Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 224 Then I'll go with you...

Wu Yong wanted to say a lot, but he hesitated and didn't know how to organize his thoughts.

Seeing Su Wu's impatient look, Wu Yong swallowed hard, then composed himself and said earnestly, "My lord, the most tragic thing for a gentleman is nothing more than 'I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the gutter!'"

Su Wu, of course, understood and replied, "My friendship with him is now very close, why should I cause him such grief?"

"My lord, this is a good thing!" Wu Yong said somewhat urgently.

"What's the advantage? There are quite a few disadvantages. It could still be used before, but how can it be used in the future?" Su Wu asked.

Wu Yong swallowed hard again, even licking his lips, and said in one breath, "The bright moon shines on the ditch, and there is still the gentleman who is so loyal to him. This is the way of the people. He is such an upright and unyielding man, and he has a great reputation among scholars. Moreover, with such a direct and remonstrating remonstrance, wouldn't he become famous throughout the world? The emperor doesn't use him, the prime minister doesn't use him, but the gentleman uses him... In this way, wouldn't it be..."

“You…” Su Wu choked on his words!
Once Wu Yong had spoken, his words came in rapid succession: "The affairs of the world depend on two things: military might and the hearts of the people. Now that you, sir, are gradually gaining military might, it is time to also win the hearts of the people. If a great undertaking is to be accomplished, then we can succeed!"

Su Wu sat up abruptly, glaring angrily: "Wu Yong, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"This humble official has spoken nonsense, I deserve to die!" Wu Yong immediately knelt on the ground.

Su Wu paced back and forth inside the house, his ears perked up, his eyes scanning left and right, looking both inside and outside!

For a moment, the room was silent except for the sound of Su Wu's footsteps.

After a long while, Wu Yong suddenly spoke again: "In this way, we will be in an invincible position. No matter how big or small the affairs of the court are, you can handle them with ease. That's what I meant..."

Just now, Wu Yong had gone all out, but now he was filled with anxiety and was trying to find a way to remedy the situation.

Upon hearing this, Su Wu slowly sat down, then looked at Wu Yong and said, "You are most adept at understanding the darkness of human nature, and you love to speculate on things that don't exist. You remind me of an ancient figure..."

"May I ask who this person is, sir?" Wu Yong looked up and asked.

“Yang Xiu of the Yang family of Hongnong!” Su Wu answered sternly.

Wu Yong trembled with fright and said repeatedly, "What I said was all for your sake, Your Excellency. Whether you become a general or a prime minister in the future, this method of winning people's hearts is a necessary means!"

Su Wu glanced down at Wu Yong: "I know why you came tonight to say these words. I assume you've revealed something. From now on, you'll be my only confidant, the only person I can discuss certain matters with. This will bring you great achievements in the future..."

Su Wu's words were meant to tell Wu Yong that it wasn't just Wu Yong who was good at figuring out others; others would also try to figure out him. Were there any fools in this world?

Do you think I, Su Wu, have "idiot" written all over my head? You keep trying to cover it up, do you think I, Su Wu, don't know what you're thinking?
Upon hearing this, Wu Yong immediately lowered his head: "This humble official would never have meant that..."

Su Wu ignored all of this and continued, "I'm not afraid to tell you, although the affairs of this world are unpredictable, everything has one premise: the unity of family and country far outweighs anything else, and the hundreds of millions of people under heaven far outweigh anything else. I once said before the Emperor that I wished to restore the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties. This was from the bottom of my heart, not a word was false. Only then can I talk about personal interests. It's not that I, Su Wu, am so selfless, but the affairs of China inherit the legacy of the Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties and extend to future generations. Facing our ancestors, facing the people of this era, and facing future generations, if we want to have a clear conscience and restore the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties, or even surpass them, then speaking of personal interests is the same as speaking of the public good! Our ancestors, the people of this era, and future generations will all be unable to say a bad word about it. Do you understand the reasoning behind this?"

As Wu Yong listened to this long-winded speech, he subconsciously and slowly looked up at Su Wu...

At this moment, Wu Yong truly understood. He spoke up: "This humble official thought he had seen through everything, but he did not know that you, sir, had such a grand ambition. I was like a frog in a well, my vision was shallow, and it was my fault. I will never dare to speak ill of you again, sir. I beg your forgiveness!"

