Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 256 Commander Su, let me go...

Su Wu had to write a letter to Tong Guan about two things. The first was to explain to Tong Guan the matter of attacking the Dangxiang. This required communication with Tong Guan and also with Tan Zhen.

If Tong Guan knew that Su Wu was plotting this, there would be no need to explicitly tell him many things; Tong Guan would know when and how to cooperate.

The second thing was to talk to Tong Guan about his official position, to tell Tong Guan not to be too troubled, and to say that he was still young and there was no rush. He also told Tong Guan not to force himself on the emperor, implying that he should focus on the campaign against the Dangxiang, and that he could make meritorious contributions before seeking promotion. He stressed that Tong Guan must not offend the emperor.

It is also said that the achievements of the Grand Chancellor can be further enhanced. If this matter is accomplished, the Grand Chancellor's name in history will be even more outstanding.

The letters were sent out, and Su Wu continued with his work.

In Tokyo, Tong Guan had just entered the city yesterday and entered the imperial palace early this morning.

Within the imperial city, several gentlemen also came.

Cai Jing learned of Tong Guan's arrival in Beijing yesterday, so how could he not come early this morning?
He simply sat down with the emperor, who played the zither for everyone to listen. The emperor's skill in playing the zither was truly enjoyable, and the emperor's mood became even more cheerful. The strings under his fingertips seemed to reflect the heart of their master.

Tong Guan listened, shaking his head and swaying back and forth. He thought that the so-called "Queen of West Lake" and "Master of Fanlou" were nothing compared to the Emperor.

After the song ended, Tong Guan praised, "Many people in the secular world are highly skilled, but they lack that open-mindedness and the broad vision of an official like you. Perhaps this is what celestial music is all about!"

The emperor's face was expressionless, yet it also conveyed a sense of calm and detachment.

After everyone had spoken up, Cai Jing slowly said, "There have been more than two hundred emperors throughout history, but there is only one Son of Heaven like Your Majesty!"

The Emperor smiled slightly: "I've been feeling quite cheerful lately, and I never imagined that my understanding of music could reach such a higher level!"

People often gathered like this, chatting casually when there was something to talk about, and engaging in refined gatherings when there was nothing to do. If we're talking about refinement, Cai Jing was the best among them.

Cai Jing was proficient in calligraphy, painting, and music. In particular, his calligraphy was already famous throughout the world. He was one of the four great masters of calligraphy, along with Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and Mi Fu. The Cai mentioned later was Cai Xiang, but he was actually Cai Jing. He was removed from the list because he was a treacherous official who brought about the downfall of the country.

Chatting casually for a few minutes, the air is filled with the fragrance of sandalwood and tea.

Even the emperor, turning to look at the Genyue Garden whose scenery had changed, couldn't help but speak up.

Cai Jing spoke first: "Your Majesty, the Genyue Garden today is even more beautiful than before. It has an elegant and unassuming air, which is the essence of the natural way. Its charm has truly reached a higher level!"

The Emperor was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Really? Grand Tutor, you also discerned its essence?"

This shows Cai Jing's sophistication in dining. How could he not say, "Haha... Your Excellency's refined tastes are truly superior to all others throughout history!"

The emperor's expression suddenly darkened, and he said, "What a pity, the scenery is complete, but there is one person we haven't seen yet..."

"Whom is Your Majesty referring to?" Cai Jing asked.

"Grand Tutor, you are unaware that this new scene was created by Su Wu's words that awakened me from my dream. He deserves half the credit for this scene. The principles behind its creation are what Su Wu admired, and the methods of its creation were meticulously crafted by me. It is a pity that Su Wu is not here at this moment."

As the saying goes, true friends are hard to find. Su Wu was not present, so the emperor could not truly be happy. Just like that piece of music just now, it was played for the person who understands music best. The principle is the same.

Upon hearing this, Cai Jing frowned slightly, but he immediately replied, "Your Majesty, Ju An has likely received the letter and is probably on his way back."

Cai You, courtesy name Ju'an, had previously replaced Zhu Mian and gone to the Suzhou Bureau of Imperial Sacrifices.

The emperor immediately laughed: "Haha... I forgot about Ju'an. All the hard work and effort put into this new scene belongs to Ju'an."

Cai Jing then chimed in, "What credit is this? Isn't it something he should have done..."

"Grand Tutor's words are perhaps a bit harsh. How can it not be a merit? Once he enters the capital, we should hurry to Western Xia. If things succeed in Western Xia, it will be an achievement that will go down in history. We should reward him then, which would be the best possible outcome!"

