Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 273 I am willing to lead General Su's horse and put him in the stirrups, even if it means dying a hundred times!
The morning sun at Wanjingkou appears even cleaner than elsewhere. When there is no sandstorm, the sky seems as if it has been washed clean. The morning sun brings a warm current, shining into the sheepfold, where the sheep are waiting for their owner to bring them hay in the morning...

But the master will never come again...

Several armored soldiers entered the flock of sheep, picking and choosing, saying, "That one's fat, it has lots of fat!"

The soldiers went forward to catch it, but after several attempts, the sheep was too fat and strong to be controlled. Then one of the soldiers pulled out a small blade tucked in front of his abdomen, waited for the right moment, and plunged the blade into the sheep's abdomen through its throat. The fat sheep collapsed instantly, and the flock of sheep around it scattered in fright.

They would set up a fire and start cooking. Some people said that Tangut salt was delicious, and that Tangut salt smuggled into the country could be bought from time to time in the northwestern prefecture...

A large bowl of mutton soup was placed in front of Su Wu. This was breakfast. The weather was cold, and the fighting earlier had warmed him up, but once he sat down and stopped, he felt even colder.

This bowl of hot mutton soup was truly warming. Su Wu was gnawing on a mutton chop in one hand and drinking from the large bowl in the other.

The soldiers on both sides were wolfing down their food, no one spoke, they hadn't had a hot meal for several days.

Just a few steps away from where they were eating, the bloodstains were still fresh, not even black yet. The unseeing eyes still held terror, as if they were still watching people eat.

Su Wu swallowed a mouthful of meat and said, "After we finish eating, let's pack up. Take all the horses with us, and slaughter some sheep, but remove all the bones. At this time of year, the meat can be kept for a while longer. Also, take plenty of horse feed."

"Where is the body?" Wu Song asked.

Su Wu said, "Don't worry about it. There's no time to collect these corpses. The Tanguts will take care of them themselves!"

"Alright!" Wu Song got up again and fished out a leg of lamb from the big pot. He could eat several pounds of meat.

Su Wu then said, "Tell those officers to do a general calculation..."

Lu Da replied, "My lord, it's roughly seven or eight thousand men going..."

“I said horse…” Su Wu smiled.

"Oh, horses? There are probably more than two thousand, but far less than three thousand..." Lu Da chuckled.

In this tribe, there aren't actually many horses, because horses are just tools for production. One horse is enough for each family, two are not many. Even in the northern grasslands, those tribes don't keep too many horses...

Of course, this is in comparison to the population. In terms of actual numbers, a tribe of seven or eight thousand people with more than two thousand horses is actually a lot.

But if we really talk about such a tribe, whether in the southern or northern desert, its war mobilization capacity is not enough to mobilize two thousand horses, at most one thousand. Why?
Because these nomadic tribes have extremely fragile production capacity, even a small natural disaster or man-made calamity can lead to a large-scale population loss, so ensuring production is extremely important.

After Su Wu finished his hot soup and mutton, he looked around and said, "Send word to slaughter all the livestock that cannot be taken with us!"

"Understood!" Yue Fei stood up.

What was Su Wu doing? He was eliminating the enemy's means of production. Without the means of production, the enemy could not support a large population, and the population would recover much more slowly.

Su Wu suddenly said, "Have that young General Liu come and sit here with me..."

"Understood!" Yue Fei was truly honest and straightforward, and followed the rules meticulously.

It's very useful to have someone around to listen to.

Before long, Liu Zhengyan arrived before Su Wu and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Commander Su!"

"Little Liu, sit down!" Su Wu smiled and gestured, noticing that Liu Zhengyan was covered in blood, with bloodstains still on his face.

Liu Zhengyan was taken aback upon hearing this, and quickly bowed again: "This humble general would never dare to call himself commander!"

"Little Marshal Liu" was the nickname given to Liu Zhengyan by his men. It was a private matter, a gesture made by the soldiers out of their affection for their old Marshal Liu Fa.

But with Liu Zhengyan's qualifications, how could he dare to call himself a "handsome man"? He's a far cry from it.

So how could Liu Zhengyan not be terrified when Su Wu addressed him in this way?

