Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 275 In the future, His Majesty may be given the honorific title, namely, Heavenly Khan!

Anqingze – just from the name of this place, you can tell that it is rich in water and grass, and also has wetlands and shallow lakes!
When the Song people arrived, there were several scattered small tribes around Anqingze, living around the lake. Light cavalry rushed around, while heavy cavalry did not rush, but went slowly one by one.

There are many people who can escape here; the mountains and fields are full of people running away, and it is impossible to catch them all.

Even from afar, Su Wu was saying, "If we go any further north, we'll probably end up empty-handed all the time..."

The news of Song Qi's arrival could no longer be kept secret. Not only did An Qingze scatter and flee, but it seems the news had already spread in Wangting Town. Many herders who arrived later than Song Qi had already fled back. The news had probably spread throughout the grasslands...

Liu Guangshi, who was standing beside Su Wu, also chimed in: "People are naturally reluctant to abandon their possessions. Further north is the Yellow Sheep Plain, and then the desert. So even if these herdsmen received the news, they will surely head east, with their families and countless livestock. They can't possibly travel fast. We should also head east, and along the way we should be able to ambush and kill countless animals..."

Su Wu nodded: "That makes sense. After we reach Huangyangping, we don't need to rush so fast. We should slow down. The men and horses need to rest well. There may be another great battle in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Liu Guangshi worried: "Thirty thousand Dangxiang, does Your Excellency truly intend to fight to the death?"

Su Wu nodded: "If we don't fight this time, these 30,000 Dangxiang will return to Xingqing Prefecture and join forces with the troops there, making it even more difficult to fight them!"

The strategy has already achieved its intended purpose. No matter how much planning and strategizing is employed, the soldiers will ultimately have to take up arms and strike the enemy. The enemy cannot truly perish without a fight.

Liu Guangshi had many worries, after all, this time, the enemy outnumbered them.

Su Wu returned and said, "In such open field battles, without cities or fortresses, and with all of us on horseback, we have a huge advantage and can seize the initiative, with more wins than losses."

Liu Guangshi's brows did not relax, but he nodded: "That's how it is..."

"We should send a fast horse westward to Datong. Ideally, the Jurchens should also send a cavalry force from the east to the west. This way, we can attack from both sides and have a greater chance of victory." This was a plan Su Wu had devised long ago.

“I’m afraid the Jurchens won’t come…” Liu Guangshi was also very clever.

“Yes…” Su Wu nodded, but then said, “It doesn’t matter if they don’t come. Just consider it a test. By testing them, we can find out what the Jurchens are thinking now.”

“Since your strategy is so brilliant and your foresight is so far-reaching, then I will go this time…” Liu Guangshi said.

Su Wu was taken aback. He had thought Liu Guangshi was an extremely cautious and conservative person, but why was he now volunteering?

To be honest, this trip to Datong would take us through the territory of the Tangut people, as well as the former territory of the Liao Dynasty, and to the east there were 30,000 Tangut troops. Traveling all this way was obviously not safe...

Seeing Su Wu's expression, Liu Guangshi smiled slightly: "Brother knows me. I'm not the kind of person who's willing to take risks easily. I also know that you don't trust Steward Yao's job... so you didn't mention it beforehand, and when you did, you didn't even tell me to do it nearby. Instead, you made Steward Yao go to all the trouble of doing it from afar..."

Upon hearing this, Su Wu glanced at Liu Guangshi and smiled slightly. They were both intelligent men…

Liu Guangshi continued, "Now that we've come this far, I should do something. I can't just come out with you, brother, and achieve nothing, leaving me with nothing to say when I go back. I want you to know that although I'm cautious, I'm not the kind of person who's afraid of death! I certainly don't want to become a laughingstock!"

"Alright, go!" Su Wu nodded, patted Liu Guangshi on the shoulder, and encouraged him, "Don't overthink it. I've never blamed you for your frequent expressions of worry. In this world, being too conservative is bad, and being too ambitious is also bad. The so-called Doctrine of the Mean is the way of balance. There are many ambitious people in the army, and they are all too ambitious. So we need someone as conservative as you by our side to worry about things at all times, so that I won't be really blinded by anything. Military affairs are a matter of life and death, and we must pay attention to them. The army cannot do without you!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Guangshi's brows relaxed, and a hint of joy appeared on his face. He then asked, "Is what you said true, brother?"

