Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 153 Show the power of our Celestial Empire!
Su Wu returned to Jeju first, and the army went in another direction, bypassing the water and returning to Dongping Prefecture. Su Wu wanted to bring many prisoners to Jeju to meet Zhang Shuye.

Zhang Shuye personally greeted Su Wu at the city gate, which was something Su Wu never expected.

Su Wu hadn't dismounted yet, and although Zhang Shuye didn't bow, he still cupped his hands, smiling: "General Su, you've worked hard!"

Su Wu naturally dismounted immediately, stepped forward and saluted in return: "Sir, you really don't have to leave the city like this."

"What are you talking about? You died for your country and returned with honor. You are the pillar of our country. How can we neglect you?" Zhang Shuye laughed and was really happy in his heart.

"It is your great contribution that helped us achieve complete victory this time." Su Wu asked Zhang Shuye to go first, and the two of them went into the city together.

Zhang Shuye waved his hands and said, "I didn't help much. It's all thanks to Ziqing! I wrote a memorial to Tokyo a while ago. The contents are very clear and the achievements are also clear. It's all thanks to Ziqing!"

This Mr. Zhang is really good.

Su Wu replied: "Then I will also write a memorial to the capital, clearly describing your contributions..."

"No, no, I'm old now, and these achievements are of little use to me. People in Tokyo don't like me. You have a bright future, and we don't need to argue. This is the fact, and it's all your credit."

"Anyway, I have my own report to make. There is no need to say more, Mr. Zhang. But I came here to find you because I have something to bother you with." Su Wu changed the subject.

"It's just that..."

"Let's go to the government office to discuss it in detail..."

After entering the government office and sitting down, Su Wu brought with him a list, a very long list.

Zhang Shuye took the list and looked at it carefully for a long time. He asked, "Do you want all these people?"

Su Wu nodded: "These are mainly naval forces, and most of them are from the surrounding areas of the water."

"Too many..." Zhang Shuye sighed.

"Don't worry, sir. I have never bent the law for personal gain. There are even more heinous criminals this time. None of them will be spared. I'm afraid that by then the Jeju Prefecture will not be able to handle all of them!"

Hearing this, Zhang Shuye heaved a sigh of relief: "In this case...there is nothing to say."

"I also want to tell you one thing."

"You said."

"Jiezhou is connected to Bianjing by the Wuzhang River, which also connects to the Bian River. The Bian River connects to Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture, and then to Jianghuai and Jiangnan. This time, we will set up a naval office in Jezhou, using Gao Qiu's old ships, the ships that Zong Lao Xianggong has built recently, and the ships seized from the bandit camp. There will be 47 large ships, about 200 medium-sized ships, and about 1,000 small ships. In this way, we can build a navy in both directions of Jingdong."

Regarding Su Wu’s matter, we still have to ask Zhang Shuye for help. The site selection and construction of the government office, as well as the site selection and construction of the wharf, all require the cooperation of the Jizhou government.

Zhang Shuye nodded and said, "That's easy to say, but with so many ships, how many sailors do you need? Do you have that many?"

This was the point. Su Wu smiled awkwardly: "No..."

Zhang Shuye also laughed: "If you don't have it, then you will do it with great fanfare?"

"Don't we have Tong Shumi here? Tong Shumi always has a way..." Su Wu was very confident. Now it was different. He was truly in power. Su Wu had also learned how to increase or decrease the organization of the two armies. Su Wu knew everything.

There will always be enough vacancies if we squeeze them together. If all the eighteen provincial capitals squeeze together, there will be enough.

Zhang Shuye nodded: "Okay, okay... As long as you can do something practical, then how many forbidden rooms do you have prepared?"

Su Wu thought about it and said, "With so many ships, there can't be any without people on them. Let's get about 10,000 ships..."

"What a huge amount of money and food..." Zhang Shuye was not surprised, but was worried about Su Wu. How would Su Wu feed so many people?

The imperial court naturally still gave money, but the money they had was not enough to support elite troops. They could only support those who were just eating and waiting to die. Su Wu obviously wanted to support elite troops, so he had to get the money himself.

"Mr. Zhang may not know yet, but chaos is about to break out in the south and south of the Yangtze River..." Su Wu wanted to tell this honest man Zhang Shuye something about the future.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Zhang Shuye was really shocked.

"To be honest, Prime Minister Zhang will inevitably be heartbroken again." Su Wu first asked Zhang Shuye to be on guard. For a person like Zhang Shuye who cares about the country and the people, he would probably be so angry that he would vomit blood.

