Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 255 Brother, how should we report military intelligence falsely?

The household registration, military registration, and social status of the Yan-Yun region, as well as the books and documents of the former Liao Dynasty court, and even maps, are all being collected and organized.

Su Wu also sent Xu Guanzhong with many officials to handle the data, especially the maps of Liaodong and other places outside the pass, as well as the maps of the grasslands and the distribution of tribes. All of this data was packed up and taken away, and backups were to be made for the future.

Then those soldiers also need to be reorganized. The court will send many officials, but they won't arrive for a while. Many officials and clerks will be people from the Liao Kingdom. The system will be maintained for the time being, which will also be beneficial to many things.

As for what happens next, Su Wu need not worry about it; the Privy Council, the Secretariat, and the Ministry of Personnel will take care of it.

money!
Wu Yuhou's methods for making money are obvious; he even has the initiative. To improve efficiency, his approach in Yanjing is quite brutal: he simply sends out invitations to people one by one, then uses both soft and hard tactics...

The specific procedures were simple, involving anti-enemy donations, city defense taxes, military allowances, and apportionments.

To be more efficient, just find someone with a confrontational attitude to make an example of, and charge them with one crime: treason! Once the example is made, the goal will be achieved with half the effort.

They would take whatever they wanted, first some, then some more, then some more still, and so on...

While the people in Yanjing were still demanding more, Wu Yong led a group of men to Zhuozhou. He went through the same process again, first using both soft and hard tactics to make an example of someone, and then he could directly hand over the task to the local government. He would go to ask for more each time, and each time the amount would be smaller and smaller.

If another conflict arises, just send an official with a squad of soldiers to make the trip again.

Wu Yong went from city to city, and that's how he ended up...

The money was transported box by box to the military camp outside the city, and Su Wu began to distribute the money.

They simply summoned all the generals and officers and divided the spoils in person.

First, divide the money by headcount, giving each person ten or twenty strings of cash. Then, divide it by servants, and the amounts are roughly the same.

The money was first distributed to the soldiers, and then to the generals to manage their troops. It was inevitable that they would spend two or three million strings of cash at a time.

Su Wu was willing to give them, because he would need them to serve him to the death in the future. He also said that he would distribute the money again before leaving, depending on how much money came in later.

In total, at least four or five million strings of cash would be taken. However, this amount is not much compared to what Su Wu gained from the Yan-Yun campaign. It was only because of Wu Yong's recent actions that Su Wu gradually came to estimate the amount he would receive from the Yan-Yun campaign, which he estimated to be around seventeen or eighteen million strings of cash.

This number is not actually that many compared to the entire Yanyun Prefecture, simply because Su Wu's attack was not very wide-ranging, and his methods were not particularly ruthless, nor did he really push people to their deaths.

Everyone was overjoyed to receive the money.

Su Wu then said, “Brothers, you may take some, but you must use it more in the army. When we go to war with the Dangxiang, you must not slack off. If I go to the northwest to lead the army and find any unit with poor equipment or low morale, I will punish you brothers. Brothers, don’t blame me then…”

Liu Guangshi then spoke up: "Brother, rest assured, the men under my command have risked their lives, how could we dare to mistreat them!"

Su Wu glanced around and saw that everyone nodded earnestly in agreement.

Su Wu nodded in agreement: "We should expand our manpower and return to our hometown. We should recruit as many good men as we can, and we shouldn't be stingy with money. Once the war starts again, Xingqing Prefecture of the Dangxiang will not be a barren land. It will be different then. We can just confiscate the property of the nobles of the eight Dangxiang tribes one by one!"

Su Wu was just making empty promises, but everyone genuinely believed him. The Dangxiang were different from the Liao. The Liao were brothers, but the Dangxiang were enemies, foreign tribes. Su Wu's words were true; if they could break into Xingqing Prefecture, they would certainly plunder it.

When the time comes, all the brothers will make a fortune, but the premise is that this time the money must be used for practical purposes.

