Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 158 Your life hangs by a thread. How will you survive?
Wuzhang River, also known as Guangji River, can lead directly to Bianjing from Jizhou Lake for 500 miles.

The Bian River flows southeast from the east of Bianjing and directly into the Yangtze River.

That day, Su Wu stood at the Bian River pier outside the city, looking far to the north.

What they were waiting for were large and small ships coming from Jeju. There were four to five hundred ships this time, including forty-seven large ships, one to two hundred medium-sized ships, and a few small ships, but also about one to two hundred.

The fleet came, stretching for several miles. The ships traveling from the south to the north were blocked in the not very wide river. People on the shore were shouting and giving orders, and the boatmen on the shore were bending over and pulling the boats forward with all their strength.

The boatmen kept rowing to steer the boat, and the boatmen were standing by the side of the boat, holding long poles to support the opposite boat for fear of a collision.

The trackers in the capital city have really good business. They work their hardest and earn quite a bit every day. Today there is even more work, so much so that many of the coolies on the docks have temporarily become trackers.

There weren't many people watching on the shore. This kind of grand scene on the Bian River was nothing new. This was nothing...

Even when the emperor's flower and stone transport entered the capital from the Bian River, the scene was even more spectacular. The ships were so large that it was hard to miss them. In order to allow a large ship to pass, the river had to be widened in many places in advance, otherwise the large stones could not be transported in.

Just think that our Song Dynasty is prosperous, has money, and the officials are ostentatious.

Fortunately, there is no Huashigang fleet coming from the south today, otherwise the Bian River would really be blocked and unable to move.

I also heard that the Flower and Stone Gang might not be able to arrive from the south recently, because it was heard that a big bandit had risen in the south and the fighting was causing chaos. The Flower and Stone Gang will only be transported again after the bandits are wiped out and the rebellion is put down.

"Hey, this is a military ship. It's heading south. Could it be to suppress bandits?" An idle man asked, leaning against a tree on the shore with his hands folded.

"There are so many military ships, and they are all soldiers on board. I'm afraid they are going to the south to suppress bandits." Someone else answered.

"You say... Life in our Song Dynasty is good, why are there always so many thieves?"

"You are just bored. The country is peaceful and the people are safe, but you insist on becoming a thief. Isn't this just boredom?"

However, an old man passed by without stopping. He just said after hearing what he said, "You are all from Bianjing. You don't have to worry about food and clothing. You still have time to chat here. Why don't you go out of the city and see more..."

The idle man immediately asked, "What happened outside the city?"

The old man had already walked away without answering. He was carrying a load of firewood on his shoulders and was in a hurry to sell it, so he had no time to chat with others. No matter how lively the Bian River was, he had neither the time nor the mood to take a look.

The idle man was too lazy to care and just turned around to look. On the dock over there, a piece of empty space was cleared and a group of soldiers were standing by the water waiting.

Then they saw the big ship pulling up to the dock, and some people got off the ship. They all greeted the man on the shore.

The idle man asked, "Who is that man? He is so powerful!"

The others answered: "What's the big deal? Who among the officials in Bianjing City is not a high-ranking official? Who among the outsiders would not bow down to when they see an official?"

"Hehe... that's true!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a rumbling sound coming from the Bianjing City. He turned around and saw the cavalry coming out of the city gate, looking so majestic...

There were really a lot of them. I looked for a long time but couldn't see the end. I just kept looking and looking until the people and horses finally walked away and then the carriages walked again...

The idle man leaning against the tree spoke, as if to stir up trouble: "Oh... there's a war, there's a war..."

The already crowded dock became even more crowded, and there was no way to get through. The soldiers were shouting and even pushing and shoving...

A large horizontal wooden plank connected the boat to the shore, so that one could see the carriage, horses and people on board.

As soon as a boat is fully loaded, dozens of trackers will pull hard on the shore to pull the big boat out of the berth, and then dozens of trackers will pull the big boat into the berth and continue loading.

It looks really complicated, but all the big human projects are done step by step in this way.

