Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 121 Su Wu and Su Ziqing

When you enter the Privy Council, you will find that it is not very spacious. Except for a large hall in the central courtyard used for meetings, the rest of the place is just small rooms.

Su Wu simply followed the clerk inside. In the crowded corridor, people came and went, but most of them were not warriors.

When they reached a small room at the side, the clerk turned around and said proudly, "Please come in. My husband is inside."

Su Wu walked in by himself. There were only two people inside. A slightly fat man was sitting upright and Cheng Wanli was standing beside him.

He didn't even bother to look at him, but just bowed and said, "Greetings, Mr. Privy Councilor."

The Privy Councilor then said, "Well, you are Su Wu, not bad, not bad. Just one look and you will be a good general. No need to be polite."

So Su Wu walked forward and took a look at the Privy Councilor.

Tong Guan did not look short, but rather tall and strong, with a round face, probably due to his weight gain, and a pale complexion, probably due to his pampered life, but his eyes were bright and sharp.

He is not ugly, but looks very comfortable. He has a beard under his chin, although not much, but each strand is clearly visible...

Even the voice he spoke was not the hoarse voice of a eunuch, but rather had a bit of deep voice. He also looked tall and strong.

At first glance, he looks no different from a normal man, and is even more majestic and powerful than an average man.

Su Wu was confused for a moment. Isn't he a eunuch?
"Thank you, Lord Privy Councilor!" Su Wu stopped and spoke again.

Tong Guan smiled: "I just said I would find a time to invite you to come and see me. I didn't expect you and Peng Yuan to come first. It's just right. Just think of it as me summoning you two to the capital. Zhao Liangsi praised you as the only one in the world. Haha... From what I've seen in person, I'm afraid you're not wrong!"

This was the first time Su Wu knew that Cheng Wanli, also known by his courtesy name Pengyuan, was a famous figure in the Chinese literature.

I can't help but think of another person, his name is Yue Fei, with the courtesy name Pengju. He should be doing odd jobs at Han's home under Zhujin Hall in Xiangzhou at this time.

"Thank you for your kindness, Prime Minister!" Su Wu bowed again.

Cheng Wanli said, "Enshang, I'm afraid there will be a big robbery in the East Road of Hebei!"

Tong Guan nodded: "I know. I have already told the officials in the court and the emperor about the official document you sent a few days ago..."

"Then..." Cheng Wanli deliberately hesitated.

Tong Guan waved his hands and said, "As long as I am in Beijing, how can the crime be on you? Don't worry."

"I would like to thank you, Prime Minister." Cheng Wanli also bowed.

Tong Guan nodded and looked at Su Wu: "Tell me about the two routes in Jingdong."

Su Wu glanced at Cheng Wanli, and when he saw Cheng Wanli nodding, he spoke again, "Prime Minister, I dare not speak nonsense about the slack military preparations. There are not many soldiers who can be used. I only have 2,000 soldiers under my command, while the bandits are already tens of thousands. The bandits are hiding in the water, and there is only a land route to the back mountain. The back mountain is dangerous and has high walls and strategic passes, making it difficult to break through. Only by advancing by land and water and besieging from all sides can we have a chance of defeating the bandits."

Cheng Wanli also added: "Enshen, although I have the title of this governor, I am a low-ranking official. How can you not know the difficulties? Su Wu is only a fifth-rank cavalry general. There are 18 prefectures and cities in two routes, and a lot of supervisors and general managers. How can I enforce the orders?"

Tong Guan waved his hands: "There's no need to say these words..."

Cheng Wanli nodded immediately: "It's probably because the students are incompetent, please forgive me..."

"It's not that you are incompetent. How can a million thieves compare to the strength of the Tanguts in the past? If I, as the head of the Privy Council, were to face these thieves and dispatch troops all over the country, wouldn't people think that I am incompetent? If the government knew about it, wouldn't they look down on me even more? Alas..."

Tong Guan looked at the two men. He also had his own difficulties. He waited for a pause before he continued, "Su Wu said that the military was in disarray. How could I not know? But it's okay to say this between the three of us, but you must never let the emperor know. If the emperor hears it, wouldn't it be the fault of the Privy Council that the military was in disarray?"

Su Wu understood these words.

Tong Guan knew that most of the prefectures and cities in the country had poor military preparations, but he seemed unable to solve these problems, and yet he had to whitewash them on the surface...

