Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 218 My husband treats me well...

The woman came in from behind the crowd, but she bowed politely. She looked like a country woman, but she was polite and decent, and she was neither humble nor arrogant. She said, "Hello, sir. My son is young, so I hope you will forgive me if I have offended you."

Yue Fei, who was standing by, had already been leaning on his mother's arm, smiling slightly, truly a loving mother and a filial son.

Su Wu returned the greeting with a bow and said with a smile: "Madam, you really misunderstood. Brother Yue is indeed a young hero. We should appreciate each other!"

The woman, Yao Daweng, was obviously relieved. She had really thought that Yue Fei was fighting with someone. Since it wasn't him, that was the best. She bowed again and said, "May I ask your name, sir?"

Su Wu also returned the greeting to show his respect, and replied: "You are too polite, madam. My name is Su Wu, and I am from Dongping Prefecture in Jingdong. The troops under my command are all soldiers from Jingdong."

Yue Fei murmured: "Su Wu? Jingdong?"

After hearing this, he suddenly realized: "Sir, could it be that you are the commander-in-chief of the two armies in Jingdong?"

Su Wu nodded: "It's me! Brother Yue is young and has a lot of experience!"

Yue Fei was already beaming with joy: "Jingdong and Hebei are not far from each other. The story of the suppression of bandits in Jingdong is well known in the martial arts world. I have heard of General Su's name a long time ago. Recently, I have also heard that the general went south to suppress the bandits and was a vanguard general. He won battle after battle and wiped out millions of bandits in an instant. General, please accept my greetings!"

Su Wu just went forward to help him. In his excitement, Yue Fei turned around and said to his mother: "Mother, this is... a true hero in the world! Mother, you must have heard of him in the past..."

The mother-in-law nodded and smiled: "I am a country woman who doesn't know the etiquette. I greet General Su!"

Su Wu smiled and said, "Madam, you have raised a great son!"

The mother-in-law replied: "He has been willing to wield spears and sticks since he was a child, so we just let him do it..."

Su Wu took the initiative and said, "Madam, could you allow me to come to your home and have a seat?"

Before his mother-in-law could say anything, Yue Fei excitedly said, "Please come in, General, please come in!"

But my mother-in-law also came to say: "I am afraid that my humble house is run-down and cramped, and I am not able to provide you with a good reception..."

"No problem, no problem... Please forgive me for bothering you for a while." Su Wu said, and turned around and said, "Fan Yun, you and everyone else wait for me here. There must be a teahouse or hotel around, just go and have a seat. Erlang and I will go to Yue Ge'er's house to have a seat..."

Yue Fei had already come forward to invite him, and there were a group of young men from the village gathered around him. It was General Su, the chief of the two routes in Jingdong. How famous was he now? Seeing him today, how could he not join in the fun?

After walking for a while on the village path, which twists and turns, a small courtyard comes into view. It is a very small courtyard. Outside the courtyard is a firewood fence, and inside the courtyard are three earthen houses. It looks quite shabby.

Once you enter the central hall, you will find that although there is no valuable furniture in the room, it is very clean and tidy. There are chairs, tables, and writing brushes, inkstones, and books...

Su Wu looked around, and Yue Fei said with an embarrassed look on his face: "There is really nothing valuable at home, only a few books are valuable..."

Su Wu went to sit down and said: "It can be said that farming and studying have been passed down from generation to generation, and I have also practiced martial arts!"

Yue Fei laughed innocently: "My mother was reluctant to spend money on food and clothing, but she was willing to send me to the village middle school to learn to read... She was also willing to hire a spear and stick teacher for me..."

"How many acres of land do you have at home?" Su Wu asked with a smile.

Yue Fei smiled innocently and nodded: "Yes... There was a period of time when I was almost sold. Fortunately, I have grown up now and found a job. My life is much better..."

"My lady, it's not easy..." Su Wu turned and said to his mother-in-law.

The mother-in-law was busy just now. When she served tea, she just smiled and nodded. She was also looking at Su Wu, as if she had something to say, but she was not in a hurry to interrupt.

Yue Fei replied with a smile: "I have grown up and have all the strength in my body. It is time for my mother to enjoy the blessing!"

Su Wu suddenly smiled and said, "I want to ask you to do an errand. Will you go?"

