Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 192 Then I won’t give you anything, not a single penny.

Besiege the city, dig trenches, build chevaux de frise, and construct some small platforms for lookouts and small forts for garrisoning troops, thus besieging the city.

Under Qingxi City, the central army tent.

Su Wu studied the map over and over again. Several military advisors were present, including Wu Song.

Su Wu only looked at the map, muttering: "The troops from Shezhou are coming..."

Xu Guanzhong nodded: "General, you are right. The army of Shezhou will definitely come to rescue Fang La in the city. Are you worried about this?"

Su Wu slowly raised his head, paced back and forth in front of the large map, and said, "Since we know that the Shezhou army is coming, we must find ways to make their arrival uncomfortable and think of ways to deal with it."

Xu Guanzhong smiled and said, "General, have you made up your mind yet? Why don't you tell us and discuss it?"

Su Wu was stunned when he heard this. He was about to ask Xu Guanzhong and others, but Xu Guanzhong said this first, and then he smiled and said, "I do have some plans. Let's listen..."

Su Wu also looked at Xu Guanzhong. This guy was really smart. It seemed like he was also taking Su Wu's pulse, and he was quite accurate.

Su Wu also thought it was a good idea. The smarter the counselors under his command, the better.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Su Wu, and they listened to Su Wu continue to say: "Fang La's territory, whether it is Yuezhou, Wuzhou, or even Chuzhou and Quzhou, is not important. Its center is nothing more than the two states along the Zhejiang waterway, Muzhou and Shezhou, and the cities of these two states are all on the edge of the waterway..."

Having said this, Su Wu deliberately paused and went to look at Xu Guanzhong.

Xu Guanzhong received the signal and responded, "General, do you mean that... the navy can still go upstream and go straight to Shezhou?"

Su Wu nodded, "That's fine. The situation now depends on a single battle. Since the Shezhou army is coming, it's the best. We can use Qingxi and Jiande as the battleground to decide the outcome. This will save us from having to send a large army to Shezhou in the future. Shezhou also has strong cities and strategic passes, and Yuling Pass is not easy to attack. This way, it will save us trouble."

At this point, Su Wu looked at everyone, and everyone nodded. Xu Guanzhong said, "General, what you are thinking is reasonable. Just lead all the men under Fang La who can still fight here and fight them all. Then the mission will be accomplished. General, are you going to send more troops up by water to attack Yuling Pass and Shezhou City?"

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "I think this time, as long as Wang Yin and Pang Wanchun are defeated here and Fang La is captured, the remaining bandits in Shezhou will collapse without a fight. We don't need to attack. It's really not easy to gather these good soldiers. There is no need to have more casualties in the south of the Yangtze River and the two Zhejiang provinces."

"What does the general mean?" Xu Guanzhong looked puzzled, and it was unclear whether he was pretending to be confused or was really confused.

Su Wu also said bluntly: "But the troops still need to be sent upstream of the waterway. Without the transport capacity of the waterway, the bandits can only rely on the official road. When the bandits from Shezhou come to help, they will not be able to bring much food and grass, and they will have to rely on the official road for continuous transportation. As soon as Wang Yin and Pang Wanchun get here, just send people up the waterway and go ashore to block the official road to Shezhou. The bandits will be out of food in a few days."

Xu Guanzhong immediately said: "General, this plan is very smart. In this way, Wang Yin and Pang Wanchun will be in a dilemma!"

Su Wu smiled when he heard this and asked his attendants, "How about this method?"

Wu Yong just nodded: "Very good, very good!"

Zhu Wu smiled slightly: "When the time comes, the two thieves Wang Yin and Pang Wanchun will be in a dilemma. They will have two options. Either the army will turn back to drive away our bandits, or... they will fight to the death and fight with our army before they run out of food."

Wen Huanzhang said, "If he turns back with a small number of troops to protect the grain road, he will be defeated by our soldiers who are robbing the road. If he turns back with a large army, our 7,000 cavalry will just chase and kill him, and he will be defeated. There is only one way, and that is to fight to the death."

