Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 374: Surely we can't really have a scene where 'the bones of nobles are trampled on the streets, and the imperial treasury is burned to ashes'?

Early the next morning, troops began to line up outside the city. There were about seven or eight thousand cavalrymen at the front, followed by several battle formations. They spread out to the left and right and headed towards the cities on the east and west sides, but deliberately left the south city alone.

Then a troop of fast riders headed towards the north city wall, with one of them shouting, "The Privy Council Commander has ordered the soldiers on the city wall to take it back!"

There was indeed a military officer on the city wall named Miao Fu, who spoke up: "I am Miao Fu, the commander of the Japanese army's lower army, here to receive the order from the Privy Council!"

The riders dismounted and walked towards the city walls. A basket was lowered down, carrying the military orders of the Privy Council Envoy.

Miao Fu took it, broke the sealing wax seal, opened it, and after reading it, he shouted, "Brothers below the city, please reply to the Privy Councilor and tell him that I have received orders to open the city gates immediately!"

"General Miao, it's no problem!" the scout replied quickly.

Miao Fu looked around and then exclaimed, "Open the city gates!"

Looking at the soldiers on the left and right, not a single one stepped forward to question them. They all seemed to have relaxed, as if their strength had suddenly dissipated.

The soldiers in Tokyo are actually quite interesting. Although they are called soldiers, they are also the poorest people at the bottom of this glamorous world. Although they are poor people, they can still receive a monthly salary.

Defending a city is not impossible; there are some people who are actually capable of fighting.

Why can't we fight at this time? There's only one reason: nobody's paying us.

If any official from the imperial court were to arrive at this time with a large sum of cash, and say, "For every three arrows fired, one string of cash will be awarded!"

If Su Wu wants to enter the city today, he will probably have to fight a bloody battle.

To say that these bad habits originated from the Five Dynasties period, or that the army's initial construction methods were flawed...

These statements are all correct.

But isn't the real reason also a helpless resistance from the poorest soldiers at the bottom of society?

They live in the world's most prosperous cities, witnessing the world's most extravagant lifestyles. They are nominally protecting this way of life, but they themselves can only struggle to make ends meet.

This disparity in living conditions and psychological well-being, coupled with the inability to resist it, means that when those high-ranking figures truly need protection, that will be their only chance to rebel.
The purpose of firing that arrow was not only to obtain money, but also to preserve the last shred of dignity for the Song Dynasty soldiers!

Su Wu rode his horse back, and the soldiers on the city wall all stared at him. Even when Su Wu had reached the city gate, some soldiers were still peering out of the city wall to watch him from a distance!

Su Wu rode his horse through the gate and said, "Every soldier in Bianjing who is registered will be rewarded with ten strings of cash!"

Miao Fu, who was waiting at the gate to pay his respects, was startled upon hearing this. He turned around and said, "Quickly, quickly spread this news around the city wall and let it reach the ears of all the soldiers!"

The knight was ordered to rush off and deliver the message.

As he ran, he shouted around the city wall: "By order of the Prince of Yan and by order of the Grand Councilor, every registered soldier in the capital region shall be rewarded with ten strings of cash!"

Su Wu then embarked on another extravagant endeavor, spending over a million strings of cash.

They even asked Su Wu where he got the money. In this city of Bianjing, there are mountains of gold, silver, and copper. Once you enter this city, money is no problem. Money is just a piece of metal.

The money the Jurchens robbed on Su Wu's behalf last time, the mountains of gold and silver, are still piled up in the mountain stronghold in Dongping Prefecture. How could they possibly spend it all? They simply couldn't spend it all.

Why can't I spend all the money?

Because the goods on the market are not being produced fast enough, they can't be spent!

Another point is that it cannot actually cause widespread inflation across the country.

All one could see was the endless city wall, with shouts rising everywhere: "The King of Yan is mighty! The King of Yan is mighty!"
Su Wu was entering the city, and the army was entering the city. The people were not fleeing from the war. Everywhere, crowds of people, men, women, and children, had gathered to watch the spectacle. The streets were deserted as everyone came out to watch.

There was no shouting, just a general sense of curiosity, a desire to see something new and exciting, a genuine curiosity about what the future of Bianjing would hold...

It is also said that in the mansions of high-ranking officials and nobles in the northern city, servants and young men were going in and out, all trying to find out what was going on, while the masters sat in the halls, waiting for the rumors and gossip to come and go...

A moment later, the Privy Council issued an order to open the city gates...

One moment it was because the Prince of Yan bribed the military general, so the city gates were opened...

