Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 161: Six Million to Eight Million

In the distance, the big ship was sailing on the river with its sails already raised.

At this moment, Su Wu had a thought: how much money was loaded in that big ship?

Then he looked at Zhu Zhen's corpse, and then at Suzhou City...

The soldiers all returned to the camp first, leaving only a hundred or so personal guards by his side. Li Cheng had already galloped into the city on his horse to look for the people from the government office and the Yingfeng Bureau.

It didn't take long before they reported back, saying that they couldn't find the person.

Su Wu frowned continuously. With such a great Song Dynasty, such Jiangnan, and such officials, it was no wonder that Fang La ascended the throne in two months and raised a million people in three months.

Just wait, just wait at the dock. Many auxiliary soldiers came from the military camp and began to slowly clean up the mess, corpses, weapons and so on...

Su Wu picked up his pen and began to write a memorial to the Privy Council. Yingfeng Bureau Zhu Jie was assassinated by hundreds of thieves on the dock. Suzhou prefect Deng Wen fled when he heard about the thieves...

Just ride fast and see how Tong Guan handles it, and then wait.

In the south of Suzhou City, there was no one to be seen for three or four hours. It was not until mid-afternoon that some people slowly returned. Su Wu sent people to shout in the city that the bandits had been repelled, and even sent people to the north to chase them...

In this way, the chaos in Suzhou City slowly recovered.

Deng Wen, who had escaped long ago, also came back and went to the dock to see the situation.

"Master Deng, I'll leave this place to you..." Su Wu was already getting impatient waiting, but the matter was of great importance, Zhu Zhen's death, so Su Wu couldn't leave. He had to wait for someone to come and take over.

Deng Wen still had a look of panic on his face. He cupped his hands and said, "General Su, since you have repelled the bandits this time, why don't you enter the city and garrison there?"

Deng Wen obviously knew at this time that he could not rely on the soldiers in Suzhou city at all, as many of them ran faster than him.

Fang La's bandits were also cruel and ruthless. Whenever they broke into a city, they would kill any government officials they caught by skinning them and removing their hearts and lungs.

That's why these officials ran so fast.

Is Su Wu required to enter the city to garrison now?

Can Su Wu go?
Su Wu just said: "The foreign troops have come from afar, and it may be inconvenient for them to enter the city at will..."

Deng Wen quickly said, "What are you talking about? We are all imperial soldiers, ordered to suppress the bandits, how can we not go into the city to defend it?"

"Mr. Deng, I wanted to enter the city when I came, but you wouldn't let me. We then set up camp outside the city and were very busy. You know, these soldiers are all arrogant and brave. If we play with them like this, once something happens and the camp is blown up, it will be a bad ending. It's better for us to stay outside the city first..."

Su Wu said this on purpose.

How could Deng Wen not understand? He just said, "Save it, save it. Even if we set out, we need food and fodder. I don't know..."

Su Wu looked up and Deng Wen was making an estimate in his mind.

Just wait for Deng Wen to speak again: "I wonder if 400,000 strings of cash can appease the army?"

Su Wu was stunned. Jiangnan is Jiangnan, it's pretty good.

Seeing Su Wu was stunned for a moment, Deng Wen immediately said: "Another 200,000 strings of cash can be added..."

Su Wu was not overjoyed but a little surprised. Was it because he had never seen the world?
In that case, why not see the world all at once?

Su Wu still said nothing, but frowned slightly. It was just a little negotiation trick. He wanted to see what the bottom price was so that he would have an idea in mind later.

Deng Wen then spoke again: "General Su, the cost of this expedition is already high. Even the government office cannot afford so much money at once. We have to borrow some from various wealthy families. But General, don't worry. In the future... after a while, there will be a reward for the troops. Please bring your troops into the city to garrison as soon as possible."

It turns out that this is the bottom price. Deng Wen said it right away, which shows that he was really panicked.

Su Wu said, "In this case, add another 100,000 strings of cash. Ten days later, I will reward the troops again. Then I will go back to the camp and talk to the soldiers and generals."

"Okay, okay, it's a deal!" Deng Wen looked very happy.

Su Wu was a little confused for a moment. Was this the lowest price?

Forget it, that’s enough, that’s enough. Seven hundred thousand strings of cash was really beyond Su Wu’s imagination. He was satisfied. This battle was worth fighting.

I will defend Suzhou City even if it means my death. I guarantee that the 700,000 strings of cash will not be taken in vain.

