Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 354 Human hearts are worth having…

Yelü Yudu was naturally in a state of utter distress. He was a skilled warrior and had been a very good general in the past on the battlefield against the Jurchens.

If the Jurchens hadn't been driven to desperation by Emperor Yelü Yanxi, their conquest of the Liao Dynasty wouldn't have been so swift. Back then, Zhongjing Dading Prefecture was still impregnable, and the war would have continued. Whether the Liao Dynasty would have truly perished was another matter entirely...

Therefore, Yelü Yudu knew in his heart that he would be in the most dangerous situation at any time in this great battle. The Jurchens treated him as cannon fodder, while the Song people treated him as an easy target.

The Liao soldiers under my command, who were once numerous, are now reduced to just over 20,000. The brothers are not really motivated to fight. Why is that?

Firstly, it comes from the difference in status; a vassal is a vassal, and a master is a master.

Most importantly, the Jurchen "pyramid scheme" collapsed, just like a snowball that had been rolling and suddenly stopped.

If this pyramid scheme doesn't collapse and continues its rapid growth, these surrendered Liao soldiers will soon become high-ranking officials, their lives will have a purpose, their fighting spirit will rise, and they will be happy to hear of war.

Once the pyramid scheme stops growing, where will the morale of these low-level soldiers in Liaoning be?

Take today, for example. We are still fighting to the death, and we are the first to bear the brunt. Even if we win, there will be no property to seize or divide, not to mention the morale of the army.

Many bandits also share similarities with this pattern, such as Li Zicheng, who could win a hundred times but could not afford to lose even once...

Yelü Yudu was aware of these circumstances, but he was helpless. He also sat in the back, and from time to time he would turn his head and see Wanyan Zongwang, who was overseeing the battle not far behind.

Wanyan Zongwang was also looking at him; the two were about seventy or eighty paces apart when they exchanged a glance.

Both were incredibly intelligent, and they met each other's gaze instantly, though it was hard to tell if they were truly looking at each other. Yet, they both seemed to understand each other's thoughts to some extent.

Yelü Yudu turned around, sighed, looked around, and shouted, "Brothers, follow me to the front wall of the stockade!"

Those around him were Yelü Yudu's most trusted confidants, and some even came to advise him: "The commander's safety is of utmost importance, there's no need for this..."

Yelü Yudu waved his hand: "Let's go!"

Yelü Yudu also knew that the Song people's current battle was just a probing attack, and he recognized the attacking army at a glance as the Shiwei, the black carts of the grasslands.

Then they absolutely cannot lose, and even a poor performance is unacceptable, otherwise their death might be imminent, and they might die at the hands of the Jurchens.

Yelü Yudu understood a principle even more clearly: if the Jurchens continued to win, he might be allowed to live a few more days.

Once the Jurchens started to lose and things didn't go smoothly, they became less tolerant of Yelü Yudu.

The principle is simple; it relates to strength and self-confidence. Human nature dictates that the stronger one is, the more tolerant one is; conversely, the weaker one is, the less self-confident one is, and the less tolerant one becomes.

Yelü Yudu personally donned heavy armor and arrived at the foot of the stockade wall, surrounded by over 20,000 former Liao troops.

Outside the village, the sound of drums was already ringing out.

The vanguard numbered only a little over a thousand, but their armor made a clattering sound as they walked, along with the scraping of the armor plates.

Seven or eight thousand Shiwei followed behind.

The arrows came first, mostly fired by the Shiwei people. They were not very powerful, and although they occasionally hit the target, few were fatal.

Inside the village, arrows were returned.

It was inevitable that they would fight amongst themselves. Speaking of which, how could Yelü Yudu's forces not have the Shiwei people of the Black Cart? Although there weren't many, they were indeed there.

It is also said that Yelü Yudu and the Shiwei king Moergen were acquaintances in the past. Although their relationship was not extremely close, they were indeed quite familiar with each other.

To be honest, Yelü Yudu hadn't really fought many battles with the Liao people, except for the one at Dading Prefecture. That battle wasn't very intense either, because the city was captured quickly.

Now that things have come to this, the Song army's vanguard has been constantly crossing the trenches and is almost upon them, but Yelü Yudu's mind is still filled with many thoughts, and he is not at all like someone facing battle.

