Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 260 Good riddance, satisfying kill!

The campfire was still flickering, and the shadows cast by it were just swaying black patches on the ground.

A fleeting glint of cold light flashed a moment ago, but most people didn't notice.

A moment later, the cold light drew out the gushing blood from his chest, and the short weapon was immediately tucked into a sleeve. The weapon's owner turned and ran, and in a few steps, he caught up with his horse and mounted it as if flying.

Many people were still stunned, not knowing what had happened...

The Grand Scholar bowed slightly, raised his hand to point, and made a sound in his throat: "Uh..."

No one could see that the Grand Secretary's face had turned a deep purple, like a pig's liver, nor could they see the disbelief and fear filling his wide eyes...

All the people could see was that the Grand Scholar seemed to suddenly buckle in both knees and then kneel down on the ground!
Finally, one of the soldiers shouted, "Oh no!"

After the shout, the soldier spurred his horse forward. The horse took off in a few strides, and when he glanced to the side, the soldier's head exploded. He shouted, "Quickly, hurry, chase after them!"

All that could be seen was the thunderous sound of hooves as a hundred or so riders surged forward. Many glanced sideways at the Grand Secretary who was already lying down. The blood in the night was a dark, indistinct mass, but these soldiers all knew it was blood.

The Grand Secretary was murdered; he was murdered by the Tanguts!
Shouts, the sounds of chasing, the clatter of horses' hooves and men's footsteps created a chaotic scene in an instant.

The Tangut people in front hadn't gone far; a dozen or so men and dozens of horses were just forty or fifty paces ahead.

Behind him, the officials and servants of the delegation had already surrounded the Grand Secretary, their chests pounding with anger, one trying to block him, another trying to suppress him.

The scholar's eyes were wide and lifeless, his body twitching. A short blade hidden in his sleeve was thrust in, and that was it—steady, accurate, and ruthless, without any hesitation or second strike. How confident the person who made the move was!

The heart had already ruptured inside the ribs, otherwise there wouldn't have been such a huge amount of bleeding in such a short time.

This also shows that the person who made the move must be a ruthless killer.

Whether blocked or suppressed, the Grand Scholar convulsed, and even in death, he continued to convulse...

Everyone who was standing around was stunned. Who could have imagined such a thing would happen?
The hundred or so knights who chased after them were in a hurry, and they were all confused. They chased for two or three hundred paces when they suddenly heard the thunder of hooves coming from the north.

That fast horse galloping, it sounds like quite a lot.

After chasing for a while longer, they indeed saw many riders approaching in the dark moonlight.

One of the soldiers shouted, "Restrain your horses! Enemy reinforcements have arrived, and they're probably planning to slaughter us all! Turn around quickly and report to the commander-in-chief at Pingrong Village! The Dangxiang people killed our Song envoy! Quickly!"

The knights all reined in their horses, and they all knew that the Dangxiang King Richard was coming with a large number of cavalry.

A hundred or so riders turned their horses around and rode away, shouting as they came toward the campfire: "Go, go quickly, take the Grand Scholar's body and go!"

Those Tangut assassins were quickly swallowed up by the darkness.

In the distance, several dozen more riders swarmed in, and as soon as the two sides collided, someone asked, "Did you succeed?"

Another person answered, "They succeeded!"

"Excellent, excellent! Quickly, head north first, then east!" The speaker was naturally Yao Pingzhong.

It was Yao Pingzhong who was truly capable. Even at the last moment, he left himself a backup plan: the thirty-two men and about one hundred and fifty horses were divided into two teams, one team responsible for the assassination, and the other team disguised as reinforcements and came from the north again...

Ultimately, he was unwilling to fight a bloody battle with his own comrades.

Thus, the thirty-two men ran north for another seven or eight li, then turned east. The plan was to run east for another twenty li before turning south again to go to Pingrong Village to see Liu Guangshi. On the way, they had to change their clothes and burn some things.

Looking at the delegation, they didn't want anything else, the campfire was still burning, and a hundred or so riders and the caravan were hurrying south, not daring to stop for a moment.

In the latter half of the night, fast riders had already arrived at Pingrong Village and were calling out to open the gate.

The gate was not easily opened; only a sleepy-eyed Liu Guangshi could arrive on the city wall and loudly ask, "What's going on?"

