Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 300 Is Prime Minister Su the most powerful man in the world?

Xingzhou was busy. The army was about to leave, and there were many Tangut prisoners. They had to be gathered together and kept under guard before being slowly sent to prisons in various prefectures in the northwest.

Therefore, at this moment, most of the Tangut prisoners were gathered in Xingzhou.

It's perfect timing. Today, we're presenting the captured prisoners to the Emperor and his military supervisor. This will show them the sheer number of prisoners we have after this battle, which will undoubtedly be a show of power. It will also allow the Emperor and his military supervisor to speak to the relevant official in person after returning to the capital.

Outside Xingzhou City was a large camp. From outside the city to inside, iron armor was lined up on both sides, gleaming. The army supervisor also wanted to see Xingzhou City and parade through the streets, which was to demonstrate the emperor's power!
Within the city, there are 100,000 people. Let them know that this is the Song Dynasty, Xingzhou is the Great Song Dynasty, and you are all citizens of the Great Song Dynasty.

We should also send some elite soldiers in armor to patrol along the route until we reach the imperial city. This is to demonstrate our military might. Their marching steps are crisp and their military bearing is impeccable, which is to deter the villains!

Then, in front of the imperial city, the emperor's military supervisor would say a few words to encourage and inspire the soldiers, which would be to boost morale, praise their achievements, and convey the emperor's approval of the troops.

Next came the presentation of the prisoners.

After presenting the captives, the emperor's military supervisor should also take a walk around the Dangxiang capital. This is nothing special, as he is doing it on behalf of the emperor. He will just need to return to the capital and tell the emperor about it.

Su Wu personally explained the procedures of today's ceremony to Li Yan. After all, it was a war of annihilation and a feat of conquering a country, so how could there be no ceremony?
The supervising official, Li Yan, nodded repeatedly, his face beaming with smiles. After listening, he added, "Excellent, excellent, very good. I'd like to see what this Tangut capital is like. His Majesty must be curious!"

Why do I say the government definitely wants to know?

This is all about the attention to detail. Just describe the capital of the Tanguts in detail and compare it with the capital of the Song Dynasty. How can they be compared? Doesn't it just make the emperor seem more elegant? To put it bluntly, it makes the emperor seem pretentious!
Su Wu asked with a smile, "It's almost time, Minister Li, shall we begin?"

Li Yan nodded: "Let's begin!"

"Lord Li, please!" Su Wu gestured with his hand.

"Please, please!" Li Yan was not too arrogant. This time he was really honest and even bowed to Su Wu to invite him.

Su Wu, of course, also had to be polite: "Please go first, sir!"

"How can we do that... Commander Su, please go first!"

“Sir, you are here representing the Emperor to demonstrate his power. How can I ask first? Wouldn’t that be extremely disrespectful? I would never dare to overstep my bounds!” Su Wu waved his hands repeatedly.

Only after hearing this did Li Yancai say, "In this battle, Commander Su made great contributions and should have been ranked first, but alas... Commander Su's words also make sense, so I'm sorry, Commander Su, please forgive me."

Li Yan is not ignorant of social etiquette, nor does he not know how to get along with others.

He had simply forgotten these things before, and only after being properly imprisoned and intimidated did he remember how to be kind to others.

Li Yan walked ahead, his purple official robes making him look truly imposing. A white horse was prepared in front of him, pure white without a single stray hair, tall and strong.

Li Yan was ready to mount his horse, with a canopy behind him to support him, and armored soldiers on either side riding alongside him, their armor spotless and their horses clean.

It began. Li Yan was in front, escorted by a troop of knights. Su Wu was behind, escorted by another troop of knights. Then came the cavalry and infantry, one unit after another. Almost every general was present, and each unit sent out some representatives, forming a square formation of one or two hundred people...

Enter the city and parade through the streets!
On the streets, countless soldiers guarded the sides of the street where the parade was to take place.

As they entered the city, they walked slowly, and there was a great deal of cheering and clamor. How could they not welcome the king's army with food and drink? Many families were even forced to go out into the streets to greet them!

