Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 242 How dare you be so audacious?

The cavalry returned in batches, and each team suffered more or less casualties.

Inside the central command tent, everyone was filled with righteous indignation. Yang Keshi shouted, "Go to the northwest! Just send cavalry to search for them and have a great battle!"

Su Wu remained calm and waved his hand, saying, "Go and search, but you probably won't find them. Even if you do find them, they are few in number and will simply ride away and flee. They won't fight you!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Keshi added, "Even if a fight doesn't break out, at least drive him away!"

Su Wu shook his head again: "No need. Let's watch the siege and see if they come to the rescue or attack the camp."

"Oh, so that's what Commander Su was planning?" Yang Keshi was somewhat embarrassed.

But Su Wu shook his head again: "But... he might just watch from afar and not come closer."

Su Wu spoke both directly and indirectly, leaving Yang Keshi stunned.

Zhong Shidao then asked, "Why did Commander Su make such a prediction?"

Su Wu replied, "The general who comes is named Yelü Dashi. He must not have many soldiers under his command, but he is a man of great talent!"

"Hmm? Yelü Dashi? I've never heard of him..." Zhong Shidao said this. Whether it was Liao, Western Xia, or even the Great Song, how could the three kingdoms not know about the military leaders who had actually achieved results on the battlefield?
Su Wu explained, “Young men, in their early twenties, pass the imperial examinations and become scholars. They fight against the Jurchens several times, with both sides winning and losing. Among the million-strong Liao army, their talents begin to shine!”

"Oh, no wonder!" Zhong Shidao nodded, but also praised, "I didn't expect Commander Su to be so prepared for war. We don't know these things, but Commander Su has already found out them clearly. In that case, I am more at ease."

Liu Yanqing then added, "No wonder Commander Su is so cautious. If he is indeed the kind of hero that Commander Su spoke of, then we should be careful."

Yang Keshi chimed in, "The Liao Kingdom is already on the verge of collapse. It doesn't matter if it produces heroes. No matter what he does, he doesn't have many troops under his command, so he can hardly achieve anything significant."

Yang Keshi's words are indeed true. If Yelü Dashi had been born twenty years earlier, things might have been very different. Now, Yelü Dashi is like a skilled cook without rice.

With the Jurchens in the north and the Song Dynasty in the south, Yelü Dashi had no chance of stopping the collapse of the dynasty. This was an inevitable trend, beyond human control. Therefore, Yelü Dashi had no choice but to start a new game on a different map.

But when Yang Keshi said this, Su Wu frowned repeatedly. The more he looked at Yang Keshi, the more uneasy he felt. The more uneasy he felt, the more he felt he had to be careful.

Su Wu asked, "Tomorrow we will attack the city. Which unit is willing to be the first to scale the walls?"

Looking around, everyone was standing up, all bowing and ready to speak.

Su Wu raised his hand to silence the crowd, looked around, and said, "In this way, Wuzhou has more soldiers; one unit can besiege the city. Wuzhou soldiers should go first!"

Wang Bing was overjoyed and stood up to bow, saying, "Thank you, Commander Su!"

The crowd couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Su Wu continued, "Don't worry too much, everyone. This is just a small city. Further ahead, there are the great cities of Zhuozhou, Liangxiang, and Yanjing. It won't be a matter of one or two cities. We must work together and everyone will contribute. The greatest achievement will depend on your abilities!"

Su Wu's words dispelled the disappointment of the crowd, reminding them that being a commander was indeed not an easy task.

However, there was still one person who was very disappointed, namely Yang Keshi. He looked at Wang Bing and then at Su Wu. He had a lot of thoughts in his mind. He had asked to fight countless times, always in front of others, but he just couldn't get anyone to agree.

I can't help but wonder, could it be that Commander Su really dislikes me?

We just need to discuss the siege strategy, the deployment, the composition of each unit, and the time tomorrow...

After the arrangements were made, the meeting adjourned.

The next day, before dawn, the cooks began to prepare the food. At daybreak, the soldiers ate their fill and then marched out of the camp in formation.

Although only Wuzhou is attacking the city today, each unit has its own mission, and all units are lined up in battle formation, ready for action. There are even central armies and guards of the main camp, all of which need to be prepared.

