Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 250 It really was Song cavalry!
Su Wu had seen the Imperial City of Yanjing before. When Su Wu rode his horse to the gate of the Imperial City, there were still many soldiers guarding it.

But then a man "just happened" to ride up at that moment, shouting and ordering: "Privy Councilor, you all withdraw, replace the guards with others to defend the capital..."

The Liao soldiers at the gate began to line up and retreat, while many others looked on with puzzlement at the approaching cavalry.

Su Wu nodded to the approaching rider, who then charged directly towards him.

Su Wu was giving orders: "Send several teams to guard the four gates, and also send people to patrol the city walls."

Wu Song stood by, ready to obey orders as soon as they were given.

The knight had already reached Su Wu. Su Wu recognized him; he was a general who followed Yelü Dashi, but Su Wu did not know his name. He simply looked him over and saw Yue Fei and Fan Yun beside him spur their horses forward to stop him. Su Wu waved his hand and told the man to come closer.

The visitor did offer a bow, but his tone was truly unfriendly: "Master Su, we will definitely return in the future!"

Is that all?
Su Wu smiled and asked, "What is your name?"

"I am Xiao Wulila, and we will definitely return one day!" Xiao Wulila's sorrow was different from others; it was not a tearful outburst with red eyes, but rather a fierce expression as he spoke these words to Su Wu.

What would Su Wu answer if asked this question?
Su Wu still smiled and nodded: "I hope so! When you go to Xijing, fight against the Jurchens, and defeat them, I hope you will return..."

Xiao Wulila nodded, seemingly agreeing with Su Wu's words, and rode away with a determined look on his face.

Su Wu didn't care or take it seriously. The Jurchen army was heading towards Xijing Datong. The great battle of Xijing would begin soon. Yelü Yudu, the former commander of the Liao Dynasty's eastern army, would be the vanguard in the attack on Xijing.

This was also a bitter battle. At this moment, the Jurchens were filled with an insatiable desire for revenge. For the Jurchens, the great mission was about to be accomplished. With one last effort, they could sweep away the hatred and shame accumulated over generations.

Only after accomplishing these things will the Jurchen Jin Dynasty truly begin its transformation into a nation, an empire.

In other words, it was only then that the Jin Dynasty truly began to manage the country it had founded, to truly improve its systems and institutions, and even to appoint Han Chinese to official positions, to promulgate proper laws, and to establish a proper tax system...

They even had to start promoting their own temporarily created script...

Even within the Jurchen ethnic group, people began to adopt Han names, and some cultured Jurchens would even give themselves a courtesy name.

They even began to establish ancestral temples and introduce Buddhist and Taoist temples...

In other words, at this time, the Jurchens could not be considered a complete state, but rather a military force.

Soon after, the Jurchens truly began to resemble a nation, engaging in serious diplomacy and developing a genuine international diplomatic perspective, gradually turning their attention southward.

Su Wu watched Xiao Wulila's departing figure, then looked at the cavalrymen leaving all around, and gazed at the empty gates of the Liao Dynasty's Yanjing Imperial City. For a moment, he couldn't help but sigh.

The sound of horses' hooves clattering twice echoed crisply on the bluestone slabs of the imperial city.

Su Wu rode his horse into the imperial city, looking around. In fact, in terms of style, the architecture of the Liao imperial city was not much different from that of the Song dynasty.

In comparison, the Liao capital city appears somewhat empty and monotonous. It's not that the Liao capital city was smaller than the Song capital city, but rather that there's a difference in the level of detail and refinement, even in the different styles and landscapes...

Grand halls, one after another; eunuchs and palace maids with puzzled expressions...

They watched as hundreds of armored cavalrymen entered from outside the palace and walked on the square of the main hall, not even dismounting but sitting upright on their horses.

An old eunuch stepped forward, his face somewhat imperious: "Which department are you from? How dare you ride horses in the Imperial City?"

Su Wu was not angry, but simply said in a low voice: "Gather all the people in the imperial city and keep them under guard!"

