Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 299 My entire family is loyal and righteous. Let's see what crime the officials of the court have committed against me.
Everyone was looking at Su Wu, waiting for him to speak about the matter that had been troubling them.

Su Wu finally spoke slowly: "Gentlemen, the military order from the Privy Council has arrived, as has the imperial edict, both ordering us to quickly lead troops to Hebei and the capital region for reinforcement. However, my plan is that by the time we arrive in Hebei and the capital region, the Jurchens will likely have already escaped. Since ancient times, northern barbarians have always come south to plunder, and the Jurchens are no exception. I fear that when they return, their carts will be filled with gold and silver, men and women will be everywhere, and grain and livestock will be countless. If we allow the Jurchens to return safely... then tomorrow..."

Su Wu paused, looked around at the crowd, and then said, "The strength of the Jurchen army in the future is unimaginable..."

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned. They thought about it and realized that throughout history, there had been the Xiongnu besieging Baideng Mountain, the Turks reaching Chang'an, and more recently, the so-called Khitan raiding the grasslands was not so long ago...

Upon hearing this, Zhong Shidao frowned. How could he not understand Su Wu's meaning? This meant he didn't want to go to Hebei or the Jingji region...

Then this...

Su Wu continued, "The money and provisions are one thing, but those men and women are all our compatriots, captured and taken to the lands beyond the Great Wall, where they will be enslaved for generations..."

Zhong Shidao frowned even more. He was certain that Su Wu was not going to go to Hebei and Beijing to provide assistance as ordered by imperial decree. What was he planning to do?
Disobeying the imperial decree?

Zhong Shidao said in one sentence: "Commander Su, please think it over..."

Su Wu glanced at Zhong Shidao and still said, "Therefore, if we truly want to serve the country, the people, and the nation, going to the capital and Hebei is pointless. The officials in the court may not know, but you all do. Even in the Han and Tang dynasties, when barbarians invaded and plundered, the front lines intercepted them while the rear held them off. Now, we have numerous cities in front, a large army in the capital, and the Yellow River as a natural barrier. Where are we? We should be the ones intercepting them. Only in this way can we save our compatriots and recover our resources. What do you all think?"

These words silenced the entire room. Some stared in disbelief, others were filled with worry, and still others gasped in shock…

Su Wu fell silent for a moment, only looking around...

Su Wu couldn't help but think to himself that the generals of the Song Dynasty were still too well-trained...

Wu Song said, "Wherever you go, brother, we, the soldiers of the Jingdong army, will follow. Your plan is sure to be right!"

Lu Da nodded: "Of course!"

Lin Chong, however, was cursing: "What do those gentlemen in the capital know about military affairs? If my master were in the capital, the Privy Council would never issue such a military order!"

The Jingdong army still held the imperial court in more contempt.

But then Liu Zhengyan said, "I think it's just that those officials in the court are afraid of dying, which is why they issued such a military order, urgently summoning us to the Hebei and Beijing capital region!"

Upon hearing Liu Zhengyan's words, Yao Pingzhong immediately remarked, "Those officials in the court, how many of them have ever seen a battle? They're probably already in a panic. All they care about is driving the Jurchens away. Have they ever really thought about the people who have been captured?"

Zhong Shidao looked around and realized that something was wrong. He said, "You should really think about how serious the crime of disobeying an imperial edict is!"

When Zhong Shidao spoke, he was also in a consultative tone. He knew that everyone was discussing this matter, and he also knew that if Su Wu really raised his arm and made a decision, most people would probably follow Su Wu to defy the imperial decree. Zhong Shidao was a mature and prudent elder, and he had to make everyone think carefully about the consequences of this matter.

The words "disobeying the imperial decree" silenced the crowd once more.

Even Wu Song fell silent for a moment. It wasn't that he was afraid of himself; he looked at Su Wu because he was worried about his brother's future...

Su Wu declared firmly, "For the country, for the people, for the nation, I, Su Wu, alone defy the imperial decree. You are all coerced or even deceived by me. That's all!"

