Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 235 Oh... I'm self-taught...

Su Wu did find the eunuch somewhat familiar, but upon closer inspection, he realized he didn't recognize him at all.

A large group of people knelt on the ground. Su Wu simply stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed. The eunuch, smiling broadly, began to read the imperial edict: "The edict reads: I, having received the favor of Heaven, have been appointed to govern the entire realm. I hereby appoint you, Su Wu, Academician of the Privy Council and Commander-in-Chief of the two armies of the Eastern Capital, for your broad vision, quick wit, and courageous service to the nation. Recently, a million bandits ravaged Jiangnan. You personally led your troops to sweep away the rebels, restoring order to the land and revitalizing the lives of the people. Your loyalty and diligence in serving the country truly exemplify the virtues of an official."

On this auspicious occasion of your marriage, I hereby bestow upon you one hundred gold ingots, five hundred silver ingots, five hundred bolts of silk, and one fine horse from the imperial stables. My bride, Lady Cheng, is beautiful both inside and out, knowledgeable and reasonable, virtuous and kind, and is hereby specially promoted to Lady of Dong'e County.

He ordered the creation of a plaque inscribed with "Loyalty and Diligence to the Country" to be hung in his residence.

You must strive even harder to maintain your integrity and never waver from your original aspirations. Take heed!

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!" Su Wu bowed to receive the imperial decree.

The eunuch chuckled, and Cheng Wanli simply waved his hand, and a small box was brought forward.

The eunuch raised his hand, and a large gilded plaque was brought out. He deliberately made sure everyone around him could see it. At a glance, it was written in the emperor's own handwriting: "Loyalty and Diligence for the Country."

Su Wu stepped forward to receive it, and everyone in the room stared in disbelief. They had never seen anything like it before, and in their entire lives, they had never witnessed such imperial favor.

Having seen something new, everyone stood up and looked ahead. For a moment, it was quite noisy, and some people even shouted, "Excuse me, excuse me..."

The emperor bestowed gold ingots, silver ingots, and silk, and for a moment, the wedding truly reached its climax.

Just look at Cheng Wanli, his mouth is practically stretched to the back of his head with a smile. Even if the emperor were to reward him with another fine horse, he would still take it out for a spin.

"What a fine horse! What a fine horse! This imperial steed is truly extraordinary!"

"The official's calligraphy is truly excellent!"

"The Emperor's favor bestowed upon Scholar Su is beyond compare!"

Scholar Su just kept laughing to the left and right, while Wu Erlang went to take the plaque. The plaque was huge, made of solid wood, and weighed a hundred or two hundred pounds. Wu Erlang squeezed it in his hands and lifted it up, laughing heartily...

"Take a look, take a look! This is an imperial gift from the Emperor, complete with the Emperor's seal and signature. It belongs to my brother..." Wu Er showed it to everyone.

The crowd also moved closer to take a look. Seeing the words was secondary; what they really wanted was that large seal, something they would rarely see in their lifetime.

There were also those who knew seal carving, who recognized it again and again, and then read it aloud: "Xuan He".

The crowd gathered around and looked at it again and again.

Su Wu had already gone to the inner office, not to see his new bride, but to pay his respects to Cheng Wanli.

He was busy coming and going, but Su Wu didn't see his bride. Even though she had already gotten into the sedan chair, he didn't see her.

They carried him along, and Su Wu mounted his horse, followed by many guests.

Inside the sedan chair, Cheng Xiaoniang was actually quite dull. From the time she got up before dawn until now, she had been like a robot, always covering her face with a round fan, never putting it down.

Hu Sanniang also rode her horse, right next to the sedan chair. In front, gongs were sounded and sweeping was carried out, while behind, people were driven along. The street was bustling with activity.

Su Wu spurred his horse forward. At a roadside inn, behind a second-floor window, Li Qingzhao was also looking out, muttering to herself, "Riding a swift horse in the spring breeze, I can see all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day..."