The idle man leaned against the tree, looked for a long time, and stood up: "It's boring... I should find somewhere else to play..."

Having said that, the idle man left with a few people around him. After watching for a long time, it was really boring.

People in the capital have seen all kinds of big scenes, so it's not surprising.

However, the person who was being worshipped at the dock went to a teahouse behind the dock. It was Su Wu, the pioneer in this expedition against the bandits. He would not board the ship until all the men and supplies were on board. Even loading these would probably take a whole day.

As he drank his tea slowly, the map was spread out on the tea table, and many people gathered around to look at it.

Since they are in an unfamiliar place, military advisors and generals must first familiarize themselves with the map.

Su Wu was also watching, and said as he watched: "The enemy has not yet advanced north. We should first occupy Suzhou and take control of Taihu Lake. This way, we can strangle the enemy's throat as they move north. The southerners are good at fighting on the water, so this place, Taihu Lake, is particularly important and must not be lost."

Taihu Lake is one of the waterway hubs north and south of the Yangtze River. Su Wu had to go south so quickly for this place and also for Suzhou. In this way, the thieves' way to the north would be blocked.

The reason why Su Wu had to go so quickly was because he now had a pretty good navy under his command. Although this navy came from the Liangshan bandits and he himself had not trained them much, they were indeed very mature.

Having said this, Su Wu first looked at Wu Yong, then at Zhu Tong, then at the Ruan brothers at the back of the crowd, and at Tong Wei and Tong Meng.

As soon as Su Wu looked over, everyone also looked at them, and there was a sense of distrust in the eyes of many people.

Zhu Tong immediately spoke up: "General, rest assured, we are fighting for the court and the emperor this time, and we will repay them with our own death."

Su Wu nodded but didn't say anything, as if he was waiting for something.

Ruan Xiaoer immediately clasped his hands and said, "We must fight to the death!"

Ruan Xiaowu and Ruan Xiaoqi also quickly said, "Fight to the death!"

Tong Wei and Tong Meng spoke up: "We will die as a sacrifice."

All right, Su Wu nodded and continued: "The water in the south is not as good as the water in the north. I think the two brothers of the Tong family are more familiar with the tactics of the southern water. Commander Zhu, when you get to the place, you should ask the brothers of the Tong family for their strategies..."

What Su Wu said made sense, but it also seemed like he was praising the Tong brothers.

Zhu Tong naturally bowed and replied: "I will remember the general's words."

Su Wu looked at Zhu Tong. There was a kind of eagerness and excitement on Zhu Tong's face. Su Wu actually knew that Zhu Tong was excited that he could still serve his country.

Good!

Su Wu also knew something that no one else knew, so he just said, "After entering Suzhou, Commander Zhu will do one thing."

"There are also pirates in Taihu Lake. These pirates are under the command of four leaders. These four people are unwilling to be accomplices of the tiger and do not seek official positions under the bandit leader Fang La. Don't conflict with these four people. Get in touch with them first. If they are willing to join the army, just recruit them. If you can't recruit them, you should build a good relationship with them and ask them to help you. Even if they don't help us fight, they should help us with some guides and even provide some information about the pirates... They should be willing to do so!"

Su Wu's words were firm, unquestionable and extremely confident.

Everyone around was puzzled. Even Wu Yong wondered, how could General Su, who was in Shandong, know so much about the Taihu pirates? He even knew their nature so clearly?
Even Zhu Tong asked, "May I ask, General, what are the names and surnames of these four bandits?"

Su Wu replied, "These four people are also known as the Four Heroes of Taihu Lake. They are Fei Bao, the Red Bearded Dragon, Ni Yun, the Curly-haired Tiger, Bu Qing, the Taihu Flood Dragon, and Di Cheng, the Thin-faced Bear. Just remember them."

Zhu Tong naturally went to get paper and pen to take notes.

These four people were actually the ones who followed Li Jun, Tong Wei and Tong Meng to go out to sea at the end of the story. It was also they who reminded Li Jun to withdraw from Liangshan early, so Li Jun pretended to be sick and quit the group, and went out to sea with these four people, allowing Li Jun to have a good end.

