Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 368 Fight?
Fire arrows?

On the city wall, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, while the soldiers kept looking at their own generals.

Enraged, Wang Fu roared to his left and right, "Anyone who dares to disobey orders is an accomplice of Su Wu, guilty of treason, and their entire family shall be executed!"

These words startled many soldiers, who actually raised their bows slightly.

Looking down at the city walls, with people pulling, dragging, and hugging, the Prince of Yan was surrounded and was still shouting, "My brothers are so loyal to me! I, Su Wu, am deeply grateful today. Let me go, so that my brothers can go home!"

Lu Da's rough voice also spoke: "In the past, the decision to break through Linhuang Prefecture and return in triumph was made by the army as a whole. Everyone said that was how it should be done. Why is it that now, my brother has to take the blame alone?"

Upon hearing this, the people pulling on either side exerted even more force, and Liu Zhengyan shouted, "Your Majesty, just go back and discuss it again, let's have a long-term plan!"

On the city wall, Zhang Xiaochun was extremely anxious. Seeing that some soldiers on his left and right had raised their crossbows, he hurriedly shouted down again, "Prince Yan, turn back quickly and discuss this again!"

Su Wu looked up and replied, "Thank you, Minister Zhang. Today, I absolutely cannot be a traitor. Heaven and earth bear witness, and the sun and moon are clear!"

"I know, I know! Prince Yan, return immediately!" Zhang Xiaochun shouted, but he was worried about one thing: he feared that the soldiers on the city wall would disobey orders and actually shoot Su Wu to death on the spot.

That would truly cause an uproar throughout the world, bringing pain to loved ones and joy to enemies. The Jurchens would be laughing in their dreams in the middle of the night!
How can the emperor face the people of the world?

If these arrogant and fierce soldiers were to rebel in a fit of anger, wouldn't the world be thrown into chaos?

At this moment, Wang Fu was also extremely anxious. He looked around and saw several generals nearby. He quickly walked over and pointed to one of them, but for a moment he couldn't remember his name. It wasn't that he didn't know him, but he was just not familiar with him. Suddenly, he was so anxious that he couldn't call out his name, so he just shouted, "If you don't obey my orders, then you must be a traitor!"

The general was also unlucky. Seeing the Prime Minister Wang Fu's furious expression, his face turned pale, and being stared at by Wang Fu, he could only slightly raise his hand, wave it lightly, and say softly, "Fire the arrows, just fire the arrows as ordered!"

Behind and around him were his soldiers, who were now drawing their bows and heading towards the battlements. All they could see below the city walls was a vast expanse of people, with bowstrings being pulled taut!

The shouts of Prime Minister Wang Fu could still be heard: "Fire the arrows!"

The soldier shuddered and released the arrow, but he pulled the bowstring lightly, only halfway.

The arrows, though weak, still struck down with a clang, and then, arrows rained down upon them.

Lu Da simply scooped Su Wu into his arms, turned his back to him, and shielded Su Wu beneath him. These arrows, with two layers of armor on his body and three layers on his shoulders, were merely a tickle to Lu Da, but they still left him with bloodshot eyes. He exclaimed, "Damn it, I must kill this bastard!"

He also said, "Let's go, let's retreat first!"

Su Wu was pulled, dragged, and pushed by those around him. He had no way to resist and could only keep moving backward, no matter how unwilling he was.

There are also Su Wu's words: "Prime Minister Wang, why did you shoot arrows and kill people? They are all meritorious soldiers, why did you treat them so cruelly?"

Su Wu's shouts could be heard clearly from the city wall. The bowstring was still being drawn and the arrows were still being shot, but the buzzing of the bowstring was getting softer and softer.

But look at Wang Fu, he was clever. After shooting the arrow, he never stuck his head out of the crenellation again, nor did he look around. He was afraid of being hit by arrows from below. But he kept shouting, "Shoot, shoot quickly, drive these soldiers away, drive them away, drive them away!"