Liu Guangshi answered again: "Brother, I have long wanted to divide the army with Father. When I return this time, I will also take care of this matter. Although we cannot divide the army yet, we must recruit people and expand our military equipment!"

Su Wu nodded and then looked at Yao Pingzhong. Su Wu liked Yao Pingzhong. Although the two did not communicate much, and Yao Pingzhong was not the kind of person to flatter others, in fact, many times, Yao Pingzhong seemed to be a stubborn person, headstrong and headstrong, but Su Wu just liked him.

Then he came and said, "The men of Guanzhong have always been good at fighting. Commander Yao's forces are really a bit short!"

Yao Pingzhong simply nodded and replied, "I'll go back and confess, I'll confess..."

Su Wu simply held out his hand: "Three thousand!"

“Three thousand…three thousand is probably too many…” Yao Pingzhong was also in a dilemma.

Su Wu didn't care about any of that and said seriously, "If I really come to the Northwest, I want to see eight thousand men from Guanzhong under General Yao's command!"

"Understood!" Yao Pingzhong stood up and cupped his hands in greeting.

Su Wu then went to see Xin Xingzong. Su Wu disliked Xin Xingzong somewhat, but he still spoke up: "Xihe is a place where the people are known for their fierce and valiant nature. Although the population is not large, three or four thousand people are really too few. We need at least six thousand!"

Xin Xingzong was deeply moved. He had thought that he would be in trouble and suffer if he joined Su Wu's army, but to his surprise, Su Wu treated him equally when it came to distributing money to reward his soldiers.

Upon hearing Su Wu's words, he rose and bowed, saying, "Yes, sir!"

Su Wu then looked at Yang Weizhong: "Chief Steward Yang, it's also eight thousand!"

"Order!"

Su Wu then went to see Wang Yuan: "Old Steward Wang..."

"I'll say I'm seven thousand..."

Su Wu nodded, then looked at Zhong Shi and said, "Old Master..."

“I am old, but my grandson Yanchong may be of use…” Zhong Shidao said, his meaning self-evident.

Logically speaking, the Zhong family should have soon declined. Zhong Shidao was made a scapegoat in the war against Liao, and Zhong Shizhong died in battle while rescuing Taiyuan after the Jingkang Incident.

This kind of family army, this generation of Zhong family generals who guarded the border, declined in just a few short years and will never rise again, just like the Yang family generals, who disappeared as soon as they were gone.

But now, things have changed. This time, Zhong Shidao didn't become the scapegoat and is still standing strong. So, it's only natural to push out a successor.

Su Wu nodded: "Alright, let's have about eight thousand under Lord Zhong's command. When the time comes, have your grandson come to the army to serve!"

This was an opportunity, and also a favor, so Zhong Shidao cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Commander Su!"

Su Wu then remembered something, looked up and searched around, and found Zhe Kecun, the captain of the Zhe family. He raised his hand and called out, "Captain Zhe!"

Zhe Kecun emerged from behind the crowd, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Commander Su."

Su Wu sighed first, then said, "I have something to tell you!"

"I will definitely get it done!" Zhe Kecun said in a clear voice.

Su Wu then said, "When we get to the Northwest, I'll entrust the matter of Yang Keshi's coffin to you. Also, you'll temporarily take command of Yang Keshi's troops. Those who are capable and willing to stay, you can keep them; those who are unusable and unwilling to stay, you can distribute the money and let them go. Then, recruit more men, and ask for heroes from the Northwest to make up the number of five thousand!"

Su Wu can now make decisions on these matters with a single word, Tan Zhen will not refuse to cooperate, and the Grand Councilor is even less of a concern.

Zhe Kecun was overjoyed upon hearing this and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you for your kind words, Commander Su!"

Su Wu waved his hand and left. He had thought a lot about it and felt that this was the most appropriate way. Arrogant soldiers and fierce generals were actually difficult to manage. If the Wu brothers, Wu Jie and Wu Lin, were to go, they would not be able to keep the situation in check.

But it was much simpler for the Zhe family to go, since the Zhe family was in the Northwest and had a lot of influence.

In other words, it was essentially giving Yang Keshi's fortune to Zhe Kecun to manage.