Wu Yong added: "General, this method is to force the two Shezhou bandits to cooperate with the bandits in Qingxi City, and to force the two Shezhou bandits to be eager to fight."

The four military advisors, each of them said something right, and their opinions were even more profound than what Su Wu had just thought. It seems that this plan is really feasible.

Su Wu then asked: "Who should be sent to rob the grain road? And how many people should be sent?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Guanzhong replied: "It is better for the general to decide this matter. The general is more familiar with the military commanders. As for the number of troops, the situation is already stretched to the limit. We really can't have too many. One or two thousand will be enough."

Wu Yong frowned and said: "In this case, this army will be unmatched by ten thousand men. These one or two thousand men must be brave enough to fight to the death!"

Who?
Wu Song has already said: "Brother, I'll go!"

Su Wu waved his hand and said: "You can't go. You two camps must break through the enemy's formation and fight a decisive battle here."

Wu Song thought about it for a moment and said, "Yes, brother is right. I will always be beside you and fight in battles! I will just protect you!"

Su Wu smiled awkwardly. This guy... You know what, Su Wu had this private thought, which was to keep Wu Song by his side to feel at ease. From the fight against Ximen Qing in Yanggu County to the present, no matter what the situation was, as long as Wu Song was by his side, Su Wu felt inexplicably at ease.

Therefore, when it came to such a decisive battle, Su Wu was unwilling to send Wu Song. This private thought was directly exposed by Wu Song, and Su Wu was somewhat embarrassed.

Xu Guanzhong came and asked: "General Lu Da is in Jiande, who should be sent?"

Su Wu glanced at him and saw that the lieutenant Han Shizhong had already stood up and saluted: "General, I am willing to go with 1,500 cavalrymen and go upstream!"

Su Wu was looking at Han Shizhong. Although he had not known Han Shizhong for a long time, but in this matter, apart from Wu Song, Han Shizhong was truly the best choice.

In addition, it is time to give Han Shizhong some credit. After this battle, Han Shizhong should also be able to earn the title of a fifth-rank general, which requires a truly remarkable achievement.

Fifteen hundred cavalrymen, going deep behind enemy lines to rob the grain supply route, this kind of achievement sounds great.

The main reason was that Han Shizhong's official rank at this moment was too low. If he didn't make some impressive-sounding achievements, he would not be able to be promoted to the rank of general.

As for why Han Shizhong had to be made a general?

This was because if Han Shizhong was still a colonel, it would be difficult to transfer him. Nominally, he was still Wang Yuan's subordinate, and it would be difficult for him to lead an army alone.

As long as Han Shizhong gets the position of general, he will have his own army. Behind the scenes, there will be even greater convenience. Han Shizhong will no longer be a subordinate of Wang Yuan, but belongs to the imperial court and is directly under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council.

In other words, Han Shizhong could be transferred to any provincial capital to serve as the commander-in-chief of the army.

Su Wu was already thinking about what to do next. After this, he wanted to transfer Han Shizhong directly to Jingdong or Hebei, preferably Jingdong. Su Wu had even decided on Laizhou, to be the general manager of Laizhou's military.

When the time comes, let Han Shizhong lead one or two hundred core soldiers in the northwest to take up the post in Laizhou. Su Wu will provide him with money, food, armor and weapons, and just support him with all his strength. In a few months, Han Shizhong will have built a strong army in Laizhou.

The soldiers are all incompetent, and the generals are all incompetent. Han Shizhong is a man with a charm in battle. As long as he is in an army, this army will surely be able to fight.

After this set of operations, this powerful army belonged to Su Wu, and the general Han Shizhong also completely belonged to Su Wu.

Su Wu had made up his mind. Han Shizhong thought that Su Wu was hesitating and did not trust him, so he said, "General, I will issue a military order. 1,500 cavalrymen will go west along the waterway. After landing, if anyone can transport a grain from Shezhou to here, you can chop off my head!"

Han Shizhong spoke here, and he looked a little angry.

Su Wu nodded: "When the Shezhou army arrives here, I will take you there!"

"Understood!" Han Shizhong bowed, as if he really felt that he had been looked down upon just now, and he was holding back a strong force.

