Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 348 Slaying the Traitors!

Aguda could clearly hear the conversation. He raised his hand and moved it from side to side, as if he had something to say...

Wu Qimai quickly put his ear close to Wanyan Aguda's mouth and heard a soft voice: "Don't leave too many people here. Let them all disperse. You and I, along with a few brothers like Zongwang and Zonghan, that's enough..."

Wu Qimai nodded, stood up, and repeated the story. Then everyone in the room left.

Wu Qimai was also helping Aguda sit up. Aguda, of course, couldn't sit up, but lay on something that looked like a recliner, and could scan everyone with his eyes.

Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to speak...

Aguda coughed lightly twice, trying to raise his voice: "Preparing for war is definitely necessary, and we must defend the places that need to be defended, but many things are not about war. Who should we send? Let Xi Yin go. Send him as an envoy to the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty to submit a memorial of submission..."

The voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard it clearly.

Wanyan Zonghan seemed to think he had misheard and blurted out, "Send a memorial to acknowledge submission?"

Wanyan Aguda stopped speaking and simply nodded slowly and gently...

"This!" Wanyan Zonghan's eyes widened. In the past, the Liao Kingdom had made countless promises to bestow titles upon Aguda, but Aguda remained unmoved and fought to the death.

Why are you suddenly saying things like submitting a memorial to submit your submission at this time?

How could Aguda be such a person?
Wu Qimai was pondering, Wanyan Zongwang was pondering, and Wanyan Xiyin was pondering...

Even Wanyan Zongbi frowned in thought...

What Aguda said was definitely not as simple as it seemed.

But then Aguda raised his hand slightly, as if using all his strength, and said, "When the enemy is strong, we must make them fight amongst themselves. Just like when Yelü Yanxi led an army of 700,000 to attack us, why did he retreat in such a hurry?"

Everyone knew why: at that time, turmoil broke out in the Liao Kingdom. Yelü Zhangnu launched a rebellion, and subsequently, the capital city of Liaoyang also rebelled.

This resulted in Yelü Yanxi being overwhelmed and constantly putting out fires.

At this time, Wanyan Aguda gained a lot of benefits.

After saying these words, Aguda seemed to have exhausted a great deal of strength, his raised hand fell straight down, and his body slumped back in the recliner.

Wu Qimai immediately asked, "Does His Majesty intend to incite internal strife among the Song people first?"

Aguda nodded and glanced at Wanyan Xiyin.

Wanyan Xiyin said, "His Majesty's intention is twofold. First, he wants to stabilize the situation by submitting a memorial of submission and paying tribute, and ideally persuade the Song Emperor to issue an edict to withdraw the troops, thus giving us a chance to breathe. Second, perhaps he's thinking of seeing if he can exacerbate the internal conflicts within the Song people. Currently, the Song's military is entirely in Su Wu's hands, and whether the Emperor can command him is uncertain. Just like last time when we besieged Bianjing, Su Wu dared not come to Bianjing's aid, which shows..."

After saying this, Wanyan Xiyin hurriedly went to see Aguda.

Aguda nodded slightly, seemingly relieved, and gave Wanyan Xiyin an approving look, muttering softly, "Xiyin, go..."

Wanyan Wuqimai heard this and nodded, "Alright, Your Majesty, rest assured, let Xiyin go!"

But Wanyan Zonghan added, "What if the Song emperor doesn't order Su Wu to withdraw his troops?"

Wanyan Xiyin said, "The Song dynasty will certainly not be ruled by the Zhao family from now on!"

What kind of logic is this?

Wanyan Xiyin continued, “The submission of a memorial to acknowledge the emperor’s submission and pay tribute is a display of the power of the Song emperor and a source of pride for the Song emperor. It is our so-called barbarians who admire the king’s rule and the emperor’s benevolence and wish to be bathed in the emperor’s boundless grace. This is just gilding the Song emperor’s face. I ask the emperor, do you want the glory and prestige on your own face, or do you want Su Wu to gain unparalleled military merit again?”

This also gives the Song emperor a pretext to end the war, and an opportunity to dismantle Su Wu's power! In this way, all military affairs will be settled, and the commander-in-chief should go to the capital to be appointed prime minister…”

After Wanyan Xiyin finished speaking, he looked around.

