really knew?" Shi Qian said again.

Shi Xiu said nothing.

Shi Qian said, "What if one of the three people reported it in order to save his life?"

Shi Xiu's expression suddenly changed slightly...

"Brother, if that's true, and General Su spreads the news to the government office, and even to the people of Dongping Prefecture, the people of Liangshan will hate you and me even more, and will kill us as soon as possible..."

Shi Qian obviously understood what Su Wu had done.

"I, Shi Xiu, have always put loyalty and righteousness first, and my life second. They can just spread the story. At worst... if I have a chance to meet someone from Liangshan, I will die to prove my integrity. How can I not have a clear name?" Shi Xiu suddenly became a little excited.

Obviously Su Wu also knew that Shi Xiu and Lin Chong were people with completely different personalities.

The methods of dealing with the two people are naturally different.

Su Wu obviously wanted a trap camp. A real trap camp should not be one that is just in name, but one that can charge forward without regrets even if it means death, no matter how powerful the enemy is.

Then, the framework of this trap camp needs people like Shi Xiu, the more the better!

Shi Qian looked at Shi Xiu and could only sigh. He knew that Shi Xiu was just like that, but he also knew that General Su was not someone he was easy to get along with...

Just one day later, a lot of people suddenly came to the house and made a lot of noise. Shi Qian immediately got up and looked out through the gap in the window.

A group of soldiers laid out fifteen corpses, and the three living thieves were among them.

Then General Su Wu walked up to the scene and asked, "Who is Zhang Heng, the boatman who killed people and robbed goods in the Xunyang River in Jiangzhou?"

The three thieves were all suddenly startled.

Even Shi Qian in the room was startled. He immediately turned around to look at Shi Xiu who was lying on the ground. Shi Xiu's face also changed drastically.

Then Shi Xiu blurted out: "How does he know?"

Shi Qian immediately turned around and asked, "Is there really such a boatman Zhang Heng?"

Shi Xiu looked sad, but did not answer.

General Su was heard speaking from outside the door: "No one said it, right? If someone had said it when I asked just now, I could have saved my life, but it's too late now, because Shi Xiu had already said it at midnight yesterday... and there is also a portrait. Someone, bring the portrait here, compare them and see which one is the great thief Zhang Heng!"

Shi Qian leaned on the window and looked, and sure enough, there was a soldier holding a portrait to compare. After a brief comparison, a burly and strong thief was immediately pulled out by the soldiers and brought in front of Su Wu.

"Are you Zhang Heng, the boatman of Jiangzhou?" Su Wu leaned over and asked.

Zhang Heng seemed to be tough too, he looked up and said: "Grandpa will never change his name, I am Zhang Heng, the boatman of Jiangzhou!"

Su Wu laughed and said, "Why weren't you so tough yesterday? Yesterday you could walk and change your name and surname, but you are different today?"

But Zhang Heng cursed: "Shi Xiu, I won't let you go even if I become a ghost!"

Shi Qian quickly turned around to look at Shi Xiu, who also shouted: "I, Shi Xiu, have never betrayed anyone!"

"Who else could it be if not you? I have come from far away in Jiangzhou, who here can recognize my face?" Zhang Heng shouted even more angrily.

Su Wu interrupted, "It's nothing, we're all going to die anyway. A well-known thief is just adding some merits to me. Zhang Heng, you don't have to be so angry..."

But inside the house, Shi Xiu shouted again: "I, Shi Xiu, swear to heaven!"

"You swear, all the portraits are there, why isn't it you? You will die a horrible death!" Zhang Heng kept cursing.

Zizhen was not Shi Xiu, but Yan Qing, who was Zhu Gui. It was Yan Qing who led the people there, and it was Zhu Gui who described the details. Yan Qing relayed it, and it was Zhang Zhen, the bailiff in the yamen, who drew the picture, and then Yan Qing and Zhu Gui confirmed it.