In short, the reason is very simple: it was thanks to Li Shimin's contributions that the Xuanwu Gate Incident occurred. Whether in his time or in later generations, the flaws do not outweigh the merits, and can only be treated as a joke.

Even on matters of great importance, when someone is utterly disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust—killing his brothers, imprisoning his father, and usurping the throne—who would truly condemn Li Shimin? How many people don't hold the Heavenly Khan in high esteem?

Without such a monumental achievement, Zhao Kuangyin would be ridiculed and cursed by his descendants.

All this talk makes it sound like a usurpation, but is it really possible that simply leading troops into Bianjing would solve everything?

The country is stable, the people are not killed or injured, there is no infighting among family members, the population of over 100 million has not been halved, and there is also a great achievement. On the day I enter Bianjing, I only ask the world: will it praise or condemn? And how many will condemn? How many will praise?

In everything, there's a requirement for qualifications. If you're qualified, you can do anything; if you're not qualified, you're nothing more than a petty, scheming person!
Su Wu looked at Wu Yong again. It wasn't that he wasn't smart or capable, but he was full of petty and scheming thoughts, and all he did all day long was scheming about these kinds of things...

Su Wu once said, "Many things can be accomplished through open and aboveboard strategies, so there's no need for underhanded tactics; many things can be done honestly and fairly, so there's no need for those shady methods..."

"I have learned a lot, I have learned a lot." Wu Yong nodded repeatedly.

“Get up…” Su Wu raised his hand.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir!" Wu Yong stood up and bowed, but his back was drenched in sweat. He had just risked everything, but he also knew that if things went wrong, this Master Su would not hesitate to kill people.

"Human life is human life, and human life has always been precious. Everyone has family and relatives. Those who are obsessed with getting rich and powerful, thinking only of grand achievements and treating others like ants, don't realize that one day, when everyone in the world reads books, everyone in the world reads history, and everyone in the world can write, then the ants will look at everything again... and they will look at you..."

Su Wu was starting to lose control; the atmosphere had reached this point...

Wu Yong nodded, but also chimed in, "My lord, what I just said was mostly nonsense, the ramblings of wild thoughts, as if I were having a nightmare. I know I'm guilty. But I also wanted to say that if Imperial Censor Li really wanted to do that, no one could stop him..."

Su Wu was taken aback by these words and fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Wu Yong said again, "It's not something you can stop, sir. A gentleman's actions are trustworthy; one can entrust one's life to a lord. An army can be deprived of its commander, but how can a commoner be deprived of his will?"

Su Wu sighed, "Alas... I tried to persuade him as much as I could, but to no avail. So let him go..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yong felt a slight surge of joy. It seemed that... things had come full circle. He had taken his husband's words to heart and understood Su Wu's ambition, but there were some things that even Su Wu's husband couldn't stop...

This is how things will ultimately unfold...

To put it bluntly, it's about disappointing Li Gang, letting him criticize the emperor and the court. Li Gang's criticism is far more effective than that of countless others in the land. With Li Gang's criticism, the emperor's authority will be greatly diminished...

This is a good thing. Looking back, Li Gang's disappointment with the emperor and the court means that in the future, there will be fewer obstacles to accomplishing certain important tasks...

This is the dark tactic that Wu Yong devised in his mind.

How could Su Wu not understand? He simply said, "You don't need to think too much, and you don't need to plan too much. Just focus on the war and take over Yan and Yun first!"

"Yes, yes, I understand. I'll go out now..." Wu Yong got up and went out.

Su Wu was still sighing...

The group set off the next day, retracing their route back to Song...

Su Wu looked at Li Gang beside him and felt extremely uncomfortable.

Li Gang seemed to sense something and asked, "What is it that worries Scholar Su?"

Su Wu said, "I worry about your unwavering loyalty, and fear the sorrow in your heart; I worry about your uprightness, and yet I feel the world is so difficult..."

Li Gang laughed heartily: "I already knew all this. How could I not know how difficult the world is? Wasn't it difficult when I was demoted from the Emperor's side to Fujian? No matter how difficult it was, how much more difficult could it get? Scholar Su, you don't need to worry about me. I only wish that Scholar Su will break through Yanjing this time!"

"I will conquer Yanjing City..." Su Wu said with absolute certainty.