"I haven't heard of any trouble in Jiangnan!" Zhang Shuye still had some doubts.

Su Wu then said slowly, "There is Mani in the south of the Yangtze River. It is a religious sect. The leader of the sect is called Fang La. He has been preaching for a long time. Now he has led his followers to rise up, just like the Yellow Turbans at the end of the Han Dynasty. They have so many followers that I am afraid they will wreak havoc on the prefectures."

Su Wu was still holding back on his words, as even he himself had no definite information, and he didn't know whether the enemy was about to wreak havoc in the provincial capital, or had already wreaked havoc in the provincial capital.

Su Wu only knew that as long as Fang La raised his arm and called for help, he would be able to mobilize over a hundred thousand troops in a very short period of time, wreak havoc on more than a dozen prefectures and fifty or sixty counties, and capture Hangzhou within two or three months.

Zhang Shuye was still shocked, but he asked, "How come we haven't heard any news?"

Su Wu sighed and replied: "Who is in Jiangnan?"

"Zhu Zhen?" Zhang Shuye naturally knew that it was Zhu Zhen who was in Jiangnan.

Who is Zhu Jie?

This has to do with the fact that Emperor Zhao Ji had a hobby, which was collecting rare and precious stones, so he specially set up the Yingfengju Yamen in Suzhou. The only job of this yamen was to collect all kinds of strange and interesting things for the emperor.

Among them, Taihu stone is the most important. Countless stones are collected every year, both large and small, some weighing a hundred pounds, and some as big as a mountain. Transporting these things to Bianliang requires countless manpower and material resources.

It requires building huge ships, widening the river channel, thousands of trackers to relay along the way, and it takes several months to transport one item.

This is the famous Hua Shi Gang. Yang Zhi was convicted because the ship transporting the Hua Shi Gang sank while he was transporting it.

This kind of task is not just once or twice, but has been done continuously for fifteen or sixteen years.

The Jiangnan Yingfeng Bureau had such great power that it was like an imperial court. It could command and dispatch local government offices to do things as if they were imperial edicts.

Zhu Zhen was the chief official of the Yingfeng Bureau. In other words, he was the agent of Emperor Zhao Ji in Jiangnan. After so many years of management, most of the officials in various prefectures and cities in Jiangnan were Zhu Zhen's disciples.

Zhu Zhen's government office had thousands of guards and followers. He committed many acts of plunder, oppression of the people, heavy taxes, and conscription of laborers, etc., which are too numerous to list.

Zhu Zhen has been in complete control of Jiangnan for the past fifteen or sixteen years.

How could Jiangnan not rebel? Even if Fang La was not there, there were Zhang La and Li La. All it took was a fire to start a rebellion with a hundred thousand people. What was the difficulty?
When Zhang Shuye mentioned Zhu Jie's name, he was horrified and asked again, "Are you saying... that Zhu Jie deceived the emperor?"

Su Wu nodded: "Then Mani Fang La, the slogan when they rose up was 'kill Zhu Jie', how could Zhu Jie not deceive the emperor? He thought that these small thieves could be put out in a blink of an eye in the prefectures and cities, and I think he is busy putting out the fire now..."

Zhang Shuye asked, "How do you know this?"

Su Wu only replied: "This is the news spread among the bandits. To be honest, Jiangnan has not seen real war smoke for hundreds of years since the Tang Dynasty. How could Zhu Jie cover up such a chaos?"

Zhang Shuye heard this and said, "Zhu Zhen is a traitor who brings disaster to the country and the people!"

After he finished speaking, Zhang Shuye felt as if he was holding his breath in his chest and couldn't breathe out.

Su Wu hurriedly stepped forward and patted Zhang Shuye on the back without saying a word. He just thought, is Zhu Zhen really bringing disaster to the country and the people?
Maybe it is true, Zhu Zhen was also guilty of a heinous crime, but he just happened to get this job. If someone else came, would it be different?
Rather than saying that Zhu Zhen brought disaster to the country and the people, the one who really brought disaster to the country and the people might be the one sitting in the highest position in the court.

If not, why couldn't Zhang Shuye, who was also a high-ranking official in the capital, stop Zhu Zhen when he knew clearly that what Zhu Zhen did was wrong?

Scholars like Zhang Shuye have backbone, but they also don't think the emperor is guilty. The emperor's fault lies with his ministers. It's because the ministers are not virtuous and don't advise, so the emperor makes mistakes...

How can I say this kind of reader...