What does this matter to Su Wu now?
It is true that Su Wu's methods were despicable. In this era, the country was in turmoil, men would die, women would be enslaved, and soon, even the emperor would be captured...

How can we describe those tragedies?
The emperor of the Song Dynasty would be stripped naked, wrapped in sheepskin, tied with a rope around his neck, and led around on the ground like a sheep...

This is called the sheep-leading ceremony...

What queens, concubines, princesses, etc. are nothing more than tools for people to vent their lusts...

Barbarism can only be defeated by barbarism. This is the most humiliating moment for China. Nothing else can defeat barbarism but barbarism.

No matter how cruel or vicious you are, you can't rely on luck.

If Su Wu had not seen the Jurchens, he would have had some fantasies. But after seeing them, these fantasies were gone. In Liaoyang City, there were not only the warriors of the Jurchens, but also the miserable conditions of countless Liao people. How did the men die, how did the women live...

The same scene will also happen in the Song Dynasty, and it may even be worse.

Time waits for no one, promotion, money, and a strong army...

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "Come here, kill Zhang Heng first, hang his head on the city wall, put up a cloth banner, and write a letter saying 'Zhang Heng, the great thief of Liangshan'!"

Death is sometimes not that scary, but being humiliated after death can really shock people.

Zhang Heng's face was grim as he shouted, "Shi Xiu, you will not die well!"

Wu Song's sword has arrived, and he has something to say: "You have killed countless people and robbed countless people in the river. If you kill people, people will also kill you!"

As soon as the words fell, a head rolled to the ground.

Shi Qian, who was inside the house, immediately turned around and said, "Kill him, kill him. Really kill him."

Shi Xiu sighed and buried his head in the straw mat on the ground.

"There are two more, just chop them off!" Su Wu spoke again.

Two more heads fell to the ground, but these two heads did not receive the same treatment as Zhang Heng.

The door opened again, and Su Wu walked in: "Another big thief, and another meritorious one! Shi Xiu, there is nothing wrong with loyalty and righteousness, and integrity is even more of a virtue. You should live in the barracks and recuperate. This door is not locked, and you can watch the brothers in the army come and go for training every day. When your injury is healed, if you have somewhere to go, go by yourself..."

Su Wu glanced at Shi Qian and said, "As for you, take care of your brother Shi Xiu. If you have somewhere to go, go too... Dongping Prefecture is crowded with people, and there might be a thief from Liangshan watching outside. Your martial arts are not as good as your brother Shi Xiu's. I'm afraid you won't be able to go far if you leave the city..."

After saying this, Su Wu turned around and left, taking the eighteen corpses with him.

Just look at the top of the city wall, there is a head hanging with the words written on it: Zhang Heng, the great bandit of Liangshan.

The people gathered there and shouted, "Well done, well done!"

"General Su is truly mighty, and he has killed another great thief!"

"When these bandits see General Su, they will be so frightened that they will run away!"

"These bandits are lazy and plunder everywhere. They deserve to be killed!"

But we are on Liangshan Mountain, how could we not receive any news?

The Juyi Hall was still crowded, but everyone kept their heads down and remained silent.

At this time, there was another Lei Heng, because Lei Heng, the head of Yuncheng County, had just killed someone in Yuncheng County and was sentenced to exile. On the way, he was released secretly by Zhu Tong. So Lei Heng went to Liangshan to hide.

In the Juyi Hall, it was the eldest brother Chao Gai who spoke first, and he was furious: "I said that these petty thieves can never be trusted! We were discussing that we would just wait for the government office to make the verdict. Even if it is a death sentence, it should be reported to the Tokyo Ministry of Justice for verification. If he is sentenced to death in the autumn, we can still find a way to save him. If he is sentenced to exile, it will be easier to save him... But now, brother Zhang Heng's identity has been revealed, and a well-known thief has been beheaded on the spot..."

After that, Chao Gai went to see Song Jiang, who then spoke up: "Brother Chao, this is all my fault. I really shouldn't have acted so rashly..."