Li Hanglai, standing to the side, said, "Back then, when I married in Qizhou, it wasn't like this at all. What a man I am!"

But then she asked, "Are you going this evening, sister?"

Clearly, a real wedding is actually a twilight ceremony, held at night.

Li Qingzhao shook her head: "I won't go..."

"Then why did you come, sister?" Li Hang would complain.

Sister Li raised an eyebrow and said, "Just do your best."

“Sister is not like ordinary women. Even in the capital, she can go to any occasion and has never been a coy person. Why is she being coy today?” Li Hang was really puzzled.

It's normal for other women to be unable to show their faces in public on many occasions, but Yi'an Jushi dared to be "outrageous" even in front of the emperor in the Song Dynasty. What occasion would she need to avoid?

"That's really infuriating!" Sister Li said.

"Oh..." Li Hang understood, and then said, "Sister came here to bring honor to Scholar Su, but it's infuriating. It's good to teach him a lesson!"

Sister Li laughed, "It's fine if he comes, that's enough. It doesn't matter if he doesn't go. He doesn't care about saving face these days. Going would only cause trouble. There are so many guests, and he would have to come alone to pay special attention to me. He would be too busy to attend to everyone. We'll see each other many more times in the future, so let's just leave it at that this time..."

Li Hang nodded, knowing that her sister made sense, but she looked at her sister carefully again, and suddenly said, "Sigh... Sister, speaking of which, I also have some feelings, how should I put it..."

"Then don't say it!" Sister Li interrupted.

Li Hang nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, I won't say! I won't say..."

The Su family mansion was already overflowing with people. The banquet tables had been borrowed from all over the city, and the house was filled with them, just to make sure that the guests were not neglected. At least all the guests with names and surnames had managed to get a seat.

Since we've already started drinking, there's bound to be some music to accompany it.

The bride was already starving in the main room, and Hu Sanniang took the initiative to prepare a lot of food for her.

Su Wu went from table to table, not drinking much wine, but he had to save face for everyone.

Looking at the crowd, everyone who saw Scholar Su showed him great respect. They already held him in high esteem, but when the imperial edict arrived, they were so amazed that they bowed more than ninety degrees in reverence.

I had previously heard that Scholar Su was enjoying great favor with the Emperor, but only today did I realize that it had reached such an unparalleled level.

To be honest, these people are quite ignorant. The current emperor likes to do this kind of thing to show his benevolence and love for people. Many high-ranking families in the capital receive this kind of recognition from the emperor for happy occasions.

In fact, this is the norm, and of course, it is the treatment reserved for high-ranking families and close ministers of the emperor.

As Su Wu walked down from table to table and entered the main hall, it was already dusk, and the wedding began.

Cheng Wanli sat in the main hall, in the government office, and in the Su family mansion.

The bride is led out, and she immediately bows.

After the three bows, the bride returned, and Su Wu had to talk to everyone and look around. After all this busy work, he finally entered the side room.

Inside the side room, there was still understanding, and people came and went. After everyone had left, it was already night, and there were still etiquette rules, such as drinking a sip of the nuptial wine.

Only then was the task considered complete, and Cheng Xiaoniang lowered the fan in her hand slightly.

The two sat down together, and there was no awkwardness at all; they were both truly exhausted.

Cheng Xiaoniang also spoke up: "Today was truly tiring... Thinking about it... thinking about it..."

"My husband!" Su Wu said, a slight smile on his face.

Cheng Xiaoniang blushed, lowered her head, and whispered, "I imagine my husband has had an even harder time..."

Su Wu waved his hand dismissively: "It's nothing, not strenuous at all! It's much easier than going into battle..."

These words startled Cheng Xiaoniang, but she chuckled, "How can you compare things like that..."

Su Wu chuckled as he removed his headdress, showing no embarrassment whatsoever. Perhaps it was because the two of them were different from others, having known each other for a long time.

Perhaps it was because Su Wu was deliberately pretending not to be embarrassed; the more ordinary Su Wu acted, the less uneasy Cheng Xiaoniang felt.

