Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 236 Major Changes!

The day after the wedding, a grand military review was held.

Outside the city, the military camp was filled with soldiers like clouds, horses like forests, banners fluttering in the wind, and the great banner towering high into the clouds.

Hundreds of guests were watching the ceremony. Su Wu was used to seeing this kind of scene, but he watched it carefully, observing the coordination between the new and old soldiers of each unit, as well as the state of the military equipment and supplies of each unit.

The platform was also full of people. Li Zhao was there, but what Su Wu didn't expect was that Sister Li was also there. He simply went to stand on the platform.

Su Wu greeted her, but Sister Li only gave a slight curtsy and didn't look at Su Wu much, instead gazing into the distance at the general's platform.

The scene was truly awe-inspiring. The infantry formation began to move, their steps perfectly synchronized, making the ground creak and rumble like thunder.

If you really hear it, each step isn't a click-clack, but a resonance that echoes between heaven and earth, boom boom boom boom...

Extremely rhythmic!
Li Hang stared in disbelief, exclaiming, "What a powerful army! An army of steel!"

Zhao Cuncheng was astonished and asked, "I wonder how much it will cost for the scholar's troops?"

Su Wu replied, "Therefore, we still need to rely on the support of our fellow villagers!"

Zhao Cuncheng nodded and said, "This money, I'm afraid it won't be used properly. If it were used in this way, I would really be willing to spend it..."

Li Hang nodded blankly, "Yes, that makes sense. As long as you teach me what I can see with my own eyes and there's no faking it, I'm willing to do it!"

Looking into the distance, suddenly, the iron cavalry moved. In an instant, the rhythm between heaven and earth was lost. The surging and roaring seemed to merge into one, and the steel torrent surged up with an unstoppable momentum.

Su Wu looked around. On and below the platform, those who had just been shocked were now speechless, not even exclaiming. They were all dumbfounded and speechless.

After the roaring sounds came and went a few times, people slowly turned to look at Su Wu. Perhaps some were thinking, "No wonder, no wonder Scholar Su is so invincible, so brave and invincible, and so deeply favored by the Emperor..."

Li Hanglai said, "With such a strong army, how could we not win a battle..."

Su Wu frowned: "The Liao people are also a nation with a million armored soldiers and plenty of horses. The Jurchens, on the other hand, have at least thirty or forty thousand elite cavalry."

Li Hang was stunned upon hearing this, but asked, "How many do you have here, Scholar?"

"The light cavalry and heavy cavalry combined number only about three or four thousand," Su Wu replied.

Li Hang was speechless for a moment. He was so shocked that he could not help but worry.

Even Zhao Cuncheng was stunned for a moment and looked straight at Su Wu.

Su Wu, however, changed the subject, saying, "But their infantry are far less elite than those under my command."

In truth, many of the infantry units of the Song Dynasty were actually quite capable, especially the Western Army.

Furthermore, the Western Army's record over the past few decades has been more victories than defeats, mainly relying on elite infantry with cavalry as a secondary force.

But why can't we achieve any major victories? There are very few truly remarkable wins. It's simply because we have fewer horses. Even if you win, you can't catch up with the opponent. The opponent has already moved far ahead, regrouped, and is coming back with renewed force.

If you lose the fight, you can't outrun your opponent, and when they catch up, you'll be swept away in no time.

This was an unsolvable disadvantage in the era of cold weapons.

Another point is that the Western Army is mostly on the defensive, which is also a limitation of the troops. They are mainly defensive and only attack. If they hold the city and fortress, and the good news comes, isn't that also a victory?
Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why they win more often than they lose.

It was at this time that Li Qingzhao, who had been ignoring everyone, began to visit Su Wu. In fact, the two were not far apart, and Su Wu noticed her. He turned around and gave her a smile as a polite gesture.

Sister Li turned her head away again, pretending not to look, or even pretending not to see it.

Su Wu smiled wryly and asked Li Hang, "What's wrong with your sister?"

Li Hang laughed: "Scholar Su has offended my elder sister quite badly..."

"Where did that come from?" Su Wu asked, looking bewildered.

"Yes!" Li Hang nodded, about to elaborate, when he suddenly felt a cold glint in his eyes. It was his elder sister's sharp gaze. He immediately gave an awkward smile and waved his hand, "No, no, let's observe the battle today!"

Su Wu nodded and went to look at Zhao Cuncheng. In fact, Su Wu quite liked this eldest son of the Zhao family, who was much older than him, and knew that he was not the same kind of person as Zhao Mingcheng.

It is true that the dragon has nine sons, each different from the other. Among the sons of the same family, some are easily frightened and run away quickly, while others can stand firm in the face of a powerful enemy.