But Su Wu laughed: "Who doesn't know the might of General Liu? Wasn't Hongzhou City also breached by General Liu in the past? And the Great Sand Dune we're going to—General Liu also visited it in the past, in which year…"

Su Wu seemed to be thinking for a moment, then said, "In the fourth year of Chongning, the old general attacked Huizhou and defeated the Dangxiang, killing and capturing more than 10,000 people. In the fifth and sixth years of Zhenghe, in the Hehuang region, the old general led the troops and won one battle after another! As the old general's son, how can you not be called the young general?"

Su Wu had clearly made ample preparations; it wouldn't be difficult for anyone with a desire to know these deeds.

Seeing Su Wu recount Liu Fazhi's merits so vividly, how could Liu Zhengyan not be moved? Surprisingly, after just a few words from Su Wu, Liu Zhengyan was wiping away tears; his father's death was so tragic…

Su Wu continued, "Alas...where in history has there truly been a general who has never been defeated in a hundred battles? Victory and defeat have always been common occurrences for military strategists. It's just that Heaven is blind, allowing the old commander to ascend to heaven in this way. It's alright, there will be successors. Although the old commander is gone, we young people will come again! Please have a seat!"

As he spoke, Su Wu reached out to pull Liu Zhengyan to sit down.

Liu Zhengyan truly had tears in his eyes. He wiped them away, his eyes slightly red, and smoothed the blood from his face. He was indeed a man of honor.
He sat down next to Su Wu and said, "I never imagined that Commander Su, a man from the Jingdong region, would be so familiar with my father's achievements. But Commander Su is unaware that gossip is a powerful force. After my father's death... I've heard all sorts of unpleasant things said about him. Some say he was arrogant and reckless, others say he was stubborn and self-willed, and still others say..."

As he spoke, Liu Zhengyan was about to wipe away tears again. Such things always happen in this world. People hate those who have and laugh at those who don't. They watch others build tall buildings and then wait for them to collapse. If the building really does collapse, they will say something like, "I knew he would stumble sooner or later. See, I predicted it long ago."
Liu Fa was the most valiant warrior in the Song Dynasty at that time. How could no one be waiting to see him make a fool of himself?

Su Wu patted Liu Zhengyan on the shoulder and said slowly, "The world does not know our willingness to die for them, nor does it know that he can still sit there and speak. It is all because we have followed one after another without regret. Foolish pigs and dogs, there is no need to pay attention to them."

"Commander Su!" Liu Zhengyan was deeply moved, thinking that Su's bravery was all for revenge.
Not entirely. He has to shoulder the glory of his father's generation. How can people really pretend not to hear sarcastic remarks?
People are only concerned about his building collapsing, aren't they? Hasn't he ever wanted to rebuild it?
Just as in history, if people had no other choice, who would be willing to risk their lives to stage a coup to purge the emperor's inner circle? Who would truly want to force the emperor to abdicate in favor of the crown prince?

"We've come here to destroy Xingqing Prefecture! Only by destroying Xingqing Prefecture can we truly avenge the old general. Then we'll cut off Richard's head and hang it on the city wall for thirty or fifty years!"

Su Wu knew what Liu Zhengyan wanted.

Liu Zhengyan's face indeed turned ferocious as he stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "This humble general is willing to be the vanguard, the vanguard in every battle, and will not regret dying!"

Su Wu smiled and waved his hand: "That's not necessary..."

"Commander Su is unaware of my abilities. If you allow me to risk my life several times, then you will know that I am a brave and capable person!" Liu Zhengyan may have misunderstood a little, thinking that Su Wu did not trust him.

Su Wu simply said, "I have seen it today; he is exceptionally brave!"

Unexpectedly, Liu Zhengyan shook his head and said, "Today's surprise attack only involved one or two thousand able-bodied men, who were all in a panic. They are nothing special, let alone brave!"

Su Wu smiled bitterly: "Alas... Military orders are carried out only when it comes to which unit is suitable for battle. How can you always be the vanguard? Do you think I don't know how brave Commander Liu is? You are Commander Liu's son, and you want to avenge him. I know your courageous heart. Please sit down, please sit down..."

Liu Zhengyan seemed much more at ease, so he sat down again, then stood up again and bowed once more: "General Su, as long as we can break through Xingqing Prefecture, I am willing to serve you for the rest of my life, even unto death!"

