Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 350 The Han and Tang Dynasties are gone, the Han and Tang Dynasties have been restored!
As he spoke, Wang Fu looked at Wang Bing with a smile and said, "Nowadays, many things are not known to the world, but pillars of the nation like Minister Zhang and Steward Wang should know a thing or two..."

Zhang Xiaochun also asked, "I don't know what Minister Wang is referring to. Could you please explain?"

Wang Fu first looked regretful, then slowly said, "Minister Zhang, you are also a loyal and righteous minister. You were once a disciple of the Emperor, and even a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) personally selected by His Majesty in the Imperial Palace. Do you really not know? The two ministers, Old Zhong and Young Zhong, in the Northwest already know very well!"

Zhang Xiaochun was even more puzzled and asked again, "Lord Wang, please explain!"

Wang Fu's face showed even more pain and sorrow, and he went to look at Wang Bing: "Steward Wang, you don't know either?"

Wang Bing shook his head...

"Alas...this shows how difficult this matter is!" Wang Fu put on an acting performance.

Zhang Xiaochun was extremely anxious: "Then, Mr. Wang, please tell me..."

Wang Fu nodded, stroked his beard a few times, took a sip of tea, and sighed, "Alas... there is a man who commands tens of thousands of soldiers, all of whom are his trusted, brave, and loyal followers. He commands absolute obedience in the army and also controls the two routes of Jingdong and the Yan-Yun region. He also has considerable control over your Hedong region, and has already carved out a territory... He doesn't even care about the emperor's orders... The court has long since lost control of him..."

Wang Bing's face grew darker and darker as he listened, and he blurted out, "Whom is Prime Minister Wang referring to?"

Wang Fu immediately exclaimed, "It's about to burst forth!"

Zhang Xiaochun looked utterly shocked. The emperor's envoy was speaking to him face to face. What did this mean?
He then asked, "What do you mean by that, Prime Minister Wang?"

Wang Fu immediately replied, "What do you two mean by this? It is a matter of great peril for the nation!"

Wang Bing was furious and immediately said, "Your Highness Prince Yan is a meritorious official of the country, a pillar of the state. How can you doubt him like this?"

Wang Fu was not angry: "Yes... how can you doubt him like that? How can you say that he is the Dong Zhuo of Han and the Sima of Wei? But now, the capital city is controlled by Su Wu's trusted troops, and the emperor's side is strictly controlled by people like Wu Song. The affairs of the court are tightly controlled by Cheng Wanli. As for the Privy Council, needless to say, why did I come out of the capital on a secret order?"

These words left Zhang Xiaochun speechless.

Wang Bing, standing to the side, was also speechless!
How could any of Wang Fu's words be false?
The current emperor is truly not to be underestimated; his actions and plans are indeed exceptionally brilliant.

At least in this matter, in the matter of fighting with others, he has indeed done a good job in strategizing.

Clearly, even Su Wu fell for the trick.

Looking back today, it's clear that Su Wu was careless. In his panic, the emperor insisted that Wu Song stay by his side, and Su Wu agreed on the spot.

Then, Cheng Wanli entered the court and became prime minister, which Su Wu thought was quite good at the time.

Next, Su Wu became the Privy Councilor, and Liu Yanqing took charge of the Privy Council.

To be honest, from an outsider's perspective, this is quite a situation...

Wouldn't that render the emperor a mere figurehead?
Isn't the internal and external military and political affairs completely controlled by one person?
Zhang Xiaochun was busy and didn't think much about the war. When Wang Fu came and spoke to him, he didn't need to think too much.
Isn't this a done deal on the surface?
Only Wang Bing said, "There must be a lot of misunderstandings surrounding Xu Yiqie, right? I think His Highness Prince Yan is truly a man of unparalleled loyalty and righteousness!"

Wang Fu sneered: "Hmph... History books span thousands of generations, and if you go through them all, apart from the ancient accounts, where are there any exceptions?"

Wang Bing was speechless. He couldn't accept such words emotionally... but rationally he couldn't refute them either...

Zhang Xiaochun only asked, "What is the purpose of your visit, Minister Wang?"

Wang Fu revealed his true intentions: "I have already discussed this with the two members of the Zhong family in the Northwest. He will block the man's return route south in the Northwest. In this way, as long as the border cities in Datong are also blocked, Su Wu will only be able to return through the Jurchen territory, heading towards Yanyun. Then... no matter how difficult it is, everything will be resolved!"