By the time Zhang Shuye had recovered from his anger, his face was as pale as a pig's liver. He was really furious. He looked up at Su Wu and said, "No wonder you set up the Navy Office. You knew that a great turmoil was coming and you were preparing to suppress the bandits. Ziqing, you are really a pillar of the country! You are so prepared and loyal to the country. You deserve my respect!"

"No, no, I dare not. I am just a military man. I dare not accept your courtesy, sir." Su Wu just supported Zhang Shuye.

Zhang Shuye still bowed slightly and said, "I will help you quickly settle the navy affairs. I will also think of ways to help you with the shortage of money and food. I will do my best to help you... If you are really needed in this matter of the Jiangnan bandits, you must fight with your life like you did this time!"

Zhang Shuye gave repeated instructions.

"Don't worry, sir. If the bandits in Jiangnan really become powerful, I will volunteer to fight. Secretary Tong will certainly use me. I will go down the waterway and head straight to Jiangnan. I will definitely sacrifice my life!"

Su Wu spoke fluently.

Zhang Shuye looked at Su Wu with a very touching expression on his face: "Okay, okay, Ziqing, our Song Dynasty..."

Having said this, Zhang Shuye paused, perhaps hesitating, not knowing whether to continue or not.

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "Sir, there is no need to say more. I know everything in my heart."

Unexpectedly, Su Wu said that there was no need to say more, but Zhang Shuye insisted: "You don't know, how can you know? You are a warrior, you have never been to the court, you don't know, our Song Dynasty is really dominated by treacherous people, with Cai Jing as the worst. All kinds of treacherous people surround the emperor. The emperor is not stupid, but deceived by treacherous people. Ziqing, you must not be corrupted by treacherous people in the future. You should be impartial and live up to the conscience of heaven and earth!"

"I will keep your teachings in mind!" Su Wu nodded.

But Zhang Shuye suddenly became emotional, tears welled up in his eyes, and he looked up to the sky and said, "I hate it! I hate it!"

Su Wu was also moved when he saw this. Zhang Shuye was not funny, just a pity.

Zhao Ji, ah Zhao Ji, damn it!

Zhang Shuye suddenly turned around and looked at Su Wu again, saying, "Ziqing, you should go to the Donghua Gate to announce your name!"

Su Wu was stunned when he heard this, and waved his hands repeatedly: "I am not very knowledgeable, so I dare not think too much."

"No, I have learned recently that you have read a lot of books and have a talent for poetry. You must have a lot of knowledge in your mind. You are very smart and young. If you study hard for a few years, it will not be difficult for you to recite the name. If you recite the name, I will not be alone!"

Zhang Shuye seemed to be speaking seriously.

After Su Wu heard this, he was unable to say no for a moment. How much expectation was this?
But Su Wu also knew that there was no way he could pass the imperial examination and he didn't have the time to study hard for several years, not even in the Song Dynasty.

Su Wu could only sigh...

"Ziqing, you must listen to me..." Zhang Shuye had already grabbed Su Wu's hand, which was still trembling a few times.

Su Wu's expression was firm: "I will keep your words in mind."

Of course, it was just perfunctory, but it didn't matter. There would be no chance for Zhang Shuye to blame me again in the future.

Zhang Shuye, who was perfunctorily treated, just nodded and said, "Okay, okay, it couldn't be better. If you are nominated, with your talent, you may be able to make great achievements. If you become a general or a prime minister in the future, you may be able to clean up the bureaucracy and bring order to the world."

Zhang Shuye really had a long-term vision. If everyone had followed Zhang Shuye's approach, even if Su Wu had achieved it, it would have taken decades.

What a far-sighted plan!
But after Zhang Shuye said this, his complexion seemed to improve immediately, as if there was light in his eyes.

It seems that Zhang Shuye really believes that the darkness is only in front of us, and as long as we work hard, the light will be not far ahead.

Su Wu couldn't stand this kind of expectation and hope. He felt uncomfortable staying in this atmosphere any longer, so he stood up and bowed: "Sir, I'm going home. Tong Shumi is still waiting in Dongping Mansion..."

"You go, go by yourself, I'll see you off..." Zhang Shuye also stood up.

Su Wu subconsciously wanted to refuse, but he didn't say it out loud, and just let Zhang Shuye see him off.

Once he had sent her off, he would still be riding a horse beside him for four or five miles.

After Su Wu said goodbye several times, Zhang Shuye returned to the Jizhou government office.

Suddenly, why did Zhang Shuye have such high expectations on Su Wu?

Su Wu was a little confused...

He didn't think too much about it and just went back to Dongping Prefecture.

