Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 366 The King's loyalty is definitely a fool's errand...

A troop of fast riders came from the north, from the territory of the Mogeshi people, and quickly arrived at the walls of Datong, shouting: "Open the gates, military intelligence is here!"

This was a common occurrence during this period, as the Prince of Yan was engaged in fierce battles in the north. Various military intelligence reports and official documents requesting the allocation of provisions were coming and going in great numbers, and the soldiers and officers guarding the city walls were quite accustomed to it.

For some reason, the gate remained closed for a long time today, and the man on the city wall looked troubled, saying only, "Brother, please wait a moment while I report to my superior..."

The swift cavalrymen below the city walls found it somewhat strange, but they didn't think much of it and simply waited...

After waiting for a long time, he finally spoke up and asked, "Is your superior really that difficult to report to?"

The captain on the city wall replied, "Brother, you don't know this, but a high-ranking official has arrived in Dongjing. Now, all matters, big and small, must be reported to him. He is the prime minister of Dongjing, so naturally, things are very slow..."

"What husband is greater than my Prince Yan?" The cavalrymen below the city were already somewhat displeased, but they did not make things difficult for the captains on the city walls.

"Brother, wait a bit... Perhaps that gentleman wants to come himself!" The captain had guessed as much, because that gentleman had been coming up to the city wall from time to time lately, saying he was inspecting the city's defenses, but he didn't make things difficult for anyone. That gentleman seemed to be in a pretty good mood lately...

"Understood!" The leader of the fast cavalry below the city was helpless and annoyed, but he didn't say anything.

After waiting for a long time, the official himself came up to the city wall. He went to the crenellations, looked down and left and right, and shouted, "I am the Right Vice Minister of the Imperial Court. What is it? Speak directly! Is your army about to return?"

Upon hearing this, the swift cavalryman below the city replied, "It is precisely because the army is about to return in triumph that they will arrive in Datong tomorrow evening or early the day after tomorrow. All preparations must be made within the city!"

When tens of thousands of troops pass through an important town, there is naturally a great deal of preparation and reception work to be done. At the very least, the army must be given a hot and good meal. His Highness the Prince of Yan has always treated his soldiers very well in these aspects.

Upon hearing this, the official on the city wall was overjoyed, as if he had been waiting for it for a long time. He immediately said, "Go back and tell your Prince Yan that the Emperor and all the officials in the court will be concerned about his crime of rebellion. Tell him to reflect on his actions and to acknowledge his crime when he arrives at the city walls!"

"What!" The scouts below the city cried out, their voices rising several octaves.

The soldiers on the city wall were stunned for a moment, thinking they had misheard. Hadn't they received good news just a few days ago?
It is said that His Highness Prince Yan achieved a great victory over the Jurchens in Linhuang Prefecture, capturing the entire city. He also gained the support of many grassland tribes, and many Khitans were grateful. When the news of the victory arrived, the whole city was filled with celebration, and all the soldiers and men were proud of it.

Why are the people of Datong so happy? The reason is simple: after several wars, the Jurchens have even broken into the city and burned, killed, and looted. How could the Jurchens not be Datong's deep-seated enemy?
Why is it that the Prince of Yan is now guilty? Is this an attempt to punish him?
Wang Fu suddenly hardened his face, glanced around, and looked down: "Tell Su Wu that if he does not reflect on his crime of rebellion when the imperial army of 100,000 arrives here, we will not let him off the hook!"

Those below the city were stunned. Before the leader could speak, a hot-tempered young man raised his hand and pointed, shouting, "You son of a bitch, what are you? How dare you speak to my king like that?"

On the city wall, Prime Minister Wang Fu was furious and said, "This is also for you soldiers to hear, and for all soldiers to know that this is the Emperor's will, the Emperor's punishment. If you still want to return home safely and reunite with your families, if you still want to be upright citizens of the Great Song Dynasty, you must know how to choose in this matter. Associating with rebellious people is an unforgivable crime, and no amount of merit can make up for it!"