Upon hearing Su Wu's words, Liu Zhengyan immediately stood up: "General Su, what are you saying? In our Great Song Dynasty, when it comes to military affairs, General Su is number one, without anyone else. General Su's strategies naturally surpass those of everyone in the capital. What do those people who sit in the palace every day know? Even if it's Chief Steward Yao's words, they're just afraid of death, filled with anxiety. Do they really think the Jurchens can invade Tokyo? The Imperial Guards in the capital region number two or three hundred thousand. Even if they are incompetent, they can just stand on the high walls. The Jurchens can't fly! Once we block the Jurchens' path and save the people from their suffering, how can the people not be grateful for the court's kindness? General Su's merits are known to all. What crime could there be to speak of?"

Wu Song thought this made sense: "Yes, in this case, what crime is there to speak of? If we still want to punish my brother for this, no one in the world will agree!"

Lin Chong nodded: "Sir, your painstaking efforts will be known to all in the future, and justice will prevail in people's hearts!"

As the conversation between these people continued, Zhong Shidao observed the expressions on everyone's faces. It seemed that many people's expressions had indeed softened, and they even showed some excitement...

Zhong Shidao couldn't help but add, "Alas... While that's true, you are all of varying ages, some well-read, others less so. Since ancient times, even the imperial family has worried about foreign enemies, and it's inevitable that they worry... Gentlemen, if Commander Su were to make a decisive move here, all of you tens of thousands of elite troops would follow him in defying the imperial decree. Regardless of the magnitude of your merits, just ask yourself, in Tokyo, who would dare to sleep soundly? How would Commander Su face the future? This is a matter from all dynasties, and it also refers to the recent events involving Di Qing, the Privy Councilor. Have you not heard what was being said in the capital back then?"

What are they talking about? People have varying degrees of knowledge about events from decades ago; some know in detail, while others only have a vague understanding.

Zhong Shizhong suddenly remembered and said in a flash: "In the past, it was rumored in the capital that a lingzhi mushroom grew in the home of Privy Councilor Di, and that his yellow dog grew horns. It was also rumored that Privy Councilor Di had prepared a yellow robe... As a result, Privy Councilor Di died of fright..."

Everyone went to look at Su Wu, some with surprise and some with fear...

This is different from the past in the military; people are truly speaking from the heart and don't mince words.

The group was genuinely discussing what to do, what was the best course of action, and what was best for Su Wu.

Wu Song couldn't help but worry again. He understood what was going on: if they did what happened today, Su Wu's house would inevitably grow lingzhi mushrooms, his yellow dog would grow horns, and Su Wu's house would soon have a yellow robe hidden inside...

How could he possibly survive?
Yao Pingzhong stood up and waved his hand: "I remember General Su saying something that makes sense: as long as you win, nothing else matters, but if you lose, you're guilty no matter what. I think it's the same this time. As long as we win, justice will prevail in the hearts of the people! We're ready to die a hundred times, just like this time we're attacking Xia. As long as we win, that's all that matters!"

Zhong Shidao remarked, "Victory is all that matters; why change commanders halfway through?"

Liu Yanqing frowned and sighed, "Alas... Gentlemen, what Old Master Zhong said makes some sense. We must not act rashly and should think it over carefully..."

Zhong Shizhong, however, had become much more hot-tempered: "So we're just going to watch the Jurchens come and go so easily, just watch them fill their coffers with money and grain, take away countless artisans, and have all the able-bodied men and women become their slaves? In the future, will we still have to fight them, will we still have to pay with our own lives..."

Su Wu remained silent. Why? Shouldn't this be discussed thoroughly?

Let everyone discuss it. Once the discussion is thorough, Su Wu's decision will have a greater meaning...

Wu Song said, "Brother, tell me... whatever you say we should do, we'll do it!"

Su Wu nodded: "I have a plan to go there myself. We will head to Datong, first take Datong, block the western road, and then go to the Yanshan Mountains to occupy all the mountain passes. In this way, we will block the Jurchens in the Yanyun region. If the Jurchens want to return, they will be in a very difficult and slow process. If we go as soon as possible, we will definitely be able to block them! Such an important matter must be discussed carefully with you all!"