"Huh?" Zhang Xiaochun's mind was in turmoil. Was this something he could really do? Even if he was loyal and righteous, while this might seem to solve some problems, what benefit would it bring to the country?
There is a saying that even when brothers quarrel, they should still unite against external threats. Why then would they use external threats to kill their own people?
Isn't this playing with the safety of the nation and its people?
This was an extremely complex and troublesome matter, and Zhang Xiaochun's mind was in complete turmoil.

But Wang Binglai said, "Why has it come to this? Even if what you say is true, Prime Minister Wang, we should not let the enemy benefit, nor should we joke about the safety of our country. Moreover, there are tens of thousands of elite soldiers at stake. This matter must not be handled in this way. At the very least, we should ensure that the Prince of Yan returns safely with his army... Let's discuss this further!"

"As the saying goes, to repel external enemies, one must first pacify the internal situation! Minister Zhang, you must make a decision!" Wang Fu urged.

Zhang Xiaochun only asked, "Have the two Prime Ministers truly agreed to this plan?"

Wang Fu simply nodded: "I went to the Northwest first, and then came here. What do you think? If the Northwest hadn't worked out, what would I have come here for?"

"Sigh..." Zhang Xiaochun was pacing around in circles. He was not familiar with the Zhong family, but the Zhong family's reputation and prestige were well-known and respected.

He was also puzzled as to why the Zhong family would agree to this matter. Looking at Wang Fu's words and appearance, it didn't seem like they were faking it.

This is how to do?
Zhang Xiaochun's brows were furrowed, and he kept walking back and forth!

After a long silence, Wang Bing suddenly spoke up: "Prime Minister Wang, I'm afraid this plan will not work!"

"How could it not work? As long as both sides block the city's return route, this plan will succeed!" Wang Fu asked.

“Alas… Prime Minister Wang is thinking too simply. These city borders cannot be sealed off in the first place…” Wang Bing said.

"What kind of logic is this? Can Su Wu fly?" Wang Fu's face darkened, as if he felt that Wang Bing's loyalty was not genuine.

Wang Bing analyzed carefully: "Let's consider both sides. If the Prince of Yan leads his army back to the northwest, how can the border cities and fortresses withstand his tens of thousands of fierce soldiers? How many troops do the two Prime Ministers Zhong have to deal with them? Besides, most of the Prince of Yan's troops are from the northwest. How can the soldiers from the northwest fight amongst themselves? How can they bear to kill their own brothers on the city walls? Prime Minister Wang may not know the prestige of His Highness the Prince of Yan in the army. Even if the Prince of Yan's army arrives, who on the border would dare to fight him? Those cities and fortresses are nothing but paper!"

At this point, Wang Bing looked at Wang Fu and continued, "Speaking of Datong and the troops of Hedong, which general dares to go into battle and fight to the death with the Prince of Yan?"

"Huh?" Wang Fu was a little taken aback.

Wang Bing continued, "Don't believe me? Minister Wang, you can ask Minister Zhang... If it really is His Highness Prince Yan's army at the city gates, can Datong be defended?"

Wang Fu immediately turned his head to look at Zhang Xiaochun.

Zhang Xiaochun looked troubled and helpless, shaking his head: "Yes, what Chief Steward Wang said is correct. Not to mention the Northwest, just take Datong as an example. Once the Prince of Yan's army arrives, how can the soldiers on the city walls fight to the death with him?"

"Why is that?" Wang Fu asked instinctively.

Wang Bing and Zhang Xiaochun exchanged a glance. How should they answer this question? Where should they even begin?
Should we start from the beginning?

Zhang Xiaochun was somewhat puzzled. How could Wang Fu not understand such common sense?

Wang Bing understood perfectly well that these officials in the capital had never truly taken the soldiers seriously.

In other words, in their minds, the soldiers were ignorant, in need of education, thoughtless, and incredibly foolish and vulgar.

So, when dealing with soldiers, all you need to do is issue orders and use harsh laws and punishments. They will do whatever you tell them to do!
When my husband arrives, it's as if a celestial being has come. How could these ants possibly disobey him?

With just a word from you, my lord, a thousand troops can be mobilized at will.

It's not surprising that Wang Fu had this misconception. Based on many experiences in the Song Dynasty, the prime ministers really could do this. Even in Wang Fu's own experience, in Tokyo, the prime ministers were high-dimensional beings, and those who weren't prime ministers were truly low-dimensional beings.

Wang Bing understood this principle, but he couldn't answer Wang Fu's question.

Zhang Xiaochun didn't quite understand this principle, but he could still answer Wang Fu: "Prime Minister Wang, among the soldiers on this border stretching thousands of miles, which one doesn't revere the Prince of Yan as a god?"

