Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 286 Su Wu and his ilk are nothing but a laughing stock!
The Western Xia dynasty always treated those who defected from the Song dynasty with great favor and even placed great trust in them.

Take Ren Dejing, for example. He betrayed his country in this city, yet he still guarded the city, as if he truly had no doubts about Ren Dejing and was certain that Ren Dejing would not return to the Song Dynasty.

They give money when asked for it, and goods when asked for them.

Upon seeing Su Wu's letter, how could Ren Dejing not weigh the pros and cons?
Recently, Richard made a promise to summon Ren Dejing's daughter to the palace!

The significance of this action is self-evident. What's even more remarkable is that Ren Dejing's daughter didn't enter the palace as a maid to serve King Li Ganshun, but rather to be by the side of Li Ganshun's son, Li Renxiao.

Furthermore, Richard had already promised to make Ren Dejing's daughter Li Renxiao's legal wife.

Ren Dejing had been planning this matter for a long time. Currently, the empress of Li Qianshun, the ruler of Western Xia, is a princess of Liao, and her son is named Li Ren'ai. In the past, this was obviously the only choice for the crown prince.

But things are different now. The Liao Dynasty seems to be on its last legs and will surely be dominated by the Jurchens in the future. The Jurchens are powerful, and if the Great Xia wants to be on good terms with the Jurchens, then the choice of crown prince cannot possibly be Li Ren'ai, who has Khitan blood.

Then, it was Li Renxiao's turn...

So... it seems that Ren Dejing is only one step away from becoming a powerful maternal relative.

In the past few days, Richard really did send a letter urging Ren Dejing to send his daughter to Xingqing Prefecture as soon as possible to settle the matter.

Li Renxiao, also known as Li Renxiao, was a famous monarch of the Western Xia Dynasty in history. His mother was a Han Chinese, surnamed Cao.

Historically, he did indeed marry the daughter of Ren Dejing, a man from the Song Dynasty, and she became his empress. From then on, Ren Dejing gradually gained power and actually transformed the Western Xia into a country governed by Confucianism, even opening up the imperial examination system...

The Confucius Temple underwent extensive renovations, and the Hanlin Academy was established, among other things...

But now everything has changed. Ren Dejing looked at the Song army of more than 30,000 outside the city and was caught in an extremely difficult choice.

On the city tower, Ren Dejing repeatedly looked at the several letters sent by Su Wu, the commander of the Song army outside the city.

The contents of this letter were, of course, extremely tempting...

Ren Dejing was accompanied by several other people, all of whom were his younger brothers: Ren Deren, Ren Decong, and Ren Degong.

Historically, Ren Dejing's three younger brothers also rose to prominence. When Ren Dejing held great power, Ren Deren was the Xuanhui Envoy of the Southern Court of Western Xia, in charge of all matters of the court.

Ren Decong was the Grand Commandant of the Palace Guards, in charge of the imperial guards.

Ren Degong, Prefect of Xingqing Prefecture, Chief Official of the Capital.

Thus, this family essentially controlled the Western Xia, and of course, their ultimate fate is well-known.

The Western Xia state has always been caught in this vicious cycle: relying on the maternal relatives to seize power, and then killing the maternal relatives to take power!

All the letters were passed around among Ren Dejing's three younger brothers.

Ren Dejing then asked, "What do the three of you think about this matter?"

Ren Deren spoke up: "It's excellent, but..."

"Speak your mind!" Ren Dejing said.

“Brother, as the saying goes, it’s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. Let’s not even talk about whether this Su Wu’s words are trustworthy. Even if they are true, what good will it do us if we go back to Song? What kind of official position will we get?” Ren Deren’s meaning was also straightforward.

Ren Decong also spoke up: "Brother, in Daxia, my eldest niece has gone to Xingqing Prefecture. It won't be long before we... she really will have a bright future. Returning to Song... I really dislike that Song Dynasty. They say we betrayed Song, but isn't Song betraying us too? Back then, when the Tangut army besieged the city, why didn't hundreds of thousands of troops come to the rescue? We were the ones guarding the city with our whole family!"