Su Wu simply went about his business, removing his headdress and boots. Dong Huan had prepared several basins of hot water in the room, so he washed his face by himself. After washing, he carried a basin and placed it on the edge of the bed.

"Come on, soak your feet..." Su Wu said, putting his feet in the water without even looking at Cheng Xiaoniang beside him, only saying, "To relax..."

Needless to say, the boy on the side was quite nervous, but he was indeed obedient. Although his movements were slow, he did put both feet into the same basin of water.

Su Wu deliberately played a trick, lifting his foot and gently stepping on the soft instep.

Those tender feet tensed up, and Cheng Xiaoniang's whole body tensed up suddenly. She subconsciously tried to pull away, but Su Wu exerted a little force, and she stopped moving...

"Don't be afraid, it's nothing..." Su Wu said softly.

"I'm not afraid, Sister-in-law Gu has taught me everything..." In reality, Cheng Xiaoniang was in a state of turmoil, her heart pounding, but she had to pretend to be calm.

"How... how did she teach her?" Su Wu was genuinely curious.

"How can I say that..." Cheng Xiaoniang simply picked up the fan again, covering her face completely, not even letting her eyes out.

Su Wu felt a moment of embarrassment. He had blurted it out, and now, wanting to smooth things over, he blurted out, almost unconsciously, "Oh... I'm self-taught..."

"Huh?" The fan was lowered slightly, and a pair of big, watery eyes were full of surprise.

Su Wu turned his head and looked over, then quickly added, "I meant I know a little bit about it too... so there's no need to worry, it's nothing..."

Cheng Xiaoniang chuckled, put her fan down again, and slowly said, "They all say men are strange..."

"What's strange?" Su Wu asked, gently rubbing his feet together, rubbing himself and...

“When a man is being clever, he is at his most clever; when he is being foolish, he is at his most foolish!” Cheng Xiaoniang said earnestly, as if she was truly pondering the truth.

“They also said…” Su Wu also chimed in, it was just casual conversation anyway.

"say what?"

"They say women change after marriage, becoming the most difficult to please, and men have no choice but to suffer..." Su Wu said, and if asked who said that, it was Wu Erlang...

"Huh?" Cheng Xiaoniang was puzzled and looked down. She saw her husband's two big feet rubbing in the basin. They were dark and large with prominent veins. Compared to them, her own feet looked like those of a half-grown child.

"Alright, alright..." Seeing that her husband had finished scrubbing, she lifted her leg, tossed it left and right, and swiped her head back and forth. She then found a cloth and wiped herself a few times...

"Oh dear..." Cheng Xiaoniang suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Su Wu bent down, reached out and scooped out a foot, placed it in front of his knee, and began to wipe it roughly, which startled Cheng Xiaoniang.

Still shaken, Su Wu placed the cleaned tender hand on his lap, bent down and reached out to grab another one, then quickly cleaned it again.

Cheng Xiaoniang finally realized what was happening and tried to struggle, but Su Wu clamped her elbow between his legs and she couldn't break free.

Then there were Cheng Xiaoniang's words: "Husband, how can this be? Husband is...it is my duty to serve you! If people find out, how will you save face...won't those soldiers laugh at us..."

"There are no outsiders here, why can't we do it? It's our business behind closed doors, why should they interfere?" Su Wu wiped himself a few times, pushed his knees onto the bed, and got up with the plate.

When he turned around again, he saw Cheng Xiaoniang sitting on the bed, her face showing a look of gratitude.

Su Wu waved his hand dismissively: "What's the big deal? Don't be like this!"

As he spoke, Su Wu washed his hands in a basin, shook them a couple of times, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

But then she heard someone say, "Husband, you can't keep splashing water everywhere like that..."

"Ah?" Su Wu looked around and nodded: "Indeed, we should keep them in check."

"what?"

"It's nothing, I won't bother with it anymore. Go inside, you sleep in the inner room, I'll sleep in the outer room..."