"Prince Deng, I'll leave Zhu Jiedu to you. I'll go back to the camp and talk to the soldiers first..."

Su Wu stood up, mounted his horse and rode away.

The military camp did not move at first. The Suzhou government office had to send the money out first. Even if Su Wu had to transport it back himself later, Su Wu had to receive the money first before doing anything.

It wasn't long before the military camp began to be packed up, and rows of carriages began to head into the city. The military camp in the city could not accommodate so many foreign troops in the first place, but it was easier now because most of the military camps were empty, so they could just go and stay there.

As for the local soldiers, Su Wu had no control over where they lived, but he knew that most of them had a small home in the city.

However, the camp outside the city was not demolished. Five thousand infantry entered the city and three thousand cavalry were outside. This was a very reasonable configuration.

In this way, Su Wu had completely taken control of Suzhou's military defense.

Before Su Wu had finished packing up in the military camp, Deng Wen came again. He went straight to the meeting room in the military camp to look for Su Wu, and he looked anxious and panicked again.

Without waiting for any greetings, Deng Wen came in and shouted, "Something bad has happened, General Su. Something bad has happened."

"What happened, Mr. Deng?" Su Wu stood up and asked.

"Hangzhou prefect Zhao Ting abandoned the city and fled. The governor Chen Jian and the inspector Zhao Yue were all killed by the bandits. Hangzhou city was broken!" Deng Wen's panic was written all over his face.

"When did it happen?" Su Wu asked.

"The message I just received..."

Su Wu also frowned. Although it was not unexpected, he was still troubled. One city, two cities, were all like this. The thieves ran away as soon as they arrived. The same was true for Hangzhou City. What was going on?

Deng Wen then said, "General, a big thief has also appeared in Huzhou. His name is Lu Xing'er. He is also under Fang La's banner and is besieging the prefecture..."

Huzhou, where is Huzhou? It is on the other side of Taihu Lake. Suzhou is to the east of Taihu Lake, and Huzhou is to the south of Taihu Lake. It is about 200 miles around the lake.

Seeing Deng Wen about to run away, Su Wu asked, "Mr. Deng, what is your plan?"

Deng Wen was stunned when he heard this, and replied: "This mansion...I am here to ask General Su for a countermeasure, right?"

"Mr. Deng is your superior, so just follow his orders." Su Wu said this deliberately.

Deng Wen was even more confused: "This, this, this...what should I do?"

Su Wu said, "How about I lead the troops to help Huzhou?"

Huzhou must be supported, if not for any other reason, then it should be done to control the surface of Taihu Lake.

Deng Wen was shocked when he heard this: "Absolutely not. The enemy is now at its peak and their force is unstoppable. We should defend the city tightly. General Su, can you defend Suzhou City?"

Oh, so that's why you're asking this question, to seek peace of mind.

Su Wu said, "Once Huzhou is captured, the enemy can come by land and water. We need to defend from all directions. Suzhou is in great danger. After all, the enemy can number hundreds of thousands, and I only have tens of thousands of soldiers. But as long as Huzhou is not captured, the enemy can only come by land. Suzhou can still be defended."

Su Wu started talking nonsense, but his words were also reasonable, just to intimidate Deng Wen.

Deng Wen's expression changed drastically again.

Su Wu continued, "So, no matter what, I have to go and save Huzhou. If it works, the war situation and front lines will be stabilized. If it doesn't work, Suzhou, Mr. Deng..."

Deng Wen just said: "General Su, quickly lead the troops to rescue..."

"We should discuss this with Prime Minister Deng, he is your superior!" Su Wu still said this. He also knew that Deng Wen had already abandoned the city and fled, and it would not be long before he would lose his official position.

But that didn't stop Su Wu from fooling him at this moment, not for anything else, just for the matter of money and food. The more the better, the more Su Wu could get, even if he really emptied Suzhou.

They will be of great use in the future, and it is not just Su Wu's matter of making money. The Western Army is coming and they also want money and food. Guan Sheng of the Jin Army is coming and they also want money and food. There is even Wang Bing in Wuzhou, and Su Wu should also provide some financial assistance. These are all favors.

It was also because when Tan Zhen, the governor of Liangzhe, arrived, he had nothing in his hands. The soldiers had simple minds. They thought that a superior without money was nothing but shit, but they would risk their lives for a rich and generous brother!
Deng Wen had no right to have his own opinion. He believed what Su Wu said. He believed what Su Wu said. The main thing was that he had to believe it. He had no choice but to believe it.

