Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 302 Kill, kill, kill more, Grandpa!

Inside the city of Tokyo, Li Gang was already seated in front of Tong Guan. No matter what, Li Gang was bound to meet Tong Guan by bringing up Su Wu, although it took a little trouble.

In a hurry, Li Gang immediately said as soon as he arrived, "Prime Minister, I have come from Daming Prefecture. I am afraid that Daming Prefecture cannot be defended. The capital must make more preparations for war in advance!"

Tong Guan raised an eyebrow: "Why do you say that? I know that the army in the capital region is mostly useless, but this is for defending a city. It has high walls, a commanding position, and plenty of armor and weapons. Tan Zhen has also led the troops several times, with 200,000 soldiers defending several major cities. It has only been a few days. I'm afraid the fighting hasn't even started yet. Why are you saying this?"

Li Gang quickly replied, "The Grand Chancellor has always been knowledgeable about military affairs. The morale of the army is no different from that of others. If there is a deficiency, a million-strong army is nothing more than a rabble!"

Tong Guan fell silent for a moment. How could he not be worried? If he wasn't worried, why would he bother with the Jiesheng Army?
Tong Guan then said, "Hold out for a month or more... or maybe twenty days? If we can hold out for twenty days, the northwestern armies will probably return, at least the vanguard cavalry will have returned. Besides, there's the Yellow River, a natural barrier. If the Jurchens really want to cross the river, it will take them quite a while. At worst, if we hold out for ten days or so, Tokyo will be safe..."

After speaking, Tong Guan went to look at Li Gang.

Li Gang immediately added, "Perhaps, three to five days!"

"What?" Tong Guan thought he had misheard.

"If even the Prime Minister of Jingdong has such concerns, I fear they will crumble at the first touch!" Li Gang said, then thought for a moment and added, "Just like the 200,000 Hebei troops before us, they collapsed at the first touch. I've seen them all over the city walls, and every single soldier is trembling with fear. Where is their morale and fighting spirit? I was still thinking..."

Li Gang shook his head and stopped talking. What was he still thinking about? Nothing more than to boost morale and raise the soldiers' courage. He never expected that he would become the first to run away. Even the prefect had run away. What would become of the soldiers?

"How can a fortified city with high walls collapse at the slightest touch?" Tong Guan had never seen anything like this in his life. He could imagine a field battle collapsing at the slightest touch, but where could a city be so easily breached?

With all four gates tightly shut, one force on the city walls, another below, and others supervising and preparing for battle, how could the city collapse? Where would it collapse to? It couldn't possibly collapse from the top of the city walls to below, could it?

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. A city is, in fact, a prison. In open field battles, one can think that as long as one runs fast enough, faster than friendly forces, and with a bit of luck, one might be able to escape. But in a city defense battle, there is no such thought.

Tong Guan had fought in his entire life and had never seen a city defense battle collapse at the first contact. There were battles that ended in defeat, but none that collapsed at the first contact...

Li Gang then quipped, "The Jurchens never besieged a city..."

Tong Guan waved his hand: "The city was not besieged. With only a few small gates and hundreds of thousands of people, even if the city gates were open, how many people could squeeze through the gate openings? The Jurchen cavalry is numerous. Even if some people manage to squeeze through, how could they really escape?"

Li Gang was extremely anxious, thinking that Tong Guan did not believe him. He stood up and paced anxiously: "Prime Minister, Tan Zhen is not a capable commander! Even if you don't believe me, it's better to be prepared. All usable weapons in the armory should be taken out and distributed. All able-bodied men in the capital should be gathered together so they can be mobilized at any time. The troops stationed outside the city should also leave their camps and enter the city. And... Your Majesty must be aware of the dangers involved and be prepared..."

Tong Guan sighed deeply: "Alas... If we do as you say, even without the Jurchens, the entire city of Bianjing will be thrown into panic, thinking that the Jurchens have truly attacked. What will those wealthy and powerful families, each possessing millions in assets, do at this time? Won't they rush to pack up their valuables and scramble to leave the city? A city of millions! And you said that all the able-bodied men in the city should be gathered together. Once this order is issued, the city gates will be so crowded that they won't be able to close... Your Majesty... Your Majesty will probably be furious!"

