Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 369 Kneel down properly! Prostrate yourself on the ground!

If they were truly going to attack the city, they built long ladders in the morning. In fact, auxiliary soldiers had gone up the mountain to collect timber the night before, and the military camp was already busy.

They are all simple long ladders with two hooks on them.

After lunch, the army began to line up in formation, everything was orderly and without any disorder!

The efficiency was so high that even Mei Zhan on the city wall was somewhat surprised, and he had already sent someone to the government office to summon Wang Fu.

Wang Fu himself came, and before he even reached the city wall, he had already spoken: "I think these traitors are really going to jump over the wall in desperation this time!"

Mei Zhan had to go down a few steps to greet him, but he didn't say anything.

Wang Fu even said, "In a little while, fight them well, make sure to beat these traitors hard so they know the power of the imperial court!"

Mei Zhan then spoke: "Yes, sir!"

Once he reached the top of the city wall, Wang Fu walked towards the crenellations and looked out...

But after taking this one look, Wang Fu stopped in his tracks before even reaching the top of the battlements. Why?

Just look out and you'll see tens of thousands of people, their ranks perfectly aligned, a vast and endless expanse of armor, banners fluttering in the wind...

I did see these people yesterday, but we didn't actually set up camp then. We could only see them stretching to the north without end. After that, they started setting up camp.

Today I truly witnessed the battle formation laid out, perfectly orderly, with tens of thousands of people standing silently. Perhaps it was this silence that gave rise to a sense of oppression and killing intent.

Wang Fu suddenly felt inexplicably uneasy. He subconsciously turned to look at Mei Zhan and asked, "On the fortified city walls, victory shouldn't be difficult, right?"

Mei Zhan was neither embarrassed nor hesitant, and simply said, "It shouldn't be difficult!"

"Yes, after we win, I will reward you handsomely!" Wang Fu felt a little relieved and turned to look at the city tower. Why not go up to the city tower and watch the battle?
To be honest, Wang Fu's army had seen quite a few battles, but this was the first time he had ever witnessed a real war, and he was quite curious about it.

It was in those books, or in people's words, that they all described how brutal and horrific battles were...

I also think of the former Prime Ministers Fan and Han, who also commanded large armies in battle.
When you become a prime minister, you always have to compare yourself to others. If you want to compare yourself to someone like Fan Zhongyan, then you will truly be remembered in history!
There's no reason why a learned gentleman couldn't do what a eunuch could do well.

Let's imagine a few more possibilities... Perhaps one day it will be Prime Minister Wang leading a large army to sweep through Beiting, just like in the past, when civil officials led troops in the Song Dynasty...

As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a great drumbeat outside the city. Countless large cowhide drums sounded at the same time, creating a truly astonishing and imposing sound. Wang Fu quickly looked out through the arrow slits.

Just outside the city, the sound of armored footsteps could be heard, indicating that the vanguard, numbering about four or five thousand, had already begun their advance towards the city.

Wang Fu suddenly felt his heart leap into his throat, but he reassured himself that this was nothing...

The footsteps slowly approached, and on the city wall, soldiers seemed to be preparing, constantly looking out and preparing arrows, logs, and rolling stones...

Why aren't you firing arrows?

Oh, it's still far...

Weren't there those eight-ox crossbows? Why haven't they started firing?
Huh? How far can the Eight-Ox Crossbow shoot?
No need to worry about it, the soldiers know what's going on...

Suddenly, the drums beat even louder, as rapid as raindrops. The vanguard outside the city suddenly rushed forward, carrying the long ladders, yet they ran with remarkable agility.

Wang Fu watched carefully, observing whether the formation was chaotic or not after they started running. It was slightly disorganized, but still tightly packed and orderly.

At the head of the procession were shields, followed by long ladders and various bows and crossbows. Although there were four or five thousand men, compared to the formation today, they were not considered particularly imposing.

Huh? Why haven't they fired any arrows yet? They're only two or three hundred paces away...

Wang Fu was also anxious, so he hurriedly changed the firing port and shouted towards the left side of the city wall: "Fire arrows! Fire arrows!"

The shouts reached the ears of many people, and many soldiers turned to look. They saw Wang Fu through the arrow hole, but it was dark and they couldn't actually see his face. They could only hear Wang Fu shouting, "Fire arrows! Fire arrows!"

