Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 269 Is this really true?
Su Wu galloped forward like a madman, and the soldiers also galloped forward as if they had no fear. Was there no Dangxiang ahead?

With this thought in mind, Li Yan looked back and then forward again. The dust obscured the view ahead, and even the horse's rear end was no longer visible…

Li Yan quickly lashed the horse's rump with his whip, and the horse galloped forward, plunging into the dust, while he shouted, "Slow down, slow down..."

A knight in front of them did turn his head and glance at it, but that was all. How could the horse's hooves slow down?
Li Yan simply followed the galloping horse, crouching down and tightly embracing it. He had never ridden a horse so fast before. In the past, riding a horse was merely a matter of walking; this frantic gallop was out of sheer necessity. He could only lie down and hold the horse's neck tightly…

Every now and then I'd glance up ahead, and all I could see was billowing smoke and dust, and shadowy figures peeking through it...

They had been running for an unknown amount of time when they heard the sounds of fighting ahead. It wasn't the usual shouting of fighting and killing, but rather the cries of battle, and even various hurried and intense conversations...

Could they really be killing the Tanguts?

Getting closer, even catching up to the end of the line, they could hear the gibberish coming from the front, though they couldn't understand it, only a sense of urgency and heart-wrenching pain.

Li Yan quickly looked up and saw that in the dust and smoke, there really was fighting and stabbing, there were people falling from their horses, and there were heart-wrenching screams and cries.

The fight really started!
They're really attacking the Tanguts!
Li Yan's heart tightened, and he seemed to forget to breathe. He buried his head, hugged the horse's neck, and let the horse run forward quickly.

A moment later, countless hooves thundered from both sides, creating chaos and great noise, yet the horses continued to gallop.

Li Yan, who dared not look up, kept his eyes fixed on the ground. He could see that there were indeed people covered in blood on the ground, people whose necks had been stabbed in half and whose blood was gushing out like a fountain, and people whose waists and abdomens were covered in bright red blood and were still writhing...

Tanguts, they really are Tanguts! Even though I had never seen what Tanguts looked like before, many of them were Tanguts passing by on the ground!

Hug me tighter, bury your head even deeper—these are all subconscious actions!

Shout, shout loudly: "Protect me! Protect this warden!"

Sure enough, someone slowed down their pace and shouted from the side, "Supervisor, don't be alarmed, just follow along!"

These words were like heavenly music. Li Yan quickly looked up and saw a pair of sharp eyes inside an iron helmet. Those eyes were also looking at him. The entire body was covered in gleaming iron armor, like a heavenly soldier or general.

The knight beside him bent down and grabbed Li Yan's reins, pulling Li Yan's horse close behind him.

This knight was clearly a simple soldier; in battle, his only thought was to protect his comrades, without any other considerations.

If the instructor, Mr. Su, knew about this, Xu would be furious. Why are you protecting him?
If he truly died in battle, with so many witnesses, then he's gone. We could even capture the murderer of the supervising officer alive; that would be so convenient...

If we were to devise a plan to kill them, I wonder how much effort it would take and how much risk it would entail.

Of course, this soldier's simple thoughts are commendable, and Su Wu wouldn't actually curse him...

Li Yan felt the protective love of the imposing soldier in front of him. He raised his head slightly and looked from the soldier's ponytail to the soldier's armored figure. At this moment, this soldier was truly majestic and tall!
This soldier held a long spear in one hand and leaned forward with all his might to stab. With one thrust, a Tangut fell from his horse. He really fell from his horse. How amazing!
At this moment, this ordinary soldier had become like a war god of the Song Dynasty in Li Yan's heart.

Just as the horse was galloping along, it suddenly began to slow down and rein in.

Li Yan felt the horse's speed decrease and immediately felt relieved, as if he had been granted a pardon. He even raised his head slightly and asked the person in front of him, "Are you done fighting?"

The soldier replied earnestly, "We are indeed turning around. Sir, you have divided into two teams to attack from both sides and block them from all sides. The Dangxiang are trying to escape, and we will kill them all!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yan immediately knelt down and hugged him tightly, his mind filled with only one thought: Why are they still fighting? If the main force of the Tanguts arrives, how could he possibly survive?

Li Yan wanted to speak, to talk to Su Wu, but he didn't know where Su Wu was. What could he say?

It was time to sound the retreat. Li Yan finally understood that these soldiers all obeyed Su Wu; they would only retreat when Su Wu gave the order…

I regret it now. I should have said the words of withdrawing the troops directly to Su Wu's face. Su Wu really went to great lengths to intimidate me, Li Yan. He actually risked his life to put on a show. Isn't this Su Wu's way of showing his power?