Su Wu then said, "I won't say much more; I'll leave it to you two."

Zhao Cuncheng quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "It's my duty!"

Li Hang simply nodded and said, "Don't worry, Scholar, I will do my best. I will also try to make a good impression so that my elder sister won't nag me every day about not doing my proper job!"

Su Wu smiled upon hearing this and went to look at his "elder sister," but she did not look at him.

Su Wu sighed and left, not looking any further, only watching the thousands of troops and horses before him listening to the drums.

Suddenly, just as the drumbeats were about to intensify, Su Wu, who was standing by the platform, raised his hand and waved: "Li Cheng, prepare the horses!"

The horses arrived at the foot of the platform, and Su Wu jumped on and rode away!

Countless eyes were drawn to him; they paid no attention to the vast army, only to see the scholar's back.

The scholar went, heading towards the iron cavalry, followed by a hundred or so personal guards, with the great banner in tow.

The scholars entered the battle, one leading the way, followed by a large group of people on all sides. Their horses galloped swiftly, the drums beat rapidly, and their hooves flew.

After a short while, even without any enemies in front of them, their momentum had already soared to the heavens.

The infantry are running, the cavalry are circling.

Slowly... the drumbeats faded, and the blazing sun began to wane...

Hundreds of guests, however, still seemed to want more, only regretting that they only had two eyes and couldn't see every part of the vast army.

Scholar Su returned, stepped onto the podium again, tossed his riding whip aside, and a soldier skillfully caught it, displaying an indescribable elegance and charm.

Su Wu wanted to show off, to put on airs in front of all the high-ranking families and gentry in Jingdong.

This act of putting on airs was of great significance.

Whether it's money, food, or people, we hope our fellow villagers will provide plenty of support.

I'm willing to offer more support. These wealthy people are all about investment, and investment is about future returns, hoping to earn even more...

Perhaps in return, they will provide security in the future.

The troops returned to camp, and the crowd dispersed, still feeling exhilarated. After the initial shock, one of humanity's common traits became an incessant chatter.

In all the conversations, people were talking about how powerful the Jingdong Army was and how selfless and righteous Su Xueshi was.

The matter of attacking Liao is no longer a secret, and it is said that Scholar Su will surely win a great victory this time and will be promoted.

The people of JD.com are also proud of this.

Go back...

Su Wu also needed to review the situation in the army, praising those who did well and being strict with those who did poorly, because time was of the essence.

In the middle of the night, Su Wu was still reading official documents when suddenly, something came to mind—a flash of inspiration from the depths of his memory.

He picked up his pen and began writing. Once he finished writing on a sheet of paper and put it away, a soldier took the letter and delivered it to him. It wasn't far; it was at an inn in the city.

Li Qingzhao was still awake, looking up at the moon and down at her wine.

The letter arrived. I unfolded it, read it, and then smiled...

Nothing much, just a poem.

The poem titled "Ruihe Xian" reads as follows: Frost chills the curtains. Light clouds protect the moon, thin ice still clings. The stream reflects her dressing table. I imagine her applying powder, her exquisite makeup difficult to imitate. Her jade-like skin is slender. Layer upon layer of silk gauze adorns her. Leaning against the east wind, a smile graces her face, a glance that would shame all flowers.

Loneliness. Where are my home mountains? The gardens after the snow, the pavilions by the water. The old promise at the Jade Pool. To whom can I entrust my fleet? The butterflies only know how to seek peaches and willows, oblivious to the blossoms on the southern branches. But I am heartbroken, in the desolate twilight, with only the sound of a bugle call.

Li Hang, who was drinking with her, asked, "Why are you laughing, sister? Has Scholar Su stopped being angry?"

The letter was handed over, and Li Hang read it while also observing his sister's reaction. Then he said, "The 'Ruihe Xian' poem is very complex in its melody; it's not something an average person can write well."

The older sister nodded.

Once Li Hang felt reassured, he continued, "This piece is truly excellent. It's remarkably similar to the one you played earlier, sister. This piece also speaks of plum blossoms, yet it doesn't mention the word 'plum blossom' at all. The most striking similarity is that you compare the plum blossom to 'a jade maiden emerging from her bath, freshly made up.' When Scholar Su composed his poem, he also made a comparison, inevitably comparing her to a jade maiden as well. It's a truly wonderful match. And that line, 'Turning around, all the flowers blush and fall,' inevitably refers to the plum blossom standing alone in its proud winter..."

Sister Li was smiling slightly, a smile that conveyed both joy and restraint...

