Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 136 Get out, go as far as you can!
On the way back, stay overnight.

A man was brought into the central army tent. Many generals were present, and more than one or two of them knew this man.

The man had a bandage on his head and there was still blood on his face that had not been completely wiped off. He tied up half of his body and sat on the ground. He looked around at the people in the room, then looked at Su Wu who was sitting in the middle in front of him, and then he looked around.

Su Wu pointed at him and said with a smile: "This guy's name is Hua Rong. He was the deputy commander of Qingfeng Village in Qingzhou. He has excellent archery skills. When I was fighting bandits in Qingfeng Mountain, I was the first to climb up and was hit by two arrows. It is very likely that they were shot by this guy..."

Even Yang Zhi, Zhou Tong and the others obviously knew him. Yang Zhi said, "You were a brave general, but you followed the bandits. You look handsome, but you insisted on following the bandits. Hua Rong, how could the court not be fair to you?"

Hua Rong sat on the ground and actually said, "Corrupt officials are rampant, but they are not kind to me!"

Su Wu was quite surprised and asked, "Oh? I haven't heard that any corrupt officials bullied you? Didn't you disregard the court's laws and secretly hide the fugitive and get caught?"

Hua Rong turned his head when he heard this, and said nothing else, "Since I'm in your hands, come and kill me if you want."

The same thing again?
Su Wu nodded: "Well, since you admit it, there are military laws in the army. You are a general, and you are guilty of treason and collusion. Come, take you out, chop off your head, and you will receive a reward later!"

Since the soldiers came forward to drag him away, Hua Rong was naturally dragged out. His legs suddenly kicked repeatedly and he suddenly started to resist again.

When he was dragged out of the tent, Hua Rong suddenly shouted again: "Su Wu, you have no moral principles!"

Everyone in the big tent suddenly burst into laughter. The soldier who was dragging the man stopped and dragged Hua Rong back into the tent.

Everyone in the tent laughed.

Then Su Wu said, "How?"

Wu Song said: "Of course my brother wins!"

Hu Yanzhuo also said: "General Su guessed correctly. This guy really doesn't look like someone who is determined to die."

Yang Zhi also said: "Just think of him as a good man..."

Hua Rong immediately understood that everyone in this room had just made a bet with him.

Hua Rong was angry, and said: "Kill me if you want to. Why are you making fun of me? I am not the cowardly person who loves life and fears death."

Still trying this?

Su Wu's smile faded, and when he looked around, everyone's smiles had faded. Su Wu raised his hand slightly and said, "I am not a bandit, nor do I want to be a hero. This person is a wanted criminal of the imperial court. There is no point in keeping him. It will cost us food to feed him, and we will have to send people to guard him. If we send him to the government office, he will only be killed with a single blow. Just kill him..."

The soldier who was dragging the man started to drag him again, and his movements were much faster. He dragged the man out, and Hua Rong looked like he was ready to die.

They didn't go far. Just a dozen steps outside the village, in front of a horse trough, a group of soldiers were ready. Some drew their swords, some pressed Hua Rong's head on the wooden trough, and others grabbed Hua Rong's messy long hair from the other side and secured it.

The man holding the knife came forward and said, "My knife is sharp, it won't hurt, you can go on your way with peace of mind. Remember, don't be a thief in your next life."

The knife had already been raised, and there was no more laughter in the big tent. The wind was whistling left and right, and the horse was standing nearby, as if it was also watching Hua Rong being beheaded.

Hua Rong looked at the long face of the horse beside him. The horse's eyes on the long face were reflecting the scene of him being beheaded at this moment.

"Goodbye!" The soldier with the knife said his last words and was about to swing his sword.

Hua Rong suddenly shouted: "Su Wu, General Su, where did you take my sister?"

The knife paused, and after a moment's wait, a voice came from the big tent: "Pull him in again."

The soldiers on both sides picked up the man again, took seven or eight steps away, and threw him into the big tent again.

Su Wu laughed again and asked only one question: "Hua Rong, do you want to die or not?"

Hua Rong did not answer, but only asked: "I have inquired about it. My sister was originally staying in Qingfeng Village, but you took her away. What did you do with her?"

"The family members of the criminal officials have been sold off. If not in Daming Prefecture, they are probably in Bianliang City. Since they are sold off by the government, they are not in any household, but most likely in a building. I tell you, can you die with peace of mind?"

Su Wu also asked.

Hua Rong heard this and seemed to want to stand up, but his hands were tied, so it was difficult for him to stand up. He turned his body left and right and struggled for a few times. He finally sat up and shouted, "Su Wu, I will never coexist with you!"