Ren Degong then added, "Now, we are the confidants of the Prince of Jin of Great Xia. The Prince of Jin and the Emperor are brothers in arms. We have already reached the ears of the Emperor. If we return to Song, who will take us seriously?"

After listening to his brothers' opinions, Ren Dejing looked out of the city and said, "Look outside the city, the army is in such a state. I've also heard that Hongzhou, Youzhou, and Weizhou are suffering defeat after defeat, and now..."

Ren Dejing finished speaking and looked to his three brothers.

"What's there to be afraid of? We've been working hard to build up this city and its defenses for more than just a day or two. Just send someone to ask the Prince of Jin for help, and we can hold out for two or three months without any problem!" Ren Decong's words were taken seriously by the four brothers, with Ren Decong being the most skilled in battle.

"Reinforcements are unlikely to arrive!" Ren Dejing shook his head.

Ren Decong then added, "It's alright if they don't come. The Song people's military campaigns don't last long. How could they stay for two or three months? Even if they don't win within a month or two, they'll retreat faster than anyone else!"

All of their reasoning is correct. Clearly, the four brothers' understanding of the Song people was unparalleled; they knew them too well.

Ren Dejing looked at the three men on his left and right and asked, "You mean to defend the city and send my daughter to Xingqing Prefecture?"

The three brothers nodded in agreement.

In the past, the four brothers always discussed and agreed on everything, including their decision to serve the Western Xia.

Seeing the three brothers nod, Ren Dejing made a decision: "Then so be it. Let's send a letter to Su Wu and say that I need to think about it. If we can delay it for a while, this war will be difficult to fight. We should try to postpone it for as long as possible!"

Ren Dejing was also a skilled warrior. When Xiao Heda rebelled, it was Ren Dejing who led the troops to fight and wiped them out in one fell swoop.

In other words, he managed the city of Jingzhou, and even the Jingzhou army, extremely well.

The reply arrived soon after, right beside Su Wu.

Ren Dejing paid his respects to Su Wu with a respectful attitude and thanked Su Wu. Then he complained about how he was besieged by the Tanguts in the past, and how many friendly forces could not get out of the predicament, which led to the Ren family being trapped in the hands of the enemy.

That's how it was, so they had no choice but to surrender, just to save their entire family's lives...

Then, he simply said that he needed to discuss it with everyone and asked Su Wu to wait a little while...

After reading the letter, Su Wu also circulated it among the military officers.

Su Wu had already spoken: "It seems that this matter is not going to work out!"

Xin Xingzong then said, "Commander Su, why not? How could he not want such a good thing? Let them discuss it a bit, and it should be possible."

Su Wu smiled and shook his head: "This is a delaying tactic, meant to keep us from rushing to prepare for the siege. Send orders to urge the auxiliary troops and laborers from all directions to expedite the transport of equipment from Weizhou. Time is of the essence! Since they want to stall, we must speed things up even more!"

Everyone obeyed and began to do the work.

However, Liu Guangshi also asked, "Brother, how can you be so sure that this is just a delaying tactic?"

Su Wu said, "Why must such a matter be discussed so slowly? If you truly want to discuss it, why not wait until it's settled before replying? How long will it take to discuss it? Is an hour enough? Is two hours enough? Once it's settled, there are only two outcomes: either we submit, which is simple; or we don't submit. If we don't submit, won't the letters still involve further discussion?"

After a moment's thought, Liu Guangshi nodded and said, "That makes perfect sense... It seems that Ren Dejing is determined. I wonder how much benefit the Tanguts can offer him."

“It’s huge, it’s really huge!” Su Wu shook his head helplessly, and said, “He also predicted that we would not be able to break through the city easily, and that our army of hundreds of thousands would not last long.”

Xin Xingzong immediately declared, "Commander Su, rest assured, as soon as the weapons arrive, I will be the first to charge and defeat them in one battle!"

"This battle may not be so simple..." Su Wu frowned, knowing that Ren Dejing seemed completely unfazed, which meant he was very confident, and this confidence was not unfounded.

Then we'll have to resort to some underhanded tactics.

Su Wu stepped out of the tent and looked around. This Jingzhou city was not the traditional border of Western Xia; it was originally a city of the Song Dynasty…

This area is still a gully region on the edge of the Loess Plateau...