"Understood!" Fan Yun dismounted, and a group of men followed suit.

The old eunuch was both shocked and confused, and asked, "What's going on? What's going on?"

Fan Yun strode forward and slapped the old man to the ground, saying, "How dare you, you old filthy man, yell at my husband!"

The old man fell to the ground without even groaning; he simply fainted.

Su Wu felt a pang of pity, and continued forward in his horse stance, but waved his hand, saying, "Fan Yun, there's no need for this..."

"Oh!" Fan Yun's "Oh" was delivered with a firm and resounding tone.

Then, shouts and cries could be heard one after another. It was the soldiers driving away the palace maids and eunuchs. No matter how gentle they were, they couldn't escape being whipped with guns and beaten with fists and feet...

Behind it was a grand hall, with four gilded characters on a plaque inside that read "Unifying the Primordial Threshold." Emperor Yelü Chun sat beneath the plaque, yet he could hear what sounded like shouts and screams coming from afar.

He got up and looked outside, but didn't see anything. He then asked those around him, "What's all the commotion? Go and see!"

A dozen or so close guards were also present, and some of them went out to look at the main hall ahead.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Li Chuwen looked outside. Although he couldn't see anything yet, his expression darkened slightly, and he sighed helplessly...

Consort Xiao Puxian seemed to notice the Prime Minister's sigh and asked, "What is troubling you, my lord?"

Li Chuwen shook his head: "It is a tragic matter!"

"Why are you so sad, my lord?" Xiao Puxian asked again.

Li Chuwen did not answer immediately, but turned to look at the guards who had run out in the square in front of the hall. After a short while, the figures of knights appeared on the left and right sides of the hall in front of him. One or two armored knights slowly appeared from the corner.

Following Li Chuwen's gaze, Xiao Puxian immediately asked, "Where are these troops? How did they get into the imperial city?"

Upon hearing this, the emperor took a few steps forward, and as his view broadened, he saw everything around him. He immediately asked, "The war has not been this urgent. Why are you riding around inside the imperial city?"

The two men were asking questions, naturally directed at Li Chuwen. Li Chuwen was actually feeling very distressed. He looked at the emperor and his wife, speechless for a moment, and lowered his head slightly.

When Emperor Yelü Chun saw Li Chuwen's appearance, his heart tightened, knowing that something bad might be about to happen. He asked again, "Prime Minister Li, what exactly happened?"

Li Chuwen slowly rose to his feet, his voice filled with sorrow: "Your Majesty, Consort, Yelü Dashi and Xiao Gan suffered a crushing defeat outside the city. They led their troops out of the city and headed for Xijing. The city was filled with followers, and this vast city of Yanjing has been surrendered to the Song people. The cavalry that came before the palace were from the Song dynasty!"

"What!" Yelü Chun seemed to freeze on the spot, thinking that he had misheard. He was just celebrating defeating Guo Yaoshi in the hall, and his joy had not yet subsided. How could this happen so suddenly?

Xiao Puxian walked a few steps to the entrance of the main hall, and upon observing the cavalry turning around from the left and right of the front hall, she exclaimed, "They really are Song cavalry!"

Clearly, the armor and weapons of the Song and Liao dynasties are becoming increasingly similar, differing only in details and decorations. They are easily confused from a distance, but the differences become apparent upon closer inspection. Even the equipment of the Jin people today is similar.

The emperor hurried to the entrance of the main hall, his hands fell limply to his sides, and he seemed utterly deflated. With a sob in his voice, he cried out, "Prime Minister Li, what is the reason for this?"

Li Chuwen was also walking out, filled with sorrow: "Why... Your Majesty, what else could it be? The Song army had 80,000 vanguard troops, tens of thousands of auxiliary troops, and hundreds of thousands more in the rear. Yelü Dashi and Xiao Gan were defeated in battle, and Yanjing could not be defended. They made peace with the Song and obtained their terms, so they went west..."

Xiao Puxian turned around and said, "I will lead my own troops and fight them to the death!"

“Alas… Yelü Dashi could not win against Xiao Gan, so how could the Imperial Concubine win…” Li Chuwen said again.