Passing by Yanggu County, a carriage was parked on the side of the road waiting. Next to the carriage were Hu Yanzhuo, Yang Zhi, Lin Mao and others.

There was also the old magistrate Meng Yi, who also came out of the city to welcome him.

Su Wu quickly dismounted and stepped forward. Meng Yi laughed. He didn't have any official words to say. He just said, "Ah, hehe... OK, boy, you are really good now!"

As he spoke, he patted Su Wu on the shoulder as he bowed in front of him.

"Thank you for your praise, sir." Su Wu said with a smile.

"You're still being polite. Well, whatever, we're not close anymore." Meng Yi joked.

"What are you talking about, sir?"

"I won't joke with you anymore. You have returned victoriously this time, and with Secretary Tong in person, you will surely rise to prominence. The world is changing, and you are so smart that I feel at ease!"

Although the words of County Magistrate Meng Yi seemed incoherent, Su Wu understood them all.

Su Wu simply replied, "Sir, why don't you move your family and relatives to Jingdong?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Meng Yi nodded.

"Do you want us to send some people to help?" Su Wu asked again.

Meng Yi shook his head: "That's not necessary. I have a big family and a lot of money, so I can just hire some people."

"I'm afraid my husband will also be promoted." Su Wu said with a smile.

Meng Yi narrowed his eyes slightly and said with a smile: "I never thought that after being a county magistrate for my entire life, I could still be promoted by relying on a warrior, haha..."

"But my husband will be tired soon, and it won't be as comfortable as before..." Su Wu also laughed.

Meng Yi nodded: "Do you want me to fill in for Zhao Mingcheng?"

"Let's give it a try, maybe it will work. Now is the time of great victory. Secretary Tong is so happy that many things may be easier to talk about." Su Wu replied.

Meng Yi cupped his hands and sighed, "The world has really changed, and the court has also changed. The civil servants are no longer civil servants, and the military servants are no longer military servants."

Meng Yi was obviously also speaking in a yin-yang way, and the one who was in yin and yang was the imperial court, not Su Wu.

Then Meng Yi said, "That's fine, that's fine. Anyway, I got something good. It's good that I got something good. I'll go to Laizhou and wait for General Su to promote me."

"My husband is teasing me..." Su Wu answered with a smile.

"Stop joking. Maybe it's this place in the east of Beijing where people can feel at ease. Go ahead... You need to see Secretary Tong. I'm just going out of the city to see you." Meng Yi waved his hand.

Su Wu didn't say much. After bowing, he turned around and talked to Hu Yanzhuo and others for a while. Then he took the carriage and headed east again, which was a small detour.

In the carriage is Meng Yulou.

If you pass by Dulonggang and spend the night, you don’t have to stay in the military tent, and you can still eat and drink well.

In the middle of the night, there were whispers.

Su Wu went there several times seriously.

Meng Yulou finally explained her worries: "I'm afraid that Mr. Cheng will not want to marry his daughter to Su Lang if he finds out that Su Lang already has a mistress and is pregnant. After all, Su Lang is a warrior, and Mr. Cheng is from Tokyo, from a scholarly family. He thinks that Su Lang's marriage is a high-class marriage and has a bright future, so I want to avoid him. I just think that Su Lang and I have nothing to do with each other from now on, and Mr. Cheng won't blame me..."

Su Wu laughed when he heard it: "You, you don't understand, but you still have wild thoughts."

"Am I wrong? It should be like this..."

Meng Yulou was certainly not wrong. Logically speaking, if Su Wu married into a wealthy family, he would have a bright future. At this moment, Meng Yulou should have stepped away and not hold Su Wu back.

It was Su Wu who said, "People, it all depends on their own abilities. I have the ability to be able to reach such a high level. If I had no ability, how could I, a mere warrior, be in your eyes? Don't you know why Dong Ping died? Now the matter is not what you think. Just put your heart at ease. I can't do such a thing as seducing and then abandoning. It depends on my ability."

"Hmm..." Meng Yulou whispered softly.

Su Wu then said, "The matter is not with Mr. Cheng or Secretary Tong, but with the young lady from the Cheng family. I will meet her myself. Whether it succeeds or not, it is all up to us..."

"Su Lang... I never want to be separated from him, but I am afraid that it will delay Su Lang's future. If I serve the mistress, I will do my duty." Meng Yulou suddenly said this.

Su Wu was stunned when he heard this, and nodded: "Okay, okay, go to sleep, go to sleep, after returning to the city, you have to do one thing, buy a big house."

"Ok!"