Tong Guan knew the vast majority of people in this city all too well.

“If Daming Prefecture were to fall in just three to five days, wouldn’t things be even more chaotic then? In such chaos, wouldn’t it be too late to make preparations?” Li Gang was actually right.

Tong Guan shook his head and said, "I understand what you're thinking, but this can't be done!"

"Prime Minister, why?" Li Gang asked.

"How can this be done? Should we speak to the Emperor and he not be furious, or should we speak to the Grand Tutor and he truly listen to you? If they ask you a question and I say that you brought the news, you will be imprisoned, which would be considered a crime of spreading rumors. At this moment, I'm afraid Tan Zhen's letter has already reached the capital. Amidst the rumors and before the Emperor, if you can return to the capital now, others will think that it was the Grand Tutor who did it. Wouldn't it be as if I helped you escape in the face of danger?"

Tong Guan shook his head repeatedly and continued, "We'll just have to deal with whatever comes our way. Even if Daming Prefecture falls, there's still the Yellow River. Once the Yellow River is crossed, Bianjing is a large city with several layers of inner and outer walls. The moat itself is a waterway, and it's quite wide. There are also seventy or eighty thousand troops in the capital region, as well as various government offices, the Imperial City Guard, the Palace Guard, and many other personnel. I've also transferred elite troops from nearby prefectures in the northwest to provide reinforcements. Those who arrive quickly can enter the city in a few days. Even if Daming Prefecture is truly breached, the Yellow River is crossed, and Bianjing is besieged, it will take at least until Su Wu and the others return..."

Tong Guan actually had no choice...

The so-called nearby prefectures in the Northwest are actually quite close. For example, the nearest prefecture, Shanzhou, is only about 600 li (approximately 300 kilometers) from Dongjing (Kaifeng). More distant prefectures like Huazhou, Hezhong Prefecture, and Shangzhou are only a hundred or two li (approximately 50-600 kilometers) further…

Tong Guan's thinking made sense. No matter what, even if Daming Prefecture fell, the Jurchens couldn't fly across the Yellow River. They would need to prepare ships and such. The nearby reinforcements would arrive quickly, and the distant ones wouldn't be much slower. For the time being, Bianjing City was still safe...

Li Gang nodded, having actually taken Tong Guan's words to heart...

Tong Guan then said, "You mustn't go out and spread rumors, or you'll really be thrown into prison!"

Li Gang naturally backed down and even reflected on whether he had been too concerned. Concern can lead to confusion, and logically speaking, things hadn't reached the point where he was so emotional.

I couldn't help but say, "It is my overthinking..."

"Alright, go ahead. It's best not to go out for the time being. I imagine it won't be long before the news of your desertion spreads throughout the capital..."

Tong Guan meant for Li Gang to hide, even if he thought it was obvious that Li Gang's presence here at this moment must be the work of the prime minister.

May……

Looking at Li Gang again, Xu Tanzhen is not as simple as Li Gang thinks. Xu Tanzhen's decision to drive Li Gang away was not entirely driven by emotion...

Instead, they'll find a scapegoat. If they lose the battle and the city falls, and the prefect of Daming Prefecture, Li Gang, deserts his post, who else will take the blame?

Did Tan Zhen really mean it? He was worried that Li Gang might be too slow, so he even provided him with a few strong horses from the army.

Judging from Li Gang's expression at this moment, he clearly hadn't yet considered these intricacies...

Ugh……

"Go, go..." Tong Guan waved his hand, and Li Gang bowed and left.

As soon as Li Gang left, Tong Guan immediately wrote a letter urging the mobilization of elite young men from nearby prefectures in the Northwest. He stressed that the mobilization should be expedited, not only for those far away but also for those nearby. He demanded that if ten thousand men were not enough, twenty thousand should be mobilized, and the more the better.