Wang Fu was really showing his power. With this kind of intimidation, not to mention the soldiers, even Zhang Xiaochun was so frightened that he was speechless. Wang Bing didn't dare to say a word. What's so scary about scaring a few soldiers?
Furthermore, these soldiers should also take their words back to Su Wu's army and spread them throughout the army so that all soldiers know that they must not cause any trouble this time. If Su Wu insists on going his own way and the army runs out of food and mutinies, it will all be Su Wu's fault. It was Su Wu who led them to such a desperate situation!

Wang Fu was afraid that Su Wu would strictly control his troops and use rumors to deceive and mislead the army. Therefore, he had to do everything in advance so that Su Wu would have no way to do anything.

Wang Fuzi added, "You soldiers, as long as you don't cause trouble, this matter has nothing to do with you. In the end, we will forgive your past mistakes and your military merits will not be diminished!"

As soon as Wang Fu finished speaking, the soldiers on the city wall stared at him in disbelief, all their eyes fixed on him...

There's no other reason than that I simply can't understand it...

His face and his heart were filled with confusion. What was going on?
The captain hurriedly whispered to the person beside him, "Quickly, quickly, go and invite the chief steward here..."

They didn't understand, and dared not ask the prime minister too many questions, so they could only quickly invite their own steward, Wang.

The riders below the city walls understood perfectly this time: it seemed that Datong City was forbidding them from leaving, and the official on the city walls was forbidding them from returning home…

The leader was still frowning when the young man burst out cursing: "You son of a bitch, you treacherous villain, how dare you frame my king! You stay here, you stay here, and see if my knife can cut your neck off!"

How could Wang Fu not be furious upon hearing this? He had no intention of getting angry with these brutes. These peasants were uneducated, ignorant of the ways of the world, and their words were useless. He had already tolerated them enough. Yet they were still so rude. He had no one to blame but himself.

Wang Fu immediately shouted, "You audacious traitor! How dare you act so presumptuously! Men, fire arrows and kill this scoundrel!"

Wang Fu had given the order and looked around, only to find everyone around him staring blankly.

"Shoot the arrows!" Wang Fu roared.

The soldiers still seemed to have low intelligence, unable to understand human language, and stood there dumbfounded.

Wang Fu was furious. He went around looking for the captain from earlier, looking left and right, but where was the captain?
The captain had already sensed that things were not going well, so he took a few steps back and hid behind a few soldiers.

Wang Fu himself didn't know the man's name, and couldn't call out to him even if he wanted to. He just kept raging: "Fine, fine! I, a dignified Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, can't even command you soldiers? This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! Are you all traitors too? Huh? You are all traitors?"

The soldiers stood there dumbfounded, just as the man had imagined. They were all fools, uncultured and low-IQ, who didn't care when scolded, and didn't fear being called traitors...

But then they heard someone below the city wall shouting, "You son of a bitch, I'll definitely come and kill you!"

It was only after the cavalry leader below the city gave the order that he turned around and left immediately to report the matter to the king. The young man, still furious, had no choice but to turn back and leave quickly, and could only utter a harsh remark.

On the city wall, only Wang Fu was raging: "You thieving convicts, you don't read the books of sages, you don't know the great principles of family and country, you don't know the importance of the nation, you are unworthy of being human! You are worse than pigs and dogs!"

It was Wang Bing who arrived. The soldiers on either side pushed him aside, and he bowed forward, saying, "My lord, please forgive me! I don't know what I have done to offend you so much!"

When Wang Bing arrived, he was naturally asking for a scolding. He heard the cursing: "Was it you? Was it you who gave the soldiers the order long ago? Huh? Was it you who secretly made peace with Su Wu behind my back? I've known for a long time that you are Su Wu's accomplice in the rebellion. Isn't that you? You deserve to have your family wiped out and your clan exterminated. How dare you do this?"

Wang Bing was genuinely terrified and kept bowing, saying, "My lord, you are wise. I did not tell the soldiers about these things beforehand, so they were naturally confused. How could they possibly shoot arrows at their own comrades? My lord, such an important matter must have been explained clearly beforehand. How could the soldiers have dared to act recklessly..."