Wanyan Zonghan immediately replied, "Understood. Your Majesty's intention is to give us a breather, so that we can prepare for the next year's battle and then fight again!"

Wanyan Zongwang then said, "His Majesty Xu has other intentions. He may want to directly incite internal strife among the Song people. Let's see what Su Wu does when the Emperor issues an edict. If he does not obey, internal strife will break out among the Song people, and the Emperor will definitely try to suppress Su Wu. If he respects him, then Su Wu, this great threat, will be mostly gone!"

Wanyan Zonghan understood a bit more: "Oh, right, right, then what are we waiting for? Xiyin, let's set off quickly..."

Wanyan Xiyin was also pondering, and slowly said, "We cannot go through Yanyun. If we do, we may be detained. Su Wu must have known this beforehand."

"Where to go then?" Wanyan Zonghan asked.

"Datong... The garrison commander of Datong is named Wang Bing. He is not a direct confidant of Su Wu, but a so-called Liangzhe person. We have never actually fought a war with him. We have also inquired about this person and he is said to be a person of upright character. We, the envoys, should go to Datong and go down the Yellow River from Hedong to Bianjing!"

After thinking it over, Wanyan Xiyin said, "The best course of action is to take a detour to Fuyan Huanqing. I've heard that the old ministers there have been loyal and righteous for generations..."

Wanyan Xiyin understood all too well the ways of the Song Dynasty in the Central Plains.

Everyone was stunned. This matter was best left to Wanyan Xiyin to handle.

Suddenly, Wu Qimai called out, "Your Majesty!"

Everyone quickly turned to look. Wanyan Aguda was lying on his side, eyes closed, his brows still furrowed...

It seems they're still worried, they've been worried all along...

Wanyan Aguda was a hero and a man of great talent. He was brave and resourceful throughout his life, possessed a charming personality, was excellent at dealing with people, and always kept his word.
A hero as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns!

Yet, amidst such constant worries, he passed away. Perhaps only Su Wu knew that Wanyan Aguda's death was somewhat premature.

Logically, Aguda should have been able to hold out until midsummer or even autumn, but at this moment, it was only early summer.

The crowd, after calling out several times, fell silent, tears streaming down their faces. They had long since become indifferent to life and death, but the loss of their loved ones left them with overwhelming grief.

While the heroic view of history is often undesirable, the Jurchen people, at least 80-90%, rose to power solely because of Wanyan Aguda, and all their success revolved around him.

Next, Wanyan Xiyin was sent as an envoy to the Song Dynasty, Aguda was buried, and Wuqimai ascended the throne!

There were no grand ceremonies. Wanyan Xiyin set off immediately, first heading southwest, passing through Datong to assess the situation. If things didn't go well, he would head west from Datong, then south to Fuyan and Huanqing...

When Aguda was buried, his body was taken to Huanglongfu for interment. There was one person, the Liao emperor Yelü Yanxi, who would be the main figure in the funeral. He had to kneel on the ground and crawl around Wanyan Aguda's grave...

Aguda's lifelong ambition was to defeat Yelü Yanxi, and he succeeded. Yelü Yanxi even became his prisoner and slave!

Historically, Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) and Emperor Qinzong of Song (Zhao Huan) both had to climb the ranks...

When Wuqimai ascended the throne, everything was kept simple; in fact, all that was required was for everyone to kneel and pay their respects at the meeting place.

By conscripting and gathering troops, including regular and deputy soldiers, the Jurchen Jin state can now gather as many as 100,000 men.

More than 30,000 Jurchen cavalry, and 60,000 to 70,000 servants.

They still had to go to fight. Su Wu was on his way to Shiwei, where he was sitting with the Shiwei king.

The Shiwei were actually a large ethnic group, and even the Menggu people were a branch of the Shiwei, namely the Mengwu Shiwei.

Shiwei is a general term that has branched out into many different groups. The Heichezi Shiwei is one of them, and they are all tribes that came from the mountains and forests.

In reality, whether it's the Khitan, the Shiwei, or even the Jurchen and the Mongols, their origins are quite similar. In terms of race and bloodline, the differences are minimal, and they are even genetically a single group.