Wu Yong also said: "It is my fault. I did not get the information clearly. I did not know that the official from the government office went to Zhujiazhuang to pick up someone that day... That is why we were defeated..."

Li Kui said angrily: "How can it be the fault of the two brothers? I think it is all Su Wu's fault. It was Su Wu who killed us brothers. We should seek revenge on him!"

But as soon as Li Kui finished speaking, Chao Gai was speechless, Song Jiang was also speechless, and Wu Yong even lowered his head slightly and looked at Hua Rong and Yan Shun in front of him, all of whom were silent.

Li Kui had no idea what was going on, so he just kept shouting, "I'm going to Dongping Prefecture, I'm going to kill that bastard Su Wu, and avenge my brother Zhang Heng!"

As he said this, Li Kui really picked up two large axes, stood up and was about to go.

"Iron Ox!" Song Jiang scolded.

Li Kui stopped walking and complained: "If you don't go, don't worry about me. I will go alone and die. Why should I endure such humiliation?"

Song Jiang changed his tone: "Tie Niu, we should think about this matter carefully..."

Wu Yong also said, "Brother Tieniu, be patient and listen to Brother Gongming."

How could Li Kui not listen to Brother Gongming? He was angry, but he could only stand there and vent his anger.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the Juyi Hall became dull again...

Even if it was Chao Gai, how could he dare to go to Dongping Prefecture to touch Su Wu's tiger whiskers at this moment? He still remembered clearly how he begged Su Wu to spare his brothers a few days ago.

Without thousands of troops and weapons, how could he compete with Su Wu?

Su Wu now has a cavalry army under his command. Each man has three horses and they are all in iron armor. How can he afford to provoke such a motley crowd of bandits?

Just treat a few angry words as angry words. If you really want to do something, you can only accumulate strength by lying on straw and eating bitter food first...

The atmosphere was gloomy, and Chao Gai spoke up again: "Nowadays, there are more and more people in the mountain stronghold, and many people come to surrender every day. Song Yasi and Wu Xuejiu, you should think of a solution..."

Changing the topic means changing the previous topic.

This topic was just right, so Wu Yong started talking: "Now, our mountain stronghold is strong in soldiers and horses. Although not as strong as Su Wu, it is no problem compared with other prefectures. Now that there are so many people, sending people to rob everywhere is really not a long-term solution..."

Song Jiang looked at Wu Yong and nodded, "Yes, it's not a long-term solution. We can gather three to five thousand men in the mountain stronghold. We should find a big place and do something big. Only in this way can we solve the problem once and for all."

Chao Gai asked, "What is the bailiff thinking about?"

Without waiting for Song Jiang to answer, Wu Yong immediately said, "It must not be near Dongping Prefecture, and it is best not to be in Shandong."

Chao Gai also came to ask: "Why is it so?"

Wu Yong replied, "Su Wu has a group of armored cavalry under his command. Each man has three horses. It is no problem for them to travel more than a hundred miles a day. As for Su Wu, we can go to Qingzhou, 600 miles away, to rescue him. If he is in the vicinity of Dongping Prefecture, how can he not come?"

Chao Gai thought about it, then sighed, nodded, and asked, "Then where should we go?"

But someone came to the door and reported: "Reporting to all the brothers, I have heard that Zhu Tong, the captain of the Zhu family, was sentenced to exile to Cangzhou by the county government because he released Lei captain privately."

Song Jiang immediately said to everyone: "We can still live here freely now, all because of Zhu Dutou's several heroic rescues. Now, Zhu Dutou has been exiled to Cangzhou to suffer. Zhu Dutou is a righteous man and has great martial arts. How can we sit and watch Zhu Dutou suffer in exile? This time, we should quickly find a way to rescue him. Please come up to the mountain with Zhu Dutou to enjoy the blessings!"

Chao Gai only regretted that he spoke too slowly, and immediately said: "Yes, we must invite Zhu Dutou to come up the mountain to enjoy the good life together! Right now, this matter is the most important!"