Su Wu added sternly, "I need this army to be usable. If it proves unusable on the battlefield, do you know the consequences?"

How could Zhe Kecun not know how fortunate he was? How could he not know how important this step was? He simply declared with unwavering conviction: "If we fight against the Tanguts, I am willing to be the vanguard!"

"Good!" Su Wu nodded; this was exactly the state he wanted.

After much back and forth, I've pretty much covered the main points. If a war against the Tanguts were to truly break out, Su Wu would naturally lead troops there, but he wouldn't take infantry; he would only take cavalry to the northwest, and then the troops from various units would be mobilized for his use.

In fact, there are quite a few people in the Northwest, including Liu Zhengyan, son of Liu Fa, Zhe Yanzhi, Zhe Keqiu, Liu Zhongwu, Liu Qi, son of Liu Zhongwu, Yao Gu...

If Su Wu really went to the Northwest, all these people would inevitably have to be under his command. In fact, there were many soldiers and generals. However, those who stayed in the Northwest and did not come out were much poorer than the Northwest generals in front of Su Wu.

Su Wu couldn't help but wonder if these people were the ones who truly wanted him to go to the Northwest. They already knew how generous Su Wu was, and they were only looking forward to seeing their allies get rich. How could they not be anxious?
Perhaps this is the effect we want. Perhaps these hasty generals and soldiers are more effective. Su Wu just needs to put the money in the main tent for everyone to see. Wouldn't everyone be eager to make merits to exchange for it?

They still needed to make money, but the meager sums from the imperial court weren't even enough to buy shit.

Just look at this big tent; everyone who received their share of the money is all smiles.

The gloom in front of me has been swept away quite a bit, and at least for this moment I am very happy.

Liu Guangshi said, "Brother's kindness is truly touching. Even if we achieve little merit and are not rewarded by the court, you would never let us make this trip in vain..."

There was a hint of regret in Liu Guangshi's words. The money was good, it was his brother's kindness, and it would be even better if he could get a promotion.

They just got up, both in front and behind.

"Thank you, Commander Su!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Marshal Su!"

"Commander Su, when we meet again in the future, I will certainly live up to your trust!"

"Only Commander Su truly treats us soldiers like human beings!" These were Yao Pingzhong's words.

"Commander Su..."

"Alright, alright..." Su Wu raised his hands to stop them, saying, "Enough of this small talk. Let's take the money back, distribute the rewards first, and make the boys happy too. Maybe they can even go into the city and buy some things that aren't available in our hometown. That way, they'll be happy on their way home..."

Everyone laughed and nodded.

Su Wu suddenly spoke seriously: "Gambling is strictly prohibited in the army. Anyone caught gambling, no matter where they are, will be severely punished with forty strokes of the cane!"

Su Wu's order was specifically addressed to the various armies in the Northwest. Su Wu's own army already had such a regulation, and gambling had never been found in Su Wu's army.

However, in the Northwest Army, there were actually quite a few people whose morale was not so good. There were many exiled individuals and many local militiamen, so it was normal for the morale to be somewhat poor.

Among them are many who are fond of drinking, gambling, and womanizing, and even quite a few who enjoy fighting and brawling.

Su Wu had only one thought: soldiers earn money with difficulty, and he didn't want to be in debt before he even got home.

This kind of thing happened before in Jiangnan, but Su Wu didn't have time to deal with it then.

This time, please don't be too harsh.

The generals received the order.

Su Wu added, "That would be best. After distributing the money to the soldiers, collect half of it back! The army will be here for some time, so we'll give them the other half when they return home..."

Zhong Shidao nodded: "That is indeed a solution..."

Since Zhong Shidao thought it was okay, Su Wu nodded: "Then let's do it this way!"

The generals then received their orders again!
All that remains is for Yanjing to be bustling with activity...

A few days later, the Jurchen envoys arrived again. This time, not only Gao Qingyi, but also the young Wanyan Wuzhu.

The boy had grown much taller and stronger. Upon seeing Su Wu, he was overjoyed and rushed forward to hug him in the government office.