They all came from the mountains and forests of Northeast China. The so-called Donghu group was completely different from the Xiongnu and Turks.

Even the language of the Shiwei people in the black carriages was mostly in sync with the Khitan language...

The Shiwei king, Morgen, was fluent in Khitan and could even speak a lot of Chinese, which saved Su Wu's interpreter a lot of trouble.

This person was also a Buddhist, and in the past, he would often go to the Liao people's capital, Linhuangfu, to worship Buddha.

Morgen, whose name means "knowledgeable," was indeed a true son-in-law of the Khitan people, and even the Black Cart Shiwei was one of their own.

Even in the past, the last army of the Khitan included a large number of Shiwei people from the Black Carts.

After exchanging pleasantries, Su Wu sighed, "Alas... now the Khitan emperor is a prisoner of the Jurchens, while the other is a distinguished guest of our Great Song. How could such a great Khitan have come to this!"

Morgen sighed repeatedly: "These days, I've thought a lot, though it's too late and it's no use, but I really can't help but wonder, how did the Khitan get to this point? Their civil officials are complacent, their military officials are lazy, their emperor lacks virtue and therefore authority, ambitions are rising everywhere, the world is in chaos, allowing others to take advantage of the situation..."

Su Wu continued, "You must also know that the Song and Liao are brotherly nations. I was entrusted by the Khitan emperor to avenge the Khitan, and only in this way could I obtain the land of Yan and Yun. This battle has already been won, and the Jurchens have been severely weakened. I'm afraid they won't come out easily in the future, retreating to their cities, making them truly difficult to defeat..."

Upon hearing this, Morgen's eyes lit up. He looked at Su Wu and asked, "May I ask Your Highness, is there any hope that the Liao emperor in Bianjing will ever return north?"

Su Wu surprisingly replied, saying, "Where is there any place to stand now? Perhaps in Bianjing, we can still have a better life..."

"If so, Your Highness, if the Jurchens are wiped out one day, will the Khitans still have a foothold?" Morgen asked again.

"The Jurchens have been wiped out, but there are still many Khitans left. They will surely have a place to live in the future, that's for sure! If the Liao emperor wishes to return to his homeland in the future, I think there's nothing wrong with that..."

Su Wu's words were genuine. This matter was nothing. In ten or twenty years, or even thirty years, the man from Bianjing could return to his homeland and be buried there. There was nothing wrong with that.

The Khitan had lost their Mandate of Heaven, so there was no throne left to inherit, and even the Liao emperor in Bianjing lacked legitimacy.

The spotlight is on Morgan!
Morgen added, "If we could rescue His Majesty the Emperor from the Jurchens, that would be even better..."

Su Wu simply said, "I will do my best!"

It seems the Khitans truly treated the Shiwei of the Black Cart with great kindness, their favor as deep as a mountain! That's why they cherish this memory so much…

Su Wu wondered if Wanyan Zonghan would have dared to read these words aloud when he came back then... Su Wu was still somewhat displeased...

Suddenly, King Morgen of the Shiwei Kingdom stood up, knelt on one knee, covered his chest and bowed deeply: "We are willing to follow His Highness Prince Yan to the death, firstly to save the Emperor of Liao, and secondly to ensure that the Khitan can still have a foothold!"

This bowing down was truly sincere; his head even touched his knees.

Su Wu was surprised, and stepped forward to help him up, saying, "We're all family, all brothers, there's no need for this. You and I will just do our best!"

"I am willing to swear a blood oath with Your Majesty!" Morgen was truly sincere.

Su Wu didn't refuse, and simply raised his hand and waved, "Please!"

There are different ways of making alliances on the grasslands, but the principles are the same: Heaven and Earth bear witness, we drink blood and kowtow!

Su Wu did not object, not for any other reason than that Morgen spoke Chinese quite well.

The Chinese that Morgen learned was not from the Song people, but from the Han people of Yan and Yun, and from the monks of Linhuang Prefecture...

But this was also the first person Su Wu encountered on the grassland who could speak Chinese.

Once the oath was made, Morgen didn't need to give any further instructions; he simply gathered his troops, saying that he would gather 13,000 cavalry within three days.

Su Wu thought to himself, "This Morgen is a bit troublesome..."