Liu Zhengyan immediately said, "Then what's there to discuss? Those who want to go can go with Commander Su, and those who don't want to go can stay in Xingqing Prefecture with Old Master Zhong!"

As he spoke, Liu Zhengyan stood up and turned around to look at the generals, as if he wanted to see on the spot who was willing to go and who was not.
Wu Song immediately retorted, "Then all the soldiers of my Jingdong region are willing to go!"

As he spoke, Wu Song turned around to look, and all the generals of the Jingdong army nodded, even Han Shizhong was nodding.

There was one person sitting in the back, looking somewhat bewildered, worried, and even conflicted—that was Brother Yue.

He was bewildered; how could these generals and bigwigs in front of him actually dare to defy imperial orders?

His worry was that his husband might be punished after doing this.

He was conflicted, torn between which side he truly supported. According to the principles of loyalty and righteousness, in matters of the nation, the people should be the priority, and saving the people from suffering is the right thing to do no matter what.

But in terms of loyalty and righteousness, one should eat the emperor's food, bear the emperor's worries, and be loyal to the emperor. How could one disobey the emperor? This was something that Yue Ge'er found hard to believe in the past.

Liu Zhengyan was also shouting: "I will definitely go with Commander Su. The people are in dire straits, how can we not save them? If I am guilty, I will write a letter to count myself in! My father sacrificed his life for the country and died on the battlefield. I will be the first to reach Xingzhou. My whole family is loyal and brave. Let's see what crime the officials of the court have committed against me."

Yao Pingzhong grumbled and said, "I'll go too. When I first met Commander Su, he was young and I didn't like him much. I thought he was just a favorite of the eunuchs. But now I've followed him on countless battles and I'm willing to fight alongside him! If I'm going to the capital and those eunuchs have to move me around, I'd rather go with Commander Su!"

Yao Pingzhong brought up Tong Guan again to criticize him. He had never liked Tong Guan in his life, let alone people like Tan Zhen.

Su Wu felt somewhat embarrassed. This fellow's words were unpleasant to hear, but they were also heartwarming!

When the time to make a statement finally came, Liu Guangshi looked left and right, then at his father, and whispered, "Father..."

Liu Yanqing slowly said, "If Marshal Su is truly like this, my admiration for him will be boundless. My concern is not for anything else, but for Marshal Su's future. We are, after all, soldiers. Although Marshal Su has the title of scholar, he did not actually receive a formal apprenticeship in Tokyo. I imagine most of those gentlemen do not like Marshal Su. In the future, I fear things will become increasingly difficult..."

Su Wu slowly rose to his feet. It was about time; he was going to make the final decision. He even knew that some people would be dragged into the situation if necessary. He also knew that many people in the room—Liu Zhongwu, Yao Gu, Zhe Keqiu, Zhe Kecun—were still silent.

Su Wu would not truly let them choose for themselves, nor would he let the Wu brothers, Wu Jie and Wu Lin, choose for themselves; they must be deeply conflicted.

So what is being coerced? This very moment is a perfect illustration.

Su Wu said, "We can't worry about that now. We should just get this done first. That way, we can't just sit and watch the Jurchens rise up. We can only do our best to reduce the number of deaths and injuries and increase our chances of winning. We'll leave the rest to fate. If all else fails, I'll ask to go back to Jingdong to farm."

With just this one sentence, who among those present would remain unmoved?
Su Wu added, “If we gain merit, we will share it with you all. If we are punished, it will be solely my responsibility. You were all coerced and manipulated by me. I will go to the capital to plead guilty and make my position clear! As long as I don’t die, this is what I should do! This is the greater good of the country!”

Looking around the room, everyone stood up, everyone wanted to speak.

Su Wu raised his hand and said, "No need for further words. This matter is settled. There are still many things to do here. Everyone, do your best and get them done as soon as possible. The soldiers from Huanqing and the two gentlemen from the Zhong family will stay here. The rest of you, um... in three days, you will set off with me!"

