Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 349 Aren't you worried about your own life or death?

Su Wu had already arrived at Linhuang Prefecture. Linhuang Prefecture was indeed a good place outside the pass, with grasslands and pastures, mountains and hills, and rivers...

This place is where the plateau meets the mountains, and it is also the border between the Mongolian Plateau and various parts of Northeast China. The Khitan people rose to power here, which shows that at that time, the Khitan people had just emerged from the mountains and forests of Northeast China...

Only after that did the Khitans become a nomadic people, but in truth, the Khitans had always been a semi-nomadic, semi-hunting and fishing people, and even later, they also engaged in agriculture...

Su Wu had already arrived at Linhuang Prefecture. The inner and outer cities were quite large; to be more precise, they were two cities pieced together.

A river also flows by, and within the city, the Jurchen flags fly high, while on the city walls stand Jurchen armored soldiers.

But it doesn't seem like much, because before this, the city was not important to the Jurchens.

It was only after Su Wu entered the grasslands from the west and won a great victory before heading east that this city suddenly became a frontline location and thus became important.

Su Wu arrived, and as before, the vanguard of over ten thousand cavalry went to the location first to take a look...

Behind them were cavalry, armies of various steppe tribes, and countless supplies; they would come slowly.

As was customary, Su Wu personally rode out to patrol the city. The city walls were indeed towering, but the moat was rather ordinary. It resembled a river, but had long since fallen into disrepair and was now just a ditch...

It seems the Liao people were complacent back then, and never imagined that such a remote place would be embroiled in war...

Moreover, many sections of this moat have been filled in... This is clearly a masterpiece of the Jurchens' past sieges. There was no time to clear it again, and with the constant fighting, there was no manpower to clear it, let alone repair it.

After touring the city walls, Su Wu was quite pleased, noting that even the crenellations had many damaged sections...

The remains of weapons left behind by the Jurchens during their sieges are still visible everywhere below the city walls.

What surprised Su Wu the most was that outside the city there was a mountain of human heads, a so-called "jingguan" (a mound of human heads), which had long since become a mountain of skulls.

It is evident how much the Jurchens committed atrocities here. Of course, what the Jurchens hated most were these Khitan nobles.

Su Wu took a slight detour to a higher vantage point and looked down upon the city. He observed that most of the buildings within the city had been preserved.

Even the imperial city, the Three Departments and Six Ministries, and the Privy Council were all present and accounted for; what they had in abundance were temples and palaces…

Only one place was severely burned. The Shiwei King, Morgen, was wiping away tears as he pointed to it and said, "Your Majesty, that is the ancestral temple of the Khitan ancestors throughout the ages!"

In other words, whether in Yanjing or Dading, the Khitan ancestral temples there were merely for the convenience of descendants to worship...

The Khitan ancestral temple here is the true ancestral temple.

Su Wu nodded in agreement and asked, "Has the King of Shiwei ever gone to offer sacrifices there before?"

Morgan nodded: "That's natural..."

Interestingly, the Shiwei king, Morgen, had actually worshipped at the ancestral temple of the Khitan…

Morgen added, "If the Liao emperor could return here, that would be wonderful!"

Su Wu was somewhat displeased by these words, but he did not show it.

Suddenly, Morgen said, "If Your Majesty can accomplish this, you can ensure that the entire Khitan people will never have any disloyalty to the Song Dynasty again. My Black Chariot Shiwei will also wholeheartedly submit to the Song Dynasty and will never betray the alliance!"

That's actually quite appealing!
To be honest, there are quite a few Khitan people living in this area, whether in the mountains or on the plains, for hundreds of miles around.

Although the Khitans established the Liao Dynasty, it did not mean that all Khitans became nobles. The vast majority of Khitans remained the lower class, and many still foraged for food in the mountains and forests. Those who were to serve in the army had to serve in the army, those who were to farm had to farm, and those who were to live a nomadic life of hunting and fishing continued to live their lives...

