Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 298 Wherever Commander Su points, we will attack!
While Su Wu was busy welcoming the military supervisor, he had many other things to do. He needed to thoroughly loot Xingzhou, a major city, and take all the money and valuables, including real estate!
Houses and shops are one thing, but the fields of wealthy and powerful families must be clearly identified and all must be accounted for!
Regarding the matter of real estate, Yan Yun needs to do it again. It was inconvenient to do it before because Yan Yun obtained it too easily before, and they also need to consider the feelings of the Khitan people.

To be honest, the Khitans were innocent, so they shouldn't be too rude.

If we enter Yanyun again this time, there will be Yelü Yudu, as well as many more Khitans who cooperate with the Jurchens, and even people like Guo Yaoshi. This time, the Khitans, and even many high-ranking families in Yanyun, will be guilty.

This time it's not just about being greedy; it's about punishing the guilty and punishing the innocent. What does "punishing the guilty and punishing the innocent" mean?

That is to appease and comfort the suffering masses, and to punish the guilty nobles and rulers.

In fact, the point is that Su Wu wanted to directly control a large amount of means of production, not through landlords or powerful families, but directly as the top ruler.

This matter is very important, and it also reflects some of Su Wu's most basic plans for his future rule, which differs from those of previous rulers.

These means of production can be distributed to others, given as rewards, or even used as initial capital for development.

But we must not allow those landlords and powerful families to take control of us again so easily.

Just like the land surrounding Xingqing Prefecture at the foot of Helan Mountain, Su Wu would definitely want to control most of it, to directly control it.

Now that we've already killed them all, we must seize this opportunity while we still have the military power to accomplish this task immediately.

This was also an inspiration Su Wu drew from the land revolution. In the future, Su Wu could lease the right to use these lands to the common people, for ten, twenty, or fifty years, or even for a very small rent. But legally, they must belong to the state or the collective, not to individuals.

On this land, Su Wu can easily accomplish this at this moment. If the war goes smoothly, Su Wu can also do it relatively easily in the future when he enters Yanyun.

Then we must do it immediately; we must have all the household registration documents and land deeds in the city in hand.

However, within the vast territory of the Song Dynasty, this matter was even more difficult.

There were also matters concerning five other cities. The galloping knights carried the imperial edict of the King of Western Xia—or rather, the document—and were told to hurry on their way. The most important destination was Lingzhou, near Richard's place.

Outside Lingzhou City, the battle raged on, with people rushing out in all directions, fighting fiercely. Quite a few people also managed to climb down from the city walls and break through the siege...

However, the large-scale breakout was ultimately blocked within the city, and Richard himself remained inside.

A large-scale breakout was impossible, and the few who managed to escape by chance were of little significance to Richard.

Why?

Richard believed that a large-scale military breakout was necessary to rescue Xingzhou City, and that the scattered individuals who broke out would be of no use in rescuing Xingzhou.

Once the people inside the city had calmed down a bit, the Song army outside the city was even busier. They kept digging more and more moats outside the city, and the same went for the rammed earth walls. These were all defensive lines for besieging the city, and naturally, the more the better.

While the soldiers rested, the auxiliary soldiers worked, and the laborers were working with great enthusiasm. There were two reasons for this: first, it was a sense of honor and responsibility, and second, Lord Su was indeed paying them.

The more the enemy has nowhere to run, the more certain they are of victory. The greater the chance of victory, the more energy they have, and the more money Master Su will give.

It seems that everything in the world is like this: the greater the hope, the stronger one's motivation.

The army moved swiftly, with a small troop traveling over two hundred li, and in just over a day, Li Qianshun's "imperial edict" arrived at the gates of Lingzhou.

News of the fall of Xingzhou and the capture of the Western Xia ruler soon reached the army.

In an instant, the area outside Lingzhou City was filled with the roar of mountains and the sound of waves crashing.

It's inevitable that we'll hear "General Su is mighty, my husband is mighty!"
Yao Pingzhong, who was inside the main tent, was overjoyed and exclaimed repeatedly, "General Su is truly mighty! He is the most mighty general in our Great Song Dynasty! This is a blessing for our Great Song Dynasty!"

But looking at Zhong Shidao standing to the side, tears were streaming down his face: "Good, good, good..."