The emperor was in a good mood at the moment, and his mind was naturally filled with wonderful thoughts. He could only imagine the future as beautifully as possible, and he couldn't go wrong.

Tong Guan was taken aback upon hearing this, looked around, and asked, "Grand Tutor, what is the matter?"

Cai Jing replied, "The Grand Councilor has returned weary from his journey and is unaware of the situation. He will be sent as an envoy to Western Xia upon Ju An's return to discuss the matter of Western Xia's submission!"

Tong Guan frowned upon hearing this. "Western Xia has submitted?"

He then asked, "Is this an envoy from the Tanguts?"

The emperor replied, "It was not the Tangut envoy who came, but Ju'an who was sent as an envoy to the Tangut. Now that the Liao Dynasty has fallen, the Tangut no longer have the support of the Khitan. With their military might, it is only natural that the Tangut will come to submit again!"

Tong Guan's brows furrowed. Having served as military supervisor in the Northwest for many years, he knew far more about the Tanguts than anyone else present. He had no idea where the Tanguts' allegiance came from.
Of course, on the surface, the Tanguts' submission was more reasonable than that of the Yan-Yun Kingdom, because the Tanguts had previously submitted to the Song Dynasty and could be considered as its servants. The Song emperor had even bestowed the surname Zhao upon the Tangut royal family, but they rebelled and established their own state during the reign of Emperor Renzong.

The Western Xia dynasty was established more than eighty years ago, while the Yan and Yun regions have been established for more than one hundred and eighty years. The Yan and Yun regions have never been returned to the Song dynasty.

Tong Guan wanted to express a different opinion, but looking at the emperor's exceptionally confident face, and then at Cai Jing, Wang Fu, Zhang Bangchang, Bai Shizhong, and others...

He knew he shouldn't be the spoilsport. If he were to say something that would spoil the mood, aside from anything else, he feared the emperor would be furious on the spot. So he had to swallow his words and could only say one thing: "So that's the matter. I wish Scholar Cai success in his endeavors!"

But Tong Guan also knew that this matter would not be easily accomplished!
Hearing Tong Guan say the same thing, the Emperor was even more pleased: "Haha... Very good, very good! With the nation's fortunes now at this point, it is bound to be thriving and at its zenith! This is also thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the ministers. The Grand Chancellor has made great contributions this time. The title of Prince is truly a first for him, except for the founding years!"

How could Tong Guan not immediately rise to express his gratitude? After a few words of thanks, he said, "Your Majesty, Su Ziqing has led from the front and made great contributions. He fought bravely against the Liao cavalry, putting his life and death aside, and only wanted to repay Your Majesty's grace!"

"Haha... How could I not know? I know everything. I have read all the reports of victory in detail. I even sent him a personal letter. I think he should have received it by now!"

The emperor stroked his beard and said, "How could my love for Su Wu be any less than that for anyone else? The emperor is extremely loving; there is no one he does not love who stays by his side."

Tong Guan felt distressed. He looked around, and even more so at the Emperor's smiling face. He had always been good at reading people's expressions, so how could he not sense it at this moment?
It seems I'm going to break my promise to Su Wu.

But Tong Guan still wanted to try, so he braced himself and said again: "However, this old minister feels that the reward given to Ziqing this time is a little too small!"

The Emperor smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Prime Minister, there's no need to overthink it. As for Su Ziqing's matter, haha... I have my own plans. Ziqing's talent should not be wasted. It won't be difficult for him to be appointed Prime Minister in the future. However, he has never actually managed the affairs of a prefecture before. It's alright if it's a little smaller this time. It's all for the future. This is exactly what it means to be simple in the Emperor's heart!"

Tong Guan nodded, knowing in his heart that it seemed he had no choice...

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Tong Guan continued, "Your Majesty, there is something else I must say..."

"Speak plainly... There's no need for formalities between the Grand Councilor and me!"

"I am referring to Cheng Wanli's son, Cheng Hao. This young man is truly exceptionally talented. Although he is young, he is proficient in all matters of military affairs. For the logistics and supplies of this army of over 200,000, we rely firstly on Zong Ze, the prefect of Dongping, secondly on Zhang Shuye, the prefect of Qizhou, and thirdly on Cheng Hao. This old minister intends to promote him to the position of Deputy Chief of the Privy Council, and I must inform His Majesty of this!"