Clearly, the Jurchens' recent suppression of the Khitans has been unprecedented, and the satisfaction of such revenge goes without saying...

The question of what to do with the Liao emperor is something we really need to consider.

Su Wu didn't respond, only sighing, "If we attack the city... I wonder how many more soldiers will die..."

Morgan immediately chimed in: "I, the Black Chariot Warrior of Shiwei, am willing to be the vanguard, willing to be the first to charge for the King!"

"Really?" Su Wu asked.

Morgen nodded earnestly: "Since you are requesting to fight, it is truly sincere! If Your Majesty would allow it, I can send men to the mountains and grasslands to recruit Khitans to aid us in the battle!"

This was something Su Wu never expected, and he was quite surprised.

Then Morgen said, "It's a pity I'm not a member of the Khitan royal family, so I don't have the power to command a hundred followers. Besides, many Khitans have been driven even further into the mountains by the Jurchens, so I'm afraid I can't recruit many. If there really were someone who could command a hundred followers, it wouldn't be difficult to gather twenty or thirty thousand Khitans..."

Su Wu suddenly became somewhat skeptical and asked, "How come I heard that when the Khitan emperor recruited warriors west of the Jiashan Mountains on the grasslands, he only managed to gather about ten thousand men? And most of them were from the grasslands..."

Morgen sighed: "At that time, there were countless Jurchen patrols in Linhuang Prefecture, and they were also chasing and driving the Khitans into the depths of the mountains. News couldn't even get through, so how could we possibly go?"

This explanation actually convinced Su Wu quite a bit.

Therefore, these mountain ranges in Northeast China should not be underestimated: the Greater Khingan Mountains, the Lesser Khingan Mountains, the Changbai Mountains...

Its vast area, towering mountains, dense forests, long north-south and east-west stretch, and numerous deep ravines and valleys are unimaginable...

Therefore, this place can accommodate many tribes to hide, and some tribes were even able to hide here until modern society a thousand years later before they were discovered. Even the Khitans really went into the mountains and forests. The Jurchens, who also came from the mountains and forests, actually didn't have a good way to deal with them...

Su Wu then said, "Try sending someone to recruit them; no matter how many, they will be of help."

Morgen's only advantage was his status as a son-in-law of the Khitan.

“Okay!” Morgen nodded.

After descending to the higher ground, Su Wu's troops began to set up camp. This was a suitable place to camp. Although the mountains here were not very large, the vegetation was far superior to that of the Central Plains or the Northwest, with abundant trees.

Just keep cutting down trees and setting up camp!
They also wanted to build a large stockade. Su Wu had a premonition that the Jurchen army would arrive soon, coming from the east...

This city can't be attacked in a short time; we need many plans, strategies, and methods...

At this moment, we should occupy advantageous positions, along the riverbanks, and also establish fortified villages along key roads for defense.

The Jurchen reinforcements arrived as expected; there was no need to guess—it must be Wanyan Zongwang.

If Wanyan Zonghan is truly not dead, he will come, and Wanyan Zongbi and the like will certainly be there as well.

Along with them came Wanyan Loushi, Wanyan Xishi, and others. Su Wu had met these people once before, but their status was not high.

There were also people like Wanyan Yinshuke, whose status was even lower. They weren't even a centurion; their official rank was below "Meng'an." Su Wu had never even met them.

The Jurchens will all be sent out! As for their retainers, like Yelü Yudu and his ilk, not a single one will be spared, and there will even be many slaves among them…

Su Wu also frowned. The Jurchens who had come were numerous and their numbers were difficult to estimate…

Military intelligence is even more difficult to obtain. Su Wu's cavalry can only perform three-tenths of their abilities here. This place is not like the grasslands, where you can do a lot of things with just a direction and a location.

The terrain here is extremely complex, and unfamiliar riders who go out may even have difficulty returning...