That made some sense. Wang Fu's anger subsided slightly. He stood with his hands on his hips, glaring angrily to the left and right, and said, "You all better behave yourselves. You better behave yourselves. Don't really get charged with being accomplices of a traitor, or we'll have your heads rolled around!"

"No, no, I would never dare!" Wang Bing bowed repeatedly.

"This afternoon, a group of men from Hebei will arrive. Leave the defenses of the north city to them, and you can go to the south city!" Wang Fu knew that these men were not to be trusted. He had known this for a long time, so he was mobilizing troops everywhere. Several waves would arrive this afternoon, and even more tomorrow. Just replace the city defenses, and there would be no problem.

It was also because Prime Minister Wang's military orders were strict, and those who delayed or missed the deadline would be executed, which really frightened many generals, and they rushed over!

"Understood!" Wang Bing bowed respectfully, feeling utterly helpless. He had long witnessed the oppressive and chaotic policies of the imperial court. How could the great bandit Fang La have risen up in Liangzhe back then?

How could this not be caused by the imperial court?
I thought that with Su Wu's rise to power, things would gradually improve in the court.

I never imagined things would turn out this way.

Wang Bing also asked, "Sir, with an army of 100,000 approaching, what should we do about the provisions?"

Wang Bing truly believed that an army of 100,000 was coming. Where would he get so much food and supplies?
Of course, even if there weren't 100,000 troops, but only 60,000 or 70,000, Wang Bing would have no surplus grain left. Any surplus grain he had was sent to Su Wu, and it would be good enough if he could even feed the soldiers in Datong. If 100,000 troops really came, how could he possibly support them?
Wang Fu was taken aback upon hearing this and asked, "There are so many prefectures and counties in Hedong. How come you were able to supply Su Wu with grain, but when the imperial army arrived, there was no grain left?"

Clearly, Wang Fu couldn't solve this problem, and neither could the imperial court. After several chaotic events, the imperial court in Bianjing (Kaifeng) was practically an empty shell in terms of finances and revenue. If it weren't for the supplies from the southern prefectures, Bianjing would have run out of food, and officials would have been owed back pay.

Wang Bing was also stunned for a moment. What was going on?

The imperial court mobilized such a large army, yet... they didn't even consider logistics and supplies?
An army marches on its stomach!
How come the troops have been mobilized, but there's not a single grain of food?
Is this...reasonable?

Wang Bing had to explain further: "My lord, this campaign against the Jurchens involved tens of thousands of troops. The cost is unimaginable. The prefectures of Hedong are already overburdened. To defeat the Jurchens, we have mobilized... half the nation's resources. How can so many prefectures possibly raise the necessary funds..."

Wang Fu was clearly unaware of the exact amount of manpower and resources Su Wu had spent on this expedition!

“You…you mustn’t try to fob me off!” Wang Fu said again.

Wang Bing's face appeared to be weeping: "My lord, you are a scholar, how could you not know that when Emperor Wu of Han attacked the Xiongnu, he used all the granaries in the country, and the expenses were so great that he had to implement the salt and iron policy to raise money and grain, and even the policy of 'reporting wealth' to collect money. It was the strength of the whole country! Today, when the Prince of Yan sweeps the north, how can it not be the same? The expenses are so great that they are countless and incalculable. We have exhausted all our strength just to barely fulfill our duties. Where in Hedong can we get any more grain and fodder?"

Wang Bing was also puzzled. How could this gentleman be so ignorant about these matters?
After all, he was once a prime minister. How could he not know what a huge project it was to travel thousands of miles beyond the Great Wall?
Wang Fu was momentarily speechless. After all, he had been a prime minister; it was impossible for him to be completely ignorant. Back when Su Wu went to war against the Dangxiang, he had been involved in planning the finances and provisions.

Wang Fu then said, "Do you think I don't know that you generals are corrupt? How much money and grain have actually been consumed by the soldiers? Humph!"