Li Gang's words were not entirely without reason. It is always good to plan ahead. Tong Guan may not have the ability to manage the affairs of the entire Bianjing city, but he should at least manage the affairs of his own Privy Council.

The only question is, at this very moment, what is the situation in Daming Prefecture, where fighting has already broken out?
Yelü Yu saw his soldiers scaling the city walls, their ranks densely packed with them.

Tens of thousands of cavalrymen from all over the city were shooting arrows at the city like rain.

Once the equipment was in place, countless armored soldiers jumped from the ladder trucks onto the city wall.

In no time, chaos erupted on the city walls; how could the panicked soldiers be any different?
They were originally from the lowest rungs of society in the capital, working odd jobs from one household to another, watering flowers for another. Perhaps they had elderly parents to support, or perhaps they had wives and children to care for. Their lives were already filled with unbearable hardship...

If we teach him to risk his life now, and he sells his life, who will support his wife, children, and elderly parents in the future?

Relying on the meager subsidies from the imperial court? Not to mention living inside the city walls of Tokyo, even outside the city walls, how long could one survive?

Besides, to risk one's life, one must have the skills to do so. How could someone with muddy hands be so unfamiliar with wielding knives and guns?

How could he not panic?
Where do the extravagant lifestyles of the high-ranking officials and nobles in Tokyo come from? Aren't they also due to their labor?

More than 200,000 soldiers and men in the capital region carried grain from outside the city into the city and hauled sewage out of the city. They also repaired houses and made supplies.

If they could truly ensure their families' livelihood by risking their lives, then so be it; perhaps quite a few would actually sell themselves...

At this moment, how could they possibly sell their goods? With the Jin army charging at them with their swords, how could they not instinctively try to dodge?
That general was indeed brave and fierce; he actually went forward to meet them, showing remarkable courage, which was truly rare…

But under swords and spears, they were reduced to minced meat in moments. I asked the general, "Your patriotism is genuine, but have you killed anyone in the past?" He replied, "I don't think I have."

They even asked him if he had ever tasted the blood of soldiers. No? Were any of his soldiers introduced to work for wealthy families by him? Did he receive any referral fees? Did he even take a cut from the commissions? Surely he wouldn't complain about the amount?
They also said, "What's the big deal? Isn't this just trying to find another way for the soldiers to make a living?"
Yes, it wasn't the general's fault. He hadn't done anything particularly evil, so the blame for the defeat really couldn't fall on him.

But he bravely pressed forward, determined to return home to his country, only to be struck by swords and die a gruesome death.

Once a portion of the Jin army gains a foothold on the city walls, the city will inevitably fall!

Do you still want to kick him out?
Among the army in the capital region, it is not difficult to find one or two brave warriors, but it is extremely difficult to find one who will fight one after another. In that case, wouldn't even the brave warriors be hesitant and worried?
How can we catch up?
Only Tan Zhen, atop the city wall, kept shouting: "Quickly, quickly, order Li Pingfang's troops to advance and kill them, drive the Jurchens down!"

He ordered his soldiers to rush off, but even if they found the person, or even if the order was effective, they wouldn't be able to return to report.

Tan Zhen also gave orders: "Give the order to send the second detachment to the city walls to help defend them!"

Tan Zhen seems to be...not bad either, handling both the initial and subsequent battles, overseeing preparations, and so on...

But right now, the number of Jin soldiers standing guard on the city walls is increasing...

Looking around, both front and back, left and right, the defenders on the city walls were being driven back, while the defenders below were struggling to advance, looking around in fear, their faces ashen, trembling with fear...

The supervising team drove them away at will, but just looking at the densely packed soldiers in front of them made their scalps tingle. Although the city wall was wide, it was also incredibly cramped.

Tan Zhen panicked. Why weren't the gods protecting him?

Fortunately, even if we lose, we have arranged for someone to take the blame in advance. Perhaps we can't fool many people, but as long as we can appease the furious emperor in front of him, in the palace, and among a few people, it will be fine.

