Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 214 Everyone, please don’t blame me!
To offer prisoners of war, 50,000 people were selected from the army of more than 100,000 and began to march into the city one by one!
The city of Bianjing was crowded with people. At the front were people selected from the Tianwu and Pengri armies, who were actually the emperor's guard of honor.

Judging from their appearance and posture, they were much stronger than the army under Su Wu. They had strong horses on the seats, golden armor on their bodies, and horse lances more than ten feet long standing at their sides. The four-legged horses could walk in uniform steps.

Su Wu did not go with the army today, but accompanied the emperor and stood in front of the Daqing Gate Tower.

Looking at the horse lance, Su Wu actually liked it very much. This kind of horse lance was a standard weapon in the Tang Dynasty, but nowadays, it is not often used. Only the emperor's ceremonial guard still retains it.

As soon as the Tianwu and Pengri armies passed, the first step would be the Fuyan army, that is, Liu Yanqing. Liu Yanqing was not in the queue, but Liu Guangshi was in front of the team.

Su Wu introduced: "Your Majesty, this is the Fuyan army, they are very brave. The one at the front is Liu Guangshi, the deputy general manager of the Fuyan army. They captured Fang La in Qingxi. The Fuyan army had the merit of being the first to reach the city."

The emperor nodded with a smile: "In the past, it was Old Manager Liu, but now it is Young Manager Liu. A good father will have a good son. The descendant of a general is truly extraordinary..."

How come Su Wu was able to be by the emperor's side? Of course it was Tong Guan's idea, and the emperor nodded happily.

There were clusters of iron armor and the clattering of footsteps. They didn't look as good as the Tianwu Army that held the sun before, but the murderous aura was very different. At this moment, the soldiers felt proud and walked with their heads held high. They inexplicably made people feel like wolves and tigers.

Fifty thousand troops are so many that they cannot be seen from the perspective of the end. Looking out on Suzaku Street, one can no longer see the end.

Su Wu introduced slowly: "Your Majesty, these are soldiers from Xizhou. They often fight against the Qiang people. Old General Wang has experienced hundreds of battles, and this time is no exception. Han Shizhong, one of his subordinates, only led 1,500 cavalrymen to penetrate deep into the enemy's territory and cut off their food supply. This time, he was promoted from deputy lieutenant to guerrilla general!"

The emperor raised his hand and pointed: "Isn't it the general in front?"

Su Wu nodded and smiled: "It was him. He led 1,500 soldiers to kill 10,000 bandits who were transporting grain and burned all the grain to ashes!"

This is where Su Wu plays a role by the emperor's side.

"What a good general! What a good general!" The emperor was very happy. Since ancient times, how many emperors have been so successful in both civil and military affairs?

"Guanzhong soldiers, General Yao, with only 5,000 infantrymen, did not retreat even a single step against 100,000 bandits. The bandits in Xiuzhou were completely wiped out..."

"The Hedong Army... is slightly inferior, but they are brave enough to climb walls and charge into battle. It's just that they lack elite troops and their weapons are a bit inferior..."

"Who is the commander of this Hedong army?" the emperor also asked.

"Guan Sheng, Deputy General Hao Siwen."

The emperor also asked: "Logically speaking, Hedong is rich and the Northwest is poor, so why is the military equipment of the Hedong army not as good as that of the Northwest army?"

Su Wu replied with a smile: "There has been no war in Hedong for a hundred years, but there are wars of varying sizes every year in the northwest. They are different..."

The emperor immediately frowned: "This time... this time with Liao... forget it, let's talk about it later..."

Suddenly, the emperor's brows relaxed, and he asked with a smile: "The Jingdong army is coming, right or not?"

Su Wu smiled and nodded: "Your Majesty has a keen eye, that's right."

The emperor became more interested: "Tell me more..."

Su Wu said slowly: "The first group of cavalrymen are both armored and used for charging the enemy, but they lack stamina and are exhausted."

"Oh..." The emperor nodded and asked, "Of course it should be used at the most critical moment."

This emperor is actually very smart...

"Yes, during the battle, don't move. Just wait and see where the enemy is vulnerable, then attack as soon as possible." Su Wu nodded and replied.