What's so great about the grasslands?
They're either idiots like Tie Lali, or rebellious hotheads like Cha Ganba...

Or perhaps they are like the clever and dutiful people in Qidaili who know when to advance and when to retreat.

Of all people, it had to be Morgen who showed some genuine loyalty; we had to coax him...

This "coaxing" doesn't mean deceiving or lying, but rather that you always care about other people's feelings and thoughts...

This kind of person can compromise, but he can also be truly willing to risk his life for something and actually do it!

Su Wu didn't think too much about it. If Xu Lairi really brought that person from Bianjing back to be his neighbor, he would be satisfied...

As for whether Yelü Yanxi can be rescued, there's no need to take it too seriously.

Another expedition, to Linhuang Prefecture.

Linhuang Prefecture is not easy to conquer; the Jurchens used to expend a great deal of effort to attack it in the past.

This Linhuang Prefecture was no ordinary place; it was the capital of the Khitan people, their ancestral home, and the place where they rose to power.

Although it was located on the edge of the grassland, the city was quite large. The inner and outer cities were not nested, but rather extended outwards to the east and west, and there was also a moat...

The city also contains numerous temples and Taoist monasteries, as well as Confucian schools. The true ancestral temple of the Khitan people was also located here. In the past, this place was home to many Khitan officials and nobles, and it was a conservative area.

Today, countless people have been slaughtered by the Jurchens, and the houses here have long since become the property of Jurchen nobles!

Su Wu was on his way, and the Jurchen reinforcements were also en route.

The Jurchens themselves knew that Linhuang Prefecture held an extremely important strategic position in the current situation, serving as a crucial safeguard for the Jurchens' entry and exit from the grasslands.

It is said that at this very moment, in the northwest, within Xingqing Prefecture.

The two Zhong brothers were paying respects to their superior, Wang Fu, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who had come from Tokyo.

The Zhong brothers were also very surprised. How could Wang Fu have arrived so suddenly? There had been no news of him along the way, and he had arrived as soon as he was told.

Logically speaking, when a high-ranking official from the imperial court is to go to a local area, official documents should arrive first, so that preparations can be made to welcome and entertain him.

But Wang Fu arrived just as promised.

Zhong Shidao also had his suspicions, but he kept quiet. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he struck up a conversation with Zhong Shizhong, who was busy with other matters: "Since you, Prime Minister Wang, have come to convey the Emperor's grace and reward the soldiers and generals, may I ask you how you plan to go? Will you visit the camp tomorrow?"

Wang Fu waved his hand, looked at the two men from the Zhong family, and said, "I've come here on important business!"

"Oh...then please speak frankly, Lord Wang!" Zhong Shizhong sat up straight, listening attentively.
Wang Fu made no attempt to hide anything, simply taking out the scroll of calligraphy and painting personally written by the emperor and handing it to Zhong Shizhong before untying the rope. He also said, "This is the emperor's own handwriting, bestowed upon you two loyal and virtuous ministers!"

As he spoke, the calligraphy and painting were slowly unfolded in Wang Fu's hands...

Zhong Shidao squinted to look, and as soon as he unfolded the book to the blank space where the poem was written, the emperor's sixteen characters appeared before his eyes.

Master Zhong frowned immediately.

Zhong Shizhong then asked, "Our family has been loyal and righteous for generations. We thank the Emperor for bestowing upon us calligraphy and paintings!"

As he spoke, Zhong Shizhong went to collect the scroll.

Wang Fu, however, refused to let go and held on tightly, saying, "I'm counting on you two!"

"What is it? You haven't told me yet..." Zhong Shizhong asked.

Wang Fu swallowed hard, gritted his teeth, and said, "Execute the traitor!"

“Traitor to the country? Who is the traitor to the country?” Zhong Shizhong asked.

“How could you two not know?” Wang Fu asked as well.

Master Zhong shook his head earnestly: "I really don't know!"

Wang Fu went to see Zhong Shidao, but Zhong Shidao remained calm and did not look at him.

Wang Fu was extremely anxious: "You two must know! The traitor to the country is Su Wu!"

"What?" Zhong Shizhong was extremely shocked.

