Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 278 Life and death are in the same place, we are of one mind and one heart!

People from the southwest have arrived, and the scouts delivered the news to Su Wu well in advance.

Su Wu and many other generals sat in the Tangut yurt at Dahengshui, where cow dung was burning in the stove, making the room much warmer.

In another meeting, Liu Zhengyan spoke up: "Commander Su, we should prepare for the two-pronged attack as soon as possible. We cannot allow the enemy from the north and south to approach at the same time. I request to lead a force. I have more than a thousand men under my command. Commander Su, please allocate another thousand or so to make a total of three thousand. We will go to the southwest to attack Xiao Heda's troops in Xia Prefecture. If we fail, I will bring my head to you!"

That's one way to go; defeat one side early on and you'll get out of this situation.

It was Wu Song who spoke up: "Brother, when it's time to die, how can we not use the men of Jingdong? I'm willing to go, and I'm sure we'll win. Five or six thousand enemies are nothing more than a few charges from me! I only need two thousand men!"

Su Wu did not respond yet, as if he was thinking about something.

Lin Chong also spoke up: "This is a lone army in the field, facing a life-or-death situation. My lord, I only have one life left. I only need 1,500 cavalry! Fight to the death!"

The men spoke as if they were competing with each other, but the underlying logic was that they all knew that Li Liangfu's troops were the real main enemy. They knew that they should not divide their forces too much and should keep the main force to deal with Li Liangfu directly.

Upon hearing Wu Song and Lin Chong's words, Liu Zhengyan gritted his teeth and added, "Commander Su, I will lead my troops of over a thousand men and go to fight the enemy from Xiazhou to the death!"

Everyone looked at Su Wu. Given the current situation, the best course of action was to divide the forces and fight separately. One side should keep a close watch on Li Liangfu, while the other side should defeat the five or six thousand troops from Xiazhou. This had to be done quickly, because it would be too late if the Xiazhou troops got close.

With enemy troops in both the front and rear, it's difficult to even form a battle formation. If you're fighting from both sides, your combat strength will be reduced by more than just half.

If we do not retreat from both sides at that time, we will surely suffer more defeats than victories.

There is another problem at hand: Dahengshui cannot be lost. Although it is not a city or fortress, it is a supply point. Therefore, Su Wu has stayed near Dahengshui and has not gone far. The provisions for men and horses are all here.

If Su Wu's army were to leave, they would not have much food to take with them, making it difficult to sustain a prolonged war.

If it weren't for the arrival of Xia Zhou's troops, Su Wu wouldn't be worried at all about the current standoff. Even Li Liangfu's troops wouldn't be able to move anyway. If they did, the infantry would lose their formation and scatter, making them easy prey for the cavalry.

Everyone was waiting for Su Wu to make a decision, and they all knew that this time, they would definitely have to divide their forces to fight, it just depended on how many troops to divide them and who would fight.

But Su Wu suddenly spoke up: "Send down the order, instruct the men to start packing up the grain and supplies. We're withdrawing our troops and retreating southwest."

These words caused astonishment throughout the room. Liu Zhengyan urgently said, "General Su, how can we retreat at this moment? We have spent countless efforts to achieve this situation. If we don't eliminate these 30,000-plus Dangxiang here and let them reach Xingqing Prefecture, wouldn't that be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains? The final victory will only be more difficult! In that case, we will surely suffer more defeats than victories! General Su, you must not lose your mind..."

Many people nodded in agreement. Now that things had come to this point, the generals were already aware of Su Wu's strategic plan. Now that the plan had been devised, how could they simply retreat?

The place was full of fierce and brave people. No matter what, they should have at least fought first. If they couldn't win, they could leave later. But to leave without even fighting was something that no one could understand.

Suddenly, Wu Song opened his tiger-like eyes and looked at Liu Zhengyan, who was anxious and even a little angry, and said: "My brother has his own plan. Will he tolerate your noise here?"

Wu Song's trust in Su Wu was unparalleled. The reason he said such things was because he couldn't stand Liu Zhengyan's arrogant and angry attitude towards Su Wu!