That's true... It's really scary. Hold on tight, how come this horse's fur is so slippery?

At this moment, Su Wu had no intention of frightening Li Yan. He kept drinking blood from his spear, looking back and forth, shouting, "Bite him! Bite him! Don't let him escape!"

Just now, a hundred or so Dangxiang riders and six or seven hundred cavalrymen had passed each other. Now, only thirty or forty Dangxiang riders remained, running wildly around the field, trying to turn around and escape to the north.

These Tanguts were indeed strong; when they heard the approaching hooves in the distance, they immediately donned their armor, mounted their horses, and prepared for battle, instead of fleeing...

When they actually saw the Song cavalry appear before them, numbering six or seven hundred, they didn't turn around and leave; instead, they met them head-on.

Three or four years ago, it was also they who defeated General Liu Fa of the Song Dynasty, chasing him until he lost his footing and fell off a cliff, breaking both his legs. They then killed him and beheaded him as a warning to the public.

Liu Fa was no weak general. He fought against the Tanguts his whole life, with both victories and defeats, and made many contributions. He held a very high position among the generals in the Northwest. There was a saying that when discussing famous generals, Liu Fa was the foremost.

Liu Fagong was highly meritorious and eventually rose to the position of Military Commissioner of Xihe Circuit, even surpassing Lao Zhong in rank. In his old age, he suffered such a crushing defeat, his head chopped off by the Dangxiang. The entire Northwest mourned his passing…

At this time, why would the Tanguts be afraid of the Song people?
At this time, the Northwest Knights under Su Wu's command fought with extraordinary bravery and determination when killing the Dangxiang. They had been frustrated for three or four years, and now that Lord Su had finally arrived, it was the day to avenge their grievances!

They charged forward, howling and shouting. Over the past three or four years, the Tanguts had been showing off their power and prestige countless times, but they had been holding back. This time, they were finally venting their anger!
All I could see was Prime Minister Su leading the way, and my blood was boiling. I just kept running and running. There was a Prime Minister Su, and it was truly a blessing from heaven for the Great Song Dynasty, a blessing from heaven for the Northwest, and a blessing from heaven for the Tanguts!
May Old Master Liu rest in peace in heaven!
The next battle targeted the Tanguts, and even though there were only a hundred or so Tanguts, they seemed to be fighting with great enthusiasm alongside Prime Minister Su, as if they were fighting a major battle involving 100,000 people!
Prime Minister Su was shouting, "Li Cheng, bring out the crossbows!"

On the horse's back was a leather pouch. He simply took out a crossbow, moved his leg out of the stirrup, placed the spear on the horse's side hook, stepped on the crossbow arm with his foot, pulled the bowstring with his hand, drew an arrow from the quiver, nocked it, and raised his hand. Not far away, a Tangut was running incredibly fast!
Raise the crossbow, aim slightly forward, and with a twang of the bowstring, the crossbow bolt flies out.

As soon as Li Cheng lowered his crossbow, he looked up and shouted, "Hit!"

As expected, the Tangut man clad in leather and iron armor fell to the ground with a thud, rolling several times on the ground at high speed, before struggling to get up.

But the Song cavalry came very fast from behind. A young general named Yue Fei galloped past on horseback, thrusting his spear in a steady, accurate, and ruthless motion, all in one smooth motion.

Looking at the situation before them, it was already a one-sided affair, with the Tanguts flying everywhere and the Song cavalry chasing after them everywhere!
Three or four years ago, these Tangut cavalry pursued the old general Liu Fa in the same way. How could they not grit their teeth and rage if they pursued him today?

The blood feud has escalated from generation to generation, reaching an unprecedented level.

As dusk settled on the horizon, the battle subsided. The hundred or so Tanguts, who had pursued the enemy for as far as twenty or thirty miles, had brought many horses with them, just as Lord Su had said: to kill them all, and they were determined to do so.

They even made the Tanguts abandon their horses and climb up the mountain ridge, and the Song cavalry behind them also abandoned their horses to climb and chase after them.

Su Wu stopped chasing and stood on his horse in the twilight, silhouetted against the red sun.

A knight led over a horse, on which sat Li Yan, still shaken. He saw soldiers in the distance scrambling up the mountain ridge and spoke up: "Scholar Su, quickly call him back! Let's hurry back; the Dangxiang reinforcements will be here soon!"