Su Wu then ascended the makeshift command platform, and the messenger stared intently at him.

Once Su Wu was seated, he looked up at the time and raised his hand, saying, "One drumbeat."

The soldiers ran and shouted orders, and a row of huge cowhide drums went off. Instantly, the air trembled, and people were in a panic.

The Wuzhou soldiers were already prepared, and the stone cannons of the artisan camp began to creak and groan as huge stones were hurled at the city wall...

The crossbowmen released the spear-like arrows, the winch kept turning, and the second arrow was immediately launched.

The ladder cart was being pulled by horses and pushed by people. Whips were being raised high and struck the horses' rumps as the horses struggled to drag the ladder cart forward.

The towering ladder truck swayed and creaked as it moved. Many ropes hung down from the roof and held it tightly to the left and right. The ladder truck's center of gravity was too high, otherwise it would easily collapse while traveling.

The wheelbarrow was easy to handle; the armored soldiers just had to push it quickly from inside, having already aimed at the route, and push with all their might.

The archers followed behind, and the archers kept pressing the bowstring with their feet to cock it, watching to see which one of the archers would peek out from the city wall.

A simple hook ladder was set up, hooked onto the city wall, and the armored soldiers were able to attach themselves to it.

In an instant, countless logs and stones rolled down, and the scene became extremely tragic.

Su Wu watched intently as the soldier fell from the height, his body covered in burning oil...

Su Wu remained calm, without even gritting his teeth, and simply said, "Add more drums!"

The drumbeats grew denser and louder.

The soldiers of Wuzhou also rushed forward one after another. Wang Xun stood on the platform behind Su Wu, gritting his teeth. His father was in front of him, and his fellow villagers were also in front of him.

Seeing a dead or wounded person, he would bite harder with all his might.

But then Su Wu suddenly turned his head to look northwest. He guessed, but he knew that Yelü Dashi must be in that direction, not far away!

Xu brought more than a dozen people, while Xu himself only came with three or five people.

Su Wu was right. Not far to the northwest, about two or three miles away, in a clump of grass, Yelü Dashi lay motionless on the ground, his eyes sharp as he watched the scene before him.

Beside him was his trusted confidant, Xiao Wulila, who had followed Yelü Dashi through countless life-and-death situations and would one day become a high-ranking official in the vast Western Liao Dynasty. He would follow Yelü Dashi in everything he did.

It wasn't a dozen or so people, or even three or five; it was just two people.

Xiao Wuli said, "This Song man... this Su Wu, knowing that a large number of reinforcements and cavalry were coming, why did he still attack the city so calmly?"

Yelü Dashi sighed helplessly, "It seems this illusion won't fool him anymore. He's already figured out we don't have many men. This guy is really difficult to deal with..."

Xiao Wulila was puzzled: "He has suffered heavy losses in his cavalry in the northwest, and we have not really shown our faces. He is not fighting on his home ground, but fighting on foreign soil. How can he be so sure that we do not have many men?"

Yelü Dashi thought for a moment and then said, "Firstly, they know we are in a hurry, and secondly, they think our Great Liao is powerless. A smart man cannot be fooled..."

It is also clear that Yelü Dashi had other purposes in mind, not just to hide his whereabouts, but Su Wu did not fall for it.

"Lin Ya, how should we deal with this? Should we really beat him up?" Xiao Wuli asked, frowning.

Yelü Dashi frowned deeply: "This Su Wu doesn't seem to be one to take risks... With 100,000 or 200,000 troops, he's besieging a small city. Such a stubborn strategy suggests he intends to advance step by step. If he continues to advance step by step like this, I'm afraid things will get difficult..."

"Lin Ya is looking for his weakness, and he will surely reveal it eventually!" Xiao Wulila was also an extremely intelligent person.

"Then let's wait and see who can hold their temper!" Yelü Dashi said, but he was very worried.

In fact, from a grand strategic perspective, Su Wu was actually the advantage, and the Liao Kingdom really had little room for maneuver.

If things continue like this, proceeding cautiously step by step without leaving any openings, and fighting all the way to Yanjing City, then Yanjing City will truly be fighting a desperate battle with its back to the wall.