Meng Yulou's cheek was in Su Wu's arms. Su Wu looked down at her, feeling endless pity in his heart.

Actually, it’s not Meng Yulou’s fault.

If it were someone else, perhaps Meng Yulou really thought so, but how could Su Wu do so?

They set out again at dawn. By the time Su Wu returned to Dongping Prefecture, the army had already returned. The military camps outside the city were already full, as were the military camps inside the city.

In the government office, I first met Tong Shumi and Cheng Wanli.

Cheng Wanli waited at the gate of the government office, and waited for Su Wu to come. He took Su Wu's hand and walked in, saying, "Ziqing, you don't know, when the victory report came, my feet jumped up, haha..." Su Wu only replied, "I also made my husband worried."

"What is there to worry about? When the good news came, the whole city was in an uproar, and Prime Minister En was also very excited. What do you think was the first thing Prime Minister En said?" Cheng Wanli turned around and asked, his face really beaming with joy.

Su Wu shook his head in agreement: "I really don't know."

"You would never have thought that the first thing the Prime Minister said was, 'Good Su Wu, you will definitely have a seat in the Privy Council in the future!'"

Cheng Wanli was extremely excited. These words sounded very meaningful. They were already a family. Even Su Wu would have a seat in the Privy Council in the future. How would Cheng Wanli think about his future?

How powerful will the Cheng family be in Tokyo in the future?

Su Wu smiled and said, "Congratulations, sir!"

"Congratulations!" Cheng Wanli nodded repeatedly.

When they really arrived at the main hall, Cheng Wanli turned around and said, "Come in quickly, your Excellency has been waiting for a long time."

Su Wu entered the room and bowed. Before he could speak, Tong Guan said, "No need to be polite. Come in and sit down."

Su Wu did not act pretentiously. He just walked forward with firm steps and sat down.

Cheng Wanli sat on the left and Su Wu sat on the right.

Tong Guan looked around and said, "Don't talk too much about happy events. Just think about the promotion, but there are urgent matters to deal with."

"Just follow the Prime Minister's orders!" Su Wu replied.

Tong Guan's face was filled with joy, and his tone was sonorous: "The more elected great villains and evil thieves, the better, and the head of Song Jiang will be brought to the capital as a captive! The emperor likes this kind of thing the most. This is the emperor's virtue of benevolence and righteousness, and the people are bathing in the blessing of heaven. Just make it grand and show the power of our Celestial Empire on the Daqing Gate!"

Su Wu was stunned again. How could this happen?

Just nodded: "Then I'll do it right away."

"Well, if it's done well, it doesn't matter if we prepare for a few days, but we need to prepare it properly, and we also need to have a powerful army with us, so that the government can review it on the spot. This is the military might of the Celestial Empire, which will shock all directions. There will also be envoys from various countries present, so that all nations will be submissive."

Su Wu understood that Prime Minister Tong Shu was deeply favored by the emperor, so he must have some good tricks.

I just asked, "I wonder how many people were elected?"

Tong Guan said, "Two thousand. That way, we can go along the way. It won't be too much trouble to get food and fodder."

Su Wu nodded: "Understood."

But Tong Guan suddenly changed his mind: "No... I think the Liao envoys will be there by then, with 5,000 soldiers!"

so much?
Su Wu also understood that this was a show of military power to the Liao people. The two countries were about to go to war, and Tong Guan wanted to take this opportunity to intimidate the Liao people first.

Even the army in the capital has long lost its real power. This time, the army of Dongping Prefecture still has power and can be used.

Su Wu just accepted the order and said, "Prime Minister, I'm afraid we need to prepare some more for the five thousand troops to march to the capital."

"Don't worry, don't worry. Five days should be enough. The rewards for your two contributions will be in the capital this time. Besides, you will have to meet the emperor, so you must not be rude. Ziqing, when the time comes, let Pengyuan explain everything to you. Don't be nervous when you meet the emperor..." Tong Guan was actually very anxious and couldn't wait any longer.

He said not to be nervous when meeting the emperor. Tong Guan looked around and saw that Cheng Wanli looked a little nervous when he heard it, but Su Wu seemed normal.

Tong Guan then said, "Pengyuan, you don't have to think too much. The emperor has always been kind and gentle. You will know when you see him."

"Student understands." Cheng Wanli was very excited, but also very nervous. Meeting the emperor and receiving rewards was probably the peak of his life.

"I understand it myself!" Su Wu said afterwards. He was also looking forward to seeing what this emperor looked like.