Then a shout came from below the city: "General, Scholar Cai has been assassinated by the Tanguts!"

"What?" Liu Guangshi thought he was hallucinating and asked, "Who died?"

"Scholar Cai! Scholar Cai is dead! He was killed by the Tanguts!"

"Nonsense!" Liu Guangshi still didn't believe it.

The people below the city were extremely anxious and shouted again, "General, how dare I speak such nonsense? The corpses will arrive at Pingrong Village before dawn!"

Liu Guangshi believed it somewhat, then frowned: "How did he die?"

Those below the city walls just kept talking.

Liu Guangshi frowned even more. Was he really dead? Or was he assassinated by the Tanguts in the dead of night?
This issue……

"Beat the drums! Beat the drums!" Liu Guangshi shouted as he turned around. There were also military orders: "All cavalrymen, assemble and prepare to leave the camp. All infantrymen, climb the walls in case of any trouble. Also, send another order to Yanzhou City tonight. The scouts go out first, quick, quick, quick, the scouts go out quickly!"

Liu Guangshi was extremely cautious and had made all sorts of preparations.
So he left the city, and several hundred riders on fast horses headed north, where they met on the way.

The torches were lit, and they could clearly see Grand Secretary Cai from head to toe: his face was deathly pale, his cheeks were sunken, his eyes were wide open, and he was covered in blood—he was dead beyond any doubt…

Liu Guangshi scratched his head several times, then went around asking people, but the answers were all the same: the Dangxiang people had chased after him at night and tried to assassinate him, and that Dangxiang cavalry had come to his aid as well...

Liu Guangshi also asked, "How many riders have arrived first?"

A soldier quickly replied, "The first few came were only a dozen or so men with fifty or sixty horses. The next ones came, perhaps one or two hundred, or even two or three hundred. We haven't actually seen them, but the thunder of hooves never stops! We also heard that Brother Richard brought quite a few iron hawks with him..."

Liu Guangshi immediately remarked, "If we calculate it all, it's probably more than five or six thousand cavalry!"

Everyone stared blankly, nodding in agreement.

And look at those officials and servants of the mission, they all look so dejected...

Liu Guangshi was still scratching his head. Logically speaking, he should be happy about this, but he couldn't really be happy. This was a big deal. If the court blamed him, even if he wasn't guilty, he would still be implicated in many ways.

Cai You's status is truly extraordinary...

Liu Guangshi could only scratch his head in frustration; he was truly at a loss and caught completely off guard.

Looking down at the lifeless body of Cai You, he couldn't help but think, "Logically speaking, this shouldn't be happening. The Tanguts shouldn't do such a thing..."

There's no benefit to doing this, is there? And there's no real motivation...

On second thought, could it be that this fellow... if he went to Western Xia, he would be just as arrogant and domineering?
Have they offended everyone from the emperor to the court officials? Is that why the Tanguts have such a temper? Coming to kill in the middle of the night?

Thinking about it this way, Liu Guangshi seemed to find it somewhat reasonable, just a little bit.

"Take it back to Pingrong Village first!" Liu Guangshi waved his hand, handed the torch to his personal guard, and mounted his horse.

This is how to do?
Fortunately, the members of the delegation were all present. These members of the delegation were all from Tokyo. If it weren't for the fact that each of them witnessed the incident firsthand, Liu Guangshi would have been unable to explain himself no matter what.

If it was indeed the Tanguts who killed them, then the Tangut army will likely take action, which means they are ready for war.

Upon returning to Pingrong Village, the first thing he had to do was write to his brother again and to the Privy Council. Faced with this matter, Liu Guangshi was filled with worry. How could he bear the consequences?

He also needed to write to his father, urging him to issue orders to all cities and fortresses to be on high alert and to send out scouts and patrols, as the Tanguts might really be coming along the wide border.

Inside Pingrong Village, the lights were on, and the soldiers were not sleeping. They stared wide-eyed into the depths of the night, while the scouts were dispatched everywhere!
More than an hour later, a lone rider approached Pingrong Village from the darkness. When the soldiers saw him, they did not draw their bows and arrows, but simply asked from afar, "Who goes there?"