Wang Fu's words were a matter of face; how could a prime minister be controlled by a mere military general?

In this Great Song Dynasty, what kind of people are the civil and military officials? Everyone knows. It's not a big deal. Who would dare to say they are truly incorruptible?

Wang Bing wore a bitter expression, his heart filled with unbearable shock!

He could only stare blankly at Wang Fu, unable to utter any words of apology or self-defense; his attempt at self-justification was futile...

Seeing that Wang Bing was stunned, Wang Fu realized he was right and said, "I'm too lazy to say more. Two things. First, you must hand over the grain and fodder, whether it comes from your own pocket or is allocated from your own army. Second, every prefecture in Hedong, starting from Taiyuan, must transport grain and fodder, and you must also pay them. I will personally send people to each prefecture to supervise and urge them on. Anyone who dares to shirk their duties will be an accomplice of Su Wu's rebellion!"

Wang Bing suddenly became sensitive. It wasn't anything else, just one thing: Wang Fu had been using the same words to describe Su Wu's rebellion. He didn't know when the word "treason" had started being used.

Wang Bing's heart sank. Treason? How could he say such a thing so casually?
Rebellion! Rebellion!

Wang Bing suddenly felt powerless, as if his heart had turned to ashes. This gentleman, he truly didn't know what to say...

Where can we squeeze any more oil from the east bank of the river? Ever since the war broke out in the north, from the Battle of Yan and Yun to the Battle of the Tanguts, and now to the war to sweep the north...

Wu Yong first brought Wu Song to scavenge for grain and fodder. Later, Wang Bing and Zhang Xiaochun continuously raised funds here. There was a lot of money in the Hedong region, and the Prince of Yan spent it all here, but the grain and fodder were truly exhausted this year.

If they still want to extract oil, then it will cost people their lives, the lives of ordinary people!

Do we really have to do that?

Wang Bing looked at Wang Fu, feeling utterly powerless, unable even to sigh...

He seemed to see a large ship crashing into the reef!

Are the people of Hedong really less prosperous than those of Liangzhe? If we really squeeze them like this, won't the people of Hedong riot? Wang Bing made up his mind and decided to advise again: "Sir, Hedong is out of grain. It would be best to urgently transfer grain from Hebei... or even urgently from Dongjing!"

Hebei had already suffered a devastating attack from the Jurchens, so it was a place that couldn't be touched. The capital region had grain supplies from the south, so it was unlikely that any more could be mobilized.

"Nonsense! At this moment, to transfer grain from the capital? Isn't that a joke? You've already swallowed it, can't you spit it out?" Wang Fu was furious. It seems he really won't shed tears until he sees the coffin. It seems he really has to file a report and punish Wang Bing.

Wang Bing was helpless, speechless. Fine, fine, divide it up. His troops were already stretched thin; any further division would be...

Actually, there was one place where some grain could be transferred to help in this emergency: Yanyun. Originally, Wang Bing could have transferred some, but now that things are like this, he can't...

We should be grateful that Yan and Yun didn't send troops to attack, why would they want to transfer grain?

In fact, most of the grain from Yanyun was supplied by JD.com!
The food supplies for JD.com employees are something they could never afford...

Upon realizing this, Wang Bing was suddenly alarmed. It seemed that Xu Guanzhong was indeed planning to send troops to attack from the Yan Yun Prince's residence...

Wang Bing looked up and glanced at Wang Fu again...

"Why are you staring at me like that? Are you going to rebel too? Huh? Hurry up and prepare the provisions!" Wang Fu's words had truly enraged the soldiers. In the past, which soldier would dare to speak to the prime minister like that?

Even Di Qing, who once served as the Privy Councilor, had to refer to himself as "this humble man" when speaking to Chancellor Han Qi!

They are all lackeys of the sect, how dare they act like this?
"Yes, sir!" Wang Bing bowed respectfully. "Go and prepare the provisions..."

At that point, there will likely be unrest in the military...

Wang Bing turned his head and looked down at the steps leading down from the city. He was puzzled, truly puzzled... This world was a little abnormal!