Su Wu sighed, "Alas... What's the point of saying this? From the moment you became a thief, you were leaving your family and career behind. If you want to blame someone, blame Song Jiang for harming you. You were a good general, but in the blink of an eye you became a thief. Why? Because Song Jiang was a big thief, and his friends and brothers were also big thieves. I was just executing the laws of the court, so what's wrong with that? Besides, at this moment, why are you so irreconcilable with me?"

"Even if I become a ghost, I will not let you go!" Hua Rong gritted his teeth, looking really vicious.

"Nothing else, right? It's because you were a general in the past that I let you go through so much trouble. There's something else I want to tell you. Nothing else, just be on your way..."

Su Wu waved his hand and didn't look any further.

Hua Rong sat there and looked around. In the big tent, all kinds of generals were gathered together. But Hua Rong suddenly asked, "You are talking about me, why... do you have bandits under your command?"

He could also recognize people, whether it was Yang Zhi or Zhou Tong, if they were not bandits in the past, what were they?
"This is called a prodigal son returning home. They have now joined the government army, risked their lives for their future, killed bandits for the court and the people, and made meritorious contributions. Didn't your brother Song Jiang also want to surrender? Didn't you also work so hard because you heard your brother Song Jiang want to surrender? Since you have embarked on this path, if you die halfway, you should be willing, right?"

Su Wu asked again.

Hua Rong turned his head away and remained silent, which meant that what Su Wu said was right. Song Jiang had discussed the matter of seeking amnesty with Hua Rong a long time ago.

Xu Guanzhong said: "General, this guy wants to live, not die. If he wanted to die, he would have died long ago..."

Su Wu laughed and said, "Hey, sir, how can you look down on him like that? He and Song Jiang are close friends, and they are willing to sacrifice their lives for each other. How can he ask for his life at this moment? Sir, don't you know that among the bandits, there are many loyal people, so why should they fear death?"

Xu Guanzhong suddenly realized: "Oh... I underestimated him. This guy must have no chance of survival."

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "Pull him away..."

The soldier came again and dragged him out again. It was the same process again, except that the man with the knife said a few more words: "You said you want to die, so just die peacefully. Why are you going back and forth and dragging him? Why are you living a little longer? Isn't that troubling us? If you don't want to die, just go and beg. My general might really spare your life..."

"Okay, let's get going..."

Hua Rong looked at the horse's eyes again. Under the firelight, it seemed that the horse also had expressions and was showing sympathy...

Suddenly, Hua Rong stretched his neck and shouted fiercely: "General Su, I also want to turn back and join the government army again."

The air suddenly condensed, and the raised knife did not fall immediately.

Someone was talking in the big tent, but Hua Rong couldn't hear it clearly. However, Hua Rong's heart was beating wildly for no reason.

In fact, it was Xu Guanzhong who was talking to Su Wu in the big tent: "General, your method of pulling and twisting really plays with people's hearts. For people, maybe it's not that difficult to die all at once. What's difficult is to live and die at the same time. If you think about it more, your determination to die will gradually become less determined, and you will have the desire to live."

Su Wu nodded: "That's what I mean..."

Wu Song, who was standing beside him, nodded repeatedly: "Brother, I have learned something new."

Su Wu said, "Erlang, things like this may not always work out. Some people may really want to die."

"What if Hua Rong really wants to die?" Wu Song asked.

Su Wu replied: "Then... I will just die..."

"That's right, if he's dead, he's dead. He's not some god who came down to earth, and we're not his father." Wu Song said so. He didn't care about Hua Rong or not...

Everyone in the room burst into laughter after hearing Wu Song's words, but the laughter was actually harsh when heard.

To Hua Rong, it was extremely irritating and he closed his eyes, feeling a mixture of emotions.

"Pull him in!" Su Wu's voice came out.

Several soldiers sighed and said to Hua Rong: "You are really a hassle. You can die or live. It's really troublesome."

Then he threw Hua Rong onto the floor of the big tent again. Hua Rong twisted his body a few times, sat up, and then supported his legs and really stood up.

In the big tent, the laughter disappeared and everyone was serious.

Su Wu spoke first: "You are a good general, but you can't distinguish between the righteousness of the country and the loyalty of the underworld. You are obsessed with the little loyalty. To be honest, you have no choice but to join the bandits. But you and Song Jiang are too close, so you can't be trusted!"

"I only ask the general to redeem my little sister. I am willing to die for you and be your vanguard." Hua Rong said.

"When you were a bandit, why didn't you remember that you had a little sister?" Su Wu asked.

"I was so anxious at that time that I was about to be sent to Qingzhou Prison. He escaped halfway and became a bandit. I just wanted to go back and break into Qingfeng Village to rescue him, but I didn't know that things are unpredictable..."