Soldiers are always straightforward.

Su Wu smiled upon hearing this and patted Wu Song's arm, saying, "Second Brother, we're all brothers, there's no need for this."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhengyan put aside his anger and immediately asked, "Commander Su, do you really have a plan?"

Su Wu smiled and nodded, first looking at everyone present, and then slowly said, "That Li Liangfu has set up camp with his carts and hasn't moved an inch. I suppose he still has plenty of food in the army. If this drags on, who knows when it will be over? Although we have a lot of livestock, they are also running out of resources. The world is getting colder and colder. If we keep dragging this out, there will be many variables. In the end, I don't know whether we will go hungry first or Li Liangfu will go hungry first. We must think about changing our strategy. Before, I was quite anxious and even thought that when things got really bad, we should dismount and fight on foot to attack the camp... But now a change has occurred, and this change may also be an opportunity."

Upon hearing Su Wu's words, Wu Song raised an eyebrow, tilted his head back, and glanced down at Liu Zhengyan, as if to say, "What do you know? Now you know, my brother isn't just anyone. How could he not have a brilliant plan?"

You think you, Liu Zhengyan, are some kind of arrogant and unruly person? I, Wu Song, the Second Brother, consider all the heroes and valiant men in the world to be nothing more than targets for sale. If you, Liu Zhengyan, don't know what respect and reverence mean, then what are you, Liu Zhengyan?
Wu Song was truly very proud.

Liu Zhengyan quickly asked, "Please enlighten me, Commander Su!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Song averted his gaze and stopped staring at Liu Zhengyan. Liu Zhengyan's words were quite agreeable, and his quick change of heart was forgivable.

Su Wu slowly explained, "We need to get Li Liangfu involved. If we divide our forces, even if we defeat the enemy in Xia Prefecture in the south, we'll still be in the same predicament. So, we should move the whole army as if we're retreating south..."

Su Wu paused for a moment, and Wu Song immediately chimed in: "That's right, if we retreat south, Li Liangfu will definitely move as well, following us south. Once he moves, we'll have our chance!"

Liu Zhengyan suddenly realized: "So that's the plan! Commander Su is brilliant! I was just in a hurry, please forgive me!"

Liu Zhengyan stepped forward, bowed, and clasped his hands in greeting.

Everyone in the room seemed to suddenly realize what was happening.

Then someone else said, "Then as soon as he makes a move, we'll turn around and catch him off guard!"

Wu Song is doing really well now, Su Wu was very pleased, but he also added: "It's not that simple. Li Liangfu is a good commander. He must be cautious and won't make a move easily. His cavalry is not to be underestimated either, and they won't allow us to turn around and fight easily."

Liu Zhengyan was stunned again: "Then...if he doesn't come along, wouldn't he have retreated for nothing and let them escape so easily?"

Su Wu laughed again: "So, we have to force him to come!"

"Brother, how do we force him to come?" Wu Song was getting anxious.

"If his allies are in danger while rescuing him, will he rescue his allies?" Su Wu asked.

Everyone understood that the Xia Prefecture army could not be easily defeated; they had to be allowed to remain and put on a show. Li Liangfu's camp was large and powerful, making it difficult to attack, while Xiao Heda's camp in Xia Prefecture was truly a force to be reckoned with.

Liu Zhengyan was also pondering this, and in a moment of thought, he blurted out, "What if Li Liangfu just refuses to help and actually flees to Xingqing Prefecture..."

Su Wu laughed and said, "People's hearts are different. There are many who would abandon their allies, but the better the general or commander, the less likely they are to abandon their allies, especially when those allies are there to rescue them. Just like me and you, if any of us were in danger, how could we easily abandon each other? Moreover, Li Liangfu is a skilled warrior. While such people are cautious, they are also very confident in their abilities, having won many battles. He also has a large number of troops under his command, so he would not easily abandon his allies!"

The crowd nodded in agreement. They didn't understand the cowards, but they did understand the brave and skilled warriors... It seemed to make sense; the more skilled Li Liangfu was in battle, the less likely he was to abandon his allies and flee...