Wang Fu also couldn't understand Zhang Xiaochun's words. If it were said that Su Wu was trying to win over and bewitch people, then it would be plausible that Su Wu's trusted subordinates were involved.

How could it be that the garrison troops of cities along the border for thousands of miles all revered Su Wu as a god?
Wang Fu then asked, "Most of the troops in Hedong have never served under Su Wu, have they?"

That's true...

Wang Bing just kept nodding...

Wang Fu suddenly realized: "Could it be...could it be that you two are afraid?"

"Prime Minister Wang, what are you saying... I think... I think... the two Prime Ministers Zhong must have the same thoughts as me, right? There are so many cities and fortresses in the Northwest. Who dares to say that they can fight to the death with the Prince of Yan? Who dares to stop the Prince of Yan's army beyond the Great Wall?"

Zhang Xiaochun was extremely helpless.

Wang Fu suddenly remembered that Zhong Shizhong had indeed said something like, "We can't beat them."

At the time, I thought it was just an angry outburst. Could it be that we really can't win? We can't even defend the city?
This……

Wang Fu asked again, "Really can't stop it?"

Zhang Xiaochun nodded seriously: "It's really impossible to stop it, absolutely impossible to stop it. Besides... what if we did stop it? Has Minister Wang ever thought about this?"

"What is it?" Wang Fu was still stunned.

“Those are tens of thousands of elite cavalry. All the cavalry of our Great Song Dynasty are at our disposal. If they are all lost, how will we fight the Jurchens in the future? Or... if we really think about it, why did the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun fall into the hands of the Khitans in the past? Have we ever thought about what would happen if these tens of thousands of elite cavalry surrendered to the Jurchens?”

Zhang Xiaochun truly understood that he had to persuade Wang Fu to stop, otherwise the consequences of such a thing would be unimaginable.

"Huh?" Wang Fu was momentarily dazed...

It was a flawless plan, he thought about it again and again, and planned it again and again, but now it seems that it has no brilliance at all.

"In the past, tens of thousands of Jurchens marched from Yan and Yun straight down to the capital region, besieging Tokyo... It was only because the Prince of Yan cut off their retreat that the Jurchens were forced to hastily withdraw. If they had truly acted in that manner, disregarding the lives of tens of thousands of people, and the morale of the army had changed, then a hundred thousand iron cavalry could have marched down the Yan and Yun rivers and north of the Yellow River..."

Zhang Xiaochun's pacing just now wasn't for nothing; he quickly analyzed the matter thoroughly.

I just want to know, and I have no idea, which idiot came up with this idea!
People like that should be dragged out and killed!
After Zhang Xiaochun finished his analysis, he looked up at Wang Fu...

Judging from Wang Fu's appearance, could he be this big idiot in front of me?

Ugh……

If it really is the person in front of me, then he truly deserves to be killed!

Just now you said you've searched through all the history books, spanning thousands of years, has such a foolish thing ever happened?

Wang Fu was momentarily confused; Zhang Xiaochun's words seemed to make sense...

but……

Just then, someone came in and reported: "Reporting to Minister Zhang and Steward Wang, a group of Jurchen envoys have arrived outside the north city, saying they wish to see the person in charge of the city."

"Huh?" Zhang Xiaochun turned his head to look. Why would a Jurchen envoy come at this time?
He also asked, "Did you ask what the matter is?"

"Reporting to your question, my lord, I did ask one thing: they said they were going to Tokyo to submit a memorial acknowledging our submission..."

"What?" Zhang Xiaochun thought he had misheard and asked again, "Is it really a memorial of submission?" "Yes, that's what it says..."

Zhang Xiaochun was overjoyed: "It seems the Prince of Yan has terrified the Jurchens! He has subdued them!"

Wang Bing was overjoyed: "In that case, wouldn't the war be over? A great victory, a great victory indeed!"

The reactions of these two people are perfectly normal; it's a kind of ingrained way of thinking.

The ingrained way of thinking that has prevailed in the Song Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty, regardless of who it was dealing with, sought nothing more than this petition of submission and submission. For example, with the Tanguts, once they submitted this petition, everything became much easier...

In fact, it wasn't just the Song Dynasty; every dynasty in history, the Central Plains dynasties sought this. Most of the time, if the surrounding powers could achieve this, they could exchange it for peace from the Central Plains dynasties.

Submitting a petition to submit as a vassal is the end point of victory for most foreign wars.

Clearly, Wanyan Xiyin's books were well worth reading.

Wang Fu, still in a state of self-doubt, immediately stood up upon hearing this and asked, "Where is the envoy?"

The person who reported this also came to answer: "It's just outside the north city."