Su Wu knew that the Jurchens didn't have those respectful bowing etiquettes, so he still went up and hugged them.

The two took their seats in the government office, with Wanyan Wuzhu as the host and Gao Qingyi as the assistant, who also served as the interpreter.

Then Wanyan Wuzhu said, "Brother, it's been so long. I've made many contributions. I used to only have a few strategists, but now I have two fierce warriors."

The term "mouke" actually refers to the organization of a hundred soldiers, roughly two hundred men: one regular soldier and one auxiliary soldier. One hundred regular soldiers make up one mouke.

The earliest soldiers were definitely from the Jurchen people, or even their close relatives, tribes that could communicate with each other. Many of them were recruited from deep in the mountains and forests.

Nowadays, the composition of soldiers has gradually become more complex, and even auxiliary soldiers can be converted into regular soldiers during wartime.

One Meng'an is a team of a thousand people, but in fact, it's more than a thousand. Two Meng'an would have around four thousand people.

Wanyan Wuzhu wasn't actually showing off; he genuinely wanted to share his joy with Su Wu, his elder brother with whom he had once worshipped the gods in the deep mountains and forests.

Su Wu smiled and said, "Not bad, not bad, it seems you have made quite a contribution!"

"Of course, it was those armors my brother gave me that made all the difference. I earned merits one after another with those armors, and now I have more and more armors!"

Wanyan Wuzhu covered his chest and bowed to Su Wu.

Su Wu nodded: "Your great revenge is about to be taken! This is good news!"

Wanyan Wuzhu was extremely excited: "His Majesty the Emperor said that once we truly capture the Liao emperor, our great revenge will be truly achieved."

"You've come to see me, is there anything I can do to help you?" Su Wu asked. Wanyan Wuzhu had come, so he must have something to discuss.

Wanyan Wuzhu nodded: "Yes, I brought gifts for my brother: two hundred horses, some gold and silver items looted from the Liao people, as well as sable furs, ginseng, pearls, and many, many more!"

"I'll give you some gifts too!" Su Wu said with a smile.

“Yes, we need grain. Our Emperor has asked my brother to sell some grain, and the transaction will proceed as before!” Wanyan Wuzhu said earnestly.

Su Wu glanced at Gao Qingyi, whose words were translated and relayed by Gao Qingyi, and then looked at Wanyan Wuzhu.

Aiding the enemy...

Su Wu hesitated in his heart, but nodded, not wanting Wanyan Wuzhu to see his hesitation, and asked, "How much do you need? My army doesn't have much food. I'm feeding over 200,000 soldiers, so I'm afraid we can't spare much."

The Jurchens were clearly short of food, but not military rations. In the past, the Jurchens operated on a plundering model, but now they clearly had a real country, real subjects, and were genuinely considering population and production issues, the so-called sustainable development.

In the past, people and horses ate and ate in the deep mountains. Now, these people and horses from the deep mountains no longer produce for themselves. They go around robbing, and the army is getting bigger and bigger. Originally, they robbed other people's people, but now the people have become their own, and have become a burden.

The population outside the Great Wall was not large to begin with, and after being ravaged by the Jurchens, it became even smaller. The smaller the population, the more precious it is now.

Originally, the Song people should have established a major presence in Yan and Yun. Seeing the situation, the Jurchens no longer considered the Song people a threat and naturally set their sights on Yan and Yun. They figured it wouldn't be long before they invaded Yan and Yun, stormed into Yanjing (Beijing), plundered countless things, solved everything, even took people back to cultivate the land, and sold the remaining Yan and Yun to Tong Guan, thus resolving all their problems. But now that their ally, the Song, had occupied Yan and Yun, and the Song army wouldn't interfere, it was difficult to continue fighting in Yan and Yun. Given their current predicament, how could they not seek help from their ally?
Wanyan Wuzhu then stated bluntly, "I need 100,000 shi first."

Su Wu frowned, shook his head and remained silent, his face showing difficulty.

Wanyan Wuzhu could read the expression, so he said again, "Eighty thousand shi..."