Su Wu said earnestly and seriously: "Indeed, everything is like this, whether it is national affairs, family affairs, military affairs, or affairs of the world. Only if you are by my side and worry and be cautious will I have fewer mistakes."

"If that's really what you think, brother, then..." Liu Guangshi was a little excited and said, "That would be wonderful. Brother, you know I'm not a coward. I'll go right now!"

As he spoke, Liu Guangshi actually went to gather people to set off.

Su Wu immediately said, "You are the most suitable person to go. You are the most cautious and careful. You will have no worries on the way. There don't need to be many people. Just make sure you arrive safely. You go and select the people, and I will go and write the letter."

Liu Guangshi bowed respectfully and spurred his horse to gallop away.

While the valiant knights were still hunting and plundering everywhere, Su Wu entered a yurt and began writing letters. He wrote two letters, one to the Jin emperor Wanyan Aguda, discussing the situation and the alliance.

He wrote a letter to his sworn brother Wanyan Wuzhu, whom he had sworn brotherhood with in the deep mountains and snow. He expressed his feelings for Wanyan Wuzhu and said that if Emperor Wanyan was willing to send troops, Wanyan Wuzhu should volunteer to come.

In Bianjing, the capital of the Great Song Dynasty.

Beneath the Dragon Pavilion, the Emperor still played the zither, and several people came to listen. After listening to the zither, they also looked at the calligraphy and paintings.

The emperor was in high spirits and spread out a scroll about ten or twenty feet long on the long table, saying, "This is the work of Zhang Zeduan, a junior from the Academy of Painting and Calligraphy. It took a lot of time, effort, and heart to paint. It is called 'The Competition for the Golden Pool.' I invite all of you to appreciate it."

The crowd gathered around to watch, and of course, they offered their comments. They also knew that recently the emperor had been willing to teach others, and the one he had taught the most was Zhang Zeduan. Clearly, the emperor liked him. Zhang Zeduan was not young, but he was quite handsome.

"The Dragon Boat Race at Jinming Pond" depicts a dragon boat race, a lively and entertaining activity of the people of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Wang Fulai said: "This painting is realistic, capturing every detail. The magnificent scene leaps off the paper, showcasing the prosperity of our Great Song Dynasty. If we leave it to future generations, they will be able to experience it firsthand and understand what a glorious era our Great Song Dynasty was under the rule of the Emperor!"

Upon hearing this, the emperor stroked his beard and chuckled, "That makes sense, but today we'll only discuss painting techniques!"

Tong Guanlai said, "In terms of painting skills, this method of boundary painting has reached its pinnacle, but it lacks elegance and the grandeur of a masterpiece. As for the attainment of painting skills, it is not yet at its peak; it is still missing one thing..."

"What is missing?" the emperor asked.

"It lacks the unrestrained dynamism and ethereal elegance of His Majesty!" Tong Guan first gained the emperor's favor by helping him collect calligraphy and paintings from all over the country. In fact, it was Tong Guan who brought Cai Jing's works to the emperor and praised them lavishly when Cai Jing was able to return to the capital from Hangzhou and rise again.

The emperor smiled and said, "That's accurate!"

The Emperor then looked at Cai Jing, who was making his grand entrance: "This Zhang Zeduan, in terms of brushwork technique, is truly impeccable. He has already deeply inherited Your Majesty's true teachings. With such skill, he can easily master this kind of boundary painting. This old minister is quite fond of this painting. This young man is adept at painting scenes of a prosperous era. I only await Your Majesty's further guidance in the future, and Zhang Zeduan will surely excel!"

How could the Emperor not be pleased upon hearing this? Cai Jing was already a master of both calligraphy and painting, and these words were exactly what he wanted to hear. He simply said, "Grand Tutor, you are truly a master of this art!"

Cai Jing quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty flatters me. Compared to Your Majesty, this old minister is indeed lacking."

"Oh?" The emperor became interested and asked, "What's the difference?"

"This old minister is lacking in worldliness, while Your Majesty is more refined and otherworldly," Cai Jing said.

"Haha..." The emperor nodded in deep agreement, waving his hands to the left and right: "Sit!"