But Su Wu added, "Moreover, his cavalry has many followers who have heard of the dangers of the enemy's capture and the benefits of their actions. It's likely that those in the army who are seeking revenge have already begun to clamor for battle. In the current situation, Li Liangfu can still keep the people in line. But if Li Liangfu were to truly abandon his allies, how could those with deep-seated grudges possibly listen to any talk of the bigger picture? Wouldn't the army just explode?"

After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent!
Upon hearing Su Wu's words, everyone could even imagine the uproar that would ensue if Li Liangfu had actually ordered a swift return to Xingqing Prefecture.

It's as if one can imagine how eagerly those traitors would rush forward if Li Liangfu ordered a southward march to rescue allied forces and launch a pincer attack on the Song army.

I can't wait! Great! The more impatient I am, the better...

Where is it good?
When people are impatient, they become difficult to control, and their military discipline will suffer. They may even disregard military orders and charge at the sight of Song soldiers with a roar. They are good at everything.

If they had used even the slightest trick to lure the Song people away, how could those deeply resentful Tanguts have let the Song people escape?

How could those 30,000 troops not be disjointed, let alone have any camps or battle formations?
After Liu Zhengyan finished thinking about all of this, he realized that Su Shuai's plans for this attack were truly interconnected.

Even the corpses of Tangut herdsmen scattered all around the Great Hengshui River were meant to further provoke the Tanguts' impatience.

Such a method of warfare has never been seen before.

Suddenly, Liu Zhengyan knelt on one knee, cupped his hands and bowed deeply, saying, "I had heard people say that Commander Su was a skilled warrior, but I was somewhat skeptical. Now that I have truly witnessed it, I am filled with admiration. Commander Su, please accept my bow!"

Su Wu immediately got up to help him up, saying, "There's no need for that. We're all brothers, bound together in life and death, we'll fight side by side!"

Su Wu was unable to help Liu Zhengyan up for the time being. Liu Zhengyan simply said, "If Commander Su insists on making me the vanguard, I am willing to die a hundred times. If Commander Su does not agree, I will kneel down and not get up!"

Su Wu chuckled and looked around. Wu Song stood up and helped Su Wu up. Wu Song said, "From now on, you should doubt my brother less. What talent and wisdom does my brother possess? Which general in the world can compare to my brother? From now on, when military orders are issued, just do as the orders say. You can't go wrong, you definitely can't go wrong!"

Su Wu said, "Get up, it is my duty to be a pioneer."

Liu Zhengyan was also helped up, and gave an awkward smile: "General Wu is right. It's true that I have never really followed Commander Su in battle before. After this, I will definitely know what to do. As long as Commander Su gives advice and orders, I will do my best to follow them!"

“In that case, we are brothers. You say you are brave in battle, now you can see how we are in battle!” Wu Song also had his own thoughts. He couldn’t let others outdo him. This was not only his face, but also his brother’s face.

This will ensure that all the generals in the Northwest know and have witnessed firsthand the unparalleled ferocity of the Jingdong army under Commander Su!
This way, people will know how to be convinced, so that in the future, there won't be any more Li Zhengyans or Wang Zhengyans who keep whining and complaining...

Liu Zhengyan also said, "Then let's see on the battlefield."

This is a friendly competition, which is fine. Su Wu likes this kind of atmosphere in the army. He waved his hand and said, "Everyone, return to your camps and get ready. We will withdraw in an hour! Make sure to explain things clearly to the men."

Everyone bowed and hurried off to their respective destinations.

This method of retreating troops is actually risky. What is risky? It is because we are afraid that if the soldiers retreat, they will become complacent. Therefore, we must make everything clear.

Of course, a weak army cannot tolerate such a method of advancing and retreating; only a strong army can afford to do so.

This also reflects Su Wu's trust in his soldiers, and vice versa.

An hour passed quickly; the twelve thousand cavalry and forty thousand horses were indeed heading south.

In the distance, within Li Liangfu's camp, the news arrived almost immediately.

As soon as the bugle sounded, many military officers quickly gathered at the main tent.