"Well, the road to the court is not easy. It is difficult to be an official. Pengyuan, Ziqing, you are now truly entering the court. You should be modest and cautious, be diligent, and be careful... You should be more cautious in dealing with people and things."

Tong Guan's words were full of sincerity and meaning.

"The student thanks you for your teaching." Cheng Wanli became more and more excited, but he kept enduring.

Su Wu also replied: "It is all due to the grace of the Prime Minister."

Tong Guan waved his hands and said, "You guys should work hard. I will be honored and rewarded when I return to Beijing this time. I should come to thank you."

"Thank you, Prime Minister. I am so embarrassed." Cheng Wanli replied with a bow. Su Wu also bowed without replying.

"Go ahead and take care of some things." Tong Guan said to Su Wu.

"Then I will go back and prepare!" Su Wu stood up, saluted, and went out.

Tong Guan and Cheng Wanli were left behind, and Tong Guan asked, "How is your business going?"

"Yes, sir. My daughter wants to meet Ziqing first." Cheng Wanli could really withstand the pressure, which meant he really loved his daughter.

"Ah... it's really troublesome. Let's meet, but the man and the woman are unmarried. How can a man and a woman meet alone? If it doesn't work out and others know about it, how can we get married in the future?"

Tong Guan was obviously a little impatient.

Cheng Wanli said quickly: "I will do it right away, in the government office, away from the eyes of others."

"When?" Tong Guan was actually urging.

"Today, today..." Cheng Wanli answered quickly.

"Okay..." Tong Guan nodded, looked at Cheng Wanli, and said, "Sometimes, I think you are really good, and sometimes I think you are like a woman, alas..."

This is probably a knock, or pressure.

I thought Tong Guan had been in the officialdom for so many years, was he really just smiling and kind? Was he really not powerful?
Where was Cheng Wanli's excitement and joy just now? He just bowed tremblingly and said, "Please forgive me, my lord."

"Forget it... We have become a relationship of master and disciple now. If I cannot tolerate you, what else can I do?" Tong Guan took the words back. He really had the ability to control people's hearts and minds and was able to control himself freely.

"Please forgive my sins, sir." Cheng Wanli had already stood up and bowed.

Tong Guan nodded, stood up and went out.

Cheng Wanli wiped the sweat from his forehead and reflected on himself. He knew that he might have been a little too spoiled recently, mainly because of the matter of his good girl. He was the one who caused the trouble, and it was this good girl. How could he not feel distressed?

"Someone come here!" Cheng Wanli stood up straight and also tried to act majestically.

"exist!"

"After two hours, go to the army to invite General Su and tell him that there is something we need to discuss at the government office." After Cheng Wanli finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

"As ordered!"

When Su Wu returned to the army, the first thing he did was to give out the holidays quickly. The holidays were not long, so he gave them in two shifts, two days each. Those who wanted to go home went home quickly and returned all the reward money.

It's time to set off again. Soldiers of this era travel all over the country, and communication channels are few and slow. Homesickness has always been a top priority for soldiers, and it is the worst thing for the soldiers' morale.

Su Wu knew that he would not be able to come back for a while after this trip. Most likely, he would go directly to the south of the Yangtze River after entering the capital. He also asked the soldiers who had homes nearby to go home first.

After finishing this matter, Su Wu began to select the big and evil thieves to be presented as captives to the capital. He could write a letter to Zhang Shuye of Jizhou for help on this matter. He had to write the letter quickly, as he could not let Zhang Shuye kill those big and evil thieves first.

It must be left until Tokyo to be chopped down, and it must be chopped down in front of the people of Tokyo, so that the people of Tokyo can remember the emperor’s wisdom and the might of the Song Dynasty.

After all the busy work, he had to send someone to give some money to Qin Ming, Suo Chao, Zhang Qing and others.

Su Wu was already short of money, so he had to hurry up on his journey to the south of the Yangtze River. The south of the Yangtze River was extremely rich now, with plenty of money and food, and one could really make a fortune there.

This time, we must accumulate a truly rich asset. When we come back, we will have to invest in iron ore, copper mine and coal mine. The initial investment is huge.

In the battle against Fang La, by the time the imperial court could react, Fang La had already claimed to have an army of one million. This shocked the entire court and the country. The people of Tokyo were in panic, and even the emperor couldn't sleep.

Tong Guan was even more shocked, and for a moment he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

The Western Army was hurriedly dispatched at a speed of 800 miles, and a group of Liu Yanqing from the Northwest rushed over on horseback to die, and Han Shizhong was under his command.