"Don't say that, don't say that... Please sit down!" Su Wu waved his hands repeatedly, which inevitably revealed a bit of hypocrisy. Wasn't this exactly what he was waiting for?

Liu Zhengyan then sat down to the side and looked at the generals on his left and right. He was not very familiar with most of them, so he bowed to them and introduced himself.

The soldiers were busy preparing weapons and horses, slaughtering livestock, feeding horses, and even tying up fodder.

All the generals went about their business, but Liu Zhengyan was left by Su Wu's side, so he could finally rest. Someone brought him hot water to wipe the blood off his face.

Su Wu also asked, "That big sand dune, General Liu went there before, have you been there too?"

Liu Zhengyan shook his head: "At that time, I was still young..."

"I wonder how big the tribe is now, and where the profit is?" Su Wu asked casually.

“Yes, it’s Wangli Department. Wangli Department is larger than Miqin Department and has several locations. They not only occupy the Dashadu for wintering, but also control the livestock trading area in Wangting Town! Wangli Department also has several other wintering grounds in the east of the desert, over by Dahengshui!” Liu Zhengyan said, listing them off as if they were his own family’s secrets.

What kind of desert is this? The Mu Us Desert. A thousand years from now, a group of people will come one after another to first surround this Mu Us Desert, and then slowly eliminate it.

Within the territory of Western Xia, there are several deserts. To the east of Helan Mountain in Xingqing Prefecture is the Mu Us Desert, to the west is the Tengger Desert, further west is the Badain Jaran Desert, and to the north there are also some deserts of varying sizes.

Since ancient times, the terms "southern desert" and "northern desert" have referred to the north and south of this series of deserts. After passing through these deserts, one arrives at the northern grasslands. Su Wu was in the southern desert at that time.

If we're really comparing the abundance of water and grass, then the southern part of the Gobi Desert was definitely better in this era. The rise of the Tangut people was largely due to the abundance of water and grass in the southern part of the Gobi Desert at that time.

Su Wu was thinking about geography when he slowly said, "We need to kill more, preferably all the way to Daheng River!"

Liu Zhengyan nodded seriously: "After passing Anqingze, you can reach Huangyangping. Go straight east from Huangyangping and you will find Dahengshui!"

Su Wu nodded, stood up, and asked, "Brother Yue, go and see how the preparations are going?"

Yue Fei rode off again.

Su Wu was a little impatient. He needed to be quick and learn from Huo Qubing. He might not be able to learn other things, but he had to learn this speed. In martial arts, speed is the only way to break through defenses, and the same applies to battle formations.

Su Wu then looked at Li Cheng beside him and said, "Take three hundred cavalry and go another thirty or forty li, see if you can ambush the Dangxiang cavalry again!"

"Understood!" Li Cheng immediately got up and left, and a few moments later, several hundred riders set off.

Before long, the more than 10,000 cavalrymen continued east and north toward the Great Sand Dunes.

Many soldiers turned back to look, their faces showing reluctance. What were they reluctant to part with? They were reluctant to part with the livestock. So many livestock; if they were transported back and sold, wouldn't they make a fortune?
Even just cutting off the fur and taking it back would be quite valuable.

Pity……

Coach Su, no.

Commander Su also said that all the credit was remembered and that the reward would be given in full. The able-bodied men would receive 25 strings of cash each, and the women, children, the elderly and weak would also receive 10 strings of cash each!
They left, and the strong horses continued to gallop, fighting all night without sleep, and then they continued to run. Countless soldiers were dozing off on horseback.

The horses are indeed very hardy; they don't seem to need much sleep...

Su Wu also had military orders passed from front to back in the ranks, instructing the soldiers to tie their waists and legs to the horses' backs to prevent them from falling off.

The scouts were even faster, each riding several horses, and they sped off to the northeast in waves.

Some returned to report that they had found a place to rest, while others did not return for a long time. When they did return, they brought news that the tribe on the other side of the sand dunes was much larger, at least twice the size of the tribe on the other side of the Miqin Dangxiang tribe.

Two hours later, in a hilly area, countless people lay in a valley, resting and eating. There was mutton, but no firewood to cook it. The firewood here was scarce, mostly animal dung, but it burned well.