They also said that the Prince of Yan had generously rewarded the three armies, and the entire city's soldiers and civilians cheered with joy...

It is also said that the Prince of Yan was riding his horse towards the imperial city...

After a while, he returned and said that the Prince of Yan had only instructed the soldiers to guard the imperial city well and not allow anyone to enter or leave at will. The Prince of Yan himself did not enter the imperial city, but went to the Privy Council office.

Prince Yan went to the Privy Council office. After the army entered the city, he left 30,000 infantrymen and 3,000 cavalrymen in the city's various military camps, while the rest of the army went out of the city.

Shortly thereafter, the troops in the capital region began to disband, returning to their respective posts, beaming with joy as they awaited their rewards.

The Prince of Yan would not lie; a reward of hundreds of thousands of strings of cash was certainly not false. He distributed it without hesitation, and not only that, he also sent Wu Yong with numerous military clerks to distribute it, ensuring that every penny reached the intended recipient.

He was also very busy...

One hundred thousand people, in fact, are one hundred thousand families. One hundred thousand families inside and outside Tokyo received an sum of money equivalent to several months' wages. And one hundred thousand families will celebrate today as if it were New Year's Day. Perhaps they will buy a couple of pounds of mutton and a pot of good wine from a proper restaurant...

The main store was extremely busy today, with countless children of all ages lining up to buy wine.

Lamb is already in high demand and short supply, that's pork. Actually, beef is also available, although the law explicitly prohibits the slaughter of cattle, beef is still readily available...

Because every cow dies and becomes beef.

In the Song Dynasty, there were even professional criminal gangs that could make perfectly good cows die in a way that seemed legitimate and legal, so that the government could inspect them and then eat their meat.

Today, ordinary people are celebrating the Lunar New Year!

Few people pay attention to the most vulnerable people in this city of over a million people, and they are never mentioned in the writings of writers and poets.

The economic model of Bianjing City is actually that more than a million people provide services to a very small number of thirty to forty thousand people, and then receive the scraps that the thirty to forty thousand people leave behind.

The livelihoods of these 30,000 to 40,000 people come from the support of everyone in the world, so their leftovers can feed more than a million people.

Even at night, the Privy Council was bustling with activity, as people came and went, going around informing the ministers that there would be a meeting in the Privy Council early the next morning.

The Three Provinces and Six Ministries, the Two Prefectures and Three Offices, the Censorate and the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Palace and the Imperial City Office, Kaifeng Prefecture...

All officials, especially those of rank, were required to attend.

Whether the Privy Council can accommodate everyone is not important; everyone must be there.

As for those who don't want to come, it's alright. There's no curfew tonight, and the south gate won't be closed. They're free to come or stay as they please...

The Prince of Yan neither kills nor intimidates anyone. He simply doesn't enter the capital when various government departments hold meetings, and it seems he doesn't intend to usurp the throne...

What is the Prince of Yan going to do?
Early the next morning, quite a few people arrived, and the streets of Zhuque were already packed with carriages.

Countless people dressed in official robes had to park their carriages far away and walk to the Privy Council next to the imperial city.

On the main street, as far as the eye could see, there was a sea of ​​blue, dotted with a few reds, and occasionally one or two purples...

At the entrance of the Privy Council, soldiers were shouting, "Everyone, come in! Gentlemen in purple and red, go into the main hall. Gentlemen in blue, find a place to stand or sit. It doesn't matter. Squeeze in, squeeze in..."

The men, some with furrowed brows, some with innocent expressions, some with puzzled eyes, some with worried faces, and some with hopeful hearts...

Just keep pushing and shoving...

It's not that everyone is supporting Su Wu. Politics is about negotiation, and in the current situation, it's even more important to see what kind of negotiation it is and what the King of Yan really wants...

The Prince of Yan was already seated in the yamen. As people began to enter, Su Wu also got up, occasionally raising his hand in a gesture of respect, without saying much. Perhaps he was quite familiar with the faces.

Wang Zhongshan also arrived and sat down to the side, his face full of sorrow.

Suddenly, a shout came from outside the door: "The Duke of Rong is here! The Duke of Rong has really come! Duke of Rong, please come in quickly!"

Who is the Duke of Rongguo?
His name was Qian Chen, and he belonged to the Qian clan of Wuyue. His ancestors were the rulers of the Wuyue Kingdom, who ruled over the Wuyue region during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. His ancestors had a saying that as long as a common ruler was chosen in the Central Plains, the Wuyue Kingdom would naturally submit to him. This was the great righteousness of the whole world!
They truly succeeded. Thus, they returned to the Song Dynasty, and from then on, the Qian family of Wuyue remained prominent and influential in the capital city of Kaifeng for generations. Before their deaths, they were dukes, and after their deaths, they were always granted the title of Prince of Kuaiji.