Song Jiang stepped forward and bowed: "Then Wu Xuejiu and I will take the people to handle this matter. Brother Chao just stays in the mountain stronghold. This time, I will definitely invite Zhu Dutou to the mountain to enjoy the good life!"

Wu Yong also stepped forward and saluted: "Brother Chao Gai, don't worry, I will be very careful this time and will not dare to make any mistakes again. I will definitely invite Zhu Dutou to the mountain!"

"I'll go too. I'm so angry that I have to go out for a walk and protect Brother Gongming." Li Kui spoke again angrily.

Chao Gai looked around and nodded: "Okay, then you must bring Zhu Dutou back."

"Let's set off now without delay. This time when we go down the mountain, we will also find out the strengths and weaknesses of various prefectures and cities and find a good place. This way, we can make further arrangements."

Song Jiang thought seriously that even if there was no more large income, this mountain stronghold would probably run out of food soon, as there were thousands or tens of thousands of mouths waiting.

Wu Yong also nodded: "That's what I meant. This time I went out to find out the real situation of each prefecture. It's not good to be too far away, and it's even worse to be too close..."

Chao Gai nodded: "You two should take your people there quickly..."

In this way, the meeting in the Juyi Hall came to a temporary end.

Dongping Prefecture was also busy with supplies and manpower constantly coming in from Daming Prefecture. Su Wu also sent cartloads of money to Lu Junyi, the richest man in Daming Prefecture.

Horses, horse feed, iron, and grain are purchased from everywhere in Daming Prefecture.

Even Lu Junyi was preparing supplies for the next trip to the Jin Kingdom. This time, he would bring back a thousand horses for Su Wu.

Su Wu also transported money to Qingzhou. Qin Ming not only helped Su Wu purchase a lot of water jade, but also helped Su Wu find out the mines. He only looked at the price and went to buy.

The 叆叇 thing was originally available in the Song Dynasty, and it became very popular in the Ming Dynasty. Su Wu brought this thing forward by several decades, and sent a batch to Daming Prefecture first, asking Lu Junyi's men to try to sell a few...

Meng Yulou also had some familiar customers, so she sold some of her products to them and asked them to take some to other places to try to sell them.

There is no rush. We can just wait until it becomes popular in Tokyo and then we won’t have to worry about sales.

At this moment, productivity is still limited and we can't ship out too many goods. We have to wait for Meng Yulou to come back and slowly expand the workshop and manpower.

In order to transport money back and forth, Lin Chong and Luan Tingyu were also sent to bring people to escort it. Fortunately, the journey was not far.

Su Wu was also very busy. Sometimes he was on duty in the government office, sometimes in the office of the general manager of the army, and sometimes in the army.

Yu Baosi also slowly opened up sales channels for the wine from Meng Niang's store. Su Wu's business was growing bigger and bigger, but he felt that he was short of manpower. Most of the people around him were warriors who could not do the delicate work that Su Wu did.

Then Su Wu was the only one coming and going, luckily there was also a bailiff Zhang Zhen who helped to run around.

After a few days, a man named Huangfu Duan, an expert in horse breeding and treatment, came from Daming Prefecture along with the goods.

He was hired at a huge price. Money was one of the reasons, but what attracted him more was the two or three thousand horses that Su Wu had, which were his main business.

In this way, Su Wu directly arranged for Huangfu Duan to join the army and give him a formal official position, the Horse Administration Envoy.

He should also be given manpower, selected from the old army.

There was another round of arrangements, and Su Wu was so busy that he was dizzy. After everything was arranged, he sat on duty in the army, thinking about taking a rest.

But then Lu Da came in again, with a look of joy on his face, and laughed out loud: "Haha... Here it comes, General, it will arrive in three to five days at most. The letter was sent more than a month ago. My brother Shi Jin is really loyal!"

Su Wu stood up immediately after hearing this and asked, "Who are the people coming?"