Upon hearing this, Li Gang was overjoyed: "Excellent! No matter what, even if I go to Fujian, or Huizhou or Danzhou, as long as I hear that the scholar has utterly defeated Yanjing, I will die without regret!"

Upon hearing Li Gang's impassioned words, Su Wu felt a strange sense of shame...

He only said, "Don't die, live, live a long and long life. I also have great ambitions, and recovering Yan and Yun is just one of them!"

"Ah? Then please tell me, scholar!" Li Gang felt an overwhelming surge of excitement.

"Conquer Yanjing, reclaim Yanyun, then defeat the Dangxiang, reclaim Hexi, advance into the Western Regions, out of the grasslands, out of the Qiangtang, then establish the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and then dream of all nations coming to pay homage to the Khan..."

Su Wu was indeed speaking.

Looking at Su Wu, Li Gang felt that Su Wu was truly shining at this moment. Such ideals and dreams, others would say, are delusions, but when this Scholar Su spoke of them, Li Gang felt his blood surging!

"Scholar Su, I'm waiting and watching. I'll live this long and protracted life with you. You must never break your promise!" Li Gang's eyes were red as he spoke.

Su Wu nodded earnestly: "As long as I don't die, I will win every year!"

“Alright! It’s a gentleman’s agreement, a promise is a promise!” Li Gang extended one hand.

Su Wu grasped Li Gang's gentlemanly hand, shook it a few times, and declared loudly: "Heaven and earth bear witness, the sun and moon shine brightly, we will restore the Han and Tang dynasties, until death do us part!"

Li Gang was genuinely moved to tears, gripping Su Wu's hand tightly. His voice trembled slightly with emotion as he said, "I have studied for thirty years, reading countless historical records. Every time I read them, those tragic events—the story of Geng Gong and his thirteen heroes returning to Yumen Pass, the story of Gao Xianzhi's defeat at Talas, and the story of the white-haired Guiyi Army raising the Tang flag—always bring tears to my eyes... Scholar Su, meeting you in this life is the greatest fortune of my life!"

"Let's not talk about that. Let's return to Song and prepare for war!" Su Wu said simply, yet his heart was also stirred. Even someone like Li Gang could be so moving...

The two men clasped hands, much like soldiers kneeling on the ground, which was also a kind of oath.

Li Gang nodded: "Report back to Song, you go and prepare for battle, I will go and fight that wicked man!"

Su Wu thought to himself, "I'm certainly capable of preparing for war, but when it comes to fighting those wicked people, I'm afraid you really can't do it..."

Isn't that a tragedy?
Without saying anything, let's go...

I came with many worries, but I left with light steps!
Whether it's Huoyin or Wuqing, once you cross the Haihe River, you'll reach Cangzhou, the easternmost city in Hebei.

What adjective describes Cangzhou during the Song Dynasty?

What a harsh and cold place! How long ago was it that Cangzhou also became such a place? In this harsh and cold land, there were numerous prisons; for the people of the Song Dynasty who committed crimes, exile to Cangzhou was a severe punishment!

At this time, Cangzhou could still be used as a horse breeding ground. The Song Dynasty had indeed raised horses here in the past, and later, the Jin and Yuan Dynasties also regarded Cangzhou as an important horse breeding ground. Why?
At that time, Cangzhou had a large number of ecological wetlands along the coast and rivers, with abundant aquatic plants.

Of course, compared to grasslands and Hetao regions, Cangzhou is not an ideal choice for raising horses, and the number that can be raised will definitely not be too large. However, among the best of the worst, it is indeed a good place.

When Su Wu passed through Cangzhou, he couldn't help but think about these things. He had more and more horses, which were kept in Dongping Prefecture. This was only a temporary measure and not a long-term solution.

If you want to breed and conserve these animals in the long term, Cangzhou is a good option right now.

In other words, Su Wu's reach was about to extend to Cangzhou, which was nearby.

After passing Cangzhou, you'll reach Dizhou, then Qizhou (Jinan), and beyond Qizhou lies Dongping Prefecture.

Extending our reach to Cangzhou isn't difficult; it's all about the war. Once the war truly begins, everything will be much easier...

How could the Cangzhou line not be of paramount importance for the supply of provisions to the Jingdong army?
What's wrong with raising some military horses on the side?
Just write this down in your memo, don't forget to take action, and wait for the right opportunity.

Upon returning to Daming Prefecture, he assumed that Su Wu had completed his inspection of the Hebei border...

