Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 166 No, I don’t want you to go!
Outside Huzhou City, the sun was just rising over the government army camp.

About 800 Wuzhou soldiers washed their bodies, changed their clothes, and put on new armor. Most of these armors came from the elite Mani troops under Lu Shinang, but the armors were indeed not bad.

Su Wu even allocated 200 horses to Wang Bing, including 100 cavalrymen, to be used for communication.

After this, the eight hundred Wuzhou soldiers became different. Standing under the general's platform, they looked extremely majestic.

Su Wu also knew that these eight hundred people had experienced countless life and death experiences and must be the elite among the elite.

Su Wu also directly granted one, called the Wuzhou Camp, and waited for the king to recruit again in the future. That was the Wuzhou Army.

It must be easier to recruit soldiers in Wuzhou than in Dongping Prefecture, simply because Dongping Prefecture has not yet experienced the real baptism of war, but Wuzhou has already become a mess, with war, soldiers and bandits everywhere.

The people's normal life is long gone, they have entered a chaotic world ahead of time. In chaotic times, human life is worth less than a dog's, so joining the army is an excellent choice.

As long as they really start recruiting, the army in Wuzhou will expand very quickly.

After the review, the army returned to the center. New recruits came in an endless stream from all over Huzhou. Perhaps it was because Huzhou had already been ravaged by the bandit army, and many places had also felt the chaos in advance.

Not to mention defending the country, even if it is to protect the territory and the people and to make a living, joining the army is an excellent choice for many Huzhou people.

The army is already training, training as many soldiers as possible. The men who are transferred from auxiliary soldiers to combat soldiers will also need to train again.

There was one thing Su Wu had not expected. After just one or two days, the news from the army that King Bing of Wuzhou had spread to the surrounding areas. It turned out that some people from the surrounding areas had come to surrender to King Bing, mainly from the city. There were indeed quite a few people from Wuzhou in Huzhou City.

This also shows how great Wang Bing's reputation is among the people of Wuzhou.

Su Wu did not ask or care about this matter, and just waited to see how Wang Bing would handle it.

The victory report had already been sent by express horse for several days, covering a distance of more than a thousand miles. The military situation was urgent, and the express horses at the post station took turns to travel day and night, and it arrived in just a few days.

The Privy Council received military intelligence from Jiangnan for the first time.

At this moment, the Privy Council was also very lively. Dozens of soldiers and generals gathered from all over the place, and a 150,000-strong army had just gathered.

This was exactly the opportunity Su Wu had imagined.

As soon as the military intelligence arrived, Tong Guan was the first to check it, and then he circulated it among everyone in the government office.

Just looking at the seats in the government hall, all the officials, big and small, from the twelve offices of the Privy Council were there, sitting at the head.

Liu Yanqing, the Northwestern general and commander-in-chief of the Fuyan Road army, also sat in the front. Under him were the general Wang Yuan, his son Liu Guangshi, and under Wang Yuan, there was also the deputy commander Han Shizhong.

They were the four generals who restored the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, two of them were under Liu Yanqing's command, one was his son Liu Guangshi, and the other was Han Shizhong.

In addition, two of the four generals of the Restoration, Zhang Jun, were still under the command of Zhong Shizhong, the general of the Northwest.

The last one is Grandpa Yue Fei. He is also the youngest, only seventeen at this time. He is practicing martial arts with others and doing farm work in Tangyin County, Henan Province.

Along with Liu Yanqing of the Western Army, there were also some generals, such as Yang Weizhong, Yao Pingzhong, Xin Xingzong...

In the Privy Council, in addition to the Northwestern Army, there are also generals from Shanxi, recommended by Su Wu, Guan Sheng, and Hao Siwen, to name a few.

There were also people from the capital. Tong Guan was the one who knew who in the capital could be used. Su Wu recommended Xuan Zan, and there were also people like Guo Zhongxun who were selected by Tong Guan himself...

Everyone took their seats in order, and next to Tong Guan, there was another person sitting. It was Tan Zhen, the newly appointed Governor of Liangzhe Road, a beardless eunuch.

The 150,000-strong army had already gathered and was about to march south when they received news of military victory.

Tong Guan was of course very happy and was just waiting for everyone to circulate the victory news. This victory news would naturally boost the morale of the army and was a good sign for the expedition.