The generals had already risen, and there were still countless words left unsaid. At this moment, all they could do was cup their hands and say, "Understood!"

"Disperse. No one is to discuss this matter privately. Just follow orders and leave. This matter has nothing to do with you!" Su Wu said sternly.

The expressions on everyone's faces varied. Some were naturally unhappy, feeling that things shouldn't have turned out this way, while others felt a sense of relief, thinking, "So be it..."

As the crowd dispersed, the military camp was bustling with activity, as cartloads of supplies were being transported out of the city...

Yao Pingzhong went out, but waited for a long time until everyone had dispersed before he went back into the main tent.

Seeing Yao Pingzhong come in again, Su Wu didn't say much, just gestured with his hand: "Sit!"

To avoid troubling two people at once, Yao Pingzhong, who had other matters to attend to, stepped forward and said softly, "Commander Su, the person was mentioned earlier, but it still needs to be dealt with..."

The person being referred to was Li Yan, the military supervisor. That day, in front of many Tangut people, Su Wu had boasted about wanting to greet him from ten miles away, and how he wanted to please the military supervisor...

But this matter was not actually carried out. At this moment, time was of the essence, and there was no time to make such a grand show to welcome the military supervisor.

Those words were meant for the Tangut people, to let them hear them clearly and to let them know how much power and influence this military supervisor held.

But for now, a grand spectacle still needs to be put on, and it's also something to show the Tangut people.

Su Wu said little, but simply gave the order: "You arrange it, the captives must be presented to the supervising official!"

Yao Pingzhong nodded: "Understood, I'll get back to work!"

Su Wu nodded, but said, "But I must also see the supervising general again! You will come with me, and I will explain things to you on the way!"

Both men got up. The supervising general was already in Su Wu's army, and had been brought over by Li Cheng early on. He settled in a tent and no longer needed to dig a dugout to lock himself in.

Li Yan became much more obedient and cautious, fearing he wouldn't be able to return to the capital. He had been kept quiet during this time.

Hearing a sudden influx of footsteps outside the tent, Li Yan's heart pounded wildly, filled with trepidation.

Who is coming in?

Su Wu, Yao Pingzhong, and Li Yan hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects.

Before he could even offer his greetings, Su Wu had already bowed deeply: "Lord Li, we have achieved a great victory in our campaign against Xia. Please forgive any offense I may have committed!"

Yao Pingzhong, standing to the side, also bowed deeply, saying, "Supervisor, please forgive me!"

Li Yan was stunned on the spot. What was going on?

Su Wu stepped forward and said, "Lord Li, I acted impulsively earlier. Fortunately, we won a great victory in this battle. Both of us will return to the capital with great merit. Lord Li, with such great achievements, you will certainly not blame me too much. Please forgive me!"

Li Yan had anticipated many things, but after the great victory, Scholar Su seemed... less worried. With such a great achievement in hand, he had nothing to fear...

So, are they going back to Beijing together?
"Good news, good news!" Li Yan quickly replied, "Nothing much, nothing much. It was just that when I first arrived, I was unaware of the situation and disrupted the scholar's plans. Now that I have returned with great success, everyone should be happy, everyone should be happy..."

Li Yan was clearly still a little uneasy.

"That won't do," Su Wu said again, "We've also prepared an entry ceremony for Prime Minister Li, and the Dangxiang king will also pay his respects to Prime Minister Li in person. There will also be a celebration of presenting captives to celebrate victory, all arranged for Prime Minister Li. What do you think, Prime Minister Li?"

Su Wu asked Li Yan for his opinion, which made Li Yan feel awkward, but he was also quite happy. In this way, there would certainly be no more murder or killing.
It seems I'll make it safely to the capital.

Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief: "Excellent, excellent, excellent!" "Then I'll go and make the arrangements?" Su Wu asked.

"Thank you for your trouble, Scholar Su!" Li Yan said politely.

"As long as Lord Li is happy and satisfied and no longer blames me, nothing is too much!" Su Wu said.