Nami Qinzhen was already extremely excited: "The Song traitor is trying to escape, Commander! We must quickly send men to pursue and kill him! I am willing to be the vanguard and be the first to chase after him!"

Looking around, everyone there was eager to go, saying, "This humble general is also willing to go after them!"

"This subordinate awaits orders. Upon returning, I will gather troops and launch an attack within a short time!"

Everyone has the same experience of pursuing the Song army. The great victory of such pursuit and ambush is truly exhilarating. It has happened more than once or twice. The most recent time, even the Song army commander Liu Fa was chased so frantically that he lost his footing and fell from a great height, breaking his leg. Such is how he was captured and killed!

Now that we are in a situation of pursuit and ambush, how can we let this opportunity pass?
Li Liangfu remained calm, observing the excited expressions on everyone's faces, and said, "No rush, everyone. This Song army is not like the ones before. We should remain calm and composed to prevent them from feigning a retreat and deliberately luring our army into pursuit!"

The crowd's excited expressions suddenly vanished, replaced by a palpable sense of disappointment.

Mi Qinzhenren then said, "General, we must not let this opportunity slip by. If you have any doubts, you may lead your troops to pursue them first. Let's chase them for thirty or fifty miles, and then you can decide what to do. If the Song bandits are indeed bluffing, they won't be able to get much. I will then lead my troops to fight our way back. If it's not a bluff, I will stick to them and not let go. This way, we won't miss this opportunity!"

Mi Qinzhen is indeed very clever.

After a moment's thought, Li Liangfu immediately nodded: "Alright, then so be it. General Mi Qin, lead your troops to give chase and try. The rest of the troops, stay in your camps and do nothing for now!"

Mi Qinzhen bowed and left without looking back. The Song people were not far away to begin with, and they had already set off for a while. Once he gathered his troops and mounted his horse to attack, the Song people would probably be even further away. He had to be quick, even faster!
Inside the large tent, the crowd had not yet dispersed.

Li Liangfu, or rather Weiming Liangfu, also had much to say at this moment: "Xu Songren is not retreating. Su Wu is not a coward. Reinforcements must be coming from the south. News of the reinforcements should arrive soon. Su Wu is probably thinking of defeating the reinforcements first, and then coming back to entangle us..."

"Reinforcements? Where can we get reinforcements from the south? Aren't they reinforcements from Xingqing Prefecture?" someone asked.

Li Liangfu then replied, "Xingqing Prefecture has the overall situation to consider. With the enemy forces holding it back, it is not advisable to make too many moves. This matter concerns the overall victory or defeat. Since His Majesty and Prince Jin have made this plan, they must have sent reinforcements from nearby. Perhaps it is the troops under Xiao Heda from Xia Prefecture. Xiao Heda is a skilled warrior."

The crowd nodded in agreement, but some still asked, "Wouldn't Xia Prefecture be left undefended? What if another Song army attacks Xia Prefecture from the south? Or what if the Song army of over ten thousand cavalry turns back towards Xia Prefecture?"

Clearly, many people in the tent never intended to let this Song cavalry, who had committed countless blood feuds, go home; they were determined to kill them all!
How could Li Liangfu not understand these thoughts? Looking at the crowd before him, all filled with righteous indignation, he frowned...

Li Liangfu succinctly stated: "First consider the immediate victory, then discuss expanding the gains. If we cannot win now, what is the point of talking about revenge?"

These words were somewhat perfunctory, intended to appease the crowd first.

In all the years that the Tangut people had ruled, they had never suffered such a devastating loss. If we were to talk about killing and looting, it was mostly the Tanguts who robbed the Song people. Otherwise, why would Fan Zhongyan have built so many fortresses and blocked so many roads?

As the saying goes: I've never suffered such a great loss in my life! I've never endured such hardship! I've never felt so humiliated!

Then someone said, "General, if the Song people really are heading towards the Xia Prefecture army, then we should follow them. The Xia Prefecture troops came to attack the Song people from both sides. Since the Song people are heading southwest, wouldn't it be the same if we followed them and attacked the Song army from both sides?"