Just look at Tan Zhen standing aside. He was the first to see the good news. He also had a look of joy on his face, but it was a fake smile.

Liu Yanqing has already spoken: "The people promoted by Prime Minister En are indeed extraordinary. Prime Minister En never underestimates anyone in the army!"

He was just praising himself, saying that this victory report was really good and very detailed. It clearly described the strengths and weaknesses of Fang La's troops, and also explained the difficulty of this battle clearly. It also offered a grand strategic plan for suppressing the bandits.

It laid an excellent foundation for subsequent advances.

Liu Yanqing naturally understood the ins and outs of this, so how could he not praise it?
As soon as Liu Yanqing opened his mouth, his son, Liu Guangshi, the military commander of Fuyan Road, said: "This General Su is very young, even a few years younger than me, but so brave, and the soldiers under his command are even more brave, extraordinary, extraordinary, this is a great achievement, one battle stopped the momentum of the enemy army coming north, and also eliminated the rumors that the enemy army is invincible. The power of the Mani bandits was greatly reduced in one battle... General Su is truly a pillar of the country!"

He said this from the bottom of his heart, but he also knew that Tong Shumi now valued and liked Su Wu very much, so he had to speak more beautifully.

Tong Guan, who was in the lead, was also very powerful. In fact, the Western Army was his confidant, and Liu Yanqing was almost the person he promoted himself. Everyone present was also convinced of Tong Guan.

Tong Guan came and said, "I was worried that he was too young and might suffer a little setback when he first met a strong enemy. I didn't expect such a great victory. He deserves a reward and title!"

Xuan Zan just said: "The person the Prime Minister relies on is not an ordinary person. With just over ten thousand soldiers and horses, they have already stopped the bandits. Once the Prime Minister's army arrives, what will happen to the million bandits? Won't they be destroyed in an instant?"

It’s still the old Tokyo guy like Xuan Zan who is better at flattering.

Xuan Zan was known as the Ugly Prince. His life was really bad, and his wife didn't like him. She was angry that he was too ugly, and she died of resentment. He didn't do well in the Privy Council, and if he didn't have a good mouth, he really couldn't survive.

Upon hearing this, Tong Guan glanced at Tan Zhen, a eunuch who was more than 20 years younger than him.

In fact, Tong Guan also knew that perhaps it was the emperor's intention, or perhaps it was the intention of some other people, that he, Tong Guan, was sixty-five years old and really old and needed an heir.

Tan Zhen was chosen to be Tong Guan's successor. In the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a tradition of eunuchs supervising the military, and Tong Guan rose to prominence because of his military supervisory position.

Since Tong Guan was able to rise to power as a military supervisor, it was normal for Tan Zhen to become Tong Guan's successor and inherit Tong Guan's influence in the army.

Now is the first step. This time, when we are suppressing Fang La's bandits, it is the time when Tong Guan's elite troops are deployed. Isn't it just right for Tan Zhen to intervene?

Let everyone compare and see how old Tong Guan is and how young Tan Zhen is. Just ask all the military generals how they should deal with this matter?
Historically, in the future, Tan Zhen actually rose to power and was in charge of the war in the north. He held a high official position, including the three envoys of Hebei, Hedong, and Yanyun. He held all the military power in the north. However, the Jin army invaded soon after and he was defeated.

It was also this Tan Zhen who provoked the Jin people and tried to win over those Liao generals who had surrendered to the Jin people, which caused trouble. At the critical moment, the emperor was frightened and immediately did one thing. He quickly sent Tong Guan to replace Tan Zhen. There is a sentence in the history books: "Resume Tong Guan as Chief Engineer."

This is the rise and fall of Tong Guan in the future.

Seeing that everyone was flattering Tong Guan, Tan Zhen finally spoke: "This is a small victory, everyone should be at ease. Where are the million-strong bandits? It is time for everyone present to make achievements. As for rewards, there is no rush. Just wait until the big things are settled, and then we will discuss it. By then, everyone will have made contributions, and then we will report to the emperor for a generous reward!"

Everyone looked at Tan Zhen, then at Tong Guan. This kind of thing was like a fight between gods.

The generals didn't know what to say, so they just waited to see what Tong Guan's attitude was.

Tong Guan smiled slightly and replied, "Well, what Envoy Tan Zhi said is absolutely right. Once the war is settled, we will reward them together."