Coach Su also said, "I won't sleep tomorrow, so I'll catch up on sleep today!"
The Great Sand Dune is closer to Wangting Town. A forced march would take half a day. We should attack the Great Sand Dune first, then proceed to Wangting Town in one go, to avoid startling Wangting Town and causing them to scatter and flee.

However, he didn't get much rest. He started talking about it and got up. Su Wu himself seemed to be able to doze off on horseback, so he inevitably tied himself to the horse's back.

I also think of Huo Qubing's campaign in Hexi in the past, his swift march was like lightning, and I imagine it was just as impressive.

It seems that Su Wu has been thinking of Huo Qubing a lot lately.

Su Wu was enduring hardship, and so were the soldiers.

The sky gradually darkened again...

As dusk settled, the horses continued to walk, not galloping, but walking briskly.

Under the cover of night, the horses' hooves were wrapped in cloth, and a grenade was held in their mouths—a routine operation that the Western Army was particularly adept at.

The moonlight was still high in the sky; dawn was still a long way off.

The cloth covering the horse's hooves was removed, and the gag in the horse's mouth was taken off. Suddenly, the roaring sound resumed.

Just like yesterday, and perhaps even like Huo Qubing more than a thousand years ago... Those yurts, silent in the night, were actually beautiful, but the earth-shattering war roar tore everything apart.

Su Wu stopped charging forward and instead rode his horse to a high place to look into the distance. Under the bright moonlight, he could actually see the earth clearly at night.

They could see that the tribal camp was filled with people waiting, and countless people were awakened.

Su Wu inexplicably said: "Only when war is no longer the main theme of the times can the beauty of this land truly be left to future generations."

Fan Yun, a bodyguard standing nearby, only half understood what he was saying, and asked, "What is it, sir?"

"It's nothing, I was just being dramatic!" Su Wu said self-deprecatingly.

“My husband’s heart has softened…” Fan Yun said softly. He only half understood, but he also had some understanding and emotional feelings.

Su Wu nodded: "I am a little soft-hearted, so I won't go."

Fan Yun also said, "My lord has always been a soft-hearted person, and a man of great righteousness. How could he not be soft-hearted? It's better if my lord doesn't go. If that young general Liu goes, he won't be soft-hearted. That's the best outcome."

"Yes, it's also because of Xiao Liu Shuai that I can be tough even if I'm soft-hearted!" Su Wu often examines himself and thus truly knows himself.

A person's worth lies not in their heart, but in their actions.

It's inevitable that people will have thoughts of making mistakes...

If you were actually there, you wouldn't really notice much of the screams and wails.

Listening from afar, the heart-wrenching cries were truly agonizing.

Su Wu sighed and looked back. Behind him was a troop of knights, about three hundred men. Fan Yun reacted quickly, calling out to his guards to form ranks behind him.

Su Wu remained calm, guessing that Li Cheng had returned.

Sure enough, after a few shouts from afar, a few riders came and went, and it turned out that Li Cheng had returned.

Li Cheng stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a beaming smile, "Reporting to the Prime Minister, we have also captured three more teams of Dangxiang cavalry scouts!"

Su Wu nodded: "Well done! Let's rest here for now!"

"Yes, sir!" Li Cheng cupped his hands, dismounted, and immediately lay down on the spot. In no time, he was snoring loudly. How could he not be tired?
If Su Wu were to lie down right now, he could fall asleep immediately.

Xingqing Prefecture should know about Wanjingkou's situation within three days at most.

To the east, about 500 or 600 li away, near Datong, there is another Tangut army, numbering 20,000 to 30,000, led by General Li Liangfu.

Further east, perhaps we should send people to explore the area, and even see if we can contact the Jurchens besieging Datong. At that point, there might be a possibility of coordinated operations. If the Jurchens agree, we could advance from both east and west and annihilate this Tangut force in one fell swoop.

If that's the case, the chances of winning the battle against Xingqing Prefecture will immediately increase significantly.

This is also one of the reasons why Su Wu wanted to go east. If the Jurchens did not come, that Tangut tribe, numbering 30,000, would have at most 6,000 or 7,000 cavalry and certainly not many heavy cavalry, so they could still fight.

There are many tactics. Since ancient times, cavalry tactics have involved light cavalry flanking the enemy while heavy cavalry launch the attack. This was also the case with Genghis Khan of the Mongols.