Hua Rong answered seriously.

"Does that mean you are still thinking about your little sister?" Su Wu insisted on asking.

"Alas..." Hua Rong lowered his head and said nothing.

"I have redeemed your little sister. You won't run away with her, right?" Su Wu asked.

Hua Rong still didn't answer...

Xu Guanzhong said: "You, you want to live, but you are pretending to be tough. You don't even ask for help. How can people trust you? Since you are asking for amnesty and risking your life to ask for it, why are you still wavering between Qin and Chu now that you have been amnesty?"

Hua Rong raised his head again, looked at the crowd, and then looked at Su Wu, and answered: "General Su has a good army. I'm afraid there are not many such good armies in the whole Song Dynasty. If I were a general, it would be a blessing to be in such an army! But Brother Gongming also treats me very well. How can I betray this friendship? If I betray this friendship, wouldn't it be a real joke?"

Su Wu sighed: "Is Song Jiang so good?"

"Let's not talk about others, you treat me very well." Hua Rong also sighed.

"Then do you think he can surrender?" Su Wu asked again.

Hua Rong looked at Su Wu, speechless for a moment, unable to answer.

I also think that if there were no Su Wu, the matter of recruiting the people would have been successful under the current situation.

But there is Su Wu in front of him, so this matter is difficult to accomplish and may not be accomplished. Recently, it is also heard that Su Wu is building ships in Jeju. How can Liangshan withstand such a large military force of Su Wu?

As he was thinking, Hua Rong replied, "I'm afraid it won't work..."

Su Wu replied: "That may not be the case..."

"What?" Hua Rong was startled when he heard this, and looked up at Su Wu's expression. Seeing that Su Wu was smiling, he suddenly felt overjoyed, inexplicably happy.

Just because I just thought of the matter of recruiting, there was only one obstacle in Su Wu's mind. Su Wu suddenly said this, isn't it just saying...

"What do you mean, General?" Hua Rong asked hurriedly.

Su Wu waved his hands and said, "It doesn't matter. It's about surrendering. It doesn't matter if it succeeds or not. Let's see how it works or how it doesn't work..."

Hua Rong suddenly knelt on his knees and said: "I am willing to die for you, General!"

Su Wu waved his hands and said, "I don't believe you either. Today, I will tie you up and place you as a soldier in Wu Song's camp. If you want to run away, it's secondary that you can't find your little sister, but the matter of recruiting you will definitely fail."

Su Wu was intimidating and deterring.

Since Hua Rong is so concerned about certain things, then use such things to trap him. People can always find their weaknesses.

Xu Guanzhong said in agreement: "General, you are wise. If the bandits are all treacherous, then we should not believe in their offer of amnesty. We should just go all out to suppress them until they are wiped out."

Hua Rong kowtowed: "General, I will never go back on my word!"

"Okay, go down..." Su Wu raised his hand and waved, and the matter ended here.

Hua Rong is worthy of this plan tonight, but if he can be used, that would be the best. If not, there is no shortage of such a person.

Of course, Hua Rong still has some value. In Song Jiang's eyes, Hua Rong was not used in the right place. There is a lack of brave people on Liangshan now, so Hua Rong can only be the vanguard who dares to die.

If Hua Rong was under Su Wu's command, wouldn't he be a general chosen by heaven with his archery skills, mounted on a horse, and able to master the art of cavalry and archery among the light cavalry?
Hua Rong was tied up and taken down, with water and food prepared for him.

If he really wants to run, that's fine. With Hua Rong as Liangshan's death-defying vanguard, he won't be able to defeat anyone.

The next morning, when they broke camp and set off again, Su Wu specifically asked Wu Song, "Erlang, where is Hua Rong?"

Wu Song replied: "Shi Xiu is following behind..."

Su Wu smiled slightly: "It's a good match for the two of them to be together."

"Who says it's not true? Even if it's the method I came up with, Shi Xiu has now thought it through, and he will persuade others. Of course, it's better for us here, whether it's my brother, the generals, or my colleagues and soldiers..."

Wu Song was somewhat pleased with himself.

"Did you ask Shi Xiu to persuade him?" Su Wu asked.

"That's not a matter of how to persuade him. We are the government army, and what we have to do is justice. Hua Rong is a general of the government army, and he will feel comfortable if he stays with us..."

"Erlang, you have really made great progress." Su Wu praised him sincerely.

"Didn't I learn all this from my brother?" Wu Song smiled.

Xu Guanzhong, who was standing by, said: "Commander Wu will be able to take charge of a department on his own one day."

"Mr. Xu, are you serious?" Wu Song actually had some respect for Xu Guanzhong. Just because Su Wu really respected Xu Guanzhong, Wu Song knew that Xu Guanzhong was an extraordinary person.