Li Hang, having grasped the essence of the song, was even more determined to say: "What makes this song even better is... that it speaks of spring's arrival, of the plum blossom's loneliness, and of the butterflies' lack of understanding of romance..."

Sister Li frowned slightly, revealing the sorrow she felt most deeply about words and phrases; some people are simply born with a sensitive nature.

Li Hang added, "I thought Scholar Su was a bold and unrestrained man, only knowing how to act boldly and decisively. But now that I see him again, isn't he also subtle and delicate?"

After a slight pause, Li Hang feigned sudden realization: "I understand now. Scholar Su came here to apologize, saying that he also knows how to indulge in decadent music and feigned illness, and he certainly understands this art!"

But Sister Li frowned and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Give it to me!"

Then Sister Li snatched the letter away.

"Huh? Did I say something wrong again?" Li Hang looked completely innocent.

Sister Li said, "This poem expresses feelings; it expresses the bitterness that no one knows, and also the meaning that no one understands..."

“Oh, that was just me talking nonsense, so it wasn’t just whining without reason…” Li Hang nodded and said, “After I go back, I will invite someone to sing, to sing several songs of Plum Blossom, one by one.”

"I'm going home tomorrow..." Sister Li suddenly said.

"Yes, I'll go home tomorrow. My sister will go home, and I'll go about my business..." Li Hang nodded.

But then his sister looked down and retorted, "The words are excellent, they resonate with me deeply, but the calligraphy is so fierce, it looks like it's about to devour someone." "Perhaps it's the spirit of a soldier, the spirit of devouring people. But that Scholar Su is not just a scholar, he's a tiger in his heart! Why would he care about a few strokes?" Li Hang checked his pulse again.

"That makes sense..." Sister Li nodded and waved her hand: "Bring me paper and pen!"

"I'm here to serve my sister!" Li Hang turned around.

With paper and pen at hand, she holds the pen in one hand and rolls up the sleeve of the pen with the other. With gentle strokes, she writes delicate, exquisite characters.

"Send it to him when you take your leave tomorrow morning..." Li Qingzhao instructed.

"Of course!" Li Hang nodded, watching as his elder sister bent down to gently blow away the ink stains, her hands slowly overlapping, her movements incredibly tender.

Li Hang suddenly couldn't help but say, "Sister, I'm afraid you're suffering..."

Upon hearing these words, Li Qingzhao trembled as if frozen in place.

“Sister… if you really count, there have been fourteen or fifteen years between us…” Li Hang said again, his meaning was actually simple, and he knew how intelligent his sister was, how could she not understand?
Li Qingzhao suddenly smiled and said, "You're talking nonsense. What's wrong with being a friend? What kind of person am I, Li Yi'an? How could I possibly fall into worldly conventions?"

As he spoke, he stuffed the letter into the envelope and handed it to his younger brother.

The younger brother nodded and accepted it: "That's wonderful! This will be a great story, one that will be passed down through the ages!"

As night deepens, we should invite the moon to accompany our drinks again. Sister Li often gets drunk, and I don't know how many drunken words she utters. To say she's just whining without any real illness is an exaggeration. When she drinks, she's just like a man, one cup after another, in high spirits.

Early in the morning, carriages lined up from one end of the street to the other, as guests were all rushing home and rarely said goodbye to the inconvenience.

But Li Zhao still had to say goodbye.

Su Wu arrived at the army camp early and met Li Zhao.

There were no more pleasantries, just direct entrustment. And this entrustment was no longer just words, but concrete matters, which were explained one by one.

After finishing his explanation, Li Hang left a letter and departed.

Su Wu himself came to see, and many lines of "The Lone Goose" were still plum blossoms.

I rise from my morning nap on the rattan bed with paper curtains. Words fail me, and I find no solace. The incense in the jade censer burns intermittently, its chill accompanying my heart, as still as water. The flute plays three tunes, startling the plum blossoms, stirring countless spring sentiments. A gentle breeze and sparse rain fall softly, hastening the flow of a thousand tears. The flute player is gone, the jade tower empty; with whom can I share this heartbreak? I pluck a branch, but in this world and in heaven, there is no one to whom I can send it.

No wonder, Li Hang said those things when he saw this piece last night.

Su Wu's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but think of the slight wrinkles around the corners of Li Jie's eyes on her fair face.

Her words seemed to have a hidden meaning, and she was certainly not an ordinary woman. She never cared about worldly constraints and spoke her mind at the time.

Perhaps that's not what he meant. Earlier, Su Wu said that the pink butterflies ignored the blooming southern branches, only caring about the peach and willow trees, expressing the loneliness in his heart.