Once the soldiers are driven away, Su Wu will naturally come back up.

That was exactly what Xu Wangfu was thinking. Judging from Su Wu's performance just now, he had clearly got Su Wu under control. Since he had Su Wu under control, Su Wu would definitely come up anyway...

But Su Wu was no longer able to get up. Countless soldiers surrounded and pushed him, and Su Wu was like someone being swept along by the army, being carried along as he went.

The bowstrings gradually stopped moving, and Wang Fu, standing behind the crenellations, asked, "Why did you stop shooting?"

The general replied, "Reporting to the sir, they've retreated; they're too far away to be shot!"

Only then did Wang Fu peek out from the side of the crenellation and see that they had indeed retreated. After looking again, he hurriedly asked, "Where is Su Wu?"

"He...he was swept away by a large group of soldiers!"

"What?" Wang Fu finally revealed his entire face. From a distance, he stomped his foot and cursed, "These scoundrels have ruined things! These scoundrels have ruined things! They are all ungrateful and disloyal. This confirms that Su Wu is plotting a rebellion. Su Wu led the entire army in rebellion!"

No one answered him.

Wang Fu continued, "No problem, no problem. These scoundrels, just wait until they have nothing to eat or drink and can't go home, then let's see how they come begging for food!"

Wang Fu managed to calm himself down, then his eyes swept around, leaving the soldiers looking dazed and dumbfounded, as if they were mentally challenged.

When the generals were glanced at, they all lowered their heads and remained silent, not daring to look at them for long.

I spotted... Zhang Xiaochun!

Wang Fu shouted loudly, "Guards! Seize this traitor's henchman!"

Zhang Xiaochun was not afraid at all. This time he stood straight and said, "Without the Censorate, without the Court of Judicial Review, without the Ministry of Justice, and without the Emperor's edict, how can you arrest me?"

In the Song Dynasty, the scholar-officials—that's a joke, isn't it?
It's never something you can just take whenever you want, not even a county magistrate! Let alone the prefect of Taiyuan?

Wang Fu angrily retorted, "You are already a traitor, deserving of universal condemnation! How dare you act so recklessly? Guards! Seize you!"

This time, Wang Fu looked at the general again, and this time he remembered his name. He said, "Mei Zhan, capture this man, and you will have done a good job in suppressing the rebels! If you do not act, then you must be an accomplice of the traitors!"

Mei Zhan inwardly groaned, but had no choice. He took a step forward and walked up to Zhang Xiaochun, bowing respectfully and saying, "Master Zhang, I am truly sorry for offending you."

Zhang Xiaochun, however, remained standing upright, neither running nor jumping. He put his hands behind his back and said, "You came here, but the matter is not with you, a general who only follows orders. The matter lies with Wang Fu, this treacherous villain. In the future, the world will judge for itself. I, Zhang Xiaochun, have studied the classics and received the teachings of the sages. I am willing to sacrifice my life for righteousness!"

As he spoke, Zhang Xiaochun raised his head and glanced sideways at Wang Fu: "You treacherous villain, you will surely come to a bad end!"

For a moment, Wang Fu felt a little uneasy, but his words remained stern: "A traitor, a collaborator on the front lines, who among us didn't witness it firsthand? Yet he still dares to mislead people. Shut his mouth!"

Mei Zhan repeatedly said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

The ropes for binding had been on hand all along, originally intended for binding Su Wu, but Zhang Xiaochun used them first, and several soldiers quickly tied him up.

Zhang Xiaochun did not resist, for he was truly powerless and could not withstand the attacks of the soldiers. He simply kept talking: "The likes of Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong are not as good as the villains of today. This country has produced monsters! This country has produced monsters!"

"Block it! Block it!" Wang Fu waved his hand repeatedly, fuming with rage. He paced back and forth, looking left and right, and even glancing towards the outside of the city...