Su Wu replied, "Kill them all!"

The Song-Xia border stretches for two thousand miles, so how many reinforcements could the Tanguts possibly send immediately? In other words, how many Tanguts could be spread across the border?
Of course, Li Yan didn't quite understand this principle. He only knew that the recent military reports frequently mentioned thousands of Dangxiang cavalry galloping around, so he hurriedly said, "Scholar Su, we have already won a great victory! We have already won a great victory! We should fight a quick battle and leave as soon as we are done. That would be the wise thing to do!"

Su Wu turned around and glanced at Li Yan. Su Wu had already removed his iron helmet, his face was serious and firm, his murderous aura was still there, and his imposing presence was still there. He said in one sentence: "What are you afraid of? We should go and see what's going on at the foot of Hongzhou City!"

"What?" Li Yan's eyes widened, and he said, "What are we going to do outside Hongzhou City? There are tens of thousands of soldiers waiting in full battle array in Hongzhou City. What are we going there for?"

Su Wu ignored it, focusing instead on watching the scene of the enemy being pursued on the mountain ridge. If Hongzhou City had tens of thousands of soldiers on high alert, wouldn't the Dangxiang also have a million armored soldiers? What was the point of fighting then? He might as well go home, have children, and live a peaceful life.

However, the knight who had just led Li Yan there said, "Supervisor, do not be alarmed. There are at most three or four thousand people in Hongzhou City."

Three or four thousand men? Hearing this, Li Yan felt slightly relieved, but quickly added, "Three or four thousand men is not a small number. We only have six or seven hundred. We shouldn't go! Besides, Zhou has tens of thousands of Tangut cavalry galloping around..."

Li Yan was unaware that the knight who had just protected him now wore a look of disdain, as did everyone around him.

They'd seen the military supervisor before, so why was this supervisor so different from the last one? Why was this supervisor like this?

Perhaps it was because Li Yan had finally stopped thinking about the show of force, subconsciously no longer thinking that way. Su Wu wasn't trying to intimidate him; it seemed like he was really going to Hongzhou!
This Su Wu was truly incredibly brave and fierce. In the past, when I heard such praise in the capital, I thought it was commonplace. There were at least 5,000 people who were praised in front of the emperor. This one was exceptionally talented, that one was incredibly brave and invincible. Anyone who was to be promoted or given a chance to advance was praised endlessly.

Praise before the Emperor could hardly be anything but commonplace. Besides, the previous campaign against Liao didn't involve much fighting...

I only realized today that while many others are ordinary, this one is truly extraordinary!

However, you, Su Wu, are fearless and willing to risk your life, while I, Li Yan, am just a supervising eunuch, a perfectly respectable chief eunuch...

Ugh……

He shouldn't have come. He really shouldn't have come. Now he's really tied to this place. Even if he had a squad of guards, he wouldn't dare to go back with them. There are still thousands of Tangut cavalry galloping around. Maybe there are thousands of cavalry nearby, but who can say for sure?
For a moment, countless thoughts raced through Li Yan's mind!

As expected, Su Wu simply said, "If Steward Li has any concerns, then I'll send a team to escort you back first!"

Upon hearing this, all the riders on either side turned their heads away, afraid that they would be seen when Lord Su came to select men. Following Lord Su out would surely bring merit, wouldn't it? Money would be given, rewards would be given, and promotion would be a given.

Who would be willing to escort a military supervisor home?

Li Yan, however, also said, "That's not necessary. I'll just follow Scholar Su and stay with everyone!"

As the sun set, the men who had been chasing them down the mountain ridge happily carried a severed head. How much was the head worth?
We just need to wait for Master Su to say it. It will definitely be no less than twenty strings of cash. Even if it is divided among four people, each person will get five strings of cash. Half an acre of good land has been earned again.

Of course, the value of land in this era cannot be compared with that of later generations.

In this era, the population was only around 10 million. The annual yield of one mu of land was only about 200 jin. A yield of more than 300 jin was considered a high yield and a bumper harvest. However, taxes still had to be paid to the government. The remaining amount of land was not enough to feed one person. If one really needed to feed one person, several mu of land would be required.

For a relatively wealthy self-sufficient farmer with several family members, the minimum land area is several dozen acres. Of course, most are tenant farmers or tenant households, renting land from landlords! Or, even if they own a few acres, they still have to rent a large amount of land from landlords.

It was also unlike later generations, where a mu of land could easily yield over a thousand jin, or even more than a thousand jin, and there were even cases where a mu could yield two thousand jin.