Inside and outside the stockade walls, spears began to thrust at each other. The Song army's vanguard naturally set up their ladders, and countless soldiers climbed them in an instant. The Shiwei soldiers from the Black Cart also came forward to fight, and climbed up their ladders as well!

In an instant, there were deaths and injuries, and bloodshed ensued!
Although he was right beneath the stockade walls, Yelü Yudu did not actually rush forward to fight, still lost in thought...

Although the morale of the soldiers in the stronghold was low, they were all veterans who had fought many battles, so they were not far behind in this defensive battle.

Yelü Yudu was somewhat surprised, saying that it was normal for the Song army to advance wave after wave.

To everyone's surprise, the people of Shiwei who drove the black car actually kept climbing the stockade wall one after another. How could this not be unexpected?

Why would the people of Shiwei be so willing to risk their lives for the Song people?

Immediately, Yelü Yudu also wanted to return. The Xu Shiwei people were not serving the Song people, but serving the former Liao Dynasty...

Thinking of this, Yelü Yudu felt even more distressed...

Suddenly, Yelü Yudu heard someone beside him excitedly calling out, "Little brother, is that you, little brother?"

Yelü Yudu turned his head and looked at the old soldier from the Shiwei tribe, a trusted warrior beside him.

Following his excited gaze through the gap in the stockade, a man holding a gun outside the stockade also trembled, his eyes darting left and right before he exclaimed with joy, "It's me! It's me! Big brother! Big brother, you're not dead?"

After two shouts, the young man outside the village stopped thrusting his spear, and the spearmen inside the village also paused, with many people looking back and forth...

"Young brother, how is everything at home...?"

"Okay, big brother, everything's fine..."

What a scene this is...

It's called a coincidence, but how much of a coincidence is there? If the fighting continues like this, how could it not happen? Out of the more than 20,000 people in the village, there are at least five or six hundred Shiwei people in black carts; it's bound to happen eventually…

Yelü Yudu turned around and said, "You, go to the back!"

This was, of course, a military order. But looking at the eldest brother in the stronghold, tears were streaming down his face. He glanced at Yelü Yudu, but did not disobey. He simply cried out, "Brothers, please don't kill my little brother..."

The people around remained silent, only slightly taken aback.

The older man then shouted to the crowd, "Little brother, stop climbing! Go to the back..."

The younger brother stood there dumbfounded, watching his older brother walk away and disappear into the crowd, still shouting, "Don't climb in..."

However, there was also a Shiwei officer outside the opposite village, who shouted, "You turn back too..."

It was just a minor incident; the fighting continues, and the stockade wall still needs to be climbed...

Inside the stronghold, we still have to fight!
The Song soldiers were also extremely brave. They climbed up the high stockade walls, and some of them, even those a dozen or so feet high, would jump over them without hesitation.

Some people on the stockade walls, watching their comrades leap down in front of them, began to lower the long ladders from outside the stockade towards the inside, as if to say that the military orders had been given that they needed a way out.

Inside the stronghold, the fighting was deafening, no different from the battle that had just taken place.

Lu Da had already leaped in, charging left and right like a battering ram, truly unmatched in combat.

From within the village, the sound of drums was already as dense as rain, and in the distance, the shouts of the Jurchens could be heard, driving the Liao people to fight bravely.

Looking back, the Jurchen had a long sword in hand, raised high. Although he didn't actually slash at these old Liao soldiers, his strictness in supervising the battle was evident. If they didn't fight bravely, how could the Jurchen not take up their swords and kill them?
Those who were being driven from behind pushed forward, and those in front were pushed even further forward.

The Song and Shiwei soldiers who had just crossed over immediately felt immense pressure, being compressed under the stockade walls and unable to advance. No matter how high Lu Da's combat strength was, it was difficult for him to lead the army to charge forward for a short time.

Such was the nature of the fierce battle.

Far outside the stronghold, Su Wu stood on a slightly higher spot, observing the battle, actually calculating the time; he knew that victory wouldn't be easily achieved...

But retreat cannot be too easy; a fierce battle must be fought, a battle so intense it appears as if the fight to the death has failed, before the retreat is called.