Su Wu still frowned, but he spoke up: "Brother, you don't know, I have never plundered Yan and Yun. There are millions of Han people in Yan and Yun, and I can't bring myself to plunder them. My army's food supplies are all transported from various parts of Song territory. The cost of this is too great to count. I have more than 200,000 men here. You can calculate the daily expenses. I really don't have much..."

"Then... what about 50,000 shi?" Wanyan Wuzhu was both angry and disappointed.

Su Wu shook his head again, only managing to utter one sentence: "Thirty thousand shi..."

Wanyan Wuzhu was also troubled, muttering, "Too little..."

Actually, it's not much. In this era, people's food mainly consisted of staple foods. One shi (石) was more than 100 jin (斤). A real strong man would eat two or three jin (斤) a day. One shi could only support such a person for one or two months at most. If we put 30,000 shi into a population of hundreds of thousands, how long could that last?
Su Wu then said, "For now, this is the most we can offer. Later, once Yan and Yun have stabilized and Yan and Yun have more tax revenue, we can sell some more..."

“Very good, very good…” Wanyan Wuzhu nodded repeatedly.

Before our eyes, the Song and Jin dynasties are not enemies, but allies. In Datong City, battles rage on every day, with mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Su Wu's willingness to sell grain was surely a righteous act in accordance with the brotherhood pact.
Wanyan Wuzhu was not angry. He simply said, "Then let's start with 30,000 shi. Brother, name your price."

Su Wu then stated his price: "I have no shortage of horses, gold, or silver. What I've always lacked is horses, as you know!"

Wanyan Wuzhu frowned and asked, "How many horses does brother need?"

Su Wu thought for a moment and replied, “The grain I transported from Hebei and Jingdong was indeed very expensive. I’m not lying. One shi (a unit of dry measure) would cost at most one guan (a unit of currency) locally, but here it would cost at least four or five guan. If we do a fair trade, I’ll sell you one shi at a loss, even if it’s four guan. I’ll also buy the horses at market price. Good horses are cheap in Yanyun (another region), costing only sixty or seventy guan, but in Hebei, they cost around one hundred guan. I’ll buy them from you at the Hebei price, considering our friendship and the mutual support between allies. So, twenty-five shi in exchange for one horse, is that alright?”

At this moment, Su Wu was utterly sincere. In terms of price, he was truly losing money—he was losing money on both the grain and the horses!
Thirty thousand bushels of grain can be exchanged for twelve hundred fine horses!

Gao Qingyi immediately went to translate. When Wanyan Wuzhu heard this, he also asked Gao Qingyi, "You know the situation. Is what my brother said true?"

Gao Qingyi nodded in agreement: "Indeed, the grain he transported from hundreds of miles away is costly. The price of horses in Yan and Yun in the past was indeed fifty or sixty strings of cash... I don't know much about the exact price in Song, but the price of a horse should be around one hundred strings of cash..."

“You do the math…” Wanyan Wuzhu said.

Gao Qingyi immediately calculated: "One thousand two hundred horses."

When Wanyan Wuzhu came to see Su Wu, his gaze held a complex expression. Both were intelligent men, and Wanyan Wuzhu was one of the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Jurchens. However, things were not as they used to be, and he couldn't help but ponder the long-term implications of his actions...

Although Su Wu couldn't understand their conversation, he had his own approach and simply said, "I'll stay here for another two or three months, after which I'll withdraw my troops and return home. If I have any extra food during these two or three months, just give it to me, brother... Let's keep the same exchange!"

Gao Qingyi hurriedly went to translate, and Wanyan Wuzhu indeed came to ask, "Brother, are you going back to your hometown in two or three months?"

Su Wu nodded earnestly: "Yan and Yun have been conquered. Now, all that remains is for you to take Datong as well and hand it over to me according to the alliance. Once that's done, my mission will be accomplished, and I'll return home. Most of my soldiers are from other places. Having been here for so long, how can they not miss their homes? I'm also newly married at home, haha..."