Xu Guanzhong smiled but did not answer, he just went to see Su Wu.

Su Wu replied: "Erlang, seriously!"

Wu Song was very excited.

Su Wu added: "But you should also start reading more books, to learn about the changes in the world, about people's hearts, about conspiracies and plots, about the art of gambling, and about how you finish your performance and I come on stage..."

"Okay, I'll read it when I get home. I'll read it right away! Brother, just give me the book and I'll read it." Wu Song nodded seriously. The young man who used to wander the streets had changed a lot.

Xu Guanzhong was standing aside, smiling all the time. He had a feeling that this team was full of vitality, and everything seemed to be thriving and moving in the right direction.

As soon as they returned to Dongping Prefecture, they won another great victory. Gradually, the excitement of the past disappeared, but the people would shout and cheer whenever they saw each other, and of course they were happy.

There are no longer the crowded streets of the past, which is not a bad thing but a good thing.

With more victories and triumphs, we get used to it. Getting used to it actually means less worry and more confidence that General Su will surely win the battle.

This kind of certainty and trust is a good thing.

Su Wu naturally met the prefect Cheng Wanli first. The two of them sat down, and Cheng Wanli did not seem very excited, as if he had become accustomed to it.

"Ziqing, the petition for merit has been submitted, and the petition for apology has also been submitted. The petition for merit may be held in the Privy Council and will not be issued. We have to wait... As for the petition for apology, I'm afraid it has already been submitted to the court."

Cheng Wanli got straight to the point.

"Mr. Zhao of Laizhou, I'm afraid..." Su Wu asked.

Cheng Wanli nodded: "It's all your own fault!"

"Sir, we can't hold back these bandits for long. Has the imperial court raised a large army?" Su Wu asked, actually feeling a little anxious.

What's urgent is the matter. It's just a small matter in Liangshan, but it has been dragging on for so long that Su Wu can't help but take action.

Cheng Wanli said, "Let's set off. I think we'll arrive in seven or eight days, or ten days."

"Will General Gao lead the army in person?" Su Wu asked.

"Yes, he went to the battle personally! This time, General Gao came with a stronger force than before. He also sent people to collect boats along the way. He was probably preparing to attack by land and sea to defeat the bandits in one fell swoop!"

Su Wu frowned slightly. This time the pressure on Liangshan was a bit too much. But on second thought, the soldiers led by Gao Qiu were probably far inferior to those under the command of the bandit Song Jiang.

After all, Song Jiang's men have seen many big scenes.

The people brought by Gao Qiu would reveal their true colors if they were seriously touched.

After thinking it over, Su Wu made up his mind and asked, "What does Tong Shumi want to tell you?"

Cheng Wanli raised his eyebrows: "En Xiang has only one word, once Gao Qiu is defeated, we must march immediately."

"What if Gao Qiu wins?" Su Wu wanted to know everything.

Cheng Wanli looked at Su Wu with a helpless look in his eyes, and said slowly: "Prime Minister En also ordered that Gao Qiu must not win!"

How could Su Wu not understand these words?
He ordered Cheng Wanli and Su Wu, telling them that no matter what methods they used, Gao Qiu could not win.

So Cheng Wanli felt a little helpless. Maybe he was not willing to do it, but he had to do it, and he knew he had to do it.

Su Wu finally understood that the power struggles in the court... actually had no bottom line. The bottom line had been lost at some point in time.

Friendly forces are not only unable to rescue the bandits, but will also hinder them.

Su Wu just wanted to understand this point, realize this point, and also know that Gao Qiu did not need anyone to hold him back, as he was not useful in the first place.

"I understand!" Su Wu nodded.

Cheng Wanli came to comfort him: "You don't have to think too much. When has Gao Qiu ever led troops to fight? Just sit on the mountain and watch the fight between the tigers. The outcome will be clear."

A man who had never been a platoon leader or company commander led tens of thousands of troops into battle. The Song Dynasty always did this kind of thing. They really treated war as a joke.

I really don’t know how Gao Qiu should command the troops on the battlefield?
We will talk about Su Wu later. Something is also happening in the military camp.

Hua Rong entered the military camp and followed Wu Song. Wu Song led him to a small house, not far away from where Shi Xiu was imprisoned.

When a soldier came forward and opened the door, Wu Song said, "May I go in?"

Hua Rong was stunned for a moment and asked, "Commander Wu, is it possible that the general still wants to detain me here?"

"Don't say anything more, just go in!" Wu Song had such a bad temper that he really raised his hand and pushed him.