"What mission is the general talking about?" Yue Fei asked, and he was also excited, but he still went to see his mother first.

The mother-in-law finally spoke up: "I know that the general has made great contributions in Jiangnan. I wonder what position the general holds now?"

Su Wu answered seriously: "Your Majesty has been so kind and generous, and my superiors have promoted me. Now, in addition to being the commander-in-chief of the two armies in Jingdong, I have also obtained the title of direct scholar in the Privy Council."

The mother-in-law immediately said, "Then you should call me Mr. Scholar!"

"polite!"

"Husband, have some tea!" invited the mother-in-law.

Su Wu naturally brought tea. Even in such a family, there were two proper teacups to entertain guests. This mother was obviously not an ordinary person.

After Su Wu had eaten a few bites, his mother-in-law asked again, "Are you planning to recruit my son into the army?"

When these words were spoken, Yue Fei's face became excited, but he said nothing and just let his mother speak.

Su Wu nodded immediately: "That's exactly what I meant. Brother Yue has such a good physique and strength, and he has also practiced martial arts. He can even read and write. The army is in need of such talents. I am taking the liberty to come and bother you just to discuss this matter with you, Madam!"

The mother-in-law nodded and went to see her son.

Su Wu immediately continued, "With his martial arts skills, I will not treat him unfairly if he joins my army. Just keep him by my side and use him as I please. If he goes to the battlefield to kill the enemy, I will take him with me. A good man has ambitions to travel far and wide. It is time for him to make achievements. As for the monthly salary, that's easy to say. Seven or eight strings of cash a month is much more than what the average soldier can earn. This is just the beginning. Once he is promoted and has made achievements, he will get more..."

At this time, Su Wu was obviously the boss who was recruiting people, and he just kept talking.

The mother-in-law also looked serious when she heard this, as if she was thinking seriously, and said slowly: "Seven or eight strings of cash a month is indeed a lot, but this matter is not about the money. Mr. Su, my son is kind and sometimes stubborn, which may make people dislike him, but...looking at his appearance now, I think he is willing to go with you. If you don't like him in the future, don't blame him, just make him come back..."

As she was talking, her mother-in-law's eyes were already red, but she seemed to be trying to hold it back. She was holding back the emotion she showed for a few moments, as if she had no worries at all...

Su Wu smiled and waved his hand: "Madam, don't worry. Most of my soldiers are rough men, stubborn, wild, reckless, all kinds of people. People with ability always have different personalities. If I am not a tolerant person, how can I have such a strong army under my command?"

Wu Song also laughed at the side: "Madam, my brother is the most righteous and kind to others!"

The mother-in-law nodded: "I have heard of it..."

"Hmm? Madam, have you also heard about my brother's righteousness?" Wu Song asked with a smile.

The mother-in-law smiled and said, "Although I am a country woman, I can recognize a few words and can often communicate with others. I have heard quite a lot..."

"That couldn't be better. Just let your Yue brother go with my brother. With his ability, it won't be long before he is promoted to a higher position and receives countless rewards. He has mastered such good martial arts, how can he not serve the country?" Wu Song's words were a little vulgar, but the logic was sound.

Yue Fei nodded repeatedly after hearing this. He had long been bored of staying in his hometown. He had no rivals around him. Su Wu's army was full of talented men. Wouldn't it be a pleasure to go there?

Besides, riding a horse to fight and leading troops to fight, how many men don't like it? What's more, it's under the command of General Su, who is now famous all over the world? Not to mention the more than a hundred strong horses I saw just now, just looking at them makes my eyes hot...

General Su came to invite me personally. Isn't it similar to Liu Bei's three visits to his thatched cottage in the past?

Just go, go and achieve success, and bring honor to your family.

only……

Yue Fei looked at his mother again, but he still didn't say anything...

The mother-in-law said: "My son has grown up and will eventually leave his mother. I can read and write, and I know what is important for the country and the family, and I also know what it means to make achievements. I have thought about these things a long time ago. My son has been practicing martial arts since he was young, and one day, he will be like this..."

Su Wu immediately said, "I don't know if Madam is willing to go to Dongping Prefecture with Yue Ge'er. Just go with me. I will find a place to live and an easy job for Madam. In this way, mother and son don't have to be separated and will have less pain of missing each other. As for the family land, it's okay to sell it. If you don't sell it, you can entrust it to the villagers to take care of it and cultivate it. You can return home someday..."