They were still just a bunch of mentally challenged soldiers, looking silly and dazed...

"Mei Zhan, fire the arrows!" Wang Fu shouted. After shouting this, Wang Fu hurriedly turned around and went down the steps of the city tower.

Couldn't Mei Zhan hear him? Wang Fu shouted at him, and he was not far from the city tower. How could he not hear him?
Some soldiers asked Mei Zhan, "Commander Mei, should we fire the arrows or not?"

Mei Zhan shook his head directly: "If you want to be able to go home alive and well, without missing any limbs, and not just a corpse, then don't shoot arrows!"

"Oh!" Junhan nodded. How could he not understand? In the past few years, he had followed Mei Zhan all over the country, and had actually traveled all over the country in a geographical sense.

Who hasn't witnessed the ferocity and bravery of the Prince of Yan's army?

If they hadn't fired any arrows, that would have been fine; now that the Prince of Yan had entered the city, Xu probably wouldn't have cared or taken it seriously.

Once the arrows are released and the fighting really starts, if we provoke those fierce and ruthless people outside the city, they'll come into the city and cause a bloodbath.
Could they really expect to defend this city? Could they really think they can defeat the Yan King's army? Those ferocious, wolves-like soldiers, one after another, are relentlessly attacking... how many people will die?

It's best not to!

Besides... besides... what crime has the Prince of Yan committed? Those outside the city are all meritorious officials, yet he slaughtered his own comrades...

To be honest, he didn't even have the ability to kill the traitor Fang La, so how could he possibly kill his comrades?
Wang Fu had already rushed down from the city wall and quickly ran to Mei Zhan's side. Needless to say, he was furious and shouted, "Why didn't you fire your arrows?"

"My lord, I have a brilliant plan to defend the city!" Mei Zhan said, clearly indicating that he had already made up his mind.

In war, courage is paramount!
Only then can we discuss other things.

Ask the soldiers atop these city walls: Wang Fu might not know, but how could Mei Zhan not know? Courage was truly nonexistent. Especially not the idea of ​​fratricide…

"What other brilliant plan do you have? Listen to me, fire the arrows now!" Wang Fu shouted angrily.

Mei Zhan glanced at Wang Fu and knew that this man would surely perish soon, so he didn't answer and just stood there.

"Good, good, so you're also an accomplice of Su Wu. It seems you don't care about your life or fortune!" Wang Fu was furious, pointing his finger, when he suddenly realized that Mei Zhan meant to let Su Wu into the city.
Before Mei Zhan could say anything, a whooshing sound came from the air, and the soldiers on both sides shouted, "Quick, get out of the way!"

Arrows from outside the city had already entered range and began to rain down on the city walls.

Mei Zhan quickly turned around, as there was no armor covering his face. However, the alert soldiers carrying large shields came to protect Mei Zhan, and they also protected Wang Fu together.

Then came the muffled thuds of the large shield as arrows pierced the wooden shield repeatedly, their fletchings swaying incessantly.

Mei Zhan also said, "Lord Wang, you should go and avoid this place!"

At this moment, Wang Fu was also in a state of panic. He was not wearing armor, and if he were hit by an arrow, what would become of his status and future? How could he allow the arrows of these peasant bandits to leave several bloody holes in his body?

As the saying goes, "A son of a wealthy family should not sit under a dangerous roof," so Wang Fu took a step forward. The arrows were like raindrops. He glanced at the sky out of the corner of his eye and saw that it was full of black dots. The large wooden shield was also constantly whirring. He quickly looked down and searched for the steps leading down to the city.

Hurry up and get downstairs.

Mei Zhan watched Wang Fu's retreating figure until it disappeared down the steps, then suddenly took off running towards the city wall, shouting, "Brothers, let's take cover!"

The commander also headed down to the city, only asking how the soldiers were doing. There was no need to say anything more, just hurry up and follow!

He's gone mad; today he's going to fight the Prince of Yan to the death... a battle that will leave rivers of blood flowing...

As soon as Wang Fu reached the foot of the city wall, he turned around and saw Mei Zhan also descending the steps. He immediately asked, "Why are you, a military officer, coming down here?"

Mei Zhan's steps followed, his words an answer: "Wasn't it my lord who deserted first? With the commander gone, the army's morale is so low, how can we fight?"