Su Wu knew at this time that he would definitely be on the transfer list, and he would meet Han Shizhong on the spot, as well as Wang Bing of Wuzhou. These were the very few truly brave men in the army of the late Northern Song Dynasty.

It's a time of great opportunity!
This was also the moment when Su Wu truly stepped onto the stage. In this battle, he had to show his power. He dreamed that he would have the halo of "bow down to the emperor". There were many things that he had to strive for.

Su Wu sorted out his thoughts and slowly stood up.

Then someone came to invite him: "General Su, the prefect wants to see you."

Su Wu was determined to go.

No one greeted him, so he just walked into the yamen. The man just said it was a small study in the back yamen, and Su Wu went straight there.

There was no one in the study, but tea was prepared. Cheng Wanli was thought to have some unfinished business, so he drank his tea and waited for a while.

Then Miss Cheng came into the room. She was also stunned to see Su Wu. She said, "My father sent me to get the book, but I didn't expect the general to be here. I am so rude."

Su Wu also stood up immediately and looked around: "Take it yourself, I will wait for official business here."

Both of them gave an excuse, but they seemed to know what was going on.

I just saw Miss Cheng rummaging through the bookshelf, and then she asked casually, "Is the general in danger this time?"

"It's not dangerous at all. Just take command of the central army..." Su Wu said casually. He had fooled Cheng Wanli in the same way before.

"I'm afraid not. I only heard my father tell me that the general always bravely charged into battle. I also heard about the battle in which the general rescued the city. It was said that the general led 2,000 soldiers and just fought among thousands of bandits... I even went to the top of the city wall to see the scene after the battle. It was really a sea of ​​blood and corpses..."

The more Cheng Xiaoniang spoke, the more worried she sounded. She flipped through the bookshelf but still couldn't pick out a book.

Su Wu only replied: "This time in the capital, it was an emergency..."

"The general is really powerful. Everyone in the city says that the general is a brave general who has won every battle. They also say that the general is so brave that he will never appear again in a hundred years or a thousand years..."

"Ah? Is that what you all say?" Su Wu responded.

"Well, that's what they say. When the army came back, all the people went out to watch, but the general was not among them..."

As she was talking, Cheng Xiaoniang took out a book and stopped looking for it. She just sat down in the chair next to Su Wu.

But Cheng Xiaoniang looked up and saw a pair of eyes in the gap between the window hinges behind her...

In the past, it was Miss Cheng who was eavesdropping and peeping there, but today it was Mr. Cheng who was doing the same thing.

When Su Wu saw Cheng Jiyue sitting down, he understood more clearly and asked, "Did you also go to see the army's triumphant return?"

Cheng Xiaoniang nodded: "I went to see it..."

"I went to Jeju to see Mr. Zhang for some business, so I did not return with the army..." Su Wu answered casually. He had something to say but didn't know how to start.

He then continued, "I have read a lot of the history books you gave me last time, and I have gained a lot from them. Thank you very much!"

"General, you don't have to be polite. I heard that you have a mistress..." It was Cheng Xiaoniang who brought up the topic. It seemed that her father was pressuring her.

Su Wu nodded: "Yes, it is the owner of Meng Niang's shop, named Meng Yulou."

Cheng Xiaoniang nodded: "I know, I have seen her, she is very good, she rose from humble beginnings with the general, worked hard for the general, and did many things for the general..."

"Yes...recently, she just got pregnant." Su Wu said it bluntly. As soon as he said this, he suddenly felt a sense of worry inexplicably in his heart, so he turned around to look.

Looking at Miss Cheng, I found that she was not tall, and even looked a bit petite. Her hair was in a bun, but it did not form a tall cloud-like temple of a woman. There were also two strands of black hair that fell from her shoulders to her chest.

There was only a hairpin on her head, which was not luxurious. Her fair face still retained some of the youthfulness of a girl. Her eyes were like water, and when they moved, they revealed some wisdom. When they were fixed on one spot, they seemed to be filled with some sadness.

The tip of her nose was slightly upturned, and her nostrils opened and closed with her breathing, turning slightly red.

It was Su Wu's words that startled Cheng Xiaoniang slightly. She slowly turned her head to look, and it was Su Wu's eyes that she looked into. The two of them looked at each other and there was a moment of silence.

After a moment of silence, Cheng Xiaoniang spoke up: "No wonder she hasn't been in the store recently. She must be trying to avoid us..."

"Yes, she thought too much. She just thought that I had escaped and I was left alone..." Su Wu answered.

But it also explains and picks out the words.

Cheng Xiaoniang shook her head: "She doesn't know it herself, it's not her fault..."