When Yue Fei heard this, he was overjoyed and finally spoke: "Mother!"

Yue Fei's mother also looked at him, grabbed his hand and said, "Son, you are grown up now, it is time for your mother to follow you. You make your own decision... Your mother will listen to you..."

Yue Fei also grabbed his mother's hand and said, "Mother, I am going, and you come with me. I will ask someone to cultivate the land at home. If it doesn't work out, we can come back later, okay?"

"Yeah!" My mother-in-law nodded slightly, but she didn't cry, but looked determined.

"Okay, okay!" Yue Fei was so excited that he turned around and bowed: "I am willing to die for my country with you, sir!"

"Okay, you pack your luggage at home and take care of the household affairs. I will send someone to find a carriage. We will go to Daming Prefecture first, and then to Dongping Prefecture!" Su Wu had already stood up. In fact, he was very excited. Although he knew that this time he came to visit someone, as long as the visit was successful, it would not be difficult to take Yue Fei away.

But I still couldn’t help but get excited!
Han Shizhong is already in Dongping Prefecture. If Yue Fei goes there again, there will be another Yang Zaixing in the south in the future. Wang Bing, Wang Xun, Wu Jie, Wu Lin, and Liu Guangshi will also be included...

Su Wu knew that he seemed to have done something right. The importance of the platform is self-evident.

If they really took that difficult path, most of these people would inevitably become enemies, which was something Su Wu absolutely did not want to see.

It's called a shortcut, but it's actually a subtle and silent way of doing things...

As he said this, Su Wu went out and hurriedly told Fan Yun to find a carriage. He also asked someone to send several dozen strings of money directly to Yue Fei's home, saying that it was the cost of settling down.

Everything was handled extremely quickly, and they left as soon as they were told to, as if they were afraid that Yue Fei would change his mind.

In less than an hour, they were on the road again.

A spare horse was also allocated for Yue Fei to ride. At this moment, Yue Fei seemed not very good at riding a horse, so it was better for him to learn it early.

On the official road, Su Wu was beside him, and he actually taught him in person: "Brother Yue, don't squeeze too tightly. If you squeeze too tightly, the horse will think you want to gallop. Relax your waist and abdomen, and just rise and fall with the horse's hooves. Right, right, right... That's it..."

"Brother Yue, when you rein in your horse, you should lean back. When you accelerate, you should lean forward. The same principle applies to going uphill or downhill. When you go uphill, don't lie back. When you go downhill, don't lean forward..."

"Brother Yue, come here, pick up the spear. Look, if you want to charge into the battle and kill the enemy, you should hold the butt of the spear under your armpit like this, right, right, right..."

"Brother Yue, stroke the horse's neck more often, yes, yes, yes...that's it..."

"Brother Yue, step on the stirrup halfway, don't step too deep, that's right, that's right, you learn it really fast!"

……

Su Wu taught slowly, and Yue Fei learned slowly. The learner made rapid progress, and the teacher also felt a sense of accomplishment.

Yue Fei said quietly: "The rumors are true, and General Wu did not lie to me. You really treat people very well."

"Ah? Really?" Su Wu laughed.

"Yes, that's right!" Yue Fei said seriously.

"I am just teaching you how to ride a horse. If you can't teach me, I will get angry myself." Su Wu was still humble.

"Haha... don't worry, sir. I can learn anything quickly!" Yue Fei was very confident.

"If you want to learn the skills of riding a horse to kill the enemy tomorrow, just get up early every day and I will teach you personally!" Su Wu said.

"I will not let you down, sir, and will study hard and practice diligently every day." Yue Fei said with a bow, his expression looking as if he was holding back his energy.

"There are still many things to learn, such as how to line up in battle formation, how to charge with comrades, how to change formation, how to lead troops, etc...." At this moment, Su Wu only wanted to teach Yue Fei all these basic things all at once.

Some people are just gifted. As long as they come in and learn how to do something, they will quickly achieve success after some practice!

Yue Fei was touched and his face was moved. He just replied: "Just follow my teacher's instructions and I will learn everything. I will learn it well!"

Su Wu nodded, he knew that Yue Fei must be an excellent student!