They even had to get a few people to shout, "Long live the Great Song Dynasty! Long live the Emperor! Long live His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty!"

It's not necessarily all forced. Once someone starts shouting, others will join in. There are many Han Chinese in this city, even the majority. How could there not be a few people who harbor resentment towards the Tanguts?

But if you look closely, you'll see many people on the street with blank expressions, standing there like walking corpses.

There were also some with eyes like knives, who couldn't wait to rush up and kill to avenge their families!
It didn't matter. Li Yan just kept laughing. He looked around and laughed heartily. After all, this was a chance to show off his power and prestige. How could he not be happy?
It's rare to have a moment of happiness...

On their way, they arrived at the square in front of the imperial city. The supervising minister dismounted and watched as the various units on the left and right began to line up and stand in formation. It was a military exercise, a demonstration of the Song Dynasty's army to the people of Xingzhou, to show them the might of the Song army, and to remind them to live their lives properly and not to act recklessly!

Otherwise, it would be an overwhelming force!

Later, the soldiers drove the civilians over as well, all wanting to come and see!
The supervising minister then said something: "You have all worked hard, and the Emperor knows of your achievements. You will be rewarded in the future. I hope you will continue your efforts and make new contributions!"

From Su Wu onwards, everyone bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you for Your Majesty's great favor, thank you for the supervising minister!"

For a moment, it truly felt like a thousand troops were bowing in reverence. Li Yan was in a daze, feeling as if he had been transported to another world. When he came from Tokyo, he had imagined this scene, but he was immediately locked up in a dugout. Now, this scene was actually happening again...

The supervising minister had to say a few more words, as it was a formality, to express the Song Dynasty's attitude towards Xingzhou and even the Dangxiang people, how benevolent the emperor was, how much he loved the people, and that if they lived well, their lives would naturally get better and better, more and more prosperous...

The ceremony was indeed elaborate and solemn!

Present the prisoners! The supervising officer is right below the city. Batch after batch of prisoners are escorted forward so the supervising officer can see them all…

This demonstrates the military might and is also awe-inspiring!

If the supervising official wants to see, then all the people in the city must also keep their eyes open and watch carefully!

The prisoners were tied together with ropes and driven forward by the soldiers. They walked around the field, first to a small platform so that the supervising official on the platform could see them, and then around to the back so that the people of Xingzhou could see them!
It was all part of the ceremony. Li Yan sat upright on the small platform, watching and waiting. The prisoners were slowly being rounded up. There were indeed many prisoners, batch after batch, more than a dozen batches had passed, and it still wasn't over...

Why was Su Wu standing to the side of the stage?

How could he possibly compete with the Emperor? On that platform, there was only Li Yan, who represented the Emperor.

Su Wu waited patiently. He knew that things would happen soon. As for how it would happen, it was simple: just do a little trick, pick out some unruly people, put them together and lock them up for a few days, and let them know in advance that when they were to be presented as prisoners, they would pass in front of the most favored military supervisor of the Song Dynasty.

Then, place a small piece of iron beside them and wait three to five days. That is the day to present the captives. That is enough.

Of course, the people escorting this group of prisoners were also very impatient and seemed rather unenthusiastic along the way.

Then, a scene appeared before Su Wu's eyes. A group of burly prisoners arrived in front of the small platform, and suddenly, a shout was heard!
They immediately saw a dozen or so people who had been tied up break free and rush towards the small platform.

For a moment, no one reacted, not even Su Wu.

Of course, Su Wu also realized what was happening, drew his sword, and rushed towards the small platform.

It's too late, it's all too late.

But then they heard the supervising general on the platform shouting, "General Su, save me! General Su, save me!"

Everyone in the audience, whether soldiers or civilians, was stunned. They stared blankly as the dozen or so people suddenly rushed towards the small platform, completely engulfing the supervising officer.

He saw that Commander Su drew his sword, flipped over, and without saying a word, went to slash and kill.

And then Suarez shouted, "I'm here to save you!"

Behind Commander Su, many soldiers reacted and rushed forward, their blades flashing.