These four people were local pirates from Taihu Lake. In the story, they didn't like Fang La, so they helped Liangshan fight Fang La. They also didn't like the imperial court, so they refused to follow Song Jiang to accept the reward of being granted official titles.

If they could make friends with him, it would be a great help, so Su Wu came to give instructions in advance to avoid conflicts and mistakes.

Unite all those who can be united.

Zhu Tong just wrote down these four people with his pen. Then Su Wu said: "After crossing the Yangtze River and entering the Grand Canal from Runzhou, the cavalry will go ashore and escort the fleet along the shore. Go straight to Suzhou City."

Yan Qing cupped his hands: "Understood!"

"When you first land, go to the government office in Runzhou to ask for a guide. The order of the Privy Council has been issued to Runzhou, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou and other places. Every time you arrive at a place, go to the government office first to ask for a guide. If the government office does not respond, take Tong Privy Council to pressure. If it still does not respond, just make a note of it."

Su Wu was very careful. This trip was different from the one in Jingdong. He had to be cautious and careful. A guide was of course extremely important. He had been preparing for these things in the past few days. As for any details that he thought of, Su Wu would directly get things done in the Privy Council.

Yan Qing just nodded again: "I've remembered it all."

"As we go south, if you find any large empty ships, we will issue a written document and arrest and take them away!" Su Wu was also using his power. Although he abused it a bit, he was also following Gao Qiu's example. This was Gao Qiu's method.

Just requisition ships everywhere, the more the better. At this time, even if someone wants to sue, there is nowhere to complain, because Tong Guan is on the front line anyway.

As long as you win the war, nothing is a sin.

If I lose, that’s another matter. What’s the harm in having one more charge?
The main reason is that Fang La also has a relatively powerful navy. Originally, the important naval base in the south of the Yangtze River was in Hangzhou. Perhaps it has already become Fang La’s navy. Perhaps in a few days, it will become Fang La’s navy.

Su Wu had no choice but to strengthen the combat capability of the navy. He just requisitioned large ships, even if he had to rob them, he would rob them all. Of course, when the war was over, he would return them.

It's not just about naval battles. Ships are extremely important in the south of the Yangtze River. Without ships, it would be difficult to move forward and we would fall behind at every step.

Su Wu looked at the map again, frowning, and he knew that the Jiangnan area was the territory of Cai Jing and Zhu Zhen, especially Zhu Zhen, who had been in power for fifteen or sixteen years. The area was almost ironclad, and almost all officials came from Zhu Zhen's subordinates.

This trip will be very troublesome. These people are not capable of suppressing bandits, but they are good at tripping up friendly forces and fighting for power and profit.

Therefore, Zhu Zhen had to be killed, otherwise, Su Wu might be unable to move forward. Once Zhu Zhen died, Jiangnan would be leaderless, and Tong Guan would be able to exercise power only when he came back.

Su Wu was frowning at this time. It was Zhu Zhen who was really difficult to kill. He was a native of Suzhou and had deep roots and strong power in Suzhou city. He also had thousands of private armed forces.

"Let's eat, eat..." Su Wu stood up and waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse.

He needs to think about it alone; this matter is not easy to discuss with others.

But I was alone, thinking about it over and over again, but I had no clue for a moment.

He just watched many soldiers slowly board the boats. By mid-afternoon, all the soldiers had boarded the boats, and Su Wu was also about to board.

But at this time, Cheng Wanli and Cheng Hao both came to see him off.

Standing by the water, Cheng Wanli didn't say anything touching, but just said, "Ziqing, you must be careful on this trip."

Su Wu just nodded: "Don't worry, sir, I know it."

But seeing Cheng Wanli's expression, which showed his real worry and reluctance, Su Wu said, "People in the south of the Yangtze River are not good at fighting, but they love to fight."

This is of course a lie, to deceive my father-in-law.

Cheng Wanli suddenly came over and whispered in my ear: "Ziqing, you must remember that you can't fight like before, and you must not lead the troops to fight again. No matter what, regardless of victory or defeat, you must come back. Once you come back, even if something happens, you will always be able to make a comeback."