"Huh?" Wang Fu was stunned on the spot.

Before Wang Fu could even catch his breath, Mei Zhan had already come down. Behind Mei Zhan, there was a large group of people fleeing in panic.

Wang Fu leaped into the air, stomped heavily on the ground, and shouted, "Mei Zhan, go back! Go back and defend the city, or I will have your entire family executed!"

Can Mei Zhan go back?
What promotion or advancement? Promotion and advancement only happen when you're alive. If you're dead, what's the point of promoting or advancing you?

Besides, Wang Fu is the most treacherous and wicked man in front of us. How can we possibly serve him well?
Fight, make a scene, cause chaos...

A mere steward cannot concern himself with the affairs of the world.

What did Mei Zhan say? He pointed to the city wall steps in the distance and said, "My lord, look, it's not just me retreating, they're all retreating over there..."

He also had something to say in his heart: Sending troops from the capital and Henan to fight the Prince of Yan—wasn't that a joke? If they really wanted to fight, they should have brought in the old and young prime ministers from the Northwest; then there wouldn't be much of a fight…

Wang Fu looked around and saw that every step of the inner wall of the north city was crowded with people on the city wall below.

Wang Fu was stunned for a moment, his mind blank, completely baffled as to what was going on...

Surely the entire capital region, Hebei, and Henan can't all be Su Wu's cronies, right?

Wouldn't all the soldiers in the world be Su Wu's cronies?

If that's the case, then this...

I don't understand. They're just trying to make a living, earning only 1.5 yuan a month, and they don't even get the full amount. What are stonemasons, bricklayers, and lantern makers risking their lives for?

Damn it, they still won't pay! In the past, when I went on campaigns with the Prince of Yan, or when he assigned troops to my forces, at least I got paid. Although it wasn't as much as the elite troops under the Prince of Yan, I would still get three or five strings of cash...

It's easy to lift a stone and throw it down, but what if someone climbs up and tries to kill you?
He watched as the number of soldiers gathering below the city wall grew larger and larger, even becoming congested. Wang Fu stared blankly, then subconsciously turned his head, wanting to leave...

He couldn't leave yet; the soldiers were scrambling to push and shove, and how could a weak and powerless man like him possibly get through?
As they jostled and pushed, Wang Fu, like a piece of waterweed, swayed from side to side...

Then a loud laugh came from the city wall: "Haha... They actually made it up like that? I really didn't expect that! The Imperial Guards of Hebei and Beijing are all good brothers!"

Some shouted, "They are all good brothers, don't kill indiscriminately! They are loyal and righteous people, and they know that our king has been wronged and suffered injustice, don't kill indiscriminately!"

Someone shouted, "Find Wang Fu first! Find that Wang Fu! That fellow is wearing a purple official robe with gold thread, he's very conspicuous! Find him quickly!"

Wang Fu was right below the city wall and heard it all clearly. Hearing it, his body went limp, and he quickly tried to pull himself up with both hands, hurrying south.

Unable to move, they were swept away by the current and headed south...

Turning around, I saw that the bandit soldiers were already descending the steps behind me.

Suddenly someone shouted, "There's someone wearing an official's hat over there... over there..."

In a panic, Wang Fu quickly took off his official hat and threw it into the crowd... throw it far away!
"It's that one, the one with only a topknot and no helmet..." The shouts continued, clearly someone was being watched!

Wang Fu panicked and looked around. His first instinct was to grab a helmet and put it on his head, but... that was too difficult.

He could only hunch his neck and squat down, trying to blend into the crowded throng and become inconspicuous.

"There it is! There it is!" someone was still shouting.

Some people shouted: "Brothers from Hebei and Henan, don't run around, don't run away, we won't kill our own people, don't panic!"

Shouts were being made from the city walls, and people were constantly coming down the steps.

And you know what? After that shout, the people below the city walls didn't actually come to kill with their weapons, and the soldiers behind them weren't in a hurry to run away either...

The soldiers behind them stopped running and pushing, and gradually things calmed down, with many footsteps stopping.

After they stopped, the panic subsided, and some people turned to look at the people shouting from the city wall.

From the city wall, there were further words: "We are all brothers, don't panic. There is no war, no fighting. Who knows where Wang Fu is?"