When the emperor is furious, he is also the easiest to appease.

Li Gang is causing chaos and demoralization within the army!
As for the nation, how could the mighty Song Dynasty be swayed by such a trivial matter? With the Song Dynasty's powerful army once again, how could the Jurchens, who were deep in enemy territory, not turn tail and run?
At that time, the world will still be the same world, the Song Dynasty will still be the same Song Dynasty, and the emperor will still be the same emperor...

With Tong Guan gone, the eunuch who knows military affairs is still Tan Zhen, and the Privy Council is still headed by Tan Zhen...

Lost in thought, Tan Zhen was already descending the city tower steps.

He kept shouting, "Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Second wave, get up to the city walls! Do you want me to give the order?"

Tan Zhen's words were true; he really did go down to the city to urge the soldiers. Once he found the soldiers, how could he not berate them?
Urging and shouting, Tan Zhen was still doing his best, and even thought that Xu could still hold out. He had only gone down from the city wall to supervise the battle.

After all, there were countless armored vehicles in front of them, and the sight of these armored vehicles was truly magnificent.

Countless armored soldiers crowded around the city walls, looking both in front and behind...

Suddenly, from the top of the city wall, a Jurchen soldier shot an arrow down at the people below. The arrow struck one of them, and the man immediately cried out, "Help me! Help me! Help me quickly!"

The soldiers on both sides immediately started to riot...

If Su Wu were here, he would surely sigh and rub his forehead. Even with immense skill, he would be helpless in the face of this situation…

What good would it do to teach Tan Zhen?
Is it earnest persuasion or murder to establish authority? How many people can hear earnest persuasion, and how many people around can see murder to establish authority?

Tan Zhen stepped back a little, which opened up a much wider view of the city walls, where the Jin army was growing in number...

"My lord, what... what should we do?" Tan Zhen's personal guard asked, he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Tan Zhen leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Go quickly and prepare the horses; they're in the backyard of the government office!" "Huh?"

"Go quickly!" Tan Zhen waved his hand.

The guard nodded, his brow furrowed, and turned to leave, turning back every few steps. The further he went, the more he could see the Jin army on the city wall, killing indiscriminately and advancing at an unstoppable pace. He stopped looking back and continued running.

If the city is about to fall, ride away quickly, just like last time in Xiongzhou!

As Tan Zhen mounted his horse, he said, "If it weren't for the shortage of horses in the army and the need to report military intelligence to Tokyo, how could I face Your Majesty if I died in this city? Our deaths are not a pity!"

Even as tears streamed down her face, she urged, "Hurry up, hurry up!"
Within the city walls, most people stayed at home to avoid the danger. A few daring individuals did come closer to investigate, but realizing the danger, they quickly turned back and ran home.

A few days ago, when tens of thousands of armored soldiers arrived, he went out into the street to greet them, all smiles, and even had a big feast, saying that with such a large army and such high city walls, Daming Prefecture had nothing to worry about...

Even when drunk, he boasted that he would definitely come to watch the battle in person, and others laughed at him for not having the guts. But he actually came to watch the battle in person...

did not expect……

There are indeed some people, especially those chivalrous heroes of the martial arts world, who have heard so many stories in their daily lives that they genuinely treat fighting as an amusing affair...

After all, the stories are full of wonderful and interesting things, and I've never seen anything like it before.

The city fell. Before the Jurchens could even fully open the north gate, the south gate was already open, and a troop of fast horses galloped away...

The next day, in the east, in Yanggu County, Dongping Prefecture.

War was about to break out. Wanyan Zonghan, mounted on his horse, placed the central army on a slightly raised mound and looked around.

He muttered to himself, "Let's give it a try..."

It was late last night that he received a fast horse from Daming Prefecture. Daming Prefecture had already fallen. He said that if he could break through, he would; if not, he would return.

Wanyan Zonghan understood this, but he still hoped to break the deadlock. Inevitably, there was a hierarchy among the brothers. Since his elder brother Zongwang had gained a higher position, Zonghan also wanted to earn more merit.