I don't know where I went wrong!

What went wrong?

They even asked, "Where exactly did the problem go wrong?"
This country is perfectly fine, even though it's not so good and has many problems, but it doesn't have to be like this. Why does it have to be like this?
Why insist on crashing into the reef?
Why must we create chaos in the world?

As Wang Bing walked, he seemed to be in a trance, a walking corpse, his mind filled with these questions that he couldn't shake off.

Tomorrow night, or the morning after tomorrow, the Yan King's army will arrive outside Datong City.

Wang Bing actually wanted to salvage the situation and salvage it, but he truly didn't know what to do...

Meanwhile, in the north, more than a hundred miles away, the fast riders took turns riding, and returned in a few hours, reporting the matter to Su Wu in person.

Su Wu already knew this, but he would not take the initiative to tell the soldiers about it.

They were to rush over with the news, which was a bolt from the blue!

When the news reached the surrounding soldiers, they were all incredulous.

It was Liu Keshi who said, "What...what's going on? Didn't the victory report go back? We've already captured Linhuang Prefecture, we've won a great victory over the Jurchens, could it be that the victory report hasn't reached Tokyo yet? Or...is there some treacherous official causing trouble? This...this..."

It was also Liu Zhengyan who said: "Could it be that this time, we are really going to force the King to his death under the walls of Datong?"

Yao Pingzhong also said, "I had already guessed there would be difficulties, but I never expected it to be this difficult. Since ancient times, those who achieve great merit and overshadow their masters have met a tragic end! Alas..."

It was also Lu Da who said: "This emperor is heartless and rotten-hearted! My brother has been so loyal to the country, and this is how he treats me! I say, let's beat him up! Do you think my brother will really commit suicide under the walls of Datong? Beat him up, I don't believe he can't go home!"

Lu Da launched into a tirade, cursing the emperor himself. Some were initially shocked, but others joined in the cursing. Lin Chong also chimed in, "This world is already rotten to the core. If we push it too far, what's the point of rebuilding the world?"

Liu Keshi quickly came to persuade him: "Hey, don't talk nonsense, you mustn't talk nonsense!"

Wu Yong said in one sentence: "Hmph, our wealth and honor all depend on the King. If the King really leaves, we will be nothing more than fish on a chopping board. If he really forces us too much, then why not fight for the merit of following the emperor? If the Emperor Zhao can lead his troops into the capital, why can't we!"

Su Wu rebuked them, saying, "Stop talking nonsense! If you say another word, I'll cut your heads off! I'll go to Datong first and plead your case. Just beg for forgiveness and confess your sins. At least I can bring all my brothers home with me."

"Brother!" Lu Da wanted to say more.

Su Wu angrily shouted, "Shut up! Keep going and try to reach Datong by noon tomorrow! No one is allowed to say another word! Order the entire army to be silent on the road!"

Everyone had no choice but to remain silent.

Just waiting for the night...

The campfires were burning, and groups of soldiers were eating their dinner around them.

The generals patrolled back and forth, and the commander walked around everywhere, uttering countless words and cursing all around.

One of the constables, holding a bowl, stood by the campfire and cursed at the soldiers: "You still won't let us go home? You want the king to confess his crimes and submit to the law? What crime has the king committed? What crime has the king committed? You idiots must be tired of living!"

"Captain, yes, what crime has our king committed? Why does the Emperor think our king is guilty?"

"Innocent! Your Majesty has committed no crime whatsoever. It's because Your Majesty has performed too many merits, because Your Majesty is too capable, that someone is jealous of our King! Don't you understand?"

"Captain, what should we do about His Majesty?"

"Hmph! What does the king mean by going to apologize? Apologizing just means being taken advantage of, just being slaughtered. It's better for the king to lead us home. Once we're back in Jingdong, who can bully us?"

"Does Your Majesty truly intend to go and apologize?"

"His Majesty may not want to implicate us, but we cannot let His Majesty suffer!"