When everyone heard this, they understood and sighed in their hearts. The emperor was helpless because of the new generation replacing the old one...

What I don't quite understand is the surprise in my heart. Why would Tong Shu say that?

Liu Yanqing just said, "Don't worry, my two superiors. We will fight to the death and serve our country loyally. We will not slack off in the slightest."

Tong Guan smiled and nodded, but before he could say anything, Tan Zhen said, "Well, that's right. When the time comes to reward people based on their merits, I will do it impartially!"

This was originally a happy occasion, and everyone was about to talk about the remarkable aspects of the victory report, but the atmosphere suddenly changed...

Tong Guan still smiled and waved his hand: "Let's stop here. Everyone go back and gather your troops. According to the order of the Privy Council, we will move our camp south step by step. We will arrange the food and grass along the way..."

Everyone stood up: "Yes, sir!"

But Tan Zhen said: "This time when we go to war, we should have a swearing-in ceremony..."

Tong Guan finally spoke up and expressed his different opinion: "I don't think it's necessary. If we are fighting against the Tanguts or Liao, we should swear an oath before going. This is a matter of honor and glory. Conquering the rebels is a family shame. If we still have to perform such a ceremony, where will the face of the court be placed? It is better to perform these ceremonies after victory. This is the way to show power!"

Everyone nodded when they heard this. It made sense. It was like having a child commit crimes in the family. It was a shameful thing. How could the family disgrace be made public? Only by educating the child well could the family regain face.

Tan Zhen's expression changed at first, and when he saw everyone present nodded, he said nothing more, "Then disperse... Well... This time we are united in suppressing the bandits. If you have any difficulties, just come to me. I am the governor of Liangzhe. This time the battlefield is mainly in Liangzhe. I will run around between the prefectures and cities to help you!"

After these words were spoken, who among those present could not hear the profound meaning?

Does this mean that you want everyone to choose sides?
It's not that Tan Zhen didn't know the depth of the situation, but looking at the scene at the moment, an old man in his sixties was really very old in this era, which meant he was about to die. Maybe he fell ill today and would die in a few days.

This time he had to march south again, and who knows, he might get sick in bed and die halfway through the journey.

Tan Zhen's coming here was originally the emperor's backup plan. The emperor might not have been thinking of fighting for power or suppressing others, but also wanted to find a backup for Tong Guan, for he was afraid that the 66-year-old Tong Guan would fall at any time when facing the battle.

Such a major national event is so serious, how can we not guard against these things? We must not let the front line be leaderless, and Tan Zhen is the emperor's defense.

No matter what, Tong Guan was too old, while Tan Zhen was at the peak of his career.

Under such circumstances, since Tan Zhen was so highly regarded, how could he be afraid of Tong Guan? What else could he not dare to say to his face? Not saying it so bluntly was already giving Tong Guan face.

Tong Guan is not Cai Jing. People like Cai Jing will remain deeply rooted as long as they are alive.

Besides, soldiers are not civil servants. What do these soldiers present mean in the Song Dynasty at this moment?
How can it be that whoever gives milk is not the mother?
Tong Guan's face was dark, but he was helpless. Why? Because the emperor had told him about these things, and even entrusted Tong Guan to give Tan Zhen some advice...

Just look at Tan Zhen at this moment, does he still need any advice?
Tong Guan only had one word: "Go away..."

Everyone bowed and dispersed. For them, it was actually more difficult to do. Today's atmosphere was actually a signal.

An old leader at this moment and a new leader in the near future are now on the same stage.

The old leader is a good person and is very kind. Everyone respects him and admires him.

But people have to live. If they really offend the new leader, how will they live in the future?
As soon as Liu Yanqing walked out of the door, he couldn't stop frowning. He just thought that he had received the order from the prime minister to bring a large army, so he just had to go to the battlefield to fight and make achievements.

Who knew there would be such trouble.

If Tong Guan was ten or twenty years younger, Liu Yanqing would have been speechless today and would have just charged into battle. Who would he, Tan Zhen?
However, Tong Guan could not live to be 10 or 20 years younger. Even the fact that Tong Guan could live to the age of 66 was beyond everyone's expectations...

Just go outside the Privy Council, and after leaving, Liu Yanqing sighed...

His son Liu Guangshi asked, "Father, I think... this matter, just..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Liu Yanqing scolded his son before he could finish speaking, as if he knew what his son was going to say.