Su Wu felt warm at heart after hearing these words. He had a feeling... a feeling that he was truly treated as a family member.

Su Wu just smiled and said: "Don't worry, things are different now, you can sit in the center of the army safely."

"Okay, okay..." Cheng Wanli finally felt relieved and his face was much more relaxed. He waved his hand and said, "You go by yourself. When you leave, I will go back to Jingdong and wait for you to come back. Jiyue will also wait for you to come back..."

Su Wu nodded and started to leave, boarding the shuttle boat and then going to the large ship at the front.

Just as Su Wu took a step, Cheng Hao pulled his sleeve.

Su Wu turned around to look...

I’ve only known this brother-in-law for a dozen days...but he was actually wiping tears.

Su Wu smiled and said, "It's okay. I have fought so many battles and I am used to it. Please don't act like a girl."

"Well, I know, I know..." Cheng Hao wiped his face repeatedly and smiled: "Brother-in-law, don't worry, just wait and see, I will definitely help you deal with my little bitch! She is not that easy to deal with, I will help you all the way!"

Su Wu laughed: "Go back, go back..."

As he said this, Su Wu boarded the shuttle boat and left. Turning back to take another look, the father and son were still on the shore, waving their hands.

Su Wu waved his hand, signaling them to go back, then turned around and never looked back.

For a moment, for some unknown reason, Su Wu actually felt like crying.

There is no greater love in the world than this.

The Song Dynasty is actually quite good!
It really gives people a sense of belonging...

No matter how the world changes, no matter how the world changes, many things remain the same for thousands of years...

Maybe I have a home now?
Su Wu looked back again, but he couldn't see clearly, but the father and son were still standing on the shore. Su Wu boarded the ship, and as soon as the cannons and drums were sounded, the ship set off.

The trackers on the shore shouted slogans as they walked and pulled step by step, their bulging muscles exerting all their strength.

This is also Bianjing...

Once we sail out of the slow-flowing Bian River and enter the river channel, raise the sails and drift downstream, there will be no need for trackers anymore.

The small boat carrying several boatmen came and took several bags of money from the big boat. They thanked the boatmen profusely. As soon as they opened the bags, the boatmen were even more surprised and shouted, "We really met a living Bodhisattva today. Thank you for the reward, officials."

The soldier on the boat replied, "It was given to you by my general Su. The general said that when he comes back, he will look for you to pull the boat."

"Thank you, General Su. When I come back, I will definitely come to pull the big boat for General Su."

The soldiers on the boat were chasing people away: "Leave quickly, don't come any closer, the military order has been issued, anyone who comes closer without reason will be shot..."

The boatmen bowed a few more times and rowed their boats quickly.

It is 1,600 miles from Kaifeng to Suzhou, but it is connected by water. Although it is not straight, it is not far, there are boats, and it is not tiring.

I just ate and slept on the boat.

In fact, the boat is not fast. Even with the current and the wind, it can only travel sixty to seventy miles a day. Even with the best wind direction and wind speed, it can only travel more than a hundred miles a day.

Occasionally, the boat has to stop. Although the waves in the inland rivers and canals are not big, the boats do not shake violently, and people do not get particularly seasick, but horses and people still have to go ashore to exercise, especially horses.

This trip will take more than twenty days.

Su Wu was also anxious. He looked at the map with everyone from time to time, discussed the war with everyone from time to time, and brainstormed with everyone. He was thinking about how to fight, thinking about every detail, big or small.

It is already November and December, and the new year is about to begin. This is actually quite good. At least the south is not so hot and unbearable. This is actually beneficial for the northern soldiers under Su Wu.

Su Wu would often frown and stand alone on a high place to look at the Jianghuai area. This was also a prosperous place with fertile fields as far as the eye could see.

Looking back, it was already December, and we crossed the Yangtze River and entered the south of the Yangtze River.

Yan Qing led the cavalry to the shore and ran along the road.