Fortunately, there were men from the Shiwei tribe of Heiche accompanying the army. The cavalry in distant areas could use men from the Shiwei tribe of Heiche, while the cavalry in close areas could be from Su Wu's own forces.

Morgan truly went the extra mile, which was a pleasant surprise for Su Wu. His initial tolerance had been rewarded with genuine sincerity...

Su Wu repeatedly said that the Song and Liao were brotherly nations, and that his leniency towards them in Yan and Yun back then had unexpectedly proven to be remarkably effective in this place at this moment...

To be honest, Su Wu was not bad to the Khitans, at least he was really good to the ordinary Khitans, and he treated them all equally.

The Jurchen army also arrived, with its vanguard numbering in the tens of thousands. They arrived the next day and looked towards Linhuang Prefecture from afar.

Su Wu was also wondering who the vanguard was.
Wanyan Zongbi?

It was indeed him. Wanyan Zonghan had just suffered a defeat, and it was unlikely that Wanyan Zongwang would arrive with his vanguard. The best candidate was Wanyan Zongbi.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before an envoy from the Jurchen tribe came to see them.

Wanyan Zongbi invited Su Wu to go east. They were separated by a river. The river was not wide, and in the narrowest part it was only twenty or thirty paces. The water was not deep, at most reaching the chest and neck.

Su Wu led about a hundred horsemen to go...

Wanyan Zongbi was already waiting on the other side of the river...

Upon seeing each other, the two sighed in sympathy, and neither greeted the other with a smile, but simply observed each other across the river...

Su Wu spoke first: "How have you been lately?"

To everyone's surprise, Wanyan Wuzhu was able to reply in Mandarin: "Since you've come all this way, I'm not feeling too well..."

Although his pronunciation was still awkward, Su Wu could understand him perfectly...

Su Wu inexplicably smiled and said, "You learn so fast..."

Wanyan Wuzhu nodded: "It's not difficult to learn..."

"Alas... Between you and me, no one is to blame. If we're talking about betrayal, it was you Jurchens who betrayed the alliance, fighting all the way to the capital, even frightening the emperor. That's why we're fighting to the death today..."

Su Wu also expressed some criticism.

Wanyan Wuzhu said, "In the end, eight or nine out of ten of what we got will be yours. You should be thanking us..."

“But this humiliation must be washed away!” Su Wu said. Wanyan Zongbi tilted his head slightly, wanting to hear the interpreter's explanation. After listening, he changed the subject: “How about you withdraw your troops? The Jin and Song dynasties can then restore their former alliance…”

"Having come this far despite countless hardships, I will not retreat easily!" Su Wu shook his head.

"Aren't you worried that in this battle, your trusted troops will be almost wiped out?" Wanyan Zongbi's meeting here was not without purpose.

"I am worried, but you are even more worried. If my troops are wiped out, your Jurchens will probably be almost finished as well. My Great Song Dynasty has a vast territory and countless people, with countless armored warriors. Your Jurchens only have this many people left. If you fight to the death, there will be no more Jurchens in the world. The old, weak, women and children of the Jurchens will be devoured in this land of tigers and wolves without me even having to come back!"

Su Wu knew that this trip, with its mutual demonstrations and exposure of each other's shortcomings, was a strategic dialogue.

You're absolutely right...

If they fought to the death at this point, Su Wu might truly be reduced to a commander with no troops left, and the Jurchens would also face national annihilation and extinction...

The current situation leaves no room for elaborate planning and ingenious strategies. Su Wu here cannot match Zhuge Liang's brilliant strategies, Guan Yu's ability to flood the seven armies, or Lu Xun's fire attack on the enemy camps...

The Jurchens at this moment were no longer the easily defeated minions they once were...

Su Wu even had to guard against the Jurchens' methods, and had been constantly sending out scouts to scout the surrounding terrain and devise strategies for advance and retreat, trying his best to avoid being ambushed or the like...

