Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 285 You should do it, it's your inescapable duty

Siege battles are all pretty much the same. Zhong Shidao already knew what the old general was thinking. He was as hard as iron and just kept issuing military orders one after another. The soldiers kept climbing the walls, and the supervisory team went to patrol behind.

Su Wu suddenly asked, "My lord, which carriage should we board first?"

Zhong Shidao replied, "It is Xin Xingzong."

Su Wu frowned slightly upon hearing this...

Zhong Shidao then asked, "What's wrong? Does Commander Su dislike this person?"

Su Wu shook his head: "It's not that I dislike it..."

Zhong Shidao then said, "I have heard a thing or two about Xin Xingzong. Although he sometimes has flaws in his personal morality, he and his troops are still good at fighting... He came to see me before, hoping that I could put in a good word for him with Commander Su..."

Su Wu understood; Xin Xingzong wanted to ease tensions with him. However, upon reflection, Su Wu didn't feel he had any real grudge against him. The incident in Jiangnan was long gone...

Even when they were fighting against the Liao, they took him with them.

Su Wu then said, "The old minister himself told him that I have no particular concerns about him, and that I should just focus on making contributions. He said that I would not be treated unfairly if I made meritorious contributions, and that I would treat everyone equally!"

Zhong Shidao then laughed and said, "That's exactly what I told him. I said that Commander Su is not the kind of person who is petty and narrow-minded. Commander Su is a man with a broad mind. As long as he can make meritorious contributions on the battlefield, Commander Su will definitely look at him with new eyes! That's why he accepted this mission to be the vanguard!"

Su Wu laughed and said, "The old general knows how to use people!"

Zhong Shidao chuckled and said, "Now that Commander Su is here, how can we not praise him a few times after we break through the city?"

"So the old general was waiting for me here? Of course, I'm honored!" Su Wu looked at that teacher's manner; he was truly an old man who was like a demon, accomplishing something with ease in just a few words.

It not only boosted morale and united the troops, but also earned them personal favors.

It's actually for the best. Some things remain unsaid, but they still cause resentment. Not resentment in Su Wu's heart, but resentment in Xin Xingzong's heart. It's the fear and anxiety in his heart that needs to be resolved...

Zhong Shidao's role as the middleman is very meaningful...

Looking up, one could see countless Xihe soldiers fighting bravely atop the walls of Weizhou City. The scene was one of carnage and bloodshed, a desperate battle where men were sacrificing their lives for their country.

Su Wu had little regard for Xin Xingzong, but how could he not treat these Xihe youths equally? How could he not cherish them?
Zhong Shidao was nodding and smiling when Su Wu suddenly stood up: "General, since that's the case, then I'll do my best to make this a success!"

Suddenly, Su Wu stepped down from the platform, raised his hand to signal for his horse, mounted it, and led his five hundred personal guards away at full speed.

Where to go? To the very front of the siege.

Su Wu rode his horse along the city wall. Su Wu was not very fast, and the knights of the Imperial Guard kept shooting arrows at the top of the city wall.

Then someone shouted, "Commander Su is here in person, everyone fight to the death!"

The shouts continued incessantly, all the way to the destination.

Those who had not yet climbed the city walls looked sideways and saw that it was indeed Commander Su who had arrived, and he was indeed riding his horse and shooting at the enemy on the city walls.

The crowd shouted in response, "Yes, sir!"

"Kill!"

"Come on, come on!"

Those who had already climbed to the top of the city wall heard the shouts and vaguely knew that Commander Su had come to fight in person...

In an instant, morale was boosted!
However, some of the enemies on the city wall seemed to understand the shouts and knew that the Song army commander had arrived. Some of the brave ones even braved the rain of arrows, leaned out, drew their bows, and shot the Song army commander on the spot.

Unexpectedly, there was a junior officer beside the Song army commander who was truly alert and quick-witted. He did not fire many crossbows, but he patrolled back and forth. As soon as someone showed their face, before that person could even aim, he would fire an arrow without missing his target, and the person on the city wall would fall to the ground.

Su Shuai also praised, "Li Cheng shot well!"

Li Cheng chuckled and said nothing more. He simply stepped on the crossbow and nocked another arrow, wanting to see who would dare to try again. Although his commander Su's armor was the best and the arrows wouldn't hurt him, he still couldn't let the arrows hit his commander Su.

Once Li Cheng had performed several times, the guards would naturally be cheering.

Morale inevitably soared even higher.

After Commander Su rides around the city for a while, he will then go and find Xin Xingzong, who will be in charge of overseeing the battle.

