Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 296 Why is this so?

Western Xia, Xingqing Prefecture, Xingzhou City.

The army below the city consisted of over 10,000 cavalry, less than 30,000 infantry, 30,000 civilian laborers and auxiliary soldiers, and carriages stretching for several miles.

There are also 60,000 to 70,000 extra horses...

Truckloads of heads came and went, unloading them onto an open space outside the city. More than 20,000 heads were piled up together...

Then they began to use chariots to surround the city and set up camp, and set up cooking pots to prepare meals.

After the soldiers, civilians, and laborers finished their meal, they began besieging the city, inevitably digging the trenches.

Four of the six cities in the narrow territory of Western Xia, which stretches for about two hundred li, have already been besieged.

Nothing else matters. This Xingzhou City is the location of the imperial city. Everything Su Wumou has done is to bring his troops to this city.

Amidst the commotion atop the city walls, countless people thronged to both sides, coming and going in waves to see what was happening...

As was customary, Su Wu personally rode his horse around the city. Xingzhou was not a small city, with at least 100,000 inhabitants. The rammed earth walls were not made of bricks.

Su Wu watched intently; he knew that great things were about to be accomplished, just one step away.

The moat surrounding the city still needs to be dug further. Su Wu is also waiting, hoping that an envoy will emerge from the city, so that everyone can maintain their dignity.

Of course, Su Wu also knew that there was a high probability that he would not be able to have such a respectable life. Li Qianshun was not a coward, and the honor and pride that the Tangut people had accumulated over the years were indeed not low.

A nation's attitude toward surrender is determined by the extent of its ancestors' glory, the education and culture ingrained in its people, and the character of its leaders.

The Tanguts were clearly not a people who would surrender easily, and Li Ganshun was certainly not the same kind of person as Zhao Ji.

The city still needs to be attacked. The auxiliary soldiers, civilians, and carriages need to be sent to various places. More siege equipment needs to be transported from Zhong Shidao, Zhong Shizhong, and Xin Xingzong.

When things really came to this, Su Wu wasn't so anxious anymore. This was a large city, mostly inhabited by high-ranking officials and nobles... and secondly, by those who served these officials...

This city, if properly prepared, will not be difficult to take.

The same principle applies: large cities are actually easier to conquer.

But we need to add more manpower. We need to draw 10,000 men from each of the other three routes, so that we will have 60,000 soldiers to attack from three sides...

As Su Wu slowly made his plans, he could see the men digging the trenches, all working with great enthusiasm and even chatting and laughing...

Whenever Su Wu passed by, everyone would stop what they were doing, bow in greeting, and the sounds of homage would rise and fall.

Even in the distance, cheers continued, and shouts of "Husband! Commander Su!" were heard everywhere.

They shouted with great force.

Clearly, morale was high, and everyone was looking forward to Su Wu leading them to break through Xingzhou City and sweep the Western Xia, their enemy for generations, into the dustbin of history.

It's as if the cheers from a few days ago have only just arrived.

Su Wu slowed his pace, enjoying the moment, not only the sense of accomplishment and honor, but also the atmosphere.

Su Wu needed confidence, the more the better.

Su Wu was also worried about many things, some of which were too big to be done without feeling uneasy. The closer it got, the more uneasy he became.

Therefore, Su Wu listened to these greetings and shouts, and as he listened, his heart gradually calmed down...

Upon returning to the central command post, Su Wu dismissed his attendants, picked up a pen, and wrote a letter to the King of Taiyuan!

Three things. First, under no circumstances should you interfere in the affairs of Yan and Yun, no matter whose orders it is—whether from the Privy Council, the imperial court, or Tan Zhen, the Pacification Commissioner of Hedong and Hebei…

Do not lead troops into Yanyun or Hebei. This is a crucial matter concerning the overall outcome of the battle.