As soon as the heavy cavalry passed by, the emperor asked himself: "The next is the light cavalry, what do you think of the light cavalry?"

"The light cavalry are the cavalry on the two wings. Most of the time they don't charge into the battle formation. Instead, they attack along the enemy's two wings, shooting and stabbing. If the enemy is really in chaos, they will charge into the battle formation and kill them."

"Oh...it is used to disrupt the enemy's formation!" the emperor himself concluded.

"If Your Majesty were a general, he would be an invincible general!" Su Wu also flattered him.

The emperor laughed heartily and said, "Whenever I have time, I will go to the army and play some tricks, and become a general!"

Su Wu's heart tightened. Would the emperor really do this? Suddenly, he thought that the emperor also liked to do role-playing things, and he might really do it...

It doesn't matter. This is not Su Wu's trouble, but the trouble of the imperial guards in the capital and the Palace Front Department...

But the emperor said again: "These Biao infantrymen look very brave and strong. They are very strong and look even more powerful in the armor they wear..."

"The Xianzhen Camp is the Han army charging in the front." Su Wu gave a brief introduction.

The emperor nodded and said, "They must be extremely brave men. Who is that huge soldier in front of us?"

Su Wu replied: "The commander-in-chief of the Dongping army, the fifth-rank general of Ningyuan, is Wu Song! He is a victorious general who has always led his troops and killed countless enemies!"

"Good, good, good, this butler is good, he looks good... very strong and tall!"

Su Wu added: "He is also handsome and handsome! It was he who first broke through Qingxi City and then trapped the bandit leader Fang La and others in the midst of thousands of troops..."

"Is it so? Isn't he the Di Hanchen of the past?" The emperor thought of Di Qing during the reign of Emperor Renzong, the war god of the Song Dynasty, who was also handsome and graceful.

"Your Majesty, now that you mention it, there are some similarities. Wu Song also got into trouble for fighting in his hometown." Su Wu laughed. Di Qing was convicted of fighting in his hometown and was exiled to the army.

"Haha..." The emperor stroked his beard, feeling really happy today. How could a man not be excited when seeing these armored men walking over? This was the emperor's army, and the emperor's sense of accomplishment was already overwhelming.

Su Wu slowly introduced himself. Not far away was Tong Guan, who also had a smile on his face. This was the effect he wanted. Su Wu had obviously done a great job.

The ones behind came slowly, with infantry, auxiliary troops, chariot frames, crossbows, and bed crossbows, all dragging along.

"The military equipment is excellent, very good, Jingdong is really a strong army!" The emperor kept praising, and also praised Su Wu: "Su Qing is really good at managing the army!"

"It is mostly due to the care of the Privy Council. When we were suppressing the Shandong bandits before, the Privy Council was very generous with money, food and armor. How dare I let down Your Majesty and the Prime Minister?" Su Wu replied.

"We should go north with such a strong army, we should go north to Yanyun..." The emperor seemed to be excited as well, as if this military parade was for him to see.

Of course, it was also for the many men on the top of the Daqing Gate to see. No matter what their political stance was, at this moment, everyone on the tower was smiling.

It is a happy thing that the Song Dynasty has a strong army.

The emperor looked at Su Wu again, and then at the mighty army of Jingdong below the city. Suddenly he said, "Su Qing is truly my Huo Qubing!"

Su Wu bowed quickly and said, "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise..."

But the emperor waved his hand and said, "No, this is not auspicious. Su Qing should not be Huo Qubing, but... Li Jing, the Pharmacist Li. Su Qing, please do more meritorious deeds. One day, I will put you in Zhaoxun Pavilion!"

The Han Dynasty had the Qilin Pavilion and the Yuntai Pavilion, the Tang Dynasty had the Lingyan Pavilion, the Song Dynasty had the Zhaoxun Pavilion, the Ming Dynasty was more straightforward, with the Gongchen Pavilion, and the Qing Dynasty had the Ziguang Pavilion...they all had similar meanings.

At this time, Emperor Zhao Ji was not joking. The more he looked at Su Wu, the more he liked him. Su Wu was not only a good fighter, but also not only had artistic resonance with Zhao Ji, but also because Su Wu brought Zhao Ji a different sense of freshness.