At that time, it was all about the morale of the army. Holding a besieged city was difficult when the country was destroyed and families were destroyed. How could morale be maintained?
Yelü Dashi kept thinking, who else could he rely on? He wondered, could the emperor who had fled to Xijing be trusted?

I also wonder what the Jurchens have been up to lately, whether they are also heading towards Yanjing...

Or... if we hear that the emperor has fled west, should we go after him first?
If that were the case, the Jurchen army could go after the emperor first, and then they could finally catch their breath.

Yelü Dashi lay prone in the grass, his thoughts a jumbled mess...

Looking at the scene before us, the Song soldiers were incredibly brave and fierce as they scaled the walls. Their siege equipment was also truly excellent; those towering siege ladders made scaling the walls as easy as walking on flat ground once they reached the city...

It even seems to be better than the Jurchen's siege tactics...

Xiao Wuli, his eyes bloodshot and teeth clenched, watched his compatriots fight valiantly but felt powerless, watched his homeland fall and felt helpless. He forced out the words through his clenched teeth: "The city is likely to fall..."

Yelü Dashi nodded: "Let's go..."

Xiao Wulila seemed unwilling to leave. He truly hoped for a miracle, that countless armored soldiers would suddenly appear on the city wall and slaughter the Song people, leaving not a single one alive...

Extravagant hope...

"Stop looking, let's go!" Yelü Dashi turned his head and slowly crawled deeper into the grass. There were sharp blades in the grass that cut his cheeks painfully, but Yelü Dashi seemed oblivious and just kept crawling.

Xiao Wulila, unwilling to give up, also turned around and slowly crawled behind Yelü Dashi.

Even with the advantage of weaponry, the city was still under attack, and lives were still being lost.

The fighting on the city walls was incredibly fierce...

Su Wu seemed to be talking to himself: "I don't know who said it, but the people of Yan and Yun will bring food and drink to welcome the king's army..."

Sitting to the side was Zhong Shidao, who frowned upon hearing this. The old man was wise and insightful, seemingly understanding many affairs of the court, and couldn't help but offer a word of advice: "General Su, this war has been launched far too easily..."

Su Wu understood that the old strategist was reminding him to be careful that someone might use this matter to criticize him.

"Didn't we send out a letter urging surrender a couple of days ago?" Su Wu had already taken care of this small matter...

“Alas… this point is probably not enough to demonstrate the benevolence and righteousness of my army…” Zhong Shidao replied.

“My lord, if we are so hesitant, how can we fight this battle?” Su Wu retorted.

He then understood a little more: in history, this battle was fought with such restraint. The historical Zhong Shidao certainly wouldn't have dared to treat the imperial edict like a fart and the officials of the court like a fart, as Su Wu had done.

Zhong Shidao looked worried, then glanced at Su Wu and said, "Commander Xu Su has the Emperor's favor, so he can afford to offer some explanations and rebuttals."

This one sentence highlights the difference: Zhong Shidao doesn't have the emperor's favor like Su Wu does now, so there's no room for Zhong Shidao to argue or defend himself...

Su Wu simply replied, "Just fight according to my orders. When a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Shidao looked at Su Wu and was genuinely shocked. Such words might have been acceptable in the past, but in the Song Dynasty, they had never been heard before. Perhaps in the past hundred years, only Su Wu dared to say such a thing.

"What a magnificent spirit!" Zhong Shidao exclaimed in astonishment.

Su Wu remained silent, only watching as more and more Song soldiers climbed the city walls. The small city, with only 1,700 or 1,800 Liao soldiers, could not stop the advance of 80,000 men.

Su Wu then said, "Prepare the money and take it to the military camp in Wuzhou first. After the battle, we'll reward everyone! Five strings of cash per person first, then we'll discuss the merits." After saying this, Su Wu sometimes wondered when this situation of fighting wars with money, which had existed since the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties period, could be changed.
Su Wu couldn't help but know that perhaps it wouldn't be until the world was at peace...

One can't help but wonder, what methods and approaches can change this situation?
There are only three strategies. Once the country is at peace, the military system and the methods of supervision must be changed. First, we must ensure that the treatment of every soldier is improved, and we must also ensure that everyone's treatment is delivered to them.