Deng Wen just said: "General, please discuss this with me. I think what you said is reasonable. Huzhou must be rescued, so we should go and rescue it..."

Su Wu nodded: "Understood!"

In fact, Su Wu was directly under the Privy Council and did not need to get any orders from Deng Wen. He was the vanguard general and had the power to make decisions before the war.

After Su Wu received the order, he looked at Deng Wen.

Deng Wen also looked at Su Wu... and understood what was going on. He asked with a bitter face, "Do you want more money?"

Su Wu said helplessly: "This is a life-threatening matter. If there is no reward before the battle, the soldiers will probably make trouble again."

These are all old routines. It is a routine here for Su Wu, but if it is applied to other armies, it is not a routine but normal common sense.

If there is really no reward for going to war, there will be no army in the Song Dynasty that will not cause trouble.

Deng Wen nodded helplessly: "I'll go and raise more money. At most, I can raise... 150,000 strings of cash..."

"Mr. Deng is still loyal to the country!" Su Wu praised.

Deng Wen went out. It was actually not difficult to raise the money. Why?
Because Fang La's bandits were so vicious and cruel when they wreaked havoc, and the tragic scenes that had occurred in dozens of cities before were still fresh in people's minds, all the wealthy families in Suzhou were trembling with fear.
Now that more than 10,000 troops have arrived, they are their only lifeline. If they want these foreign soldiers to fight to protect their property, how can they be reluctant to spend money?

Historically, the Western Army, as the main force in suppressing Fang La, also made a lot of money. Many brave men of the Western Army came from the barren Loess Plateau thousands of miles away, and saw the prosperity of Jiangnan that they could never dream of in their lifetime. After returning from this trip with a lot of money, they immediately stopped being brave...

This matter is really hard to explain.

In fact, Su Wu was also worried about these things...

Deng Wen went to raise money, and Su Wu was also frowning. Fortunately, the land of Jingdong was not poor and barren, and the men of Jingdong must have some knowledge...

When it comes to giving money, Su Wu also has to be careful...

Su Wu's gains from this trip must have been greater than those of the Western Army in history. There was one major difference: in history, Zhu Jie would not die, and after the Fang La incident was settled, he would still preside over the Yingfeng Bureau, and even Zhao Ji would promote him and give him the title of "Marquis of Pan Gu".

However, Su Wu directly got his hands on Zhu Zhen's wealth, a sum of money that was unimaginable.

When Yan Qing came back quietly, he saw Su Wu and his face was filled with excitement.

Su Wu quickly pressed his arm and said, "Whether you are happy or sad, don't show it on your face."

Yan Qing calmed down, but still said anxiously: "Uncle, do you know how much Zhu Jie is worth? All kinds of gold, silver, utensils, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, copper coins are piled up like a mountain, it is impossible to count them all, we can only estimate..."

"How much do you estimate?" Su Wu was not excited. He supported his hands on the table and leaned forward to listen.

Yan Qing took a deep breath, leaned forward and whispered, "Uncle, maybe... six to eight million strings of cash..."

As soon as these words were spoken, Su Wu's arms, which were supporting the table, suddenly went limp, and his body staggered forward, almost hitting his head on the table.

As soon as he stabilized himself, Su Wu asked again: "How much?"

"Six...six million to eight million strings of cash..." Yan Qing said again.

Su Wu was not excited. He just nodded, took a deep breath, took another deep breath, and asked, "Did I calculate wrongly?"

Yan Qing shook his head: "I didn't calculate it, I can't calculate it, I estimated it, so I think it can't be wrong!"

"Quick, quickly ask... Li Cheng to take 500 cavalrymen to rush to Runzhou and board the ship together..." Su Wu was a little worried, worried that something might go wrong, and said, "Call Li Cheng!"

Yan Qing immediately turned around and called Li Cheng.

Li Cheng came and listened to Su Wu's instructions. Li Cheng immediately bowed and said, "Brother, don't worry. I will definitely bring these things back home safely."

Su Wu nodded and said, "Even if you get home, you should keep it secret. Don't go back to Dongping Prefecture, go directly to Liangshan Village. I will write a letter for you to take back to Teacher Luan!"

"Understood!" Li Cheng was very serious.

Su Wu then said, "Take your men and leave now. If anyone asks you, just say you are going back to meet the imperial army!"

"understand!"

"Also... take good care of everyone on the ship..."

"understand!"

"Even if we stop to buy things along the way, no one is allowed to disembark. Only your men can disembark..."

"understand!"