Mei Zhan, still helpless, untied the red handkerchief from her chest and went to gag Zhang Xiaochun, whispering, "Please bear with it, Mr. Zhang..."

Suddenly, Wang Fu shouted, "Wang Bing! Where is Wang Bing?"

Wang Bing had no choice but to step forward and bow, saying, "Your humble servant is here!"

"You...you're an accomplice, aren't you?" Wang Fu raised his hand and pointed.

Wang replied, "It is up to you, sir. If you say it is, then it is; if you say it is not, then it is not!"

Wang Fu was also taken aback: "Good, good, indeed an accomplice, indeed an accomplice! Men, seize them!"

Wang Bing also straightened his back and looked at Zhang Xiaochun. Zhang Xiaochun also looked at him, saying nothing, but giving him a firm look.

"Sigh..." Wang Bing sighed, straightened up a bit more, and reached his hands behind his back so that they could be tied up.

This time, Mei Zhan didn't wait for Prime Minister Wang Bing to angrily rebuke him. He went to Wang Bing first and shouted, "Bring a rope to tie him up..."

The troops from Datong and Taiyuan, as well as the trusted generals that Wang Bing brought from Wuzhou, were fortunately not here; they were all in the southern city. Otherwise, at this time, there would probably have been another major conflict that would have been difficult to resolve.

Wang Bing let himself be bound without uttering a word.

All eyes were focused on them, as if they were paying their respects, watching the two bound people, their thoughts unknown.

Perhaps there was some dissatisfaction, resentment, or disagreement...

Perhaps some people are just watching the show and enjoying the spectacle...

Xu was even more apathetic and indifferent...

"Take him away and keep him under strict guard at the government office. Later, he and Su Wu will be taken to the capital to be punished!" Wang Fu felt much more at ease after hearing this, though he had always felt uneasy about something.

With this done, he naturally had complete control over Datong City, and there were no more people who would get in his way.

Perhaps it was an opportunity to cause trouble, or perhaps it was Zhang Xiaochun who jumped out and courted death. He had been serving her well and it was not easy to cause trouble, but now he had given her a handle to use against him. Who can he blame?

Wang Fu surveyed the surroundings, exuding an imposing aura: "You generals, guard the city well. This time, you have made a great contribution by capturing the rebels. When the time comes, promotion and advancement will be a given!"

How could the numerous generals not bow respectfully and reply, "Yes, sir!"

Wang Fu was satisfied, and even looked out over the city. Sigh... something that had already been resolved was going to be delayed again.

Then let's just go hungry and see how many days we can go hungry!
Wang Fu, with his wide robe and sleeves, swept his hands around his back and started to descend the city wall.

And one last thing: "Report everything! There must be no mistakes!"

From atop the city wall, another chorus of voices announcing the order was heard.

On the city wall, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, waiting for Wang Fu to actually descend the wall, get into his carriage, and drive away before they could speak.

"General Mei, this..."

"Well... well..."

"Oh dear...this time..."

Finally, someone spoke up: "What if the Prince of Yan comes out with his troops to attack us from outside the city?"

But no one answered these words…

Over the years, I have heard nothing but stories of the Prince of Yan's undefeated record. Many of the generals present had dealt with the Prince of Yan in the past, whether it was when he went south to suppress Fang La or when he went north to Yan and Yun. A large portion of these people had met Su Wu to some extent.

He also witnessed the soldiers and generals under Su Wu's command.

Mei Zhan was a general from Yingzhou, and he had personally witnessed Su Wu's army scaling the city walls in the Jiangnan and Zhejiang regions, their advance wave after wave...

What if they really fight? Who knows?
After a long silence, Mei Zhan said, "No, it's impossible. The Prince of Yan's loyalty is evident to all. He would never attack his own city!"

"The Prince of Yan has probably been coerced today. What if those arrogant and fierce generals act on their own?"

Everyone was startled and looked up at each other.