"Young Master Zhong, there is no need to panic. Su Wu holds power and has countless resources and many loyal followers. Once he has gained enough influence, the country will be in grave danger. Now is the perfect opportunity. The Emperor has issued a secret edict ordering you two to take action and kill the traitor."

Wang Fu spoke with a resounding voice.

Zhong Shizhong was at a loss for what to do, so he went to see his elder brother.

Zhong Shidao finally turned his gaze to Wang Fu, looked him up and down, and asked, "What plan do you have in mind?"

Wang Fu immediately became excited: "As long as you two gentlemen cut off their food and supplies, Su Wu will surely be killed by the Jurchens on the grasslands!"

Zhong Shidao slightly raised his right hand, and used his left hand to adjust the sleeve of his official robe. He slowly said, "Then you're too late. I just received military news that Su Wu has achieved a great victory over the Jurchens at Wugu Mountain. All the tribes of the grasslands are meeting with him. He is probably already in the eastern part of the grasslands, north of Datong. If I cut off his food and supplies, he will have enough to eat from the offerings of the tribes on the grasslands. Returning to Datong will be much faster."

"Huh?" Wang Fu was taken aback upon hearing this, and asked again, "How come I didn't know he had achieved a great victory over the Jurchens on the grasslands?"

"Isn't this news just received? If you had arrived half a month earlier, this plan might have been somewhat useful!" Zhong Shizhong interjected.

Wang Fu was extremely anxious. He looked around and asked, "Then...then...do you two have any plans to kill the traitors of the state?"

Master Zhong shook his head directly: "We can't beat them!"

Zhong Shidao waved his hand again: "I have no plan..."

To be honest, there's really no way out. If Su Wu had led his troops into Yanyun before, there would still be a way to deal with everything. But at this moment, there's absolutely no way to deal with it.

Wang Fu brainstormed for a moment: "How about the two gentlemen send troops to attack Su Wu from behind?"

"Huh? He's riding a horse, and I'm on two legs. How am I supposed to find his back? Have you gone stupid from reading too much?"

Zhong Shizhong's tone was unfriendly. He was already holding back his temper, and he was only showing a little bit of it now.

He's not a general, he's a prime minister!
"Then why don't you two gentlemen send troops to block his return route?" Wang Fu asked again.

"Where to blockade? Datong? Xingqing Prefecture? Huanqing and Fuyan? Or perhaps Yanyun?"

Zhong Shizhong repeatedly retorted, his breath snorting through his nostrils, his mind filled with only one thought: "This brat is not worth plotting against!"

Wang Fu himself was also very uneasy. He really didn't know how to fight, but he felt that there must be a way, right?
Then he asked again, "I beg you two gentlemen to think of a solution. The Zhong family has been loyal and righteous for generations. In this time of crisis for our family, country, and nation, we should do our utmost to turn the tide!"

Wang Fu repeated the words written by the emperor.

Thus, Master Zhong sighed...

Hearing his brother sigh, Zhong Shizhong said, "Whether Su Wu is a traitor or not is still unknown. If he is indeed a traitor in the future, you should tell the Emperor that I, Zhong Shizhong, fought to the death to protect the country and repay the holy grace of the emperors of past dynasties!"

Hearing this, Wang Fu really couldn't say anything, but the matter at hand still had to be done...

Wang Fu had another idea: "Why don't I go to Datong now and meet with the garrison commander? If both sides are blocking Su Wu from returning, then his only option is to fight the Jurchens to the death again, break through Dading Prefecture, and then return from Yanyun. Perhaps he won't be able to come back..."

Zhong Shidao suddenly asked, "Is this truly the Emperor's intention?"

Wang Fu nodded earnestly: "How important is the nation? If we wait until Su Wu makes his move, it will be too late. This is the best opportunity. If we fail to accomplish this, the Song Dynasty will truly perish. How can Your Majesty be a ruler who brings about the downfall of the nation? How can you two and I be ministers who bring about the downfall of the nation?"

Zhong Shidao sighed again and again: "Alas... Go, go to Datong and take a look..."

Wang Fu nodded: "I'll go right away, immediately!"

(Brothers, it's almost the end of the month again. Check your monthly passes, don't waste them. I might take a day off tomorrow or the day after, but I'm not sure, we'll see...)
(End of this chapter)