Alternatively, they could simply drag and follow along, with the cavalry moving around the Tangut army without rushing into battle; this could also lead to a great victory.

Even if the Tangut cavalry goes into battle, as long as they break away from the main force, they can engage in combat.

If the Tangut cavalry does not engage in battle, the infantry will be unable to move. Whenever they march, their formation will break down, and they can only defend on the spot, day and night.

Su Wu was seriously considering the advantages of the cavalry's superior strength. This was the first time Su Wu had experienced this, and it was also the first time he had planned a war from this perspective.

I only have one feeling: It's awesome!

Throughout history, both the Han and Tang peoples experienced this kind of pleasure, but the Song people alone did not experience it as much.

It happened quickly; the sounds of fighting gradually subsided in the distant Tangut camp, but the cries and screams continued.

Su Wu straightened the reins and spurred his horse forward.

The soldiers were already busy and didn't need any further instructions.

Su Wu continued forward, passing countless large and small tents. The night was still dark, and he could see corpses strewn everywhere, but he couldn't make out the specific appearance of the bodies.

You can still hear the laughter of the soldiers everywhere, laughing heartily.

The savagery within human nature was unleashed at this moment, and Su Wu didn't bother with it.

War is the most barbaric thing that mankind does.

Entering a brightly lit tent, clearly the residence of the tribal chief, one finds the air thick with the stench of blood. Lying on the ground are old men and women, young and beautiful women, strong men, boys, and baby girls…

The horrific events that just transpired inside that tent are not hard to imagine...

When Su Wu entered, the soldiers quickly cleared away the corpses.

Su Wu sat down on a chair cushioned with sheepskin, with Liu Zhengyan standing beside him. Su Wu said, "This old man must have a son in Xingqing Prefecture!"

Liu Zhengyan, his face covered in blood, replied, "Your Excellency is wise. His son is named Wang Lixin, and he holds the position of general in Xingqing Prefecture."

Su Wu nodded: "If his son finds out about this, he'll probably cause a scene in Xingqing Prefecture."

That's the significance of this...

Liu Zhengyan suddenly realized, his face beaming with joy: "Sir, he's definitely going to cause trouble. With such hatred, how could he not want revenge? And the men under Wang Lixin's command are all from Wang Lixin, so they're bound to cause trouble, haha... Sir, this is a brilliant plan! We should kill even more of them, it's truly satisfying! I've often fantasized about having such cavalry, and I never imagined that you would actually have so many cavalry with you!"

The more people clamor for revenge, the more it will be to see if Richard can suppress them. It's likely he won't be able to, and no matter how composed Richard is, he will inevitably have to send troops to find Su Wu.

Or at least we should send troops to the border to seek revenge on the Song people.

Richard is a formidable enemy. If it were a true battle, Su Wu would have many concerns. Su Wu would not believe that Richard would collapse as soon as his hundreds of thousands of troops arrived.

Even the old general Liu Fa died at the hands of Richard, how could Su Wu dare to underestimate him even a little bit?

Therefore, we had to come up with these plans and strategies to prevent Richard from getting his way and to disrupt his rhythm.

This is what Su Wu called the proactive approach.

Su Wu also asked, "Does the Mi Qin tribe also have someone leading troops in the army?"

"Yes, yes, yes, how could there not be? The garrison commander of Hongzhou City is from the Mi Qin tribe, and there are also many Mi Qin soldiers in Hongzhou City and Youzhou City." Liu Zhengyan answered repeatedly, truly excited.

"Then... will they come?" Su Wu asked again.

Liu Guangshi replied, "I'm afraid they won't come. Even if they know about the Miqin tribe, they probably won't come. Richard has a very high reputation in the army; without military orders, they probably won't leave the city..."

Upon hearing this, Su Wu was not disappointed, but rather felt even more that he had done the right thing. Richard, no amount of praise was too much.

Then we still have to kill them. Mi Qin, Wang Li, Su Wu asked again, "Which tribe did An Qingze spend the winter with?"

"Go for profit! Go for profit and you'll have more power!" Liu Zhengyan replied.

"What about Huang Yangping?" Su Wu asked again.