Without waiting, Su Wu got onto the bed and, with a slight push of his buttocks, caused Cheng Xiaoniang, who was already moving in, to fall down as well.

"Sigh..." Cheng Xiaoniang sighed again.

Su Wu chuckled, took off his clothes, pulled up the quilt, and got into bed.

Over there, inside, she didn't take off her clothes but went straight into bed.

Su Wu wanted to say something more, but then he thought that if he said anything more now, he would only make himself more nervous, uneasy and anxious.

Then I won't say anything, I'll just pretend to tidy up the blankets, pulling them here and tucking them in there.

Suddenly, Su Wu's body pressed down... For a moment, Su Wu was stunned and didn't know how to proceed.

All I could see was that Cheng Xiaoniang had her hands clasped in front of her chest, her fists clenched, her eyes closed, and her whole body stiff as a log, tense and unyielding.

What can we do? To untie the knot, we need to take those fists down.

Trying to pry it open with force would inevitably seem violent.

Even when you gently push, the person's hands still tremble slightly.

This this……

Su Wu was momentarily at a loss, but fortunately, the situation could be resolved. He quickly said, "I'll kiss you, don't be afraid..."

"Hmm!" There was a response, but her whole body tensed up even more.

“Jiyue, we… aren’t going to war…” Su Wu was joking.

"Hmm..." Cheng Jiyue could no longer speak; her tightly closed eyes were straining so much that her eyelashes trembled incessantly.

Actually, it's not easy to kiss her; those taut little fists are right under her chin, blocking her way completely.

Su Wu, as if solving a math problem, looked left and right and decided, "Then let's kiss her on the cheek..."

He bent down; it was only the beginning...

It was late at night, and the guests had long since left...

However, there were two other people sitting and drinking together. They were two old men, one named Cheng Wanli and the other Zong Ze, who were behind the government office.

Zong Ze offered his congratulations, but Cheng Wanli wiped his eyes and said, "That kid got a good deal, he really got a good deal. My wonderful daughter, if she had given birth to a son, he would have been a high-ranking official..."

Zong Ze laughed heartily: "No matter what you say..."

"What? You still don't believe me? If you don't believe me, heh... my temper, my good daughter's talent, I..." Cheng Wanli thought and thought, but it seemed that there really was no way to prove it, so he was so angry that he paced around in circles.

"I believe it, I believe it, why wouldn't I believe it..."

"You just don't believe me!"

"Alas... to be honest, Ziqing's current situation is truly difficult!"

“I know…”

The two fell silent again.

Zong Ze spoke again: "Therefore, we must win this battle. For Ziqing, it is a do-or-die situation. If we win, all is well; if we lose, we will be doomed!"

“Sometimes he’s smart, and sometimes he’s really not. What’s the point?” Cheng Wanli sighed.

Zong Ze shook his head: "A gentleman knows what to do and what not to do. Ziqing is a gentleman!"

“What’s so good about being a gentleman? Not at all!” Cheng Wanli shook his head.

"I cannot agree with your words, sir. If you were not a gentleman, how could you have achieved your current position?"

"Old Master Zong, the world has changed. Who hasn't been a gentleman? When I was called out for my name outside Donghua Gate, wasn't I a gentleman? Back then, I was just full of enthusiasm, serving my country. What did I do then? When you were taking the imperial examination, you wrote a memorial to the emperor. Were you not a gentleman? Well, it's still alright, we still gave you a low-ranking Jinshi degree..."

"That's not what you said..."

"That's not how it's said, how else could it be? You don't know that day, I stood at the gate of the Prime Minister's residence, pacing back and forth for several hours, hesitating for a long time, unable to calm my mind, and that's why I went in, no longer acting like a gentleman, and that's why I'm in this situation today... Now, you can laugh at me, I'll let you laugh... If I had known this would happen, wouldn't it have been better if I had gone to pay my respects earlier? You can laugh all you want..."