Wanyan Wuzhu laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Brother, you're newly married? That's good! I really brought a generous gift this time. Just take it as a wedding present. In our area, every household sends gifts for newlyweds..."

"Then thank you very much, brother." Su Wu cupped his hands and said, "I should return the favor. I'll give you another two thousand shi of grain to take back with you."

Wanyan Wuzhu exchanged a few more words with Gao Qingyi. Gao Qingyi then turned to him and said, "My envoy from the Great Jin Dynasty thanks you, brother. I have sent someone to deliver 1,200 fine horses. Brother, please send someone to deliver the grain to the north of Wende City. Is this arrangement acceptable?"

Where is north of Wende City? It's Zhangjiakou!
There, northwest of Yanjing and northeast of Datong, lies the border between the grasslands and the Central Plains, a crossroads and a vital town. It is the area beyond Juyong Pass in the future, and at this very moment, the unspoken edge of Yanyun, the unspoken military demarcation line between the Song army and the Jurchen army attacking Datong.

In the future, it will inevitably become a strategic military location.

Su Wu simply nodded: "Okay!"

"Alright, then I'll head back!" Wanyan Wuzhu was clearly in a hurry to come and go. Even though the battle was raging, he was a fierce general who should have been on the battlefield, but he was suddenly dragged away on a mission. If it weren't for the fact that the person he was coming to see was his former brother Su Wu, he probably wouldn't have come.

Su Wu saw him off, and indeed accompanied him a few steps further away.

This transaction was a huge profit for the Jurchens, but Su Wu also made a fortune. In terms of price, Su Wu seemed to have lost money, but in reality, where could Su Wu buy a usable horse in Hebei?
These days, Su Wu has already bought up all the horses in the area that could be used for fighting. Horses are in high demand but not available in Jingdong, Hebei.

If a merchant were to come along and offer a price of 1,200 horses, Su Wu would have been willing to pay 1,000 strings of cash per horse. He would have spent all his money to buy horses, even if it meant emptying his pockets. What's a mere 100 strings of cash compared to that?

In summary, Su Wu acquired a number of horses from Yelü Dashi this time, not many, only seven or eight hundred, which Su Wu had collected on the battlefield. Wanyan Wuzhu gave him two hundred as a gift, and now he has bought another twelve hundred.

In total, they acquired about two thousand two hundred good horses.

Not enough, far from enough. If he had 30,000 horses on standby under his command, Su Wu would feel that it was barely enough. That's a real 10,000-odd riders.

How many Su Wus do they have now? All together, they barely exceed ten thousand, and the light and heavy cavalry they can equip are only three or four thousand.

There's still a huge gap.

We still have to sell this grain, but we can only do so sparingly.

Su Wu also hoped that Yelü Dashi in the west would help him, and even with 30,000 horses as a long-term plan, it was far from enough.

When going to fight the Tanguts, one can't help but think that the Tangut horses are good and there are quite a few of them.

Furthermore, the Tanguts could also go north to the western part of the grasslands, where the Baidadan tribe was an excellent trading partner.

Mobility on the battlefield is crucial, especially against the Jurchens. Without mobility, one is completely passive. Against the Jurchens at their peak, minor victories are possible, but a major victory is impossible...

Even Yelü Dashi's words, if the Jurchen generals were truly skilled, Su Wu would only be left exhausted from dealing with them and running around for his life.

Oh no, Su Wu is in this predicament again.

The campaign against the Tanguts cannot wait too long.

Actually, there are also some horses in Tokyo, kept in a place called Mutō-gāng in the northwest of Tokyo. There aren't many, only about 10,000 horses of various sizes.

These horses were the nation's last reserves, the reserves of the Imperial Guards in Tokyo, the reserves of horses for the Emperor's ceremonial procession, and the reserves of horses for the Privy Council and many other government offices...

It's probably impossible to get Su Wu.

Historically, these horses never saw action and became spoils of war for the Jurchens.

We need to think of a solution...

They first escorted Wanyan Wuzhu out of the city, chatting casually along the way: "Brother, what are your plans after you conquer Datong?"