From the moment he was born, he faced countless battles, both large and small, between the Song and Xia dynasties. When he became a young man, he began to fight alongside his father.

My life is almost over, and my days are numbered. Yet I can still witness the day when the Western Xia Dynasty is destroyed.

Zhong Shidao sighed more than anyone else. He had dreamed of breaking into Xingqing Prefecture all his life, but such dreams were common in his youth and no longer existed in his old age.

Why?

It means accepting reality and knowing that it's actually impossible to do this.

But ironically, it has now been done...

After praising the achievement several times, Zhong Shidao wiped away his tears, smiling through them: "Our ancestors are above, and our descendants are below. Our ancestors must be very pleased, and our descendants will see our bravery in the history books. How wonderful! This life has not been lived in vain!"

Inside the main tent, soldiers rushed in one by one, having already heard the news. The first thing they asked upon entering was, "Old Master Zhong, Chief Steward Yao, is it true?"

Before anyone could answer the question, just by looking at the two men, they took it seriously and started shouting, "General Su is mighty! General Su is mighty!"

As he spoke, the generals rushed out again, galloping away on their horses. As they ran, they shouted that what had just been said was a rumor, a few words that the scouts from Xingzhou had passed on when they entered the camp. Most of them had not actually heard it with their own ears, but now that they believed it, what were they shouting?
"Commander Su is truly mighty!"

He immediately sent the news back to his troops, making sure everyone knew for sure that Xingzhou had really fallen and that Commander Su had personally captured Li Qianshun!
Li Qianshun's "imperial edict" was naturally sent to the city of Lingzhou!
How could Richard not see it?
Richard was inside the city tower. Since the breakout began, he had been going back and forth between the city towers, observing the siege and the breakout situation at any time. He was also the first to see the imperial edict.

Richard also burst into tears, wailing and sobbing...

Below the city, there were others waiting. Who were they? They weren't all Song cavalrymen, but also some of Li Qianshun's close advisors who had been brought along.

Therefore, Richard had no choice but to believe it.

Richard cried inside the city tower, while Li Qianshun's close advisors cried below the city.

Inside the city gate, loud weeping erupted. It wasn't just Richard who was crying; a whole group of soldiers were weeping, each one clutching their heads and wailing.

To be honest, the most elite and skilled warriors of the Tangut people were all in this city wall.

When a nation perishes, whose fault is it? It is undoubtedly theirs.

To the north, Su Wu's reinforcements, numbering 30,000, are on their way. They are there to guard against any further attacks on the city and to help Zhong Shidao and Yao Pingzhong completely besiege it.

How can this be repeated? For example, if Richard himself ascends the throne within the city...

This is a possibility! Richard has the appeal, and even the right to inherit the title.

Su Wu also knew that Lingzhou City was not easy to break through, and even if the "imperial edict" arrived, the city gates would not be opened easily.

No rush, nothing urgent. Let Richard know the situation first, and see how he wins people back and how he fights again.

Reinforcements are expected to arrive in three days, but more than a day has already passed. At most, they will arrive in two more days. If another 30,000 troops arrive, Lingzhou City will be completely blocked.

Lingzhou City may still be difficult, but the other cities are not so difficult. Just send more than 10,000 cavalry in several routes to Huaizhou and Shunzhou, which are besieged by Zhong Shizhong and Xin Xingzong. Once the imperial edict arrives, they can wait for a little over an hour before the city gates open.

Then they went to Dingzhou and opened the city gates.

On the contrary, when I visited Baojing City in the middle, the city gates were still not open after a day or two. This was probably because there were still many elite Tangut troops inside the city, who were also Richard's trusted soldiers.

Su Wu directed the other two armies to surround Baojing. Zhong Shizhong was the closest, only a few dozen miles away. The vanguard could arrive in a day, and the main army in two days at most.

There were still many things to do, but Su Wu became anxious again. He didn't know the situation in Hebei, and he was in a hurry to go to Datong and Yanyun.

The situation in Hebei is also quite lively.

The army from the capital region, in units, crossed the Yellow River at various ferry crossings, and did not become chaotic.

Why isn't it chaotic?