"Also, if you go back, you will stay in the village. You can only come out when I come back..."

"understand!"

"And there's more... um... that's all, you should go quickly!" Su Wu was not excited, he just couldn't calm down for a long time.

Six to eight million strings of cash, what a huge sum of money!
The court's annual expenditure was only 70 to 80 million strings of cash, which was almost one-tenth of the court's annual expenditure. Zhu Zhen had been operating in Suzhou for fifteen or sixteen years, with an average annual income of 600,000 to 700,000 strings of cash. This was his personal surplus after serving the emperor. This guy was really capable.

Li Cheng had to wait as Su Wu was writing a letter.

As soon as he got Su Wu's letter, Li Cheng ran away.

Su Wu took another deep breath and asked Yan Qing, "Where are the people from Taihu Lake?"

"Don't worry, uncle. They are heading out to sea from Loujiang across Kunshan!" Yan Qing replied.

"Send someone to follow them and make sure they really go out to sea." Su Wu was not suspicious, but he was extremely cautious.

"Someone is following..."

"That's good!" Su Wu nodded, still thinking in his mind, trying to recall whether there was anything he had not thought of.

Such a large amount of money is enough to run and invest in many things. If it is really used to maintain soldiers, I don’t know how many soldiers can be maintained. On the contrary, it is difficult to recruit soldiers.

There is really a feeling of a poor man suddenly becoming rich. Su Wu was so uneasy that he felt "suddenly". The Han Dynasty perished because of its strength, and the Song Dynasty perished because of its wealth. Why did they perish even though they were rich? It was because the money was not used where it should have been used.

Su Wu thought that the money was in his hands, which meant that he had the right money to spend. It was the right thing to do...

Thinking of this, Su Wu gradually calmed down. There was more to come...

The prefectural government sent another 150,000 strings of cash...

Su Wu had to go to rescue Huzhou. He waited until the next morning and set out with 2,500 cavalrymen, followed by 3,000 infantrymen and 3,000 auxiliary soldiers.

There were also 3,000 naval forces, who went directly south out of Taihu Lake. Now, even the small water stronghold of Fei Bao in Taihu Lake was handed over to Su Wu, and Su Wu sent Ruan Xiaoqi to guard it.

Su Wu was not worried, as he thought that the Taihu Lake bandits had killed Zhu Jie and fled, and Ruan Xiaoqi had just found the bandits' lair and taken over.

Just move forward by land and sea and set off.

At this time, the city of Hangzhou was being plundered wantonly. Two or three hundred thousand bandits entered the city, and two or three hundred thousand peasants really liked everything they saw.

The city of Hangzhou, with its white walls, black tiles, small bridges and flowing water, displays the unique scenery of the south of the Yangtze River everywhere.

The Jiangnan region is delicate and exquisite, and this delicacy is reflected in the details, whether it is the decoration of the gate, the carvings on the windows, or the patterns on the clothes worn by women, all of them have such a delicate and soft beauty...

But this kind of tenderness was violently torn apart, and rape and looting were everywhere. The delicate women in the south of the Yangtze River, who were originally the most peaceful and delicate, became the miserable wails of beasts.

In the Hangzhou government office, the Holy Lord Fang La wore a flat golden flower crown on his head, an ochre-yellow dragon robe, a jade dragon-patterned belt around his waist, worry-free shoes on his feet, and held a white jade sceptre in his hand, looking exactly like the Son of Heaven.

It’s just that Fang La changed the emperor’s title to “Shenggong”.

All the civil and military officials from the three provinces and six ministries knelt on the spot and shouted "Long live the emperor".

Why did he ascend the throne so quickly? It was not for anything else, but because the left and right prime ministers, the various vice ministers, and the generals present gathered too quickly. Everyone was an original shareholder, and each of them had outstanding achievements. Under their command, each of them had tens of thousands of troops.
Now that wealth and honor are in hand, Fang La must fulfill his promise immediately.

The rape and looting that had been going on in Hangzhou for several days was out of control...

The people of Hangzhou can only suffer a little...

Fang La nodded and said, "Stand up..."

All the generals stood up, all of them were smiling, and the ministers discussed the matter. One said which city should be taken, and another said where he wanted to go...

Even though he was talking, Fang La mostly just nodded in response.

When the noisy court meeting ended, Fang La seemed both happy and worried.

The left prime minister Lou Minzhong came and said, "Sheng Gong, we should quickly start the war and head north. The current situation in Hangzhou is really not a long-term solution."