Outside the hall, the horsemen approached slowly and steadily, with the lead knight bobbing his head and shaking his head as the horse swayed.

The guard who had gone out to check the situation was already stunned and didn't know what to do.

Inside the main hall, the dozen or so guards who had fought in the bloody battle to defend the city were all looking dazed and confused.

Yelü Chun's eyes were truly filled with tears of blood, and he asked, "If that's the case, why did you, Prime Minister Li, insist on letting me ascend the throne? Why did you even send me to this imperial city?"

"Your Majesty, I was unaware that the Song people were so skilled in battle. I also thought that Yanjing still needed to be fought hard to survive!" Li Chuwen answered every question, bowing and clasping his hands, probably feeling extremely ashamed and guilty.

Suddenly, Xiao Puxian strode to the left, drew a sword from the guard's waist, and stood at the entrance of the main hall. She looked left and right and said in a stern voice, "Your Majesty, I will guard the entrance myself. I will fight them to the death!"

These stern words actually prompted several guards to draw their swords and step forward, standing beside Xiao Puxian.

Li Chuwen then stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, let it go... let it go..."

Xiao Puxian, with a truly resolute expression, rebuked him: "Prime Minister Li knew about this all along, yet he still asked for tea and food in the palace. Isn't he just like those treacherous officials and traitors? Why is Prime Minister Li still here? Why doesn't he flee with those scoundrels?"

Li Chuwen shook his head, tears streaming down his face. He bowed deeply, then slowly knelt down, saying, "This old minister will not go anywhere else; I will stay here with Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Yelü Chun shouted, "Your Majesty? Where is Your Majesty? Who among you treats me as the Son of Heaven? You use me as the Son of Heaven, and discard me as worthless trash. Why must you treat me like this? Why?"

Li Chuwen lowered his head and wept, not uttering a word, truly unable to say anything...

But the sound of the knights dismounting from their horses echoed as they were already below the steps of the main hall.

Footsteps echoed from the eunuch's quarters as an iron helmet slowly appeared, rising higher and higher until it stood atop the high platform of the main hall, then moved towards the hall's entrance.

This person was none other than Su Wu. He looked up and glanced into the main hall. What came into view was not the imperial concubine holding a knife at the door, but a gilded plaque inside the hall that read "Understanding the Primordial Threshold".

Only when he lowered his head did he see the imperial concubine holding a knife. Su Wu was not surprised, as Liao at this time was China, which Su Wu recognized in his heart.

Chinese people should be like this. Even if the country is destroyed and the family is destroyed, they should still have a last bit of courage in their bodies. Men and women should be like this!

Then, the imperial concubine actually drew her knife and rushed towards Su Wu.

Su Wu also moved forward, taking his steps slowly and steadily.

The imperial concubine indeed arrived close, raising her waist knife high before bringing it down heavily!
Su Wu remained unmoved, but how could the armored man behind him not step forward? Su Wu simply waved his hand slightly behind his back…

The waist knife slashed down on Su Wu in an instant, making a sharp sound and sending sparks flying.

But then Su Wu said, "That's quite powerful!"

Such a waist knife, how could it possibly cut through a body full of iron armor? A spear, an armor-piercing spike, or even a mace, a great axe, would be a different story…

But then the imperial concubine brandished her knife again. Su Wu reacted swiftly, taking a step forward. In just one step, he closed the distance, grabbing the concubine's forearm that held the knife. And that was the end of it...

Grab her forearm and keep pulling, and the imperial concubine will fall to the side.

Su Wu continued walking, and the armored soldiers behind him went to the imperial concubine, grabbing her and dragging her aside...

There were a few guards at the gate, but they didn't come forward. Li Chuwen rushed out and hurriedly called out, "Don't humiliate this woman, she is a concubine..."

Su Wu nodded to Fan Yun beside him, continued walking forward, and slowly took off his iron helmet, then tucked it under his arm.