The second matter is to control the money and grain of all the prefectures and counties along the Hedong route. Soldiers should be stationed in each prefecture and county. No one should be allowed to transfer a single penny or grain. The situation is changing and the country is in danger. The key to victory or defeat lies in this. All civil officials, large and small, in Hedong need not pay any attention to this. Anyone who disobeys should be arrested and detained!
The third thing is to gather troops, gather all the troops that can be gathered in Taiyuan Prefecture, and gather all the money and grain that can be transported from the entire Hedong region to Taiyuan City.

The army is assembled in Taiyuan, ready to move at any time!

In this time of national crisis, only special measures can be taken. I hope that Chief Steward Wang will prioritize the overall situation and the well-being of the nation and its people, and will do these three things well.

Finally, tell Wang Bing that Su Wu will lead a large army to attack Datong in twenty days or a month, take Datong, enter Yanyun, and then enter Yanjing to regain control of the Yanshan line and block the Jurchen's retreat. This overall strategy must not be wrong!
Add some heartfelt words, slowly write it down, affix your seal and signature, and seal it with wax.

Su Wu walked outside the main tent, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Someone, quickly deliver this letter to General Wang Bing, the military commander of Taiyuan, in person!"

Soldiers came to fetch them, and once they were there, they left; a troop of knights galloped away.

Su Wu watched the knight's departing figure. He was calculating, in fact, he had already planned it before writing the letter. By the time this letter reached Wang Bing's hands, Hebei would be in complete chaos, and Wang Bing would be at a loss for what to do...

In this way, Wang Bing will have a pillar of support.

In this great Song Dynasty, who can compare to Su Wu in loyalty and righteousness? Who can compare to Su Wu in military strategy?
The army is heading to Datong with over 100,000 soldiers, tens of thousands of auxiliary troops, and over 100,000 horses. If Wang Bing in Taiyuan is not prepared, then this journey may truly be cut off from supplies.

The Northwest is completely starving, and the distant waters of the Eastern Capital cannot quench the immediate thirst. Only the Prince of Hedong can solve this problem.

Furthermore, there are people like Guan Sheng and Hao Siwen in Hedong, as Su Wu mentioned in his letter. He suggested that Wang Bing speak to Guan Sheng and Hao Siwen first, and that Su Wu's letter be shown to them. If they were willing to obey orders together, that would be even better.

If either of them has any doubts, they can be seized and dealt with accordingly. If any soldier or civilian is dissatisfied, they can be shown Su Wu's letter. The same applies to civil officials. Anyone who does not comply will be arrested and detained.

The letter had gone, but Su Wu's heart was in turmoil, and he finally began to do it...

Standing at the entrance of the main tent, and seeing the gazes and smiles from the soldiers everywhere, I felt much more at ease.

Yanyun!

The ruling class in Yanjing changed hands frequently, and the people in the city seemed somewhat numb to it. One day it was the Liao Dynasty, the next it was the Song Dynasty, and now it's the Jin Dynasty.

The Jurchens entered the city, began sealing the treasury, confiscating household registers, and setting up city defenses...

Wanyan Aguda's younger brother, the Great Jin Bojilie, Wanyan Xie also entered the city to take charge of the overall situation.

Beneath the walls of Xiongzhou, Wanyan Zongwang received news from Yanjing and was overjoyed. He spoke to his brothers, saying, "How was that? I told you so! With Zhang Jue truly dead, the people of the old Liao are immediately thrown into panic. Guo Yaoshi surrendered on the spot, saving us a lot of trouble. Now that we have Yanyun in our hands, there's no need to plunder it anymore. With the Song army's military capabilities, they will never be able to take Yanyun back!"

Wanyan Zonghan laughed heartily: "Brother, do you mean that Yanyun will belong to our Great Jin from now on?"

Zongwang nodded, then looked away from his brothers and instead looked at the many generals under his command. He said in one sentence, "When the time comes, you will all be allocated territory, official positions, and control of a prefecture or city!"