If you think about it again, the decline in military preparedness did not happen overnight, nor did it start during the tenure of Tong Guan. It has become increasingly declining over successive generations, and the roots were planted in the founding years.

How could this be something that Tong Guan could solve as soon as he took office?
If there really was a thief in Shandong, and it was necessary to mobilize troops from all over the country to suppress him, wouldn't that be exposing the problem to the emperor? To the people of the world?
It seems that it is not easy for Tong Guan to be an official.

After hearing these words, Cheng Wanli stepped forward and said, "It is not easy to be a good minister. This thief must be wiped out in Jingdong. I will do my best to help him and I dare not refuse."

Tong Guan nodded slightly and sighed: "That's right... There are some things that I, as the Privy Council, cannot do, but others may really do them to trip me up..."

"En Xiang, are you talking about... the matter of Hebei East Road?" Cheng Wanli asked.

"Yes... The rebellion in the eastern Hebei Province is not your fault, but it is my fault in the end..." Tong Guan smiled bitterly to himself.

Su Wu was really learning and listening. Naturally, Cheng Wanli was appointed to take over after the rebellion. It was not Cheng Wanli's fault that a big rebellion broke out. Cheng Wanli could pass the blame.

But Tong Guan couldn't shirk responsibility. He had already reached the top. He was in charge of the Privy Council, which was responsible for all military affairs in the country. He was responsible for any thieves who broke out anywhere. If Tong Guan wanted to shirk responsibility again, he could only put it on the emperor...

Cheng Wanli looked sad: "It's hard to be a good friend..."

Tong Guan said, "This is nothing. There are still difficulties. The bandits in the eastern Hebei Province are gathering together. I don't know how many people will come to join us. Don't worry. Take your time. If they think they can do it, let them come... After all, I will be the one to clean up this mess..."

Tong Guan looked at Cheng Wanli and Su Wu and said, "It's this mess. You two should clean it up. I know you are short of money, food and weapons, but I can't give you too much. There are so many prefectures in the world. Which one doesn't need it? The northwest and Guangnan are also in need. Now, the east and west roads of Hebei, and even the east road of Hedong are in urgent need. Once the Song and Liao go to war, they will be the front line."

Having said this, Cheng Wanli glanced at Su Wu and then they looked back at each other.

Cheng Wanli frowned and said, "It is difficult for me to be your Excellency. I did not think about it before. I am really ignorant. Please forgive me."

Tong Guan waved his hand again: "However, the issue of the establishment of the imperial guards can be manipulated a little bit, and a different method can be used. Now one of you is a frontier official, and the other is in charge of two armies, how can you not have a solution?"

"Please give me some advice, Prime Minister." Su Wu was overjoyed and bowed quickly.

Tong Guanzhen taught: "Look, the eighteen prefectures are difficult to mobilize, or they are not sincere in their loyalty, and it is not a big deal. They are unreliable. But you send a letter to ask them to submit the names of the imperial guards in various places, and say it is an order from the Privy Council. They will be perfunctory. You take the number of imperial guards in various prefectures and just reduce some in each place. You report more yourself and report it to the Privy Council. Once the Privy Council stamps it, the reduced number of positions will belong to you... It's like you have drawn troops from various prefectures..."

Su Wu opened his eyes, could he still do this?
It's not about gaining knowledge, but it's really hard to govern if you are not in the position you are in. You can only understand things at the level where you sit.

"Thank you for your advice, Prime Minister." Su Wu bowed, feeling even happier, but he also said, "Please give me a real number, Prime Minister."

Tong Guan laughed: "General Manager Su is really straightforward, he is a soldier, a good general should be like this, it's not that I have to give you a lot, if I give you too much, can you support me?"

Su Wu did not answer the question first, but said: "When I met the Prime Minister today, I felt a sense of respect for him. I also know the difficulty of the Prime Minister. I also know that the Prime Minister is concerned about the country's major issues. The suppression of bandits is not a big deal. The sea alliance and the war between Song and Liao are the major issues. Now that I know these secrets, I want to train a group of soldiers who can be used, and I dare to die as the Prime Minister's vanguard in the future!"

Tong Guan turned around and looked at Su Wu with a sharp gaze.