Zhang Xiaochun immediately said, "Quickly, invite him in!"

Wang Fu hesitated for a moment. He was hesitant about many things. If he did it this way, Su Wu would naturally win a great victory, make great contributions, have even greater merits, and have a more stable position.
that……

But Zhang Xiaochun still gave the order, and Wang Fu couldn't stop him.

This……

Wouldn't this time, the emperor's mission be ruined?
Such an opportunity, how could it not be wasted?
Wang Fu frowned deeply. What should he do? How was he going to explain this to his superiors?

Wang Fu immediately said, "Prime Minister Zhang, we must not make a decision about the enemy envoy so easily. I should send a letter by fast horse to Tokyo and ask His Majesty for a decision!"

"Of course..." Zhang Xiaochun nodded repeatedly. As long as he didn't do something foolish like blocking the pass to obstruct Su Wu, anything was fine!

This envoy arrived just in time, a lifesaver, seemingly "saving" Zhang Xiaochun from his current predicament...

If there really was some secret imperial decree ordering this to be done, then it would be a matter of life and death.

North of Datong City, there was a Jurchen group of about a hundred people, carrying tallies, led by Wanyan Xiyin.

Only Wanyan Xiyin understood these so-called diplomatic etiquettes. These tallies were, of course, ancient customs of the Central Plains...

They had also prepared official documents and other items...

Coincidences are never coincidences; they are the result of causes and conditions. Everyone is planning and manipulating things. In this world, what is not caused by coincidence?
In fact, if Wang Fu hadn't used such a "foolish" act to frighten Zhang Xiaochun and Wang Bing today, the Jurchen envoy might not have been so easily invited into the city by either of them...

The Jurchen envoys entered the city, but Wanyan Xiyin did not.

The man who entered was named Han Qixian. He was originally a Liao official who surrendered to the Jin dynasty after being defeated in Zhongjing Dadingfu. At this time, he was serving as the Deputy Chief of the Privy Council of the Jin dynasty.

At this time, the Jin Dynasty's court system was actually quite complete, but for the time being, it was mostly nominal, with the military system being the main focus.

The Korean company arrived first with a letter of state, intending to ascertain the truth. Wanyan Xiyin had made two preparations: first come to Datong, and if things didn't go well in Datong, then quickly head to the northwest.

Han Qixian, carrying the imperial tally, approached Wang Fu, Zhang Xiaochun, and Wang Bing. After several exchanges, he presented his official letter, pledged allegiance, and agreed to pay homage and tribute annually. He was also required to send envoys to offer congratulations or attend the emperor's funerals and to maintain a permanent envoy stationed in Tokyo.

That's something they really know!

Wang Fu looked at it first, and all he could do was frown.

Zhang Xiaochun looked again and was overjoyed: "Prime Minister Wang, the Han and Tang dynasties have returned! The Han and Tang dynasties have been restored!"

Wang Bing was overjoyed: "A great victory! An unparalleled achievement! Just like the legendary sealing of the wolf's lair!"

Wang Fu urged, "Bring paper and pen quickly! This matter must not be decided on your own!"

He had to write to Tokyo immediately; the situation was truly out of control, and he needed to report it to the Emperor right away!

The Korean company leader declared, "From this day forward, our Great Jin will regard the Great Song as its suzerain, and we will remain friendly and never wage war together for generations to come!"

"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" Zhang Xiaochun nodded repeatedly, his joy was genuine and beyond compare.

This is the greatest joy in the heart of a loyal and righteous scholar; nothing can surpass this feeling.

While Wang Fu was writing a letter, Zhang Xiaochun couldn't help but urge him: "Prime Minister Wang, hurry up! Steward Wang, go and prepare fast horses and men, the best horses and the best riders, quick, quick, quick!"

Wang Bing was also excited to carry out the task, and the generals were equally enthusiastic. From then on, all nations paid tribute, and the country was prosperous and the people lived in peace!
Finally, they stopped Wang Fu, that idiot, from doing what he was going to do.

We can't just leave it like this; can we also prevent meritorious officials from returning to their homeland?

Wouldn't that cause an uproar throughout the world?
Go and do it right away!

At this moment, Han Qixian was also very surprised. Was this really going so smoothly?

He kept glancing at the three people in front of him...

Zhang Xiaochun and Wang Bing are loyal and righteous ministers, and Wang Fu seems to be an accomplice of Su Wu. Although this news is just a small detail, we must go back and report it to Wanyan Xiyin clearly.

Fortunately, Wang Fu is not an official from Datong or Hedong, so Zhang Xiaochun and Wang Bing still have the final say in matters here.