The group sat down, enjoyed some good tea and pastries, and began to discuss serious matters. Cai Jing spoke first: "Your Majesty, Scholar Su has been leading troops and has been gathering them for quite some time now. I've only heard that the army is concentrated in two places, remaining stationary on the border without engaging in battle or attacking any cities or fortresses. I wonder why..."

Cai Jing is really in a hurry. How can we fight a war like this?

The emperor frowned slightly, looked around, and his gaze settled on Tong Guan, indicating that Tong Guan should answer.

Tong Guan had no choice but to reply, "It must be a method to lure you into a trap..."

Cai Jing disagreed: "What kind of 'luring the enemy into a trap' is this? If we don't start a war, how can the enemy fall into the trap? This dragging on will waste countless resources, and the enemy will not move. Wouldn't they be waiting in comfort to exhaust themselves? In this way, our army will be wasted, while the enemy will have no worries. If this drags on for too long, wouldn't the enemy gain the upper hand?"

Wang Fu seized the opportunity and immediately said with a troubled expression, "Yes, the Three Departments are allocating money and grain to the front lines, and I don't know how much is wasted. My government office is in a state of chaos every day. Isn't all the money and grain requisitioned from various places the hard-earned money and blood of the people? If we really don't touch it, no matter what the plan is, how can we face the people of the world?"

Clearly, Wang Fu was in a real hurry. As the head of the household, he knew that firewood, rice, oil, salt, and other necessities were expensive, and the court's financial difficulties were already beyond repair. If this dragged on any longer, Wang Fu would really have to hang himself. Everyone else only knew how to spend money, but he was the money bag. Who knew his predicament?
Zhang Bangchang couldn't help but chime in: "This time, our army is on the offensive, while the Tanguts are on the defensive. How can the offensive side remain still and wait for the defensive side to attack?"

The more the emperor listened, the more uneasy he felt. He frequently looked at Tong Guan and asked, "Has Minister Su sent a letter to the Privy Council to clarify the matter?"

There really isn't one. It's something Su Wu knows, but it's hard to explain. How could those incompetent people in the court possibly think in sync with Su Wu?

Tong Guan shook his head and said, "Ziqing is probably trying to stockpile grain. In the past, when we attacked the Dangxiang, we often failed because of insufficient grain. This time, Ziqing is probably thinking of stockpiling enough grain at the border before launching a fierce attack and winning the war in one fell swoop!"

That statement is quite accurate; Su Wu did indeed have this plan.

Cai Jing asked, "If he keeps hoarding like this, when will it be enough? With several dozen troops, we should just fight a quick battle. The court is already facing financial difficulties. How can he not be considerate of the court? Could it be that he is... reluctant to fight and afraid of war?"

Tong Guan waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, Ziqing is not one to shirk battle!"

Bai Shizhong then added, "It's not necessarily that he's afraid of war or reluctant to fight; perhaps he just lacks confidence and hesitates back and forth after thinking it over."

Tong Guan frowned as well. They had said everything, so he sighed and said, "Then just give him the order and tell him to start the war as soon as possible. It's nothing..."

The emperor immediately nodded: "Then the Privy Council...should issue an order."

Cai Jing then said, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid Scholar Su is unaware of the urgency of the military order from the Privy Council. It would be best to issue an imperial edict instead. This way, he will know the urgency and that the court cannot afford his procrastination. We should also send a letter to the military supervisor, asking him to urge him further. This is an imperial decree, and the military supervisor should understand the implications."

The emperor waved his hand and said, "Yes, that's settled!"

Just then, Liang Shicheng came to report: "Your Majesty, the Jurchen envoys have entered the capital. The Court of State Ceremonial is arranging accommodations for them. I don't know why they are in such a hurry. They say that after washing up and changing their clothes, they will come to pay their respects to the Emperor of our Great Song Dynasty!"

"Oh? So soon?" The emperor smiled.

Wang Fu seized the opportunity to say, "This must be the first time the Jin envoy has come so formally. He must be grateful for the assistance of our Great Song's allies, and he must also be eager to admire the majesty of our Great Song Emperor!"

The emperor's smile deepened, and he said, "Then let's meet them. All of you, come along."

Everyone stood up, and the emperor also had to change his clothes. He was wearing a Taoist robe, but he had to change into a golden dragon robe. Since they wanted to see the emperor's majesty, the emperor himself had to be dignified.