Everything is fresh, the artistic resonance is fresh, and at this moment on the city wall, it is also very fresh.

Su Wu just bowed and said, "I am unworthy of this honor!"

"Well, it's all about merit. You can't decide whether to accept it or not. Don't worry, you are still young. Just wait for the future!" The emperor smiled and looked at the soldier who was walking step by step. For a moment, he felt an incomparable sense of accomplishment.

As soon as the 50,000 people passed by one by one, Su Wu was also talking until his mouth was dry. He was beside the emperor and even had to introduce the bed crossbow in detail. He even said that in the past, at Chanyuan, the Liao general Xiao Talin died under this bed crossbow...

A hundred or so prisoner carts were approaching slowly, with Fang La leading the way. The emperor's face turned grim, and he pointed at them, "Is this the thief?"

Su Wu nodded: "It's him!"

The emperor was furious: "The world is peaceful and prosperous, but this villain used obscene sacrifices to deceive the ignorant people and caused chaos in the south and east of the Yangtze River. He deserves to be cut into pieces!"

"His crime cannot be redeemed even by a hundred deaths!" Su Wu continued.

"Humph!" The emperor turned around with his sleeves swung, and said, "Bring him up to the tower!"

As he spoke, the emperor had already entered the tower. Inside the tower, there were chairs, tables, fruits, snacks, and tea prepared...

Su Wu went down to the city in person to pick it up.

Opposite the Daqing Gate, not far away, about forty or fifty steps away, there is a building. Today, this building is the best place to watch the ceremony, and other people will never be able to occupy such a seat.

But the Wang family was not difficult. The second floor was high up, the best place, with the best view from the window. Wang Zhongshan was sitting there, and was also shocked today. He said, "This Jingdong Army is really scary. In the past, I only heard about how brave that scholar Su was. Today, I saw it for myself. Such a strong army is well-deserved."

There were several people sitting nearby, and Li Qingzhao was the closest to them. She looked serious when she heard the words and started to speak: "I have seen it before. The soldiers under Su Xueshi's command can kill bandits as easily as cutting melons and vegetables. They can come and go freely among the thousands of bandits."

"Alas..." Wang Zhongshan sighed, thinking of his nephew's son-in-law's stupidity. His bright future was gone, and he was also...

Li Qingzhao also lowered her head slightly, probably thinking of that incident.

Wang Zhongshan's son Wang Huan changed the subject: "Hey, that scholar Su, which great Shandong scholar was he a disciple of in the past?"

Everyone came to see Li Qingzhao, and they all knew that this cousin and Su Wu were old friends, but Li Qingzhao shook her head and said, "I really don't know. I haven't heard that he has a famous teacher. But officials in Jingdong, both big and small, have praised him highly."

Wang Zhongshan's second son, Wang Huilai, said: "I also heard that he went to school when he was young, but later his parents died early, and his family fell into poverty. They sold the mansion, and he grew up like this..."

But then he heard someone say: "So, this is the case. A hero comes out of a poor family. He is truly extraordinary. God will give this person a great responsibility. This is why he has to suffer in his heart, toil in his muscles and bones, and starve in his body!"

The person who is speaking is Wang Zhongshan’s son-in-law, Qin Hui, the academician of the Imperial Academy!
Speaking of Qin Hui, he was born in a fairly good family. His father had been a county magistrate, but his father died early and left no wealth. He was a good student, but in order to make a living and take the imperial examinations, he worked as a private school teacher to earn a meager income and save some money for the exams.

However, he was also very hardworking. At the age of 24, he passed the imperial examination and was admitted as a Jinshi. He was noticed by Wang Zhongshan and was recruited as a son-in-law. This was already a late marriage and late childbirth.

Even if you succeed one day, your life will be very different from then on. You will have a wife, a house, and a successful career in the officialdom.

Wang Zhongshan suddenly said, "Zhao'er, since we are old friends...when he is done with his work, you can send him a message and invite him to your home for a chat, how about that?"

Li Qingzhao tilted her head when she heard this: "I have sworn to never give up on him, how can I do this..."