The man replied, "He's an old friend of Steward Liu, from Yanzhou, and has important news to report!"

There was only one rider, which wasn't a big deal. The soldier went to report, but he couldn't see clearly when he looked down, not only because the firelight was dim, but also because the man's face was covered with gauze.

Just then, Steward Liu arrived with a puzzled look on his face and looked down, asking, "Who goes there?"

"My name cannot be revealed, it is I!" came the reply from below.

Upon hearing the voice, Steward Liu immediately replied, "Yes..."

"Yes, it's me! I've come from Yanzhou with confidential information to report, but I must not reveal my name!" someone shouted again.

Manager Liu frowned. What's going on tonight? That person downstairs is all too familiar, why is he here?

"Hang it up!" Manager Liu was completely bewildered, yet somehow knew what was going to happen tonight, which was very strange.

Just as the man was about to be hoisted up, Steward Liu waved his hands to the left and right, saying, "You all, get out of here!"

The crowd retreated, with those nearby going directly to the city walls.

Inside the small city gate of Pingrong Village, the two stood facing each other.

Liu Guangshi couldn't help but ask first, "What are you doing here?"

Then came a shocking statement: "Cai died by my hand, not by the Tanguts!"

"Ah?" Liu Guangshi was so shocked that he even took a step back involuntarily.

"I still have about thirty men and over a hundred horses, hidden in a ravine not far away. If I don't come looking for you, I'm afraid I won't be able to cross the Fuyan region easily!" The speaker's eyes were the only visible part of his body in the darkness.

"What...what kind of mess is this? You've ruined me and my son!" Liu Guangshi was also dumbfounded.

Yao Pingzhong then said, "No one will harm you and your son. This time, you two may even enjoy great wealth and honor!"

"What are you talking about!" Liu Guangshi said with a bitter face, scratching his scalp raw.

“This is all thanks to Commander Su’s plan. If it weren’t for Commander Su’s plan, why would I have dared to come all the way from Yaozhou to kill the envoy?” Yao Pingzhong said.

"Then..." Liu Guangshi seemed frozen on the spot, and asked, "Really?"

Yao Pingzhong nodded: "It's true!"

"What proof do you have?" Liu Guangshi was not about to believe him so easily. He simply couldn't accept such a catastrophic event.

“How dare I bring any credentials? What if I make a mistake and implicate Commander Su?” Yao Pingzhong shook his head, but then said, “But if I tell you something, you will believe me.”

"Then you speak!" Liu Guangshi took another step back.

"The war, Commander Su said, is only for the war, only for the sake of the nation and its people, only for the restoration of the Han and Tang dynasties, only for gathering the strength of the whole country to fight one last time. It is also a struggle within the court. The Cai family can no longer be prime ministers! Are these words believable?" Yao Pingzhong asked.

Liu Guangshi frowned, pondering the reasoning behind it. He wasn't stupid, but he still needed time to think it through...

Yao Pingzhong added, "I am returning to Yaozhou. If this is false, you and Commander Su can easily expose it by asking them about it in the future. How dare I speak nonsense?"

Liu Guangshi slapped his forehead and sighed, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"As Commander Su said, there's no need to say much beforehand. If things go wrong, you'll be less likely to be implicated. If things succeed, they'll come looking for you. That way, it's easier to cover things up!" Yao Pingzhong said softly.

"You don't trust me, you don't trust me, your brother doesn't trust me, and you don't trust me either..." Liu Guangshi muttered a few words.

Yao Pingzhong smiled slightly: "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have come now. You can't do this yourself. How could you do it here? How could you get away without arousing suspicion? Only I can do it!"

"If you do this, will others not suspect anything?"

“Alas… I am the leader of the spies under Yanzhou. I have come here from Yanzhou to report military intelligence. Our spies in Xingqing Prefecture have discovered unusual movements by the Dangxiang troops. Such a major matter, how could I not rush here to report to Chief Steward Liu overnight?”

Yao Pingzhong was full of confidence.

Liu Guangshi nodded in agreement: "Meticulous, extremely meticulous! Now I can make arrangements for this matter..."

But he felt a sense of relief. Since it was his own brother who orchestrated this, the matter was of great importance, and his brother had many backup plans. It seemed safe now, with the hundred or so officials and servants of the delegation as witnesses, he should not be implicated...