Since the Su Wu matter is not going to work out, we should quickly settle Cheng Hao's matter first. This matter does not need to be discussed with the emperor in person. Tong Guan can handle it himself. He still has the influence of the Secretariat, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Court of Judicial Review.

But now, looking at Cai Jing and then at Wang Fu, Tong Guan felt a strange sense of unease...

Since you have concerns, just bring them directly to the emperor. If the emperor agrees, it will save you a lot of trouble and prevent any unforeseen complications.

The emperor first asked, "Is it surpassing Jin?"

Tong Guan replied, "It is precisely because it is a promotion that I must inform His Majesty."

The Emperor nodded: "Since you say so, then this boy's talent is certainly real. I grant his request!"

Tong Guan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "This old minister thanks Your Majesty on behalf of Cheng Hao!"

"Hmm, bring this person to me for an audience whenever you have time!" The Emperor's words reflected his fondness for this very thing: meeting people, seeing who to promote, who to appoint to important positions, and even overseeing military campaigns...

Wang Fu entered the emperor's field of vision in the same way. The emperor was pleased at first sight and grew more pleased with him the more he saw him. He was promoted eight ranks and became prime minister.

Now that he's the prime minister, with him around every day, I don't seem to like him as much as I used to. I don't know why...

"His Majesty's desire to see him is a blessing he earned in his past life!" Tong Guan said, offering only flattering words, but his mind was elsewhere...

What to do? When he left Yanjing, he confidently told Su Wu that he would definitely get him a position as a Privy Councilor upon his return. The louder he pounded his chest, the more distressed Tong Guan felt at this moment.

He was also angry with Su Wu. In the past, he had spoken kind words to him, telling him that it was not easy to offend Grand Tutor Cai, but Su Wu insisted on not believing him. Now, things had turned out very badly...

Su Wu, that young man, was truly arrogant and ignorant of his own limitations. This time, he finally suffered a loss!

This is a huge loss!
Ugh……

We can only wait and see if we can patiently work things out with the emperor. We can occasionally bring up Su Wu's story and praise him in front of the emperor, and see if this persistent effort will have any effect.

Over there, the emperor raised his hand in a gesture of beckoning. What was he beckoning?
The eunuch Li Yanxing hurried over, carrying a tray with a brocade robe embroidered with dragons and pythons.

The Prince of Guangyang was bestowed with official robes by the Emperor himself, and even Tong Guan was required to exchange them on the spot.

A complete set of Liang Guan, red robe, red skirt, wide belt, leather belt, sash, white socks and black clogs—that's no ordinary outfit!
Tong Guan was also delighted. The emperor, disregarding all dignity, circled around to look at him and praised him, saying, "Excellent, excellent, truly magnificent!"

How could Tong Guan not bow and kowtow repeatedly?
Everyone laughed, and there was nothing sarcastic or strange about it; they all came to congratulate and praise him.

Tong Guan then had to express his deepest gratitude with tears in his eyes!

Upon returning home from the capital, Tong Guan frowned again. He first told Su Wu about the matter, but also offered him much comfort, telling Su Wu not to rush and that he would think of another way to see if the matter could still be resolved. He also scolded and admonished Su Wu, saying that Su Wu should not have offended Grand Tutor Cai in the past...

Let's talk about some other matters, inevitably involving the Dangxiang people. It's said that Cai You was to be sent as an envoy to the Dangxiang, but there are concerns that the mission to bring them submission might not succeed…

Such a long and rambling piece, thousands of words in total, was sent on a fast horse to Yanjing.

Su Wu's letter arrived as well; the messenger on horseback arrived only one day later than Tong Guan's slowly swaying carriage.

Upon reading Su Wu's letter, Tong Guan felt somewhat less distressed. It was something Su Wu himself had foreseen. Tong Guan muttered to himself, "If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place..."

But he still muttered to himself, "You, you, you're just stubborn. Stubbornness in officialdom isn't a good thing..."

One can't help but think that since Su Wu is also planning a war against the Dangxiang, it's all good. Cai You's mission will surely fail, and upon his return, the Emperor and the Grand Tutor might be furious. Perhaps the war will indeed be easy.

Hmm... Thinking about it again, if this war were to break out, and Xu Suwu were to achieve further merits, perhaps he could be appointed as a Privy Councilor? Or even as a Deputy Privy Councilor?
only……

The fighting strength of the Tanguts is probably...

Enough, enough, I don't want to think about it anymore. I can't think about it so much. Even the emperor schemes, the Grand Tutor schemes, Su Wu schemes... Let nature take its course...