Which of the generals present wasn't overjoyed?
They emerged from the mountains and forests, wandering and turning, all for this moment: to achieve success and live a good life.

What makes a good day?

The people of Liaodong used to live good days!

These were the best days the Jurchens present had ever seen. They lived in grand mansions in the city, with everyone serving them. They could get whatever they wanted, have children, and pass on their lineage from generation to generation. The people worked hard, all to support them...

The day is fast approaching.

Wanyan Zongwang suddenly became serious: "But right now, let's look at our achievements. We should still strive for them. Xiongzhou City is right in front of us, Hebei is right in front of us. There, gold is everywhere, beautiful women are everywhere, and slaves are countless. If we want our descendants to last for generations, we should fight even harder!"

Inside the military tent, who wasn't standing up, clutching their chest, and bowing?
The crowd shouted, "Attack the city! Attack the city!"

Wanyan Zongwang nodded slightly, his imposing presence evident: "Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, we will take Xiongzhou!"

"Understood!" the crowd shouted in unison, even Yelü Yudu seemed to be filled with energy.

Early in the morning, they set up the pots and cooked a meal. After eating, the sound of horns and drums would begin.

Tan Zhen hurriedly reached the top of the city wall and looked around. What he saw was the Jin army arranging its troops!

Tan Zhen's face immediately turned pale, and he kept stammering, "Why is this happening? This... Didn't Zhang Jue already hand him over? Why is this happening?"

Why is this?

Who knows?

Tan Zhen leaned against the battlements, feeling as if he had no strength left in his body. What should he do?

This this……

Tan Zhen turned his head and walked a few steps. He then took the support of the parapet and walked a few more steps to the city steps. He didn't say anything and just kept walking, with a group of guards on his left and right following him.

Where to go? We'll find horses.

Hurry, hurry! This Xiongzhou cannot be defended...

Where should we go this time?
Where are the soldiers?

Hejian Prefecture, hurry to Hejian Prefecture.

They mounted their horses and galloped out of the city gate. The guards who had opened the gate for them stared blankly as a group of knights sped out of the city.

Once outside the city, how could Tan Zhen not think about what to do?
How to do?
Quickly gather more troops! Where are we?

Hedong has people and troops, Jingdong also has them, and the capital region also has them...

The capital region is in trouble. Tokyo doesn't yet know the full story of what's happening on the front lines. If troops are transferred to the capital region, Tokyo will probably find out immediately.

But... without the Privy Council's order, how could they mobilize troops from Jingdong and Hedong?
But if we report all of this to Tokyo, how can we afford to be offended?
Tan Zhen's heart was filled with countless complex emotions, unease, anxiety, and hesitation.

But how long can this concealment last? When he was in Xiongzhou, he could still maintain some control, but now he has left Xiongzhou, and Xiongzhou is about to fall.

With so many officials in Hebei's prefectures, who would bother to cover for him?
It seems the only option is to report to Tokyo as soon as possible. If I explain myself, I'll still have something to say. But if I let others do the talking, I'll be completely speechless.

I have something to say, but how should I say it?
The Jurchens had long harbored evil intentions and had been preparing for a long time. They took advantage of the situation and launched a surprise attack, betraying the alliance. This is my fault for failing to supervise them. This is the first point.

Hmm... The people of the old Liao Dynasty are not loyal. Yelü Yudu, who surrendered to the Jin Dynasty, was originally a high-ranking official of the old Liao Dynasty. He could command a large following, and within the Yan and Yun regions, his followers were numerous. War broke out everywhere, and countless troops, both large and small, defected on the battlefield.

My second fault is my incompetence...

Very well, then continue... Your subject, Tan Zhen, hastily mobilized 200,000 troops from Hebei to prepare for the attack. However, the Hebei military was poorly prepared, and the various tribes were weak. The Jurchens, with 50,000 cavalry, hundreds of thousands of horses, and hundreds of thousands of infantry, were extremely fierce. They split their formation on both sides. Your subject led his troops in a desperate resistance, fighting for a day and a night, and was ultimately defeated...