Lu Da first handed the letter to Su Wu, and then said, "They are all here. My brother Shi Jin, along with the military strategist Zhu Wu, the white-flowered snake Yang Chun, and the leaping tiger Chen Da, are all here!"

Su Wu read the letter and was delighted: "Okay, okay, send someone to Jingyang Ridge to let them know and have them welcome us."

Su Wu was really happy. Shi Jin was a good general who could charge into battle, and there was also Zhu Wu. Su Wu needed such talents so much right now.

Not for anything else, just for the sake of the current situation, having an assistant, and even for military affairs, there is someone who can truly discuss and give advice.

The wars in the future will only get bigger and bigger. We can’t rely on Su Wu alone to do everything. We need a team, a system, and a staff system.

Now, Su Wu's staff system still has only one person, and that is Zhang Zhen, the bailiff who was seconded from the government office.

"I know, I know. Don't worry, brother. I won't send anyone. I will go to Jingyang Ridge myself. Maybe I will arrive in a day or two." Lu Da was very excited. He was also a loyal man. He and Shi Jin had a long and very good friendship.

"Okay, you go." Su Wu nodded.

Now that the business is big, there is an advantage, that is, talents are really willing to come. This is the importance of the platform. If Su Wu was still a head of the city in Yanggu County, no matter how loyal Su Wu was or how many invitations he made, many people would hesitate and not be willing to come thousands of miles to join him.

It is obvious that Su Wu has a bright future here, and that is what makes him attractive.

Those lives lost before were not fought in vain, and these now are what Su Wu fought for with all his might!

It is said that Hu Sanniang had already moved into the government office a few days ago. She was a little timid at first, thinking that as a woman of the world, she would be out of place in the home of the prefect.

Fortunately, the prefect was a really nice person. Whenever Hu Sanniang came, he was always kind and gentle, and even said some words of gratitude. He also gave her a big bag of money as soon as she arrived.

In this way, Hu Sanniang felt relieved. When she met the prefect's wife again, the wife was also very kind and treated her like a sister at home.

They gave her daily necessities and jewelry such as hairpins and rings.

After a few days, the two were inseparable, following each other in and out, and even when they went out on the street, they were inseparable.

Gradually they became able to talk about everything. The young lady from the Cheng family was indeed a little lonely. Ever since the incident with the big thief, it had been difficult for her to go out. Now that she had someone to accompany her, going out was much easier.

The two had just come back from the street, having bought a lot of things.

The two of them were dividing the things, mainly the young lady from the Cheng family: "This is for you, Sanniang, this comb is beautiful, it's not made of ox horn, it's... giant clam, do you know what giant clam is?"

Hu Sanniang was polite a few days ago, but now she is not so polite: "Thank you... I really don't know what giant clams are..."

"A strange thing in the sea, like a clam, but much larger than the clams in the lake. It is made of that big shell..." The young lady from the Cheng family slowly explained.

Hu Sanniang was also gaining experience. Although her family was well-off, in this era, there was a huge gap in knowledge between country people and city people.

"Tuhao" is not a derogatory word, it is just an adjective. Hu San's mother's family is Tuhao.

"Oh, it's such a good thing." Hu Sanniang did not feel inferior. She was actually happy that she had broadened her horizons, so she held the giant clam comb in her hands and looked at it.

"Here are two jars of good wine from Meng Niang's store. When we have nothing to do at night, we can secretly drink it, hehe..." The young lady of the Cheng family also had something to enjoy in her boudoir.

Hu Sanniang nodded and smiled: "Then I should prepare some dishes..."

"No problem." The young lady from the Cheng family nodded.

But Hu Sanniang thought of something and looked at the wine jar in a daze.

"What's wrong with you?" the young lady from the Cheng family asked.

Hu Sanniang shook her head: "Nothing..."

"There must be something wrong." The young lady from the Cheng family is too smart.