Bonfires were lit, riders were deployed outside, and sentries, both visible and hidden, were scattered.

Su Xianggong liked to eat this soup made with cured pork...

Sitting next to Prime Minister Su was Li Yan, the military supervisor. Looking at the hot soup served and the small flatbreads on the side, Li Yan frowned a little. He had been eating them for several days and was grimacing as he ate them.

Just look at that Master Su, picking up the cured meat and gnawing on it, along with the cured mutton and flatbread, wolfing it down. Is it that delicious?

Li Yan had no choice but to eat it anyway; it was clearly not tasty to him...

Watching as Master Su finished his meal in no time, he gulped down the bowl of soup in a few mouthfuls, smacked his lips, and exclaimed, "Delicious!"

Those around him immediately burst into laughter, for it was Su Xiang Gong who was imitating their accent and using their vocabulary.

"Sir, how much are these Tangut heads worth?" a soldier asked.

Su Wu had forgotten about it and laughed heartily, saying, "Twenty-five strings of cash!"

The men around him were overjoyed and stood up one by one. They first thanked Minister Su, and then spread the word far and wide: "Minister Su said that a Dangxiang leader is worth twenty-five strings of cash, which is more valuable than a Khitan head. We must be brave this time, and even braver this time!"

Once the news was relayed a few times, the entire audience erupted in cheers and shouts of gratitude.

Li Yan frowned repeatedly, also puzzled. How could they afford to reward the army like this?

If the soldiers are deceived in this way and the payment cannot be made, wouldn't the morale of the army be shaken?
Li Yan quickly said in a low voice, "Scholar Su, you absolutely mustn't make such an extravagant boast."

Su Wu looked at Li Yan and asked, "Then how much do you want?"

Li Yan thought it over carefully. This time, 300,000 troops were coming to fight less than 100,000 Dangxiang. They would need money to set out, money to fight, and money to reward them after the battle. There were also logistical and supply expenses. He knew how to do the math, so after a quick calculation, he said, "At most, at most three strings of cash..."

Su Wu raised his hand: "Why don't you, the military supervisor, speak to them on their behalf..."

Li Yan nodded, stood up, and was about to speak when he saw the lively atmosphere around him, so he sat down again and said, "Scholar Su, you've already said it, wouldn't it be...?"

Su Wu saw him smiling and couldn't help but think, "He's really a shrewd person, no wonder he came from the palace."

"Then twenty-five strings!" Su Wu said, too lazy to say more, and even less to argue with Li Yan.

Upon hearing this, Li Yan also looked at Su Wu, thinking to himself that if the payment couldn't be made at that time and there was a riot in the army, he wondered how this Scholar Su would handle the situation.

Perhaps...

It's not a bad thing?
With that thought in mind, Li Yan didn't say anything more, only saying, "Scholar Su is the commander of the troops, so let's do as Scholar Su says..."

Su Wu was well aware of Li Yan's inner thoughts at that moment, but he simply smiled faintly and remained silent.

But then Li Yan asked again, "Scholar, are you really going to Hongzhou tomorrow?"

"Of course I must go, and see what the terrain of Hongzhou is like. In a few days, I should also go to the Dangxiang Longzhou in the east to see it all..." Su Wu said seriously that the Northwest is very different from the Central Plains, Jiangnan, and Yanyun. He must see it with his own eyes. This is the foundation of a good general.

All the great generals and commanders of the past were like this!
"Can't we just not go?" Li Yan asked in a low voice. He was genuinely afraid. Even now, drinking soup by the campfire here, he felt terrified. After all, this was the land of the Tanguts, and the Tangut cavalry had always been fierce. The 300,000 troops had not yet gathered, so how could he feel safe?

“Then Chief Steward Li can go back first. How can a commander who leads troops not know the terrain?” Su Wu said.

“I don’t mean to go back first, it’s just that… there’s no need for that, Scholar Su. The military’s scouts and officers will take care of surveying the terrain. Why do you and I need to go ourselves?” Li Yanzhen was trying to persuade Su Wu.

Su Wu countered with a question: "Do you know how a general can win every battle?"

Li Yan assumed Su Wu was trying to lecture him, showing off, and taking advantage of his lack of military knowledge, so he didn't respond.

Su Wu asked himself and answered himself: "To have a clear understanding of everything, to know oneself and one's enemy, to have knowledge of astronomy and geography, that is the way to win every battle!"

Li Yan nodded. "You're right. Whether this was a show of force or not, we've been put through the wringer. You, Su Wu, have your strengths. Once we get back, I'll have my strengths too..."