Xiongzhou, Xiongzhou is empty... Yes, yes, empty, and then it falls, the Jurchen cavalry has entered Hebei!

Your subject, Tan Zhen, intends to die for your country in Hejian Prefecture... Hmm... I intend to hold Hejian Prefecture to the death and await reinforcements, waiting for the troops from Hedong, Jingji, and Jingdong to come to my aid. If this fails, I intend to die for my country in Daming Prefecture.

This is the third point: My failure to win the battle is my fault.

I am ashamed, I would rather die a hundred times! Your Majesty, please take care!
That's how it is...

Tan Zhen made up his mind and suddenly felt a sense of relief...

I wonder where that scoundrel Wang Anzhong is. Yanjing... perhaps the isolated city of Yanjing has already fallen...

Behind them, in Xiongzhou City, a battle had broken out, but it wouldn't last long. Countless civilians fled and ran away... The Jurchens' entry into Hebei was about to shake the world!

The news is spreading like wildfire, along with Tan Zhen's fleeing footsteps.

They also fled in all directions along with the people who had run out of Xiongzhou City.

The Jurchen cavalry were fast, and they were still looting the city. Wanyan Zonghan led 20,000 to 30,000 cavalrymen forward, with another 1,000 or so cavalrymen as the vanguard. Several horses galloped at lightning speed.

Once you pass Xiongzhou, head straight south to Mozhou. The city there is towering and very well built, with excellent brickwork.

However, Tan Zhen did not enter Mozhou City. He had just passed through Mozhou City on his way to Hejian Prefecture.

The Jurchens arrived, and the soldiers at the city gate were still basking in the warm spring sun, leaning lazily against the city wall...

Hearing the roar, he straightened up slightly and looked north. He knew that recently, troops were being mobilized everywhere in Hebei, and it was perfectly normal for several cavalrymen to come and go.

As the dust and smoke billowed in, he even looked into the distance with feigned seriousness, which was quite amusing...

At the city gate, numerous soldiers have been guarding the gate for countless years. They get up early every day to open the gate and close it at night. They take advantage of passersby, travelers, peddlers, and laborers, making a living off those they can get their hands on, while keeping a close eye on those they can't afford to offend.

The soldiers watched the passersby while also glancing north a few times...

The roar grew louder and louder, as if it were getting closer in an instant, and the galloping horses were clearly visible.

Then the soldier remarked, "Running this fast, they're risking their lives..."

An old soldier remarked, "Perhaps something urgent has happened..."

In an instant, the armored soldiers were upon them, and without even reining in their horses, they terrified those passing through the city gates, who hurriedly took cover. The soldiers themselves also hid to the side, not bothering to stop them, but simply watching...

Ok?
This……

This is not right...

This isn't a Song Dynasty person!

But as the cavalry filed in, some men casually drew their bows, and when they were only a dozen or so steps away, they pulled back their arrows and shot. One of the soldiers who had taken cover by the city gate fell to the ground with a thud…

For a moment, the dozens of soldiers at the city gate were all dumbfounded!

No one even realized that this was a war!

For so many years, even my great-grandfather never saw a war here!
The fast horse kept entering the cave, and every now and then the knight would draw his bow and shoot an arrow, truly never missing his target.

"Quick, get out of the way!" someone finally shouted.

Someone else screamed, "Murder! Murder!"

In an instant, the people on either side of the city gate scattered and fled.

Upon entering the city, some Jurchens dismounted to take control of the city walls, while others spurred their horses and galloped forward, searching for the government offices and military camps...

Mozhou City fell just like that.

They're fighting here, and they're fighting there too.

Western Xia, at the gates of Xingzhou!
Finally, everything was ready. The drums were beating, and the soldiers were in formation.