Cheng Wanli said, "My Lord, Su Wu is here with us on this mission to Jin. He is devoted to the country and to your work. He really puts his life and death aside. He is truly useful."

Tong Guan nodded: "I know it very well, but I'm afraid you really can't support me. Not to mention that I can't support me, even if I really give you 20,000, you won't be able to recruit enough assassins..."

Tong Guan's words were true. Recruiting soldiers in the Song Dynasty was an extremely difficult task. Who would be willing to be a soldier?

Apart from the displaced disaster refugees and those who have been making a living from this for generations, which decent family would be willing to join the army?
Su Wu was not nervous at all at this time, and just said: "Prime Minister, there are 20,000 soldiers. When we go to war with Liao, I will definitely bring out 10,000 strong troops."

Even Su Wu knew that there was no need to go through all those twists and turns when it came to Tong Guan. Tong Guan was one of the few people in the Song Dynasty who really knew military affairs. He was also the only official in the entire Tokyo city who had actually been on the battlefield.

It's time for Su Wu to show his attitude and make a promise, in exchange for his future. As for Tong Guan, he naturally wants something in return for what he has given.

Su Wu also glanced at Cheng Wanli, who replied, "Prime Minister, the cost of these 20,000 people still needs to be used to build ships..."

Tong Guan looked at Cheng Wanli and said, "We still need to build ships. Can you afford it?"

Cheng Wanli's face was full of constipation. He didn't know whether he could handle it or not. What else could he say at this moment?

Cheng Wanli just said: "You are so kind and respectful to me. How can I say anything else? I will definitely wipe out this gang of thieves."

Tong Guan looked around at the two people in front of him, tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingers, and nodded slightly: "I agree with you... just wait for them to come on stage and sing, and if you two really clean up the mess, there is no need to say more about your future!"

This is really similar to negotiating a business deal.

Cheng Wanli bowed and said, "I will definitely live up to your kindness!"

Su Wu also bowed!
Tong Guan nodded: "The Privy Council has issued an official document today to urge the prefectures and cities in the eastern route of Hebei to be strict on guard against thieves. I will also go to the court tomorrow morning to talk to you gentlemen and the emperor about it... This matter is left as it is. You two know many things very well, so there is no need for me to say more..."

Su Wu really understood the sentence "each of you come on stage and sing". Although the Privy Council is the main military unit, it does not mean that the Privy Council really commands the troops of the world.

It is like there is a Palace Front Office. Although the Privy Council is nominally a general management agency, the Palace Front Office has a certain degree of independence and used to directly manage the imperial guards of the world.

Today, it is also the direct administrative office of the imperial guards of the capital.

In other words, the Privy Council was more of a military administrative unit, while the Palace Front Office was directly a military management unit that directly commanded the troops.

Tong Guan rose to prominence due to his military achievements in the northwest, and with the favor of the emperor, he became a member of the Privy Council.

But it does not mean that Tong Guan really has absolute control over military affairs. The power of those bigwigs who have been in Beijing for a long time, and even those under the Secretariat, is naturally complicated.

Once the matter of suppressing bandits really escalated to this level, Tong Guan would have competitors, and the thing they were competing for was the ability to solve problems in front of the emperor.

After all, all the affairs of the world depend on one person, the emperor, and everyone has to compete for favor in front of the emperor.

Tong Guan, on the other hand, was neither anxious nor afraid. He knew too well what kind of people those people were. He even knew that this might not be a bad thing, but might even be a good thing.

If you want to go, then let you go. If you want to grab something, let you grab it first.

After everything was lost, Tong Guan had to come out to clean up the mess. Wouldn't that make him even more capable?

Who in the capital knows military affairs? He is just a high-handed person who thinks he is the best.

Su Wu understood all this and knew what to do next. In fact, he could let go, which was in his interest. Anyone else would lose everything, but if Su Wu took over, great things could be accomplished. Isn't that also a benefit?
Compared with this, keeping a thief for one's own benefit is inferior. I will have to think differently from now on.

Perhaps, this is the so-called politics of the Song Dynasty.

Cheng Wanli just nodded: "Student understands!"

Tong Guan looked at Cheng Wanli and said, "It's not easy for you either. You can still ride a horse and gallop, but you must have suffered a lot. You walk in a crooked way, haha..."