Throughout his life, Yue Fei valued unparalleled loyalty and righteousness the most.

Su Wu did not want to use morality or emotion to kidnap Yue Fei. There was no need for that. Absolutely no need. Su Wu just wanted to give Yue Fei a better stage.

As for the bad things that may happen in the future, there is no need to even use Yue Fei. You can avoid Yue Fei. It’s not a big deal.

Just let Yue Fei fight the foreign enemies!
Yue Fei should shine on the battlefield, nothing to do with politics!
If Yue Fei had been under the command of anyone or any emperor, his life would have easily ended in tragedy.

But if Yue Fei was placed under Su Wu's command, Su Wu could guarantee that Yue Fei would not participate in political struggles throughout his life and would only focus on his performance on the battlefield!

As for how great the final achievement will be, it depends on how big the stage is.

They traveled, taught Yue Fei, traveled again, and taught Yue Fei again. Within a few days, Yue Fei had become very calm on horseback. When he was in the mood, he could even ride his horse at full speed with a spear in hand, and move back and forth like he was charging into a battle formation.

Su Wu just praised: "Brother Yue, good job!"

"My husband taught me well!"

"This horse-riding is not a big deal. As long as you learn it well, it doesn't matter who teaches you..." Su Wu always said this.

"That's all thanks to my husband's good teaching." Yue Fei smiled innocently.

Spending the night outside with a few bonfires, Yue Fei would wait on his mother to eat and go to bed before he would go to sleep himself. Of course, there was also a tent.

Beside the bonfire, the mother-in-law taught him earnestly: "Son, joining the army is different from before. The army under the command of Mr. Su has many rules and regulations, and will not tolerate reckless behavior. Those generals and commanders are all meritorious men on the battlefield. You should also respect them a little more and not be reckless..."

Yue Fei just nodded: "Don't worry, mother, I know..."

"These past few days, it seems that Mr. Su is a kind and righteous man. You should listen to him more and not let your temper get in the way..."

"Well, mother, I know. My husband treats me well. Recently, he has taught me how to read maps and explained the topography of the world to me. I have also studied hard. I will do my job well. How dare I let him down?" "Son, if you are in the Dongping army, don't come back unless you have something to do. Do your job first. Only come back when you are really free. Don't miss any military affairs. Just do your best. Mother will be happy if you do well..."

"Well, okay! I will definitely do my best!"

As he spoke, Yue Fei's face showed some stubbornness. He just wanted to do well and make his mother happy!
"Okay, I'm going to sleep. You should also go to bed early and get up early tomorrow." Mother-in-law went into the tent.

Yue Fei slept beside the campfire outside the tent, using the sky as a blanket and the ground as a mat, just to take care of his mother. He would do so even if there were soldiers patrolling all night.

On the second day, clean water and food were brought outside the tent, waiting for my mother to get up, drink water, wash, and eat.

How could Su Wu not see all this?

The more Su Wu saw it, the less worried he was about Yue Fei. He had some concerns to begin with, but now they were all gone. If he didn't value this kind of person, who else could he value?
One is Wu Song and Wu Da, the other is Yue Fei and his mother-in-law...

Not far away is Daming Prefecture. The city of Daming Prefecture is the center of Hebei Province. Going north, there are two more prefectures, Hejian Prefecture and Zhending Prefecture. A hundred years ago, these were important military towns on the front line.

Today, the military town has lost its significance and it is just a prosperous and wealthy place.

Hebei has been rich since ancient times simply because of its abundant grain production. As long as the Yellow River does not flood, there is no telling how many people the grain here can feed.

When they entered Daming Prefecture, Su Wu, on horseback, kept introducing the various places in Daming Prefecture to Yue Fei. He told Yue Fei to first look for Lu Junyi and then send someone to invite Suo Chao. They met in this way.

Lu Junyi's mansion was very luxurious, and Yue Fei was just a countryman who came to the city and was interested in everything.

Fan Yun and the others had never been to Daming Mansion, so Su Wu just sent them out for a walk and waited with Wu Song at Lu Junyi's Mansion...

As soon as Suo Chao arrived, everyone exchanged some pleasantries and then sat down to enjoy the banquet.

Lu Junyi was the first to raise his cup: "Brother, ah... I am ashamed. Now you are Mr. Su, a senior official of the third rank, and I, Lu Junyi, am just a commoner. It is really too high for me to marry you!"