The sheer number of Shiwei people who risked their lives surprised Su Wu. He knew the Shiwei people might risk their lives, but he didn't know they would risk their lives like this...

It's clear that over the years, the Shiwei of the Black Cart have developed a strong sense of identification with the Khitan Liao Dynasty, a feeling akin to that of a motherland or mother country. In truth, Su Wu knew much more…

Historically, after the Jin dynasty destroyed the Liao dynasty, there were countless uprisings and rebellions. Some Liao people even led their troops on a long journey of thousands of miles, traveling by day and night, crossing mountains and valleys to surrender to the Southern Song dynasty.

Among the best of them, one is called "Kuoli" and the other is called "Zhaba".

Unexpectedly, they actually succeeded. They went through many trials and tribulations, fighting their way through various places, like a long march. The hardships and difficulties they faced are beyond description.

When they arrived in the Southern Song Dynasty, the two became the vanguard of the Southern Song army and fought to the death against the Jin army.

As for the Liao generals and officials who went directly to the Song Dynasty when the Liao Dynasty fell, they were countless.

This also shows that even after the fall of their kingdoms, the Khitans, or the Liao people, still had many loyal followers, even pillars of the nation.

It's just that very few people know this.

Even between the Song and Liao dynasties, the so-called brotherly states did not fight for a hundred years, and there was actually some affection between them.

Just like the Shiwei people in the black carts before Su Wu at this moment, they were truly risking their lives, without a doubt.

Su Wu felt a surge of joy, but then sighed, "This defeat, staged like this, seems all the more real..."

Wu Yong, who was standing nearby, nodded in agreement: "It's quite unexpected. Perhaps it's because we arrived in time, and the Liao people's morale hasn't collapsed yet... If we had come a few years later, this scene probably wouldn't be the same..."

Su Wu remained noncommittal, only saying, "The people's hearts are worth considering..."

They also harbored a great deal of hatred. At this time, the Jurchens' methods of rule were mainly based on coercion and force. The nearby tribes, such as the Heichezi and Shiwei, which had once been on good terms with the Khitans, suffered greatly as a result.

Wu Yong succinctly put it: "It is only because Your Majesty's power extends throughout the land that the Shiwei people dare to fight like this!"

"Hmph..." Su Wu smiled slightly, looked around, and said, "Sound the retreat!"

As he spoke, Su Wu turned to look at the Jurchen cavalry in the distance to the north. He looked at them very carefully; there were thirty to forty thousand of them, and they were indeed well-trained.

These Jurchens are elite cavalry when mounted and elite infantry when dismounted. They are incredibly fierce and brave in battle, truly causing headaches for their opponents.

The sound of retreating troops rang out, but the retreat from the distant battlefield was not like a receding tide; instead, it was rather slow.

The Shiwei people seemed unwilling to retreat, while Lu Da held the rear, urging the soldiers around him to climb the ladder and get out, while fighting fiercely on both sides at the front.

The soldiers inside the stronghold, seeing the enemy retreating, seemed to lack the excitement of pursuing and killing them. They could only breathe a sigh of relief, as if the battle was finally over...

Yelü Yudu showed little joy on his face, but quickly went to find Wanyan Zongwang's banner.

He simply stepped forward and reported, "Your Highness, the Song army has been defeated and is retreating. Should we launch an attack to pursue them?"

Wanyan Zongwang did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked at the Song cavalry gathering outside the camp and pondered for a while before saying, "No need. Retreating without disorder is probably a tactic to lure the enemy. Just hold the camp!"

Wanyan Zongwang was already more conservative than Wanyan Zonghan, and now he has become even more conservative. Given the current situation, there is really no need to fight a decisive battle with the Song people.

If they were to launch an attack to pursue them, and the Song cavalry were to send a unit to fight, the Jurchen cavalry would inevitably have to move as well. Once they moved, the entire force would be mobilized, and it would be unlikely that the situation could be reversed.

Then it would truly be a fight to the death, leaving everything to fate, with the outcome uncertain.

The current defensive posture already represents a victory in the first round.

Upon hearing this, Yelü Yudu felt a sense of relief; it was for the best that they didn't pursue them.