"That's right, that's right! We men of Jingdong are righteous and chivalrous! If our King Zhenjiao is captured and threatened with beatings and killings by those people, how can we face our fellow villagers?"

"Yes, if the King is allowed to be manipulated like this, what good days will we have in the future? Won't we, the people of Jingdong, be bullied by others in the future?"

"I'm afraid that Your Majesty... he... I'm afraid that Your Majesty is loyal and righteous. Who doesn't know that Your Majesty is loyal and righteous? If that happens, those treacherous officials will really get their hands on you... That's how the world is. The more honest a person is, the more they will be bullied!"

"Hey, Captain, go and talk to him, try to persuade the King..."

"I...where can I go to explain? How can I possibly pay my respects? At the very least, I should be appointed as the commander..."

"Then let's go find the commander and let him speak to us!"

"Let's go!"

"Let's go!"

The area in front of the battalion commander's tent was already crowded with people, and it was extremely noisy.

The commander also said, "How can I persuade the king to go? Brothers, aren't you making things difficult for him?"

"Commander, then go and find the military commander. This time, Your Majesty must not let those bad people take advantage of you. Those people only bully honest people. They only dare to do this because they see Your Majesty's loyalty and righteousness. If it were anyone else, do you think they would dare to do it?"

"You all go back, I'll go, I'll go find the military commander!"

"Go, go quickly... You must stop the King from doing something foolish tomorrow. Who doesn't know the King's reputation for righteousness? He's bound to do something stupid this time, it absolutely won't do! Commander, go and tell the King that we can't go back from here, we'll find another way back!"

"I know, I know, let's go, let's all go back, get out of here..."

The battalion commander then went to find the army commander, whose name was Yang Chun. His tent was also crowded with people.

Yang Chun was also full of worries. Looking at the crowd, he shook his head repeatedly. If it weren't for the strict military orders, which prevented ordinary soldiers from leaving their camps, his place would probably have been surrounded by soldiers long ago.

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, and who didn't have their own thoughts and suggestions?
Some said, "Tomorrow, Commander Yang should speak with the generals and have our army lead the way. We'll surround the King, and then we'll try to stop him by force! The King is loyal and righteous; he'll surely do something foolish tomorrow..."

Yang Chunzhen nodded: "Hmm, this is a good idea. Others might not dare, but I do! What kind of damn court is this? They've rebelled against me! I was a bandit who went up the mountain back in the day. I have some influence with the King. If the King is angry, just kill me! Even if you kill me, don't back down. Do you dare or not? Just hold the King back, and we'll be able to get home!"

"Good, Commander Yang is a hero. If the King kills you, we'll pull you back. Let's see if the King can kill all the heroes of Jingdong!"

"That's outrageous!"

"Once we get back, we'll see who dares to act recklessly before the King. Then we'll kill all those damn bastards!"

“I was a poor villager, and I only got where I am today because I followed the king. I have an official position, a house, a wife and children. In a year or two, I will be able to start school. I have prepared all the necessary things for my tuition. If anyone ruins my future, I will fight them to the death!”

“Your Majesty and we, who among us hasn’t shown you kindness as heavy as a mountain? If we go home alone, Your Majesty will be beaten and killed by others. That means we’ll lose our testicles, and we’ll never be able to get them up again! We’ll never face anyone again, we’ll all hide our testicles in our asses and die! We won’t have the face to see anyone even in death! Our ancestors will be ashamed!”

"Commander Yang, go and find General Lu now, quickly! We must set off tomorrow morning and be at the forefront!"

"Yes, yes, others certainly don't have our courage. If others were to go first, how would they dare to actually stop the King? They certainly wouldn't dare, only we would. If we don't get to the front, then the King will truly be in danger tomorrow!"

"Yes, that makes sense. Commander Yang, hurry up and explain it to General Lu. Once it's cleared up, General Lu will surely let us move forward."

"Alright, alright, you guys wait here, I'll be right back, wait for my message." Yang Chun had already stood up.

Yang Chun went out, and everyone waited anxiously, because they couldn't trust anyone else and only trusted themselves!
(End of this chapter)