Su Wu examined the situation several times before speaking: "First, besiege the city and dig trenches! Block all routes for people inside the city to leave!"

"Understood!" Xin Xingzong replied immediately.

Su Wu then pointed into the distance: "Go and build another small stockade behind that mountain. Have the auxiliary soldiers and laborers transport the equipment there. They should all go to that stockade behind the mountain and not appear in the city's sight. Go to that small stockade behind the mountain!"

Liu Guangshi then came to ask, "What is your plan, sir?"

Su Wu looked up at the sky: "The end of the month is not far off, the crescent moon is about to wane, and the moonlight is getting dimmer and dimmer..."

This is basic astronomical knowledge: if the moonlight is dim, then the night is even darker. A dark and windy night is a time for murder and arson.

Su Wu looked down again and said, "The road from behind that hill is flat; that's a good place!"

Liu Guangshi and Xin Xingzong were also completely baffled...

Liu Zhengyan also looked puzzled...

Su Wu continued, "Since he wants to drag things out, let's trust him and believe that he's discussing it. We can ask him questions whenever we have time. He may have plenty of excuses, but we should trust him and try to persuade him gently. We can ask him for help or coax him, but we'll take it slow!"

As soon as Su Wu finished speaking, Liu Guangshi immediately said, "Brother, what you mean is to beg and coax him, to make him think that we are only thinking of winning the city with words, and to keep negotiating with him. Just when they think that we can't do anything to him and are complacent, we will prepare our weapons and, on a dark night, suddenly prepare to attack the city and catch him off guard."

Su Wu nodded: "Indeed!"

All that could be seen were the soldiers and their men exchanging glances, all of them laughing.

Wu Song bluntly remarked, "Brother, you always have a way! You're incredibly clever!"

Wu Song memorized what he learned and mastered it!
"That's settled then. Go and make preparations. The area in front of the mountain is flat, but the road behind it might need some repairs to make it easier for machinery to move around and to minimize disturbances," Su Wu ordered.

Everyone bowed and said, "Then get to work."

Liu Guangshi added, "Take a detour, don't go directly around to the back of the mountain, lest the people in the city notice something..."

Su Wu smiled too, this team is getting better and better, the generals of the Western Army are really not bad.

Su Wu turned and went into the tent, where he received a reply.

The letter naturally expressed trust in Ren Dejing, and he believed him completely, saying all sorts of nice things. He promised that as long as Ren Dejing was granted a title, his official position would be quite high, starting with the Prefect of Yanzhou.

Of course, a few days later, he would become the Deputy Pacification and Pacification Commissioner of Fuyan Road.

In a few days, he will be the official envoy.

Still not enough? Then go to the capital, becoming a Privy Council Academician is fine too...

It's all a scam, a step-by-step deception, all conveying the same attitude: begging for help!
The reply from within the city naturally arrived, but it was also verbose and asked Su Wu why the Song army was digging trenches to besiege the city.
How could Su Wu not be blunt? He couldn't help but utter a few threatening words, though not so directly. He would only say that if things didn't go well, he would have no choice but to attack the city...

The letter re-entered the city.

The four brothers stayed inside the city gate to discuss the matter.

Ren Decong, the most skilled warrior, retorted, "Do you really think we're afraid of him? Why doesn't he attack the city? Why does he insist on sending letters? Doesn't he know that Jingzhou is a difficult city to conquer?"

Ren Dejing then said, "He's just putting on a show to put pressure on us, and he's been promoted again to Deputy Pacification and Military Commissioner of Fuyan Road. I wonder what position he can rise to next!" Ren Degong added, "If he gets promoted any further, Su Wu won't have the ability to do it. He'll probably have to go to the capital to ask the Emperor Zhao for an imperial edict!"

Ren Decong asked, "How long will it take to go there and back? It must take at least ten or twenty days?"

Ren Dejing also had doubts: "Why did Su Wu come to Jingzhou instead of attacking Xingqing Prefecture?"

"He thinks we're so easy to talk to that he can take the city with just a few words!" Ren Decong replied, knowing full well that the Song Dynasty's large-scale northern expeditions never lasted long.