Hua Rong was pushed in. This room was different from the one where Shi Xiu was imprisoned. Shi Xiu's room was really small. This room had side rooms on the left and right. In the past, this was where people lived. It was where Dong Ping rested in the army. Su Wu could have lived here, too, but Su Wu already had a place to live...

As soon as Hua Rong entered the door, he looked around and saw that there seemed to be someone in the right wing. The person was sitting in front of a platform with his back to Hua Rong.

Hua Rong was about to cry when he saw it.

The man just happened to turn around, thinking that it was time to deliver the meal again, but when he turned around, he was also stunned and immediately burst into tears.

After a moment, the man stood up and walked over, asking, "Brother, have you been arrested too?"

Hua Rong also stepped forward and hugged the person: "Little sister, little sister..."

Wu Song didn't even look at it. He just closed the door and left.

Hua Rong was so excited that he shed tears and asked again and again: "Little sister, are you okay? They said...someone said...you were sold by the government, and they said you were sold to Bianliang City in Daming Prefecture..."

"I'm fine. I've been here all along, and I'm not allowed to go out. Food and water are delivered to me every day... I know this is the military, and I'm being held in the military. Brother, are you going to be held with me, too?"

The younger sister's face was full of anxiety and worry. She knew that her brother had been implicated and became a bandit, and the government troops were looking for him everywhere. Hua Rong hurriedly explained: "No, no, I... I joined the army again, and General Su... Alas... Little sister, I'm glad you're okay, I was teased by someone, I'm glad you're okay... I really thought you were sold by the government, and no one would bully you, right?"

The little sister shook her head: "No..."

"Good, good, it couldn't be better. From now on... let's live a good life, let's live the same life as before." Hua Rong was so excited that he looked his little sister up and down, front and back, left and right, and made sure that everything about her was fine.

"Brother, can we really still live the same life as before?" The younger sister grabbed her brother's hand. How could she dare to believe it?
"Yes!" Hua Rong nodded seriously, and then said: "Of course I can. I will work hard in the army. With my ability, I will definitely be able to find a future and find a good husband for you."

"Brother, they say you betrayed the court and joined the bandits. Is that true?"

Looking at his younger sister's innocent yet worried eyes, Hua Rong lowered his head and said, "Alas... not anymore. I won't follow the thief anymore."

"Okay, okay... can I get out of here now?"

"Yes, I can! That General Su...he...he is actually not bad, he is actually quite good, a good person. He treats you like this, so he should treat me like this. He may have thought about it a long time ago..."

Hua Rong spoke while thinking, but his words were not clear.

My younger sister came to ask, "What did he think about?"

"He...that General Su, perhaps he had long thought that one day I would join the army again, so he treated you so well, waiting for me to come..." Hua Rong really wanted to understand.

Maybe this is not really the case. Maybe Su Wu just didn't know what to do with such a girl.

This girl is innocent. If she is not brought back, she will surely live in misery in Qingfeng Village or Qingzhou.

The girl was brought back and was innocent. Su Wu would never do such a thing as selling out someone's official position.

Putting him in jail is even more unacceptable, as jail is not a place for human beings. Killing him is also impossible.

With no other choice, Su Wu just settled it like that. He didn't think too much about it. He was just busy and that's it.

The younger sister seemed to understand what was said and asked, "Brother, are you saying that General Su has been thinking about you joining the army again?"

Hua Rong nodded: "That must be the case, otherwise why would he treat you like this?"

"Was it General Su who saved you?" the younger sister asked again.

Hua Rong was speechless for a moment, thought about it, nodded and said: "I guess so..."

"How can I repay such a great kindness..." The younger sister said, "Brother, you must repay him in the future..."

"Alas..." Hua Rong sighed and said, "Little sister, please wait here for a while. I will go find General Su..."

"Well, good. I'm very happy today!" As she said this, the younger sister started to cry again.

Hua Rong turned around and went out. He looked around and saw no one there. Wu Song had already left.

Hua Rong wandered around the army, and whenever he found someone, he would ask, "Where is the general?"

The person who answered was also a soldier. He pointed and said, "If you want to find the general, you should go to the meeting hall. If he is not here, he is in the government office and cannot leave the camp easily. You should go to the meeting hall and wait..."

"Thank you, brother!" Hua Rong stood up and went to the meeting hall.

After waiting for a long time, I saw the general and a group of personal guards riding into the camp and heading straight for the meeting hall.

Hua Rong quickly stood up and bowed beside him.

When Su Wu arrived, he dismounted, put down his whip, and stopped at the door: "What do you want to do here?"

"Thank you, General, for being lenient with my little sister... Thank you, General, for covering up for my little sister..." Hua Rong bowed and was about to kneel down.

Su Wu walked in and said, "Don't kneel, especially don't kneel at the door. Come in and talk."