We should be able to have a few days of peace, but I don't know how many more days of peace we can have.

"Yes, sir!" Yelü Yudu replied politely and respectfully, his posture extremely humble.

Wanyan Zongwang waved his hand and said, "Hmm... Go ahead, take stock of the losses, collect the spoils, treat the wounded, and reassure your men!"

"Yes, sir!" Yelü Yudu simply obeyed and turned to get back to work.

The troops were withdrawing, and the Song army began to enter the camp, while the Jin army also slowly followed suit.

Wanyan Zongbi returned, and the brothers took their seats inside the main tent.

Wanyan Zonghan was overjoyed: "With such a battle situation, it's a pipe dream for the Song people to think they can win! This time the Song people know how powerful they are! It's just a pity that Su Wu attacked the Khitan camp. If he had attacked our camp, how could we have let him retreat so easily?"

As he spoke, Wanyan Zonghan cursed again: "The Liao people are utterly useless. They can't even kill more people like this, and they still let the Liao retreat so easily!"

Wanyan Zongbi remarked, "There's no need to be angry. They should be rewarded to appease the Liao people..."

Wanyan Zongwang looked at Wanyan Zongbi and nodded with satisfaction: "Yes, Wuzhu is right. We should still reward them. Let's see how much money the army has and allocate some of it... Yelü Yudu has done his best..."

"That bastard, I'll kill him sooner or later!" For some reason, Wanyan Zonghan felt uneasy...

Killing is inevitable; the only question is when. Yelü Yudu could never truly gain the Jurchens' trust.

Historically, Yelü Yudu, without much thought, also attempted to launch a rebellion in the end, but he was closely monitored by the Jurchens, and his plan failed, resulting in his death.

Perhaps it was as if the Jurchens were waiting for him to do it, and that once he did, the secret would be exposed. They were waiting for this flaw and excuse.

Because this was done by Wanyan Xiyin... If Wanyan Xiyin was behind it, then it was most likely a trap from the start...

When Wanyan Zonghan said he wanted to kill Yelü Yudu, no one objected. Only Wanyan Zongwang said, "Give him the reward first... Wuzhu, go and do it quickly, there's no need to delay."

Wanyan Zongbi immediately turned around and started working.

Unable to win the first battle, the two sides were once again locked in a stalemate, with only a few skirmishes between the cavalry, some winning and some losing.

A few days later, late at night, outside the battlefield, in the northern mountains and forests, a hundred or so strong Khitan men were moving about...

After traveling for a long time, they finally emerged from the mountains and forests at the first light of dawn. The place they came out of was far to the side of the Jurchen rear guard.

He was immediately discovered by the Jurchen cavalry.

The leader was not old. Upon seeing the Jurchen cavalry, he knelt on the ground, raised his hands, and shouted, "Please see Commander Yelü Yudu!"

They were speaking Jurchen, albeit awkwardly, but it was truly...

After several days of training by Wu Yong, the Khitan noble boy, Saba, arrived!
The first step was simple and commonplace: countless Liao people, from Huanglong Prefecture down to Dading Prefecture, surrendered to the Jurchens...

The ranger first summoned a squad of knights to guard the area, and then went to report.

After a short while, Saba led a hundred or so Khitans and followed the Jurchens to the main camp.

At this very moment, in Tokyo.

It was early morning, and the city gates had only been open for a short while when a troop of fast riders entered and headed straight for the residence of Qin Hui, the Imperial Censor.

Qin Hui had just gotten up and was having breakfast when he was about to go to the Censorate for his shift.

Thus, it was a letter that ended up in Qin Hui's hands.

Qin Hui opened the package and looked at it. He was first shocked, and then his brows furrowed.

Big deal!

This matter was entrusted to Qin Hui, which surprised even Qin Hui himself.

This issue……

He decided to postpone his trip to the Censorate and head straight to his father-in-law's house first to discuss the matter. Qin Hui was at a loss, his thoughts a jumble of complex emotions, unsure where to begin...

(Brothers, this is an early update today, only managing to write 4,600 words because my daughter is having a minor surgery this afternoon. Please forgive me...)
(End of this chapter)