Victory came too quickly, and everyone wanted a share, so the pie had to be made bigger, wars had to be fought, and the territory had to be expanded.

Right Prime Minister Zu Shiyuan also said: "Lu Xing'er of Huzhou has already raised the banner of rebellion and is besieging the city of Huzhou. We should quickly send troops to support him!" Lu Xing'er of Huzhou was obviously another new shareholder and had also come to invest.

Fang La immediately asked: "Who should be sent?"

Lou Minzhong immediately replied: "We should send Privy Councilor Lu Shinang and his troops there."

"Okay, tell him to send troops to Huzhou." Fang La nodded, but he was worried, and said, "Just tell him to take any city and let him take it."

The Holy Lord's decree was issued, and the reason why he was granted such an official position as Privy Councilor Lu Shinang was that he must have a lot of elite soldiers and generals under his command, which was tens of thousands of troops. As for the exact tens of thousands, there was actually no number...

Specifically, it’s a few tens of thousands, maybe 50,000 or 60,000, maybe 40,000 or 50,000, maybe 60,000 or 70,000.

It was really that everything happened too fast. It was impossible to count the number of people involved. A few more came today and a few left tomorrow. And with marching and fighting every day, there was no time to really manage military affairs.

Anyway, Lu Shinang was quite good at fighting, and the generals under his command, Zhao Yi, Fan Guo, Gao Keli, and Zhang Jinren, were all brave.

They just set out, with flags and large banners, many armors, bows and crossbows, and a group of elite soldiers in the front, about three to five thousand men, followed by people in gray cloth and linen clothes, armed with swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks and forks, all kinds of things. Even many newcomers, with wooden sticks in their hands, followed to attack Huzhou.

As for logistical supplies, it was even more chaotic. There was a group of people here, carrying a bunch of vehicle frames, and there was a group of people there, also carrying a bunch of vehicle frames.

They even fought with each other over the road, blocking the way. Only with the help of the superior official who reprimanded them could the road be cleared.

If we really look back and do the math now, it might be more than 60,000 or 70,000.

Anyway, each department has its own generals, and they develop on their own. Once they have a team, they just do it! They will recruit as many people as they can.

The army set out, and there was some order in the beginning, but there was no order at all later on. Some people had already become rich, while others just wanted to have enough food to eat.

In this way, we headed towards Huzhou.

Just looking at Huzhou, the city gates of Huzhou were tightly closed, and there were already two to three thousand bandits outside the city. Even the troops of Lu Xing'er, a native of Huzhou, who had just formed a team of fellow townsmen, lacked any military equipment, and even swords and guns.

There were at least three to five thousand soldiers stationed in the city. They were naturally well-equipped with swords and spears, and they also had armor, but not a single man or horse rode out of the city to fight.

Even if they were just two or three thousand ragged bandits, they would have forced the big city of Huzhou to seek help everywhere.

The distance from Hangzhou to Huzhou is also about 200 miles, but those 60,000 to 70,000 thieves were moving at a very fast pace.

Su Wu naturally arrived first. Even though the cavalry were running around, he knew that a big bandit was coming from the south.

When Su Wu arrived, he did not charge forward to fight the two or three thousand bandits led by Lu Xing'er, but just found a place outside the city to set up camp.

However, it was Lu Xing'er who did not seem surprised even when he saw the two or three thousand cavalrymen of the government army coming in full force. He just waited and watched in the camp.

The government troops in Jiangnan are really a joke...

The bandits had heard many stories of government troops being defeated at the first blow, so they were very confident.

Su Wu was not in a hurry to attack. He was thinking of asking Huzhou to get some money first, the money for the soldiers' lives.

What Su Wu didn't expect was that just as he was about to set up camp, the bandits started to move. Two or three thousand bandits rushed out of the camp...

Su Wu was sitting on his horse, stunned, and asked his attendants: "What's going on?"

Zhu Wu, who was always calm, was also stunned for a moment. He even stood up from his stirrup and looked around: "I don't see any reinforcements coming from anywhere..."

Wu Yong also said: "I'm afraid he has gone mad..."

It was Xu Guanzhong who said: "You two have both made up your mind. You only think that you are still in Jingdong. The bandits here are different from those in Jingdong. They are not afraid of the government troops!"

Wu Yong laughed dumbly and looked at Su Wu: "General, since he has come to die, how can I hold back?"

Seeing the bandits with sticks and hoes in a pile, Su Wu turned around and shouted, "Hua Rong!"