I don't need to worry about things as much as before. Besides, I'm really tired right now, so I need to rest...

When Cheng Hao returned home, he first saw his younger sister, and the two siblings reminisced about the past.

Cheng Jiyue was about to return to Dongping Prefecture. Her mission in the capital was complete, and the war on the front lines was over. She was going back to wait for her husband to return and reunite with her. The New Year was not far away, and it was time for her to go back.

Since his younger sister was going back to JD.com, Cheng Hao was busy with various things, buying more things for her to take with her. After all, JD.com was different from Bianjing. The best things in the world were all gathered in Bianjing. How could he not dote on his own sister?
The young woman also frequently went to the market to buy things for her husband. She wanted to have several fur cloaks made, as it was the coldest time in the army when wearing armor. Having a cloak would make things much warmer. She also wanted to have fine clothes made. The styles in the capital were not good. Since she had come to the capital, she wanted to see what styles were popular among the high-ranking officials and nobles. This way, she could prepare more for her husband and make him look good.

As for other items, just buy as much as you can...

Within two or three days, they would inevitably set off, a large group of several hundred people heading north.

In Yanjing City, Su Wu was extremely busy for several days, and Tan Zhen kept coming to ask him about everything...

No matter how high an official's rank, when it comes to actual work, if they don't know something, they simply don't know it; there's no faking it. For example, Tan Zhen genuinely didn't know how to train troops, and even Guo the Pharmacist was only a half-baked novice. Guo the Pharmacist might be able to lead people forward, but with dozens of prefectures and counties to manage, he would be completely lost.

The officials sent by the imperial court have not yet arrived.

Then only Su Wu came, and Tan Zhen was naturally pleased. However, Su Wu noticed that Tan Zhen was genuinely learning, so Su Wu taught him a few things...

There's no need to look down on them; everyone starts from not knowing and then learns. Teaching Su Wu saved Su Wu a lot of trouble.

Su Wu has also been doing some things recently, such as distributing grain and even cloth to the people. He first distributed it to the area around Yanjing, and let the soldiers distribute it. He called it "the close relationship between the army and the people," and no one else could say anything about it.

Su Wu even wrote a memorial about this matter and took the initiative to present it to the emperor. Whatever the emperor was worried about, Su Wu would say it, only saying that many people had been killed in the battle, in order to make up for the fear of the people of Yan and Yun against the Song army.

As long as Su Wu reports to the emperor himself, he can avoid further criticism from others.

Just send it out. Even if each portion isn't much, try to make sure everyone gets one. It's a gesture.

Before long, Tong Guan's letter reached Yanjing and ended up in Su Wu's hands.

Su Wu came to see for himself, and as soon as he looked, his brows furrowed.

Names immediately flashed through his mind: Liu Yanqing, Liu Guangshi, Wang Yuan, Yao Pingzhong, Yang Weizhong, Zhong Shidao, Zhe Kecun...

After much deliberation, Su Wu hesitated, pacing back and forth...

Liu Yanqing and his son, no way! Even though Liu Guangshi and Su Wu had sworn brotherhood, Su Wu still felt that Liu Guangshi was absolutely unacceptable...

The way of the teacher is also unacceptable.

Wang Yuan... won't work either.

To be honest, I'm not very familiar with Yang Weizhong.

It can be saved, perhaps...

Yao Pingzhong!
Yao Pingzhong!
Su Wu shouted, "Someone, quickly invite Chief Steward Yao here for a meeting!"

He ordered his soldiers to rush off immediately.

Su Wu called out again, "Fan Yun!"

"Yes!" Fan Yun entered the room.

"I'll be discussing matters with Steward Yao in a bit. You take some men and thoroughly search this house, inside and out, front and back. Then, increase the guards in the outer room and make sure no one comes to disturb us!" Su Wu said very seriously.

"Understood!" Fan Yun rushed off to allocate manpower. He didn't ask, but he knew it must be an important matter of great importance.

Before long, Yao Pingzhong arrived. Before entering, he saw many more armored soldiers standing guard inside and outside, and there were also people patrolling. He couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Upon entering the hall, he bowed respectfully and asked, "May I ask what business General Su has with me?"

Su Wu looked at the old general, who was around forty years old. His father was also a general in the Northwest. He had been fighting in the army since he was a child. When Tong Guan first went to the Northwest to supervise the army, he was exactly eighteen years old. Because of his bravery, he followed Tong Guan to fight, and it has been twenty years since then.