Everyone was busy. Over there, the Palace Guards were also making selections, picking out the good-looking, well-proportioned, tall, and robust men, putting on their armor, and having them stand guard everywhere.

They were just waiting for the Jin envoy to enter the capital. What was the name of the Jin envoy? Gao Qingyi had also come to the palace. He looked around and found everything new and interesting. There were quite a few armored soldiers everywhere, which looked quite impressive.

Upon arriving at the Chui Gong Hall, he bowed deeply and said, "Your humble servant Gao Qingyi pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty!"

The emperor chuckled and said, "Hmm, no need for such formalities!"

"Your Majesty, I have come here for two reasons: first, to establish friendly relations, and second, because His Majesty the Emperor of Jin has some matters to discuss with His Majesty the Emperor of Song!" Gao Qingyi was neither humble nor arrogant, and was polite and respectful.

The emperor replied, "The alliance was established long ago, and we have made countless friends. The Liao people have long been on the verge of death. With such a great victory, I wish to maintain friendly relations for generations to come."

Gao Qingyi nodded repeatedly: "His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Jin also has this intention! He wishes to maintain friendly relations with the Great Song for generations to come. This foreign subject brings His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Jin gifts, totaling 1,480 items, the gift list is here!"

Liang Shicheng didn't rely on anyone else; he quickly went to receive the document himself and then delivered it to the emperor.

As the emperor perused the book, how could he not be delighted? Overjoyed, the emperor said, "When you return, the Court of State Ceremonial will have prepared gifts for you to take to your emperor..." Gao Qingyi bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Speak..." The emperor raised his hand, clearly in a very good mood.

"Thank you again, Your Majesty. I have come here with two matters. First, the Great Jin is newly established but is in decline everywhere. Millions of its people are starving and the army is still fighting a bitter war against the Liao. It is winter now and spring is still far away. I wish to borrow some grain from the Great Song. We will return it after next year's harvest!"

Gao Qingyi's words were spoken with a discerning eye.

Looking at the people to his left and right, most of them seemed somewhat surprised, and there was also a tall and robust old minister whose brows were slightly furrowed.

Just go and look at the emperor, and the emperor will immediately ask, "How much do you want?"

No one was surprised by the emperor's words, except for the tall and robust old man, Tong Guan, whose brows furrowed deeply.

"I am willing to lend you 500,000 shi (a unit of dry measure)," Gao Qingyi said.

Wang Fu frowned, clearly realizing that the task was now on his shoulders, and he quickly went to see the Emperor.

The emperor frowned slightly, and Wang Fu breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness.

But then the emperor said, "This is too much; I'm afraid we can't raise it all in a short time. How about 200,000 shi?"

"Your Majesty..." Wang Fu's heart tightened, and he hurriedly looked at the emperor to see where he could get 200,000 shi of grain to lend to the Jurchens.

The emperor waved his hand and left: "It's alright. How can we sit idly by when our allies are in trouble?"

Gao Qingyi seemed surprised, and he immediately nodded earnestly: "Thank you, Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song! Two hundred thousand shi can be raised by the various prefectures and counties of Yan and Yun, which will save the expense of transporting from the Central Plains. This way, neither country will be in trouble, and it will also relieve the urgent needs of the Great Jin ally. The Great Song is indeed a land of etiquette, treating allies as brothers. I will definitely come again next year!"

"Now, let's talk about the second thing!" the emperor waved his hand.

"Thank you again, Your Majesty. The second matter is to negotiate with the Great Song that neither side shall take in any of their refugees. The Great Jin has only a million people in total. It is a newly established country, and this is the foundation of our nation. I hope Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song will agree! The Khitans have a large population, and they are not yet dead. If the Great Jin is not stable, I fear that the Khitans will make a comeback in the future. I ask Your Majesty for your understanding."

Gao Qingyi was indeed very courteous and had excellent manners.

The Emperor nodded in agreement: "What's so difficult about this? My Great Song has tens of millions of people, so a few more wouldn't make much difference. We certainly won't try to entice the people of our allies to submit. Just agree!"