Unexpectedly, Wanyan Zongbi suddenly asked, "Aren't you worried about your own life or death?"

Su Wu frowned slightly: "Just like you, I am loyal to my family, country, and nation. What is there to fear!"

But Su Wu knew that Wanyan Zongbi wasn't talking about that; it seemed even Wanyan Zongbi understood these so-called political matters...

If Su Wu had truly become a commander without troops and returned to the Song Dynasty, he would probably have faced certain death.

Wanyan Zongbi is no longer the young man he once was!

“I’m really here to advise you. Why don’t you do something that would benefit both of us?” Wanyan Zongbi said earnestly.

What they're saying is that they're withdrawing their troops, ceasing the fight, and that both sides are better off.

Su Wu wouldn't need to fight fiercely, nor would he lose power, nor would he die; he could even return and achieve his wish...

The Jurchens didn't need to fight to the death; they still had a chance to catch their breath. If you really think about it, the Song army would never stay on the grasslands for long. Once the Song army returned, the Jurchens could retake the grasslands.

It seems to benefit everyone.

Su Wu suddenly pointed to the city in the distance: "I want that city. If I get it, I'll withdraw my troops! If I can't get it, then this war must continue!"

Su Wu spoke the truth, which is also a matter of human nature. He offered a price, and it was up to the Jurchens to see if they were willing to give it up or if they could back down.

If they are reluctant to give up now, then let's fight. If too many people die, let's see what the Jurchens think next...

At this point, it's time to place bets at the gambling table.

This matter was extremely troublesome for Su Wu, and deep down, he was unwilling to really fight to the bitter end...

But he couldn't give up the Linhuang Mansion.

These things had to be told, and the Jurchens had to know about them. Therefore, Su Wu went to meet Wanyan Zongbi as arranged.

Wanyan Zongbi replied, "That's absolutely impossible. Our army of 300,000 has come here to defend this city! We will never give it to you!"

Three hundred thousand...

The Jurchens also learned it...

Su Wu nodded slightly: "Then let's see on the battlefield... You'll see if I'm afraid of death! Wu Zhu, we were sworn brothers in the past, how could you not know me? From then until now, I have no tricks or shortcuts, I have only risked my life to get to where I am today!"

You have to put pressure on them; once you're at the gambling table, you have to keep gambling!

With that, Su Wu tightened the reins and turned around: "You'd better live! Live on! That way, I can fulfill the oath we swore to be sworn brothers!"

The words were already behind him, and Su Wu spurred his horse and rode away.

On the other side of the river, Wanyan Zongbi frowned, but still managed to reply to Su Wu's back: "How could we Jurchens not have fought our way to this day with our lives!"

Su Wu had already walked more than ten steps when he turned back and replied, "You're talking about the Jurchens, the entire Jurchens, Wanyan Aguda. I'm talking about myself, just me, all by myself!"

Su Wu's tone was extremely ruthless!
These words may seem strange, but Su Wu wanted to say that the Jurchens were communicating in this way at this moment...

Su Wu would certainly not have communicated with people from the Song or Liao dynasties in this way.

But the Jurchens are best described in these words.

Su Wu had already run several dozen steps, while Wanyan Zongbi was still by the river...

There was one thing Su Wu didn't know: Wanyan Aguda had passed away.

Su Wu then mentioned Wanyan Aguda's name, which startled Wanyan Zongbi, reminding him of his father's death...

Wanyan Zongbi wondered, what was Su Wu saying? Was he comparing himself to his father?

Wanyan Zongbi also knew that Su Wu was putting on a show of ferocity and trying to intimidate people...

The horses turned slightly, and his camp was more than ten miles away.

They also knew that this battle would be a long-term standoff.

Su Wu's logistical supply lines were very long, whether they came from Datong or from the Northwest...

However, the Jurchens' supplies were also limited. If this battle could not be resolved quickly, most of this year's farming would be ruined, and they would have to worry about food next year!
There was no longer any Song Dynasty to borrow grain from.