Enough, I won't say anymore... I just hope the Tanguts don't notice, I just hope they can't keep up and can't find it.

I just hope to return home safely.

As night deepened and snoring filled the air, only Li Yan dared not sleep any longer. He finally managed to drift off, only to be jolted awake by a nightmare…

He cursed inwardly. He knew that Su Wu might not have intended to intimidate him this time, and that he was genuinely there to scout the terrain. But Su Wu must have thought of using this opportunity to intimidate him.

I shouldn't have come!
This time I'll remember it. I haven't even settled the score with Su Wu over the horses at Moutuo Ridge yet, and now this again...

This fellow must be afraid that the supervising officer will steal the credit. In the past, when Li Xian and Tong Guan were supervising officers, their achievements were enormous. This time, this fellow must want to take the credit from the supervising officer, so he is doing this!
If Su Wu knew what Li Yan was thinking, he couldn't help but think that Li Yan's thoughts were not unfounded.

But the only problem is that not all military supervisors are the same. How can he be compared to Li Xian and Tong Guan? Does he want the credit of Li Xian and Tong Guan?
That's wishful thinking. What should Su Wu do then?
Their ambitions are quite large, and their ideas are rather beautiful.

Finally, dawn broke. They packed up their camp and horses, as well as a considerable amount of spoils of war, and then headed north.

I'm really going to Hongzhou.

Hongzhou is not a large city, nor can it accommodate one. Its limited resources lead to a small population, and a small population means a small city. The total number of soldiers and civilians within the city is perhaps only around 20,000. While it's called a fortress, the city is actually larger than a fortress.

Looking at the yellow earthen wall from afar, the four gates were already tightly closed. The people on the city wall also saw the Song cavalry. The drums were beating loudly, indicating that they were preparing for battle. The reaction was extremely fast. It was also here that there had been many battles over the years, and the soldiers and civilians had extremely high war awareness.

Su Wu rode his horse around the city, not to attack it, and he knew that the soldiers inside the city would not come out to fight if they did not know the situation.

Su Wu simply rode his horse around the city, occasionally glancing at the Dangxiang city. He was unhurried, and the increasing number of armored soldiers on the city walls did not seem afraid, as they faced each other from a distance.

To the east of the city is a river, the upper reaches of the Yongding River. The water flow is not large; it is just a confluence of streams flowing from Baiyu Mountain.

This place is extremely dry, far from the ocean, and receives very little rainfall.

The city's water supply was clearly drawn from the river and ditches... Most cities in the northwest didn't have moats and were already short of water...

But the city did have moats...

To attack this city, we must first cut off its water supply. However, this will not have a significant effect in the short term, as the city will naturally have water reserves. Only a long-term siege will be effective. But cutting off the water supply is essential. Even if it doesn't work in the short term, it will put psychological pressure on the enemy and give us a psychological advantage.

We need to prepare plenty of long planks to build trenches, and look around to see if it's difficult to cut large trees here. We need to bring all the military equipment directly with us.

This is another huge transportation project.

The mobilization of laborers in many prefectures and counties is different from the past, and the number has increased many times over, which is also a pressure. Even in the Guanzhong region, laborers have to be mobilized to go north, and the consumption of food is even greater.

I can't help but think about how much it cost Emperor Wu of Han to lead his army out of the pass.

Su Wu frowned even more. While it was true that the entire nation was mobilized, the imperial court seemed to lack sufficient power. In other words, even with a significant increase in the number of laborers and the supply of provisions, the court might struggle to manage the allocation properly.

Headache……

Let's continue east and visit Longzhou.

Along the way, scouts kept reporting that Tangut scouts were following behind. Su Wu ignored them and just kept heading east. If the Tanguts were to send out a large army, it wouldn't be a matter of just a few days.

The lands of Hongzhou and Longzhou are not suitable for stationing a large army. If the army needs provisions, it must be stationed in the areas along the Yellow River where resources are abundant, that is, around Xingqing Prefecture at the foot of Helan Mountain.

Including horses, Hongzhou and Longzhou were not places for raising horses. The horses were in the Hetao region further north. Therefore, it was impossible for the main force of the Tangut cavalry to be stationed here for a long time.

How could these matters be clearly understood by those officials in the capital, such as Minister Cai and Minister Wang?

Even if Su Wu hadn't truly delved into the matter after arriving here, he wouldn't have understood.

But to say that this is some extraordinary insight is actually not. It's just a simple information gap. The difference between people in the world lies in these simple information gaps.