Mei Zhan waved his hand, saying, "Don't talk nonsense, no, no, everyone disperse and go back to your posts!"

That would put the topic to rest; there was no point in continuing.

The crowd dispersed, and Mei Zhan looked up at the tens of thousands of troops outside the city. The tens of thousands of soldiers were also busy setting up camp.

"Sigh..." Mei Zhan was extremely helpless; he hadn't known about this when he arrived...

Even when the military order arrived, the urgency was so great that I initially thought it was due to the urgent war in the north, or perhaps it was like the previous times when I was stationed in the cities of Yan and Yun...

He thought he was there to help the Prince of Yan...

Despite being urged more and more urgently on the way, with threats of execution for being late, he rushed as fast as he could and finally arrived, only to find out what had happened.

He was already shocked enough yesterday; today, he could only stare blankly outwards at the city walls…

I can't help but think to myself: What kind of mess is this?

This court has truly lost its mind. Putting aside the saying that a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders, last time when the Jurchens attacked Bianjing, the Prince of Yan marched straight into Yanyun from Datong to cut off their retreat. He also disobeyed the imperial edict then, so why didn't anyone punish him severely then?
In the past, when Privy Councilor Tong was in the Northwest, even with imperial edicts delivered to the front lines, he still won battles. Why was he not punished severely?

Why must it be this way today?
Could it really be like what's described in books and plays, where someone's achievements overshadow their master?

I don't know... I don't understand...

We could only stand on the rampart and gaze into the distance...

In the distance, the camp was being erected, but not very quickly...

The main tent had already been set up, and many military officers had gathered inside.

Su Wu remained seated in the center, but he did not utter a word.

The crowd chattered incessantly. "I think we should stick to what we said before: this city can be taken, but we must kill Wang Fu first. All these things must have been caused by Wang Fu. Once he's dead, things will probably calm down!"

If Yao Pingzhong's words were truly what he was thinking at this moment, then he would understand a principle: the emperor's favor is power. Wang Fu was too close to the emperor, which was why he could frame loyal officials in this way...

If Wang Fu dies, things might be easier to handle in the future; but if Wang Fu doesn't die, there will be endless trouble in the future!
Lu Da said in a low voice, "Let's attack! Set up camp today, eat and drink our fill, build ladders tomorrow morning, and form ranks in the afternoon!"

Liu Zhengyan also said, "Let's do it this way. We can't really run out of supplies outside the city, can we? With so many horses, if we run out of supplies, they'll all starve to death. What will we use to fight the Jurchens in the future?"

Hua Rong also said, "Fight!"

Liu Keshi sighed deeply: "Alas, my father is in the capital. He can fight, but I'm afraid he can't withstand the repeated torment from these treacherous officials..."

That's true. If he makes a move here, the capital will receive the news and will probably immediately start making trouble for Liu Yanqing.

They won't kill them immediately, but some trouble is definitely going to happen...

At this point, everyone suddenly remembered that the King also had his father-in-law in the capital... who would surely suffer as well.

But Wu Lai said, "Prime Minister Liu and Prime Minister Cheng are in the capital, one in charge of the Privy Council and the other in charge of the Secretariat-Chancellery, yet they still managed to get into this mess... Gentlemen, why is that? I'm afraid they've already lost power, or even are imprisoned!"

Liu Keshi was taken aback when he heard this. These words... seemed to make sense. Otherwise, there would be no way to explain what happened today.

"Sigh!!!" Liu Keshi slapped his thigh, stood up, and paced back and forth in circles. How could he not be anxious? He said in one breath, "Then let's fight! Let's fight! If we fight, there might be room for negotiation. If we don't fight, we'll all be captured!"

Actually, Liu Keshi didn't finish his sentence. If he fought and won, it would be a deterrent and could scare people. If he didn't fight and surrendered, he would be completely at the mercy of others.