"I am here!" Hua Rong stepped forward and bowed.

"Send five hundred light cavalry to surround them and fight for a while." Su Wu gave the military order.

"Understood sir!" Hua Rong received the order and went to gather a battalion of five hundred light cavalry.

Su Wu also ordered: "Erlang!"

"Here!" Wu Song stepped forward and bowed.

"Gather the two hundred cavalrymen together, and charge once the enemy is in disarray." Su Wu issued another military order.

"Understood!" Wu Song also turned around to gather the cavalry. It was troublesome to gather heavy cavalry. Both the armor of the horses and the armor of the people had to be put on temporarily, and auxiliary soldiers had to help. It was quite busy.

Just look at those two or three thousand thieves, coming right at them.

Someone in front of him also shouted: "Brothers, let's go make some money. Look at the armor and weapons of the government troops, look at their horses, whoever grabs them will own them!"

Some people also shouted: "Hurry up, hurry up, if you fall behind you will miss out. The government troops are riding horses and running very fast. If you fall behind you will not be able to catch up!"

"If we can seize weapons, armor and horses, we can meet the Holy Archbishop. He will surely look up to us and give us high positions!"

"Kill!"

"Go, go!"

Two or three thousand people came rushing in.

On the battlements of Huzhou City, there were many eyes watching the battle in panic.

Just outside the city, we saw a group of government troops, a team of light cavalry rushing out, not going straight for the bandits, but running around the area.

Someone on the top of the city wall also said, "Why don't you attack the reinforcements head-on? If the enemy gets close to you, what will happen?"

The person who spoke was Xing Yue, the prefect of Huzhou.

"Sir, maybe these cavalry want to attack the rear." The person who answered was Qian Shijiang, the general manager of Huzhou's troops.

"What's the point of attacking the rear? The commander is really stupid. He doesn't know how brave the enemy army is. If we really let the enemy army rush to the front, we will be defeated!"

The prefect Xing Yue was extremely anxious, and he only hated that the general who came to support him knew nothing about military affairs. With such fast horses, he should just charge forward.

But the charging bandits were also turning their heads to look, because the government troops' fast cavalry were actually running to the side, just running parallel to them, and not coming forward to fight.

Then the big thief shouted: "Brothers, you see, the government troops are so cowardly, charge quickly."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw hundreds of riders suddenly approaching in parallel, getting closer and closer.

But it didn't look like a charge, and many people were confused for a moment.

They were getting closer and closer, and were already about 20 or 30 steps away. They were still getting closer, and many of the bandits had already raised their long sticks, ready to attack any government troops that were really getting close.

However, the government troops were only about ten steps away, but did not come close, and then they could hear the buzzing of bowstrings.

The sky was filled with dense darkness.

In an instant, the charging bandits were shot down on the side of the formation. How could the gray linen clothes be able to block the shots from the horsemen's bows?
Even though the horse bow was not very powerful, the arrows still pierced into the flesh, causing crying and wailing.

That group of cavalry passed by parallel to them, and the bandits' charge immediately slowed down. Some of them leaned over to check on their injured companions, while others turned to see that the cavalry behind Bendu were turning around to charge again.

The big thief immediately shouted: "Quick, block them and kill the government soldier who shot the arrows!"

The thieves who were charging forward slowly stopped, and some of them in front of them moved horizontally to block the way.

But the Puma army came back again, and came closer. A dozen steps away, arrows were flying all over the sky, and no one knew how many bandits were shot down.

The big thief Lu Xing'er was already running sideways, intending to block the path of the government cavalry, but he saw that the cavalry had already turned from a distance before they got close, with their horses running fast and arrows flying all over their heads.

Lu Xing'er couldn't stop the four-legged horse, so he ran away in anger, shouting, "Follow me, chase him! Follow me, chase him!"

There were hundreds of people around him who followed Lu Xing'er and chased after him. When the thieves behind him saw this, they also turned around and followed him.

Then I saw that team of fast horses coming again, running around the field to the other side, getting close, drawing their bows and shooting, and then running away.

Su Wu watched from afar and found the scene somewhat funny, as if Hua Rong was walking the thieves like a dog...

But I am also relieved that this cavalry archery tactic has really been successful, and it is not in vain for all the training and exercises for so long.

On the top of the city wall, Xing Yue, the prefect of Huzhou, was also stunned and asked, "What kind of fighting method is this?"

Qian Shijiang, the general manager of the army, shook his head and said, "I don't know. I have never seen it. But it is effective. It is just... attacking from a distance. The commander is very smart."