Hua Rong quickly stood up and followed in.

I only saw the general sitting down at the table, looking down at the official documents, and muttering, "On this way back, you didn't run away."

"I would never dare to leave, I would never leave..." Hua Rong bowed repeatedly.

"Are you worried that your brother Gongming's plan to recruit the enemy will fail?" Su Wu asked casually.

Hua Rong was choked up for a moment, thought for a moment, and said, "General, I will repay your kindness!"

"Even if I let you go into battle to kill the enemy, would that be considered a reward?" Su Wu didn't even raise his head. There was something right in front of him, and he was also interested in it.

Ling Zhen had been in the army for a long time. He came to report what had happened, saying that he was purchasing gunpowder in order to help the general suppress the bandits and also to avenge himself.

Su Wu waved his pen and bought it!
It’s not much, and it won’t cost much. I’ll buy some gunpowder raw materials first and see what Ling Zhen can make. Anyway, those fancy things are really useless.

By then, Su Wu will inevitably have to give some advice or two. As for the effect, we will just take our time.

After he finished writing, Su Wu looked up and looked at Hua Rong. Hua Rong was silent. Su Wu said, "Officials are officials, and bandits are bandits. Since the matter of recruiting them has not been completed, isn't it natural for the government army to suppress the bandits?"

"I am willing to die for the general!" Hua Rong finally said this.

"Well, don't worry, I won't ask you to kill Song Jiang!" Su Wu lowered his head and continued to read the official documents. The next one made him angry.

Dongping Prefecture was also asked to prepare food and fodder, which was obviously transferred from the government office to provide food and fodder for Gao Qiu.

You can prepare it. It's okay. You can deduct it from the Transportation Department, the Ministry of Revenue, and the government office, which means you have to hand in less.

Even though Su Wu was somewhat reluctant, he still had to prepare and move the troops out of the military camp.

Gao Qiu is different. When the army goes out to war, they can requisition boats along the way and along the rivers, and they can ask for food and fodder from various prefectures.

Authority is actually very useful.

He looked up at Hua Rong again, and Hua Rong bowed and said, "General, if you treat me like this, I will repay you even if I die a thousand times."

"I wonder what would happen if you really met your brother Gongming on the battlefield..." Su Wu asked.

"As long as Brother Gongming surrenders in the future, we will be colleagues." Hua Rong replied.

"He is in great danger. The Grand Marshal Gao from the Palace Guards is leading his troops here personally, both by land and sea. I wonder if Song Jiang can hold out."

Su Wu said this casually and glanced at Hua Rong's expression. Hua Rong's expression really changed. Su Wu didn't feel unhappy at all, but he felt that Hua Rong would probably be a soldier for a long time.

Whether Hua Rong will be promoted or not depends on what kind of surrender Song Jiang offers and how he does it.

"You go... take your little sister out of the camp and settle her down. It's really troublesome for a woman to stay in the army all the time. If there is no place to settle her down, take her to Meng Niang's inn first and find Madam Meng to help settle her down."

Su Wu waved his hand to drive them away.

"Thank you, General!" Hua Rong knelt on the ground. Once upon a time, Hua Rong was also a proud person in his heart. The affairs of the world are trying to grieve people's hearts.

"Don't kneel, go quickly. I don't trust you yet, and I don't consider you as my brother. You like my army, and let's see what you do in the future..." Su Wu waved his hand.

Hua Rong's face was full of sorrow, which slowly faded away.

Su Wu immediately called out, "Come here, call Commander Yang Tian over."

Someone went to run for it, and after a while, Lin Chong arrived and bowed.

Su Wu raised his hand and gestured: "Sit down, there is no one here, I have a secret to tell you."

Lin Chong nodded and sat down: "General, it's your order."

"It's not an order. Gao Qiu is coming to Dongping Prefecture."

Lin Chong's face was already ferocious, and his eyes were wide open at this moment, but he said: "General, don't worry, I will definitely not do anything reckless, and I will definitely not dare to drag you and my brothers down!"

Su Wu looked up at him, looked again and again, then lowered his head and continued to read the official documents. Another matter came, and Zong Ze asked him to send more money, another 200,000 strings of cash to Jezhou.

Alas...Su Wu waved his hand and gave it to you!
I also wrote back to ask a question, what is the difference between sea ships and river ships, and whether they can be used interchangeably.

In particular, the waves in the Bohai Sea are relatively small, it is relatively calm, the water is not deep, and it is not wide from north to south, so is it possible to use it universally?

This is a professional matter, and even this huge investment will hopefully be useful in the future.

Then he asked whether it was possible to make a dual-purpose ship for river and sea use, or even whether it was possible to convert a river ship into a sea ship through engineering in the future. In short, he asked about all kinds of possibilities.