Gao Qingyi seemed surprised by how smoothly the trip would go, so smoothly that the task was completed in just a few words. He had thought it would be difficult, and had even brought countless riches and treasures, intending to visit all the officials in the court. Unexpectedly, he didn't need them...

Then just bow and express your gratitude repeatedly. Once this matter is settled, it will truly solve your immediate problem.

After expressing his gratitude several times, the emperor waved his hand, and Gao Qingyi bowed and withdrew.

Of those present, some didn't care, some had a headache, and some were all smiles.

The emperor was overjoyed. This feeling was actually excellent, like an older brother taking care of a younger brother. How could it not be a sense of accomplishment?
Wang Fu frowned and said, "Your Majesty, when our allies are in trouble, we should certainly lend a hand. However... however... two hundred thousand shi of grain, isn't that too much?"

"The Yan Yun Prefecture can be used to raise the funds, so it's not much..." the Emperor said.

Wang Fu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, that is true, but... if that's the case, wouldn't it be difficult to distribute the salaries of the officials in Yan and Yun, and the army's provisions, locally? They would have to be transported from Hebei, which would be a waste..."

The emperor hadn't considered these things before, but now that he understood, he frowned slightly and said, "I know this matter is difficult, but you don't understand its deeper meaning!"

"I humbly request Your Majesty's guidance," Wang Fu said.

"The Jurchens are barbarians, and this is their first real interaction with the Great Song. They may not know what kind of country the Great Song is, or how rich and powerful it is. If we are stingy and refuse on such trivial matters, our allies will look down on us and think that the Great Song is a weak and poor country. This is a demonstration of national strength. In this way, the Jurchens will know in the future that the Great Song is a behemoth, and they are just a small country. How can we refuse them?"

The emperor spoke with utmost seriousness.

Does it make sense? It does make some sense. Wang Fu found it hard to refute, and even thought it was somewhat right.

The Emperor continued, “This time, by borrowing grain, the Jurchens have incurred an even greater debt of gratitude. We are a great nation with millions of people, while they are a small and insignificant state with only a million inhabitants. If they truly understand the benevolence and virtue of our Great Song Dynasty, wouldn’t they submit? In the future, we might even bestow honors upon their ruler. These barbarians will naturally admire the rule of the Song Dynasty, read our books, and listen to our teachings. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful story?”

The more Wang Fu listened, the more he felt it made sense. It was as if tightening his belt and giving 200,000 shi of grain was not a big problem!

Tong Guan kept glancing at the emperor, feeling a little worried that the emperor might turn against him someday. But upon hearing the emperor's words, he seemed to think there was some truth to them.

Throughout history, barbarians have always admired the rule of the emperor. Take the Tang Dynasty for example. The Khitans were originally barbarians, but because they admired the rule of the emperor, they became the servants of the Tang Dynasty. There were many barbarians like the Khitans who were driven by the Tang Dynasty in the past.

Now that the Song Dynasty is so powerful, it should naturally be like the Tang Dynasty, encompassing all things and attracting tribute from all nations...

To be honest, the Jurchens numbered only tens of thousands. Even if you included men, women, and children, the total might only be a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand. Now that the rebellion has been established, the number of people under their command is only a hundred thousand or so, which is even less than that of the Tanguts...

We should have a broader perspective and the spirit of the Tang Dynasty!

The logic of this world is strange; it seems that anything can be justified.

Wang Fu bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty is truly farsighted and has a profound plan! I am foolish and did not think of this."

The Emperor waved his hand and said, "Minister Wang, there is no need to belittle yourself. I am just thinking more. If you study more in the future, you will naturally be able to think of these things as well."

Tong Guan suddenly bowed and said, "May Your Majesty be granted the title 'Heavenly Khan' in the future!"

Tong Guan knew how to say it; he always did. He would seize any opportunity to say a few words, and that's how he gained the Emperor's favor.

The emperor was all smiles, but he still asked, "What does the Grand Tutor think?"

Cai Jing then said, "As long as we destroy the Tanguts, the Jurchens will be easily dealt with. They will come to us to be enfeoffed, and the arrival of all nations to pay tribute will not be far off. The title of Heavenly Khan will also be within our grasp!"

If we look at the current situation in this way, Cai Jing's words seem to make sense; that's the reality.

Wang Fu knew he was too slow and needed to catch up, so he said, "In the future, we must go to Mount Tai to perform the Fengshan ceremony to pay homage to the gods of heaven and earth!"