The only question is: who will the court appoint to arrange these matters?
It turned out to be Cheng Hao, the Vice Chief of the Privy Council, so the matter of crossing the river was not chaotic at all. Cheng Hao simply rode quickly to various ferry crossings.

As for the commander-in-chief, it was Tan Zhen in Hejian Prefecture. However, before he could even welcome his own army, he was met by the Jurchen army.

This time, the Jin army changed. They no longer brought their families along. They consisted of 50,000 cavalry, a few infantrymen, and the rest were able-bodied slaves who served as auxiliary troops. They also brought in many more able-bodied slaves along the way, bringing the total number of slaves to around 100,000.

At first glance, it looked like an army of two or three hundred thousand.

Given this situation, how could Tan Zhen possibly hold his ground atop the city walls of Hejian?
The city had less than 20,000 soldiers, and a considerable number of able-bodied men had been mobilized, but Tan Zhen still had to leave, ostensibly to request reinforcements. This was not untrue; he was indeed going to request reinforcements, and he needed to "recruit" his 200,000-strong army.

Where to retrieve it? Naturally, they headed towards the Daming Prefecture area, retreating a great distance of six hundred li.

This was a last resort. Hejian was definitely not going to hold, and there were no troops left to defend Jizhou and Enzhou either. As the commander-in-chief, Tan Zhen should hurry to Daming Prefecture to take over the army, set up defenses, and prepare for a counterattack, rather than doing those meaningless things.

Along the Daming Prefecture line, there are Cizhou, Xiangzhou, Longde Prefecture, and Bozhou. Further east, there are actually Qizhou and Dongping Prefecture in eastern Beijing.

As long as this line is stabilized, the situation will be settled. We can wait for reinforcements to arrive, and wait for Zhong Shidao to lead a large army to arrive, and then the situation can be turned around.

Tan Zhen's thoughts were actually not wrong; from a strategic and overall perspective, they were correct.

This flood covered a distance of six hundred li!

There's no time to worry about anything else, just ride as fast as you can. The 200,000 troops in the capital region and the five prefectures need to be deployed immediately.

This line cannot be allowed to collapse again. If it does, we'll reach the Yellow River, and beyond that, we'll reach Bianjing (Kaifeng).

You can call Tan Zhen a eunuch, a coward, a coward, and spineless, but you can't say that Tan Zhen didn't work hard, much less that Tan Zhen didn't try.

Even when on the road, they travel day and night without slacking off, whether out of a sense of responsibility or out of fear, it is unclear.

The situation was changing rapidly. Tan Zhen, who had been traveling day and night, had not even reached Daming Prefecture, which was 600 li away, when Hejian had already fallen again. The Jurchens were moving at an even faster pace, and they were not so focused on raiding anymore. Their fast horses were galloping at full speed, and their vanguard cavalry had already reached the city of Jizhou.

It seems that the Jurchens also knew where the richest place was: Hebei, and the further south you go, the richer it becomes. Daming Prefecture, Xiangzhou, and Longde Prefecture are the richest!

In this round of grabbing, precision and speed are key.

Wanyan Zongwang was anxious, nervous, and overjoyed. The fall of Hejian Prefecture was so fast that it was beyond his expectations. He had to rush even faster and try to capture Daming Prefecture as well.

If we could capture Daming Prefecture, that would be the capital of the Song Dynasty, making this victory all the more worthwhile.

As soon as the Jurchen cavalry entered Jizhou, the surrounding area was in an uproar, with true and false news flying everywhere and spreading across the land of Hebei.

More than 200 li to the southeast is Qizhou in the Jingdong region, and the news arrived in just one or two days.

Inside the government office, Zhang Shuye was stunned when he saw the news. There was no official confirmation, only rumors. Zhang Shuye's first reaction was to order all the soldiers and constables in the city to go out into the streets and stop people from spreading the news...

Even Zhang Shuye himself didn't believe these rumors, since there was no official document...

But at this moment, where are there any official documents? Who will deliver official documents to him?

But Zhang Shuye was certain of one thing: the situation in Yanyun had changed, and the 200,000 troops in Hebei had definitely been routed, resulting in a great victory for the Jurchens.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be such widespread panic and rumors flying around.

This inevitably reminded Zhang Shuye of the task Su Wu had entrusted to him before he left: no matter what happened, he must hold the city of Qizhou firmly. His first reaction was to quickly send out scouts to see if they could find out any definite news.