Su Wu rarely stayed in the cabin and mostly looked out. When he really arrived in the south of the Yangtze River, he slowly saw the vast and flat plains. Even though it was winter, there was green everywhere with some withered yellow mixed in.

When the cavalry's letters arrived at the shore, a barge would pick them up and then deliver them to the passing ship.

Su Wu looked at the letter and frowned even more. Runzhou and Changzhou ignored Yan Qing who was bringing the documents from the Privy Council, and did not even send a guide for Yan Qing.

Yan Qing had no choice but to spend money and find several guides in the city. Yan Qing was smart. He was afraid of being cheated and thieves and spies, so he tried to use them in batches.

Su Wu was already furious. Zhu Jie was already ready to die, but now he was still doing these things...

In fact, Su Wu also understood that he was just waiting for Tan Zhen, the governor of Liangzhe...

Tan Zhen, I don’t know if this Tan Zhen also has a way to die?

Ever since he killed Gao Qiu, Su Wu has become more and more daring. Is there anyone in the court that he cannot kill?

No matter who he killed, Su Wu would not frown.

Su Wu leaned on the railing and thought, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind.

But suddenly I heard someone behind me say, "I wonder what's bothering you, General?"

Su Wu turned around and saw that it was Wu Yong, the bailiff who always stayed with him. Su Wu turned his head back and replied, "I have heard that Wu Yong is a wise man. Since Wu Yong is here to ask, why don't you guess?"

Wu Yong obviously asked this question intentionally. How could Su Wu not know this?
Wu Yong replied: "I think it's because he's worried about the war."

"Hmm..." Su Wu made a sound through his nose. This answer was too low-level and he was too lazy to say more.

Wu Yong said, "Perhaps the general is worried about... one person."

Hey, this is quite interesting. Su Wu turned around and said, "Tell me..."

Wu Yong looked around and saw that no one else was approaching, so he took another step closer to Su Wu and spoke softly: "General, we want to kill someone, but this person is difficult to kill..."

Su Wu was a little surprised. He frowned and made a fierce face. He asked, "Why did Wu Yashi say that?"

"Because..." Wu Yong said these two words and paused, as if he was hesitating. After hesitating for a while, he continued, "Because the general dared to do such a thing!"

Su Wu looked even more fierce: "What is Wu Yasi talking about?"

Su Wu was really a little angry. Let's see what Wu Yong will say next and whether Wu Yong will also seek death. The river is deep and fast, which is suitable for drowning people.

Wu Yong immediately bowed and answered: "Since the day the general boarded the ship in Bian Jing, he has been thinking alone and frowning. There must be something very difficult, so... I can't help but guess and think a little more. I am a country bumpkin and have not seen much of the world, but I also know that people are divided into groups and they also fight... The letter just came from the shore, and the general was frowning here alone, which must be something troublesome, so I came forward to ask, and I am willing to share the general's worries!"

These words brought the whole thing back to the point. Su Wu looked less ferocious and just looked Wu Yong up and down.

However, Wu Yong bowed but did not stand up, just waiting for Su Wu to speak.

Su Wu added: "Stand up straight and speak."

Wu Yong stood up straight, his eyes looking at his nose, his nose looking at his mouth, and his mouth looking at his heart.

Su Wu looked at the water again: "Then go on and tell me how you can share the worry?"

"The general is not like ordinary people. He hates evil the most. If someone dares to do cruel things, it would be better to kill him!" Wu Yong said.

"You really are not afraid of death!" Su Wu laughed coldly.

Wu Yong sighed, "I am afraid. I am very afraid. I hesitated just now, but I am more afraid of one thing, that is, I will be useless. I will be trapped like a bird in a cage and live a life of mediocrity. There will be no fun in living like this."

"Did you guess it?" Su Wu asked again.

Wu Yong nodded, looked around to see if there were three people around him, and said softly, "I only want to be of use to you. I dare to make a wild guess. In the past, that noble man had agreed on something in the Liangshan stronghold. That thing was to shift the blame for the defeat to the general. However, he died soon after leaving the water. It was definitely not Liangshan who did it... That's why I said that the general dared to do such a thing."