Cheng Wanli immediately looked embarrassed: "Sorry to meet you..."

Tong Guan waved his hands and said, "How can your joke not be my joke in the past? There is nothing to laugh at. In the past, I was worried that you would not be able to do it, but now, good talents are hard to come by. Just let go and do it. I will not let you suffer any injustice while I am in the capital."

"Thank you, my lord. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and will never forget it." Cheng Wanli's heart was actually surging. Tong Guan's words "Good talents are rare" sounded like elixir to Cheng Wanli.

"Well, go find a doctor, treat him, apply some ointment, and he will be fine in a few days. You will get used to it in the future."

Tong Guan nodded, looked at Su Wu again, and said: "Su Wu..."

"I am here!" Su Wu behaved like a soldier.

"I know you are willing to die bravely, and I am waiting for you to make more contributions." Tong Guan was encouraging himself, and you could say it was a way to control his subordinates, but there was some sincerity in it.

"I will keep this in mind."

"Go, go..." Tong Guan waved his hand, but stood up again, as if he wanted to see him off for a few steps.

Cheng Wanli said quickly: "Please stay, my Lord."

Tong Guan just waved his hand and said, "I'm going out, too, to the palace."

It seems like a real gift... but it also seems like it's just a stop by.

After leaving the Privy Council gate, Tong Guan got on the carriage and headed towards Zuoye Gate. Su Wu and Cheng Wanli got on their horses and waited for Tong Guan to leave first before they set off.

Cheng Wanli said: "Are you curious?"

Su Wu didn't react for a moment.

Cheng Wanli continued, "My Lord, you started from humble beginnings, and only when you reached adulthood did you enter the palace..."

Su Wu understood immediately. No wonder a eunuch was so tall and big with a beard, and spoke without a hoarse voice. He was also kind to others and referred to himself as "I". No wonder those arrogant and powerful generals of the Western Army were so obedient to Tong Guan and were willing to die for him.

"Let's go..." Cheng Wanli was already pulling the reins to turn.

"Where are you going, sir?" Su Wu asked.

"Go back to Dongping Prefecture!" Cheng Wanli said.

"Since you have returned to Beijing, why don't you go home to visit?" Su Wu asked again.

"Alas... never mind. There is a playboy at home. He doesn't come to see me, but how can I go to see him? Now I am running around like this, what is the point? Humph! Life... is boring..."

As he said this, Cheng Wanli tightened his grip on his horse and left.

Su Wu followed him, and now Cheng Wanli was riding a horse, and he looked quite impressive.

"I wonder... Is your son married? Does he have any children?" Su Wu was looking for something to talk about, and he was thinking that even if he didn't want to see his son, he should at least see his grandson.

Cheng Wanli frowned: "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. We were originally engaged, but they called it off..."

Su Wu was stunned. What kind of story was this? Did Cheng Wanli tell him this kind of thing?

With such a story, shouldn’t my brother also say, “Don’t bully the young and poor”?
Looking at Cheng Wanli again, you will understand that there are not so many people who don’t bully the young and poor.

Just look at the way Cheng Wanli is running around and working hard to make progress. As the saying goes, don’t bully the old... middle-aged and old people are poor.

In fact, Su Wu was thinking more about... It was obvious that Cheng Wanli had not been doing well in the capital in the past, otherwise why was his engagement broken off? And why did he become a disciple of Tong Guan?
As for Cheng Wanli, I really underestimated him at first, but now when I look back on him, I actually have some respect for him.

Then Cheng Wanli continued, "To be honest, how could I not feel resentful?"

Cheng Wanli seemed to have a real desire to talk in this Tokyo city, and he chose Su Wu as the person to talk to.

"Just think about it, one day you will return home in glory and be a different person." Su Wu comforted him, thinking that Cheng Wanli really had a lot of sad things.

"Yes, that's what I thought. If I couldn't see it or catch it, it would be fine. But now that I can see it and it seems I can catch it, how can I not use all my strength? Who doesn't want to stand out?"

Cheng Wanli spoke his true thoughts, and they were exactly the same as Su Wu's.

"Sir, you will surely make a name for yourself this time and return to the capital in glory." Su Wu added, saying that if he risked his life, he would also try to make a name for himself. Besides, when it comes to serving the country and the people, if he doesn't make a name for himself, in these chaotic times, he won't even be qualified to talk about serving the country and the people.