"You should also look at the maps more often and be familiar with all the main roads and small roads!" Su Wu reminded him, fearing that Han Shizhong, who had never led troops alone, was not so mature at this moment.

Han Shizhong just nodded and said, "Don't worry, General. I dare not joke about this with my life on my head!"

Su Wu also smiled slightly. He knew how to use this to attack Han Wu in the future. Just to provoke him.

Su Wu nodded and said, "It is agreed. Erlang will be in charge of the siege. The cavalry will go to the west of Qingxi City and set up another camp, blocking Shezhou and Qingxi City. When the time comes, we will have a decisive battle with the Shezhou bandits with 5,500 cavalry!"

Xu Guanzhong also came and said: "As long as we defeat the bandits in Shezhou, the morale of the people in Qingxi City will surely be greatly reduced."

Su Wu also nodded: "Then everyone should disperse and prepare for their own end."

Everyone dispersed...

But it didn't take long before Han Shizhong came back.

He brought three people, one of whom Su Wu had met before, Wu Jie.

Han Shizhong bowed first, then said, "Come and see the general!"

Then Wu Jie took the lead and bowed: "I am Wu Jie, the humble servant, and I pay my respects to the general!"

Another person came, who looked somewhat similar to Wu Jie, and said, "I am Wu Lin, the humble servant, and I am here to see you, General!"

Su Wu knew in his heart that since he had just met the two brothers today, it was obvious that Wu Lin did not hold any impressive official position at the moment.

These two brothers were also famous generals who fought against the Jin army, and Wu Jie's military record was quite good.

I don’t know why Han Shizhong suddenly brought these two people here at this time.

Before Su Wu could think more, another person came to him and said, "I am the humble servant Zhe Kecun, and I am here to see you, General!"

Su Wu was stunned when he heard this. Who is this? As if he remembered something, he asked, "Do you have a brother named Zhe Keqiu?"

Zhe Kecun was also stunned for a moment, then nodded: "That's right."

Talking about the two brothers of the Zhe family in Northwest China, it is really a pity.

His younger brother Zhe Kecun fought a great battle with the Jin people, was defeated and captured, but managed to escape. However, he died of illness soon after. He lived to be 31 years old in total.

His elder brother Zhe Keqiu surrendered to the Jin people with three states and tens of thousands of elite soldiers, but was eventually poisoned to death by the Jin people.

The Zhe family was originally a family that led troops in the northwest of the Song Dynasty. They had been favored by the emperor for generations. Even in the story of the Yang Family Generals, the prototype of Lady She was reincarnated from the Zhe family. At this moment, it is not false to say that the family is full of loyal heroes.

But no one would have thought that the descendants of the Zhe family would have such a reputation in the end. Just because of Zhe Keqiu, the reputation of the entire family of loyalty and bravery was ruined in an instant.

Just looking at Zhe Kecun in front of him, he is really young, only in his early twenties, but he has also followed the army to fight Fang La on the expedition of thousands of miles.

Su Wu looked at Zhe Kecun, how could he not have any thoughts in his mind?

Among the powerful armies in the Northwest, the major military leaders include Liu Yanqing, the Zhong family, and then the Zhe family.

At this time, I have already met people from the Zhe family, but I have not met the husband of the Zhong family yet.

As for the small military leaders, there were quite a few, such as Liu Zhengyan, the son of Liu Fa, Yao Pingzhong, Yang Weizhong, and Liu Qi, the son of Liu Zhongwu...

Obviously, any military general in the Northwest is a small military leader.

When Su Wu saw Zhe Kecun, he thought a lot. Obviously, in Su Wu's mind, regarding the current situation of the Song Dynasty, he paid much more attention to these military generals than to the civil officials.

Han Shizhong suddenly brought these three people over, and Su Wu asked, "Who are they?"

Han Shizhong smiled and said, "General, I am a low-ranking official. Now that you have gathered the cavalry from all over the Northwest together and let me lead them, it is a great honor. I am going to rob the food supply behind the enemy lines, so how can I not entrust one or two of my men to you? These three are the bravest in the Northwest cavalry. Bring them to you, and you can rely on them from now on!"