Li Yan was no longer worried. But instead of being happy, he felt a surge of resentment towards the eunuch. After all the hardships they had endured together, did Su Wu really think he could just let it go with a few words? Did he really think he could curry favor with Su Wu by putting on some kind of ceremony?
But this was not the time to lash out. Li Yan was a man who could bend and stretch, and he even put on a smile: "I really want to meet the King of Western Xia. Scholar Su has done a great service. If you can just send the King to Bianjing, that will be a great achievement!"

"Very well, then I'll get to work right away!" Su Wu bowed and waited for Li Yan to speak.

Suddenly, in that instant, Li Yan felt a surge of power; everything was back.

He nodded: "Scholar Su, please go immediately..."

Su Wu nodded and left.

Not far from their destination, Su Wu said to Yao Pingzhong, "Regarding the matter of presenting captives, you are in charge of selecting the people, especially those from Lingzhou and Baojing. Choose them carefully."

Yao Pingzhong nodded: "Don't worry, my lord, I know who is a hero and who is a coward. I can tell just by looking into his eyes!"

"Hmm... Make good arrangements!" Su Wu instructed.

"We will certainly leave no room for error!" Yao Pingzhong nodded.

Meanwhile, Su Wu was busy killing someone.

Inside Taiyuan City, Wang Bing had just received Su Wu's letter. The lengthy and eloquent words made Wang Bing frown deeply.

This is a huge matter...

There was nothing else of note. By this time, the affairs of Yanyun and Hebei had already become a hot topic, and gathering troops was not a difficult task.

There is one thing that is really difficult to do: to gather all the money and grain from Hedong to Taiyuan City. How could the prefects, magistrates and county magistrates possibly be willing to do such a thing?

Then we have to take a hard line, and use the soldiers to do it.

If this is done, the impeachment memorials in the court will be like snowflakes flying everywhere in the future.

However, if we do not do this, and if Prime Minister Su's army arrives without money or provisions, the consequences will be unimaginable.

However, this matter is of great importance. Currently, the roads in Hebei are blocked, and official documents from the court are no longer in use. Either we do nothing, or nothing will be done.

Alternatively, we can follow Commander Su's advice, gather a sum of money and provisions, and wait for the army to arrive.

Wang Bing frowned, pacing back and forth. It was nothing more than a matter of repaying a past favor…

It's nothing more than that he, Wang Bing, was dismissed from his post, but there was still Prime Minister Su above him to take charge. After all, it was Prime Minister Su's order, so there was even less reason not to do it.

"Guards!" Wang Bing shouted, and the soldiers outside immediately entered.

Wang Bing then said, "Send the order! All generals gather for a meeting. Also, immediately send letters to Inspector Sheng and Inspector Hao Siwen of Pudong Pass, instructing them to secretly set off and travel day and night to meet me!"

"Order!"

Wang Bing was determined to do it. With the Yan-Yun and Hebei regions in such chaos, he was at a loss and didn't know where to direct his efforts for the country and its people. Su Xueshi's letter came at just the right time, and following Su Shuai's instructions was the right thing to do.

Meanwhile, in Hebei, Tan Zhen stood atop the city wall of Daming Prefecture, watching the gleaming armored vehicles coming and going inside and outside the city, and finally felt much more at ease.

I also looked up at the distant north. Although I felt much more at ease, I still had many worries.

Standing beside Tan Zhen was Li Gang, the prefect of Daming Prefecture, who was already overwhelmed with official duties. He was filled with resentment and couldn't say a kind word to Tan Zhen.

At this moment, he spoke with resentment: "How could such a vast expanse of six hundred li be submerged? This is truly a strange and unprecedented event! Where in history has such a thing ever happened!"

Tan Zhen was also displeased. He turned to look at Li Gang and said only one thing: "What do you, a mere censor, know about military affairs?"

Li Gang simply said, "Although I know nothing about military affairs, I do know that a subject's duty is to die for his country!"

Tan Zhen could easily hear the sarcasm, but he was powerless against Li Gang. He could only say, "Since you know nothing about military affairs, don't interfere. Just allocate more money and supplies and stop making a racket in front of me!"