"Then it seems that Su Wu's patience was also limited!" Ren Dejing's analysis was quite reasonable.

“Isn’t it just as good that his patience is limited? Just wait until his patience runs out, then let him fight. After he has fought several times but failed to break through the city, he will leave on his own!” Ren Decong said.

"Let's see what price he can come up with, just keep dragging it out!" Ren Dejing nodded.

This put his mind at ease. After analyzing the situation, he realized that firstly, this wasn't the main battlefield, and the Song army commander couldn't stay here for long. Secondly, Su Wu had come here thinking he was just looking for an easy opportunity. Thirdly, the city's defenses were excellent, so there was no need to rush or worry.

Then send another polite reply, saying... there are still Tangut generals inside the city, and if we want to open the city gates, we must make careful arrangements to avoid them...

Sure enough, the next day, Su Wu raised his price again, marking the third time he had raised it since his arrival. He was appointed as the Pacification and Military Commissioner of Fuyan Road.

The four brothers were no longer gathered in the city gate tower, but in the government office.

The four of them laughed, and Ren Dejing asked, "Does Su Wu have the authority to decide this official position?"

"Haha... He's getting anxious, that's exactly why he's starting to ask for exorbitant prices! Brother, here's what you do: tell him that the city is still in contact with trusted Han Chinese confidants, and have him go to Tokyo to request an imperial edict from the Emperor. Say that once the edict arrives, and the position of Pacification and Military Commissioner of Fuyan Road is officially granted, we'll open the city gates as soon as we see the imperial edict!"

Ren Degong knows how to handle things...

Ren Deren nodded and smiled: "Good, very good. Let's see how Su Wu responds!"

Ren Dejing also asked, "Well, so be it. How are the Song troops outside the city these past two days?"

Ren Decong replied, "There's nothing much to it. Apart from digging those moats around the city, I didn't see any movement in the camp. However, the soldiers all came out to sunbathe when the sun was out, and even hung out some clothes and bedding to dry..."

"It seems that this delaying tactic has worked!" Ren Dejing nodded, feeling quite pleased with himself.

In fact, Ren Dejing was a smart man. His understanding of the Song Dynasty was the best among the people of Western Xia. Perhaps because he understood the Song Dynasty too well, he was inevitably too confident.

Outside the city, Su Wu read the reply, smiled slightly, picked up his pen, and wrote as he spoke: "Since they want the imperial edict from the Emperor of Tokyo, saying they will open the city gates once the edict arrives, then I will naturally agree to their request!"

Liu Zhengyan asked with a smile, "Did Commander Su really go to Tokyo to request an imperial decree for him?"

Although Liu Zhengyan asked this question, he didn't really believe it...

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "Since he wants to wait for this imperial decree, won't he have to wait for ten or twenty days? That's fine. I'll write to him myself and say that the imperial decree is pending. Let them wait a little while. I'll go to Weizhou first and leave Chief Steward Liu of Fuyan here to negotiate with him. If he has any issues, he can just communicate with Chief Steward Liu!"

Su Wu was writing with his head down.

Liu Guangshi also laughed: "Good, good, this plan is brilliant. This way they will think even more that our army will not attack the city here. Since Commander Su has left, they will think even more that their delaying strategy has worked."

Su Wu would not actually leave, but instead sent a letter into the city. Sure enough, a troop of cavalry carrying Su Wu's banner headed east.

Inside the city, Ren Decong could see everything clearly from the city tower. Overjoyed, he took the letter and headed straight for the government office.

"Haha... Brother, look at the letter! Su Wu really went to Tokyo to request an imperial decree. He's already left, saying he'll come back once the decree arrives!" Ren Decong burst into laughter as he entered the room.

Ren Dejing laughed as well, took the letter, read it first, and then said, "This is the Song people, this is the Song officials. Su Wu is the commander-in-chief of an army, yet he is still preoccupied with this little bit of merit. He will return in twenty days. Even with this little bit of merit, he is unwilling to share it with others. He insists on keeping it in his own hands!"

Ren Degong chimed in, "But little did we know that he would return in twenty days with an imperial decree, and we would give him a good scolding. His expression would be quite something!"