There is also the power to turn the tide and support a collapsing building...

How difficult is this?

If Su Wu really thought about it, he would not be able to sleep at night. Everything would not last long.

"Su Wu, you don't seem to have any words?" Cheng Wanli suddenly asked.

Su Wu knew that he had to find an excuse, so he answered: "My parents passed away early, and I never had the ceremony of coming of age, so I didn't think about these things..."

In ancient times, most of the etiquette and customs that required money were always exclusive to wealthy families. How could the common people at the bottom of society care about these?
Be it weddings, funerals, coming-of-age ceremonies, or even eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, as long as money is spent, it is mostly exclusive to the nobility.

Things like the coming-of-age ceremony and the selection of a name are even more exclusive to the group of scholars.

"Let me give you a name..." Cheng Wanli thought for a moment, then spoke again: "Hey, there's no need to think too much. Su Wu is a famous person and a pillar of the country. You should be named Ziqing... Zi means a man's reputation, and Qing means a high-ranking official, and is also a nickname given by the emperor to his subjects. It goes well with your name Wu. I hope you can serve the country and have a bright future!"

Su Wu nodded: "Thank you, sir!"

"Su Wu and Su Ziqing, that sounds nice... If it appears in history books of later generations, wouldn't it be a good story to have two Su Ziqings? Wouldn't it be interesting for future generations to distinguish between the two?" Cheng Wanli himself was also very satisfied.

"Thank you again for the calligraphy, sir." Su Wu was actually touched.

Gradually, Su Wu felt more and more that he and this husband, this leader, had already established a relationship that went beyond that of superiors and subordinates.

Human emotions are hard to describe.

I no longer thought about managing my superiors, I just wanted to work together to pursue a better future. "Ziqing!" Cheng Wanli called out with a smile.

"Here!" Su Wu nodded with a smile.

"Let's go back to Dongping Prefecture!" Cheng Wanli squeezed the horse's belly again and increased the horse's speed slightly, as if he was really full of energy.

Su Wu rode his horse and went, and this short trip to Tokyo really seemed to have changed a lot of things.

They found a pharmacy on the side of the road, applied some ointment on the inside of Cheng Wanli's legs, took some with them, and walked out of the city as quickly as possible.

On the way, Cheng Wanli no longer complained or grumbled. He would just ride when he got on his horse, eat and sleep when he got off, and even hurry a little further as long as it was not dark.

Two days later, Cheng Wanli had already appeared in the government office. He now had an important thing to do, which was to get money, to get money for Su Wu.

To make money in the government office, one has to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. Zong Ze knows how to do this, but it will offend people.

Cheng Wanli just let Zongze do it and offend people. He just laughed and seemed to be unaware of what happened in the government office...

Anyway, there is no money for this and that, and even the money that should have been paid in the past has to be carefully calculated and rigorously calculated...

What? Someone's here to complain?
Cheng Wanli chuckled and said, "Go and discuss it with the elder. Don't bother me with these trivial matters. I am now the governor of two routes and I am busy with all kinds of affairs. How can I care about these trivial matters?"

Cheng Wanli was really busy. Didn't he have to send official documents to the 18 prefectures? The order from the Privy Council ordered the prefectures to check the number of forbidden rooms and report them quickly.

One official document after another was waiting for Mr. Cheng to stamp it with his seal. Mr. Cheng was in his study, stamping so hard that he felt dizzy.

The good girl naturally helped to stir the ink to make it looser and smoother so that it would be easier to apply and stamp.

He also asked, "Father, have you seen Tong Shumi?"

"I saw it." Cheng Wanli nodded.

"Did you say that?" the good girl asked again.

"I didn't say..." Cheng Wanli just covered it up.

"How can I not say it?" The good girl was a little anxious.

"Why are you in such a hurry? You are talking about this on your first meeting? How should I say it? It must be that Tong Shumi and Su Wu have a good relationship. So, it is reasonable for Tong Shumi to be considerate of his subordinates and treat them with respect. It would be natural and reasonable for him to ask a few more questions..."

How could Cheng Wanli not have a set of rules?

"what?"

"You... these things are not smart at all. This matter, on the surface, is not our business. It should be Tong Shumi who is asking and talking about it. This is reasonable and a good thing..."

Cheng Wanli explained again.