Suo Chao also said: "Yes, this time when they went south to suppress the bandits, why didn't the court transfer me as well? My brother is in a high position now, which makes me feel ashamed. Even in public, I am embarrassed to tell my brother and I about our sworn brotherhood, for fear that people would laugh at me for trying to curry favor with him..."

Su Wu took the wine, drank it all, and said, "You are making fun of me, so I will finish this cup of wine and leave..."

As he said this, Su Wu seemed like he was really going to get up and leave.

Suo Chao and Lu Junyi came over quickly, and one of them sat on Su Wu's left and the other on Su Wu's right, with Su Wu sitting in the middle.

Lu Junyi kept saying, "I am being hypocritical, brother. Everyone knows that you are a man of great integrity. I will punish myself by drinking a glass of wine."

"Then I will punish myself. I am also pretentious!" Suo Chao laughed.

After the wine had flowed for a few times, Su Wu said, "I came here for a serious matter!"

Lu Junyi and Suo Chao immediately sat down and listened sideways.

"This is a confidential matter of the court and cannot be spread outside. But now that things have come to this, I have to say a few more words. The court will use military force against the Liao Kingdom at the earliest by the end of this year, and at the latest next year." Su Wu said this first to let the two men calm down after being shocked.

Needless to say, Lu Junyi and Suo Chao were extremely shocked, and both of them had stunned expressions on their faces.

After a short pause, Su Wu continued, "I have an imperial commission to patrol the army in Hebei. This is one thing. I also have a secret commission to explore the strength of the Liao Kingdom. This is the second thing. Let's talk about the border patrol first. It's nothing more than the three prefectures and the surrounding areas. We need to prepare for the allocation of troops and civilians, and prepare for the supply of food and grass..."

"Then... how can I help?" Lu Junyi asked, with surprise on his face. There hadn't been a war in a hundred years, and now there was suddenly a war. If Su Wu hadn't said it himself, Lu Junyi would have thought it was a joke.

"What you need to do is to contact all the major grain merchants in Daming Prefecture, Hejian Prefecture, and Zhending Prefecture, and find out their grain reserves. If nothing goes wrong, you can slowly buy some. There are still several months to a year left, so you must prepare early. If you wait until hundreds of thousands of troops set out to the north, I'm afraid the grain price will skyrocket..."

Before the troops move out, the food and fodder must be sent first. Originally, these matters were to be considered by Tong Guan, the Privy Council, and even the imperial court.

Now, Su Wu is in his position and has to make plans. No matter how big or small the matter is, it is in his hands. Instead of waiting for Tong Guan to make plans in Bian Jing, it is better for Su Wu to be down-to-earth and do the work first.

Lu Junyi nodded repeatedly. He felt honored to be able to participate in such a major national event, but he also felt a lot of pressure. He couldn't help but ask, "How much food do we need to buy?"

"Buy as much as you can. Don't worry about the money, brother. Just keep it within a reasonable range. This way you can save a lot of military funds."

Su Wu seriously said that it was because the commodity economy of the Song Dynasty was too developed, so much so that in many places, taxes were not collected in the form of grain, but only in the form of money.

Then the allocation will be an extra hassle, and the money will have to be converted into food. Once a war breaks out, how can those grain merchants be easy to deal with?
Not only that, it will also affect the lives of ordinary people. At that time, if we are really responsible, we will have to take action to stabilize prices.

Lu Junyi just nodded and said, "I understand. I will do it next. The sooner the better. I'm afraid that the news of the war will soon be known to everyone."

Su Wu was stunned when he heard this. He had not thought of this yet, but Lu Junyi thought of it. Prices might rise in advance!
He couldn't help but think that Su Wu subconsciously thought that the imperial court was an extremely strict organization. Then he thought again, how could the imperial court be strict now? If this matter was really decided, the imperial court would be like a leaky wall...

Su Wu immediately said, "Yes, yes, do it quickly, buy in large quantities, even if the price is a little higher, do it now!"

"That's right. I'm afraid it won't be long before many people will follow suit and take action!" Lu Junyi is much more perceptive about market matters than Su Wu.

"Let's do this, and the money will be delivered to Daming Prefecture in a few days!" Su Wu was already a little anxious.