At this moment, Sister Li spoke of having no one left to accompany her in this world, of having nowhere to place her heart. They were indeed in the same place, but inevitably, no one knew their suffering, and no one understood their feelings.

However, this only startled Su Wu, causing him to lose his composure.

But then Wu Da arrived at the gate...

When Wu Da came to the prefectural city to arrange Wu Song's wedding, Su Wu was too busy to spare any time and simply let Wu Da handle the arrangements. General Wu's wedding was something that needed to be prepared for properly.

Wu Da, as the elder, presided over some of the formalities, but Cheng Niangzi was the one who really took care of things. She found a house for Wu Song in the city, sent out invitations to Wu Song's guests, and helped Wu Song prepare the banquet...

Everyone was busy, but there was another matter to attend to at home: preparing a small banquet and bringing Meng Yulou in through the side door. They had to strike a balance, ensuring it wasn't too ostentatious or too understated.

Thus, in Su Wu's household, there came Madam Cheng Jiyue and Aunt Meng.

In the days that followed, Su Wu was preoccupied with military affairs, rushing things too much. This battle was unlike any before, with just over ten thousand new recruits and time running out.

In the Jiangnan region, Wang Bing also received an order from the Privy Council and began leading 15,000 soldiers from Wuzhou northward, first heading to Daming Prefecture.

A new prefect has arrived in Daming Prefecture, named Li Gang, but Li Gang is not the garrison commander of Beijing, and the position of garrison commander is temporarily vacant.

Liu Yanqing in the Northwest also received orders. He had even less time to prepare, but he was also to set off for Zhen Ding Prefecture in Hebei.

Then came the troops from Hebei, and various prefectures and counties began to gather their forces, including the ten military commanders who had once followed Gao Qiu in suppressing Song Jiang.

Guan Sheng of Hedong remained unmoved, because Hedong also bordered the Liao Kingdom. North of Taiyuan was Datong, which was now the western capital of the Liao Kingdom and one of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

Tan Zhen will also be coming, as Tong Guan's deputy, he will come along.

The Song Dynasty seemed to be operating at full capacity. Tong Guan, in the Privy Council, did nothing but start bringing in money. Money from the Three Departments and from Jiangnan was constantly being transported into the Privy Council's warehouse every day.

The amount of cash provided by the imperial court was four million strings of cash in the first installment. The grain and fodder transported from various prefectures and counties were distributed from Daming Prefecture to Hejian Prefecture, Zhengding Prefecture, and Xiongzhou. The labor force of the various prefectures and counties in Hebei was under great pressure.

Unaware of what was happening elsewhere, Su Wu sent men to Daming Prefecture to question Li Gang several times. Li Gang was in a state of utter distress, but he didn't say much. Instead, he personally visited the various prefectures and counties under Daming Prefecture.

Zong Ze, the governor of Dongping Prefecture, was also extremely busy. He personally inquired about the number of households in each county and the number of laborers to be transferred, and sometimes he even went to the counties himself to check.

Official documents from various places, including Qizhou's Zhang Shuye, Qingzhou's Zhao Cuncheng, Mizhou's Zhao Sicun, and even Li Hang, poured into the Xuanfu Shi Si Yamen (military commissioner's office) like snowflakes.

Su Wu was on duty at two different government offices: the Military Commander's Office and the Xuanfu Envoy's Office, where he worked even longer hours.

One thing Su Wu hadn't expected was that even Cheng Wanli had started working non-stop, with his work attitude and intensity greatly increased. He would frown every day, sit at his desk as soon as he got up, and not go to sleep until midnight.

Qin Ming of Qingzhou led an army of over 5,700 men.

Zhang Qing was leading his troops towards Daming Prefecture, and Su Wu introduced him directly to Li Gang.

Inside Dongping Prefecture, everyone seemed to be busy, and the entire city was filled with a somber atmosphere.

The troops in Dongping Prefecture, mainly cavalry, led by Lin Chong, Hua Rong and others, first headed north to Cangzhou. Their purpose was twofold: to herd horses and to prepare fodder. They also needed to conscript laborers to harvest grass, for which they were paid. This was in preparation for winter. Clearly, the pressure on fodder supply was immense, much greater than the pressure on military rations.

Cangzhou has a very wide coastline. At this time, the mudflats and wetlands along the coast of Cangzhou were very large, and there were even riverbanks. In the past, a lot of the fodder for Dongping Prefecture came from here.

Su Wu originally thought the war would not start until next year, which is the fourth year of Xuanhe, but unexpectedly, it started this year.

It is the Emperor's mandate!
Of course, there are people behind this emperor who are pushing things along. This emperor is really too easy to manipulate. Those who know how to manipulate the emperor can easily control him.