No one could see how terrified the supervising official was, but he was not allowed to utter a second word. Someone hugged him, someone wrapped their arms around his neck from behind, and someone placed a small, sharpened iron plate against his neck. Clearly, this was an attempt to coerce or hold him hostage.

Just as these captured men had taken the man hostage and were about to turn around and threaten him, Su Wu rushed forward, drew his sword, and killed him. Countless armored men swarmed forward, surrounding him from three sides.

Su Wu was killing people; how could the soldiers not draw their swords?

Where is there any room for coercion?
In an instant, blood was everywhere, and people and horses were hacked to pieces.

One of the prisoners shouted in Chinese: "Stop right now!"

As if no one had heard him, Su Wu, who was standing right in front of him, was not about to stop. He raised his knife and struck down several people with great ferocity, shouting, "Quickly, save them!"

The small platform was already surrounded by armored soldiers. The soldiers were extremely brave, and their husbands were leading the way. Wouldn't that be a dereliction of duty for them?

How could a dozen or so prisoners withstand such an encirclement and slaughter?

"Stop it if you don't stop..." came the shouts.

But how could such a cry be of any use? In the blink of an eye, the knife was already upon them.

The man holding the military supervisor hostage with a sharp little iron piece gritted his teeth, and the knife was right in front of him. He had no time to think and had no choice but to stab the military supervisor in the neck with the little iron piece.

Well, I originally thought that by kidnapping the military supervisor, I could get myself and my emperor out of trouble. Who would have thought that even after taking people hostage, things would turn out like this?
Since an exchange was impossible, killing such a prominent person before death would be a worthwhile exchange, and it would also make the Song emperor feel deeply pained, knowing that the Tanguts were full of courage and not cowards who would kneel down and surrender.

With those thoughts still swirling in his mind, the supervising official's neck was bleeding profusely, and the captured man also fell to the ground amidst the flurry of blows.

"My husband!" came a cry.

The supervising official's eyes widened, and he even raised his hand to cover his neck, but how could he stop the gushing blood?

The supervising official slumped back into the chair he had just been sitting in, his mouth gurgling, his eyes filled with terror, knowing there was no way to save his life...

Su Wu sighed, feeling somewhat exhausted. He was finally done with this ridiculous mess…

"Get out of here, get out of here! Quickly summon a doctor!" Su Wu waved his hand and left.

Many soldiers rushed down the small platform; the doctor came to their aid, to save them…

Su Wu also stepped down from the small platform, his eyes like a wolf's, scanning the surroundings. He said, "Men, kill all the prisoners in this group in front of you!"

The soldiers went on a killing spree like wolves and tigers, and in no time, blood flowed like a river...

The killings were so brutal that many civilians dared not even look at them...

Su Wu turned to look at the small platform. On the platform, the doctors were already standing there shaking their heads, and the military supervisor was dead beyond dead. One of the six traitors of the Northern Song Dynasty died so miserably.

Among those present were many former officials of the Western Xia dynasty; some were filled with worry, while others seemed to feel a sense of relief...

Inside the imperial city, there was another person, namely the king Li Ganshun. He had come here today to act as a guide for Li Yan. He was waiting inside the gate when he heard the commotion outside. Surrounded by a group of armored soldiers, he came out to see what was happening.

The situation was clear to everyone.

Li Qianshun hurriedly stepped forward to Su Wu's side. Seeing Su Wu's ashen face, he quickly said, "Lord Su, this... this must be something these prisoners did on their own. You must not take your anger out on the people of the city!"

Su Wu nodded: "Your Majesty, this matter is no longer in my hands. You should set off now. When you arrive in Dongjing, go and speak to the Emperor in person, begging him not to take his anger out on others!"

"Alright, alright, I'll set off for the capital right now!" Li Qianshun nodded repeatedly, his worry was genuine; he truly was a man who loved the people.

A grand ceremony, in its entirety, came to nothing...

Those who should be scattered, scattered; those who should be killed, killed; and there's even a coffin to hold the people.

Who could have foreseen this? It all started because a small piece of iron, no bigger than an index finger, was hidden among the prisoners. Perhaps it fell from a horse's hoof, or perhaps it was a chipped blade from a knife they found somewhere. Who could have imagined it would cause such serious consequences...