Wang Zhongshan stroked his beard and laughed: "Haha... Even if you are determined not to give up, then let's sit down and talk. After all, in the past, he was kind to you and... Alas... that little bit of affection, you should at least remember it..."

Li Qingzhao added: "Now, he looks down on me..."

"What are you talking about? Is it because of his letter? If he looked down on you, why would he write back to you? And write such a long and eloquent letter? If he really looked down on you, would he waste so much time and energy on writing?" Wang Zhongshan spoke kindly. He was not thinking about anything else but political interests. He was like a rising star. Since they were old friends, how could he not visit each other?

The Wang family actually no longer has any high-ranking officials in the court. The reason why they are still a top family in the capital is only because of the influence of their fathers. But as time goes by, those old people are getting old, and even Wang Zhongshan himself is in his forties. This little bit of favor and face is slowly becoming less and less.

Wang Zhongshan even thought that if it really didn't work out, he should just come out of retirement and go back to court. If it really came to that, that would be the only option. However, if he went to court, Wang Zhongshan's qualifications wouldn't allow him to go to the government hall. The emperor valued friendship, so he would only be a prefect...

A noble family has its own difficulties. Even Wang Zhongshan thought deeply about it. Since he knew that Li Qingzhao and Su Xueshi were old friends, he couldn't help but wonder what he had and what Su Xueshi lacked...

What does the Wang family have? A name, a reputation, a position, a complicated network of relationships, and, for the time being, a face everywhere.

What did Su Wu lack? Perhaps it was these... Born in the countryside, he rose to prominence as a soldier. Although he had literary talent, he relied on an old eunuch in the officialdom...

Isn’t this… a match made in heaven?
What the Wang family can give Su Wu may be what Su Wu has been dreaming of at this time.

What Su Wu can give to the Wang family is actually very simple. If this investment is successful, this noble family in Bianliang can last for at least one or two generations.

Wang Zhongshan also looked at Qin Hui. Qin Hui was also an investment, but at this moment, Qin Hui's investment needed to be held for a long time.

However, if Su Wu's investment is successful, it will surely produce results very quickly.

Wang Zhongshan wanted to invite Su Wu to his home for a visit, not because of any other reason, but because of this kind of thing, the first time is strange, the second time is familiar, the third and fourth time he helps more, the fifth and sixth time he talks about benefits, and the seventh and eighth time he becomes a family member.

After hearing what her uncle said, Li Qingzhao said, "If you want to invite my uncle, I won't go. I'll just talk it out with him first..."

The uncle also laughed when he heard this. The niece had no choice but to smile and say, "Well, well, if you don't invite me, I'll go..."

"Uncle, please don't be too angry if you can't invite him by then..." Li Qingzhao said with a smile.

"That's because my uncle has no face. It's none of your business." Wang Zhongshan laughed at himself.

"Well, that's a good idea." Li Qingzhao felt relieved.

Whether it was Wang Huan, Wang Hui, or Qin Hui, he looked at this cousin as if he were a god or Buddha. He had always known that his own father or father-in-law were never easy people to deal with, but when it came to his cousin, they had no ability at all.

But Li Qingzhao said: "Uncle, this capital is boring. I will leave after living here for a while and return to my hometown in Qizhou. My younger brother is still in Qizhou, so I will go and live with him..."

"Why are we suddenly talking about this?" Wang Zhongshan was also stunned.

"It's just that the capital is boring..." Li Qingzhao said this even though she had a younger brother named Li Rui, who didn't achieve much. But in history, it was her younger brother who supported Li Qingzhao in her later years.

Wang Zhongshan could only smile bitterly, knowing that his niece was inexplicably angry. Actually, it was not inexplicable, as he actually understood.

He could only smile bitterly and say: "It's my uncle who doesn't know what's going on, okay? My uncle is wrong..."

Maybe it's family affection, he has been spoiled since childhood, maybe there are also considerations of interests. Mr. Yi An is now famous in the Song Dynasty. Whenever you go out and mention the name of Mr. Yi An, no matter if it's a famous scholar or a court official, they all have a smiling face.

Even many elderly people have witnessed the cleverness of Yi An when they were young, and have even hugged her and pinched her face.

Even the emperor would be full of smiles when mentioning Yi An Jushi.