Wanyan Wuzhu replied, "After conquering Datong, we will head to the grasslands. There are countless tribes on the grasslands, many of whom are no different from the Liao people. How can we not conquer them!"

"Oh, brother, are you married?" Su Wu asked with a smile.

Wanyan Wuzhu then said, "There are plenty of women in my army. There's no rush to get married. Just focus on making meritorious contributions, and His Majesty will naturally reward you with a good wife!"

"Haha... We're just waiting for the war to end. If you have time, come visit Song and also come to Jingdong to see me. I'll bring some good wine and we'll drink until we're both drunk!"

Su Wu said this.

"Then I will definitely come. If there is really no more war, I will serve as an envoy to visit Song and my brother's home!"

“It’s a deal!” Su Wu said.

"It's a deal!" The sincerity in Wanyan Wuzhu's eyes was genuine.

After seeing them off, Su Wu returned, having already formulated quite a few plans in his mind.

After much deliberation, I decided to invite Liu Guangshi to the government office first.

The two exchanged pleasantries and sat facing each other, dismissing those around them. Liu Guangshi then asked, "What is it, brother?"

Su Wu said, "Brother, I have a big task for you. Do you dare to do it?"

"Brother, just give the order!" Liu Guangshi raised an eyebrow and opened his eyes wide, as if there was nothing he wouldn't dare to do.

"The matter of the Tanguts!" Su Wu said.

Liu Guangshi nodded immediately: "Brother, I understand. After returning, I will make things difficult for the Tanguts!"

“Not enough…” Su Wu replied.

"What else do you mean?" Liu Guangshi asked.

"False military intelligence..." Su Wu is really going to be a traitor.

"Brother, how should we report military intelligence falsely?" Liu Guangshi asked again.

"How many Tangut iron hawks are there now?" Su Wu asked.

"There are probably only a few thousand cavalry... no more than five or six thousand..."

“Thirty thousand, it must be thirty thousand!” Su Wu said.

Liu Guangshi immediately understood, but also said with concern, "In that case, the court probably won't believe it. The Grand Chancellor was a military supervisor in Dangxiang for a long time and knows a lot about Dangxiang affairs. How could Dangxiang possibly raise 30,000 iron hawks?"

"If you encounter one force today, five or eight thousand; if you encounter another force tomorrow, six or seven thousand; if you encounter yet another force, three or five thousand; and if you encounter friendly forces again... in this way, you should be able to have thirty thousand cavalry... as for the Chancellor..."

Su Wu frowned slightly and said, "You don't need to worry about it. Just keep reporting these numbers to the capital, and report them more and more urgently!"

“Oh… report some more light cavalry, that might not be a problem. As long as the Grand Chancellor doesn’t say anything, it shouldn’t be difficult…” Liu Guangshi said.

"It is said that the Tanguts have been preparing for war for the past seven or eight years!" Su Wu added.

"My father..." Liu Guangshi was still worried.

"What I'm telling you, when you get back, you can tell your father frankly, it's fine... This war is about to begin, about a great war, about destroying a country in one battle. We need money, food, and manpower, it all comes down to this. The better we prepare, the greater our chances of victory will be, and it will all be for the future of our brothers!"

Su Wu said one less thing: there was still one more horse to be needed.

Upon hearing this, Liu Guangshi was also moved: "In that case, I should do this well, so that all of this can help my brothers to have a better future and achieve merit."

"Alright, in half a month, you and Steward Liu will return to your hometown first and take care of this matter!" Su Wu was impatient, as time was of the essence, and expanding the cavalry also required a period of training.

"Yes, sir!" Liu Guangshi was also eager to try.

If Tokyo could send 5,000 horses, Su Wu's cavalry could reach 5,000 or 6,000.

Su Wu was deep in thought, wondering how he could ensure the horse would reach him. What if Cai Jing and his men sent it to the Northwest with just a few words?

I'd also like to mention something that's not entirely certain: what about the Tangut war? Wouldn't we need Su Wu to fight it?