Work, work, more work, still busy. The looting is almost done, and we're ready to set off, but there's still one more thing to do: head to the various Dangxiang tribes in Henan and at the foot of Yinshan Mountain, carrying official documents from the former Western Xia ruler, to requisition horses.

In fact, the Western Xia people had already conscripted troops once before the war. If they conscripted again, they could even conscript some camels, but the camels would have to be conscripted from the west, so there wouldn't be many.

Before him, Su Wu had won several great victories. With the spoils of the battlefield and some conscription, he had acquired more than 86,000 horses of various sizes. Adding the horses that Su Wu already owned, he now had more than 120,000.

They practically plundered the Western Xia, taking away all of its national strength, including some small horses.

Now that we have acquired the lands of Henan and Yinshan, as well as a considerable amount of land in southern Inner Mongolia, we have places to graze our horses and can raise them successfully.

But Su Wu was in a hurry. He still needed to search for fodder everywhere. With such a large scale, how much food would they need to eat in a day?

Su Wu frowned as soon as he thought about it.

Before setting off for Datong, we need to make some preparations. Three days is not enough time, but we can set off first, with the infantry going first and the cavalry scattered in various places. We also need to go to the various Dangxiang tribes to ask for fodder. There is a lot of fodder in Baojing City, but it is far from enough.

We should select more riders; whether they can serve as cavalrymen is another matter, but let's get them on the horse first.

Let's gather at least another 30,000 cavalry. That way, Su Wu will appear to have 45,000 cavalry, though that's a lot of exaggeration, but at least he'll have the appearance. Prioritize... Liu Zhengyan's unit and Yao Pingzhong's unit, just let all their troops ride. Then Liu Guangshi's unit... and then everyone else gets a share. That's how we'll divide it for now.

Off we go, to Datong!
This time, the advance could be separated from the rear. Su Wu led over ten thousand cavalry ahead at high speed, while the infantry followed slowly behind. The provisions and supplies stretched along the roads for an unknown distance, in an endless stream...

Below Daming Prefecture, the Jurchen army had already arrived, numbering sixty to seventy thousand men, with countless armored soldiers. Tan Zhen displayed them all on the city walls, showing them to the Jurchens, as if to tell them, "That's enough, go back..."

After walking around the city from below, Wanyan Zongwang frowned. The walls of Daming Prefecture were indeed high, and there was a moat outside the city...

He hesitated, wondering if he should just give up...

The others then discussed it and said they should just let it go, since they had already made a lot of money.

Some people say that we should fight again. Such a big city must be full of gold and silver, and it would be easy to kidnap people. We can kidnap as many as we want in one go!

But Wanyan Zongbi asked with concern, "I wonder how the war is going on the Dangxiang side?"

It's too far away; news from there comes slowly. Wanyan Zongbi is worried that Su Wu has already returned south...

Wanyan Zonghan immediately said, "Don't worry, this place is really flat, a vast plain. Even if they come back, we can leave easily. On such a flat place, how many men does Su Wu have? Can they fight us?"

That's true. Even if Su Wu returned, what could he do against such Jurchens?
Even if they risk their lives, the outcome won't be good. If they don't fight, won't this land of Hebei soon be left only to watch them perish?

Wanyan Zongwang was conflicted: "This city is probably going to be difficult to capture..."

Then Yelü Yudu said, "Your Highness, why not do as before and try fighting first? If it's not easy, we'll see. But what if it's easy? These are all Song troops from the capital region, troops that haven't fought in a century. Perhaps they'll collapse at the first touch, just like before!"

Wanyan Zongwang nodded: "That makes sense. We should give it a try and prepare early. There are more and more craftsmen in the army and all kinds of equipment are being made faster. We don't need those large machines. We should make more simple ones and try them out first. If it's not easy to fight here, then we'll fight somewhere else. We shouldn't waste too much time here."

“Good! I heard that Jingdong is also wealthy, and it’s Su Wu’s territory. Su Wu is a formidable enemy, and it’s not easy to fight here. Let’s go and attack Jingdong. That way, Su Wu will have less power in the future.” Wanyan Zonghan nodded. This would be the best way.