Seeing that Su Wu didn't say anything, Lin Chong said, "Don't worry, General. Although I have deep hatred in my heart, I will definitely... I will definitely not make mistakes this time!"

Su Wu finally raised his head again and said slowly: "Kill him, if he leaves the capital, don't kill him. If he returns to the capital, there will be no chance to kill him again!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Chong stood up suddenly, his eyes full of shock. He even thought he had heard it wrongly, and asked again: "General, what did you say..."

Su Wu looked at Lin Chong calmly and nodded: "If we don't kill him this time, when will we kill him again?"

Lin Chong seemed a little anxious: "General, this is my personal vendetta. I dare not drag you and your brothers into danger for me."

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "If I don't help you, you will probably die of depression in this life, and you may not live to be 30 or 40 years old."

"General..."

"Don't say too much. I'm not doing anything stupid. Everything should be planned before action. Now that you have died for me in the army, I will help you avenge yourself!"

Su Wu spoke seriously, put down his pen and sat up straight.

"General, you saved my life, so I should repay you with my death. This matter... I must..."

"Don't tell me, let me tell you. If he is in the army, how can I kill him? If he returns victorious, how can I kill him? I can only do this when he is defeated. You don't have to think too much. This beast will be an obstacle to me in the future. It is better for him to die than to live. Killing him is also for my own benefit..."

Su Wu's words were true. Firstly, they were trying to win people's hearts. Secondly, there was a factional conflict in the beginning. Gao Qiu and Tong Guan were fighting each other. How could they not become an obstacle for Su Wu in the future?
In fact, there is a greater motivation, that is, merit.

How could Tong Guan not hate Gao Qiu? He must have thought of killing Gao Qiu. If Gao Qiu was really gone, Tong Guan would be able to cover the sky with one hand in the army.

But Tong Guan knew that no one would dare to do such a thing in the Song Dynasty. Not even the bandits dared to do it, let alone civil and military officials?

But Tong Guan did not expect that Su Wu dared to do it and could do it perfectly.

There is no need to report or discuss this matter, just make sure a perfect result appears in front of Tong Guan.

This is what a good subordinate is. He is willing to sacrifice his life for his superior, take the consequences if anything goes wrong, and if the task is completed perfectly, there is no need to take too much credit.

Gao Qiu was also in a difficult position. Why? He was not born an official, had never read any books, had never been a eunuch, and had never been a general. He rose to a high position suddenly only by relying on the trust of the emperor, without any foundation at all.

Now, perhaps even if he got on board Cai Jing's boat, it would only be a friendship of interest.

He wanted to prove himself, but ended up losing face. His brother Gao Lian lost face in Gaotang Prefecture, and the people under the Palace Front Department lost face in Liangshan. He had no choice but to lead the troops himself to regain his face in front of the emperor.

In other words, killing someone like Gao Qiu who has no foundation would involve very little risk.

But the gains were huge.

Since this is the case, if others don't dare to do it, how could Su Wu not dare to do it?
Lin Chong, seeing that Su Wu was not joking, knelt down and kowtowed: "General, I, Lin Chong, will give you my life, and you will have no objection to how you use it in the future."

Su Wu stood up and helped him: "You and I are brothers, there is absolutely no need to do this."

Lin Chong looked up, his face full of tears: "If this can be accomplished, I will have no regrets no matter how I die!"

Su Wu couldn't help him up, and said slowly: "After this, you should start your life again. Don't talk about life and death easily, it's like being reborn."

"Brother, brother! I bow to you again!" Lin Chong bowed again and again.

"Alright, alright, this matter is of great importance, don't let anyone else know. Even if we do it at that time, it won't be done by others. At that time, just you and I will go together with a few brothers. Stand up and sit down. If you kneel here like this, others will see you and make a lot of assumptions..."

Su Wu tried his best to help him up. Upon hearing this, Lin Chong stood up and unconsciously turned his head to look outside the gate, as he was really afraid that someone would see something.

"elder brother……"

Su Wu waved his hand to interrupt him: "No need to say more, just go, it may take more than a month, at least ten to twenty days, just prepare yourself, don't think too much."

"As ordered!"

"Alas... If this succeeds, it will remove a huge stone from my heart..." Su Wu waved his hand, signaling Lin Chong to go back.

"Brother, I, Lin Chong, have no way to repay you in this life or this one. Even in the next life, I will serve you like an ox or a horse, and bring you a ring and a grass to repay you."

"Go, go..." Su Wu nodded and returned to his desk. There was a lot of work to do.

But not long after, Hua Rong came again.

Su Wu just asked first: "Have you settled it?"

"General..."