Zong Ze slowly shook his head: "I'm not laughing at you!"

"I'm not afraid of your laughter anymore... Many people have laughed at me, but look at me now! Everyone bows and scrapes before me..."

"Have a drink!" Zong Ze sighed.

"eat!"

"The world has changed, the world has changed..." Cheng Wanli, having drunk more wine, spoke more slowly: "When you and I were young, in our early school years, what stories did we hear? Scholar Ouyang, Bao Longtu, Prime Minister Wang, Scholar Sima, Di Wuxiang..."

"Hmm...that's true..."

What stories do children listen to these days?

"No, no, let's drink!" Zong Ze waved his hand, downed a glass of wine, and then suddenly said, "That's not entirely true, isn't Su Ziqing here too? Haha..."

“People, from any perspective, if Ziqing is doomed this time, wouldn’t he also be a traitor to the family and the country, a person who ruins the country… Who would still say that he was brave and invincible in battle? Who would still say that he was fierce and courageous in charging into battle? Who would still say that he personally led the charge?”

Zong Ze remained silent for a moment.

"The Privy Council's official document has arrived. It came yesterday along with the imperial edict. In a month and a half, the army will be assembling in Xiong Prefecture..."

"So fast? Does Ziqing know?"

“How could he not know?” Cheng Wanli nodded, his expression turning serious again. “I don’t think about court affairs, nor do I think about why things are moving so fast. I only think that if things are lively today, I’m afraid they won’t be so lively tomorrow. Once… Su Ziqing, Cheng Pengyuan, and my son, my dear daughter, I don’t know what will become of them… I also said that today I will hold a banquet for guests in a high building…”

Zong Ze's face was solemn, and his words were firm: "Then we cannot lose, we absolutely cannot lose!"

“Let’s eat…” Cheng Wanli raised his glass again, downed it in one gulp, smacked his lips, and said, “Ziqing insisted on choosing this path, insisted on choosing this path…”

"Don't blame him. It wasn't his fault; it was someone else's fault."

“I don’t blame him. There’s no need to blame him now! Actually, I did hesitate, but my dear daughter is set on this. After hesitating for a while, I decided to let it be. What’s there to blame? If it really comes to that, I won’t blame anyone.” Cheng Wanli said earnestly.

But then he suddenly looked up at Zong Ze and asked, "Am I a gentleman this time?"

Zong Ze nodded earnestly: "A true gentleman, living up to the teachings of the sages, just as he was in his youth!"

"Haha... Let's drink!" Cheng Wanli suddenly shouted.

夜深… …

The soft moonlight slowly spilled over, enveloping the whole world in a gentle, tranquil glow.

The moon was unwilling, but the sun insisted on coming...

Outside the newlyweds' room, a number of people were already standing, with Dong Huan leading the way, waiting...

The door opened, and there stood Su Wu, looking refreshed and cheerful, who simply said with a smile, "Give it all to me, I can do it myself..."

Dong Huan had no choice but to give him the basin, the cloth, the willow branch, and another basin, which was placed at the door.

Inside the room, a soft, delicate voice could be heard: "You've made a fool of yourself..."

"There aren't that many jokes..."

Su Wu took a wet cloth and started wiping his face on the bed.

"I'll do it myself, I'll do it myself..."

"No, I'll help you..."

"Oh...how embarrassing..."

"She's even more captivating when she's shy..."

Suddenly, laughter came from outside the door. One might think Dong Huan had left, but how could that be? Yet, unable to resist, they made a sound.

"Oh dear..." Cheng Xiaoniang just kept burrowing into the quilt to hide.

Su Wu naturally went to chase and capture him.

Amidst their playful banter, dawn was already breaking. Su Wu had no parents to visit, so he simply stood outside the door, spear in hand, and began to shout and cheer.

At the doorway, Cheng Xiaoniang, her face still flushed with shyness, leaned against the door, watching. Her movements were nimble, her figure imposing; she had only learned last night what a man truly was…

When a woman is strong and healthy, how delicate she seems!
Once the guns and sticks were gone, it was back to fists and kicks. It was the first time Cheng Xiaoniang had ever seen this, and she watched it for a long time, completely absorbed.