Liang Zhongshu remained the garrison commander of Tokyo, but this time he was not so friendly when he came again.

There wasn't even the proper hospitality, which didn't surprise Su Wu. He simply found a place to stay and then went to pay his respects to Lu Junyi...

Actually, he wanted to see Suo Chao again in private. In a secluded corner of Lu Junyi's house, Suo Chao frowned deeply and said, "Brother, this is really troublesome..."

"What's the problem?" Su Wu asked.

Suo Chao replied, "You've been gone for quite some time, so you may not know that a few days ago, Liang Zhongshu summoned many military officers and clerks, as well as many officials from the two ministries, to the yamen. He was furious, saying he would thoroughly investigate everyone present, accusing someone of betraying his own side..."

Suo Chao frowned. The person Liang Zhongshu wanted to find out was none other than Suo Chao.

It was the impeachment memorial that Li Gang had sent to Tokyo earlier. Obviously, its contents had been read by countless people, so how could Cai Jing not know about it?

How could Liang Shijie not be furious? If no one had provided Li Gang with these confidential ledgers, how could this impeachment have occurred?

Su Wu reassured him, "No rush. The matter is confidential, brother. Just relax. Apart from me, even Censor Li doesn't know where the account books came from!"

Suo Chao was just hearing this. He had been very worried, but after hearing it, he felt a little relieved: "That's good. Brother is indeed very meticulous!"

“That Li Gang is no coward. He would take full responsibility for this matter, no matter who it is, and it won’t involve you or me!”

Su Wu reassured Suo Chao once again.

"Very good, very good, that's excellent. Brother said that Imperial Censor Li is a tough man, and that must be true. I was also worried that he might jeopardize your future. Now I have nothing to worry about!" Suo Chao's brows relaxed. He couldn't sleep well without hearing Su Wu's words.

Su Wu nodded... but also frowned. In fact, many things, from the moment they are started, have no way back. He hadn't thought things through before, but now he understood.

This matter seems secretive, but actually... if someone really wants to analyze it, it's not that difficult.
Li Gang was nominally Wang Fu's weapon against Cai Jing, but who did Li Gang come from? Wasn't it Su Wu?

Then ask again, how could Li Gang, an outsider, possibly obtain such confidential military ledgers on his own? Who else could he suspect? Wasn't it Su Wu?

Among the officials and military officers of Daming Prefecture, who is the most suspicious? Who is most likely to have had contact with Su Wu? Who is most likely to have a personal relationship with Su Wu?
How could we not suspect Suo Chao?

Since things have come to this, we have to see it through to the end! Liang Shijie must get out of here, otherwise, before long, with just one excuse, Suo Chao will be fired.

If that's the case, wouldn't Su Wu have harmed Suo Chao?
Su Wu was frowning when he suddenly heard Suo Chao say, "No, no, no..."

"What's wrong?" Su Wu asked immediately.

"Brother, hurry back to your residence! I'm afraid someone from the yamen or the prefectural yamen has already gone to look for that Imperial Censor Li!" Suo Chao said urgently.

Upon hearing this, Su Wu immediately stood up, turned around, and headed straight for his lodging, which was also an inn.

Su Wu ran wildly through the streets and arrived at his lodgings. Sure enough, the inn was surrounded by constables. There was a constable in charge who was pushing and shoving the soldiers at the door. The soldiers were not to be underestimated; they drew their swords and confronted each other.

Su Wu arrived quickly and asked, "What happened?"

When the soldier saw Su Wu, he sheathed his sword.

The head constable said, "My master wishes to see Censor Li, and he specifically sent me to invite him!"

Su Wu glanced around and asked, "Is this how you invite someone?"

"My scribe said that this man has submitted a memorial framing loyal officials and deceiving the emperor. He is a traitor to the country. We must confront him face to face and see who is instructing him. We can only ask him a few questions, but we cannot let him escape. That's all!"

The leader of the constables was not a constable at all, but a man in fine clothes, an old man. Su Wu had actually seen him before. He was the steward in Liang Zhongshu's household, surnamed Xie. He was also the head servant who had escorted the birthday tribute with Yang Zhi. It was he who insisted on taking the sleeping potion on Huangni Ridge.

This same person, in order to exonerate himself, joined forces with others to frame Yang Zhi, claiming that Yang Zhi was one of the bandits.