Furthermore, a fast horse was dispatched south to Dongping Prefecture. Something truly bad must have happened, and Cheng Wanli and Zong Ze needed to be informed immediately.

And then, all we can do is wait...

They waited another three days before the scouts returned with definite news: the Jurchens had already captured Jizhou and entered Enzhou.

Furthermore, there are rumors that further west, Zhao Prefecture has also fallen, and it seems that Zhen Ding Prefecture has also fallen...

The Jurchen army's might is such that wherever they go, they break through; any city that remains unconquered is simply because the Jurchens haven't attacked it.

In the Central Plains, war raged on, and the people were running around everywhere. Large numbers of people were heading east, heading towards Qizhou and even more so towards Jingdong.

Soon, a large number of refugees arrived in Qizhou, and Zhang Shuye still had to deal with this matter.

Inside Dongping Prefecture, the news was confirmed. Cheng Wanli had even received a letter from Tan Zhen, who had just arrived in Daming Prefecture, reminding him to defend the city and even hoping that he would send troops to assist if necessary.

In Dongping Prefecture, fortified cities were everywhere, and many people fled into the cities to take refuge. In Pingyin County to the north and Yanggu County to the west, large numbers of armored vehicles were stationed.

Cheng Wanli was in a state of utter disarray. Sitting in his office as the Pacification Commissioner of the Two Routes of Jingdong, he exclaimed, "What's going on? How did things suddenly turn out like this? How did the Jurchens suddenly attack? This... this..."

Zong Ze reassured him, "Minister Cheng, do not worry. Our Jingdong army is strong and well-equipped, and our city defenses are complete and solid. If the Jurchens attack, it will be a surprise attack and they will not last long!"

Cheng Wanli nodded, but asked, "When will Ziqing return?"

“He will definitely not be able to return in the short term!” Zong Ze replied. Cheng Wanli also nodded: “Alas… even without Ziqing, I am uneasy. In this situation, rumors are rampant. Some say that the Jurchen army of hundreds of thousands is about to attack Daming, others say that the Jurchen are advancing rapidly and are invincible, and still others say that… the Jurchen will destroy our Great Song like they destroyed the Liao. What kind of talk is this?”

Zong Ze simply waved his hand: "If you don't believe me, then so be it... The Jurchen barbarians only do plunder, and it's the common people who suffer, it's the common people who suffer..."

"What was Tan Zhen good for?" Cheng Wanli started cursing again.

Upon hearing this, Zong Ze frowned and cursed, "How can a eunuch be trusted? The Emperor is truly muddleheaded! Such a crucial matter as the Yan-Yun affair is entrusted to eunuchs; how can things not go wrong? The officials of the court are all utterly muddleheaded. Alas... what a pity..."

"Given this situation, what should we do?" Cheng Wanli was also concerned about the country.

"What else can we do? We can only let the barbarians come and run rampant, and wait for Ziqing to return with his troops so that we can drive them away!" Zong Ze really guessed the change in the situation.

"Who else can we rely on? Ah? We can only count on my son-in-law. Sigh... Just now they changed commanders. Those bastards, like Cai Jing, don't know what's good for them. Let's see if they change commanders again this time. If it weren't for my son-in-law, let's see what they would do!"

How could Cheng Wanli not be angry?

Zong Ze waved his hands repeatedly: "Master Cheng, don't say that, don't say that... it wouldn't be good if word got out..."

"Our Dongping Prefecture, our Jingdong, should be worry-free, right?" At this moment, Cheng Wanli also had to think about his own little plot of land.

"My lord, do not worry. The two routes to the east and west are well-equipped with weapons and armor, and have no shortage of money and provisions. In our Dongping Prefecture, there are more than 20,000 elite veterans and more than 30,000 well-trained new recruits. We can also send more to Qizhou. There are also troops from many other prefectures that can be mobilized. Qin Ming from Qingzhou has already arrived in Qizhou, and Laizhou and Mizhou are setting off. Other departments are also being mobilized. With hundreds of thousands of troops, we can just guard Qizhou and Dongping Prefecture. All the dozen or so prefectures will be safe."