The next matter must be dealt with first. Once the next matter is handled well, the previous matter will be much easier to handle. The first thing to do is to ensure that Su Wu can go to the Northwest battlefield to serve as commander. Tong Guan will help with this matter.

Then, many Northwest military generals also petitioned the court to send Su Wu to lead the troops, which was not difficult.

If any more trouble arises in Tokyo, Su Wu will inevitably have to resort to some tricks.

That would be a feigned defeat, a deliberate show of force. Liu Guangshi would then have to put in real effort, not to lose to the Tanguts, but to show the people of Tokyo what it's like to be defeated. Coupled with the false report of a few thousand cavalry, it wouldn't be too difficult. Liu Guangshi would be easy to deal with...

Even if they don't necessarily feign defeat, they might not actually be able to win... Now, the only experienced and prudent person in the Northwest is Zhong Shidao. If Su Wu doesn't go, Zhong Shidao will definitely be the commander-in-chief.

If there is any defeat, just have the brothers write a letter to report it; it shouldn't be difficult.

But these measures were merely backup plans. When it came to actual warfare, Su Wu was confident that the emperor would immediately think of him. Perhaps the emperor would only feel at ease if Su Wu went. This was not something that Cai Jing's will could easily sway...

Therefore, these methods and means may not be necessary.

With this matter resolved, the previous one became much easier; whenever the imperial court needed to allocate horses, it would naturally have to go through Su Wu.

Su Wu analyzed the situation countless times in his mind, and gradually calmed down.

Unbeknownst to Su Wu, several ministers were also discussing important matters in front of the emperor in the imperial city of Tokyo.

This was an envoy to the Western Xia.

The Emperor was saying, "On this mission, we must find a capable person who possesses the majesty of our Celestial Empire, is resolute in his will, loyal in his character, and exceptionally intelligent. He must persuade the Li family of the Dangxiang to submit to us!"

The Tang dynasty's Li clan was undoubtedly bestowed by the emperor himself, and this was the official name they were called. However, the Tang royal family no longer recognized this surname and instead gave themselves a new one called "Weiming." But the Song people mostly did not use this name and simply referred to them as the Li clan, which inevitably reflects the Song people's self-identification as successors of the Tang dynasty.

Now, the entire Song Dynasty court, including the emperor, is filled with confidence. The Celestial Empire is only a little short of conquering the Western Xia and Tangut. If this task is not accomplished, the title of a great emperor for all ages will inevitably have a major flaw.

The practice of writing biographies of famous officials is not without its flaws that can be criticized by later generations.

With our military strength at its peak and our morale at its strongest, how can we not strike while the iron is hot?
Wang Fu continued, "As long as the Li family of the Dangxiang submits, they will not lose their royal titles. If they do not submit, our Heavenly Dynasty will raise an army of hundreds of thousands to attack them. On the day of the attack, not even children will be spared, so that they will know the consequences!"

The emperor, brimming with ambition, declared resolutely, "That is exactly what I intend! Let's discuss who should be chosen!"

Before anyone else could speak, Cai Jing said, "Your Majesty, my son Cai You, I wonder if he is capable of undertaking such an important task?"

Wang Fu felt uneasy. Others could easily come up with candidates, possessing both the necessary qualifications and the emperor's favor. In contrast, he had to think things through on the spot when making his own recommendations... This inevitably reflected the difference in their backgrounds.

Once the Grand Tutor speaks, how can the candidate Wang Fu has chosen be compared to Cai You?
If this matter is accomplished at this time, the merit will be immense, needless to say, and he will undoubtedly be praised as having "a word that can be worth a million soldiers."

As expected, the emperor was pleased: "Not bad, then summon him to the capital, he is perfect for this mission! Appoint him as an envoy to the Dangxiang."

Cai You and the emperor are very close, aren't they? Now that Cai You is on official business in Jiangnan, how could he not please the emperor?

Thus, Cai You's mission to Western Xia was accomplished.

(Brothers, 8,700 words. I'll try my best to keep the plot interesting. Su Wu is a proactive person, so how could he just do nothing?)

(End of this chapter)