Secondly, it was to teach soldiers to read, expand the scale of education throughout society, and even make everyone literate.

Third, there is political and ideological education. This education is not only for the military, but also for the people. Many things are matters between the military and the people. Only when the people support the military and the soldiers love the people can we truly build an army that can fight without heavy rewards and maintain its combat effectiveness for a long time, so that the government does not collapse when its leaders die.

There’s a long way to go!
The sounds of fierce fighting gradually subsided, and on the city walls, Liao flags fell and Song flags rose everywhere.

A small city can be breached in an instant. In the 180-year history of the Liao Dynasty, there were many who died for their country. Weren't those Liao soldiers who fought bravely and died tragically also heroes?

Su Wu, from the bottom of his heart, had no prejudice or discrimination against the people of Yan and Yun.

Furthermore, on a long historical scale, Su Wu also deeply believed that the Liao Dynasty at this moment was China, and the Khitan at this moment was China.

The city gates opened, and the soldiers captured hundreds of prisoners, binding them and driving them out. They were filled with hatred and beat and kicked them relentlessly.

Su Wu also gave an order from the command platform: "The prisoners of Yan and Yun shall not be mistreated. They shall all be released after the battle!"

There is an order that will be delivered by soldiers.

But Su Wu added, "In this battle, the prisoners are worth one more string of cash than the heads!"

Su Wu was worried about many things. He controlled such a big situation, and every word he said was of great importance. This extra string of cash was to prevent the soldiers from having the mentality of being afraid of trouble and preferring to get heads rather than take prisoners. This string of cash was not a lot, but it was still a considerable sum of money.

Su Wu was not worried about anything else, because prisoners of war only existed in victories, and there would certainly be no prisoners during a fierce battle.

Su Wu knew that this battle would only consist of one fierce fight, when he truly faced Yelü Dashi. After that battle, the hardship would be over...

The various armies withdrew their troops and sent men into the city to guard it. The government offices and wealthy households within the city were also to be searched and looted, but it was estimated that not much would be gained. However, Su Wu attached great importance to this matter.

He even held a special meeting at the central command tent to convey to the various armies how to enter and breach the city, which houses should not be trampled, and which doors should be thoroughly looted...

These are all regulations; we should have many strategists draft a formal document to distribute to all armies, and those who disobey should be severely punished!

Hmm... This charter applies equally to both Khitans and Han Chinese!
Be lenient when necessary, and firm when necessary; treat everyone equally.

If Su Wu can still control the affairs of Yan and Yun in the future, he should make great changes to the household registration system, so that the Khitans and Xi people can all become Han citizens. Su Wu can do what the Mongols did a hundred years later, which is truly beneficial to the unity of the nation at present.

Once the battle is over, they will set off north again.

As the time for departure approached once again, Su Wu felt a growing sense of tension.

Which unit is in front, which is behind, which is in the middle, and which unit is escorting the logistical supplies?

How should the cavalry patrol forward and backward, and to what distance should each unit close in?

Su Wu planned and decided on everything, big or small, all for one purpose: to prevent Yelü Dashi from having even the slightest opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

At this moment, Yelü Dashi must also be anxious, eager to find a weakness, like a poisonous snake in the grass, wanting only to come up and bite.

If he were to actually bite us and then calmly retreat, morale would plummet, and people would become paranoid.

At that time, the "fear of Liao" inherent in the genes of these Song people under Su Wu's command will probably flare up.

The more fiercely Yang Keshi shouted at that moment, the more cowardly he would become after being thoroughly beaten.

This includes people like Liu Yanqing.

At that time, the Liao people's confidence would be off the charts. They would probably look down on the Southerners. If they were to win a battle, Yanjing City would be even more difficult to capture. Although Yanjing City only has 30,000 soldiers defending it, there are still quite a few able-bodied men in the city...

Historical battles have proven this point. During the second campaign against Liao, the Song army had already entered Yanjing City, and the women in Yanjing City were fighting in the streets. However, the Song army was still cowardly, which led to the failure of their campaign.