Left with no other choice, we have to put up a fight. What the future holds, we'll see. At least for now, we have to do something to teach those people a lesson.

But then Han Shizhong suddenly said, "Let's take Datong first. I see soldiers from Hebei and Henan on the city walls. Just defeat and rout them. Let those treacherous officials know what's what. Then we can argue with the king in the future!"

At this moment, everyone turned to look at Su Wu, and Lu Da even said, "Brother, say something!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

Su Wu looked up, glanced around, and asked, "How will we be able to distinguish between these two in the future?"

"It is the treacherous officials who have misled the emperor's will!" Han Shizhong continued, following his previous line of thought.

"Whom can we argue with? The Emperor? That would be tantamount to holding an army, declaring ourselves emperor, and intimidating the monarch. Wouldn't that make us like Dong Zhuo? Wouldn't we be even more of a traitor? And the people of the world? How can they believe us? Those scholar-officials are in cahoots, their words can melt metal. We are just a bunch of traitorous exiles, how can we possibly win an argument? I've already said it: I will go alone, and I will guarantee your safe return home. What's wrong with that?"

This time, Su Wu was truly asking, and asking for the last time.

Lu Da said, "Brother, what are you going home for? In my life, besides eating and drinking, I've never enjoyed any good fortune. If I fail in my loyalty and righteousness today, I'll have no purpose in life, and I'll have no face to face anyone even in death!"

“Your Majesty, this is a matter for all to discuss. In the past, Your Majesty wanted to withdraw your troops, but we stopped you from doing so. We insisted on capturing Linhuang Prefecture. This was a great achievement for the country, the people, the nation, and for future generations. We did nothing wrong! Today, we will not let Your Majesty go alone!”

Yao Pingzhong's words were resounding!
Liu Keshi also said, "My family has been military officers for generations. This time, we can't let ourselves be disgraced and humiliated. We have to think of a way. Your Majesty, let's fight!"

Su Wu looked at Liu Keshi and saw that Liu Keshi still had something to say: "Your Majesty doesn't care about anything else, but only about the family in Jingdong. You have one wife and two concubines. The brothers in Jingdong all say that the three of them are as good as can be. They also say that Your Majesty now has both a son and a daughter. If Your Majesty were to be imprisoned and his life or death unknown, what would they do?"

"Yes!"

"Your Majesty, what you say makes sense! What is the point of seeking wealth and a promising future? It's just about bestowing titles and honors upon one's wife and children, or even a royal consort or a prince!"

"My sisters-in-law are still waiting for my brother to come back!"

Su Wu stood up, glanced around, his expression shifting between light and shadow, his brows furrowed. He glanced around again and asked, "Fight?"

"beat!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight tomorrow! I'll go first!" Liu Zhengyan was extremely excited.

I also heard a young boy with a Jesus-like expression shout, "Hit!"

This young man, Zhahemu, could only speak a few words of Chinese, but today he learned the word "fight". He didn't even understand what had happened, but he knew that the Prince of Yan must have been humiliated, so he kept shouting "fight, fight, fight!"

He nominally commands over 20,000 cavalrymen, a coalition of various grassland tribes, which he is currently leading, though he cannot actually mobilize them.

Seeing the crowd's outrage, the king sat down and said succinctly, "This is the only way. We'll do as you say. Disperse..."

Everyone felt a surge of joy, but it wasn't real joy. The joy was fleeting, and after it subsided, there was more worry.

A fight is inevitable, but the question is how to resolve this issue in the future.

Where should we go from here? When will this end?
"Disperse and get ready. As General Lu said, build ladders tomorrow morning and form ranks tomorrow afternoon!" Wu Yong waved his hand.

Everyone nodded and dispersed.

Inside the large tent, only Su Wu and Wu Yong were present.

Su Wu said, "Lord Wu, you have worked hard both inside and outside the front lines this time!"