One can't help but wonder why, every time the Song army attacked Xia, they seemed to be doing well at the beginning, but in the end they still suffered a crushing defeat?
That makes sense; the Tangut response time will be relatively long...

This also implicitly aligns with a similar principle: the Western Xia army was also extending the Song army's supply lines, using the Tangut's strategic depth to disrupt the Song army's food and fodder supplies, while simultaneously launching cavalry attacks in all directions...

As you slowly make your way towards Longzhou, you'll eventually see Longzhou City, which is much the same as Hongzhou City. However, Longzhou City is even more water-scarce than Hongzhou City, with only a stream on the south side; the other three sides have few streams...

Su Wu couldn't help but slowly formulate a battle plan in his mind, and he also analyzed the previous Song army's campaigns against Xia.

Being impatient is a big problem; we can't be impatient.

How to fight?
The strategy of besieging the city without attacking is a good one. We can simply wait for the main army to assemble, surround the border city, and wait for the main Tangut army to come to the rescue.

We'll wait until they arrive. In the meantime, we can even repair more roads and transport more grain to stockpile. Since we'll be recruiting twice as many laborers this time, we'll just conscript them to do these things.

We also need to extensively repair the camp.

Why didn't generals in the past make such strategic plans?

Perhaps it was the generals of the past who couldn't withstand certain pressures; how could those warriors withstand the expectations and urgings of the court? But Su Wu felt he could withstand it.

Secondly, the logistical pressure was also great. The Northwest is barren, and the allocation of food and fodder is already difficult. The commanders were uneasy, fearing that their food and fodder would not last long, and they also wanted a quick victory.

From Su Wu's perspective, a swift and decisive victory was truly unwise. If they were to penetrate deep into the heartland, the Dangxiang would harass their logistics and amass a large army for a direct confrontation. How could they possibly win? Unless the Song Dynasty also possessed a large cavalry force, like Emperor Wu of Han, with tens of thousands of riders overwhelming their way across hundreds of miles in just a few days…

Fortunately, although Su Wu does not have the same number of cavalry as Emperor Wu of Han, he still has a considerable number of cavalry. With his own and those from various prefectures in the northwest, he can easily gather fourteen or fifteen thousand cavalry.

This trip was worthwhile; Su Wu had already decided on his strategy.

But this strategy costs money!

Su Wu had to write to Tong Guan immediately. This time, a lot of money was going to be spent, and Tong Guan needed to do his best to mediate. It wasn't just about money, but also about supplies. Relying on the border prefectures for supplies would mean starving to death.

Even if we include the Guanzhong region, it's still far from enough. The imperial court needs to make an effort to transport more grain and supplies.

Su Wu didn't rely entirely on the imperial court. He immediately wrote to Li Hang and Lu Junyi, urging them to quickly organize a caravan to procure grain from Henan and Hebei. They offered high prices: for every shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain transported to Yan'an Prefecture, the price would be increased tenfold, and they would be paid ten guan (another unit of dry measure).

This is not the time to be stingy with money. Even if all the money is spent, we should still do it.

This is because the imperial court was incompetent, which led to this situation.

It wasn't just that the imperial court was poor; it was also that the court was incredibly wasteful and the emperor acted recklessly. If the money spent on repairing Genyue had been used to buy and transport grain, Su Wu would have had no worries about the future.

Unreliable, there's nothing I can do but take precautions and be prepared for any eventuality. I'll rely on myself first.

After visiting Longzhou, head south, where a row of Song Dynasty fortresses and strongholds stretches out, still within the territory of Yan'an Prefecture: Weirong Fortress, Luyi Fortress, Wan'an Fortress, Weiqiang Fortress, Tianqiang Fortress, Pingqiang Fortress...

The names of these fortified villages are mostly based on aspirations, and many of them were built under the supervision of Fan Zhongyan, the Duke of Wenzheng. It was after Han Qi suffered repeated defeats here that Fan Zhongyan had no choice but to adopt this strategy of building fortified villages, one after another, large and small, blocking all kinds of roads.

I must say, it was extremely effective, and the strategy was incredibly successful!

Thus, they arrived at Saimen Village, then Pingrong Village, Ansai, Long'an, and Jinming, before heading back to Yanzhou City.

Once they entered the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, Li Yan, the military supervisor, finally slept soundly. Upon seeing Yanzhou City, Li Yan's eyes even welled up with tears, as if he were about to cry...

Li Yan hurriedly rode into the city to return to his residence, where he bathed, washed, changed, and even ordered a large table of delicious food...