Xing Yue then asked, "Where did this reinforcement come from? Is it the vanguard Su Wu?"

Qian Shijiang nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes, it must be, we don't have such cavalry here."

But suddenly the situation on the battlefield changed. The big thief Lu Xing'er seemed to come to his senses and stopped chasing the cavalry. Instead, he turned around and rushed towards the government troops who had not yet set up camp.

He knew that chasing the horse was futile, so he just rushed forward and killed the government army generals.

On the opposite side, we saw two hundred cavalrymen roaring from behind, and both the men and horses were wearing armor.

At first glance, it looked like a monster running towards them.

Lu Xing'er was stunned, but he gritted his teeth and said, "Brothers, follow me. We will have great fortune right before our eyes!"

Fugui was coming, getting closer and closer. Lu Xing'er looked up while running. He had been gritting his teeth just now, but now his eyes gradually widened. The closer Fugui was, the taller and more terrifying he looked.

As he charged, Lu Xing'er looked around and saw that everyone around him had stopped walking. He also stopped, swallowed, and said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, brothers, it just looks scary."

It looked scary. Lu Xing'er stopped, but the heavily armored cavalry did not stop and arrived in a flash.

Lu Xinger really used his spear to stab, but the first person on horseback, sitting upright on his horse, swung a huge broadsword from the air...

Lu Xinger still went to stab...

Then he heard a cracking sound, and the spear seemed to break, and the huge machete seemed to have chopped him down. The horse had already passed by, and Lu Xing'er seemed to see his body, he really saw it, still standing, not falling to the ground, but missing his head.

On the city wall, the prefect Xing Yue suddenly moved his body inexplicably, exposing his entire body on the battlement, leaving everyone stunned for a moment.

Just look at the two hundred or so riders, they are really charging towards the two or three thousand people, as if there is no obstacle at all, and bandits are falling everywhere.

"This, this..." Xing Yue raised his hand and pointed, then turned to ask Qian Shijiang, the general manager of the army.

Qian Shijiang was also stunned, and could only answer blankly: "This is... This is the elite of the Imperial Guards!"

Xing Yue understood and nodded: "So this is the elite of the Imperial Guards, they are indeed extraordinary!"

Just look at the elite imperial guards killing the bandits, they don't care about riding fast horses, bumping, trampling, or slashing with swords or stabbing with spears, it seems killing people is easier than picking flowers and twisting grass.

The group of fast riders also circled back and shot at the front, and continued to stab with their spears when they got closer.

It was like a complete massacre. Two or three thousand thieves were running around crying and wailing without any chance of fighting back. Even the big thief Lu Xinger was beheaded in one encounter...

Then they started the rebellion, thinking that the Saint Fang La was gaining momentum and was appointing many officials. If they were rich and powerful, they would just rise up and join the rebellion, and at least they would be able to get a high position...

Who knew things would turn out like this!
The bandits had already been running all over the mountains and plains, and the heavy cavalry only charged for a while before stopping and slowly returning.

The light cavalry chased and shot and stabbed everywhere...

One person per acre of land, if you kill a few more and take them home, your family will have enough food for a year, and if you kill a few more, maybe you can build another house...

General Su never deducted anything and just focused on killing the bandits and gaining merit.

But it's also worrying. The military order is strict and we must not leave the team without permission. However, those bandits are fleeing in all directions. We cannot leave the team and we have killed too few people.

Just run around and follow the commander wherever he goes.

As we ran, the gong sounded, but what a pity... there were still many thieves...

Is the general afraid that the reward is too much?

When it comes to the army, military orders can be strict, with punishments ranging from beating to beheading. Although the military law is brief, only 200 to 300 words, you have to recite it every day and memorize it from time to time until you know it by heart.

Turning back, I passed by the front army and heard the general say, "Now we can set up camp in peace."

Looking at the general a few more times, the general is really mighty, but I also saw that the general was looking at the top of Huzhou city.

Su Wu was naturally waiting for people from Huzhou City to arrive. As long as there was no longer a single living bandit in sight, then the gate of Huzhou City would really open.

There were chariots, cavalry, infantry, and quite a lot of people coming.

Su Wu dismounted and waited first. The camp had not been set up yet and there was no central military tent to sit in.

As soon as the carriage arrived and someone got off, Su Wu just stepped forward and asked, "Is it Mr. Xing from Huzhou?"

The man smiled and said, "That's right, but is it General Su, the vanguard commander?"

"Meet Mr. Xing..."