This is also the advantage of Yi An Jushi's identity as a woman. If she were a man, she would not be like this.

The Wang family now actually needs such a Yi An Jushi.

As soon as Wang Zhongshan gave a bitter smile, Li Qingzhao also laughed: "Uncle..."

"Alright, alright, forget it. We came here to watch the fun today. Now that we've seen enough, let's go home..." Wang Zhongshan stood up, stroked his beard and laughed.

My father left first, followed by my cousin, followed by Wang Huan and Wang Hui, and Qin Hui was the last. They went downstairs and saw a car outside the door...

Inside the Daqing Gate Tower, Fang La was brought forward and knelt before the emperor.

The emperor glared at him angrily and said in a stern voice: "How dare you, a commoner, discuss the destiny of heaven?"

Fang La was a little panicked, even a little scared. He looked up at the emperor and immediately bowed his head: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It is the ignorance of the thieves! Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

Su Wu knew that Fang La's state was normal, and perhaps he still wanted to survive.

But the emperor scolded: "Is there someone behind you who is instructing you?"

What is this? Su Wu was stunned, but after thinking about it, he felt it was normal. The emperor was actually afraid, too. He was afraid of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and he was also afraid of Huang Chao's affairs. He was even more afraid that there were dark forces behind these things.

"It's all just the vanity and wild imagination of a guilty commoner. It was just ignorance at the time. Your Majesty, please forgive me!" Fang La just kowtowed and admitted his guilt.

Wouldn't the emperor be bored with such a confession? He said, "You still want to forgive me? I don't know how many people have been separated from their wives and children because of you. I don't know how many people have died because of you. Your crime is so serious that even a thousand cuts and pieces of blood cannot redeem even a fraction of it!"

But after hearing these words, Fang La was suddenly stunned. He raised his head slightly and glanced at the emperor in front of him, as if he had countless conflicts in his heart.

Su Wu thought to himself that it seemed that he had to get into the state. If begging failed, he would just argue with reason. He just wanted to save his life.

As expected, Fang La spoke up: "Your Majesty, this matter is not the fault of just the people!"

"Oh? Sure enough, there is someone behind the scenes? Just tell me who instigated it, where did you get the money to win over the people, and how did you start the incident? Explain everything clearly!"

The emperor seemed to have his own imagination. How could Fang La, a commoner, manage such a big business? He could defeat thousands of soldiers from Liangzhe with just one incident. Where did he get the money? Where did he get the weapons?
This emperor really lacks some real understanding of the laws governing the operation of things in the world.

But Fang La said, "Your Majesty, behind this criminal is Zhu Jie, the head of the Yingfeng Bureau!"

"Nonsense!" The emperor stood up angrily and said, "You are about to die, and you still dare to speak so shamelessly in front of me!"

Fang La also said, "Your Majesty, you are deceiving people. If people have no worries about food and clothing, if no one oppresses them, who in the world would risk their lives? In the south of Zhejiang and Zhejiang, Zhu Jie, the governor of Yingfeng, oppressed the people, acted tyrannically, invaded homes, and destroyed countless families. I don't know how many people have been separated from their wives and children, and how many people are starving. Only in this way can the guilty people respond to the call! Your Majesty, please understand!"

It started, Tong Guan was already winking at Su Wu.

Su Wu, however, did not speak and waited a while.

The emperor was furious: "Don't talk nonsense. Zhu Jie just made some strange things in Jiangnan and Liangzhe. Why do you say that? You are really good at speaking and eloquent!"

Fang La had already made up his mind. If he stuck his head out, he would be cut off. If he withdrew his head, he would also be cut off. How could he not fight? He said, "I have been illiterate since I was a child. I served as an apprentice and learned how to do things. When I was middle-aged, I planted lacquer trees with many people and built a small lacquer garden. The man from the Yingfeng Bureau took a fancy to the lacquer trees and wanted them for himself. How could I bear it without paying a penny?"

"Let's not talk about whether this is true or not. If it is true, why don't you go to the authorities to report it?" the emperor scolded angrily.