Relieved, Liu Guangshi turned around and laughed: "Good riddance, that was satisfying! You stupid bastard, it's good that you're dead!"

If he doesn't die, what good will he do when he returns to the capital? And if he really does become prime minister one day, then there's no need to even mention it...

Once the pressure eases, and you think about it again, dying like that was the best thing ever.

Yao Pingzhong was also stunned. Why did this little steward Liu have such a great grudge against Grand Secretary Cai?
There's no need to dwell on this matter. Just continue, "I'll go along the Hunzhou River, cross the Sanchuankou Pass, and then return via the Luo River. You should withdraw all the scouts and patrols over there..." Liu Guangshi nodded, "That's easy. So, is it that Commander Su is coming to the Northwest to lead the troops this time?"

Yao Pingzhong nodded: "Of course!"

"Excellent! It seems time is of the essence. We must expedite the recruitment of soldiers!" Liu Guangshi was already thinking ahead. If the entire nation were to mobilize to fight, that would be ideal. If they could truly annihilate the country in one fell swoop, it would be an immense achievement.

Not to mention that a fortune would come along with his older brother.

Cai You died at the hands of the Dangxiang, so Grand Tutor Cai must be determined to take revenge. Wouldn't the court spend money like water?
Brother's plan is truly brilliant!
Then we must make this case as solid as possible. I imagine the imperial court's investigation will follow soon. How should we arrange things?
It seems there's no need for any further arrangements; the brother's plan is already flawless. Even if the Tanguts don't recognize it, they are still the Tanguts!
Even if Grand Tutor Cai still felt there was something amiss, what could he do?

How could we possibly avoid attacking the Tanguts?

"Then I'm off. Set off tomorrow night. Make sure you don't encounter a single scout along the way!" Yao Pingzhong added, knowing that the scouts on the border of Fuyan were extremely elite, and there was no room for complacency.

If such an incident were to occur, even if the investigation wasn't conducted on the spot, as long as it was recorded and reported everywhere, the flaws would become apparent.

"Go quickly, don't worry, I know how to deploy them!" Liu Guangshi was confident that this was not difficult. He simply needed to use the pretext of guarding against the Dangxiang to send scouts and cavalry northwards.

"Thank you!" Yao Pingzhong bowed and turned to leave.

"I will not say such a thing. Since it concerns Commander Su, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!" Liu Guangshi returned the greeting.

All that could be seen was Yao Pingzhong lowering himself down from the city wall, mounting his horse, and disappearing into the night.

Liu Guangshi had already called out: "Quickly, order all the soldiers to come with me and wait outside the gate. I will write down military orders and send them out everywhere. The spies from Xingqing Prefecture have reported that the Dangxiang troops have indeed made unusual movements. We should send more scouts to the border. We must not miss any opportunities!"

Liu Guangshi clearly made this call on purpose, so that many people could hear it. He also planned to set off the next day, carrying Cai You's body back to Yan'an Prefecture to see his father, gather troops, and make arrangements.

At this moment, Liu Guangshi was no longer flustered. What Grand Secretary? So what if he died!

His death was somewhat useful, and he died a worthy death. He must have been boasting shamelessly in the capital of the Tanguts, offending many people. His words must have been unbearable, which is typical of the demeanor of a Han envoy!
Have a good death!
The person who died felt at ease!
Even in death, one's country and family are spared!
Also ask the officials and servants in the delegation if Cai You did not go alone when he met the King of Western Xia. There must have been officials accompanying him. Also ask what the Grand Scholar said, preferably something he actually said... so that it can be verified.

Sure enough, upon inquiry, they also mentioned that the Tanguts had threatened to beat the Song envoy in court.

How could Liu Guangshi not write furiously? After finishing the military order, he wrote a memorial to the throne, giving a firsthand report on the whole affair.

Yao Pingzhong, on the other hand, still needs to hide in the ravines of Hunzhouchuan for another day. Rest is one reason, but the main reason is to wait for Liu Guangshi to clear the way ahead. There is no need to rush.

They waited until nightfall, then continued south along the river path.

After passing Yanzhou City, Yao Pingzhong would write another letter. The letter would contain only one word: "Yes." This was the agreed-upon code: "Yes" meant success, and "No" meant failure.