Wanyan Zongwang nodded in agreement: "Why don't we try both sides? Zonghan, take a detachment and head east to Jingdong to see if there's any opportunity to take advantage of it."

“Brother, you are wise. I will lead 10,000 infantry and 15,000 cavalry to that place…” Wanyan Zonghan looked at Yelü Yudu.

Yelü Yudu immediately replied, "Going east, you'll reach Dongping Prefecture, which is very close, about two hundred li away."

"Let's go, let's get right to it, don't delay. If it's not easy to fight, I'll come back quickly and we'll fight Daming Prefecture again!" Wanyan Zonghan nodded, rubbing his hands together, and hurried off.

If both Daming Prefecture and Dongping Prefecture are difficult to conquer, then it's fine, that's enough.

If all the opponents are easy to beat, that would be a pleasant surprise.

Clearly, the Jurchens had no plan; they were just taking things one step at a time, doing as much as they could if they could, and giving up if they couldn't.

Tan Zhen, standing atop the city wall, saw the Jurchens suddenly split their forces and retreat. He was overjoyed, a strange smile creeping across his face.

Li Gang, who was still being noisy, suddenly became very anxious: "This is bad! This is bad! They're heading east! They're going to attack Dongping Prefecture!"

Tan Zhen retorted, "What's wrong with that? Would it be better if all the enemies came to attack Daming Prefecture?"

"Daming Prefecture has a large army and many generals, with 200,000 troops under the command of Chancellor Tan. Dongping Prefecture has fewer troops, and the elite troops of Dongping Prefecture have all gone on the expedition to Dangxiang with Scholar Su. How can this be a good thing?"

Li Gang was furious again, but he understood Tan Zhen's thoughts: as long as the enemy didn't attack him, he was fine with attacking anyone else.

How could Li Gang not be furious at Tan Zhen's intentions? Were the people of Dongping Prefecture not human?
Then he said, "Lord Tan is the commander-in-chief at the front, with 200,000 troops under his command. The enemy has already gone to attack Dongping Prefecture. How can we not quickly send a fast horse to inform them? It would be good if the people of Dongping Prefecture could be prepared. If reinforcements could be sent, that would be even better!"

Tan Zhen looked at this scoundrel beside him, his head throbbing. He kept babbling on and on, and Tan Zhen really wanted to smash him to pieces.

"Why don't you be the head coach?" Tan Zhen teased.

“Why not? It’s just that His Majesty favors you! Although I know nothing about military affairs, I am willing to die a hundred times, unlike you, whose hearts are full of petty scheming!” Li Gang, a former censor, was truly upright!

"Hmph!" Tan Zhen turned away angrily. It was strange, though. He had thought that Li Gang was just a bookworm who had gone mad from all the boasting. He thought that if he really saw the Jurchens sweeping in with hundreds of thousands of troops, he would be terrified.

Now, the Jurchens have truly swept in in hundreds of thousands. Outside the city, there are endless military tents, and the ground is covered with the hoofprints of hundreds of thousands of horses. Li Gang seems to be completely unafraid. Whenever he has a spare moment, he comes up to the city wall to take a look. I wonder what he will see...

Tan Zhen had just descended from the city walls when someone delivered something to him. He immediately turned back up, his face beaming with joy, and walked up to Li Gang, who was observing the Jurchen army camp. He said in one breath, "Li Gang..."

"What is it?" Li Gang asked Tan Zhen in a truly unfriendly tone.

"Take a look at this..." Tan Zhen handed over what was in his hand; it was an official document.

Li Gang was still observing the enemy, without turning his head. He simply reached out to take it, held it up to his face, and upon looking at it, sighed...

The content was simple: an official document from the Ministry of Personnel, ordering Li Gang to step down as prefect of Daming Prefecture, come to the capital to report on his duties, and await his new appointment.

Li Gang sighed, "They came really fast!"

"You got off easy. This is the time when we need men and lives, and you ran away first! I wonder how many people you begged to get this timely document for desertion." Tan Zhen, a eunuch, was certainly not without the sharp tongue.