"Don't bow anymore, just settle it down..." Su Wu waved his hand.

"General, they said that General Gao is coming with a large army..."

Su Wu raised his head and interrupted: "What? You want to go back to Liangshan to die? Then go by yourself."

"No, no, General, you misunderstood. I was afraid that someone would recognize me and bring trouble to you..."

"There is a place where you can hide for a while..." Su Wu had already thought of it.

"Thank you, General. My little sister..."

"Alas, your little sister was fine when you were a thief. What are you telling me now? Go find Du Xing quickly and ask him to send someone to take you to Yangyang Village in Yanggu County!"

Su Wu was really busy.

"No, General, you misunderstood. I was talking about my little sister... If the General is right, then... my little sister is a good person... she also reads books and learns to write, and is well-educated..."

Su Wu looked up: "What?"

Hua Rong actually looked nervous: "I mean, my little sister can help Madam Meng with her errands, such as accounting and settlement, which is no problem for her. She can also earn a clean living and have something to do..."

Su Wu was startled and just waved his hands: "I know, I know, you should go quickly."

"Bow to the general!" Hua Rong bowed and left.

Another person came, the head of the imperial guards, Li Cheng, bowed and greeted him, then stood aside. He just stood there.

Now, Li Cheng has also been promoted to commander of the Royal Guard Battalion.

Su Wu did not ask much at first, but just worked. After a long time, he looked up and saw Li Cheng still standing there stupidly, so he asked, "What do you want?"

"Oh, General, I'm fine..."

"If you have something to say, just tell me. If you don't have anything to do, go and do it. Do I really need you to stand guard here? You should worry more about the training. Have you mastered the riding and archery in the camp?"

Su Wu just waved his hands, looking like a black-hearted boss.

"Um...Brother, I have something to do..." Li Cheng said timidly.

"What's wrong? Why am I going backwards as I grow older? I'm already a commander, but why can't I speak clearly?" Su Wu's desk was already full of things, and people kept bringing him more. He was really dizzy.

"That's what happened..."

"What's the matter, just tell me!"

"Then I'll tell you, brother, I want to marry...Dong Huan."

"Who?" Su Wu was a little confused.

"Winter Joy..."

"Who is Dong Huan?" Su Wu was really confused.

"Ah?" Li Cheng was also confused.

"It's your Dong Huan. She and I are in love. I...brother, how much do you want as a gift?"

"Oh... my family..." Su Wu seemed to remember that he still had a Dong Huan at home, the little cook he bought, and then he said, "Oh, my Dong Huan, that won't do!"

"Ah? Brother, I beg you!" Li Cheng knelt down and kowtowed.

"Get up! Why are you bowing again? Get up!" Su Wu smiled and asked, "How old are you?"

"Seventeen, and will be eighteen soon!" Li Cheng answered while kneeling upright.

"Where is Dong Huan?" Su Wu asked again.

"Just the fifteenth..." Li Cheng answered blankly.
"One is seventeen, the other is fifteen, no way..." Su Wu waved his hands.

"Brother, I beg you, I love her and she loves me. If I don't marry her, I will... I will..."

"What are you going to do? Are you going to die?" Su Wu was not happy. He glanced at her and thought for a while: "Well, marrying her is fine, but do you understand the matter of having children?"

"what?"

"Giving birth to a child, how to give birth to a child, do you understand?"

"I understand, I understand. I can, I can..." Li Cheng nodded rapidly.

"Fifteen is too young, and she will have a difficult birth. Let's wait until seventeen, or at least sixteen. Dong Huan has never had a full meal since she was a child, and she is as thin as a stick. We need to raise her until she is taller, fatter, and in good shape, and then we can have a child. That's it."

Su Wu became serious, but also laughed. This was actually a good thing.

"Oh, I'll agree to this. Don't worry, brother. I understand everything. Brother, I will raise the betrothal gift myself." Li Cheng was very excited.

"Don't worry about it. When the time comes, I'll give you a small courtyard and you can settle down in the city. Go and find Madam Meng, and let her arrange the marriage."

Su Wu now pushed everything onto Meng Yulou, but he didn't know that Madam Meng also worked very hard every day.

"Thank you, brother. I will kowtow to you a hundred times!" Li Cheng kowtowed loudly.

"Get out, go as far as you can! Don't bother me..." Su Wu scolded and then laughed.

Li Cheng got up, also with a smile on his face, and ran away. When he came here just now, he was full of worries, fearing that his brother would not agree. Dong Huan was still waiting, so he had to bring the good news to her as soon as possible!

(Brothers, 11,000 words. This chapter is about people, hearts and teams. In the next chapter, the rhythm will pick up, and Gao Qiu will come.)
(End of this chapter)