Su Wu looked at this Steward Xie and waved his hand: "If you want to invite someone, you should bring a formal invitation and proper etiquette. This won't do! The censor should come with me. If I treat you like thieves and arrest you, where will my face be?"

Upon hearing this, Steward Xie frowned. He had come to "arrest" Su Wu only after Su Wu left, but he hadn't expected Su Wu to return so quickly. He hadn't even rushed through the door before Su Wu was back.

These soldiers left by Su Wu to guard the gate were truly vicious. Intimidation was ineffective, and pushing and shoving were also unsuccessful.

The situation had escalated to a standstill, and Steward Xie had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "I know that Scholar Su is a brave and fierce man, but this is not a battlefield, and we are not bandits. We can just ask someone for help. Why must Scholar Su make things difficult for us servants?"

Su Wu was too lazy to say more, and simply turned around, but he said one thing: "Go back. If you are inviting someone, invite them properly and see if the person being invited is willing. If you come back like this, like you are catching a thief, then I will beat you to a pulp!"

Su Wu was not happy after he finished speaking. Even though he was in a high position, he still had to deal with these people and these things.

The steward Xie was now in a dilemma. He had thought that these soldiers would tremble with fear after a few intimidations, and he had seen many soldiers before, so he thought they would be easy to deal with. Little did he know that these soldiers would be so difficult to deal with...

Then Steward Xie retorted, "Scholar Su is a high-ranking official in Bianjing, how could he not know who my Grand Secretary and Grand Tutor Cai of Dongjing are?"

If you can't intimidate the soldiers, they're just fools who don't know their place. So let's intimidate Su Wu instead. Su Wu is a man of insight who cares about the world. Who would dare to disregard Grand Tutor Cai?

But Su Wu stopped in his tracks, standing inside the door looking out. Already annoyed by the commotion, he asked in one sentence, "What do you intend to do?"

The steward Xie assumed that Su Wu was already feeling guilty, so he raised his head and said again, "If you, Scholar, grant this favor, my Grand Secretary and Grand Tutor Cai will remember this kindness in the future, and they may value you more in the court. If you, Scholar, do not grant this favor, it means you do not respect the Grand Secretary and Grand Tutor Cai, and you will inevitably suffer the consequences in the future!"

Sometimes, the officialdom seems really simple, just like the few words spoken by Supervisor Xie.

It's true that wealthy families often produce arrogant servants.

The question is, if it were anyone else, whether they were a third-rank or fifth-rank official, what could they do after hearing what Xie, the steward, said?

Su Wu turned around completely, returning from inside the door to the entrance. He looked around, then slightly raised his hand, pointing at Steward Xie, and said casually, "If we don't beat this old man's mouth to a pulp today, we'll hold you accountable!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Wu turned and went inside, his steps quick, never looking back.

But Steward Xie was stunned upon hearing this, and he even raised his hand to point at Su Wu, who was rushing in: "What kind of procedure is this? Where would you find such a person? This is outrageous..."

If you ask Steward Xie if he's afraid, he's really not! There are as many as sixty or seventy constables surrounding him, around him, and even in front and behind him.

Looking at the soldiers in front of him, there were only a dozen or so.

Supervisor Xie didn't believe that these soldiers would actually dare to fight him in Daming Prefecture.

Unexpectedly, a soldier in front chuckled and spoke up: "Old thief, I was already annoyed with you for showing off earlier, but I held back and even let you shove me a few times, haha... Now, hehe! Good!"

"What for?" Steward Xie asked again, still not believing it.

The soldier, named Fan Yun, was still laughing: "Good, sir, you're mighty! You've helped me vent my anger!"

As he spoke, Fan Yun didn't draw his sword, nor did he wear any armor. Instead, he simply rolled up the sleeves on his arms and said to the left and right, "You two go and hit the left and right sides, I'll slap this old man's face!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fan Yun leaped up from the doorway, seemingly covering five or six steps in one stride, his figure right in front of Steward Xie.

Terrified, Steward Xie trembled and shouted, "Guards! Guards!"

How could people not come from the left and right?
In the blink of an eye, the constables on both sides had already surrounded them, and more than a dozen soldiers also jumped out, punching and kicking, with loud thuds.

Then look at Fan Yun, who grabbed the old man's hair and slapped him repeatedly, cursing as he did so: "You old thief, how dare you be so arrogant?"