The military officers present were all knowledgeable and experienced.

Li Liangfu simply replied, "No rush, nothing is urgent. First, let's see if the Song people are lying. If not, then we should pursue and kill them..."

Upon hearing this, everyone simply nodded, which was enough to calm them down.

However, Li Liangfu also knew that if the Song people wanted to run away, they could not be pursued for long. Such open fields could not stop such a large number of Song cavalry... Of course, most of the people also knew that the idea at hand was that when the Song people were fighting fiercely with the Xiazhou troops, the main army would arrive on the spot, which would be a pincer attack, and a great victory would be assured.

The war situation, after careful consideration, is nothing more than this.

In the south, the Song people retreated very quickly; although they didn't run wildly, they took a fast pace.

Before long, a scout reported to Su Wu: "Reporting to Commander Su, a troop of Dangxiang cavalry is following us!"

"How many people are there?" Su Wu asked.

"Seventeen or eighteen hundred people!"

Liu Zhengyan immediately said, "General Su, please go ahead. This humble general is willing to lead my troops to meet them from the rear and we will surely defeat them!"

Liu Zhengyan seemed to be getting more and more anxious, not for any other reason than that he was eager to prove himself in front of Su Wu.

He felt a little embarrassed at first, and wanted to make a contribution as a way of making amends.

He also showed a fierce spirit, as if Wu Song looked down on him and he wanted to prove him wrong.

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "No rush. There will be plenty of opportunities to fight. Seventeen or eight hundred cavalrymen are just testing the waters. We have more horses, so let's speed up and see how long they can catch up... It will also put the Tanguts at ease so they can break camp and head south to follow us!"

Once upon a time, the Song army was able to say to the Tangut army: "Our army has more horses."

This left many of the Western Army soldiers somewhat bewildered...

Liu Zhengyan was truly anxious, turning his head to look again and again, but at this moment, he really didn't say much, obediently following orders and being dutiful. He had to obey the commander's orders.

He angrily retorted, "Let them live!"

Liu Zhengyan knew that the cavalrymen behind him were all involved in chasing his father and had also mocked his father's head!
Even if he could kill just one of them, it would bring his father some comfort in his dreams tonight. How could Liu Zhengyan not also be suppressing his deep hatred?

The Song cavalry accelerated, both to create distance and to make the Tanguts believe they were truly retreating and fleeing.

Mi Qinzhen, who was behind them, was filled with deep hatred and was chasing after them at full speed.
Zi Zhen couldn't catch up in a short time, only seeing the dust kicked up by the Song cavalry at the far end of his vision. Mi Qinzhen was getting more and more anxious as he chased after them, and had already turned back to shout: "Quick, go back and report to the commander-in-chief that the Song cavalry are really running, and they are running faster and faster, and the dust they are kicking up is filling the sky..."

Behind him, his soldiers gave a slight turn to the vanguard of cavalry, then turned back and sped away.

Not long after, in the distant camp, the generals who had just returned to give orders to gather their troops were now anxiously awaiting news.

The news arrived quickly, and everyone immediately spoke up: "General, it seems the Song army is truly determined to head south! We should set off; the soldiers are all ready!"

"Yes, Commander, there's no time to lose!"

"The Song people brought quite a few horses this time, and they've also plundered countless others. If we're late, we really won't be able to catch up!"

……

Everyone was talking at once, but Li Liangfu just frowned as he pondered and weighed the options. There were so many things to think about, but the one he needed to weigh the most was whether or not to actually pursue it.

Clearly, returning directly to Xingqing Prefecture would be more beneficial to the overall situation. In fact, the area surrounding Xingqing Prefecture is the core of Western Xia, and these nomadic lands... don't actually produce much...

On second thought, this Song army was most likely indeed heading to attack Xiao Heda in Xia Prefecture. If they just left like that, wouldn't Xiao Heda be...?

If they really leave like this, and Xiao Heda suffers another defeat, then the Song cavalry will probably turn around again and go to the southern desert, or even cross the desert from the eastern edge to the Henan region, where they can enter as if they were in an empty land!
This kind of weighing is one aspect, but there is also a second.