He was disliked by people, especially his superiors. He was stubborn, even arrogant, and sometimes unruly. He often spoke recklessly, but his colleagues liked him. He was even able to become a military general and lead a group of soldiers. There was only one reason for this: he was good at fighting!

Even though Tong Guan disliked him the most, he still mentioned him by name when he led the southern campaign against Fang La.

"Sit down!" Su Wu raised his hand. Sometimes, you really need someone to do some things. While hesitating, Su Wu actually thought of Yao Pingzhong.

Yao Pingzhong sat down and frowned as well: "Commander Su, is there something troubling you?"

Su Wu nodded: "Difficult!"

Yao Pingzhong frowned even more deeply. Su Shuai's problem must be extremely difficult, yet he had come to him...

Yao Pingzhong remained silent for a moment.

Su Wu then said, "The matter itself is not difficult, and doing it well is not difficult for you either. The difficulty lies elsewhere..."

"Where does the difficulty lie?" Yao Pingzhong asked proactively.

"The difficulty lies in... one's mind!" Su Wu said.

"Could it benefit the family and the country?" Yao Pingzhong asked.

Su Wu nodded...

"Could it benefit the Han army?" Yao Pingzhong asked again.

Su Wu nodded again...

Yao Pingzhong breathed a sigh of relief: "Then, Commander Su, please speak!"

Su Wu seemed to be making up his mind as well. He decided that this matter needed to be handled by a general from the Northwest Army. Su Wu himself couldn't do it for the time being, but he absolutely couldn't trust any ordinary military commander...

Su Wu didn't speak first, but asked, "I have worked with Steward Yao twice!"

Yao Pingzhong nodded: "Both times have been joyous. I know what Commander Su wants to say. I think Commander Su is a good general, a great commander, and a pillar of the country. In the military affairs of the Song Dynasty, no one can surpass Commander Su. I am convinced of his abilities. Others may think that the victory in this battle against Yan was small, but I know the dangers and difficulties involved. Without Commander Su, Yang Keshi would have been defeated in one battle, and the consequences would have been unimaginable. It was because of Commander Su's leadership that the morale of the army was stable! Thinking back on these two times working together, I must say that Commander Su can come up with ingenious strategies and tactics, and he can also advance step by step, which is admirable!"

Upon hearing these words, Su Wu made up his mind and said softly, "Cai You must be sent as an envoy to the Dangxiang in a few days; he will perish!"

Yao Pingzhong opened his eyes wide, genuinely thinking he had misheard, and asked, "Grand Tutor Cai's..."

“Son!” Su Wu nodded, his gaze fixed on Yao Pingzhong.

Even a man as strong as Yao Pingzhong felt a chill run down his spine at this moment, and asked, "What kind of death?"

Su Wu remained silent, only looking at Yao Pingzhong.

There was no need to say it; how could Yao Pingzhong not understand?

Yao Pingzhong only asked, "Why did Commander Su summon me for this matter?"

Su Wu said, "They all dare not, but perhaps you would dare to do it!"

"How do you know?" Yao Pingzhong asked again.

Su Wu sat up slightly and slowly said, "Ahead, at the walls of Liangxiang, I originally intended to have you lead troops to aid Guo Yaoshi, just like back in Jiangnan when 200,000 bandits attacked. I had you guard the central army, and your 4,000 troops truly did not retreat an inch. However, this time Yang Keshi repeatedly requested to fight, and I really couldn't save face for him, so I let him go..."

Yao Pingzhong took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and then asked, "Commander Su, could you say a few more words about this matter..."

Su Wu nodded: "To be a general and to gain the respect of the people and the funds of the court, one must have merits. In this battle of Yan and Yun, I have no merits. My frequent private rewards to the army are not a long-term solution. If people find out in the future, I will be criticized and attacked in the court. Even if it is not a major crime in front of the emperor, I will still suffer."

Yao Pingzhong sighed: "Most of the generals are grateful people and would not betray their promises."

"I believe that. As for other things... To wage war against the Tanguts, we need a name, both externally and internally. The wrongful death of our envoy will naturally cause an uproar throughout the land, that's one reason. As for Grand Tutor Cai... I won't say much, the people of the world will have their own opinions. Now Cai You is already a Grand Secretary, this is a power struggle in the court. If he doesn't die, he'll inevitably become a minor Grand Tutor Cai. If he dies, it will be a heavy blow, and even Grand Tutor Cai will be determined to avenge his son. When the war starts, the supply of money, food, and weapons to the army will be much greater, and the war will not be hindered. In this way, we can achieve great things and gain several benefits at once!"