Hu Sanniang could only reply: "I heard that this lady Meng from Mengniang's shop is a beauty from Yanggu County."

"Oh... I also heard that Meng Niang's store is owned by General Su and is used to support soldiers..." Cheng Xiaoniang knew about this.

"Yes, that's right..." Hu Sanniang knew better. She knew even more. She was very well-informed, unlike Cheng Xiaoniang who lived in a deep mansion.

"Then let's buy wine from her from now on..." Maybe Cheng Xiaoniang didn't understand much about the business of the market, but she understood things on another level.

Of course, business matters are not complicated. Once you see them a few times, you will understand. It’s just that you haven’t had the chance to see them yet.

Some things that happen in the mansion are actually no different from those in the market, but Cheng Xiaoniang is protected too well by her father, so in this respect, she seems somewhat naive.

After hearing what Cheng Xiaoniang said, Hu Sanniang nodded, but she felt inexplicably sad in her heart, which she could not explain to outsiders.

But then I heard Cheng Xiaoniang come to ask: "Sanniang, do you have a name?"

It was difficult to ask at first, but after spending a few days together, it became easier to ask. When girls exchange names in their boudoirs, it is sometimes also a sign of a good relationship.

Hu Sanniang actually shook her head: "Yes, but no one else knows, only my father and brother know. Even in normal times, my father and brother don't call me that, so it's not often used."

"Then you should tell me, my name is Jiyue. My father gave it to me, saying 'lofty aspirations like the clear moon, elegant temperament like the spring breeze'. Hmm... how should I put it, the bright moon in the sky after the rain is Jiyue..."

Cheng Xiaoniang said this with her head down.

Hu Sanniang understood: "What a good name! The sky is clear after the rain, and the bright moon is even more flawless. A clear moon is beautiful."

"You are also studying..."

"Recognize words, read blindly, and don't read much."

"What about you?"

"My name is not as nice as yours. My brother's name is Hu Cheng, and mine is Hu Yuru. On the day I was born, a teacher happened to pass by the manor and stayed overnight. He gave me the name casually, saying that it matched my brother's name..."

"It's a good name, and it sounds nice. It's a Chinese idiom, 玉儒于成, and the teacher who named you is not bad. This idiom comes from the book of Zhang Zai, a great scholar in the Song Dynasty. It has a moral, which means that after going through hardships, you will succeed. It means that you are a brother and sister, and nothing is difficult, and everything can be accomplished!"

Cheng Xiaoniang kept praising herself, and it was she herself who had read thousands of books and could tell the source of the story in one sentence.

"Is that so?" Hu Sanniang obviously didn't know, or she had heard it when she was a child but had forgotten it. Also, no one in their family really cared about these things.

"Yes, that's right. Success comes from a great scholar." Miss Cheng nodded.

"Then I'll take note of it this time." Hu Sanniang nodded, seriously taking note.

"I have something else to ask you." Cheng Xiaoniang gave a gift and said a lot of things. Friendship was one of them, but she also had a little purpose.

"You said... I can do it myself and help you." Hu Sanniang nodded.

"When you have nothing to do, please help me find out about that Su Dujian. You know him..." said Cheng Xiaoniang.

Hu Sanniang raised her head... a little surprised, and asked: "Then... what are you asking about him?"

Cheng Xiaoniang continued, "It's nothing important, just ask a few things and see if there are any fun or funny things, or even embarrassing things..."

"Oh, okay..." Hu Sanniang nodded, but looked at Cheng Xiaoniang again, as if she understood something.

Originally a straightforward man of the world, at this moment, he actually began to think like a little girl and felt sad.

Even more sour than before...

But she was a little bit unbelievable. How could it be possible? How could the young lady of the prefectural government have anything to do with a military officer?

"It's not a big deal. I just listen to it for fun when I'm bored in my free time..." When Cheng Xiaoniang said this again, she really thought so and didn't have any bad intentions.

Hu Sanniang just nodded and looked at the novel giant clam comb in her hand.