Liu Guangshi also frowned, so he didn't say anything, but he probably had some thoughts in his mind, mostly helpless...

Wang Yuan, a general under his command, said: "Little Liu Dujian, these things have nothing to do with us, just do your own thing..."

Liu Guangshi nodded: "I know, I know..."

Far behind the crowd, there was a captain. He was tall and strong, with a muscular body, shoulders as broad as a mountain, a big beard, dark skin, and a stern face, just like the clay man buried in the Qin Emperor's Mausoleum.

He was behind the crowd and heard what his superiors said. He thought a lot about it but didn't dare to ask. He just had a confused look on his face, as if he understood but not quite.

I have never come across these things before, so I really don't understand them.

Just follow along...

In addition, there were also military generals from Jin, most of whom were walking with frowns on their brows.

The same is true for the military commanders in the capital...

On the contrary, there was a military general behind Liu Yanqing, whose expression changed several times. His name was Xin Xingzong. He kept looking back at the Privy Council, and then at the backs of Liu Yanqing and Liu Guangshi in front of him, as if he had some thoughts in his mind.

It's really complicated.

On the second day, the army set out, but not from the city of Bianjing. Instead, each unit stayed outside the city and headed directly south.

Tong Guan no longer rode a horse, as he really couldn't do it anymore, so he could only take a carriage. The same was true for Tan Zhen.

Just wait until the first night of camping, at midnight.

A military general came to Tan Zhen's tent, and it was Xin Xingzong.

Xin Xingzong only bowed his hands in greeting, and Tan Zhen's face was full of smiles. He had finally waited for someone to come. If the first person came, there would surely be a second one to come...

This was a good start, how could Tan Zhen not treat him with courtesy? Just say whatever good words you want, and promise him a bright future.

It was also at this time that Tong Guan took command of the army.

There was a minor official, editor Cheng Hao, who heard a few words from outside the door and went into the big tent with an angry look on his face: "Prime Minister, is there really a general going to... Tan Zhishi's place..."

Tong Guan nodded: "Hmm..."

Cheng Hao said again: "Prime Minister, this... is really infuriating. Didn't Tan Zhen say that the whole army was of one mind? Why did he still act like this? Isn't this just disrupting the morale of the army?"

Tong Guanlai laughed: "You don't understand their difficulties."

"Generals just need to fight. What's the problem?" Cheng Hao was still angry, but he also said, "Actually, I understand..."

"What do you know?" Tong Guan asked with a smile.

"That's right... this is a little too impatient. Are you so eager to cling to me?" Cheng Hao really understood.

Tong Guan nodded: "Since you understand, you know even more about the difficulty of officialdom. When it comes to climbing up the social ladder, the first one to do it is always the one who is most valued. How can this not move people's hearts?"

Cheng Hao suddenly said, "I think the Prime Minister is in good health. He can live to be eighty or ninety, not to mention seventy!"

Cheng Hao is not stupid. He dares to say such words. It is not that he has low emotional intelligence, but rather that he has high emotional intelligence. He only regards himself as the closest person, so he "speaks without thinking".

Tong Guan sighed and waved his hands: "It is rare for people to live to seventy. Even since ancient times, there are very few people who can live to seventy, let alone eighty or ninety? That is the life span of gods and immortals in the world."

"My brother-in-law is definitely not this kind of person!" Cheng Hao said this with such certainty, and he also knew that his family was different from others and could only go down one path until the end.

"Haha..." Tong Guan laughed again and said, "You, don't ask anyone to keep an eye on these things. There are dozens or even hundreds of soldiers and generals. It's impossible to manage them all, and it's impossible to take care of them all..."

Cheng Hao was really bold. He actually shook his head and said, "No, Prime Minister, I want to know who are the people who are eager to curry favor with me. I want to see if these people are brave enough to fight and die bravely, and if they have outstanding achievements! I want to see if they can really have a bright future in the future..."

"Haha... you little thing..." Tong Guan was not angry at all, and said, "Then go ahead, and there's no need to report it to me..."

Cheng Hao was filled with anger, and said, "I will write them down on paper when the time comes. I think Tan Zhen thinks that he can win the support of the army this way. He doesn't know how hard the prime minister worked in the past to achieve such achievements today! How can such achievements be achieved by his little tricks?"