Su Wu understood, how could he not feel warm in his heart? Han Shizhong, this man, started from humble beginnings, joined the army as a local militia, was really straightforward and loyal, and really had a certain style that was admired by the heroes of the world.

Su Wu looked at the four people and bowed: "Brothers, I have a lot of feelings. I must return safely from this trip!"

Han Shizhong was also suddenly moved, his eyes slightly reddened: "Brother, you and I bowed to the gods of heaven and earth, and we will share life and death. No matter what, I will not let a grain of food be transported from Shezhou. I know that you have many brave generals around you, but these three have been working with me recently and we have become good friends. They are all brave men, and the soldiers under their command are extremely brave. Just take them with you when you go into battle!"

"Thank you, brothers. Thank you all!" Su Wu bowed again.

Wu Jie also bowed quickly: "No, no, the general is the pillar of our Song Dynasty, and he is a role model for our generation!"

Wu Jie was not very old, only twenty-seven years old.

Wu Lin also said: "It is an honor for me to fight with the general!"

Wu Lin was not yet nineteen years old at that time.

Zhe Kecun even said: "I will fight in the same battle as the general, and I will go there even if I die."

Just look at the northwestern accents of these people, which are rough and bold, and their words are clear and sonorous.

How did the Northern Song Dynasty fall? Even two emperors were captured!
Su Wu just said, "Liang Chen and I have already sworn brotherhood. The three of you are the men Liang Chen strongly recommended. You must be the bravest in the army. I have always been willing to make friends with brave soldiers. This is the time of decisive battle. Life and death are unpredictable. I don't know how many people will survive and how many will die in the future. At this moment, since you have entrusted me with this, there is no other choice. We are all of the same age. I wish the five of us to bow here and share life and death together!"

Han Shizhong, whose courtesy name was Liangchen.

Su Wu used the old method again. This kind of thing is nothing when you are in a low position. If everyone really has a high position in the future, it will be difficult to do it.

It was also during this era that the folk customs were like this. There really was a "gangster" atmosphere in the folk customs of the Song Dynasty, with people talking about brotherhood, good friends, and life and death.

Even in the Song Dynasty, from high-ranking officials and even the Zhao royal family to ordinary people and scholars, there was a custom of liking tattoos, which was called "flower embroidery". They would tattoo all over their bodies and backs, and they would compete to see who had the most beautiful tattoos.

Even the rich and powerful would take off their clothes and show off their clothes if they disagreed with each other. During holidays, there were special "Jinti Clubs" in the big cities, whose members were all covered in embroidery and paraded in the streets. Even women liked embroidery, just like Yan Qing in the story. When Li Shishi first saw him, she said he had a beautiful embroidery. She was curious and wanted to see it.

It can also be said that tattooing a soldier's face was not such a humiliating thing in terms of social customs.

In such a great Song Dynasty, how could Su Wu's old method not be used? Moreover, the Jianghu men and the military men also had this kind of ethos.

Han Shizhong was really happy after hearing Su Wu's words. He was happy that his brother really valued him and trusted him immediately after recommending a few people.

Han Shizhong just said: "That couldn't be better."

However, Wu Jie had some concerns. He looked around and said, "The general is a high-ranking official with a distinguished reputation and a great talent in both civil and military affairs. My two brothers are just crude warriors with low status. We really dare not approach him."

This is true. Wu Jie and Wu Lin also came from humble backgrounds and joined the army as sons of good families. Now they are just minor officers.

Who is Su Wu at this time?
He was the commander-in-chief of the two armies in Jingdong, and the chief secretary in the Privy Council, the most trusted person under the Privy Council. He was also the son-in-law of the provincial governor Cheng Xianggong. This was already out of his reach. After this war, Su Wu would be promoted even higher.

How could Wu Jie not have concerns when it came to becoming sworn brothers in this way?
On the contrary, Zhe Kecun had no worries, because his family was loyal and brave, and he came from a different background. Han Shizhong had no worries at first, because he was not the kind of person who thought about these details.