Yue Fei had already taken a few steps forward. He didn't need any weapons; he just pushed and shoved left and right a few times, and the entrance to the main hall was cleared without any obstruction.

Su Wu stepped across the threshold and saw only one person, wearing a dragon robe, who said, "I am Su Wu, greetings to Your Majesty!"

Yelü Chun's face wasn't filled with panic, but rather with tears and sorrow. He nodded but didn't answer. He simply turned and walked away slowly.

Su Wu did not stop him, nor did he think about how to humiliate the Liao emperor. He simply watched him ascend the high platform step by step, slowly sit down on the dragon throne that held the reins of power.

Su Wu sighed and went away...

There is no need to humiliate the Liao emperor; it would be detrimental to the people's morale, the Khitan people's allegiance, and the future small deals and cooperation with Yelü Dashi.

Su Wu then stepped forward and ascended the high platform. Once there, he stood beside Yelü Chun and said, “Your Majesty has indeed ascended the throne legitimately, and you were appointed to this position during a time of crisis. The Song and Liao are brotherly nations with a century-long alliance. The current situation is not the fault of the Song, but rather the fault of the Liao’s incompetence and the Jurchens’ tyranny. I urge Your Majesty to move to Tokyo and stay for a while. Would that be acceptable?”

There are countless examples in history books on how to deal with a deposed emperor. Just follow them. Zhao Ji was not a cruel person. When Yelü Chun arrived in Dongjing, he was given a dukedom and treated with great courtesy.

Emperor Huizong wouldn't even deign to bestow upon him a title, such as the Duke of Anle, which he would never grant.

Yelü Chun sat upright on the dragon throne, and said nothing more than, "Just keep killing..."

Su Wu shook his head, ignoring the question, and instead brought up another topic: "How about Your Majesty takes me to see the ancestral temple of the Liao Dynasty?"

"I...I am ashamed before my ancestors. How can I face them in the ancestral temple?" Yelü Chun replied.

Su Wu then said, “You are innocent. The fault lies not with you, but with Yelü Yanxi. You and your husband are perhaps the last backbone of the Liao Dynasty in Yanjing. Let’s go, let’s go see… When you ascended the throne, you must have offered sacrifices at the ancestral temple. No matter what, no matter what has happened, you should report to your ancestors, shouldn’t you? Perhaps, in the future, your family will gradually decline, and the incense at the ancestral temple will slowly disappear. If you don’t go see now, if you don’t report now, once you go to Tokyo, I’m afraid you will never return…”

As he spoke, Su Wu turned and descended the steps to the side.

Li Chuwen, standing below the high platform, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Looking at Su Wu, a true gentleman, Li Chuwen's guilt over the matter of the Southern Alliance had lessened considerably.

Su Wu descended from the high platform without urging anyone, and simply looked up to wait for Yelü Chun on the platform.

Xiao Puxian was also released and entered the main hall. She hadn't been crying, but tears still streamed down her face. The couple exchanged a glance. Yelü Chun raised his hand to beckon, "My beloved consort, come up here!"

Xiao Puxian, the virtuous lady, went up to the high platform. Yelü Chun patted the dragon throne and said, "My beloved consort, please sit!"

Xiao Puxian shook her head and didn't say anything.

Yelü Chun spoke: "I hereby issue this final imperial edict: I decree that virtue and imperial grace must originate in the palace, that virtue and grace should be recorded in history, and that the mother's example should serve as a model for the nation. I hereby bestow upon you, Imperial Noble Consort Xiao, of noble lineage, descended from the Gao family, a woman of auspicious birth, who has been diligent and frugal in the inner palace, devoted to filial piety, and risked her life in times of crisis. Therefore, I hereby appoint you as Empress! Respectfully yours!"

In an instant, Xiao Puxian burst into tears!
Below the high platform, Li Chuwen knelt down again: "This old minister accepts the decree, all officials bow in submission! Greetings to the Empress!"

Xiao Puxian knelt before the emperor, but could not utter a word: "Thank you... thank you..."

Yelü Chun smiled at Xiao Puxian and reached out to help her up: "Sit, sit next to me!"