Zong Ze, already clad in armor, stood atop the city wall. He wasn't hiding inside the tower; his white hair and beard were visible at the crenellations, and he was already shouting, "Quickly add more fire! Boil the oil!"

"First the rolling stones, then the pounding logs!"

"Arrows, arrows, watch them carefully, don't fire them randomly."

There were also generals and officers, captains and commanders, all veterans, with firm gazes, calling out to those around them.

"Don't panic, don't panic. I've fought countless battles. Look at me, I'll do whatever I say!"

"With this armor on, the armor from Jingdong is top-notch, made with the best materials. You won't die, don't be afraid. You won't die from an arrow or a knife! I guarantee you'll be back in action after a battle!"

"There are only a little over 20,000 people outside the city. Look around, it seems like there are people all over the mountains and fields, but there are only a little over 20,000 people. The attacking force is only a little over 10,000 people. A little over 10,000 people think they can break through our city? That's just wishful thinking!"

"Brothers, we used to fight alongside our lord in the past. In those sieges, tens of thousands of people climbed the walls one after another. How did we become captains? It was because we climbed the walls! Today, it's our turn to stand on the city wall. Hehe! How interesting!"

After the captain's few words and laughter, the soldiers beside him seemed to inexplicably feel less tense.

The drums were already beating outside the city, but the constable was still speaking casually: "They're here. No rush, no rush. They can hide behind the crenellations and we'll just check on them every now and then. It's still early..."

The constable kept talking: "Look, those ballistae over there will fire first, then the team behind us will fire their crossbows. Just wait for them to fire back and forth, there's no rush. When will we get impatient?"

Everyone actually turned to look at the head constable.

The head constable looked around and asked himself, “When you hear voices coming from below the city, right where we are, get anxious. Just keep using the logs and stones. The ladder has hooks, we’ve practiced that. First, cut off the top of the ladder, remove the hooks, and then use the long wooden fork to push it. Several people should work together. We’ve all assigned tasks. You guys are the ones pushing the ladder, right?”

Several soldiers nearby nodded.

"Don't pour the kerosene over there on people. No rush. Just watch for the siege ladder trucks to come. Pour the kerosene on those trucks, then take some firewood from under the stove to light them. If the siege ladder trucks are all on fire, then you can pour the remaining kerosene on people. Whose job is this?"

The head constable actually knew, but he still turned around and asked again.

Several soldiers raised their hands: "Captain, it's me! It's me!"

"Good, good, good!" The captain nodded with satisfaction.

Then they heard the crossbow hum. The crossbowmen were all veterans. While they were busy with the winch, they also looked up to see what was going on.

A moment later, cheers rang out: "Good! Good!"

The area outside the city was packed with people; it would be difficult to miss out.

The captain laughed, "How about that? Killing the enemy is that simple!"

Then, a line of crossbowmen went up and started firing, the sound ringing out incessantly. Those crossbowmen were incredibly strong; they would fire an arrow, stomp their feet, pull back their hands, nock a second arrow, and raise their hands to fire again...

The arrows were so hard to see whether they hit or not; it was all about the angle and the control of the distance between the enemy and ourselves. The arrows just kept raining down.

The captain peeked out from the crenellations and exclaimed, "Well shot! Well shot! Countless arrows have fallen! You can all take a look, it's quite amusing!"

The young man couldn't resist peeking out to take a look, and sure enough, countless enemy soldiers rushing in from outside the city had fallen!
Even with armor on, it can still penetrate the armor and reach the chest!
A wail arose, and for a moment, the wail seemed quite melodious.

Moments later, a hail of arrows rained down from outside the city!

The captain was still laughing and shouting, "Avoid the arrows! Avoid the arrows!"

The young man came to praise him: "Captain, how are you so amazing?"