"Huang Yangping, just like Fang Dang!" Liu Zhengyan truly had a profound family learning. If it weren't for the Jingkang Incident, perhaps Liu Zhengyan could have really taken over Liu Fa's position.

"Fang Dang, excellent!" Su Wu nodded, wanting to kill a few more and cause more trouble.

"Give me the map..." Su Wu raised his hand and summoned the map. He unfolded it and began to look at it. Su Wu then asked, "The Great Heng River also flows towards the east. What other area is there to the east?"

Liu Zhengyan pointed to the map: "Then we have to go northeast along the desert, here, to the Zi River, to the Xifeng tribe..."

"How far is this place from Datong?" Su Wu actually had an estimate in his mind, but he still had to ask.

“More than three hundred li!” Liu Zhengyan answered very quickly.

Su Wu pondered for a moment, then nodded: "I shall go!"

Liu Guangshi murmured, "My lord, I'm afraid it won't be easy for you to come back then..."

Su Wu glanced at Liu Guangshi. This guy... is really extremely cautious. He used to think he was alright, but now he seems even more cautious.

"If we can't come back, we'll go to Datong!" Su Wu said.

Liu Guangshi nodded: "That's fine, but... if we go to Datong, we'll inevitably have to go to Yanyun before we can return to our Great Song. From Yanyun, it's 1,700 li to the Northwest. If the fighting has already started here and the commander-in-chief isn't here, it might cause problems."

Su Wu had already made up his mind, and said, "You and I will return first from Yan and Yun on light cavalry, a distance of 1,700 li, which will take eight days! In eight days, the Zhong family lord will have nothing to worry about. This is a drawn-out situation to begin with, so it won't hurt to drag it out..."

Anyway, Su Wu was going all out. He would work day and night, without sleep or rest. As long as he could endure it, he would endure it. Relying on his youth, he would endure as much as possible.

In war, it's also about enduring hardship. Few people talk about this, but if you can endure more hardship and persevere than the enemy, you'll have a better chance of winning, and may even be able to secure victory.

Liu Guangshi nodded again: "That's fine, that's fine... If you're going to suffer so much, we'll follow suit!"

Liu Guangshi's extremely cautious mind really needed someone like Su Wu to guide him; otherwise, he would never have taken many real risks in his life, remaining cautious until his death.

This is not to say that Liu Guangshi had any flaws. People are born different. Although Liu Guangshi's reputation as one of the "Four Generals of the Restoration" in history is somewhat undeserved, when you think about it, how powerful the Jurchens were after the Jingkang Incident.

How many armies were actually fighting the Jurchens?

In Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Shandong, how many Song soldiers knelt and surrendered? Hundreds of thousands. In the end, these Song soldiers became the troops of the puppet Qi regime and marched south to fight against the Song again.

Liu Guangshi did not. He was still fighting. Although he suffered defeats and fled, and sometimes made mistakes, he was always fighting and made many contributions. How can it be said that his reputation as one of the "Four Generals of the Restoration" was all undeserved?

As the night deepened, the screams and wails within the camp ceased. Xu Zhen had wiped out the entire tribe of over ten thousand people. Perhaps a few remained, trembling in fear under the cover of night.

But none of that matters. After packing up, we have four thousand horses, of all sizes. We should quickly head east to Wangting Town, which is a market for livestock from the surrounding tribes. There are many horses there, and even more sheep, but that's secondary. What we have more of there is money. Many wealthy Tangut merchants gather there, and even smugglers gather there.

Su Wu, seated on his horse, spoke in unison, relaying the message to his men: "Brothers, if we go again, we'll be on our way to riches!"

They were exhausted, truly exhausted and sleepy, but upon hearing that they were going to make a fortune, countless soldiers suddenly became drowsy and went.

With countless shouts from both sides, how could it not be "Marshal Su is mighty!" or "My lord is mighty!"
Commander Su took the lead, followed by his cavalry. He also relayed the message: "After we take Wangting Town, we can eat and drink our fill and get a good night's sleep!"

For no apparent reason, the hooves of many knights quickened their pace. The grueling battle was truly unbearable; a quick victory would be much better!
We will arrive at dawn. At that time, traders from all directions will be gathered at the market, but those who come from the west for profit will be the only ones missing.

(Brothers, a little short today, only 7,000. Let's keep trying!)

(End of this chapter)