Su Wu just laughed at this and said, "What nonsense! I am just a warrior of low birth, a small captain in the county government. What is the difference between you and me?"

But Han Shizhong also said, "Wu Jinqing, you, why are you still acting like a woman? We are soldiers, and we are of the same mind, just like my brother and I swore brotherhood in the past. Why do you think so much? You are from a good family, and you have read some books, but I am just a village warrior. Before I joined the army, I could not recognize a few words, and I learned a few words later. I didn't think so much, and just kowtowed, but you still think so much, don't you look down on my brother?"

Wu Jie waved his hands quickly: "I dare not..."

Han Shizhong said, "This is the decisive battle. Life and death are determined by fate. You know that my brother has always been brave in leading troops. When charging into battle, he always leads the troops. He can fight against an army of 100,000 or 200,000. How could he let you down? This time, we must live and die together!"

Wu Jie's face was already red, and he waved his hands and shook his head anxiously: "That's not what I meant, that's not what I meant, how could I... I'm afraid of tarnishing the general's reputation!"

"Then there is no need to say more. Just set up the incense table and we will worship with my brother!" Han Shizhong waved his hand and personally went out of the tent to shout: "Come on!"

There are people who come to take care of things.

Han Shizhong is really a straightforward person. Su Wu laughed and said, "It's only been a year. I was originally a humble and crude warrior. I have come this far. I rely on my superiors for their support and my brothers for my loyalty. I will never betray you! We are all brothers who share life and death. Why should we worry about not winning the battle?"

"Yes, that's right!" Han Shizhong replied immediately. He really liked what he heard. It really touched his heart.

In this era, the combat effectiveness of the army is maintained only by friendship, the kindness between superiors and subordinates, and the loyalty among colleagues and brothers.

The Song Dynasty was founded in this way. From the end of the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties, and then to the Song Dynasty, although there were many acts of betrayal, all those who succeeded did so by following this path.

With the incense table set up, several people knelt on the ground, and Su Wu began to speak. He first talked about living and dying together, then about serving the country and family, and expressed his wishes for a great victory in this decisive battle. The last thing he said was that he hoped that his brothers would have a bright future and be rich.

As long as everyone came to take the oath, my brother's words continued to rise one after another.

Han Shizhong laughed and said, "This is exactly what I want to ask of you. Brothers, please protect me when we go into battle."

Wu Lin, who was less than 19 years old, was the first to speak: "Don't worry, we will definitely win this battle, there won't be any accidents, I will be the first to die!"

Zhe Kecun also said: "If I can become sworn brothers with my brother, even if I go home, my uncles and brothers will praise me as a man now! This time, I will just die for you. It's a pity that after this battle, my brother will be in Jingdong, and I will be in the northwest..."

Finally, Wu Jie spoke up: "This time we are in a life-and-death situation, there will be no second thoughts."

Su Wu bowed to everyone around him and said, "Good minister, you don't have to worry about anything. After a few days, you can go with peace of mind..."

Han Shizhong nodded: "I know that my brother is worried about me leading the army alone for the first time, and he is afraid that I...will not do well. I also know that my brother wants to promote me. How can I repay my brother's kindness? The only way is to die. How does that saying go..."

"A gentleman will die for his friend!" Wu Jie responded.

"Yes, a gentleman will die for his friend. Don't worry, brother. Since you are the one who is lifting me up, how can I be a useless person who can't help myself?"

Han Shizhong obviously also knew that this was an opportunity, and judging from the current situation, it might be the biggest opportunity in his life.

"Alas... let's not talk about it. We are all soldiers. We risk our lives for our future. We can't say anything..." Su Wu waved his hands. In fact, he felt a little sad. This is how he fought his way to success...

"Then let's not talk about it. Let's just wait until the battle is over and drink with brother!" Han Shizhong's face was full of anticipation. He loved wine the most, but it was a pity that he was not allowed to drink in the army.

"When we return victoriously, I will drink with my brothers every day!" Su Wu made a promise. He could not drink much, but at this moment he inexplicably felt this heroic spirit.