Su Wu rode up to Xin Xingzong's side, how could Xin Xingzong not be terrified?
He was naturally guilty, always feeling that Su Wu must have a problem with him, or even disliked him, and even wondered if Su Wu wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible...

In the face of the unknown, people always tend to have wild and unpredictable thoughts.

Upon seeing Su Wu arrive, Xin Xingzong immediately bowed and greeted him, saying, "Greetings, Commander Su!"

At this moment, some even wondered if General Su's arrival was an opportunity to launch an attack, perhaps to question why the city hadn't been breached for so long, or even to punish him...

Su Wu laughed heartily: "Xihe has excellent troops, and General Xin has managed them well!"

Xin Xingzong felt relieved, his fear lessened considerably, and said, "General Su, rest assured, we will be able to hold the city wall in no time, and the fall of the city will not be far off!"

Su Wu nodded seriously: "As long as the city falls, you will be the one who makes the greatest contribution, and I will recommend you as the deputy commander of the Xihe and Lanhuang armies!"

Xin Xingzong was overjoyed upon hearing this, and couldn't help but feel grateful to Master Zhong, thinking that it must have been Old Master Zhong and Commander Su who had said many kind words!

Su Wu immediately said, "Old Master Zhong truly has a good eye for talent. I was wrong about him back then. Chief Steward Xin is indeed a fine general!"

Sometimes, things are just done this way. For example, in this case, Xin Xingzong had to know that it was Zhong Shidao who had exerted his influence.

Why? Because a person like Xin Xingzong wouldn't believe in inexplicable hatred, nor would he believe in inexplicable love.

If Su Wu had expressed this attitude without any reason, Xin Xingzong might have even suspected that Su Wu was setting a trap for him.

But with the teacher's guidance involved, he would truly believe that the matter had been accomplished, and that he and Commander Su would become good friends from then on, with no more barriers between them.

Xin Xingzong was overjoyed. In his excitement, what could he say? He patted his chest and pointed to the high wall in front of him: "General Su, rest assured, the city wall will be cleared within a quarter of an hour, and the city gates can be opened within two quarters of an hour, allowing the army to enter!"

Su Wu nodded: "Alright! I'll be watching from the command platform!"

With that, Su Wu spurred his horse and rode away!

Xin Xingzong suddenly felt inexplicably refreshed, as if something that had been suppressed in his heart had suddenly disappeared. Looking up at the Weizhou city wall, he felt full of energy.

He looked around and saw his personal guards. He raised his hand and said, "Brothers, Commander Su has come to inspect us personally. Brothers, follow me and let's go up to the city wall!"

As he spoke, Xin Xingzong immediately set off towards the nearest ladder truck, clearly intending to climb the wall himself. Commander Su watched from behind, while the deputy commander of the Xihe Lanhuang army waved from the front!
He was full of energy.

Su Wu rode back to the command platform, where Zhong Shidao rose to greet him, laughing heartily, "General Su is truly a born commander! His use of troops and personnel has reached its pinnacle!"

Su Wu then laughed and said, "Isn't this all what I just learned from the old gentleman?"

Zhong Shidao also smiled and said, "Not at all, Commander Su, please have a seat!"

Su Wu then sat down in the center of the platform, watching the Xihe soldiers ahead, their morale soaring, as they charged forward wave after wave atop the city wall.

But then Zhong Shidao suddenly sighed and said, "Back then, when the five armies attacked Xia, I was also in my prime. At that time, it was the beginning of a similarly promising situation, but in the end, we had to withdraw our troops and retreat in defeat..."

"Don't worry, my old lord, this time I will be extremely cautious and proceed with utmost care, and I will surely achieve complete success!" Su Wu also knew that when people get old, they like to reminisce about the past.

"I believe, I believe this time will be different from before, and we will surely achieve complete success!" Zhong Shidao suddenly felt a pang of sadness...

It inevitably brings to mind those who died on the battlefield against Xia, many of whom were clearly old friends and acquaintances of Zhong Shidao.

Beyond the sorrow, Zhong Shidao was also filled with hope. He looked up at Weizhou City. This was, in fact, the last time in Zhong Shidao's life. His expectations and hopes were greater than anyone else's.

Even more numerous than Su Wu, the Zhong family, descendants of great Confucian scholars, guarded the Northwest for generations. After the establishment of the Tangut state, they fought against the Tanguts for generations. Zhong Shiheng, Zhong E...

Driven by a sense of national duty and patriotism, Zhong Shidao was more eager than anyone else to resolve the issue of the Tanguts.

Zhong Shidao was already over sixty years old, and he knew that if he couldn't see it this time, he would never see it again in his life, and he would have to go to his grave with regret.