It is true. In this matter, besides Zhang Shuye who knew the inside story and could guess it, Wu Yong also knew the inside story and could guess it.

Zhang Shuye wouldn’t say it because his son was involved.

But Wu Yong also guessed it, so why didn’t he say it?
Because he was a bandit and an exiled man, no one would believe him!

He couldn't find anyone to talk to, and it was impossible for him to leave Su Wu's side.

But the way he said it today really does seem like he is trying to seek wealth and fame at the cost of risk.

Su Wu smiled coldly, looked at the broad river, and asked, "Since Wu Yasi has said this, his life is hanging by a thread. Let's see how Wu Yasi tries to survive."

Wu Yong immediately replied: "I have a plan to kill Zhu Jie!"

Su Wu immediately turned around to look at Wu Yong and looked him over again. It turned out that this kind of trivial matter was really suitable for Wu Yong to give advice. Su Wu inexplicably believed in Wu Yong's plan, thinking that it was likely to succeed.

"Say..." Su Wu went to look at the river water again. If Wu Yong was clueless, then it would depend on whether Wu Yong was as good at swimming as the Ruan brothers. Of course, it would be safer to chop a few times before going into the water.

Wu Yong was already sweating profusely, but he didn't wait any longer. He immediately spoke in a light voice: "There are four pirates in Taihu Lake. The general said that they don't want to join Fang La's rebellion, which means they must have some loyalty in their hearts. The general also said that they may not want to join the army or become officials. I think they also have deep complaints about the court, and of course they have deep complaints about Zhu Zhen. They are loyal and hate Zhu Zhen. I'm afraid these people will hit it off immediately!"

Su Wu slowly turned his gaze back from the water, moved his feet a bit, turned his body completely around, and then spoke again: "How come we hit it off?"

"Let them kill Zhu Jie. Since they are not inferior to Fang La, they will not add to Fang La's prestige. Once Zhu Jie is eliminated, their reputation will rise. Who knows, we can use them to our advantage and divide the people's hearts and minds..."

Wu Yong spoke slowly but did not look up.

"Interesting, but these principles are meaningless..." What Su Wu wanted was an action plan.

"General, since this is the plan, it is not difficult to implement... We just need to let Zhu Zhen appear by the water..." Wu Yong replied.

Su Wu laughed when he heard this: "Not difficult? I think it is extremely difficult. He is such a person that he probably doesn't even want to leave the city. Why would he appear by the water?"

"He is very rich, so he will appear by the water!" said Wu Yong.

Su Wu frowned and thought, will a wealthy man appear by the water?

That's the truth...

There is too much money, and the thief is too big. How can I feel at ease if the gold, silver and valuables are still here? How can I not leave first?
Zhu Zhen had been operating in Jiangnan for fifteen or sixteen years. He had everything the Jiangnan court had at his disposal and was extremely daring. He even dared to maintain thousands of private armed forces. This showed how wealthy he was. He must have millions of strings of cash. Such a large amount of money was more than just a few pounds. Wouldn't it require boats to transport it?

Now, with the big bandits in the south of the Yangtze River rising up, most ships from the north of the Yangtze River dare not come, and the ships in the south are blocked by the bandits. Along the way, there are actually no large ships that are truly engaged in business.

Now that Su Wu's ship has arrived, how can Zhu Jie not use it?

He would certainly not use Su Wu's men. When the time comes, he will just ask Su Wu for the boat. When his life and property are put on the boat, Zhu Zhen will most likely keep an eye on it personally.

Wu Yong is really smart when it comes to killing people.

If Zhu Jie died in such an incident, Su Wu could still get rid of suspicion, or there would not even be any suspicion to get rid of.

There is still one more question, Su Wu asked: "Will the Taihu Lake pirates come ashore to fight? Zhu Jie has thousands of farmhands and servants under his command."