"Then I won't bother you anymore, brother. I'll go back to the army to prepare!" Han Shizhong bowed and left.

Su Wu nodded, and watched the four people bow. There was no one else in the big tent, so he also sighed deeply...

This era is extremely good. This era is also extremely bad.

The army was busy. Ruan Xiaoer brought a boat and transported a lot of military equipment. There were also a large number of craftsmen in the artisan camp, so they were even busier.

Ruan Xiaoer also received a military order and took a few boats upstream to explore the waterway between Shezhou and Qingxi to see where it would be suitable to land and hide. He also had to choose a place as a contact point to send Han Shizhong ashore in the future and hide some food and grass there.

To prepare for the needs of Han Shizhong's 1,500 cavalrymen, if they could rob the enemy's food and grass, they would not be short of supplies, but preparations still needed to be made.

These are all details, including how Han Shizhong should retreat if the battle goes badly, one retreat point, and two or three backup retreat points.

The entire Zhejiang waterway winds from west to east for a thousand miles. The section of the waterway from Shezhou to Qingxi is also more than 200 miles long.

In fact, the space is not small. Just let Ruan Xiaoer investigate and select various locations.

As the trenches became more and more numerous, the chevaux de frise formed a circle, and the stone cannon carts rose up again.

The cavalry has come to report that the bandits from Shezhou are coming. In fact, they are very close, and will arrive in five or six days.

When the bandits from Shezhou arrived, Han Shizhong began to board the ship.

While Han Shizhong was boarding the ship, the scouts kept reporting that the bandits in Shezhou were fifty miles away, forty-five miles away, forty miles away...

This ranger is really useful. It can even be a bit bullying when used on this battlefield.

But Su Wu was also thinking that when fighting against Liao and Jin, these cavalry might not be so useful, because Liao and Jin were truly cavalrymen. In comparison, Su Wu's cavalry was not much.

At that time, the cavalry and scouts must have ambushed and killed each other. One can imagine how fierce and bloody the scene was.

I can't help but wonder, how to deal with it?
Heavy armor, large weapons, and tight military formations, it seemed like this was the only way to deal with it, and that was how Yue Fei dealt with it.

Of course, there are also cavalry, the more the better, but where can we get the horses?
Liao Dynasty...

The Battle of Yanyun is becoming more and more important. We must have a real great victory so that we can seize the spoils. There is no other way.

Just one day later, the bandit army of Shezhou appeared in Su Wu's sight.

I just want to ask why Su Wu didn't lead the cavalry to attack? Because the terrain of Muzhou and Shezhou is hilly and mountainous, which is not very suitable for cavalry combat. Only where the city is located can there be vast flat land.

We have to wait until the bandits in Shezhou get close to the city, only then will the cavalry be really useful.

Just ask how many bandits are there in Shezhou?

In fact, there are not many, only about 30,000 to 40,000 people, among which there are only 2,000 to 3,000 armored men.

On both sides of the big banner are Wang Yin and Pang Wanchun.

But these two people are also very smart, how could they not know that Su Wu has a lot of cavalry? They don't get too close to the city, and they don't go to the vast open space.

Just set up camp at an intersection on the official road, in a narrow place near the hill.

The two armies were actually still seven or eight miles apart.

Su Wu led the cavalry to check it out, and saw soldiers in armored formation at the intersection, waiting in a defensive posture. Behind them were men in gray linen clothes, who were still cutting down trees. They first built chevaux de frise and placed them at the intersection before setting up a camp.

Su Wu also frowned as he watched: "These bandits are becoming more and more cautious."

Xu Guanzhong also replied: "The so-called Minister of War Wang Yin of the bandit seems to be quite good and worthy of the title. The general's reputation has spread, how dare he act rashly?"

Wu Yong said: "Fortunately, the general has already made plans. We just need to wait a few more days. As long as the bandits can't deliver food and grass, they will be in a hurry."

Su Wu nodded: "We can't be impatient..."

Su Wu said this to remind himself that when he first came, he wanted to be quick because time was running out. At this moment on the battlefield, he must not be impatient and must take it slow.