The emperor stood up, exuding confidence and majesty, yet he smiled and said, "Imperial edict, immediately order Minister Su to advance the army swiftly, fight a quick battle, and annihilate the Dangxiang!"

Wang Fu bowed: "As you command!"

The imperial edict was drafted in the capital and sent on horseback at breakneck speed.

However, Su Wu was not in the army, but in Huangyangping. He could even see the endless sand dunes of the Mu Us Desert, where the wind blows and the sky and earth turn yellow.

Su Wu was also having a headache. Liu Guangshi had been gone for several days, and he didn't know if he had reached Datong yet. But that wasn't what was really bothering Su Wu. What was truly bothering him was that he had been sending scouts eastward repeatedly, wanting to know where Li Liangfu's army of the Dangxiang was, but he hadn't received any news for a long time.

An Qingze killed 20,000 to 30,000 people and obtained 5,000 to 6,000 horses. At this time, on the edge of the desert, Huang Yangping killed another 7,000 to 8,000 people and obtained 2,000 horses.

By this time, Su Wu had acquired 14,000 to 15,000 horses, including some old and weak ones, but also around 10,000 strong and healthy ones.

We've made a fortune, but that's not the end of the story. We need to safely bring these horses back before we can truly say we've made our fortune.

Su Wu was obsessed with horses. Without horses, Su Wu's confidence was severely lacking when fighting the Jurchens. He had also thought about many things, such as firearms.

Su Wu has always been pressed for time, constantly on the move. In fact, Su Wu's rise to power has only taken about two years, and he has barely managed to stabilize his situation.

During his previous trip back, he also took the time to meet with Ling Zhen, the Thunderclap, and explained the matter of firearms.

Only after actually inquiring about the matter did Su Wu realize how difficult it was.

At first, Su Wu might have thought that simply providing the gunpowder formula would solve everything. But that wasn't the case. The gunpowder formula for this era was already quite advanced; the ratio of saltpeter to sulfur to charcoal was practically identical. Gunpowder from the late Northern Song Dynasty was already crackling and popping…

If the gunpowder formula were to be further improved, Su Wu knew something about it; it required a formula accurate to two decimal places, and the purity of the raw materials was a major issue…

These are secondary issues; these can be discovered through trial and error. At this moment, Ling Zhen's job is to test the differences between various formulas in order to select the best ratio.

The real challenge is how to manufacture seamless steel pipes. What should the carbon content of this steel be? How can we ensure the precision of the process? We also need to experiment.

Even more troublesome is how to make the gun barrel?
How so? In fact, Su Wu knew that there was only one way to process gun barrels: drilling. A solid steel bar was hollowed out, and the same was done for cannon barrels.

The casting method can only produce some heavy cannons with thick and heavy walls, but the power is still only so-so, not to mention any mobility.

How should this be processed? What are the processes for large-scale processing?

In fact, this era did not lack weapons such as firearms and cannons; they were simply ineffective and unusable.

To create the kind of gunpowder that Su Wu truly needed—something that was both functional and usable—there were far too many problems to solve, much like the issue of refining the raw materials for gunpowder…

These are all problems, and they all require a lot of time, money, and human and material resources.

Su Wu didn't have the time; he needed to stabilize something before he could have the energy to do these things. What was he supposed to stabilize?

That is, to win over the Tanguts and stabilize the Jurchens, so that Su Wu can focus some of his attention on this matter.

Su Wu had underestimated the difficulty of this matter before. Now, countless problems await his resolution, and it is truly only he who can lead the team to solve them. Entrusting everything to Ling Zhen is unrealistic, and the progress will inevitably be outrageously slow.

The upgrading and replacement of firearms has been a long process throughout history.

But no matter how difficult it was, Su Wu knew in his heart that this matter had to be put on the agenda and that he had to find an opportunity to do it.

Only by accomplishing this can China's so-called eternal hegemony truly be sustained.

Su Wu was thinking a lot. His horse was moving eastward to find someone, to find the Tangut general Li Liangfu.

A few riders were galloping back ahead, and Su Wu, who had been eagerly waiting, spurred his horse to meet them...

(Brothers, 7,000 is here! Keep it up...)
(End of this chapter)