This matter also occurred today. Wu Yong had made several arrangements yesterday to ensure everything went smoothly, and indeed, nothing went wrong today.

Wu Yong simply bowed and said, "These are all minor matters! I dare not take credit for them!"

"Sigh..." Su Wu sighed as well, feeling weary. All this acting, though costless, was truly exhausting. He said, "Wang Fu must not be killed; he should be spared!"

"Your Majesty has given me clear instructions!" Wu Yong remained bowing.

"Take him to the capital. The public is in a frenzy. He needs a place to go and a voice to speak. Take him to the capital to prove himself and defend himself. Let the world know, let the emperor know, that these people are treacherous and wicked, instigating and harming the country, the people, and the nation!"

Su Wu spoke slowly, then added, "Let him live, let him speak in the capital, and see if he identifies the emperor or is willing to die for him!"

"Ah?" Wu Yong was shocked on the spot, his heart was in turmoil, and when he looked at Su Wu, there was a hint of fear in his eyes.

This technique is truly astonishing. Today, Wang Fu has given the order to fire the arrows!
That was Wang Fu's order to shoot Su Wu, who was defending himself below the city walls. This was an event that was witnessed by countless people.

Su Wu came alone; what loyalty and righteousness! Even when the soldiers tried to dissuade him, he did not repent. But while Su Wu was still arguing with the soldiers, Wang Fu couldn't resist shooting and killing both the meritorious officials and Su Wu. Why?
Where is the will of the people?

If this matter goes to the capital, how can it not be clarified and the truth revealed?

I don't ask for anything else, just justice, is that too much to ask?

The people of the world bear witness, and the scholars and officials should certainly come forward to discuss and debate it thoroughly!
Let's see how the emperor responds. After much debate, let's see if the emperor will rage and resent, or swallow his anger and remain silent.

Furious resentment is the best policy; when all else fails and there is no other way, the soldiers, along with Su Wu, will fight!
Even the soldiers didn't try to persuade Su Wu; they did it themselves.

Su Wu may not have known this yet...

If you have to swallow your anger, there are ways to deal with it, and you should still do it!
Now that things have come to this, there will never be another chance like this. We must make a final decision!
It was Wu Yong who hadn't thought of this step beforehand, only thinking about dealing with the immediate matter first. Anyway, he had plenty of soldiers and generals, and no shortage of money and food, so he was sure that things would succeed in the future!
At this moment, Su Wu gave him some pointers, and he was able to complete his thought process, having already calculated quite a few steps.

Wu Yong immediately asked, "Then I will immediately go and send orders to all the generals to bring Wang Fu alive!"

Su Wu raised his hand: "No need. You only need to tell the vanguard to find Wang Fu after entering the city, capture him and bring him to me for judgment. No need to inform anyone else."

"Oh...yes!" Wu Yong was puzzled, but did not ask.

Su Wu, however, bluntly told him: "When the time comes, spare his life in front of many generals and officials from Hedong. This will naturally enrage the people, and we can use it as an excuse to take him to Tokyo to defend himself. In this way, the army will be enraged and march straight to Tokyo!"

"Your Majesty..."

Before Wu Yong could finish his flattering words, Su Wu had already raised his hand: "Retreat..."

Wu Yong bowed and withdrew. Inside the tent, Su Wu closed his eyes and reclined on the couch, utterly exhausted—more exhausted than if he had been fighting in battle.

Early the next morning, Wang Fu went up to the city wall to take a look.

He also asked General Mei Zhan, "Was there any trouble at that rebel camp yesterday?"

Mei Zhan answered truthfully, "There was no chaos, everything was orderly!"

"Hmm?" Wang Fu was also hoping for one more thing: that Su Wu's army would be in turmoil. At this moment, rumors should be rampant in Su Wu's army, and the court would only blame Su Wu and not others.

Human nature is such that it should be this way; it should be the morale of the army that is in disarray...