Su Wu also asked: "How is Jiande doing?"

Xu Guanzhong replied: "Today's report is that General Liu is also building weapons for the siege, but there is not much progress."

In fact, there are reports every day, and the situation is basically a stalemate.

But Su Wu didn't know that Tan Zhen had already entered the city of Fuyang.

Xin Xingzong led the Xihe soldiers to attack fiercely, and there were many more ladders, which allowed him to climb up bravely.

After the city was breached, Shi Bao and Deng Yuanjue easily broke out and killed many of the imperial guards in other parts of the capital. They led the remaining bandits to Xincheng, which was governed by Xing Fang and Li Tianrun's younger brother Li Tianyou.

In Fuyang City, rewards were also given for military merit. Even in Fuyang City, although there was plenty of food and fodder, there was not much money and other valuables.

Tan Zhen was sitting in the county government office, his face as dark as water, causing him to be upset because he was short of money.

Xin Xingzong's face was even uglier, and his face was even more sad. In this battle, his men suffered heavy losses, so he said, "Sir, there were 700 to 800 Xihe soldiers killed in the battle, more than 1,000 seriously injured, and countless lightly injured. I dare not delay the money for compensation!"

Such a number of casualties shows how brutal the siege was.

It was the first time that Xin Xingzong said such harsh words. He felt really uncomfortable in his heart. Four or five thousand Xihe soldiers were defeated in one battle.

After the city was captured, all the tribes in the capital were delighted, thinking that they would receive a reward.

Only in the Xihe army there was no joy. For those who were alive, the eighty strings of cash were in their hands, but for those who were dead, the eighty strings of cash were not worth anything at all. They could only wait for their superiors to reward them again, and their comrades would take the money back to their widows to save their lives.

This was the first time that Xin Xingzong spoke harshly to Tan Zhen because he did not want the army to lose morale. It took him more than one or two years to bring out this small number of troops, and it was not easy over the years.

Tan Zhen only asked: "Did you calculate the number?"

Xin Xingzong nodded and said, "Sir, even for the dead in battle, the compensation is 100... 50 strings of cash per person, and for the seriously injured... it should be 100 to 20 or 30 strings of cash... Secondly, those who have made great contributions in the first battle should also..."

Obviously, Xin Xingzong had seen the world and raised the price. However, even if he raised the price, he did not dare to ask for an exorbitant price.

But Tan Zhen interrupted and said, "Tell me the total number."

Xin Xingzong then gritted his teeth and said, "Four hundred thousand strings of cash."

Tan Zhen's face changed when he heard this. He was about to refute it, but he looked at Xin Xingzong's appearance and said, "Four hundred thousand strings of cash... just wait for the city to collect some, and then transport the extra grain and grass in the city to Hangzhou to sell a batch, and then we can get the money together with you."

It should be enough...

Tan Zhen was furious again: "These bandits left so much food and fodder, but why didn't they leave any gold, silver or money?"

Xin Xingzong replied: "Perhaps... the Fang La bandits had been recruited before, or perhaps... Shi Bao and Deng Yuanjue broke through the siege easily and calmly, so they were taken away."

After all, Xin Xingzong was still a friendly army of Yin and Yang. If all the troops were good at fighting, how could the Xihe soldiers suffer so many casualties?
Tan Zhen also followed suit and said, "Even so, the tribes still have the nerve to come and ask for a reward!"

Although he said so, Tan Zhen knew in his heart that he had to give some rewards. If he didn't, there would be a mutiny in the capital...

A good cook cannot cook without rice. Tan Zhen held his forehead with his hand, sighed and shook his head.

Xin Xingzong said angrily: "Then I won't give you anything, not even a penny."

Xin Xingzong has his own personal thoughts, so it would be best to leave all the money to him.

Tan Zhen had no answer to this question. He knew that he had been tricked by Tong Guan again, so he just said, "Let's collect the money and sell the grain first, and then we can talk about it..."

(Brothers, this time, I might be really sick. My muscles are sore and weak, and I feel dizzy and have a headache. I’m afraid I have the influenza A virus…)
(End of this chapter)