The letter was also sent by fast horse to Yanjing City.

They simply passed through Fuzhou, entered Fangzhou, and safely returned to Yaozhou.

Everything seemed as if it had never happened. Back in Yaozhou, he was busy recruiting soldiers and training new recruits.

Before long, word spread that the envoy had been assassinated by the Tanguts. Yao Pingzhong, among his officials and colleagues, couldn't help but feign great shock and repeatedly cursed the Tanguts as barbarians...

News travels like the wind, and the wind follows a swift horse; in just a few days, it has entered the city of Tokyo again.

In the imperial court, all the civil and military officials were filled with grief. The old Grand Tutor was especially heartbroken, his eyes red from crying. The emperor quickly offered him a seat, fearing that he might not be able to stand properly.

But the emperor himself was also filled with sorrow, and asked, "How dare the Dangxiang act in this way! I have never heard of such a thing before!"

Wang Fu also heard it said: "It must be that Scholar Cai spoke so eloquently that these barbarians, instead of being grateful for the Emperor's grace, became angry and ashamed, and committed such a despicable act!"

The emperor nodded in agreement. How could he not be angry with the Dangxiang? For the past twenty years, the Dangxiang had been his greatest threat. They had fought each other many times, and the Dangxiang had been criticized in the court countless times. Just three years ago, when Liu Fa was defeated and killed, the criticism intensified. In the end, the Dangxiang were seen as barbarians beyond redemption.

But then the Grand Tutor suddenly said, "We must investigate this matter thoroughly and get to the bottom of it!"

Wang Fu nodded: "We must investigate, but this matter is definitely related to the Dangxiang. If we investigate thoroughly, we will leave those Dangxiang barbarians with no room for argument! In that case, if our army is to march out, we will have a legitimate reason to do so, and we will have the advantage of timing, location, and popular support. We are sure to achieve a great victory!"

Tong Guan also frowned. He knew the Tanguts best and couldn't help but feel that there was something strange about this matter. He had been dealing with the Tanguts for a long time, so why would the Tanguts suddenly want to kill the Song envoy?

He also knew that the hundred or so people in the delegation had all witnessed it with their own eyes and spoke with absolute certainty.

Although Tong Guan had some doubts, he rarely spoke up...

The Emperor waved his hand and said, "Then send people to investigate. Send people from the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate to take a look. Send capable people to draft a proclamation to punish the rebels. Draft it quickly!"

Tong Guan asked, "Has Your Majesty decided to send troops to attack?"

"How can we not fight under such circumstances? If our Celestial Song Dynasty is bullied by barbarians, how can we face the people of the world?" The emperor was truly saddened. How could his feelings for this close friend, who had affectionately called him "Brother Ju'an" when they set off, be anything but good?

Tong Guan nodded: "Then we should quickly send the elite troops of Yan and Yun back, let the various armies in the Northwest return to their posts, and let the troops in Jingdong go home to rest and recuperate, so that we can be conscripted again!"

"I never imagined it would come to this. Just as Emperor Taizong of Tang said, they are barbarians. They fear power but do not cherish virtue. They will not listen to good advice. Only military might will suffice. The Privy Council should handle the matter quickly. This time, we have dispatched 300,000 troops. We must give an explanation! Only then can I face the people of the world!"

The Emperor has won too many victories now, and his confidence is certainly growing.

Tong Guan was also stunned. Three hundred thousand... What kind of amount is that?
Tong Guan went to see Wang Fu, and Wang Fu was also feeling uneasy.

Then Tong Guan himself came and asked, "Your Majesty, I wonder how much money and grain the Three Departments can raise this time?"

The emperor also went to see Wang Fu.

Wang Fu braced himself and answered, "Two...three million strings of cash, three million strings of cash."

Tong Guan looked troubled and looked up at the emperor.

The emperor, needless to say, simply spoke up: "Three million strings of cash, how can you mobilize three hundred thousand troops? The Secretariat and the Three Departments, go and raise the funds again; within two or three months, you should have..."

The emperor looked at Tong Guan...

Tong Guan came to fetch them: "Six million strings of cash are needed to justify the levy!"