Only then did Su Wu understand this principle, and he couldn't help but glance at Zhong Shidao a few more times before saying, "It will definitely succeed!"

Zhong Shidao nodded: "On that day, I will definitely offer sacrifices to our ancestors and tell them the news of this victory in the netherworld!"

For a moment, Su Wu felt a pang of emotion and said, "The old master once spoke of the matter of descendants and nephews. This is just the right time. The old master, please send over all the descendants and nephews of the Zhong family. The more the better!"

Zhong Shidao nodded: "Very well, this old man thanks Commander Su!"

Seeing that Master Zhong was really about to get up...

Su Wu quickly stood up first: "What are you saying, sir? There's no need for that! I can't accept such praise!"

However, Zhong Shidao still had to stand up and bow deeply.

Su Wu naturally refused, bowing even more deeply and saying, "Please sit down, please sit down!"

Only after the two sat down did they hear cheers erupting from the city wall. Xin Xingzong had stood up and gained a firm footing, meaning the capture of the city was already more than half successful.

Before long, the city gates opened, and the knights rushed out first, followed by the foot soldiers.

This city of Weizhou was indeed destroyed in an instant.

Su Wu did not enter the city, but returned to the central command tent with Zhong Shidao. What happened in the city next is self-evident...

They waited for Xin Xingzong to return excitedly, standing in the main tent.

Su Wu was not stingy with his words: "General Xin has worked hard. The reward money for the army has been sent over early. Old Master Zhong will allocate it in a while!"

Zhong Shidao laughed from the side, "I've never seen such a grand gesture from Marshal Su in my entire life!"

They echoed each other, with Xin Xingzong simply laughing and saying, "Thank you, Commander Su! Thank you, Old Master Zhong!"

"Report the merits of those who were the first to reach the summit. Xihe is a fine army, and its commander is a fine general!" Su Wu repeated, just to see Xin Xingzong's genuine smile. With that, Xin Xingzong's matter was considered resolved.

"I bow again..."

Before Xin Xingzong could finish speaking, Su Wu stepped forward to help him up: "Steward, hurry up and get busy. We can't let the heroes of Xihe get impatient and lose their reward money, or they'll think I'm not treating them well!"

"Alright, alright, I'll go right away..." Xin Xingzong bowed, turned around and walked away quickly.

Once Xin Xingzong left, Zhong Shidao and Su Wu couldn't help but exchange a smile. "I'll lead the Xihe Army to attack Jingzhou!" Su Wu declared.

“Alright, let’s select three more divisions, gathering over 20,000 men. Commander Su will go to attack Jingzhou, while I will head east. After conquering another city, we may be able to reach Yanzhou and meet with Shizhong. In this way, we can connect the border into a single line and become invincible!” Zhong Shidao nodded.

As he spoke, Zhong Shidao suddenly asked, "Has the imperial court sent any official document urging us to expedite the process?"

Su Wu nodded: "It's here, the imperial edict has arrived!"

Zhong Shidao immediately frowned: "This..."

Su Wu simply waved his hand and said, "It's alright. Just keep urging us. We'll proceed step by step. If the emperor changes commanders, it's very likely that it will be the old prime minister. Once I've taken the four prefectures of Hexi, the old prime minister will take over from me, and everything will go smoothly!"

“Alas… how could I possibly claim credit for your hard work and forbearance?” Zhong Shidao shook his head repeatedly.

"As long as we succeed, everything else is secondary. It doesn't matter who gets the credit, as long as it's a victory for our Great Song Dynasty, as long as we can truly destroy the Tang Dynasty! This will repeat the glory of the Han and Tang Dynasties, a feat that will last for thousands of generations. It has nothing to do with the gains or losses of any one person!"

How could Su Wu not be a man of great righteousness?
Zhong Shidao shook his head and sighed repeatedly: "I don't want to!"

"If that's really the case, would the old prime minister really want a military commander to come from the capital?" Su Wu said.

Being stubborn and blocking both ends, even if it weren't you, you'd still be yourself.

Zhong Shidao's face was extremely ugly, and he was speechless for a moment.

Su Wu simply waved his hand and said, "Old sir, there's no need to refuse. I won't say any more. I'll go and attend to the departure matters first. We'll set off for Jingzhou tomorrow. If that's the case, you should accept it without hesitation!"

As he spoke, Su Wu went out to leave, and Zhong Shidao also came out to see him off, sighing repeatedly.

Early the next morning, Su Wu set off again for Jingzhou, which was originally Xi'an Prefecture, the former territory of the Song Dynasty, and he naturally wanted to reclaim it.

Within a few days, the army was already at the gates of Jingzhou.