The captain continued laughing heartily, "What's so special about this? What's so special about this? Huh? You probably haven't seen our master charging into battle on horseback. Oh dear, you're not so lucky! That guy, 100,000 or 200,000 enemy troops are nothing to our master. If he wants to go left, he goes left; if he wants to go right, he goes right; if he wants to kill a hundred, he doesn't kill ninety-nine. He charges straight ahead, slaying generals and capturing flags with ease... Oh my! Tsk tsk tsk..."

The captain's face was filled with longing. Why? Because he had served in the infantry and had only managed to become an infantry captain, not a cavalry captain!

Isn't this just a way to lead a bunch of young guys to brag?

A group of young boys looked on with longing, as if they were truly imagining it...

"What a pity, what a pity that none of you have met him. Your team leader, Niu Laosan, met him with me!" the head constable added.

Not far away, Niu Laosan also chimed in: "Speaking of our husband's heroic figure, once you see it, you'll never forget it. When those armored cavalry charge, the heavens and earth tremble!"

"That's it!" The constable kept talking, then suddenly his expression turned serious, and he shouted to those around him, "Brothers, it's urgent, it's urgent! Get ready to get up, get ready to get up, they're coming!"

Everyone looked at the captain. After a short while, the captain was the first to jump up, pick up a stone next to him, lean out of the crenellation, and slam the stone down. He shouted, "Don't let them erect the ladder so easily!"

Many young men, clad in armor, sprang to their feet, shouting incessantly!

"beat!"

"Kill!"

"Kill them all! Kill them all!"

They shouted through gritted teeth, their faces contorted in a ferocious grimace!
Finding a moment of respite, the constable glanced around, a hint of satisfaction on his face, and shouted, "The ladder truck is here! Prepare the kerosene! Pour it over the entrance! You've all rehearsed this before, don't mess it up!"

"Don't worry, Captain!" The young man's eyes were already firm, eager to try!

At the top of the city wall, Zong Ze stood motionless at the crenellations, holding a long sword, flanked by shields on either side, only shouting, "Kill the enemy! Kill the enemy!"

This was also Zong Ze's first real battle in his life. Xu Ye was trying to suppress his panic, but he wasn't panicked at all; on the contrary, he was extremely excited...

Unknowable! Simply because he had no expression on his face!
The old Liao army came to climb, and the Jurchen cavalry were shooting.

On the city wall, casualties also broke out immediately.

The captain shouted, "Carry the wounded away! They won't die! The enemy's arrows are useless; the real test will be in a face-to-face battle!"

There were also able-bodied men from the city who served as auxiliary soldiers to carry the wounded and save the dying.

Inside the city, a group of children gathered again in front of the county government office.

They heard fighting and shouts of battle coming from the city walls. Children held wooden sticks as if they were sharp blades, waving them back and forth, shouting, "Kill! Kill the enemy!"

"Kill the enemy! Kill the enemy! Earn merit and be rewarded! Your husband will reward you with money!"

"Kill more, kill more!"

A yamen runner came out of the county office: "What time is it? Still fooling around outside? Go home, all of you go home!"

"We will kill the enemy!"

"What enemies are you supposed to kill? Go home, all of you go home!" The constables then came to drive them away, also making fierce faces to scare the children.

The children were terrified, but one of them said, "I'm not going home. Nobody's home. My grandfather went to the front lines, and my mother went to the hospital. I'm here to cheer them on, but even that's not allowed?"

The constable frowned slightly, his expression changed, and he lowered his head, saying, "Fine, keep playing around here. Don't get near the city wall; stray arrows can kill! If you die, your grandfather will have no son!"

"Okay, I understand." Clearly, this was the leader of the children, truly fearless. It was also him who had previously praised old man Zong Ze for his insight.

The constable went back, and the child shouted again, "Kill! Kill! Kill more, sir!"

Outside the city, Wanyan Zonghan was frowning...

The frown wasn't due to the current setbacks in the war, but rather because Jingdong truly possessed a powerful army. Su Wu must have been a truly skilled warrior; Zong Bi's words were indeed true…

(Over ten thousand in total, I'm exhausted, I feel completely drained. Back tonight. Time for bed...)
(End of this chapter)