Xiao Puxian indeed got up and sat down.

Inside the main hall, a dozen or so guards, Li Chuwen, and even the Empress and the Emperor were all weeping...

Su Wu is still waiting...

Finally, Yelü Chun wiped away his tears, stood up, lowered his head, and went down the steps. The couple, supporting each other, slowly walked over.

Su Wu nodded, and waited for the couple to come down before leading the way. Li Chuwen was by his side, and several hundred armored soldiers followed them toward the ancestral temple.

The ancestral temple still burns with incense, and the ever-burning lamps shine brightly.

One by one, from first to last, countless memorial tablets, along with ministers who were to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, flanked on either side.

Yelü Chun knelt and spoke, muttering countless words, while Su Wu stood by.

Yelü Chun spoke with great emotion at times, and at others he wept bitterly…

After an unknown amount of time, Yelü Chun slowly finished speaking, and knelt there motionless.

Su Wu said, "That was not the last imperial edict. I would like to trouble Your Majesty to issue another edict to proclaim to the people of Yan and Yun, and to all the Khitans under heaven, that Liao was originally a successor of Tang, and Song was also a successor of Tang. We are brother states. Liao has lost its legacy, and Song will defend it to bring peace to all people!"

With such courteous treatment, witnessed by the ancestors of the Khitan people, surely it wasn't coercion? It should be reasonable, right? And these ancestors should be able to accept it, shouldn't they?
Su Wu racked his brains for the sake of the Yan-Yun region, for the people of Yan-Yun, and even for the Khitan people, all for one reason: he absolutely could not allow the people of Yan-Yun to become the dogs and horses driven by the Jurchens in the blink of an eye, as history had shown.

We must be of one mind and help Su Wu bravely resist the foreign enemy!

Yelü Chun turned to look at Su Wu and said only, "Let Prime Minister Li handle it!"

It seems this courteous treatment wasn't entirely without purpose...

Su Wu then asked, "Is Your Majesty willing to summon your ministers again?"

This is to allow Yelü Chun to personally explain further...

Yelü Chun shook his head: "No need... Let's go to Tokyo, it's better to leave this place!"

"Then so be it..." Su Wu nodded, not insisting.

If he was unwilling, so be it. Su Wu still had his ways. When he set off for Tokyo, he simply spread the news and had his officials and the people of Yanjing come to see him off!
At that time, just kneel and shout, and Yelü Chun should lift the carriage curtain to take a look and say a few words. As long as he says a few words, no matter what he says, the meaning will be achieved.

How will we promote it then?

They only spread rumors that the emperor had gone to Song to see his brothers, claiming it was a sign of the brothers' unity!

When the time comes, make a grand spectacle of it all. Just pick out the best-looking eunuchs and palace maids from the imperial city and bring them along. Use the imperial carriage and dragon chariot to carry them, and have the emperor's six chariots pull them. Just give them the utmost face and respect.

When the time comes, the people will weep, the emperor will weep, they'll all just cry together...

The more you cry, the better!
Li Chuwen was standing nearby, and Su Wu spoke to him directly: "Then I will trouble you, Prime Minister Li, to draft an imperial edict, recounting the calamities caused by the Jurchens, the sorrow of the country's destruction and the loss of the family, and then discussing the affairs of our brotherly country..."

Li Chuwen nodded: "Since it has come to this, I only hate the Jurchens. If it is to avenge them, I will certainly help them as much as possible!"

"The imperial edict has been written. Let me take a look. Alright, then I won't bother you any longer. Minister Li, please stay by His Majesty's side and offer some guidance. I'll be leaving the palace now. Rest assured, there will be no disturbances within the palace!"

Su Wu bowed respectfully to those around him and then left.

The emperor will stay in the ancestral temple for a long time.

Su Wu went out and instructed his men to summon Yan Qing. Since the imperial city also needed to be guarded, he ordered Yan Qing to bring his men to keep an eye on things.

Outside the imperial city, soldiers guarded the area.