These dim-witted soldiers and those lowly commoners, aren't they all two-faced cowards? What grand principles do they understand? They all rush to grab the benefits and run away from the disadvantages...

I've seen it all before!
That's how it is!

Wang Fu said, "Perhaps we can still eat our fill for a few more days. There's no rush. If we can't eat our fill in a few days, chaos will break out. When chaos ensues, you must immediately inform me!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Mei Zhan nodded.

"How is the city's defense?" Wang Fu asked.

Mei Zhan casually remarked, "Everything is foolproof!"

When the boss is inspecting our work, what else can we say?
"Well, it is said that good generals are hard to find, and talented commanders are even rarer. If this mission is successful, you will be a good general!" Wang Fu also wanted to give him some benefits; he understood this principle of officialdom.

Mei Zhan understood immediately; was Prime Minister Wang a military genius? He simply cupped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you, Prime Minister!"

"You are indeed loyal and righteous!" Wang Fu praised.

"My lord has discerning eyes!" Mei Zhan replied.

"Where did you begin in the past?" Wang Fu asked again.

Mei Zhan frowned, also embarrassed. He had become a bandit and then surrendered to the imperial court, so he couldn't answer directly. He simply said, "I come from a wealthy family and have loved practicing martial arts since I was a child. The imperial court, with its discerning eye, selected this talented individual, and that's how I rose to power!"

Mei Zhan also had a painful past. He was bullied by officials who took advantage of their power, forcibly seized his business, framed and imprisoned, and his wife died. He fled to Wuyi Mountain in Fujian and became an outlaw. The reason he was granted amnesty was because the banditry had become too big, the case was reopened, and his injustice was redressed.

“Good, very good. It’s good to be a wealthy household; they have more knowledge than peasants!” Wang Fu nodded.

"Thank you, sir!" Mei Zhan sighed inwardly and expressed his gratitude aloud.

"Well, it's good that you know what's going on. If you do a good job this time, you'll definitely get your share of the rewards!" Wang Fu said with satisfaction, turning away.

Suddenly, Mei Zhan looked outside, his heart tightened, and he said, "My lord, I'm afraid this is bad!"

Wang Fu turned back and asked, "What's wrong?"

"My lord, look! The army outside the city is sending men to the mountains to the north!" Mei Zhan pointed to the distance.

"Huh? What's going on?" How could Wang Fu possibly understand this?
“This is logging!” Mei Zhan replied.

"That……"

Mei Zhan couldn't wait any longer, her heart filled with anxiety: "My lord, with such a large number of people going into the mountains to cut down tall trees, they must be making weapons to attack the city!"

"What? Attack the city?" Wang Fu was shocked when he realized what was happening. He then said, "It's alright. They'll do anything when they're desperate. How easy is it to climb such a high wall? Let them suffer a bit. That way, they'll give up and beg for forgiveness!"

“My lord…” Mei Zhan looked up rudely and stared at Wang Fu.

"What?" Wang Fu turned around and asked.

Mei Zhan immediately lowered his head and shook his head as well: "It's nothing, what you say makes sense!"

"Hmm, such a fortified city, situated on high ground, is naturally easy to attack. The merit will be delivered to you, and I will report your achievements to the Emperor!" Wang Fu then turned and left after twirling his sleeves twice.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Report only when the battle is truly underway! I will personally oversee the battle from the city wall and see how these desperate traitors are utterly defeated!" Wang Fu was truly neither anxious nor afraid.

He inspected the city's defenses again and again, taking them very seriously. All the city's defenses were in good condition, and there were many soldiers, tens of thousands of them, all of whom were elite imperial guards. Moreover, there were countless weapons and all kinds of sharp weapons in Datong City. With the soldiers fighting with their lives, how could they not defend a city?
Furthermore, Su Wu's troops had endured countless battles, traveling thousands of miles, and were already exhausted. Moreover, they must have been filled with anxiety and fear at this time!

(End of this chapter)