"Then six million strings of cash. No matter what, we must raise six million strings of cash to send to the Privy Council before the war begins!" The Emperor was truly heartbroken. How could he not be angry that such a good friend had died so tragically?
"Your Majesty, the Grand Chancellor, six million strings of cash... I'm afraid..." Wang Fu was extremely helpless. He was the Grand Chancellor, but the power was in the hands of others, yet he had to do the work.

The key point is that Wang Fu simply couldn't conjure up six million strings of cash.

But Tong Guan asked directly, "These are funds for mobilization and deployment. The Secretariat and the Chancellery should also have a system for the allocation of provisions!"

Wang Fu then replied, "The provisions can be allocated along the way. The land in Guanzhong is not poor, and the provisions can be obtained from the prefectures and counties in Guanzhong. This way, it is closer and less wasteful!"

It was just a matter of a wave of the hand. The Guanzhong Plain, where Chang'an is located, is not poor, but the expenditure of 300,000 troops is too much.

In such matters, the wealthier the family, the less they contribute; and the lower the social class, the more they contribute.

Tong Guan didn't care. As long as there was a clear source, he nodded and said, "That's fine, let's do it this way."

Wang Fu frowned repeatedly. He had to get six million strings of cash. Looking up, he realized there was no room for negotiation, and he might even offend the grieving emperor. So he decided to go ahead and try to squeeze money out of the way possible.

Tong Guan is also in a difficult situation. Where can he find 300,000 soldiers? Could it be that the capital region has been completely emptied out?
What's the point of emptying out the capital region if the central government has already allocated resources?
We need to come up with a plan; at least on paper, it needs to look like we've deployed 300,000 troops.

This emperor, though easy to manipulate, can only be manipulated through coaxing; resisting his advances is absolutely out of the question...

Three hundred thousand troops is not impossible; at least it sounds intimidating, and the preemptive strike could be somewhat effective.

He went back and forth in the imperial court.

Su Wu also received the news that it was successful, and he was naturally pleased. He knew that a great battle was not far off, and it all depended on the preparations of the imperial court and Tong Guan.

He also knew that he would be returning to Jingdong soon. Before setting off again, he made sure to send the soldiers back for a while to stay. He couldn't go to war repeatedly, otherwise there would be complaints in the army.

There are many things to do now. Wu Yong's actions need to be handled more quickly and ruthlessly, and the distribution of grain to the people also needs to be expedited.

Even the reorganization of the troops in Yan and Yun resulted in the formation of an army of fifty to sixty thousand, stationed in various prefectures and counties. However, this was not enough, and more troops needed to be recruited. This matter was now up to Tan Zhen.

Guo Yaoshi, the Pharmacist of Yuanjun, was also expanding his forces. His troops, stationed in Yanjing City and surrounding prefectures and counties, numbered 15,000 to 16,000.

Su Wu himself will probably have to leave first, while the troops in the capital region will likely have to stay for a while longer.

Su Wu also wanted to do something else: go to Xijing to investigate the terrain and landforms, and to travel along the Taihang Mountain roads.

Thirdly, it is still necessary to meet with the Jurchens again, and if possible, also meet with Yelü Dashi.

Su Wu also heard the news brought back by the delegation from Tokyo: the Privy Council had sent a message to Yanjing, indicating that the Western Xia people were indeed going to send troops to rescue Datong.

This is also a diplomatic bargaining chip; we need to talk to the Jurchens to maximize our interests.

They even considered whether to have the Jurchens send troops to fight the Tanguts ahead of time. If this could be accomplished, the campaign against the Tanguts would be much easier.

Su Wu also knew that once the Song and the Jurchens had a conflict, the Tanguts and the Jurchens would automatically become allies, which was a historical inevitability.

At this moment, there is a time difference, and Su Wu must take advantage of this time difference to make a move. If this time difference is wasted, it will be too late to regret it.

With the international situation changing rapidly, Suarez is clearly a political animal, ready to act at the slightest provocation.

Just make arrangements in Yanjing City, and send over a thousand fast riders and several thousand horses westward to catch the event. We must make it to the event.

It was impossible for Datong, the capital of Xijing, not to fall. However, Su Wu knew that with the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians brought by Yelü Dashi from Yanjing, the fall of Datong would theoretically be delayed considerably.