Now that the platform was in place, Su Wu sat down and sighed, "Li Qianshun really doesn't send any envoys out of the city to negotiate!"

“It’s not going to go well!” These were Liu Zhengyan’s words.

But Wu Song suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the city wall: "Brother, look!"

Su Wu looked up and saw a man standing in front of the city wall, at the edge of the crenellations. He was dressed in gold and had a long sword in his hand, which he was brandishing on the city wall as if he were shouting something.

The color of gold naturally belongs to Li Qianshun.

Li Qianshun shouted, "My comrades, our nation and our country are facing this fate, the Great Xia is facing this fate, the Tanguts are facing this fate, I stand shoulder to shoulder with you here! The Song people have run out of supplies. As long as we hold this position, a great victory is in our hands! Follow me to kill the enemy!"

Su Wu couldn't hear it, but he knew it was those words of mobilization!
"That is truly admirable!" Su Wu said, but he couldn't help but think that if Zhao Ji could have done this, the Song Dynasty wouldn't have been cursed for thousands of years.

Liu Zhengyan said resentfully, "If I were to put my sword on him, let's see if he would still dare to shout like that!"

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "Brother Richard can be killed, but Li Qianshun must be alive! His son must also be alive!"

Liu Zhengyan cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes, sir!"

“But not a single other noble or high-ranking Tangut man was spared!” Su Wu added.

"Commander Su's words are excellent. By seizing Li Qianshun, we have the Mandate of Heaven in our hands. If we leave no one of the other members of the Weiming royal family alive, we will have fewer self-proclaimed Mandate of Heaven members. Even if Li Qianshun dies in the future, the legitimacy of the Dangxiang will still be in his son's hands!" Liu Zhengyan also understood the reasoning behind this.

Su Wu nodded and waved his hand: "Attack the city!"

"This humble general is leaving!" Liu Zhengyan bowed and stepped down from the platform, heading ahead of everyone else.

Su Wu turned his head and raised his hand, calling out: "Li Cheng!"

Li Cheng stepped forward and bowed.

"Come closer and listen." These were Su Wu's words.

Li Cheng then leaned close to Su Wu and overheard Su Wu saying, "Go to Lingzhou immediately and find Commander Yao in the army. Tell him you have been ordered to fetch someone with a letter. Take it to Commander Yao, and he will understand. After you have the person, keep a close watch on him and do not allow anyone to speak to him. Bring him here immediately!"

As he spoke, Su Wu took out a letter from a leather pouch beside him and handed it over.

"Yes, sir!" Li Cheng took the letter, cupped his hands in greeting, and left.

"Beat the drums!" Su Wu raised his hand slightly, and the drums sounded loudly. The soldiers' footsteps clattered, and the wheels of the siege ladders creaked...

The task is complete.

An army of 60,000, besieging from three sides, with more than 10,000 cavalry galloping back and forth, and all kinds of weapons and equipment at their disposal. The time has come to use human lives.

Inside the city, there were three to five thousand soldiers and another ten to twenty thousand able-bodied men guarding it.

The way of a great power is to use its power to intimidate others.

This time, although it was dragging, slow, not exciting, and not thrilling!

But Su Wu took military strategy to its extreme, advancing step by step and relying on sheer numbers!
Su Wu closed his eyes slightly, as if he were dozing, as if he were ignoring the sounds of battle.

Suddenly I thought, how wonderful it would be if there were an orchestra here right now.

Sing a song, drive your chariot and shatter the Helan Mountains... With lofty ambition, feast on the flesh of the barbarians when hungry, and drink their blood when thirsty...

Su Wu turned around and looked at the author of the poem.

“Brother Yue…” Su Wu raised his hand to beckon.

Yue Fei, the head of the personal guards, was just waiting for the war to end so he could be promoted, at least to the position of deputy commander of the personal guard battalion. He stepped forward and said, "Here!"