"Oh..." The good girl finally understood, but was a little disappointed.

"You are not very old, why are you in such a hurry?" my father asked.

"I'm not in a hurry..." The good girl said coquettishly.

"Not in a hurry yet?" Father teased.

"Hmph, just stir it yourself..." The good girl put down the ink pad, turned around and went to act coquettishly with her father.

Cheng Wanli just laughed, and he was in a good mood, as if he now had the means to control the good girl.

But Cheng Wanli shouted, "There is one more thing. Don't you want to know about Su Wu?"

Sure enough, the good girl stopped at the door, turned around and asked, "What's the matter, Su Wu?"

"He has a courtesy name now, but you probably don't know it yet." Cheng Wanli pretended to be mysterious, with a smile on his face.

"What are you calling for?" the good girl asked immediately.

"Ziqing." Cheng Wanli replied.

"Su Wu, Su Ziqing..." the good girl repeated in her mouth, but she didn't really leave. She came back and helped stir the ink...

Cheng Wanli chuckled, and the good girl lowered her head shyly.

The two of them even look at each other occasionally. How could they not be a loving father and a filial daughter?
Su Wu was also sitting in the military meeting hall with a frown on his face. There was a big problem in front of him. Recruiting tattoos, even if they were not tattooed, was still recruiting soldiers, and at least eight thousand people had to be recruited.

Where to recruit?

Tong Guan’s words are correct. Who wants to be a soldier?
In the past, even these two thousand people were mainly from the three villages of Dulonggang. This is different. How can we recruit them from other places?

It’s not that he couldn’t recruit any, but those who came were all ugly and rotten. How could Su Wu accept them?

Su Wu wanted men from good families, and they had to be men from good families with good physiques. Currently, the two thousand men under his command were mainly men from good families. This was one of the main reasons why Su Wu's army had a certain combat effectiveness...

What's more, they have to be the local soldiers. The three villages of Dulonggang are the local soldiers for Su Wu today.

It is like Xiang Yu's eight thousand sons leaving Jiangdong, and also like Liu Bang's few hundred men leaving Pei County.

Only the soldiers are willing to follow and die together, and to rise and fall together.

In fact, it is very difficult to have a good physique and be from a good family, because such people are generally born in relatively wealthy families, and at least they can have enough to eat, so they can develop well. But in the Song Dynasty, how could such a wealthy family be willing to let their children join the army?

It can also be seen that the three villages of Dulonggang are such a rare existence, and it is also Su Wu's luck.

Let's put up the recruiting flag first. Maybe we can recruit some good boys to be our soldiers. Every one counts.

After a busy period, Su Wu went to the city gate himself and erected a large flag at the gate.

Su Wu also specially asked everyone to wear armor and parked a row of strong horses behind them.

Even soldiers of all ranks were shouting everywhere: "Recruiting soldiers, recruiting good family men, no tattoos, no tattoos, General Su is here to recruit in person, two strings of cash a month."

These words were naturally said by Su Wurang. They were concise and to the point, without any fancy words.

Quite a few people did gather to see it, and some even came to ask questions, but most of them just chatted and joked, and no one took it seriously and kept a record.

Su Wu also sighed.

Wu Song said, "Brother, don't worry. Just wait for the news to spread. In a few days, maybe someone will come."

Su Wu nodded: "Yes, but instead of waiting here, it is better to send people to the villages to look for them and ask."

"Well, then let brother Du Xing send people to search everywhere..." Wu Song nodded.

Just before him, he saw a young man suddenly asking, "General, will I be given a horse and armor if I join your army?"

Su Wu was delighted when he heard this. These two things seemed to have some appeal to the young man. Su Wu simply replied: "As long as you train well in the army, you will be successful immediately!"

"Then...then I'll do it!" The young man was about to register.

But a woman came running out from behind the young man and pulled him forward, saying, "Son, have you lost your mind? We are going to fight in the battlefield and people are going to die. Come back with me now."

Another person came up behind him, a middle-aged man, and also tried to pull him up: "Just watch the fun, don't get mad, a good man shouldn't be a soldier, if he becomes a soldier, he will be laughed at, it's not like your family needs food."

These words were harsh to hear, even those people who came from Dulonggang at that time did not know that they would really have to go to the battlefield to fight.