But Cheng Xiaoniang was also interested in the long swords on Hu Sanniang's waist, so she asked, "Sanniang, can you let me see your swords?"

The number one strategist in Dongping Prefecture is, after all, still a curious little girl.

Hu Sanniang stood up and said, "Look for yourself. I can go to the yard and play for a while. Do you want to watch?"

"Okay, okay, go ahead and play, I'll watch!" Cheng Xiaoniang was very excited.

When Hu Sanniang plays seriously, she plays with all her might, and she feels happy and all the sadness goes away, and she is very confident.

Su Wu was also wielding spears and sticks in the army. No matter whether he was busy or idle, Su Wu would fight every day. He was a desperate man, so he had to keep the means to fight with others.

Even though there were powerful people coming and going around him every day, Su Wu never slacked off in his heart.

Even the military training was in full swing. Even after the normal training was over, many people would be willing to practice stabbing and chopping with the general just by looking at their general riding back and forth.

If not for anything else, then for the sumptuous meat dishes that the general would provide every day.

In a small house next to the training ground, there was a man sitting and a man lying down.

Shi Qian said: "Brother, I have seen for a few days that Su Wu is really not an ordinary general, and the soldiers under his command are not ordinary soldiers either..."

Shi Xiu didn't say much: "Yeah."

"To be honest, we have traveled all over the country. Which soldier in any state can be like this?" Shi Qian was also chatting. Shi Xiu had a serious injury on his back and buttocks, so he had been serving him.

"Hmm..." Shi Xiu has been very quiet these days.

"Look at the food I get from the mess every day... It's unimaginable for a soldier to eat this kind of food. If people knew about it, I wonder how many people would be willing to come and recruit soldiers..."

"Um……"

"Brother, we have heard a lot about General Su. During the Qingzhou bandit suppression campaign, he was able to fight bravely despite being hit by two arrows..."

"I know……"

Seeing Shi Xiu say two more words, Shi Qian immediately added: "He is now the deputy general manager of the two armies in Jingdong."

"I also know..."

"He holds such a high position, yet he still treats the two of us... Mainly because he values ​​you so much, when you fell into his hands, not only did he not kill you, he also treated your injuries and let us leave whenever we wanted..."

"He knows that if we leave the military camp, we will definitely be targeted by the people from Liangshan. If we leave the city of Dongping, they will definitely chase us and kill us..."

Shi Xiu said a lot this time.

Shi Qian chuckled: "Of course I am afraid. Brother, if your injury is healed, go with a gun or a stick. Who can stop you? You can go anywhere."

"Can he go anywhere? A soldier under Su Wu beat me so hard that I couldn't fight back, and he can go anywhere. There must be a master in this world."

"Oh, you mean that man? I asked about him yesterday. His name is Wu Song, the second child in his family. General Su calls him Erlang. He is General Su's closest brother and he respects General Su the most..."

"What do you want to say?" Shi Xiu looked up and asked.

"I didn't say anything, just gossiping..."

"If you have something to say, just say it..."

"Nothing much to say... just gossip. Look at those soldiers, they are really training hard. They are still training after their shifts..."

"What's the point of not training soldiers..."

Shi Xiu's words were choking, but Shi Qian didn't care and continued, "Soldiers, who isn't lazy? How can you train so hard when you're on duty?"

"..."

"Brother, you are a good spearman. Although you are not as good as Wu Song and Wu Erlang, you are not an ordinary person's match. Look at those soldiers outside, they are far inferior to you in terms of holding spears and practicing..."

"..."

"Brother, General Su is really nice to others. All the people under his command remember his kindness..."

"..."

"Brother, General Su thinks highly of you, but not of me. I am just taking advantage of you... Otherwise, we are both like Zhang Heng, with our heads hung on the city wall, and we will inevitably be called big thieves..."

"..."

"Why do I value you? I am just a petty thief, I am no match for you. General Su values ​​your loyalty. It is because of your loyalty that he has kept you and me here, and there is no one to watch over us..."