If they were to actually pursue, the infantry and cavalry would inevitably become separated, and even the infantry and the support troops would become separated. This army of 30,000 would then be divided into three parts, which would leave a weakness for the Song people.

"Commander!"

"General, give the order immediately..."

"General, we can't delay any longer!"

The cacophony of voices pulled Li Liangfu back to reality. He looked around and ordered, "Wait a little longer..."

"General, what are we waiting for?" His anxiety was palpable.

"Let the Song cavalry move further away, so that we can truly create distance. If the Song cavalry suddenly turn around to attack, we will have time to react and calmly form ranks to meet them!"

Li Liangfu was indeed a brilliant commander, meticulous in every detail.

Countless sighs were heard; their commander was far too cautious, the Song army…

"General, the Song army has never truly been able to defeat us!" These were the words of a sigh.

Who among those present hadn't chased and ambushed Song soldiers?
Who hasn't experienced a great victory against the Song army?
Why be so cautious when facing the Song army? Many in the tent truly couldn't understand this commander-in-chief.

They couldn't help but think that if His Highness Prince Jin were here leading troops, he would probably have already routed the Song army.

Helpless... truly helpless... just bear with it, what can you do when his surname is Wei and his given name is Wei?

If his surname wasn't Wei and his given name wasn't Wei, how could he wield such great power? How could he gain the trust of His Majesty and the Prince of Jin?

Some people asked, "General, how long will we stay before setting off?"

These are words spoken in desperation.

Li Liangfu thought it over carefully: "At least, we should wait another half an hour. Only then can we create enough distance to deal with anything at our own pace. We should also send out more scouts. If any Song troops in front stop, we should report back immediately."

Someone stepped forward to receive the order.

Everyone sat upright in the main tent, waiting and waiting... They were as restless as ants on a hot pan, unable to sit still or even pace around to relieve their anxiety.

Half an hour felt longer than a year…

All that was needed was Li Liangfu's words: "We can set off now!"

Everyone immediately got up and ran out of the tent.

But Li Liangfu added, "Do not be hasty, everyone. There is still an order for deployment. The cavalry is heading towards Libu. You may send another 2,500 men from your own troops to pursue them quickly. All other troops, including infantry, cavalry, auxiliary troops, and wagon carriers, must strictly stay together and march in one place. No one is allowed to be separated from the others!"

This is the best approach. Three thousand cavalrymen will pursue and attack, while the main army will follow slowly. In this way, no matter what, there is still a chance of a great victory, but we will have already secured an invincible position, or at least a position where we will not suffer a major defeat. Even if we suffer some defeats, we can still maintain our composure.

When it comes to actual warfare, it's incredibly complicated.

Countless people stopped in their tracks, their faces filled with impatience and disappointment. Needless to say, such strict restraint was truly painful.

However, those generals who were driven by profit were all filing out in single file. They didn't care about anything else and rushed forward to bite the Song soldiers. They had to kill the Song people, cook them, and eat them to vent their hatred.

Two thousand five hundred riders were galloping along, and the rest followed suit.

On this journey, we will cross the Great Heng River. Beforehand, we have all heard of the miserable plight of our respective tribes' herders, a rumor that is rampant in the southern desert.

Crossing the Great Hengshui River, how could one not witness firsthand the carnage strewn across the fields?
Men, the elderly, women, children... all were frozen there...

Countless Tanguts, passing by, shed tears...

He gritted his teeth and chased after them, his jaws practically grinding to powder as he faced the fleeing enemy...

Even Li Liangfu, who came over again, raised his hand to wipe his eyes in an instant. How could the damned Song people do such a thing?
How can cooking and eating like this quell hatred? It's like chopping it up and feeding it to dogs, cats, or wolves—it still won't ease the hatred in my heart!

How old is that child?

Not only was it dead, but its entire body was ravaged by ravenous gnaws, and its chest cavity looked completely hollowed out. It must have been eaten by a pack of wolves in the middle of the night...