Wang Fu shrank back and forth, squatting down again and again. He was no longer just panicked; his mind was completely blank, and he was acting on instinct...

The shouts from the city wall continued: "It's that prime minister from Tokyo, that gentleman, the one in purple, the reflective purple robe! Find him, and there will be a great reward!"

Wang Fu squatted in the crowd, slightly raised his head, and looked up. He saw several pairs of eyes looking down at him. Countless eyes met in an instant.

Then, with an excited shout, he cried out, "General, Wang Fu is here! He's here!"

A man on the city wall burst into laughter: "Really?"

"Right here, right under the feet of the little man!"

"Good, very good! Bring him up! Bring that bastard up! A big reward, a big reward!" The soldiers on the city wall smiled even more broadly, some even clutching their stomachs as they laughed. The more anger they felt yesterday, the more satisfaction they felt today.

"Yes, sir! Coming, coming!" came a reply from the crowd.

As the words were being answered, several hands were pulling at the fabric as if trying to snatch it away. The fine, smooth purple silk robe was slippery to the touch, and even with a little force, it slipped from one's grasp.

Then they went to grab his collar, and that collar was grabbed by countless hands, while someone in front of them shoved and shouted, "Make way, make way, brothers, make way..."

Then came the trembling voice: "Wrong, wrong, I'm not, I'm not Wang Fu..."

"It's you, no doubt about it, from Tokyo, who else could it be but you?"

Lord Wang, a man of great learning and virtue, was unable to be fooled even by a mentally challenged soldier.

"It's him, it's him, it's him!"

"It's you, it's you!"

The surrounding soldiers all came to pull him along, each one of them clever enough to want a share of the reward.

How could anyone atop the city wall not see this comical scene? Countless people were laughing so hard they were doubled over.

Once the soldiers on the city wall had a clear look at the man in purple, they shouted, "It's him! There's no mistake! Pull him up! Pull him up! Don't hurt him! The king wants to see him!"

"They're here! They're here!" the soldiers below the city replied.

The trembling voice continued, "There's a mistake, it wasn't me, it was... Wang Fu, he ran south..."

The soldiers ignored them and, as they were being given way, pulled and carried Wang Fu forward.

He would occasionally look back, and who knows how much he was worth in tips? It must have been quite valuable; he'd really struck it rich this time.

But it only made things more ridiculous. This imposing Prime Minister Wang was now hunched over, his collar was being pulled, and his hands were raised and trembling from side to side. He looked exactly like something else.

They pulled him up the steps to the city wall. The soldiers of Yingzhou were very excited and escorted him to the soldiers on the city wall. The soldier on the city wall was Liu Zhengyan.

He first sized up Wang Fuyi, whose legs went weak, neck shrank, back hunched, face filled with terror, and hands trembling...

Liu Zhengyan turned and shouted, "Brothers, open the city gates and welcome the King into the city!"

The soldiers below the city stopped fleeing and rushed towards the city gate to open it for the Prince of Yan. However, the process was somewhat complicated, as there were many heavy stone blocks blocking the back of the gate, which would take some time to move.

On the city wall, Liu Zhengyan looked at Wang Fu: "Did you take my king's life?"

Wang Fu, with a bitter face, blurted out instinctively, "It wasn't me, it was the Emperor, His Majesty, the Emperor! I... I was just following orders!"

"Hey!" Liu Zhengyan was pleasantly surprised and said, "Say it again!"

"what?"

"Who? Who wants to kill my king?" Liu Zhengyan asked again.

"It's...it's the Emperor Zhao, it's an imperial edict from the Emperor Zhao, an order from him!" Wang Fu repeated, his eyes darting left and right in terror.

"Haha... Yes, yes, that's right, that's exactly what I said. When the King arrives and all the generals come, you should say the same thing!" Liu Zhengyan was the first to set off, so how could he not have received some instructions from Wu Yong before setting off?
Some things, if done behind closed doors, must be planned.
"Okay, okay, okay." Wang Fu nodded repeatedly, shrinking his neck.

Liu Zhengyan's smile vanished suddenly, his eyes flashed with anger, and he changed his attitude faster than turning the pages of a book, shouting: "You treacherous villain, you were so arrogant yesterday, you infuriated me!"

"I dare not refuse..."