It is not so simple and easy to really plan for the affairs of a country. In the past, Su Wu kept his head down, but now he is also learning.

Su Wu asked again: "Brother, do you have connections in Liao?"

Lu Junyi nodded: "Yes, but it is unlikely to smuggle large quantities of grain and fodder from Liao."

Su Wu waved his hands and said, "It's not about that. The Liao Kingdom is now in a state of war, and the price of grain has already skyrocketed. Grain can only be smuggled from the Song Dynasty to the Liao Kingdom, but how can it be smuggled from the Liao Kingdom to the Song Dynasty? That's another matter..."

"Oh, brother, come on..."

"Xu, I really want to go to Liao, secretly. You contact one or two people, and find the most trustworthy ones, especially the Han people in Liao. If I really go, I must not make any mistakes!"

Su Wu thought seriously. Although the power of the Liao Kingdom has been greatly reduced, it should not be underestimated. This is completely different from fighting Song Jiang and Fang La.

The more the Liao people were about to lose their country and their families, the more they would fight to the death. They should not underestimate the Khitan nobles. Every country and nation, at the last moment, although failure is irreversible, there is never a shortage of heroic figures who are worthy of praise and tears.

Even in the Liao Kingdom, in the end, even the imperial concubine could lead people to fight in the streets, fighting to the death!

Yelu Dashi is such a heroic figure, this is no joke!
Su Wu was also afraid of losing.

Then we can only try our best to do everything to the best of our ability.

Hearing these words, Lu Junyi felt even more pressured, so he said, "Brother, if you really want to go, I will go with you!"

Su Wu felt warm in his heart when he heard this: "Okay!"

Suo Chao, who was standing by, was shocked and stunned, but he asked, "Brother, can I listen to such a thing? Should I not listen to it?"

Su Wu smiled and said, "You also have things to do."

"What should I do? Brother, just tell me, I'll die a hundred times!" Suo Chao said this not only out of friendship, but also because of the people who had followed Su Wu to the south. Many of them had been promoted and honored, and they only regretted that they had not caught up with this opportunity, and they thought that they would never have another chance in the future.

I didn't expect the opportunity to come so easily, so I might as well give it a try and fight for a bright future. I'm not the kind of person who's afraid of death!

Su Wu said slowly: "Liang Shijie, you are usually harsh on your soldiers. The soldiers under your command have a hard life, and you have a hard life too. Now I am going to patrol the border, and the first stop is Damingfu..."

"What do you mean, brother?" Suo Chao knew that this was a fight between gods, and he was actually hesitant in his heart, but he still gritted his teeth and asked.

"This Daming Prefecture is the center of grain and grass transportation in Hebei, where materials gather and civilians are recruited. Liang Shijie should not be allowed to control it. He may not necessarily fall behind, but if he falls behind, the consequences will be disastrous. Therefore, he cannot be left here. I want..."

Su Wu paused, looked around, and said, "I will come again in a while, and it must be to patrol the border, to review the various departments, to count the personnel, and to check the account books. It's because others are afraid of Cai Jing and may help Liang Shijie to conceal it. You just need to obey on the surface and help to conceal it, but I want an actual number and an actual account book, just to prove that Liang Shijie is eating the empty salary and sucking the blood of the soldiers..."

Suo Chao asked, "After this investigation, will all the imperial court's food and wages fall into the hands of the soldiers? Will there be no more vacancies or deductions?"

Suo Chao was a soldier that was difficult to maintain, and Su Wu had known this a long time ago.

Su Wu said seriously: "As long as I am in the Privy Council, I guarantee that every penny of the money from the Privy Council will go to you!"

Suo Chao opened his eyes and said, "Okay, don't worry, brother. I can't get the ones from far away, but I will definitely get the ones from the past one or two years, and I will make sure to get every detail clearly!"

"Thank you, brother!" Su Wu bowed.

"I will do anything for you!" Suo Chao also bowed, but then asked, "Give me three to five days to get ready, why can't you do it earlier, brother?"

Su Wu smiled mysteriously: "I am waiting for someone. Once this person arrives, this matter will be twice as effective with half the effort!"

"Who?" Suo Chao also asked.

"The former Censor-in-Chief, the Palace Attendant Censor Li Gang! Maybe you don't know him...he is a gentleman!" Su Wu replied with a smile.