Even if they went with the army, how could they live a life fit for a human being?

Su Wu also took a bath, met with Liu Yanqing, and immediately left the city.

The Jingdong army arrived and set up camp. Su Wu had to meet with the many generals and officers. There were many talented people gathered together, and everyone who was supposed to come had arrived.

Su Wu, sitting firmly in the center of the army, asked, "Brother Liangchen, where is anyone from your army?"

Han Shizhong stood up, turned around and pointed to the left and right, and replied, "All my generals have arrived..."

Su Wu chuckled and said, "I think we're missing one!"

Han Shizhong looked puzzled, turned back to count again, and said, "My lord, not a single one is missing! When you beat the drum to raise the tent, how could you dare to miss anyone? You'd be risking your head!"

Su Wu laughed and said, "We're just one short!"

Han Shizhong almost questioned his existence, staring blankly at Su Wu.

Su Wu then asked, "What about Liang Hongyu?"

"Huh?" Han Shizhong was truly stunned.

"What? You look down on heroines?" Su Wu asked with a smile, which made everyone laugh. Everyone knew that Han Shizhong had found a daughter of a military family and took her with him every day. She rode around on horseback, wearing armor and wielding a spear and sword, no less than a man!
This time, Liang Hongyu also came along.

The room erupted in laughter, but Han Shizhong looked embarrassed: "Sir, as you ascend the platform, she... she is certainly not allowed to come. She holds no official position, so she is even less suitable to come..."

This statement is certainly true in this era.

But who was Su Wu? How few women in this world actually went into battle? And those whose names have been recorded in history are even rarer, perhaps only a phoenix feather or unicorn horn.

Su Wu simply waved his hand and said, "That's easy. Here's the deal... appoint Liang Hongyu as a ninth-rank deputy military officer, and also as a commander in any camp under Mizhou! Have her stand before my tent and await orders!"

It was hardly an official position, nor even a post, but now it exists.

"Huh?" Han Shizhong was still stunned, and said, "Sir, are you joking?"

Su Wu became serious and shook his head: "She has followed you into battle. If she is brave, she will be promoted. If she is not, she will be dismissed and investigated!"

Han Shizhong looked around, his face full of disbelief: "Is this really true? Is this really true?"

Xu Guanzhong laughed incessantly and said, "General Han, you should quickly send someone to invite him. How can I joke with you?"

"Very well, very well!" Han Shizhong turned and went out, shouting, "Quickly go and fetch Madam!"

Overjoyed, Han Shizhong was surprised to find that such a thing actually happened in the army. Upon entering, he was also beaming with delight and laughing non-stop.

But then Su Wu said, "You wait for her behind the door, so that she won't be so reserved and hesitant when she gets there!"

"Good, good, very good!" Han Shizhong, who had just entered the room, turned around and left again, his excitement overflowing. He had brought his wife along, and he was worried that others would gossip about her to his husband. He also wanted to explain to his husband and colleagues that his wife was highly skilled in martial arts, had extraordinary courage, and was no less capable than the men in the army...

Unexpectedly, my husband made such a direct arrangement, even giving me a minor official position. I imagine my wife would be overjoyed if she knew!

A moment later, Liang Hongyu indeed rode up, still looking flustered. After dismounting and seeing Han Shizhong, she calmed down a bit and asked, "Husband, why did you summon me to the tent?"

"Haha..." Han Shizhong stroked his beard, stepped forward and took Liang Hongyu's hand: "Come on, come on, Deputy Lieutenant Liang, hurry up, your husband has been waiting for a long time!"

"What, Deputy Lieutenant Liang?"

"You, your husband just appointed you as a deputy lieutenant in the army. Although it's not a high rank, don't worry. After a few battles, you might become a general. We'll have two generals in our family, which will be a relief to your father and brothers in heaven!"

"Huh?" Liang Hongyu was stunned, as Han Shizhong had already pulled her into the main tent.

The man at the front, Minister Su, waved his hand and said, "Sit down, sit over there, let's discuss this!"

Han Shizhong pulled Liang Hongyu to sit down. Liang Hongyu was completely bewildered and simply followed suit. Among the generals, captains, officers, and military advisors, no one really paid much attention to her; they all looked at Su Xianggong.

Prime Minister Su then spoke up, saying, "This is going to be a long war, so you all need to be prepared."