"..."

"As the saying goes, a man will die for his friend. Liangshan never knew you, and Chao Gai wanted to kill you, but General Su knows you and respects you... General Su knows you and respects you, which shows that General Su is also a loyal and righteous person!"

"Stop talking, I'm going to sleep..."

"Well, okay... I'll go out and take a look. This camp is interesting... General Su is really willing to spend money. There are so many horses and a lot of armor..."

"Just go ahead and don't bother me..."

"Okay, I'll go... I'll bring you food later..."

Shi Qian went to the parade ground and saw General Su riding his horse back and forth for a long time, then dismounting to drink water.

Shi Qian stepped forward and bowed.

"What happened?" Su Wu asked while drinking water.

"I won't leave..."

"Well, it's okay if he doesn't leave. When the time comes, let him serve under Wu Song. I think he will also obey Wu Song." Su Wu said with a smile.

"That's right. The general knows people's hearts well. He really respects Commander Wu in his heart." Shi Qian bowed and smiled.

"You are good. When the time comes, you will work under Yan Qing. In a few days, all of Yan Qing's subordinates will have military positions. I will give you the title of captain first. You can be promoted after you have made meritorious service. Just do your job well."

Su Wu made this arrangement after careful consideration. Even if Shi Xiu didn't say it, few people in Shandong really knew Shi Qian, and the people in Liangshan didn't know him either. It was very appropriate for Shi Qian to work under his command.

"Thank you, General, for your kindness!" Shi Qian bowed and was very excited. He had never thought that he could get a position as a captain in the army.

"Okay, go ahead." Su Wu nodded, turned over and mounted his horse, not to practice martial arts, but to go to the meeting hall. He saw Yan Qing waiting there.

As soon as Su Wu entered the meeting hall, Yan Qing quickly spoke up: "Uncle, there is a big move in Liangshan. Song Jiang and Wu Yong have both gone down the mountain, bringing a lot of strong men with them, and are heading to Cangzhou."

Su Wu frowned and thought, Cangzhou...

Zhu Tong, when Zhu Tong's case broke out, he was exiled to Cangzhou, but Cangzhou is not close to him.

What followed was a tragic incident...which left Zhu Tong with no escape route and he had to go to Liangshan.

Then came the fall of Little Whirlwind Chai Jin, and the first provincial capital attacked by the Liangshan army was Gaotang Prefecture.

Gaotang Prefecture is not in the Jingdong Road, and is a little far from Dongping Prefecture. It is west of Qizhou and within the territory of Hebei East Road.

Song Jiang and Wu Yong don't dare to cause trouble around now, so Gaotang Prefecture is the most suitable place.

"Xiao Yi, quickly send some people to Gaotang Prefecture to inquire. No matter what the news is, report it back in real time. Liangshan is also keeping an eye on it. Liangshan must have something big to do recently."

Su Wu ordered.

"Uncle, I will arrange some staff right away." Yan Qing bowed and went to do it quickly.

Su Wu frowned continuously. The matter of Gaotang Prefecture was a bit troublesome. How to deal with it outside the two routes of Jingdong?
It would be fine if the army left the provincial capital, but if it left the east of Beijing, it would have to be reported to the Privy Council for approval, otherwise it would be a serious crime, tantamount to treason.

Even if it was reported that there was a big thief in Gaotang Prefecture, even if the Privy Council took it seriously, they would only let the Hebei East Road prepare for the response.

Su Wu would definitely not be transferred there, because the eastern Hebei Route has its own troops, and this is a "cross-provincial" matter.

Su Wu couldn't make up his mind for a moment...

(Brothers, I worked really hard yesterday, and I’m still not in the right state today. I’m late for the 10,000-word chapter, sorry! There was a small bug yesterday, and my book friend Dacai reminded me, so I changed Jingdong East Road to Jingdong Second Road.)
(End of this chapter)