"Oh, then for a person like this, we should wait for a while..." Suo Chao nodded.

Lu Junyi suddenly asked, "Are you going to get married when you come back this time? You have been engaged to the daughter of Mr. Cheng for a long time... You are not young anymore, and other people like you have children running around..."

"Yes, wouldn't it be nice to have a wedding banquet?" Suo Chao also said.

Su Wu waved his hand: "I'm afraid it's too late. Li Gang has already left Xiuzhou. The preparations for the wedding are really complicated. I don't want to go either. I'm afraid I have to wait... Let's talk about it after patrolling the border..."

"That's right... Let's wait a little longer..." Lu Junyi said this, and he naturally had the mentality of an elder brother being like a father, and then he said: "You are a soldier, a soldier... I won't say unlucky words, but it is good for you to get married early and have children early... Alas... Starting a family and a career are the most important things in life, I am being nosy..."

Su Wu also frowned slightly. What Lu Junyi said made sense, so he nodded and said, "Let's drink!"

After the banquet, Su Wu did not stay overnight, and continued to walk eastward, back to Dongping Prefecture. After more than 200 miles, he was already close...

Su Wu just wanted to get there quickly.

On the way, he couldn't help but ask Yue Fei: "Do you know how to read the map?"

Yue Fei nodded: "I understand, but there are some discrepancies in the places where many maps connect. I still need to study them slowly..."

Su Wu understood that this was about the problem of scale between various maps. The maps of this era had scale, but were not very accurate. Some maps were very accurate, while some maps were far less accurate.

"When I have time, I will teach you. You can study it further and come up with a unified standard. Then pass it on to the military officers. In the future, we can make maps ourselves. I will also teach you an excellent method of making maps..."

Su Wu was serious about this matter and it was so important that he even had to create some new tools that were more convenient for drawing maps.

"Thank you, sir..." Yue Fei was just happy. At this moment, how could he not know that his sir's expectations of him were really high, so high that it was beyond his imagination.

As they were walking on the road and chatting, Su Wu suddenly asked, "Do you know where Yanshan is to the north?"

"I know. It's the place where the Liao Kingdom rose, where the Donghu originated, and even the place of the Jurchens today..." Yue Fei answered.

"Yes, that's right. What about further north?" Su Wu asked again.

"Further north? Where further north can you go?" Yue Fei was puzzled. He had never heard of it before.

"Further north, it's still vast, with countless mountains and forests, countless mineral resources, more than thousands of miles, and the grassland land is the same to the north..."

"Yes, there is a vast ocean. I've read about it in a book..."

"Beyond the vast sea, there are still thousands of miles of land, which is even larger than our Song Dynasty, but it's very cold there..."

"Oh..." Yue Fei was thoughtful and taking notes.

Su Wu asked again: "Do you know that there is a sea in Jingdong? What is the other side of the sea?"

Yue Fei shook his head: "I don't know..."

Su Wu continued, "The sea is very wide, about 38,000 miles. Beyond this 38,000 miles, there is a vast land, which is much larger than the Song Dynasty... And if you go north from the Jurchen land, there is a shallow strait. If you cross the strait, you can also reach the land on the other side of the sea..."

"Oh..." Yue Fei's eighteen-year-old head was filled with shock and he nodded in confusion.

"Go south, Guangnan further south, Qiongzhou further south..."

"Go west, pass the Xixia and Dangxiang, pass the Western Regions, pass the Pamir Mountains, and go all the way... the land is tens of thousands of miles wide... there are many powerful countries with strong armies and horses..."

Su Wu seemed to be speaking casually... He spoke for a long time, and all he was short of saying was that the earth was round...

Yue Fei listened in a daze, and suddenly asked, "Sir, how do you know so much?"

Su Wu smiled slightly: "The world is so big, how can I not know it? Have you memorized it all?"

"I've remembered them all!" Yue Fei nodded. Although he still had countless doubts and puzzles, he found it very interesting to take in so much at once.

I also want to ask, what do those powerful countries west of the Pamir Mountains look like? What are their customs and habits? How strong are their troops and horses? There seems to be a book that says it was written by a monk in the Tang Dynasty...

(Good night, brothers! I will enter your dreams tonight!)

(End of this chapter)