On second thought, if Su Wu and Yelü Dashi were to win this battle, a hard-fought victory would bring immense confidence to everyone, and the "fear of Liaodong" that had lasted for over a century would surely be cured immediately.

Even when facing the Jurchens, one should have a relatively confident mindset.

The real difference between people lies in their hearts.

This also shows how significant this battle is.

This also shows how much pressure Su Wu was under at this time.

The army marched cautiously, step by step. Su Wu's military orders were constantly being given, with instructions, admonitions, and even reprimands coming back and forth. Anyone who was a little slow or a little fast was not allowed to advance.

Even Su Wu's scouts were reduced in number, with many being used to monitor the marching of his own troops, which facilitated the execution of Su Wu's step-by-step strategy.

Su Wu himself did not realize that his ability to command tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops had become increasingly proficient and effortless.

Zhuozhou City is not far away, only about a hundred miles away.

Under Su Wu's strict control, the army moved very slowly, taking three whole days to arrive.

Meanwhile, Su Wu's army was setting up camp in an orderly manner.

Not too far away, Yelü Dashi's brows furrowed without ever relaxing.

There were still only two people, Yelü Dashi and Xiao Wulila, still lying on the ground, watching the Song army from afar.

Xiao Wulila was already losing his composure and said, "If this continues, Zhuozhou is likely to fall as well. Once Zhuozhou falls, that treacherous Su Wu will surely continue his marching in the same way, without making any mistakes. Are we really just going to give up? Are we just going to sit and watch that treacherous Su Wu besiege Yanjing all the way? If he really reaches Yanjing, then the situation will be more or less hopeless..."

Despite his suppressed tension and worry, Yelü Dashi spoke calmly: "No rush, let's wait. There are many soldiers in Zhuozhou, three or four thousand. If we add the temporarily recruited men, there will be several thousand. The city cannot be easily breached. As long as we fight a protracted battle, the Song rebels will surely reveal their weaknesses!"

"That's for the best..." Xiao Wulila said dejectedly, "Lin Ya, this Su Wu... he's truly a great commander. He seems to really know what we're thinking, and he can control such a bloated army so flawlessly. Alas... if it really doesn't work out, then we'll just have to fight to the death. If we die, so be it. It's better to die. Our Great Liao... even the emperor has fled. If we die, we can kill a few more people. That won't be a loss..."

"You bastard! What nonsense are you spouting? I'll chop off your dog's head and use it as a sacrifice to the flag!" Yelü Dashi shouted, then added, "If you say that again, you won't even gain anything before you die. The more this happens, the more calm and collected you must be. If we both lose heart like this, what are we still doing here? We might as well run away!"

“Lin Ya, that’s not what I meant. I will not run away. I will die standing!” Xiao Wulila argued again.

"Shut up! There will always be a chance. Whoever can hold their breath will have a chance!" Yelü Dashi said sternly, but how could he be so sure in his heart? If he really thought about it, how could he support himself? He probably thought the same as Wulila: if all else fails, then killing one is enough, killing two is a bonus.

Since we can't escape, this is the only way: hold on, hold on until the very last moment.

Under the city of Zhuozhou, once the camp was truly established, Su Wu repeatedly rode out to inspect it. Only after several inspections did he feel somewhat at ease. Hadn't Su Wu spent these three days in constant anxiety?

Then came the central command tent, where all the generals sat.

After several exchanges of words, Yang Keshi still wanted to try again: "Commander Su, if we are to be the first to charge again, it's time for me to go... My men have been making a ruckus for a while now. If I hadn't kept them in check, things would have really gotten out of hand..."

This is a common trick used in the military. They use the same excuse to ask for money, and they didn't expect that they would use the same excuse to ask for permission to fight.

Su Wu ignored him completely, and said with a dark face, "We will not attack the city; we will wait five days!"

Yang Keshi opened his eyes wide in disbelief. At this time, the army had enough timber, and even many small machines had been disassembled and brought along. They could be assembled, and the construction of large machines would not be slow either.

Why do we have to wait another five days?
The crowd was filled with doubt, and even Zhong Shidao asked, "Commander Su, do you have other plans in mind?"