Before Wang Fu could finish his sentence, Liu Zhengyan slapped him hard across the face, saying, "I thought you'd only learn your lesson after a beating, but I didn't expect you to be so sensible. But you're going to get a beating, otherwise, how will I vent my anger?"

He was talking while smoking, and smoking while talking...

The slaps made a loud noise! ​​The force was well controlled; he couldn't really hurt the man with a few slaps. This person still has a great use in the king.

Wang Fu felt like he was seeing stars...

The soldiers around him saw that Wang Fu's face was flushed red, his teeth were falling out, and saliva mixed with blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth, forming a long, thin trail...

Whether it was the Jingdong Army, the Northwest Army, the Hebei Army, or the Beijing Garrison Army, they all wore inexplicably cheerful expressions at this moment...

At this moment, Mei Zhan also came up and stood aside. He first bowed slightly to Liu Zhengyan and then watched Liu Zhengyan draw Wang Fu.

After a few more blows, Liu Zhengyan stopped, still cursing: "Damn it, I'm really not satisfied. If I wasn't afraid of hurting you, I would have beaten you to a pulp today! I would have skinned you alive and cooked your flesh and blood to eat!"

What Liu Zhengyan said might be untrue to others, but it was definitely true to him. He really could cook and eat the people he hated most.

Wang Fu opened his eyes groggily and was immediately terrified by Liu Zhengyan's ferocious, man-eating face, which made him wet his pants...

Liu Zhengyan looked down and burst into laughter: "I thought you were a hero, talking so confidently to my king yesterday, but you're just a coward, hahaha..."

Liu Zhengyan laughed heartily, and the soldiers around him were all laughing heartily. How could they not feel truly relieved today?

Liu Zhengyan then tried to scare people: "My king will arrive soon and kill you personally!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Fu's dazed mind instantly cleared, and he repeatedly kowtowed, pleading, "Spare me! Spare me, General! Spare me, Your Majesty!"

"Haha! Haha... Haha..." Liu Zhengyan laughed loudly. He heard the creaking of the city gate below and turned to look at the distant north.

The cavalry is coming!

The Prince of Yan is coming again!

Liu Zhengyan's smile faded. He turned and carefully examined Wang Fu, muttering, "Perhaps I hit him a little too hard!"

The swelling is really quite severe...

"You! Go down to the city gate, kneel down, and welcome my king!" Liu Zhengyan flicked his hand, neither dragging nor pulling, just watching.

"Yes, yes, yes..." Wang Fu was indeed obedient, nodding and walking down the steps.

Liu Zhengyan urged from behind, "Hurry up!"

“Yes, yes, yes…” Wang Fu really quickened his pace.

In a daze, Wang Fu descended the city tower, walked to the city gate, and knelt down to wait.

Liu Zhengyan ignored Wang Fu and instead gave orders: "Brothers, don't block the road! Line up on both sides and wait for the King!"

Many soldiers also sprang into action, quickly lining up to the left and right.

At this moment, Wang Fu knelt on the ground, only slightly regaining his composure. He had been so frightened that his mind had gone blank for a moment, and only now was a little reason returning to him.

Once reason returned, tears streamed down Wang Fu's face.

How can a true man endure such humiliation?
The teachings of the sages state that a virtuous person cannot be subdued by force, so how could he be subjected to such humiliation?

How can I kneel here to welcome a bandit soldier?

Get up!

Today, we should sacrifice our lives for righteousness, to serve the emperor above and the people below!

This is the conduct of a virtuous person; this is in keeping with the teachings of the sages and the grace of the emperor!
Get up!

Get up...

"Kneel down properly! Prostrate yourself on the ground!" came Liu Zhengyan's sudden shout.

"Yes, yes, yes..." Wang Fu immediately prostrated himself down.

"That's more like it. In a moment, the King will cut off your head! He'll hang your head on the city wall with the words 'The treacherous Wang Fu is beheaded here' written on it!" Liu Zhengyan was still trying to scare people.

Wang Fu remained silent, his whole body trembling violently, shaking like a leaf.
The king was indeed there, riding high on his horse, clad in armor, swaying with every step, slowly entering the gate. He glanced sideways, raised his whip, pointed, and asked, "Who is kneeling there?"

(Brothers, I'm rushing to finish this article early today, 6,100 words. Something came up tonight, I'll be back tomorrow.)
(End of this chapter)