She slapped him again, and yelled, "What kind of dog are you? How dare you threaten my husband?"

Another slap followed, and she cursed, "You think you can scare my husband? You son of a bitch! Even with a million thieves right in front of him, my husband doesn't even blink, and you, you old dog, dare to bark at me!"

He slapped her back and cursed, "Go to hell, you dog! I've killed more people than you've ever seen!"

Old Xie had no chance to fight back. He was grabbed by the head and hit repeatedly, but instead of hitting his nose or eyes, he was hit in the mouth with perfect precision...

It wasn't that I was seeing stars, nor was it that my nose was burning; it was just that I was in excruciating pain, unable to speak, and my already loose old teeth were falling out one by one!
He tried to block with his hands, but how could he possibly stop a soldier like Fan Yun who had trained his strength day and night?

Fan Yun lifted him up like a chick, lifting him with one hand and hitting him with the other; how could his mouth not be bruised?
Looking around, the constables were also working hard, and a lot of people surrounded them, throwing punches and kicks. But the soldiers were like wolves and tigers, taking a punch or two without seeming to feel it, but when they threw a punch or two, no constable could withstand it.

They only need to come and go for a few moments to collapse!
Looking around and even behind the inn, more and more constables rushed towards them, but as they got closer, fewer and fewer of them actually went forward to fight...

Before long, it seemed the great battle inexplicably stopped, and there were cries of agony on the ground, and panic all around...

And then there was Old Man Xie, whom Fan Yun was carrying. Fan Yun threw him to the ground, spat on him, and said, "Get lost. If you're not satisfied, find someone else to beat you up!"

The old man wasn't completely dazed. He fell to the ground, first sitting, then standing up, tears streaming down his face, muttering, "Hoo hoo hoo, stand still and let it all out..."

"Get out!" Fan Yun didn't understand at all, and just raised his big hand again.

The old man was so frightened that he ran away as fast as he could...

"Disperse, disperse..." Fan Yun waved his hands to the left and right. There were quite a few people watching the show, and they were all dumbfounded. Xie Duguan, the garrison commander of the Zhongshu Xianggong Mansion in Daming Prefecture, was known to many people. What kind of person was he? Why was he being beaten here today?

This is incredible, absolutely incredible, unheard of!

With just a few shouts from the military leader Fan Yun, his men immediately scattered. These soldiers were even more formidable!

Inside the inn, Su Wu was facing Li Gang, who said, "This shouldn't be the case. It has implicated you, Scholar. I will go see him myself. I am an official of the court. Can he beat or kill me? I am an imperial censor, an official who speaks out. How can I remain silent? Can he beat or kill me? I am not afraid of him!"

Su Wu laughed: "What's the point of implicating anyone? If Liang Shijie hadn't left Daming Prefecture, I would have truly implicated my brother..."

"Hmm? How could he possibly know the secrets behind this?" Li Gang asked.

Su Wu waved his hand: "Things have come to this point. A gentleman is open and honest. You can't fight against evil alone. I'll help you!"

“Why bother? I am all alone, while you have countless generals under your command… If you lose power, how can you achieve your great ambitions?” How could Li Gang not understand this?
Su Wu simply waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about that. I'll send someone to escort you out of Daming Prefecture right away!"

"No, what harm is there in meeting Liang Shijie first? If he wants to see me, it's just a matter of using both soft and hard tactics to make me submit. I must make my will clear to him: how can I serve my country if the wicked are not eliminated!"

Li Gang's stubbornness kicked in.

Su Wu looked at Li Gang and sighed...

If you ask Cai Jing's power, would he dare to actually find a way to kill the censor?

According to historical records, the political struggles of the Song Dynasty were indeed lacking in these truly cruel and bloody methods.

But if someone were to actually die, whether from a bout of drinking or from falling to their death while inspecting the city defenses, it wouldn't be impossible. Is it really that difficult to cover it up?
Would the emperor really care?
The emperor's indifference and easy-going nature are the root cause of many audacious acts!
Su Wu immediately replied, "Then I'll go with you..."

(Brothers, I suddenly remembered that some readers mentioned earlier that warhorses need to be gelded, which is true, but gelding and breeding don't conflict. I guess these readers forgot one thing: a stallion can easily breed with a group of mares... haha...)
(End of this chapter)