"Have you made any progress this time?" Su Wu asked.

Brother Yue chuckled: "You've improved a lot!"

"How should we march? How should we set up camp? How should we form ranks? How should we attack a city? How should we ambush? How should we conduct scouts and reconnaissance? How should we manage our supplies and weapons? How should we conduct a battle between the two armies?"

Su Wu asked a series of questions.

"My lord, I know a little about most of them, some more than others," Yue replied earnestly.

"These are nothing, they are just the basics. What you need to lead troops into battle is strategy, and you must act only after you have made a plan!"

"Yes, thank you for your guidance, sir!" Yue Ge'er was very excited. He didn't know why his husband would suddenly say such things to him, but even though he didn't know why, wasn't this a sign that his husband valued and promoted him?
That's true. Ever since I joined the army, my husband has always valued me.

"I have something to tell you!" Su Wu suddenly said.

"Yes, sir!" Yue Fei thought it was some kind of military order.

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "There are no military orders. Not many people know about this matter, but I just want to tell you. After this matter is settled, we will go to Datong, enter Yanyun, and fight against the Jurchens. At that time, you will not be able to stay with the personal guards. You will lead a force on your own. If there is a battle, you will be the vanguard. Do you dare to do that?"

Yue Fei was filled with surging emotions upon hearing this, and he blurted out, "What is there to be afraid of? I will... I will risk my life a hundred times, I will fight to the death!"

Su Wu felt inexplicably at ease upon hearing this, and upon looking at Yue Fei again, he smiled, a smile that even had a touch of kindness in it.

Whether it was the Jurchens or Wanyan Wushu, it was up to Yue Fei to fight them. With Yue Fei leading the charge, Su Wu realized that the so-called invincible Jurchen cavalry was nothing special.

Su Wu felt that this was the proper way!

So this is destiny!
Looking up, one could see that the five thousand defenders of Western Xia, including one or two thousand able-bodied men, were truly fighting to the death, refusing to retreat. Their ruler, Li Ganshun, stood on the city wall, shouting orders to those around him...

It seems that this is inevitably tragic, and history should record it.

At this very moment, more than two hundred miles to the south, in the city of Lingzhou, the city gates suddenly opened wide, and countless Western Xia soldiers swarmed out. Richard personally rode out of the city to lead the charge, with countless moats in front of him.

Behind the trench, a low earthen wall was also built. Zhong Shidao and Yao Pingzhong were truly good at their work.

The Song army was shooting arrows and thrusting spears, and more Song soldiers were rushing in from all directions to block them.

The Tanguts have also entered the trenches and are fighting fiercely. Last night, they finally received a letter that had crawled in: Xingzhou is under siege. What is Lingzhou City still holding on to?

Richard was fighting desperately, and countless Tanguts were also fighting desperately!
The nearly seventy-year-old Zhong Shidao mounted his horse and galloped away. Yao Pingzhong had already gone to the front lines. The Guanzhong army, which had served as the central army under Su Wu in Jiangnan the last time, was as steady as Mount Tai.

This time, the attempt to block the escape route remains as solid as a mountain.

Once again, mountains of corpses and seas of blood were being slaughtered. The Tangut people who crawled out of the trenches were once again faced with low rammed earth walls and forests of iron armor.

Spears flew like a forest, arrows rained down, and even the catapults began to roar.

The city gate was only so big; people were crowding in and out, so breaking through was impossible!
Richard went up to the city wall again and looked around, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan... He looked further north, wondering what was happening in Xingzhou, and became even more impatient.

Reorganize, break through again!
Hit again!

Before Hejian City, the vanguard of the Jurchens, numbering only a little over a thousand, had already arrived.

Tan Zhen stood silently atop the city wall, his mind already on Tokyo. His letter of apology and plea for help should have arrived by now…

(Guys, my daughter was discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon and is home this morning! Muah! Go home and get going!)

(End of this chapter)