Zong Ze's answer showed his confidence. The army in Dongping Prefecture was indeed well-governed, and the morale of the soldiers and the people was beyond question. Zong Ze was full of confidence in defending the city.

"That's good, that's good..." Cheng Wanli nodded repeatedly, feeling a rare bit of relief amidst his chaotic situation.

Cheng Wanli suddenly asked again, "Do you think... Tan Zhen can defend Daming Prefecture?"

Zong Ze frowned upon hearing this; he didn't know, and it was hard to say...

"What? Are you worried too?" Cheng Wanli immediately asked again.

“Alas… I don’t know! Perhaps it’s not Tan Zhen, but the army in the capital region. They are truly useless. You and I both came from Tokyo. How could we not have seen the corruption of the imperial guards in the capital region back then?” Zong Ze replied.

"If Tan Zhen can't defend Daming Prefecture, then..." Cheng Wanli suddenly didn't dare to think about it.

"Alas... the Jurchen Xu wouldn't dare to think too much, they just want to make a fortune and leave!" Zong Ze said this because he had read a lot of history books, and the nomadic and hunting barbarians in the north had always been like this.

“That makes sense…” Cheng Wanli nodded, then added, “What crime have the common people committed?”

Zong Ze only said, "The sins of the gentlemen of Tokyo are grave! The sins of Tan Zhen are unforgivable!"

Inside Dongping Prefecture, while talks were taking place on one side, they were also taking place on the other.

Rumors were flying everywhere, and Li Yi'an was also anxious, so he went to ask Cheng Niangzi.

The two were having a conversation. Cheng Niangzi, who knew a great deal, spoke at length with Li Qingzhao…

Li Qingzhao was filled with anger: "In the Central Plains, is Su Wu, Su Ziqing, not the only hero? How could the country have fallen to this state? Are there no more men like him?"

Madam Cheng hurriedly said, "Master Yi'an, you must not say such things! If these words are spread, my husband will offend countless people!"

Sister Li paid no heed to these words and continued, "Such a shocking change, with hundreds of miles of Central Plains ravaged in a short period of time, all the officials in the court should be killed, and even the emperor cannot escape his guilt!"

Sister Li launched into a tirade, which terrified Madam Cheng. Madam Cheng repeatedly cried out, "I dare not say that! I can't say it!"

"I'm saying this now, but one day I'll go into Tokyo and say it to your face!" Sister Li was furious. She wasn't a man; if she were...

Hmm... he must have been beaten to death long ago.

Sister Li continued, "Scholar Su is far away in Dangxiang. What can we do now? Who can save the people from their suffering? That Tan Zhen, with his 200,000-strong Hebei army, has been routed! Even if we give him another 200,000, what can he do? How can we stop the war in the Central Plains? Rely on that eunuch Tan Zhen? He deserves to die in Yanyun!"

At this moment, Sister Li was naturally cursing incessantly, unaware that this situation should have caused widespread panic in the Jingdong region. She should have been quickly packing her valuables and those elegant, scholarly items and heading south...

However, for some reason, she is still in JD.com, but she has no intention of fleeing south.

Sister Li couldn't stop talking, and Madam Cheng had no choice but to let it go. But she also talked about other things. If Xu Zhanhuo really spread to Jingdong and Dongping Prefecture, what should the women do?

There are many things that could be done, such as organizing the women to cook and deliver meals, taking care of the wounded, and so on. Perhaps we should first find a decent place so that we can house and treat the wounded in the future...

Many wealthy families in the city should contribute their efforts, such as raising money and provisions to support the troops; these are things that can be done...

They then discussed it with Sister Li, who also had considerable influence. If the two of them could rally the matriarchs of the households, all these matters could be accomplished.

The two then began to discuss it.

In Western Xia, Lingzhou City was already increasingly besieged, and attempts to break out were completely futile.

Preparations for the siege are underway; clearly, tens of thousands of troops are about to begin the actual assault.

Inside the city, Richard was in a dilemma. Several imperial edicts had arrived, and one close advisor to Li Qianshun had come after another, but he still didn't know what to do...

Richard not only knew the situation on the ground, but he also knew that the Song people and the Song army hated him to the bone, and there was also a matter of life and death involved. Once the city was opened, there was a high chance that he would lose his life.

Some do things on the first day of the lunar month, others on the fifteenth; such is the way of the world.