Li Gang turned his head, looked at Tan Zhen, and decided he couldn't argue with him anymore; whatever Tan Zhen said would be the truth...

In the future, everyone in the world will spread the word that Li Gang, facing a formidable enemy, went to great lengths to obtain a document authorizing him to desert in the face of battle.

It was Tan Zhen who knew what these upright people cared about most: their reputation. Once this reputation got out, Li Gang would probably be finished...

Li Gang felt utterly devastated!

What's wrong with the Song Dynasty? What's going on in the imperial court?
"Lord Li, just a moment ago you were shouting from this city tower, saying you would live and die with the city. How come you've suddenly left? I wonder what those young men who heard your shouts think of you... Since that's the case, you should run for your life..." The sarcasm on Tan Zhen's face was obvious.

"Alas..." Li Gang sighed repeatedly, having nothing more to say, except for one sentence: "I beg Prime Minister Tan to grant me a few good horses from the army!"

"Yes, it's alright. You're fine. Ordinary horses are slow to escape, but the best horses in the army are fast!" Tan Zhen nodded.

To be honest, when Li Gang looked at Tan Zhen again, he had a new feeling: she really seemed like an ignorant countrywoman!
Even a castrated woman resembles that kind of woman!

"Farewell!" Li Gang cupped his hands and quickly descended the city wall.

At this time, the city was not yet surrounded by moats and traps. The Jurchens could not surround such a large city, nor did they want to. They were simply waiting for the people inside to escape, as long as the city gates could be opened. They also did not have time to slowly dig moats to surround the city.

So Li Gang thought he should leave the city, get a few fast horses, and head east as soon as possible. The Jurchen army had just left, and he was leaving again, but not along the same route. He was only thinking about going to Dongping Prefecture to inform them that the Jurchen army was coming to attack and that they should make preparations as soon as possible so as not to be caught off guard.

How can those parasitic and corrupt officials be considered my companions?
People in the world may not believe him in the future, but Li Gang firmly believes that there is one person who will believe him and not the likes of Tan Zhen. That person is Su Wu, Su Ziqing, a direct scholar of the Privy Council of the Eastern Capital!

Su Wu and Su Ziqing were truly pillars of the nation, pillars of the state, and the hope of the Song Dynasty!

Perhaps only if Su Wu were to be appointed prime minister one day, would the Song Dynasty have a bright and just future!
Only if Su Wu believed him could the people of the world, the court officials, and the literati believe that he was not the kind of person who would desert in the face of battle!
You absolutely must not return to the capital. If you do, it will confirm these things.

At this moment, going to JD.com was Li Gang's only thought, and he rushed there as fast as he could!

Li Gang was galloping on horseback, and before he arrived, and before Wanyan Zonghan's Jurchen army had arrived either, military intelligence arrived in Dongping Prefecture.

Inside the government office, Cheng Wanli was already asking, "Elder Zong, what should we do now?"

Zong Ze frowned and replied, "If that's the case, then we have no choice but to fight to the death. Rest assured, my lord, I will go to Yanggu County myself. When the Jurchens come, they will naturally attack Yanggu first. Yang Zhi, the general guarding Yanggu, is from a military family and is extremely skilled in battle. After I arrive, the people's hearts will surely be at ease, and they will live and die with the city!"

Cheng Wanli nodded. Yanggu is the shield of Dongping Prefecture. As long as Yanggu is not lost, Dongping Prefecture will be as stable as Mount Tai.

Suddenly, Cheng Wanli asked again, "Then... then what will happen to the prefectural city if you leave? What if the Jurchens bypass Yanggu and attack the prefectural city..."

Zong Ze waved his hand and said, "It's alright, General Huyan, the garrison commander of the prefecture, will fight to the death!"

Huyan Zhuo was right there. He stood up and bowed, saying, "Rest assured, my lord, I will risk my life a hundred times!"

Cheng Wanli looked at Huyan Zhuo and felt a little more at ease. He knew that Huyan Zhuo was the descendant of a founding general, highly skilled in martial arts, and highly regarded by his son-in-law.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have entrusted the city's defense to him before leaving.