Su Wu nodded: "I do have a plan in mind. Tonight I will write a proper letter of persuasion to surrender, and even send an envoy into the city to persuade the people there."

Su Wu's words were not false; the people in the city resented Guo Yaoshi, the doctor in charge of the army.

Historically, Guo Yaoshi surrendered to the Song Dynasty, although he later switched sides. However, he was clearly someone who could be won over.

However, it was difficult to persuade Guo Yaoshi at this moment, as everything had been brought forward under Su Wu's plan.

In the Song-Liao Yan-Yun War, the first battle resulted in a major defeat, and only the second battle yielded some results. Guo Yaoshi did not surrender immediately; he only surrendered in the second battle. This fellow was a man who could assess the situation and act accordingly.

Assessing the situation is one thing, but it also comes at a price. It's inevitable that we'll have to negotiate and bargain. If the city falls without a fight, that would be the best outcome.

The city where Zhuozhou was located was Fanyang, and this is the city of Fanyang.

What is Fanyang? A vital town of the Tang Dynasty. The An Lushan Rebellion began in Fanyang, and the war drums of Yuyang shook the earth as An Lushan marched from here to Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty…

Before Su Wu lay a strategically important military stronghold, a fortified city that had been vital for centuries.

Guo Yaoshi and the resentful army within the city were also skilled warriors.

This matter needs to be delayed. Even though everyone present is thinking about quickly attacking the city and making contributions, Su Wu still wants to put it off.

Everyone was surprised to hear that Su Wu had suddenly become so interested in persuading people to surrender.

Wu Song and the others didn't care; they would just listen to their brother anyway.

Yang Keshi, needless to say, and Liu Yanqing, also looking puzzled, said, "Commander Su, if we're going to be so calculating, isn't it a bit too much of a drag? I... I'm genuinely worried that the Jurchen army might enter Yanjing first..."

Liu Yanqing's words represented the voices of many people, and many eyes were looking expectantly at Su Wu.

Su Wu waved his hand: "I have received a secret report that the Jurchen troops are no longer heading towards Yanjing, but have gone towards Xijing Datong. They have gone west, precisely to pursue Yelü Yanxi. In that case, we are much more at ease."

The entire audience was shocked again. Zhong Shidao asked incredulously, "Commander Su, do you really have such timely news?"

Obviously, this is quite unimaginable. As Zhong Shidao said, this is real-time news. Unless Su Wu had a trusted person personally watching over the area north of Yanshan and then riding a fast horse back through the Liao Dynasty's official roads, it would be impossible to have such accurate information.

If that's the case, then the planning and preparations that Coach Su made for this battle were beyond imagination and beyond compare.

Su Wu nodded solemnly: "Indeed, this news must be true!"

Zhong Shidao looked at Su Wu again and bowed, saying, "Commander Su is truly admirable. Of all the battles I've fought in my life, only Commander Su's methods are the most astonishing."

Zhong Shidao had served countless commanders and superiors, but he had never seen anyone like this before.

Su Wu said no more, but glanced around and saw that everyone looked at him with admiration. Su Wu was very satisfied and nodded, "All departments shall proceed according to this plan and not say anything more!"

Su Wu clearly did this on purpose. He wanted to plant a seed in everyone's hearts that Su Wu's methods of planning and using troops were so brilliant that they were unparalleled and no one in the world could match them!

what is this?
Perhaps, this is a deterrent!
Regardless of what specific effect this deterrent will have in the future...

However, Su Wu was also in trouble in the distance behind him. He had just arrived in Xiongzhou and was talking with Tong Guan and Tan Zhen.

Tan Zhen was rebuking Su Wu, not Tong Guan: "You've already attacked the city? Guiyi City has already been captured, and you've killed 1,200 or 1,300 enemies? How could you attack the city so quickly? The Emperor's edict says that if you can avoid fighting, you should. How could you launch an attack so soon? Where did Su Wu put the Emperor's edict? If this gets back to the capital, what will become of us? Will the officials of the court and the Emperor be heartbroken? Where will the benevolence and righteousness of our Great Song Dynasty and the Emperor's virtue be placed? How dare you be so audacious?"

(Brothers, I hope you have an early update soon...)
(End of this chapter)