Wu Yong just said: "We must go all out. Since we have decided on this, we should give it a try. The Ruan brothers and the men from Dongxi Village and Xixi Village can be used in this matter! The farmhands and servants under Zhu Jie are definitely not elite. They are just running dogs used by Zhu Jie to oppress the people. They definitely don't have much fighting power!"

"The Ruan brothers... they have tattoos on their faces. If we're not careful, people might notice the clues..." Su Wu had actually already thought of it, but he just wanted to ask.

"Just cut off the tattoo. It won't leave a big wound. Then put on a mask, make a plan, and go ashore with the Taihu pirates. Just don't say anything. If some people die, nothing can be found out. If no one dies, that's even better. If there are really people left alive, the general has countless fast horses under his command, and they will be the first to rush from Suzhou City to the waterside to rescue Zhu Jie... If this is done, once Zhu Jie dies, no one will seriously investigate in the future... It must be that the Taihu pirates have committed a serious crime."

Wu Yong is really cruel...

Su Wu heard this and pondered for a while...

"Is this your true token of surrender?" Su Wu asked.

Wu Yong bowed and said, "I only hope that after this matter is over, I can stay by the general's side. I really have your trust!"

That's very straightforward.

If this could really be accomplished in this way, then Wu Yong would truly be trustworthy.

This letter of surrender was too big. It was not just about killing Zhu Zhen, but Wu Yong also helped Su Wu gain a huge benefit. How could Zhu Zhen's wealth not fall into the hands of bandits?

Didn't it fall into Su Wu's hands?
How could Su Wu not be tempted by such a plan?

It was Wu Yong who bowed deeply and said, "I know that the general has great ambitions in his heart. It is what the general said. The world is so big, who else can we rely on if not the elders and sons? We are all the general's elders and sons!"

Su Wu looked at Wu Yong and nodded slowly: "You are alive!"

Wu Yong was overjoyed and bowed 90 degrees: "Thank you, General! I hope that one day, I can help you achieve great things and help you rise to great heights!"

"You found the way to survive by yourself!" Su Wu said this. Wu Yong, you shouldn't die!
Su Wu changed the subject and said, "There is one thing I must say. Those who participate in this matter will risk their lives. Those who do not have parents or children in the village are not allowed to participate. After this is over, except for the three brothers of the Ruan family, I will arrange for someone to escort the others back to their hometown and return to the military camp in Dongping Prefecture! Once the war is settled, it will be fine. There will be a generous reward at that time."

After all, Su Wu was not Wu Yong, and he would not really kill everyone to silence them. However, Su Wu's method was already very safe. He just asked them to return home immediately and lock them up in the military camp, and they had to use their parents and children as guarantees.

Once the war was over, Su Wu would no longer worry, for death was the end of everything...

Even if the crime was discovered, the lawsuit should be fought before the emperor. Su Wu was a man who made great contributions in suppressing bandits, and he was promoted because of his bravery and death. If someone suddenly told the emperor that Su Wu killed Zhu Zhen, then this matter would have nothing to do with the truth, and it would immediately become a factional struggle?
Of course, there is a hidden danger of the case. Wu Yong has already said: "It's hard to get rid of these Taihu pirates..."

Su Wu waved his hand: "It doesn't matter, they will go far away to the sea..."

Wu Yong's words were actually vicious, reminding Su Wu to kill them to silence them. However, Wu Yong was surprised when Su Wu said this and asked, "General, why are you so sure that they will go far away to the sea?"

Su Wu only replied: "Don't worry about this. This is their only way out. They will be happy to see it happen!"

Why are they so sure? Because the four bandits in Taihu Lake would not obey even Fang La and the government, and it was hard for them to survive in the cracks. In the story, they had long thought about leaving by sea, so once this happened, how could they not leave by sea?

Wu Yong said hurriedly: "General, you are too kind-hearted. The elders and children have their parents and children as guarantors, but these people have no guarantors. We must not hold back!"

"You will know when the time comes..." Su Wu waved his hand, leaving no room for doubt in his words.

(I'm here, I've got it done, I'll come back in the evening. On the 18th, I might really need to take a leave, I have something to go out for.)
(End of this chapter)