Su Wu once again personally rode his horse around the city, inspecting every corner in person.

Xin Xingzong, who was standing nearby, was also cursing: "That traitor who sells out his country for personal gain has been swaggering around for a long time. This time, we must kill that Ren Dejing!"

It is said that Ren Dejing, after surrendering to the Western Xia, actually rose through the ranks and at one point became the prime minister of the Western Xia.

Su Wu looked around and said, "This earthen city wall is so well-maintained, even the crenellations are perfectly aligned. Ren Dejing is truly dedicated and takes his work very seriously!"

The city walls were built of rammed earth without bricks, so they were prone to weathering. As a result, the crenellations of the city walls were mostly rounded. However, the crenellations here are all square, which shows that Ren Dejing repaired and renovated them again and again.

This also shows that the military administration within the city was extremely rigorous.

A glimpse of the city reveals its true nature; it truly feels impregnable.

“How could this fellow not know that he is a treacherous traitor? He is naturally terrified of death, so how could he not be careful to protect his own life?” Xin Xingzong said.

Su Wu then asked, "Does Chief Steward Xin have any brilliant plan?"

Xin Xingzong simply replied, "Once the weapons and supplies are ready, I will personally lead the charge! We will surely defeat them in one battle!"

That's one way, but it will take a little while.

Su Wu smiled and said, "While we wait for the weapons, I might as well write a few letters to Ren Dejing and have a talk with him..."

“This fellow probably doesn’t trust Commander Su…” Xin Xingzong replied, which made sense. How could a traitor easily betray his country and come back? Who could trust him to come back?
"It's alright, let's see what they say!" Su Wu seemed to have a plan.

With that, Su Wu headed toward the newly erected tent.

I couldn't help but put pen to paper. But what should I write about?

Let's first empathize with Ren Dejing's helplessness when the city fell, and also criticize the friendly forces for not providing timely assistance...

Therefore, Su Wu, as the commander-in-chief of the Song army, made a special trip here to talk to his former magistrate, Ren Tongpan, hoping that Ren Tongpan might still have any lingering feelings for his homeland and abandon the darkness for the light.

If Prefect Ren could abandon darkness and embrace light, he would surely make great contributions and be promoted one after another.

These are all standard phrases.

Let's try something unconventional; that's up to Su Wu to decide.

Su Wu brought a handwritten letter from Zhong Shidao.

The letter was also addressed to Ren Dejing, but it wasn't written at this moment; it was written when the city fell in the past.

Of course, it was written now, but the date at the end is from the past.

The content is very simple. When the city fell, Zhong Shidao entrusted a traitor to deliver this letter to Ren Dejing, advising Ren Dejing not to die for his country, but to endure humiliation and hardship, to feign compliance, and to wait for the day when he could be brought back to light and achieve great merit.

This letter, sent to Ren Dejing, was meant to give him a choice.

If he chose to abandon darkness and embrace light, then this personal letter from Zhong Shidao would be his proof, proving that he endured humiliation and hardship, and that surrendering the city at this time would be a beautiful story that could be recorded in history.

It inevitably comes down to those few phrases: bearing humiliation and hardship, feigning compliance, sacrificing oneself to lure the enemy, and returning to the light after being hidden!
If the contents of this letter fail to move Ren Dejing, that's alright; Su Wu will give it a try anyway.

Su Wu also promised that as long as Ren Dejing surrendered the city, he would join Zhong Shidao in writing a memorial to the emperor, explaining the matter to him in accordance with this content.

If you were to ask why he didn't report this to the emperor back then, it was because he was afraid that the matter might be leaked, and he wanted to ensure that Ren Dejing was safe and sound in Western Xia!
After the letter was written, Xin Xingzong took a look at it and was stunned. This action was truly unexpected.

Xin Xingzong immediately exclaimed, "Your Excellency is brilliant! You could come up with such a plan. If it were me, I would never have thought of such a strategy!"

"I'm afraid it will be difficult to succeed!" Su Wu replied.

"Xu Zhenneng can succeed!" Xin Xingzong, whether intentionally flattering or genuinely thinking so, said, "If he really surrenders the city, our great Song Dynasty cannot really do anything to him. If he really goes back on his word, wouldn't he lose all credibility? How can he gain people's trust in the future? Even so, it is still possible that Xu Zhenneng will surrender the city!"

Su Wu nodded: "Then send the letter over!"

"Understood!" Xin Xingzong immediately went to carry it out.

Everything is still pending.

In the city of Tokyo, at the Genyue Pavilion, the emperor held a small meeting.

Several ministers were present, and they all frowned repeatedly; even the emperor frowned.