"Then...then Elder Zong must be careful!" Cheng Wanli was always like this, and now, compared to the past, he was actually more composed. Although he was flustered, he was not confused.

Even if one prefect guards the gate and another governor guards the city, the morale of the people and the army will be very high.

Zong Ze nodded, feeling a pang of sorrow in his heart. He looked around, bowed, and turned to leave. As he left, he couldn't help but think of those things, wanting to live and die with the city.

Throughout his life, he was extremely fond of military affairs and would study them in his spare time, but he never actually used them.

The first time I actually used it in battle was against such a formidable enemy: an army that had swept through the Liao Dynasty with a million armored soldiers over several years, and an army that had decisively defeated the Yan-Yun region and the 200,000-strong Hebei army in just a few days, and then stormed into and besieged the Daming Prefecture.

Such a formidable enemy is nowhere to be found, even after searching through countless historical records.

How could Zong Ze not be prepared to die on his journey?
But considering the people of JD.com, how can we compromise?

The fast horse is here, let's go!
The small town of Yanggu has suffered from war for the second time. First, it was attacked by bandits, and this time it is attacked by the Jurchens.

Zong Ze arrived quickly. The city had already begun organizing able-bodied men and preparing various logs and stones. The eight thousand garrison troops were already on high alert, and the ten to twenty thousand able-bodied men were organized into units.

Even the women and children in the city were busy running around, and the organization was truly excellent.

They were so united that even the eight- or nine-year-old children playing outside the county government office said, "If it weren't for the fact that Master Su wasn't home, no one would dare to come and beat us. They only came to ambush us because Master Su wasn't home. They're not heroes!"

A child nearby chimed in, "Even though Master Su isn't home, let's kill them all! We people from Jingdong are experts in warfare, we're not easy to bully!"

Zong Ze, who was tying up the horse nearby, laughed upon hearing this and bent down to say to the child, "Yes, that's right. Even without Master Su at home, we can still beat them!"

"You old man, you actually know how powerful our Master Su is?" This child is somewhat ill-mannered and will probably be a street urchin someday. He's also quite bold; although many of the armored soldiers behind Zong Ze are tied to their horses, he's truly unafraid.

Perhaps he was just a child from some military family, and was used to armor.

Zong Ze wasn't angry at all; he smiled and said, "I know, I know!"

The people who came with Zong Ze were somewhat displeased. They tried to come forward before their horses were even properly tied, but Zong Ze waved his hand slightly and stopped them.

"Then tell me, isn't Master Su the most powerful man in the world?" the child asked with a determined look.

Zong Ze smiled and nodded: "That's right, among all the heroes in the world, none can surpass him!"

"What kind of gas?" the child didn't understand.

"Unrivaled under heaven, invincible under heaven!" Zong Ze said, stood up, and without saying more, looked up at the county government office and strode inside.

Behind them, the child's voice could still be heard: "This old man does have some knowledge! He even knows that our Master Su is the most powerful man in the world!"

A child then answered, "Everyone in the world knows this...who doesn't?"

The children laughed at this remark, clearly feeling proud! It was obvious that their elders had said similar things to them countless times before…

Before long, Zong Ze's voice could be heard from inside the county office: "Commander Yang, find me a set of armor. I've never worn armor in my life. This time, I will stand bravely on the city wall and live and die with my soldiers!"

“This is... probably not appropriate!” Yang Zhi waved his hands repeatedly.

There were quite a few people around, including Chen Da, Xie Zhen, and Xie Bao, and even Wu Da was there and was about to come forward to stop them.

But Zong Ze's face hardened, and he said solemnly, "This is a military order! There are many soldiers in the army who have never been in battle. Although they have been trained well, they are still afraid. I am the Prefect, and I will live and die with you on the city wall. This will surely put people's hearts at ease!"

“Alright…” Yang Zhi nodded and went to look Zong Ze over first, then personally went to find a suit of iron armor for Zong Ze!

(Hey guys, I'm here! Mwah!)
(End of this chapter)