In fact, it was all done in haste. Even more so for the Western Army…

Su Wu was present today, and Yan Qing rushed in, his voice even more urgent as he entered the room: "Uncle, a secret report from Yanjing, it's extremely urgent!"

"Quickly, let me see!" Su Wu waved his hand and stood up.

The secret report arrived, from Li Chuwen, who succinctly stated: "Fengxian has made a move, the Emperor is furious, the Prince of Jin has died, Consort Wen has died, and the rest of the country is shocked. A great upheaval has occurred!"

Xiao Fengxian still took action. The emperor in the north and the emperor in the south were really the same. They were easily fooled and manipulated. He actually took action and ordered the prince and the imperial concubine supported by Yelü Yudu, the general who was leading troops in the field, to be executed.

Is this something a human being could do? Especially during such a crisis, when human resources are in high demand.

That's an amazing move.

Yelü Yudu, the Grand General of the Liaodong Route Army, was in a state of panic and hesitation, and his rebellion was imminent.

It's a good thing, actually a good thing. At this moment, although it's rushed and perhaps different from historical turning points, it seems that the odds of winning have increased considerably.

Once Yelü Yudu rebelled, the Liao capital of Dading Prefecture immediately fell, and the Liao people were filled with fear. This was the perfect opportunity.

Historically, Song Ke failed to seize this opportunity because he lacked the intelligence capabilities.

This time was different; everything seemed to have happened by accident, or perhaps Su Wu had intended it this way.

Su Wu hurriedly told Yan Qing, "Go to Yanjing immediately, in person, and tell Prime Minister Zhao to keep Li Chuwen calm. If Yelü Yudu really betrays us in battle, tell him not to panic, but to observe the situation. Tell him that I am making contacts everywhere, preparing to lead troops north to the border to garrison, just to provide support..."

"Understood!" Yan Qing nodded and immediately left, knowing the matter was urgent.

Su Wu took a few deep breaths. He was actually very nervous. There was an unknown about many things, an unknown that was very different from the past.

When Song Jiang was mentioned, Su Wu knew that Song Jiang was doomed.

Speaking of Fang La, Su Wu also knew that Fang La was doomed.

The Liao Kingdom is very different; everything is unknown. Moreover, the Liao Kingdom truly has heroes like Yelü Dashi, who is an unparalleled ruler. How could we dare to underestimate him in the slightest?

Inevitably, the pressure was immense, and for a time, it was a truly tense situation.

Su Wu immediately spoke to Zong Ying beside him: "Write a letter to Tong Shuxiang of the Privy Council, and tell him to hurry north to meet us and go directly to Hejian Prefecture. Time waits for no one, it's urgent!"

Zong Ying seemed to sense the tense atmosphere as well. Her expression was serious, and she wrote quickly, her hand trembling slightly.

Su Wu paced back and forth in front of the hall, his brows furrowed, deep in thought.

After a moment, he added, "In the name of the Privy Council, order Suo Chao's unit from Daming Prefecture and Zhang Qing's unit to go to Xiong Prefecture first, and go immediately!"

After a moment, he continued, "In the name of the Privy Council, and in the name of my Academician, send a letter to the Northwest, instructing all the departments in the Northwest to accelerate their efforts! It must be fast, the faster the better, it is extremely urgent!"

"Tell Qin Ming's troops not to come south to join them, but to turn north and head towards Hejian Prefecture."

"Order all units in Jingdong to return to their camps immediately after their leave. Those who have not yet taken leave are not allowed to take any more leave. Make preparations within two days. The combat troops will go first, heading straight to Hejian Prefecture. The auxiliary troops and supplies must also depart within five days!"

After saying this, Su Wu headed straight for the government office. Things were about to begin, and everything needed to be in place: auxiliary troops, supplies, laborers, and craftsmen…

Zong Ze was in charge of general logistics, and his workload was unimaginable.

In just a moment, the entire city of Dongping was filled with galloping cavalry, heading out of the city in all directions.

Even ordinary people knew that something was about to happen, that war was about to break out.

Meanwhile, ships began to dock at Liangshan Marsh to load goods, mainly money, which needed to be transported to the front lines. Su Wu was ready to issue the money at any time.

Inside the general administration office, civil officials and clerks were also busy, carrying a great many things. Among them were writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones; maps needed to be organized, many copies had been made, and the work was still ongoing, with more to be distributed… This matter had come too quickly, and clearly many preparations were still incomplete…

There's a truth in this world: very few things can be done with complete preparation...

(Brothers, I was so busy today... Six thousand words, and I wrote them with great care.)
(End of this chapter)