Su Wu paused here...

Yao Pingzhong then asked, "Is it for comrades, for family and country, or for the war?"

"For the people of the Northwest, who have borne the blood feud for generations, to fight the Dangxiang, we need the right time, the right place, and the right people. Thus, we must plan for a situation where the right time, the right place, and the right people are in harmony. We must use the full strength of the nation to wipe them out in one fell swoop! From now on, the people of the Northwest will no longer suffer from harassment, oppression, and plunder. The blood feud of generations will be avenged in one fell swoop! For the sake of the country and the nation, whether our Great Song is better than the Tang or the Han, our nation has always been incomplete and our country has been in a state of partial peace. How can we face our ancestors? If we do not go all out this time, how can General Yao not know how difficult it will be to fight the Dangxiang?"

Su Wu launched into a lengthy discourse, going on and on!
Yao Pingzhong's brows were furrowed tightly. Killing the Grand Tutor's son and a court official was not difficult in itself, but it was truly difficult in his heart.

Su Wu waited...

After waiting for a long time, another sentence came: "If you don't do it, I have no one I can trust in the Northwest, so I have to do it myself!"

"How can Commander Su travel thousands of miles?" Yao Pingzhong asked.

"Xu... claimed to be ill and did not leave his home, rushing there day and night, and rushing back day and night!" Su Wu said.

Yao Pingzhong waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, absolutely not. Not to mention that feigning illness and staying away won't be able to hide it for more than a few days, there are so many generals in the Northwest. If they really go to the front line, how many of them does Commander Su know? It's already difficult to get in and out. If he entrusts the wrong person, the consequences will be unimaginable. Moreover, Commander Su is not familiar with the terrain, and I'm afraid he won't be able to stop them and will just run around aimlessly... If he really encounters the Dangxiang cavalry, it will be even more dangerous."

"Take Han Shizhong with you!" Su Wu was truly using this as a last resort, not as a joke or to provoke Yao Pingzhong. Even feigning illness to avoid this method wasn't ideal; inspecting Yan Yun Prefecture might be a better excuse, or perhaps personally envoying Jin would also be a way to escape…

“Taking Han Wu along is... but it’s so far away, there are too many variables, it’s still not appropriate, it’s not advisable!” Yao Pingzhong shook his head repeatedly, but still frowned.

Su Wu, however, said, "Only in this way can we achieve the right timing, location, and people, and the whole country unite as one. Fighting the Dangxiang is not the same as this campaign against Yan and Yun. To fight the Dangxiang, we must go all out to have a good chance of winning. If there are too many obstacles, we will probably lose more than we win."

Su Wu was telling the truth. The desire to destroy the Dangxiang could not be solely wishful thinking on the part of Su Wu and his generals. Such wishful thinking had occurred countless times throughout the Song Dynasty, with Emperor Renzong making several attempts and Emperor Shenzong leading five routes, all ending in tragic consequences.

Even though Tong Guan supervised the army for many years, and the battle reports seemed to show many victories, if you really look at the map, apart from the great victory against the Qingtang tribe on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, there was nothing against the Dangxiang. It was just a back-and-forth tug-of-war, and there were even some disastrous defeats.

How difficult it is to destroy the Tanguts! Su Wu is no longer a man of chance. He doesn't really think that the Tanguts will collapse as soon as his army arrives. They were able to hold out under Genghis Khan Temujin, so how could it be easy?
Historically, the Western Xia not only fought against the Song Dynasty, but also fought against the Liao Dynasty, even though the Liao Dynasty helped the Western Xia on many occasions. In the end, the Western Xia was able to defeat the Liao Dynasty.

Genghis Khan conquered the Western Xia four times. The Western Xia had a regime that lasted for more than 300 years and a national lifespan of 180 or 190 years. Could it really be that Su Wu's army could have won as soon as they arrived?
Without the combined strength of the entire nation, how easy would it be?
Yao Pingzhong may not know about Genghis Khan, but how could he not know about other things?
They also knew that Su Wu was now plotting to unleash the full power of the nation, with everyone united and without any obstacles, to launch a decisive attack.

Cai Jing...

Cai You...

Yao Pingzhong took a deep breath and said, "Commander Su, let me go!"

(Goodnight, guys!)

(End of this chapter)