"In that case, wouldn't Su Wu be deceiving the emperor? Haha..." Ren Deren thought of this and added, "In that case, it will truly be a big joke!"

"Just wait and see..." Ren Dejing's words made him even more smug, and he couldn't help but make some embellishments: "The Song court, the Song officialdom, just as expected, is truly laughable. Talented people are not used, while incompetent people rise step by step. I just heard that Su Wu had some reputation, and that he had a great victory in the east, even capturing cities and fortresses..."

Ren Decong said, “On the east side, one route is led by Zhong Shizhong, and the other by Zhong Shidao. It must be the work of these two! I heard that Su Wu was only in his early twenties, yet he was deeply favored by the Zhao Emperor. In his early twenties, he became the superior of both the old and young Zhong. What a joke! What a joke of the world! This is Song! This is the Song people!”

How could they not speak out? If they didn't say these words, how could they prove the wisdom of their past betrayal and defection to the enemy?
However, these four brothers held the old and young Zhong in high regard, and thus had a genuine understanding of them, knowing that this family was no ordinary people.

“The likes of Su Wu, coming to the Northwest, are nothing but a laughingstock! I imagine that the young and old Zhong are extremely displeased with him!” Ren Degong could empathize with them, and after doing so, he added, “If I were that kind of official, I would truly wish to kill him right now! This Great Song Dynasty is beyond saving! Even with the likes of the young and old Zhong, it is beyond saving! I think the day of its demise is not far off!”

The brothers talked back and forth, but if they really came to a discussion, who could say that what the four brothers said was wrong?
How could the saying "the fall of a nation is not far off" be wrong?
These four men were clearly knowledgeable and shrewd. In truth, their defection to the enemy after their defeat was a wise choice from a personal perspective.

After waiting for two more days, Su Wu was naturally "not" outside Jingzhou City. He exchanged letters with Liu Guangshi several times, and had Liu Guangshi completely won over.

It could even be said that as long as the imperial edict arrives and Commander Su arrives in person, that is the time to open the city gates.

Liu Guangshi replied several times, how could I not be happy? I even made an appointment to meet again the next day, and we would drink until we were drunk.

He even told Ren Dejing that Commander Su's order had arrived, and that 15,000 troops were to be withdrawn, leaving several thousand to besiege the city using the trenches...

The four brothers didn't really believe it either, so they actually went up to the city wall to see for themselves.

Sure enough, in the middle of the afternoon, the Song army camp outside the city was indeed preparing to withdraw part of its troops. How can we tell?

The wagons were being loaded, the tents were being dismantled, and all sorts of military equipment, as well as the hard-won provisions, were being loaded onto the wagons. Each wagon was loaded with an extremely heavy load...

They also began to drive the carts out of the camp, the wheels creaking and groaning as they moved...

That would certainly be a scenario where a partial withdrawal of troops is necessary.

As darkness fell, Ren Dejing looked around and said, "That Liu Guangshi is Liu Yanqing's son. Liu Yanqing is barely acceptable, and his son is not bad either. The defense of the moat outside the city is excellent. Otherwise, taking advantage of the retreat, they could have launched a surprise attack on the camp tonight and won a great victory! What a pity..."

Ren Decong added, "Yes, both the old and young Zhong are getting old, and Liu Yanqing is also getting on in years. In the future, Liu Guangshi may become our greatest enemy. But this kid, judging from his appearance now, is at least a steady and reliable general!"

"Alright, since we can't raid the camp, let's go back... let them withdraw slowly!" Ren Dejing waved his hand, turned around and went down the city wall, heading back to the government office.

Outside the city, things were bustling with activity. There were over ten thousand soldiers, as well as many auxiliary troops and civilian laborers. Carts were being loaded and unloaded, some already moving slowly with a creaking sound, while others were still being prepared.

Even after nightfall, the camps outside the city were still bustling with activity. In many places, there were scattered lights, indicating that the troops were busy with the partial withdrawal.

The moon has become a hook, and the moonlight is truly dark.

Outside the city, people were working busily for most of the night, but the sounds of creaking and groaning continued.