As for the money and valuables in the imperial city, there's no rush. First, sort out the accounts of the inner court and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, then take inventory. There's no need to rush to move them; we'll just wait until the emperor leaves before we really get around to it.

The noble families in Yanjing City weren't in a hurry; they would figure each family out first and proceed slowly...

Just for the sake of a decent life.

Valuable items are always heavy, and noble families can't take much with them when they flee. Even when Yelü Dashi left, he didn't have time to loot everything; he also had to take war supplies with him.

Those whose homes were unclaimed soon found themselves digging three feet into the ground after their initial respectability had faded.

Those households that still have owners, if they are still usable, can be let off the hook for now, allowing time to pass. But if they are unusable or unusable, there are plenty of other methods...

Will you donate or not? Please subscribe to the "Anti-Enemy Donation".

To pay taxes or not? How about a customized "city defense tax"?
What? No money? Have you colluded with the enemy? Have you ever corresponded with people outside the Great Wall? Have you ever done business outside the Great Wall?
You don't know any of them? Do you know Yelü Yudu? Do you know Yelü Yudu's family, relatives, or even his servants?

Su Wu's mind raced with these thoughts; he was thinking about them even while walking.

I even thought about setting up a special department to do this, since there are dozens of prefectures and counties in Yanyun, it's a huge undertaking!

It couldn't be too fast, but it also couldn't be too slow. Su Wu knew he wouldn't be here for long. During this time, he would comb through the homes of wealthy and powerful people in various places.

As for how much money he could recover, Su Wu himself had no idea.

Su Wu also thought that while doing this, he should also do another thing, which was to open granaries in various places and distribute grain. If there was not enough grain, he should buy it from the Song Dynasty. Every ordinary household should send grain, even if it was only half a dou or three liang of grain. This should be done, not in terms of quantity, but in terms of the form.

They also had to publicize it, saying that it was obtained from wealthy families and that it was all given to the people of Yanyun to eat.

If there's enough time, get a foot or two of hemp cloth and send some to every household...

This deal is guaranteed to be profitable! It couldn't be more respectable...

Who should we entrust this task to?

The first name that popped into Su Wu's mind was Wu Yong.

After leaving the imperial city, I rode my horse through the streets of Yanjing. It was already dark, and soldiers from Su Wu's army patrolled the city. There was a curfew tonight.

Yelü Dashi had already walked an unknown distance.

As soon as Su Wu left the palace, he immediately came to say, "Mr. Xu, take some men to the Privy Council's office and keep an eye on things. We need to see the imperial edict first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Understood!" Xu Guanzhong replied immediately.

Su Wu continued, “Gentlemen, please come with me to the Yanjing government office for a meeting. Tomorrow morning, once the imperial edict arrives, Mr. Xu will copy it in the Privy Council and affix the emperor's seal. Each department will then deploy its troops, first to the north, then the east, and then the south, to the prefectures, counties, and all the cities. Go quickly. Once the imperial edict arrives, open the city gates and enter to oversee the military and reorganize the troops in each city. For any cities that are not open to the emperor, report back immediately by fast horse and send troops to attack!”

Su Wu spoke urgently, which indicated that the matter was urgent.

"Understood!" The generals bowed and came forward.

Of all the things, this one is the most urgent, followed by reporting the victory to Tong Guan of Xiongzhou, and then there is the matter of rewarding the troops. Nothing is unimportant.

The victory report must be written carefully, as it will eventually be sent to Tokyo. Even if the matter is accomplished, the officials in Tokyo will undoubtedly find fault with it...

in fact……

Many people, even everyone, did not know what Su Wu was truly thinking at that moment.

Su Wu was actually looking forward to it, looking forward to those nitpicking things.

But he couldn't expect anything outwardly; he had to handle his duties diligently.

After just one night, all the tasks Su Wu had instructed were in operation, and Su Wu's team was highly efficient.

Su Wu had also read the imperial edict and was extremely satisfied. Li Chuwen was capable of handling things and made countless copies. While the Privy Council was copying them, soldiers were waiting at the door. Once a copy was completed, it would be sent out, and a group of people would head towards the prefectural capital.