This time difference is much more generous!

If you're heading from Yanjing to Datong and don't want to go south, there are two routes: one is the northern route, which goes through Xuanhua and out of Zhangjiakou.

One route is the southern route, which leads into the Taihang Mountains, through the Feihu Pass, one of the eight passes of Taihang, past Weizhou, and into the Datong Basin.

Taking the northern route would mean leaving the border and reaching the edge of the grasslands. Su Wu did not intend to take this route, firstly because he did not want any misunderstandings to occur with the Jurchens at this time.

Secondly, Su Wu wanted to travel through the Taihang Mountains. The Taihang Mountains are actually Shanxi Province, which is a narrow basin. It would be the place where Su Wu could make a deal with Yelü Dashi in the future. In other words, if Yelü Dashi really entered the grasslands, Shanxi would be an important place to exchange money, grain and supplies for Yelü Dashi's horses.

More than a thousand riders set off immediately. Of course, they also informed the Jurchens in advance that Su Wu was coming to Datong to pay homage to the emperor of their friendly state, the Jin. They also said that the thousand riders they were leading were coming from the southwest.

The city of Datong was completely besieged by the Jurchen army.

Among them, there were around 50,000 Jurchen soldiers, mostly cavalry, who were versatile enough to fight both on horseback and off horseback. There were also about 30,000 Liao soldiers who had surrendered to Yelü Yudu, bringing the total to around 80,000.

The Liao army inside Datong City is difficult to count. If we only consider the number of soldiers, it should be a little over 40,000. If we add the able-bodied men, then there would be 60,000 to 70,000.

If we're really talking about fighting, the Jurchens, facing such a fortified city and so many defenders, should theoretically be unable to take it down.

Unfortunately, the Liao people only had this one isolated city left, and they were trapped on this one road. In open battle, the 50,000 Jurchen cavalry were truly unstoppable, crushing anyone they encountered. The Liao's million armored soldiers had already been annihilated countless times.

Historically, the Song army suffered repeated defeats. Even the Tangut people, who once marched east with 30,000 troops, were easily crushed. Given this historical fact, how could Su Wu not have been extremely cautious?
Therefore, the food supplies in Datong City, which last only a few hours each day, will likely not last long. Yelü Dashi's final destination will still be the grasslands.

The Eight Passes of Taihang have been important military routes throughout history. They are not easy to travel, but they are also very secretive. From the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period to the struggle for power at the end of the Qin Dynasty, then to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and then to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, countless dangerous battles have taken place here.

Throughout history, every famous general has had various stories associated with the Eight Passes of Taihang, from Qin and Zhao to Han Xin and even Li Shimin...

Su Wu also entered the Taihang Mountains this time, but he did not fight. He was just passing through. After crossing the Taihang Mountains, he entered a small basin, the Datong Basin.

Then, Datong City came into view. Before us stretched endless camps, crisscrossed by ravines and dotted with countless barricades. This city of Datong, an important town throughout history, had witnessed countless wars.

Yet it was also the most important trading place between the Central Plains or Shanxi and the grasslands beyond the Great Wall. In fact, when the Central Plains dynasties attacked the grasslands and the grassland troops marched south to the Central Plains, this place was always the place where the flames of war met.

Su Wu came here to confirm one thing with the Jurchens: Datong is Yunzhou, which belongs to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. It is Song territory, as clearly stated in the treaty of the Maritime Alliance. In other words, even if the Jurchens breach the city, this city must be confirmed and ultimately handed over to the Song people.

Who should come here? Su Wu had made up his mind: Wang Bing. Wang Bing would take charge of this place as well. Taiyuan and Datong were originally within the same defense system, so he would give it all to Wang Bing!

With such peace of mind, even if the Yan and Yun regions were to fall into chaos in the future, as long as Datong remained intact, there would be the power to retaliate. An army could march out of Datong and directly strike at the Jurchen homeland via the grasslands...

Su Wu has been plotting far too much during this period...

Datong was just ahead; a Jurchen cavalry force was approaching from afar, obviously there to pick up the people...

(Brothers, it's the last day of the month, take a look at your monthly tickets, don't waste them... Thanks!)

(End of this chapter)