Moreover, it seems that Su Wu was also supported by various tribes of the grasslands...

Wanyan Zonghan suffered a crushing defeat on the grasslands.

On his way back, Wanyan Zongbi pondered many things… What should be done about this situation? How could he offer advice and suggestions to his uncles and elder brothers…

Today's visit was arranged by my uncles and brothers. I have gained a lot, but I am also very worried.

Food... If the stalemate and war drag on for a long time, we must find a source of food...

Wanyan Zongbi thought of one place: Goryeo!

Today, the Jurchens border Goryeo. In the past, Goryeo was both a vassal state of the Song Dynasty and a tributary state of the Liao Dynasty.

Why can't we submit to and pay tribute to our current neighbor, the Great Jin?
They deserve to be beaten!

But not now, but for what needs to be done next: plunder Goryeo.

Looting grain can also lead to looting people...

In the past, we fought against Goryeo, but it was never a real war; it was just small skirmishes. After all, fighting against Liao was the real business.

And now... I've also heard that internal strife is breaking out in Goryeo recently...

Thinking of plundering Goryeo, Wanyan Zongbi felt a strange sense of relief; this stalemate seemed to have a bit of protection now…

Furthermore, speaking of righteousness, how dare the Korean barbarian state disrespect its superior nation? Why could it be subordinate to the Liao and Song dynasties, but not to the Jin dynasty?

Lost in thought, Wanyan Zongbi returned to the camp and looked eastward, hoping his brother would come soon.

Speaking of history, the wars between Jin and Goryeo were numerous. The real reason for this was that Goryeo dared to look down on the Jurchens. Liao and Song were considered superior empires, and Goryeo regarded the Jurchens as barbarians. They looked down on barbarians and even took the initiative to send troops to attack the Jurchens...

There are also some details to this story. When Aguda first started his rebellion, he actually tried to curry favor with Goryeo, because he was afraid that the Goryeo people would send troops to help the Liao Dynasty...

Suddenly, the Jurchen underlings who had once fawned over them were now to become their lords, a prospect that Goryeo found hard to accept.

Of course, Goryeo eventually became more obedient and received the Jin envoys with the respect due to a vassal state, following the custom of "exchanging betrothal gifts." However, during the Jin dynasty, Goryeo never actually submitted any formal documents acknowledging the Jin as its suzerain state.

It's also a strange relationship story.

Su Wu was unaware of Wanyan Zongbi's plans at that moment. After returning to his camp, he was also pondering what the Jurchens' bottom line was and how far they could accept the war going...

In other words, what price is this Linhuang Mansion worth?

Was it Su Wu who could afford the price, or the Jurchens?
……

Inside Datong City, Wang Bingzheng was also receiving his superior, the envoy Wang Fu, who had arrived.

Wang Fu was speaking to Wang Bing, who was bowing before him, and asked, "Chief Steward Wang, are you from a family of military generals?"

Wang Bing cautiously replied, "It's not fair to say we come from a family of military generals. My father held a low-ranking position in the army..."

"That makes them a family of military generals, haha...good, good, good!" Wang Fu nodded repeatedly, then turned to the person sitting next to him and asked, "Does Minister Zhang like this Chief Steward Wang?"

Beside him, Zhang Xiaochun, the prefect of Taiyuan, who had come from Taiyuan with Wang Bing, nodded repeatedly: "I am overjoyed. He and I are close friends. Chief Steward Wang is a man of great courage and loyalty, rarely seen in the world!"

"Good, good, good..." Wang Fu was overjoyed, thinking to himself that this trip was definitely worthwhile.

(Brothers, it's the last day of the month, don't waste your monthly tickets! You can vote for other authors too, they all need them, especially those who update more often. I'm really in a bind lately, I might have to spend the night in the hospital tomorrow, so I'll try not to take any leave.)
(End of this chapter)