Tong Guan smiled and waved his hands: "You little thing, you are really good at talking, you are really different from your father, and your brother-in-law, haha... Go, go, rest early, and set off tomorrow. Even if it is this march, we should speed up, because I am afraid that your brother-in-law will not be able to support himself."

Cheng Hao nodded and bowed: "The Prime Minister should rest early. If you need any help, just give me a shout. I'll be in the small tent next to you and I'm sure I can hear you..."

Tong Guan looked at Cheng Hao with relief and nodded: "Go ahead, go ahead, it's nothing, just take a good rest..."

Cheng Hao walked out slowly, and went to the nearby tents first. Those living nearby were all people close to Tong Guan, and even Tong Guan's personal guards. Cheng Hao had already gotten to know them all. Even if he went to give instructions, he still had to keep a close eye on certain things in the army...

After doing this, he returned to his tent, lay down to sleep without taking off his clothes, and put a pillow that was much higher than usual under his head, so that he could not sleep too comfortably, and would not sleep too deeply, and he would be able to hear the calls. In fact, he had no errands that night, and he just marched again early the next morning.

While marching, someone came to Cheng Hao's horse and said something. Cheng Hao immediately took out a charcoal pen and started writing something. He was really serious.

Tong Guan's carriage was nearby. He lifted the curtain to take a look and asked, "You kid, you just don't listen..."

Cheng Hao also laughed: "The Prime Minister is broad-minded, but I am not..."

"Haha..." Tong Guan laughed, but suddenly waved his hand: "Then bring it here and let me see it..."

Cheng Hao didn't wait any longer. He turned his horse slightly and handed a small piece of paper in through the car window, saying, "It's not much actually..."

Tong Guan took it, took a look at it, and handed it back: "Not much, not much..."

Cheng Hao took it and said, "It is the heart of the people!"

Tong Guan sighed, "It's all difficult, all difficult... It's difficult for them."

As he spoke, the curtain of the carriage slowly dropped, but no one could see that Tong Guan's expression had become gloomy.

Cheng Hao rode his horse further away, took a deep breath, nodded, and looked very serious. He knew a lot about it. It might be really dangerous, so he couldn't help but worry about what would happen in the future.

I also thought that my brother-in-law was on the front line, and it must be very difficult. With a million bandits and an army of ten thousand, I'm afraid it would be very difficult for him to hold on...

At this time, outside Huzhou City, there were countless cavalrymen running everywhere, many of whom were accompanied by Wuzhou soldiers. Each team of cavalry scouts would bring one or two Wuzhou soldiers.

Even with the arrival of the Wuzhou soldiers, the efficiency of the cavalry scouts has increased a lot. The locals really have their advantages.

All the information was reported to the central military tent.

Su Wu was already asking: "The bandit king Fang Mao has arrived. He has already brought together most of Lu Shinang's troops. This time, there are really 100,000 people coming. Everyone, please discuss how to deal with him!"

After Su Wu finished speaking, he looked around.

Xu Guanzhong smiled and said, "I'm afraid the general has already made up his mind!"

Su Wu nodded and said, "But I still need you to brainstorm and confirm what I think."

Xu Guanzhong spoke again: "If we defend the city and the fortress without going out, and just wait for the imperial army to arrive, although it is safe, the merit will be small. Most of the bandits have already been defeated, and the morale of the army must be scattered. If we go to meet them, we can defeat them and it will be a great achievement!"

Su Wu nodded, and asked again, "Anything else to say?"

Zhu Wu came and said, "This time, we should be able to meet the enemy head-on. With the center army firmly in place, the light cavalry on the two wings, and the heavy cavalry digging into the formation, we should be able to achieve a great victory!"

Just these two words made Wu Song, Lu Da and other generals eager to try.

Su Wu still asked: "Mr. Wen, do you have any strategy?"

Wen Huanzhang said slowly: "Although the method of attacking head-on is a little less reliable, it has to be done. Fang La's bandits are winning the battle, and in this area south of the Yangtze River, many people are on his side. It's like a prairie fire. Only by attacking them head-on can we truly stop this prairie fire..."

Su Wu nodded after hearing this, but went to look at Wu Yong again. Wu Yong was feeling a little embarrassed and wanted to say something but hesitated several times, then he saw Su Wu coming to see him.