Even Xin Xingzong was assigned a task, which meant he also received some credit, even if it wasn't much.

Report the victory to Tong Guan, and also invite Tong Guan to Yanjing. He should also ask Tong Guan to send those unusable troops to garrison various prefectures and cities, and replace them with them.

Even going forward, it will be more necessary to employ local people from Yan and Yun. In this era, it is not very realistic to use soldiers to guard the borders in other places for extended periods.
However, it was possible during the Han and Tang dynasties. It was common for Han soldiers to be away from home for several years to guard the border, and many Tang soldiers who participated in long marches were also volunteers. There were even tragic cases where soldiers spent their entire lives guarding the border and could not return home, yet they still fought hard to defend it.

But in the Song Dynasty, this wasn't very realistic. If soldiers didn't return home for an extended period, they would inevitably riot. In the Song Dynasty, that meant Hebei people had to guard Hebei, Shaanxi people had to guard Shaanxi… and eventually, it would be Yan-Yun people guarding Yan-Yun…

Short-term deployments are possible during wartime, but this is the only way for long-term garrisoning.

I don't know what the reasoning is...

These matters are not for Su Wu to worry about for the time being; it is Tong Guan who is still in charge and should be the one to worry.

Throughout Yanjing, notices to reassure the people were posted all over the streets, each with two copies: one was a copy of the imperial edict, and the other was issued in Su Wu's name. The words of the imperial edict were self-evident.

Su Wu's words were nothing more than first mentioning the century-long friendship between the brotherly states, then saying that all Han people under heaven are one family, the Khitan are also good brothers, then the Xi people are also good brothers... and finally inevitably, he would treat everyone equally, all of them are Song citizens, and he would not harm them in the slightest. However, if any soldiers or Han people caused trouble, they should just report it to the government office, and they would be severely punished without exception, and so on...

The streets gradually came alive with people. Those who could read looked at the notices, and for those who couldn't, people would call out and read them to them from the street corners...

The people on the street were a diverse bunch: some were panicked, some were confused, and some were simply bewildered...

But everyone knows one fact: Yanjing now belongs to the Song Dynasty!

The soldiers patrolling the streets truly did not commit any offenses, and there was not even a sound of scolding or cursing...

This was due to the strict military orders imposed by Su Wu, and also to the continued effect of Su Wu's rewards.

Those who were supposed to do business did business, and those who were supposed to do work did work. Inside Yanjing City, everyone was doing what they were supposed to do, and the city gates were open...

Some of the ordinary people who had fled in the beginning began to return to the city and go home...

This city, with a population of three to four hundred thousand, might only take three to five days to reach three hundred thousand people, and it would still be an incredibly prosperous metropolis.

It seems like everything is in transition, yet it also seems like there was never any real transition...

Inside Xiongzhou City, the fast horse had been galloping for two days, and the good news was finally about to arrive.

Tong Guan was still gazing north from the city tower, deeply worried: "I wonder how the battle is going. Ziqing, Ziqing, you absolutely cannot make a mistake!"

Tan Zhen, standing to the side, said, "The Grand Chancellor comes here to look into the distance every day. That Su Ziqing is really ignorant. If I were on the front lines, I would report every morning and every afternoon! Report if there's anything to report, and report even if there's nothing to report!"

Tong Guan agreed with Tan Zhen, but then added, "Perhaps the war is too urgent... leaving no time for anything else..."

Tan Zhen then laughed: "Prime Minister, I truly envy you, I envy you so much..."

Tong Guan suddenly turned to look at Tan Zhen, his brows furrowing slightly: "The person who accepted my mission, it might really be you..."

Tan Zhen waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, how could I dare to think such a thing? The Grand Councilor is too kind!"

Tong Guan didn't say much, because he could already see fast horses galloping towards him from the north outside the city. He shouted, "Someone, stop him from coming up to the city wall! Go and tell him... I'm right here!"

(Brothers, let's work hard to reach 8,000!)
(End of this chapter)