The more Cheng Xiaoniang looked at him, the more energy Su Wu gained, leaping up and down, even doing somersaults.

Dong Huan then brought a food box and placed it in the main hall, inviting Cheng Xiaoniang to sit down and eat.

Cheng Xiaoniang nodded, but also called out, "Husband, breakfast is ready..."

"Here I am!" Su Wu stopped as soon as he was told and strode over. Cheng Xiaoniang had brought a cloth and was about to wipe Su Wu's head and face as soon as he sat down.

flatbread, thin porridge, minced meat, pickled vegetables...

He ate with gusto, wolfing down his food. He finished one bowl and then asked for another. Su Wu looked up and asked, "Why aren't you eating?"

"Let me see if my husband can eat first..."

"You eat too!"

Su Wu was unaware that Cheng Xiaoniang was currently only looking at him, finding everything new and exciting—even the food was new, and his wolfing down of food was new. She was also curious about how this person lived, and what he was usually like...

I've thought about this many times before, and now I'm experiencing it.

"I'm rooting around like a pig, that's common in the army. After we finish eating, I have to go to the yamen for my shift. I'm leaving now. You rest at home, read a book if you have nothing to do, or take a walk around the yard if you want..."

Su Wu continued to slurp his rice, his appetite was truly enormous.

Cheng Xiaoniang also watched and laughed. It was the first time she had ever seen a man eat so much.

She also said, "My husband is busy, and I am not the kind of person to be pretentious. I am familiar with this house and everyone around me, so it will not be boring."

"Yes, that's excellent!" Su Wu was very relieved; this was indeed a good idea.

After finishing his meal, Su Wu got up and started walking, turning back every few steps: "I'm going to my shift. If I have time at noon, I'll come back. If I'm busy at noon, I'll return in the evening."

Cheng Xiaoniang moved her feet and came to the entrance of the hall. She watched Su Wu's back as he disappeared. For a moment, she seemed to be in a daze.

Getting married, getting married, it feels like it's already over, almost unreal. But when I lift my leg slightly to sit down again, it feels incredibly real, and I can't help but smile, feeling a warmth in my heart.

Before long, in the main hall of the yamen, Su Wu stood with a stern face, surrounded by numerous military officers.

Su Wu spoke up: "Within twenty days, all military training subjects must be completed. If there is not enough time, shorten the training period. Within twenty-five days, those who are getting married should get married, and those who are going to visit their relatives should go to visit their relatives. Give instructions to those who are going to war. All miscellaneous matters must be arranged properly. After twenty-five days, the army will set off without any mistakes."

The generals all replied solemnly, "Yes, sir!"

Su Wu said again, "Urge the grain supply, urge the grain supply immediately! No matter which prefecture, the grain supply must not be delayed. The first batch of grain supply must be gathered in Qizhou City!"

Xu Guanzhong and the others bowed and said, "Yes, sir!"

"Conscript laborers and send the number of people from each prefecture to the Pacification Commissioner's Office. Instruct Minister Cheng to issue official documents to each prefecture to ensure their timely arrival without delay!"

Su Wu sat in the center, while Zong Ying kept taking notes beside him.

"The armor and weapons should all be counted and matched with the accounts. The quality should be strictly checked. More craftsmen should be recruited from the eighteen prefectures of Jingdong, Daming Prefecture, Zhending Prefecture, and Hejian Prefecture."

Su Wu's business kept getting bigger and bigger.

"The army must be united, and all generals must not slacken their efforts!" Su Wu's words were firm and authoritative.

Everyone in the meeting room was serious.

"Maps, prepare maps! Gather all the maps you can find, and urge the Privy Council to provide theirs as well!" He repeated this over and over, leaving no detail unattended...

(Brothers, a new story is starting!)
(End of this chapter)