The scene was so tragic, how could one bear to look at it?

Along the way, for four or five miles, seven or eight miles, things only got worse, never the worst.

The Tangut cavalrymen on horseback beside Li Liangfu were all enduring, enduring the whips they were using to spur their horses.

As Li Liangfu wiped away his tears, he felt extremely anxious, fearing that these soldiers would be difficult to appease.

We need to think of a solution...

The Song army was running faster and faster ahead. Although the Song army was small, it had a lot of horses.

In the vast wilderness of southern Gobi, countless troops were on the move, pursuing each other as they went.

Su Wu kept waiting for reports from the scouts, and even frequently sent people to observe from higher ground on the left and right.

With many messages coming and going, Liu Zhengyan was repeatedly disappointed and finally said, "That Li Liangfu is truly a cunning and deceitful man..."

If the Tangut army breaks away, why bother searching for the Xia Prefecture army? Just turn back and attack immediately.

But the Tangut army never broke away from the group, even if they couldn't move fast.

Su Wu said, "Li Liangfu is a good advisor and commander. We should run for another day or two and see if the Dangxiang people will become more chaotic. If they are not chaotic, then we will have to find the Xiazhou troops first."

"With four thousand dog-skin plasters stuck to the back, finding the Xiazhou soldiers will be a bit troublesome..." Liu Zhengyan added.

"No trouble at all!" Su Wu waved his hand and said, "By then, these four thousand cavalry will be far behind our main force, which will make things much easier!"

"That makes sense!" Liu Zhengyan nodded, but then asked, "I wonder if the Jurchens are really here..."

Upon hearing this, Su Wu subconsciously looked north, unsure whether the Jurchens would actually come.

The Jurchens had indeed arrived. Wanyan Wuzhu, also known as Wanyan Zongbi, had come with his main force of two thousand soldiers and two thousand auxiliary soldiers, which was actually four thousand cavalry.

Among them, there were approximately two thousand Jurchens, and approximately two thousand Han Chinese, Xi people, and even a small number of Khitans.

With horses galloping at full speed, Wanyan Zongbi was eager to reach the battlefield as soon as possible, and Liu Guangshi was even more impatient, constantly urging him on.

Liu Guangshi said from the front, "Dahengshui, it must be at Dahengshui, we're at most seventy or eighty li away, almost there!"

Liu Guangshi had already seen the dawn of victory; this time, he had made a great contribution! A resounding victory!

Wanyan Zongbi also said, "The scouts who went out should have already seen the Dangxiang army on their way back."

Liu Guangshi nodded and looked ahead, hoping for the returning riders, like a child waiting for his parents.

Before long, a scout returned and approached, saying, "I waited until I reached Dahengshui, but I didn't see the Dangxiang army or the Song army. I only saw the corpses of herdsmen all over the ground. After examining the cart tracks, footprints, and hoofprints, I found that both the Song army and the Dangxiang army went south."

Liu Guangshi immediately became anxious and asked, "Have you seen the soldiers' corpses?"

"No, there was no fighting at Dahengshui..." the scout replied again.

Liu Guangshi felt relieved: "If a fight didn't break out, then my brother thought we weren't coming and came up with another plan!"

Wanyan Zongbi frowned: "He... he wouldn't have withdrawn his troops, would he?"

There are bound to be concerns. If Su Wu withdraws his troops, he will be left alone in this territory. He has already fought against the Dangxiang before, so how could it not be dangerous for him to go deep into Dangxiang territory now?
Liu Guangshi immediately patted his chest and said, "No, no, my brother is the bravest and most skilled warrior in the world. He will definitely not retreat. Just keep pursuing him, follow the cart tracks and footprints. He will not retreat, he definitely will! We will fight to the death!"

Seeing Liu Guangshi's excitement, Wanyan Zongbi was struck by Liu Guangshi's unwavering determination. He also remembered his elder brother, a brave warrior who had crossed the sea to find him. He nodded slightly and said, "Then let's keep chasing! I still have so much to say to my brother!"

(Guys, get the pace going!)
(End of this chapter)