The situation inside the city was already chaotic, with everyone in a state of panic. After several attempts to break out, countless soldiers had been killed or wounded. Originally, the army numbered only 30,000 to 40,000, but now, only 20,000 were available.

Richard knew that being trapped in the isolated city with no hope of breaking out was just a matter of time; holding out was only a matter of how long it would take...

Sitting atop the city tower, he could hear the Song people shouting and cursing below.

Who is it?
This was Liu Zhengyan. He rode up on horseback, fully armored, dressed in mourning clothes, and led a number of soldiers with shields. There was also a cart with a coffin on it and a banner behind it that read: "The Spirit Tablet of the Late Father, Liu Gong, whose given name was Fa".

Liu Zhengyan brandished his gun and cursed: "Tuoba Chage, Li Chage, Zhao Chage, Weiming Chage, come out and die! You insulted my father. If you come alone to die today, I will eat your flesh and sleep on your skin. In that case, the whole city will be safe. If you don't come alone to die, I will wait until the city falls before I climb over and break through the city walls, kill everyone in the city and die with you to appease my father's spirit in heaven!"

On the city wall, no one answered; only pairs of eyes that had seen through it all.

Inside the city gate, Richard stood at the arrow slit, staring blankly into space.

The shouts and curses from below the city walls continued unabated.

Richard stood there stunned for a moment, looking back and forth, inside and outside the city. He was also looking at Liu Fa's banner. In the past, he had never believed that the Song people could one day actually reach Lingzhou City, much less that they would break through Xingqing Prefecture...

Now, even the emperor has become a prisoner, and he is trapped in a lonely city; the country has perished just like that…

In the past, Liu Fa's head was known throughout the entire Western Xia...

Today, Liu Fa is also outside the city...

The affairs of the world are beyond words...

Richard slowly walked out of the city wall and to the crenellations. He replied, "Your father was a hero, and I, Richard, am an even greater hero! I insulted him, and you insulted me; we are even! Several imperial edicts have come, but they are merely my life. I return them to Liu Fa. Within the city, you must not kill indiscriminately. Do you agree to this?"

Liu Zhengyan had never actually met Richard. But now, looking closely, he realized he had dreamt of Richard countless times—of Richard beheading his father, of Richard carrying his father's head through the streets as a warning…

It's all Richard!
"Just go ahead and die!" Liu Zhengyan roared.

"Can it be counted?" Richard asked.

Perhaps dying like this has some benefits. People will remember Richard's kindness and Wei Ming's righteousness, and there may be another chance to raise their arms and call for action in the future. At that time, there may be more Tanguts who are willing to sacrifice their lives to rise up again.

Looking far north, perhaps this is the last thing Richard can do to be loyal to the Great Xia. His brother will not die, and there will surely be a great war between the Jurchens and the Song Dynasty. Perhaps there is still a chance.

“It counts!” Liu Zhengyan said, his eyes fixed on Richard on the city wall.

“Good, Liu Fa is a hero, and you are Liu Fa’s son, so you should also be a hero!” Richard said.

As soon as he finished speaking, he did just that, leaping down from the high rampart.

Without warning, Richard jumped.

Liu Zhengyan was overjoyed and excited. He quickly dismounted and ran forward, still holding his spear. Not far away, below the city wall, Richard was lying on the ground with his bones shattered and blood coming from his mouth and nose, but he still had his eyes open and was not yet dead.

Liu Zhengyan rushed forward and thrust his spear wildly. After a series of wild thrusts, he stopped and turned around, shouting, "Father, do you see? Your son has avenged you! Your son has avenged you! Tonight, your son will boil him and share him with your former comrades! Then I will send his head to the Northwest Prefecture. Father, if you are watching from heaven, look!"

Actually, he's a bit crazy!

But what does it matter if it's the hatred of killing and humiliating one's father?
Historically, Liu Zhengyan was so mad that he raised an army and kidnapped Emperor Zhao Gou. What is this compared to that?
The city gates finally opened, and Bao Jing followed suit.

The Western Xia dynasty is finally over.

The troops were overjoyed, as Marshal Su was about to reward those who had contributed and distribute money.

Coach Su is rich, he has plenty of money! As long as you're willing to fight, Coach Su never hesitates to share his wealth!