"Good, good, you came at the right time. What a great army, what a great general. Such a big bandit was defeated in one blow. The elite imperial guards are truly extraordinary!" Xing Yue just kept praising, and he felt relieved and very happy when the siege of the bandits was lifted.

"It's nothing..."

Su Wu's impression of Xing Yue was not bad. It was not that Xing Yue was extraordinary, but at least he did not abandon the city and flee, which surpassed many people.

Xing Yue immediately said, "Rescuing the siege of Huzhou is a great achievement. I will definitely go to Tokyo to report the general's achievements!"

Is this also considered an achievement?
Merits are not important. Su Wu frowned and said, "Huzhou is under siege. Sir, you may not know that 100,000 bandits are on their way to Hangzhou. They will arrive by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. The siege of Huzhou has not been lifted yet..."

"Huh? There is such a thing?" Xing Yue almost jumped up, he was really frightened, his face was full of worry, he looked around to see how many soldiers were behind Su Wu.

How many could there be? The first to arrive were no more than 2,500.

Xing Yue immediately asked again: "General, are there any reinforcements behind you?"

Su Wu nodded: "Of course there are more."

"How many more?" Xing Yue asked very quickly.

"There are 3,000 infantrymen, 3,000 auxiliary soldiers, and 3,000 navy soldiers on Lake Tai. All in all, there are more than 9,000 people."

After Su Wu finished speaking, he went to see Xing Yue.

Xing Yue was already frowning. There were 100,000 enemy troops and Su Wu had 10,000. How could they fight this battle?
During the siege today, Lu Xing'er was just a small thief, who was merely using Fang La's banner. This time when he comes again, he will be the real big thief Fang La, who will defeat the powerful thieves in dozens of states and counties.

Looking at Su Wu's more than 10,000 men, I'm afraid Huzhou cannot be defended.

Xing Yue said again: "General Su, do you have a plan to defeat the bandits?"

Su Wu replied, "Sir, you should go back to the city and mobilize all the people to defend it. I will stay outside the city and guard the camp tightly. If the enemy attacks the city, I will attack them from behind. If the enemy does not attack the city, I will confront them."

Xing Yue listened and praised Su Wu: "General, you are really brave and courageous!"

However, bravery is bravery, it does not solve the problem. How can ten thousand people fight against one hundred thousand people?
Su Wu also knew that Xu Zhen would have a tough battle, but he had to fight, because this time he was going to get truly rich, famous, and powerful.

How can you get these things without risking your life?

If he didn't obey orders, how could the arrogant and powerful generals from the Western Army look down upon Su Wu?
If you don't fight for your life, how can you win the hearts of the people in this storm?

It’s time to get down to business!
It is also a rehearsal for the future battles against Liao and Jin.

The tough battle was coming. Su Wu spoke frankly, "Mr. Xing, the emperor is so gracious. It is time to repay your kindness. This time, we will defend Huzhou City and fight to the last man. If I survive, Huzhou City will not be conquered. But please have some mercy on me. My soldiers have come thousands of miles to fight. We deserve a big reward. There will be brave men. This is a fight to the death. Mr. Xing..."

As he spoke, Su Wu looked at Xing Yue.

Xing Yue was moved when he heard Su Wu's words. He looked at the two to three thousand people, then at Su Wu, and even at the counselors and generals beside Su Wu...

There is actually a feeling of sadness!
Xing Yue just said: "Reward, a big reward! If Huzhou is not lost, General Su and his troops will be the first to win. Ten thousand troops against a hundred thousand bandits, General Su's loyalty and righteousness must be known throughout the world!"

Su Wu bowed and said, "Thank you, Mr. Xing!"

Xing Yue seemed to have some kind of emotion in his heart, and he just said: "There is 800,000 strings of cash in the government office, which will arrive tonight. As long as the soldiers fight bravely and die here to protect Huzhou, the 800,000 strings of cash will be distributed to the soldiers!"

Su Wu frowned when he heard this. Deng Wen of Suzhou was not a good person. He was still hiding his wealth. The Huzhou government could afford 800,000 strings of cash, but the Suzhou government was still complaining about being poor!

Sure enough, those who can be around Zhu Zhen are not good guys. When you come back, you have to pull them out again!

Su Wu just said: "Thank you, sir. You are just on the top of the city. I will die soon!"

(Brothers, I am not feeling well, so I wrote too little this morning. I wrote a little over 10,000 words in a whole day. Please forgive me.)
(End of this chapter)