Whose fault is that?
Su Wu knew that the problem was his own fault. This Miss Cheng was not an ordinary girl. If she was an ordinary girl, she would just be married off by her parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. How could they have met each other today?
If she were an ordinary girl from a wealthy family, she would probably not know what her husband would look like on her wedding day.

Su Wu nodded: "I already know what you are thinking, I have something to say."

"You say..." Cheng Xiaoniang nodded.

"You are a rare and wonderful woman in the world. I am willing to marry you. Not only am I willing, but I want you more than anything. This matter has nothing to do with Mr. Cheng, nor with my future. I have to travel far away again. Before I leave, if I don't keep these words, I'm afraid I won't have the chance to do so in the future. I am different from everyone else. If I marry, I don't like those who have no opinions of their own, nor do I like those ignorant women who never leave their boudoirs. I like women like you!"

Su Wu frankly said that he didn't have so many means anymore. In this era, he couldn't expect that kind of love process. He told his true feelings and said that he had always had a lot of good feelings.

The process of falling in love can be something that happens after marriage.

Su Wu also knew that this marriage could not be delayed any longer. If it was delayed any further, it might be lost.

Su Wu's marriage has been handed over to Tong Guan. If it doesn't work out here, then it will be a blind marriage. Before getting married, he won't even know what his wife looks like, let alone any affection or love.

Su Wu had already made up his mind that he wanted this Cheng Xiaoniang.

After Su Wu finished speaking, he just looked at Miss Cheng.

Cheng Xiaoniang was already dumbfounded. How could there be such a person in the world? So straightforward?

Seeing Cheng Xiaoniang was stunned, Su Wu asked: "What...what do you think?"

The dazed Cheng Xiaoniang suddenly jumped up, covered her face and ran away, going out of the door like a flash.

Su Wu was also stunned, and subconsciously stood up and took a step to chase after him, but he couldn't really chase after him. He just thought in his heart, was it because he was rude? Or did he misunderstand? Was he just being too sentimental?

Isn't this the purpose of this meeting? Is this all an illusion?
Cheng Wanli walked in from the door at this time: "What's going on? I asked her to get a book, but she didn't get it for a long time... Why did she run away? Ziqing, I'm looking for you for something, please take a seat."

Su Wu sat down in a daze, looked at Cheng Wanli, and asked blankly, "What's the matter, sir?"

"Oh, that is... Has your army made any plans for reporting this achievement?" Cheng Wanli asked.

"Oh, it's still being checked by several guards in the yamen..." Su Wu nodded and replied.

"That's fine, that's fine. Urge them to make it happen soon so that we can report to the Privy Council." Cheng Wanli replied, and then said, "Then you go first. Go to the government office early tomorrow morning to supervise. This should be done as soon as possible. It is also what the army wants."

Su Wu bowed and left.

Cheng Wanli immediately stood up and went to the back yamen, straight to the girl's room.

Just look at the good girl, sitting at the table, her elbows on the table, her chin resting on her hands, she is also in a daze, her face sometimes flushed, sometimes smiling slightly.

Cheng Wanli came to ask: "My dear girl, you have seen it. That soldier is really straightforward. You have to bear with it. It all depends on how you think..."

"Hmm?" The good girl turned around.

"Father, I am asking you, that soldier is outspoken, and he is also busy in the army. We will set out again in five days. What do you think?"

Cheng Wanli is patient, but more anxious.

"Oh... then... I don't have much to think about..." The good girl was still a little dazed.

"So what's going on? Ziqing has already guessed it. If you still haven't made a decision, how will I end up?" Cheng Wanli was impatient.

"I...father...is embarrassed, I...will just agree." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's. As she spoke, Cheng Xiaoniang jumped up again, went into the side room, and closed the door.

"Hey!" Cheng Wanli was overjoyed and clapped his hands: "Good, good, good! Good, good, good! Good girl, good girl, really good girl! Good girl, take a rest first, your father will take care of this matter for you..."

Having said that, Cheng Wanli turned around and walked away quickly, with steps as fast as flying, to report to the Prime Minister, and the good thing was done!

Do it quickly, even if it is only within these five days. It is still early to get married, but engagement is urgent, and we still need our beloved minister to take charge.

(Brothers, there are only a few local aristocratic families in Shandong, not all the people in the world. Are they that important? Is the already extremely mature imperial examination system so vulnerable? Besides, if we have to solve the problems of these one or two aristocratic families in the future, will it be Su Wu's problem? Wouldn't that be the public enemy of all the scholars in the imperial examination system in the world?)

(End of this chapter)