This matter has been accomplished!
There's no rush. It will only be truly accomplished when the letter is actually sent out.

and many more……

As soon as Wang Fu finished writing the letter, Wang Bing took it out, and a fast horse immediately set off.

Han Qixian suddenly spoke up: "Please forgive me, everyone. Actually, I am not the chief envoy of this delegation. I am the deputy envoy. The chief envoy is still waiting outside the city. It is truly best to be cautious. Please forgive me!"

Zhang Xiaochun immediately replied, "No problem, no problem. Just go and invite the envoy here. It will be quick. Go as fast as you can. Once you cross Hedong, you will enter Hebei. The journey is easy. Travel day and night. At the fastest, you can get the imperial edict in five or six days. When that happens, I will send someone to escort you to the capital!"

The South Korean businessman bowed deeply and said, "What you three have done today will be recorded in history for generations to come, leaving your names in the annals of time and your fame lasting for centuries!"

To be honest, those words struck a chord with Zhang Xiaochun. He nodded, stroking his beard...

"Go, go quickly!" Zhang Xiaochun waved his hand and left.

The South Korean company didn't wait long and quickly went out of the city to report it.

Everything went very smoothly...

Wang Fu was in a state of utter chaos, as everything was not as he had anticipated.

After arranging everything, Wang Bing returned and sat down. He then remembered something and remarked, "We should also send someone north to find the Prince of Yan and deliver the good news to him..."

Zhang Xiaochun waved his hand and said, "No need, no need. The Prince of Yan knew about it even before we did. How could we not inform the Prince of Yan first when the Jurchens submitted their petition to submit?"

But upon hearing this, Wang Bing's heart tightened. He had been so overjoyed that he hadn't thought about it carefully...

fight……

Wang Bing immediately added, "We should still send someone to inquire..."

“Going north is difficult, and the roads are unfamiliar. There’s no need to go through all that trouble…” Zhang Xiaochun clearly hadn’t considered Wang Bing’s point, which also reflected the difference between civil and military officials.

Wang Bingzi insisted, "Let's ask..."

“Okay, then you can make the arrangements yourself…” Zhang Xiaochun didn’t dwell on it; it was a small matter and not important.

Wang Bing hurriedly went out to write a letter and quickly sent someone north beyond the Great Wall to find Su Wu. According to the previous military intelligence, Su Wu should be with the Shiwei troops under the Black Cart, or he should have gone to Linhuang Prefecture...

Wang Bing was also worried, wondering if it was just a delaying tactic or something.
That shouldn't be the case, as Prince Xu Yan was also receiving the Jurchen envoys at that time...

What was Su Wu doing at this moment?
Camps were being built everywhere, and the various armies were gradually gathering. In the distance, the Jurchen army was also increasing in number, and judging by the pace, it was really going to reach 100,000 men...

Su Wu also climbed to a higher place, to look out into the distance and study the enemy's various forces...

In the distance, the Jurchen camps stretched far and wide, and the camps were constantly being fortified, with trenches and tunnels being dug around them, seemingly indicating a strong emphasis on defense...

Su Wu frowned as well. It seemed that the last battle had made the Jurchens more conservative. The Jurchens had been very aggressive in war in recent years, and Su Wu was not used to their sudden conservatism.

This attack is certainly difficult, and directly besieging the city in front of such a large army is not a good strategy...

Su Wu had considered countless ways to fight this battle, but with few clues, he was inevitably overwhelmed with worry...

In his entire life, Su Wu had never fought such a difficult battle. In the past, no matter how difficult the battle, he at least had some strategic ideas in mind. Today, Su Wu couldn't even clearly define a strategic idea...

This is exactly the situation I'm most worried about: heavily fortified, a protracted and indecisive battle. To be honest, Su Wu actually prefers Wanyan Zonghan in the beginning, who is extremely aggressive and just rushes forward recklessly.

In the distant Jurchen camp, discussions about war were also taking place...

Many military generals gathered together.

Su Wu is also returning to camp; a meeting is about to begin—a pre-battle meeting…

Su Wu had not expected the Jurchens to have the method of "submitting a memorial to submit as vassals," and even though the tent was full of people, no one had anticipated this.

As mortals, we cannot possibly know everything in the world.

How could the Jurchens, who rose to power in such a way, truly be uncivilized savages from the mountains and forests?

The Jurchens were never lacking in strategy and tactics; the hardships Yue Fei endured in history are proof of this…

(Brothers, a new month has begun, so I'm still asking for votes at the beginning of the month. I'll update a little earlier today, and now I'm going to the hospital to check up...)
(End of this chapter)