He also said, "I am not concerned about other things, but about people's hearts. If we fight again this time, we can break the enemy's morale. Our army is good at field battles, so how can we not fight for the merits of this field battle? If the imperial army really arrives, I have heard that the Western Army is also quite good at field battles, so why not share the credit with them? After this battle, if the imperial army comes again, I think the enemy will retreat more and less aggressively, and it will be mostly a battle of siege, so how can we achieve such a great merit in field battles?"

Su Wu listened and nodded repeatedly, not to mention...

What Wu Yong said really makes sense. As for the merit in field battle, one should rob whatever can be robbed. I am afraid that there will not be many great merits of a hundred thousand bandits in the future.

If I think selfishly, it is not a bad idea to send more friendly troops to attack the city. There are dozens of cities and towns in the states, so we have to attack them one by one...

Since everyone was thinking this way, Su Wu stood up, as if to issue a military order, but he looked around first.

Wu Song was the first to stand up and said, "Brother, don't hesitate, attack head-on, I will be the vanguard."

Lu Da also stood up and said, "Erlang, you are always the vanguard every time. This time, how about I take over?"

Wu Song waved his hand and said, "This is divided into infantry and cavalry. I will lead the infantry to break through the enemy lines. Brother Lu Da, you can leave with the heavy cavalry and don't fight with me. Is that okay?"

"Whatever..." Luda laughed.

Unexpectedly, Wang Bing, who was standing by, stood up and said, "Although I am old, I have fought against the enemy for a long time, and I am a local soldier from Jiangnan. Now that the general has valued me so much, I have been given all kinds of fine armor and weapons. I am willing to be the vanguard!"

Everyone looked at Wang Bin, and some had suspicious looks.

Even though everyone had seen the elite troops of the enemy army coming one after another, they did not trust this southerner, Wang Bing.

Wang Bing saw the look in everyone's eyes, and he even bowed his hands in greeting, saying in a sonorous voice: "You all don't trust me, Wang Bing, are you doubting my old age? Although I am over fifty years old, I am still strong and healthy, and my martial arts are no worse than others. Although I have few men under my command, they are all brave and invincible. I am new here, so it doesn't matter if you don't trust me. Just let me fight for a while, so that I can have a good drink with you!"

After saying this, Wang Bin followed the etiquette and bowed in a circle, only looking at Su Wu.

Su Wu frowned and looked around.

But Wang Xun immediately said: "General, I am willing to follow my father and be the vanguard. In this battle, if we die, we will die together. If we achieve merit, it will be father and son. This will teach you that we Wuzhou people are not cowards!"

It was these two, father and son, who begged for battle in every possible way.

Wu Song and Lu Da were unable to say anything for a moment. The atmosphere was tense and they all went to see how Su Wu would decide.

Finally, Su Wu spoke up and said, "The bloodbath in Jiangnan, the millions of bandits, and the elite Mani, we have also seen it. The father and son of General Wang can hold on until now in such a difficult situation, they must be very brave. In this case, it's good, let the Wuzhou soldiers lead the battle, and then Erlang will lead the camp, so that they can be the vanguard of the central army!"

Wang Bing was so excited that he bowed his hands and said, "Thank you, General, for trusting me so much. I will die in this battle!"

Even though I have just arrived, if I want to gain a firm foothold and be respected by everyone, I have to prove myself once. Only if I prove myself this time, General Su will truly trust me in the future.

Su Wu said solemnly: "Then we will set out in the afternoon and set the battlefield 40 miles north of Wukang. This way, we will meet the enemy tomorrow afternoon!"

"Yes, sir!" Everyone stood up. After receiving the order, they went about their business. The work before setting off was also very complicated.

By the afternoon, the top of Huzhou city and even outside the city were crowded with people coming to watch.

It was also rumored in the city that the 200,000-strong army was led by the Third Prince Fang Mao himself. How could an army of only 100,000 be increased to 200,000?

It has been like this since ancient times. Even if someone has an army of 200,000 or 300,000, they would still dare to say that it is 800,000. This is also a way to enhance their prestige and momentum.

It can also be seen that there are quite a few accomplices or spies of the bandits in Huzhou City. This kind of news came from the mouths of these people, and it is a tried and tested tactic.

Even before the enemy army arrived, rumors were rife in cities everywhere, saying that the god Mani had descended to the world, and that Mani's soldiers were invulnerable to swords and spears, and were invincible in every attack and battle...