"Hmph!" Li Gang was helpless. If he really had a way and could do it, he would have drawn his sword and killed Tan Zhen on the spot.

Now, let's talk about six hundred li. Where is six hundred li? From Yanyun to Daming Prefecture, that's a thousand li of land. It's gone in the blink of an eye. In Li Gang's eyes, it was truly fleeting. He almost didn't even have time to react.

The two were naturally angry, and then they saw fast horses galloping towards them in the distance. They were not Jurchens, but their own cavalry.

As they approached the city, they shouted, "Quickly, close the city gates! Quickly, the Jurchen vanguard is already thirty miles away!"

Tan Zhen's face turned pale, and he hurriedly shouted down to the city walls, "Close the city gates! Close the city gates! Quickly, quickly!"

Li Gang glanced sideways, his disdain growing. Even the fastest horse would take two or three hours to reach a place thirty miles away. There were still many people outside the city; what was the rush? How could he not protect his own people?
But they offered no protection. The soldiers below the city walls hurriedly began closing the gates, and the civilians outside the city swarmed in, only to be driven away and beaten by the soldiers...

Ugh……

Li Gang sighed helplessly. The soldiers wouldn't listen to him, and they were more anxious than anyone else, all in a panic.

However, the city's defenses had already been taken over by Tan Zhen, so Li Gang had no say in the matter. Even the troops of Daming Prefecture were now under Tan Zhen's control.

Li Gang remained silent, seething with anger!

In Daming Prefecture, this prefectural governor was merely a figurehead. The civil officials and clerks mostly gave him the runaround and deceived him. This was true even before Cai Jing rose to power, and it was even more so now that Cai Jing had risen to power. It was as if everyone knew that Li Gang's tenure as prefectural governor was short-lived...

Now that the army is under his command, it's even more beyond his control.

How could Li Gang not feel resentful?

So what if he felt frustrated? He still had to work, no matter how hard it was, no matter how much he suffered. Now, sixty or seventy thousand troops from the capital region had arrived in Daming Prefecture; he couldn't let them go hungry...

No matter how much he was coaxed or fobbed off, Li Gang still had to work. At worst, he would do it all himself, handling everything big and small.

He himself knew that he wouldn't be able to hold the position of Prefect of Daming for more than a few days.

This imperial court, I wonder when things will improve!

I can't help but think of one person, Su Ziqing... I hope Su Ziqing will one day be appointed prime minister, and perhaps he can restore order to the world. Alas... perhaps that will happen... perhaps that day will come...

Li Gang didn't know any other people with great prospects, and as for himself, that was impossible in this lifetime.

The Jurchen vanguard arrived, numbering only a thousand or so. The city of Daming that they saw was truly enormous, even larger than Yanjing.

How could the Jurchens not be delighted? How much wealth and people must be in this city?
More than a thousand Jurchens were already running around the city, also to observe the city's defenses.

How could Li Gang not see that more than a thousand Jurchens were running around outside the city?
Li Gang couldn't help but ask, "Lord Tan, how can you allow over a thousand enemy soldiers to come and go so freely?"

Tan Zhen didn't even glance at him, only watching the Jurchens running outside the city.

Li Gang continued, "Within the city, the Imperial Guards of the capital and the army of Daming Prefecture number as many as seventy or eighty thousand. It would be no problem for them to muster two or three thousand cavalry. How can we not go and give them a good beating, and let them flaunt their power like this?"

"What do you know, you scholar?" Tan Zhen said, quite annoyed.

“I don’t understand anything, but I do understand that to die for one’s country is to die a worthy death!” Li Gang said firmly.

Tan Zhen suddenly turned his head and looked him up and down: "I've heard that you're on very good terms with Su Wu. How come you didn't learn anything about military strategy from him?"

Li Gang was even angrier: "If it's difficult to win with two or three thousand cavalry, then send more than ten thousand men to chase after them. With only a thousand or so men against more than ten thousand armored soldiers, wouldn't they flee far away? It's better than them running around so brazenly. If we just ignore them, what kind of morale and fighting spirit will the army in the city have?"