The emperor also asked, "Why is it that Minister Su has already captured several cities and won a great victory in the southern desert with hundreds of thousands of troops, yet he has not gone to Xingqing Prefecture, but instead went to the even more distant Hexi region?"

The emperor couldn't understand...

Not to mention that the emperor couldn't figure it out, even Tong Guan was frowning. In his opinion, it was time to make a decisive move.

Putting everything else aside, the Tanguts at most have only sixty or seventy thousand troops. Su Wu's army, while supposedly six hundred thousand, certainly numbered one or two hundred thousand...

Su Wu knew perfectly well that the emperor and his ministers were extremely anxious, yet he insisted on taking it slow...

Tong Guan did not misunderstand Su Wu's strategy, but rather he did not understand why Su Wu disregarded the emperor and the court.

If Tong Guan were in command, he would never dare to act so recklessly...

After all, understanding the emperor is understanding politics, understanding officialdom. After all, there is much room for maneuver in the ways of winning and losing, but if one does not handle the ways of politics well, it will lead to disaster for one's future...

Tong Guan in the past operated in this way. He suffered many defeats in the Northwest, including some major ones, but he managed to handle them all perfectly by deceiving his superiors and subordinates.

So, if you win, you'll naturally be credited; if you lose, it's not a big mistake.

Logically speaking, Su Wu should have known these things...

People are all about achieving success and gaining power.

The emperor's words were clearly a question directed at Tong Guan...

Tong Guan hesitated for a moment, then Cai Jing spoke up: "Your Majesty, what I'm thinking is, is Su Wu deliberately stalling? I'm just guessing, but perhaps he's keeping an enemy around to enhance his own power?"

Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned even more...

Zhang Bangchang himself said, "Logically speaking, the imperial edict has already been delivered, so how can they disregard it and proceed as if it were a decree? With hundreds of thousands of troops, why are they hesitating like this? It's truly baffling!"

Wang Fu wore a bitter expression. He didn't say much, only uttering one sentence: "If things continue like this, the matter of money and provisions will truly be difficult to resolve. The Three Departments are already complaining endlessly, and official documents from various prefectures and counties in Guanzhong are pouring in like snowflakes. We can't just resort to exorbitant taxes to supply the army with provisions, can we? If that's the case, Guanzhong will be in chaos before the Dangxiang are even pacified... But the army is assembled outside, and if there really is a shortage of provisions, I'm afraid there will be a mutiny in the army. The court is in a difficult position!"

Wang Fu only complained. Everyone present was high-ranking and powerful, but he was the only one who truly took responsibility for doing the work...

After much back and forth, even the emperor grew impatient and uttered a single sentence: "Prime Minister!"

Upon hearing this, Tong Guan felt a headache coming on. He sighed and said, "Su Wu has never been one to take risks in his military campaigns. He always proceeds step by step, steadily and surely. This way, he ensures that he is always victorious. This time is no different. All his plans are aimed at securing the empire in one battle. He is also afraid that the Dangxiang people might still be able to escape. All these measures are to block them and achieve victory in one battle!"

Tong Guan could obviously understand some of it, but after he finished speaking, he looked around, feeling guilty. He knew that his words would not convince anyone present.

Sure enough, Cai Jing said, "Most of the products of Western Xia are around Xingqing Prefecture, and a small part are in Henan and under the Yin Mountains. As long as we break through Xingqing Prefecture, where can the Dangxiang go? Even if they go to the four prefectures of Hexi, how many people can be supported in the windy and sandy Gobi Desert of Hexi?"

“Yes, as long as Xingqing Prefecture is captured, the Dangxiang will perish. Why make such a fuss? I think Su Wu is just dragging his feet!” Zhang Bangchang would always chime in with Cai Jing’s words.

“It’s so difficult…” Wang Fu didn’t offer any other opinions; he just complained and said that he was suffering.

Tong Guan still wanted to do his best: "But let's wait and see. Such a war of annihilation is never easy, never easy..."

The emperor looked left and right, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes briefly: "Then let's wait and see!"

Zhang Bangchang was about to speak again when Cai Jing turned his head and closed his eyes slightly. Upon seeing this, Zhang Bangchang swallowed and swallowed his words.

Only Wang Fu deliberately sighed loudly, "Alas..."

At this moment, Wang Fu really did look like a wronged little wife, utterly helpless and at a loss for what to do...

Tong Guan also breathed a sigh of relief, having narrowly escaped another ordeal. All he could think was, "Su Wu, hurry up, hurry up..."

At that very moment, inside Jingzhou City, Ren Dejing received the letter and was indeed reading it...

It filled me with incredibly complex emotions...

(End of this chapter)