Now, if we really have to fight a war, it will be even more difficult.

Su Wu couldn't say anything about this scene. He couldn't say that he would definitely not fight, right? And he couldn't say that he would definitely keep his son alive, right?
As for the righteousness of family and country, and defending the country, in this era, they are of no significance to the lower-class people.

That is the slogan of the educated people.

If we want ordinary people to have this kind of awareness, we still need a thousand years of education and political work.

Unless these people live on the border and there are foreign invaders at any time, such as the Northwest or the Western Army.

The Western Army's combat effectiveness and cohesion come from this reason. The Dangxiang people of Western Xia would really come to fight and rob.

But then I saw the young man struggling, saying, "I will go, even if there is a war. I will kill a few more people, earn merit and money, and buy you a few more acres of land. What's wrong with that?"

The woman started crying, "Son, you have to die for me. If you really want to join the army, I will jump into the well now..."

The father also shouted: "What's the point of the land without you?"

"Don't we have two sons? If I really die, General Su is very kind to others and should have a lot of money. You can just go and buy some land... Besides, how powerful is General Su? Who in Dongping Prefecture doesn't know him? Even if he wins every battle and makes contributions in every battle, isn't it easy to make money?"

The young man was struggling even more, but he didn't know how many people were watching.

Su Wu walked over, patted the young man on the shoulder, and said, "Go back with your parents first and discuss it at home. Talk it over. If you agree, come. If you don't agree, don't come secretly... When your parents come to look for you, I will just send you back..."

The young man was also anxious: "General, I am willing to do it, I am willing to do it... Wearing armor and riding a horse, how majestic!"

Su Wu smiled and said, "Just listen to me. Go home and talk to me. I'll be waiting for you!"

The young man looked around, then turned back to look at his parents, sighed, and turned away: "I'm going to leave the city and go home first, it will make people laugh at me..."

His parents felt relieved and quickly followed him.

I also heard the young man shouting, "General Su, I am not a coward. I just heard about your story recently and I want to join the army. My name is Song Zheng and I will definitely come!"

Su Wu smiled and replied: "Okay, I'll wait for you!"

The family of three went out of the city, talking and arguing. The father was also saying, "Don't talk nonsense, don't talk nonsense... How can you deceive General Su..."

Su Wu looked at them and felt very happy. He was really looking forward to the arrival of this young man named Song Zheng.

Suddenly I felt that recruiting soldiers might not be that difficult.

I also heard Wu Song's words: "Brother is very popular now, maybe he can really recruit a lot of good girls."

"Just let Du Xing send people to search in various villages..." Su Wu nodded, and became more expectant.

"We should send more people to various counties to raise flags and shout..." Wu Song is now thinking about things and has become much more mature.

Su Wu nodded: "Well, just give the order..."

From the other side of the city gate, a rider on a fast horse came. It was Yan Qing. Su Wu frowned and turned around to walk to a deserted place.

Yan Qing came forward and dismounted and said, "Uncle, it's Gaotang Prefecture, a fight has broken out!"

"Do you know the details?" Su Wu asked again immediately.

"I heard that Gaotang Prefecture encountered bandits, and the prefect of Gaotang Prefecture ordered the city's troops to go out to meet the bandits. They were defeated in two battles, with heavy casualties, and later they closed the city gates tightly and refused to let anyone go out."

"How strong are the enemy forces?" Su Wu asked again.

"Five thousand! They are besieging the city and building siege equipment. Gaotang Prefecture has sent many fast cavalry out of the city, probably to seek help everywhere. If the reinforcements cannot arrive quickly, I am afraid that Gaotang Prefecture will not be able to defend itself..."

Yan Qing did a really good job on this job.

"Five thousand... we will definitely not be able to hold on." Su Wu said this, and he knew that the issue of reinforcements in Shandong and Hebei was a joke now.

Just like Qingzhou in the story, reinforcements will arrive only after the bandits have left.

Which of these generals and governors had ever fought in a war? Who would listen to the great thief and really take him as Su Wu did and rush to rescue him with a large army?

Which one of them doesn’t care about anything that does not concern you?

It was also in the areas of Shandong and Hebei that an army of 200,000 was gathered to attack the Liao Kingdom, but they were defeated by the Liao Kingdom's thousands of remnants who had retreated from the Jurchen battlefield in the north. The soldiers were defeated and fled in panic, with corpses everywhere.