Occasionally, horses would neigh, but the noise of people was not overwhelming. Within the moat near the city, the footsteps of the Song soldiers patrolling back and forth could be clearly heard, as the Song army was naturally on guard against a sudden night attack from within the city...

Ren Decong wandered around the city wall for a while before heading back to the government office.

He also reported: "Brother, the Song people have truly made us their puppets this time, hahaha..."

"Old Zhong and Young Zhong, it seems they are too old to walk. How old are they? Old Zhong must be seventy soon, right?" Ren Dejing said this. In the past, when he actually saw Old Zhong and Young Zhong, he would have to bow and be respectful to pay his respects.

Nowadays, people inevitably pontificate about everything, so what do old and new varieties matter?

"Yes, he's not far from seventy, so he sent a young upstart, Liu Guangshi, to accompany Su Wu here. I suppose it's just an excuse for the old and young Zhong to send Su Wu here... These greenhorns are nothing but a laughingstock!" Ren Decong himself seemed to be giving orders.

The Song Dynasty, just the Song Dynasty, I know it all too well, I understand it all too well...

"Go and rest for now, we'll go check again tomorrow morning..." Ren Dejing smiled and waved his hand as he left.

"Yes, brother, you should rest too. I'll be going now!" Ren Decong then got up and left.

A night without words...

As dawn broke in the east, no drums or horns could be heard, but the soldiers on duty, sitting on the crenellations of the city wall, suddenly heard what sounded like clattering footsteps outside the city…

He knew the Song army was withdrawing, and at first he didn't pay much attention, but then he noticed the footsteps seemed to be increasing, which he found strange...

He got up and went outside to look; it was barely dawn, but still dark…

In the dim light, one could not actually see people, but many dark figures could be seen not far outside the city, one building after another...

what is that?
Wipe your slightly sleepy eyes and take a closer look!
what is that?
Is that a ladder truck?
That, that, that... that's a ladder truck!

"Oh no, oh no, the Song army is about to attack the city!" A loud shout echoed across the city walls.

It startled countless people awake. Numerous heads peered out from the crenellations of the city wall, and only at this moment, as dawn was breaking, could the dark silhouette of the siege ladder truck be clearly seen…

The shadowy figures were not limited to the ladder truck.

Once you recognize the siege ladder, you can also recognize the catapult, the trebuchet, and the ballista...

There was something further away that I couldn't see clearly, but it was a queue, I could guess it!
Column after column, an unknown number...

The general sleeping on the city wall had an even wider view. He shouted loudly, "Quickly, beat the drum! Go to the government office and inform Lord Ren that the enemy is attacking the city! The enemy is about to attack the city!"

The soldier was still sleepy-eyed, but he quickly walked down the steps.

However, someone was able to deliver this news to the government office much faster.

Those were the war drums outside the city. Suddenly, the war drums sounded, booming and never stopping.

The sound echoed across the sky, shattering the dawn for the people of this city, and waking countless people from their sleep.

Ren Dejing also suddenly sat up on the warm bed, and in a daze, asked, "What's going on? Where is the drumming coming from?"

A servant boy at the door answered, "Sir, it must be drums beating outside the city!"

"What?" Ren Dejing rushed out of the bedroom without putting on any clothes or shoes, looking up to see, but actually listening.

Just as the drums were beating outside the city, suddenly, drums were also being beaten on the city tower.

This is going to turn into a fight!
How is this going?
"De Cong, De Cong!" Ren Dejing turned around to put on his clothes and shouted, "Quickly call De Cong here, let's go to the city wall together!"

Outside the city, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. As soon as the drums sounded, the soldiers began to march forward, and all kinds of equipment moved even faster.

The ballistae, the eight-horse crossbows, and all sorts of crossbows were even faster! Huge rocks were also being smashed!

The siege has begun. The siege ladders haven't arrived yet, but the hook ladders carried by the soldiers have arrived first, and the warriors of Xihe are already climbing!
There was a time when siege warfare could be turned into surprise night raids right under the enemy's nose!

(Brothers, my daughter has been in the hospital for three days now, and I've been staying with her at the bedside as much as possible. I'm trying not to take any days off, so please bear with me. I'll try my best not to miss any...)
(End of this chapter)