The people of Huzhou no longer believed these rumors, but since an army of 200,000 was coming, such rumors could still spread in the city of Huzhou. There were indeed too many bandits. It was normal for there to be 100,000 at the beginning and 200,000 more.

The enemy came with two hundred thousand men, and only General Su was left to go out on another expedition, which gave one another a sense of sadness and grief.

Xing Yue came to see him off in person, but after speaking a few words to Su Wu, Su Wu left.

Xing Yue stood aside, watching the 10,000-man armored army slowly marching southward, and could not help but say: "The wind is whistling, and the Yishui River is cold..."

But he only said half of the words, because the next sentence was "Once the hero leaves, he will never return", which was really unlucky.

But Xing Yue still thought of the next sentence in his heart, and he was really worried that the warrior would never come back...

With Qian Shijiang, a veteran of the past few years, standing by, how could he not respond: "General Su, bravery is not enough to describe him. If I were to lead the troops, I would just guard the city... Oh, he is truly admirable!"

Xing Yue was still worried. He was worried that if Su Wu was defeated, Huzhou City would be difficult to defend. Su Wu had become the benchmark of Huzhou. As long as Su Wu was there, Huzhou would be there. If Su Wu was defeated...

I just hope that when we are really defeated, General Su will not fight to the death. General Su has a lot of horses, so he can just ride back and defend the city. Even if we are defeated for a while, the people of Huzhou are still there, and they will definitely be able to defend the city under the leadership of General Su...

But Xing Yue's words were different. He even smiled and looked at the people who came to see him off, saying, "General Su will be gone for less than two days, and the victory report will come back!"

Everyone was also looking forward to it, so they just answered: "That's right! After seeing it before, it was General Su's power that lingered in my heart for many days. A general like General Su must be invincible in a hundred battles!"

"Just go back and wait for the good news!"

"Yes, yes, we will definitely return with a great victory!"

"Must win!"

The crowd was talking to each other, most of them were officials of all ranks and prominent figures.

However, there were so many people who came to see him off that almost all the streets of Huzhou were empty. Common people gathered outside the city and did not occupy the road. The road was only for the soldiers to walk on.

Shouts came one after another.

"You must come back safely!"

"I'm back. I'm delivering fruits and vegetables to the soldiers!"

“Mighty, mighty!”

"Go back!"

The shouting lasted for several miles as the army's carriages and horses moved slowly.

But it was in Huzhou City, in a building, in the uppermost guest room, there lived a soldier with an injured arm. He was living a comfortable life, with the little courtesan in the building serving him, eating well and sleeping soundly every day, and there was music to accompany him... and even sex...

This was Xing Yue's promise to Su Wu, that he would raise these six or seven hundred wounded soldiers in the best possible environment...

However, this injured soldier was enjoying himself and was slow to realize what was happening outside. When he heard that the general was going to the battle again, he jumped up and was about to go out.

The little courtesan had been serving him for many days and had become extremely close to him, so she asked him, "My dear, what's wrong with you?"

The soldier was the leader of a large group. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back and said, "The general has already gone to the battle, why am I still here? I must hurry up and follow the army..."

"Ah? My dear, your injury hasn't healed yet..." The little courtesan quickly walked to the door and stretched out her hand to stop him.

"Okay, the scabs have formed. How can it not be okay? We are a group of more than fifty brothers in my battalion. We will live and die together!" After saying this, the soldier was still going out. This soldier looked quite handsome.

The little courtesan was also anxious, and she blocked the door and refused to let anyone go, saying, "They have already gone to battle, and it's too late for you, my dear."

"I'll ride my horse to chase him!" The soldier was really gentle. He didn't push or rush. He was blocked at the door by a pair of small hands.

The soldier looked at the little courtesan in front of him and said sternly: "If I don't go, I will feel uneasy. I will think that my brothers are going to die in the battlefield, and I have obviously recovered from my injuries, but I am hiding..."

"My dear, you are a brave man. No one will blame me if I am away for a while..." The little courtesan was about to burst into tears. After spending several days together, they really had a mutual desire and their love was strong.

The soldier's face was soft, and he said quietly: "I still have one thought..."

"you say……"

"I have to go. I have saved a lot of money, but it's not enough. I asked... Although the owner of the building is nice and the price is much lower, it is still expensive... I will go again and kill seven or eight bandits. My general is the most generous, so that's enough!"