Tan Zhen simply waved his hand dismissively: "Stop your nonsense and go back to your office. I don't think you can hold the position of prefect for more than a few days!"

"I don't need you to tell me. I will serve as the prefect for as long as I can. As long as I am the prefect of Daming Prefecture, I will live and die with the city!" Li Gang said with righteous indignation.

"Hmph! All your skills are in your mouths!" Tan Zhen couldn't help but mock. He, Tan Zhen, was a veteran of many battles. These scholars, each one of them, spoke better than they sang. If they really encountered this situation, they would probably be scared out of their wits.

To live and die together? What a joke!
How many cities are ahead? Which of those scholars can't run faster than the soldiers? The number of prefects and governors who fled from Daming Prefecture is too many to count on two hands!

“You eunuch have no guts, but I do!” Li Gang refused to leave, determined to pester him.

Tan Zhen couldn't do anything about him. He snorted and turned to leave. Li Gang wouldn't leave, but he left on his own. He was such a persistent nuisance.

But he added, "Li Gang, the Jurchen army will arrive tomorrow. Come up to the city then and see if your legs can still stand firmly! And whether you can live or die with the city!"

Tan Zhen had already left the city, but he could still faintly hear Li Gang's words: "Eunuchs ruin the country!"

But the next day at noon, Li Gang was indeed on the city wall. He saw hundreds of thousands of horse legs and endless armor, like dark clouds covering the sky, coming from the north and seemingly submerging the entire northern land in his sight.

Li Gang frowned deeply; how could he not be flustered and panicked? Yet he remained standing on the city wall, glancing left and right at the soldiers on the wall, each one pale-faced…

His deathly pale face truly reflected fear and worry...

Li Gang quickly started walking and checked each column, and found that they were all the same; every soldier on the city wall had a deathly pale face...

Li Gang was greatly alarmed. Something was wrong...

After running around for a long time, Li Gang returned to the city wall and raised his arms, shouting: "My men, I am Li Gang, the prefect of Daming Prefecture. I swear to live and die with this city. Daming Prefecture has strong walls and high defenses. As long as you fight on and on, the Jurchens will not be able to break through!"

People around him came to look at him, and Li Gang looked over as well, seeing pairs of blank stares.

Inside the city gate tower, Tan Zhen was still sneering: "These people don't understand military affairs, they only know how to shout and yell. Do they really think that defending the city depends on their shouting?"

An official from Daming Prefecture, who was also present, chimed in, "This Minister Li has gone mad from reading too much!"

"Only Su Wu would actually think highly of such a glib-tongued person!" Tan Zhen was not laughing at Li Gang, but at Su Wu.

"In just a few days, once the war is over, these officials will probably return to the capital to ask for jobs at the Ministry of Personnel and the Court of Judicial Review..."

Tan Zhen nodded: "Grand Tutor, you are truly an evergreen tree that lasts for a hundred years and a pine tree that never ages for a thousand years. The entire court still reveres you, Grand Tutor!"

The official smiled and said, "The Grand Tutor has also sent a letter saying that Lord Tan will surely achieve great things this time, and that we should all rest assured and assist him!"

"Thank you! I will go and express my gratitude as soon as I return to the capital!" Tan Zhen nodded, but then said, "If you ask me, it would be best to send him away now. Once the city is defended and the Jurchens retreat, this fellow will inevitably try to gain some credit as well. Rather than giving him the credit, it would be better to give it to someone else... Keeping this fellow around is really annoying."

Below the city gate and on the city wall, Li Gang's shouts could still be heard: "My comrades, the barbarians are tyrannical, and Tokyo is right behind us. This is a time to defend our homeland. We have no choice but to go. As long as we defeat the barbarians, we will be richly rewarded!"

"Ah...that makes sense. Lord Tan is indeed very thoughtful. I'll immediately send a letter to Tokyo to inquire about this matter..."

"Of course, it also depends on how the Grand Tutor plans and decides. I was just saying it casually..." Tan Zhen said.

"That's that's..."

(End of this chapter)