"Sue the authorities?" Fang La shook his head, helpless, and continued: "The flowers and stones on the river require dozens of ships to transport them. I don't know how many people are needed to dig and move the stones in Taihu Lake. I don't know how many boatmen are struggling to pull the boats on the river. Zhu Jie went everywhere to look for strange things, and he took the goods from the houses he saw. Why didn't they report to the authorities? Your Majesty, Zhu Jie has thousands of private soldiers in Suzhou, so why didn't anyone report to the capital?"

The emperor was stunned for a moment when he heard this and looked around.

Cai Jing came up and said, "Your Majesty, this fellow is very good at arguing. I know all the details about the affairs of the Yingfeng Bureau. How many ships travel on the canal every day? How many ships are there in the Flower and Stone Gang every year? As for corvée labor, the corvée labor of our Song Dynasty is very different from that of the previous dynasty. All of them are paid for, isn't it also giving the people an extra livelihood? What exotic things are you talking about? It's the family of the ordinary people. What exotic things can there be in the homes of ordinary people? What lacquer tree is there? Has there ever been a lacquer tree in the Flower and Stone Gang? Your Majesty, don't let this fellow fool you..."

Wang Fu also spoke up: "Your Majesty, even if everyone in the world knows that Your Majesty is kind and honest, this guy deliberately said this to make Your Majesty feel guilty and let him live..."

Upon hearing this, the emperor said, "That's right. You are such a thief, you have a very evil mind."

Fang La raised his head, looked to the left and to the right, and after looking around, he recognized Su Wu and saw Su Wu, so he said, "General Su went to the south of the two rivers in person, so he must know everything! General Su..."

Beg Su Wu to speak, beg Su Wu to live...

Upon hearing this, the emperor immediately said, "Su Qing, you tell me... you tell me..."

Su Wu looked at the emperor, and at everyone present. What did the emperor want? The emperor was just a child at this moment. He wanted to win. He wanted to win, and to feel at peace. That was all...

There are dozens of mouths here, and Fang La can't win today.

Su Wu said, "I went to the south of the Yangtze River and saw the suffering of the people, rape and looting, and devastation. No matter what you say, it cannot cover up the millions of thieves who are ravaging the innocent. How can your life pay for so many lives?"

With just these words, Fang La suddenly felt powerless and his body went limp.

The emperor looked at Su Wu with approval, and then said, "Su, your words fully describe the crimes of this thief. This thief is extremely evil and unforgivable. The people are suffering because of this thief. He should be killed and cut into pieces!"

Su Wu just said: "Pull him away!"

Since the soldiers came to arrest him, the emperor could have judged him and felt relieved.

Many husbands also relieved their anger...

Fang La had said everything he needed to say, giving him the opportunity to argue his case.

Tong Guan also gave a look of approval, Su Wu nodded in response, and then said: "Let's go to the downtown area to scrape it today!"

The emperor nodded and said, "Well, that's it, it's a good deal for him! Just let the people of Bianjing see it too, so they can relieve their hatred!"

As soon as Fang La was dragged away, the emperor looked at Su Wu again and said, "It's a good thing that Su Qing captured this thief. If such a vicious thief is allowed to go unchecked, who knows how many more people will be harmed!"

Su Wu bowed and said: "Your Majesty has great fortune and destiny. Naturally, we will fight a hundred battles without danger."

"Let's go to the Taimiao!" Zhao Ji stood up and walked with the gait of a dragon and a tiger. For a moment, he seemed to be quite majestic and authoritative, which was very different from his usual self, as if he was possessed by the aura of a domineering king.

All the ministers followed him.

Inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Mo Chou, the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple, had been preparing for a long time, and many Taoists were also waiting there.

I followed him, kneeling and standing up, and listened to the long prayer. I saw that the emperor was very serious and pious in every step...

Su Wu was lost in thought, kneeling down and thinking about random things...

The shrines in the Taimiao are filled with deities one after another. If they really have spirits in heaven, what are they thinking at this moment?

Son of Heaven, Son of Heaven...

Sometimes he was surnamed Liu, sometimes Li, sometimes Zhao, sometimes Yelu, sometimes Wanyan...

Su Wu sighed in his heart...

There is also a prayer: All of you above, there is the first day and the fifteenth day of the month, please don’t be surprised!
(End of this chapter)