The soldier said what was in his mind. In fact, what he didn't want to say was that he loved her deeply in his heart. This girl from Jiangnan was so good, but it was a pity that her redemption was too expensive.

After hearing this, the little courtesan hugged the soldier's sturdy body tightly, shook her head repeatedly, and said with tears in her eyes: "No, I don't want you to go! I can earn money, I will earn it myself..."

The soldier still did not refuse, and said slowly: "How can I bear to let you go to earn money? Since you have this intention and are really willing to go with me, you should know that I am a soldier. If I don’t go today, I will go tomorrow. This is the fate of a soldier. The general has been very kind to me. If it weren’t for the general, how could I have met you? If it weren’t for the general, how could I dare to have the idea of ​​redeeming myself? If you don’t despise my humble background, I will treat you with all my heart. Just wait for me to come back…"

Having said that, the soldier slowly tried to pry the little courtesan's hands around him, but how could this little girl from Jiangnan really stop this strong and big soldier from Shandong?

As soon as his hands were pried open, the soldier moved quickly, dodged, jumped out of the door, and ran as fast as he could, fearing that he would not be able to catch up with the army.

No matter if that little courtesan is chasing after me or crying...

The soldier never looked back, and the little courtesan could not see the traces of tears on his face. A soldier who had killed countless people, a leader of more than 50 elite soldiers, could actually shed tears...

He ran out of the city, entered the military camp first, went back to the tent to get his armor and weapons, and found Du Xing who was still packing his cart in the camp. He tried to persuade him, even taking off his clothes to talk to him. After taking off his clothes and looking at his wounds, Du Xing had no choice but to promise him the three horses.

The army did not go far, only about seven or eight miles, and he went after them.

In the building in the city, the little courtesan was crying with tears in her eyes, and there were many sisters beside her, wiping their tears to comfort her. Who wouldn't want to meet such a person?
Unfortunately, this place of pleasure has always been full of false feelings and even stories like "Du Shiniang's wrath and sinking of treasure chests" are often told. How sad...

But I also envy it. It is a blessing in life to meet someone like him.

If only the soldier could return with merit and collect enough money to redeem the bond, how could such a thing not be touching in such a chaotic world?
The soldiers left and returned to their teams. While riding on their horses, they frequently looked back at the city of Huzhou... They were also looking forward to it...

The leader of the team was walking in front, and the soldier just said, "Leader, this time, let my team go in front first, how about that?"

The captain had two battalions under his command, so he didn't hesitate and turned around and smiled: "Okay, why not!"

However, another captain heard this and said, "Why should your team be in the front? How are we brothers worse than you? You want to make more contributions, don't we want to do the same?"

I guess there's still some debate going on...

It turned out to be the general who came on horseback for inspection. When the army was on the march, the general always liked to inspect the troops.

The two of them quickly shut up and just watched the general slowly pass by...

Suddenly the general stopped here and asked in surprise: "Fan Yun, didn't you go to recuperate? Why are you here?"

Su Wu remembered the names of many soldiers, especially the earliest batch of soldiers. He remembered as many as three or four hundred people, most of whom were officers at this time.

"General, the injury is not serious and he is fine!" The soldier replied hurriedly, fearing that the general would send him back again.

"Are you ready?" the general asked.

"All right, all right. It's really all right." It was the soldier Fan Yun who raised his hands repeatedly to indicate that it was really all right.

"Well, let's fight again, be more careful, it doesn't matter if we kill one less enemy, but we should try not to injure any more people." The general rode away again.

"Understood!" The soldier Fan Yun looked at the general's back for a long time, then turned around and said, "Captain, this time, my team is in the front!"

"Okay, okay, you are in front, you are in front! When you go back, you will at least be a captain, and you don't have to bother me anymore." The captain was very annoyed.

"If I were the captain, then you would at least be a deputy commander, so I wouldn't bother you!" Fan Yun said with a smile.

"You, should be transferred to another battalion..." The captain laughed, and no one needed to take his words seriously. They were brothers in life and death, and had gone through life and death together many times, so how could they be willing to be separated?
"I won't go! Even if I die, I'd rather die with you guys!" Fan Yun said firmly, and laughed, a simple laugh.

(Brothers, maybe some of you are on your way home for the New Year, I wish you a safe journey!)

(End of this chapter)