This place has not been fought for a hundred years, and the military of the corrupt Song Dynasty is in disrepair. What kind of combat effectiveness can we talk about?

The prefect of Gaotang Prefecture was even more stupid. When it was obvious that the city was invaded by bandits, he defended the city and even ordered the few soldiers in the city to go out to fight. What book had he read to ruin his brain?
Among these scholars, who knows anything about war?

Su Wu thought about this and said to Yan Qing: "If you go again, you should go in person, bring more horses, and keep an eye on them. If the Liangshan bandits come back, report immediately."

"Understood!" Yan Qing turned over, mounted his horse again, and galloped away again.

The war is coming, Su Wu frowned, not knowing how many people will die and how many will be injured...

Nowadays, Liangshan has been changing day by day since Song Jiang became a bandit. Even though Song Jiang has gone out with his troops, the ferry crossing in Liangshan is still crowded with people coming to surrender.

It is said that there are only 108 heroes in Liangshan, but in fact, many of those so-called heroes and generals are extraordinary, but the 30,000 to 50,000 followers are the foundation.

I heard that in the story, there were always three hundred or two hundred soldiers at the beginning of a battle, and soon the number would increase to five hundred or one thousand, and soon after that, it would be five thousand, and soon after again, it would be tens of thousands.

This is a reflection of the changes in power in Liangshan, not just those few heroes going up the mountain.

Wars are never won by a few heroes, but by thousands and thousands of minions charging into battle.

Another example is Fang La. Even if the imperial court was not aware of it and reacted a little slowly, Fang La would wreak havoc in dozens of cities and prefectures, recruiting and enlisting hundreds of thousands of people.

Obviously, Su Wu knew that it was time to put the brakes on Liangshan. Once Gaotang Prefecture was conquered, Liangshan would not have to worry about money and food in a short period of time, and its power would really be improved.

You can climb this step, but you must also step on the brakes. You can't be careless and raise thirty or fifty thousand minions in an instant.

There was also a selfish thought. Su Wu himself was short of money. He could not go to the city to rob the treasury or the wealthy, but he could rob Liangshan.

Su Wu also knew that after Song Jiang entered Gaotang Prefecture, his mentality had changed and it changed drastically.

After entering the city, we must first say something and ensure that the people are not harmed.

This is because after entering Gaotang Prefecture, he realized that he had made a fortune and no longer lived the hard life of the past, so he began to seek fame and had already started to plan for recruitment.

If you really want to surrender, you can't go too far. You have to stop raping and looting, and you can't do things like killing innocent people or even massacring the city.

Song Jiang wants the reputation of loyalty and righteousness. He had no choice in the past, but now the situation is different, so he has to raise the banner of morality.

Even if the banner of "acting on behalf of heaven" was raised again on Liangshan Mountain, the words would go like this: Kill all the cruel and corrupt officials and repay Emperor Zhao with loyalty.

It is to act on behalf of the emperor and to repay the emperor with loyalty.

Needless to say, the desire to seek peace is there.

Obviously, Song Jiang and Fang La are very different.

Why did many people who had not committed any crime also stay in Liangshan? For example, An Daoquan and his ilk believed that Song Jiang's offer of amnesty would succeed, and they were also waiting to take advantage of it and become an official.

Even some generals who were originally from the official army, when they talked to Song Jiang privately, they must have thought the same thing.

To be honest, the morale of the people on Liangshan Mountain was perhaps brought together by the issue of amnesty. As for people like Lin Chong on Liangshan Mountain in the story, who cares what he thinks?
Song Jiang is actually very smart and has more means, which is inevitably political.

Thinking of this, Su Wu returned to the camp and began to organize his army. This time, many things had to be prepared in advance, including the necessary food and grass, especially the fodder for the horses, and the necessary auxiliary troops had to be gathered in advance...

Horses, carriages, auxiliary soldiers, baggage and logistics, and even the army's doctor must be brought with them.

You have to set off early, so that you will have more choices on the ground and it will be easier to intercept them halfway.

(Brothers, let me explain that none of the supernatural powers in Water Margin are used. They will not appear in the entire novel. The main purpose is to write in accordance with history. I have to update it early today because I just want to give each of you a kiss on the face.)
(End of this chapter)