Why the long-term strategy? It's all about strategy. And within that strategy, there's another reason to explain: building forward bases. In the past, forward bases were the prefectures and cities like Fu, Yan, Huan, and Qing. This time it's different. Su Wu wants to build forward bases on the border first, to store food and weapons, gather artisans, laborers, and auxiliary soldiers, shorten the logistics distance, and compress the depth of the Dangxiang territory.

This also attracted the main force of the Tanguts to come to the border to provide reinforcements, thus bridging the gap between the attacking and defending sides.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Su Wu continued, “Return to your respective armies and make it clear to the soldiers that they will not be able to return within three to five months. Tell the soldiers to be resolute and to suppress their homesickness. Of course, this time the reward will be even greater than before: twenty-five strings of cash for each Dangxiang head!”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Wu Song chimed in, "Brother, don't worry. We brothers have come with you because we are all devoted to you. We are not afraid of homesickness, but we are afraid of not achieving any merit!"

There was actually resentment in these words, not so much towards Su Wu, but towards the events in Yan and Yun. People traveled hundreds of miles to and from Yan and Yun, and in the past, when they fought, they were promoted one after another. This one became a captain, that one became a general. This was the goal of making a name for oneself.

The last time we went to Yanyun, Mao Bentou was nowhere to be found, and the soldiers were worried about that too.

Su Wu nodded: "Tell the men that this is a great battle, and the Dangxiang are skilled and brave warriors. If they make meritorious contributions, they will surely be promoted one after another. Tell them that I, Su, guarantee that if they do not make any contributions and are not promoted, I will never return to Jingdong!"

Xu Guanzhong then said, "Sir, you're exaggerating. If you vouch for us, how could the soldiers not believe you?"

Everyone nodded in agreement: "Yes, brothers, how could we not believe you, sir? We all know that it wasn't your fault last time. None of us have blamed you. You're overthinking it..."

"Yes, yes, my lord, you have misunderstood the brothers..."

"If this gets out, the army will probably just think that you think the brothers are blaming you. Absolutely not, not even a little bit!"

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Just keep the message going. Now, let's talk about something else. Today, I will draft military orders based on the number of troops available in various prefectures and counties. Order the soldiers to send word quickly that all prefectures and counties have begun to gather troops! Brothers, you should also head to where the troops are being gathered!"

The generals rose: "Understood!"

Liang Hongyu was a beat slow to react, but she quickly stood up and shouted "Yes, sir!" The others had already finished speaking, but Liang Hongyu's coquettish voice was still lingering...

Everyone burst into laughter again...

Liang Hongyu blushed, thinking everyone was laughing at her. She was now in the mood and blurted out, "You're all laughing at me, but if my husband really puts me to the field, I'll be willing to die a hundred times over, no less than you!"

Su Wu waved his hand with a smile: "Deputy Lieutenant Liang, let's not bother with these scoundrels. This time, you're the one who's going to fight. Make some contributions and show them! When the time comes, you'll be a general, and they'll be your soldiers..."

"Understood!" Liang Hongyu shouted, her voice strong and clear, showing she was truly holding back her energy.

Everyone stopped laughing, holding it in, seeing their husband's serious face, not laughing, not laughing at all...

Su Wu waved his hand: "Disperse, disperse! Quickly prepare to set off!"

The crowd filed out, seemingly a little excited. Everything had begun; the war had started!

Su Wu then went to the government office, where many official documents from various prefectures and counties were kept. He went to look at them one by one, accompanied by Xu Guanzhong and others, who were there to call up the soldiers and generals from various prefectures and counties.

The names were listed one by one: Zhong Shidao, Liu Yanqing, Zhong Shizhong, Liu Zhongwu, Liu Qi, Yao Gu, Liu Zhengyan, Liu Guangshi, Zhe Keqiu, Zhe Kecun, Wang Yuan, Xin Xingzong, Yao Pingzhong, Yang Weizhong, Zhe Yanzhi, Wu Jie, Wu Lin...

How many cavalry, how many infantry, how many auxiliary troops, how many artisans, and what carts, donkeys, and mules...

Once the troops were counted, the military orders were issued without consulting Li Yan. Even the orders from the central army commander were relayed by Su Wu's own soldiers, without needing anyone else...

Even military power was in Su Wu's hands.

It's not that Su Wu is a difficult colleague to deal with, but rather that the current Su Wu has never given Li Yan a second glance!
Now, with the change in power and authority, Su Wu's mindset and mentality have also changed drastically.

(Brothers, here comes the 10,000-word update. My biological clock has been messed up for the past few days, so I'll try to keep it steady. Sorry...)
(End of this chapter)