All the troops entered the city, and many generals and officers were on their way, traveling hundreds or even two hundred miles to Xingzhou City to meet Su Wu, who had urgently summoned them for a meeting.

What are you discussing?

The imperial edict from Tokyo arrived very quickly, along with documents from the Privy Council.

There is only one thing to do: quickly break through Xingqing Prefecture and quickly send the army back to Hebei to attack the Jurchens!
Today, for some reason, Commander Su seemed to have lost his manners again. He sat in the center early, with Commander-in-Chief Zhong Shidao and his brother Zhong Shizhong on his left and right respectively. Liu Yanqing and Yao Pingzhong sat at the lower end, and Xin Xingzong was also present, as was Liu Zhengyan.

On the other side, there were the soldiers of the Jingdong Army, with Wu Song at the head, followed by Lu Da, Lin Chong, Han Shizhong...

No one found the seating arrangement inappropriate, and even Zhong Shidao himself sat comfortably in his seat.

Today's meeting is of particular importance.

Su Wu's expression was extremely serious. He even had the imperial edict and documents passed around to everyone so that they could all see them.

After they finished looking at him, everyone became anxious and went to look at Su Wu.

Everyone assumed that Su Wu was about to give the order to mobilize the soldiers and quickly turn back south. How could they dare to delay such an important matter?
Su Wu glanced around, but didn't rush to speak.

Zhong Shidao spoke first: "How many troops will Commander Su mobilize this time?"

Su Wu replied, "Leave only 20,000 men to garrison these six cities, and send the rest to the front! But leave one experienced and prudent person to oversee this place!"

Zhong Shidao looked around and said, "Then I will stay here. Even though the Dangxiang have just been pacified, there are still many remnants who must be wiped out. We must fight again! The various Dangxiang tribes on the grasslands also need to be suppressed. I have been fighting the Dangxiang for a long time, so this is the safest course of action. As for the Yanyun region in Hebei, Commander Su knows more about it!"

Upon hearing this, Su Wu looked at Zhong Shidao and nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Zhong Shidao's words were truly brilliant; with a single sentence, he had nominally resolved all of Su Wu's problems. This was a great favor.

This also reflects the teacher's trust and high regard for Su Wu.

Everyone nodded in agreement and turned their attention to Su Wu.

Su Wu then said, "Gentlemen, I have a plan, but I dare not make a decision on my own. I would like to ask you all to discuss it together and see what you think."

Liu Zhengyan immediately said, "Commander Su's strategies have always been brilliant. Commander Su, just give the order. There's no need for discussion. We will follow your orders!"

Su Wu waved his hand, saying, "This time is different from before. I am already a criminal in Dongjing, how dare I make decisions on my own? Let me explain in detail so that we can discuss it further before we act. Otherwise, I will be even more guilty in the future..."

Liu Zhengyan looked puzzled: "How could such a thing happen? The previous change of commander was not Commander Su's fault, but rather the fault of the officials in the court who were ignorant, made unfounded assumptions, and were self-righteous. This time, Commander Su's military order is the one!"

Su Wu looked over and saw that everyone nodded in agreement.

Wu Song had already spoken up: "Brother, don't worry about so much. Just tell us what to do, and we'll fight accordingly!"

Liu Guangshi chimed in, "Yes, brother, nowadays in the army, from the lowest-ranking soldiers and laborers to us, who would question your plans?"

"Yes, Commander Su, just give the orders, and we'll just do it!" Yao Pingzhong muttered.

Xin Xingzong was a beat slow to respond, then added, "Lord Su, we are the soldiers of Xihe. Wherever Commander Su points, we will attack!"

Zhong Shidao remained silent, while Zhong Shizhong stroked his beard and said, "Now that Western Xia has fallen, everyone in the army knows that all the plans and strategies were devised by Commander Su. Doesn't everyone in the army revere Commander Su as a god? Commander Su's concerns are nothing more than those of the officials in the capital. The situation in the army is different from that in the court. Commander Su, please tell us your concerns, and we can think of a solution together..."

Su Wu then slowly nodded...

(Brothers, I couldn't wake up properly this morning, I slept until I naturally woke up, so I'm late today, 8300...)
(End of this chapter)