This branch of the Wu-Yue Qian family is a scholarly family with a history of over a thousand years. Generation after generation, they have produced outstanding talents. Even a thousand years later, there are still Qian Xuesen, Qian Weichang, Qian Sanqiang, Qian Mu, Qian Zhongshu, Qian Xuantong, Qian Zhuangfei, Qian Qichen, and so on...

Countless...

In the Hundred Family Surnames of the Song Dynasty, Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li are listed first, followed by Qian...

Qian Chen, the current head of the Qian family, the Duke of Rong, has indeed arrived. He's not very old, just over forty, and he'll live to be eighty-one…

Upon hearing of his arrival, Su Wu actually stood up and took two steps forward to greet him...

The Duke Qian Chen was quite handsome and had always lived a life of luxury. Upon entering, he first greeted Su Wu with a cupped-hand salute, but did not bow deeply. Then, he looked around and said, "Prince of Yan, where shall I sit?"

Su Wu smiled and gestured, "Please take a seat first. It's been prepared well in advance and we've been waiting for you for a long time. Please come and sit with me, Your Excellency!" Su Wu had indeed prepared such a chair, right next to his own in the center.

Qian Chen smiled slightly and, without any hesitation, sat down next to Su Wu.

Su Wu also took his seat, and once both of them were seated, the courtroom fell silent.

Once the yamen hall quieted down, the courtyard outside, which had been gradually filled with people, also slowly quieted down.

Su Wu spoke first: "I had no choice but to invite you all here. There are some things I don't know how to do..."

At this point, Su Wu paused...

At this moment, no one interrupted.

But Qian Chen asked, "Things have come to this point, war has broken out, the world is in turmoil, the court is crumbling, the emperor has fled far away, it seems like swords are drawn and bows are drawn, the world is about to descend into chaos. All these matters must be made truly clear to you gentlemen..."

"That's only right!" Su Wu nodded and raised his hand to beckon.

At the back door, Wang Fu went out first, followed by Zhang Xiaochun, and then Wang Bing came in.

Once these three arrived, it was normal that no one recognized Wang Bing, but everyone recognized Wang Fu, and most people also recognized Zhang Xiaochun. Zhang Xiaochun had obviously served as an official in the capital, and he also held a special post as a scholar of the Longtu Pavilion.

Clearly, Zhang Xiaochun was no nobody. In the past, Bao Zheng was merely a scholar of the Longtu Pavilion, while Zhang Xiaochun was a proper scholar.

Qian Chen first looked at the three of them, then fixed his gaze on Wang Fu. He was also furious and asked, "Wang Fu, you speak first!"

What is Wang Fu? In Qian Chen's eyes, he's just a stinking beggar. There are plenty of prime ministers in the Song Dynasty. Who does Wang Fu think he is?

Does Wang Fu deserve to be called prime minister?
People like Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi, and Sima Guang were not beggars...

Of course, this was only due to the Qian family's status and position in the Song Dynasty, but most of the time, the Qian family did not have any real power.

Wang Fu bowed repeatedly to them, and then turned back to bow to everyone present...

After all the actions were completed, his face turned bitter, and he cried out, "Gentlemen, gentlemen, this is not my will, but the Emperor's will! This is a secret order from the Emperor, what can I do? How can I refuse?"

As soon as those words were spoken, the entire room suddenly erupted in a buzz of whispers and pointing fingers...

Before Qian Chen could say anything, Zhang Xiaochun, who was standing to the side, had already started cursing: "You treacherous villain, how dare you say such things! It must be you! You have misled the Emperor's will and framed loyal officials, leading to this situation today! Don't listen to his nonsense, everyone! The Emperor was only temporarily oversighted!"

Su Wu remained silent. This matter was open to debate and discussion; people could speak freely and express their opinions as they pleased. The point was to create a scene of debate.

If there is room for debate and discussion, and people are allowed to speak their minds, then public opinion will have a place to go, which is better than being cursed by the whole world.

The arguments and debates, the rights and wrongs, aside from being clear in people's minds, will eventually fade away...

We're here today to debate, and we've gathered so many people here so that we can all come together!

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, I, Wang Fu, am a scheming and treacherous man. In the past, I was promoted eight ranks ahead of others because of a momentary whim of the Emperor. But I, Wang Fu, am just like all of you here today. I too once had my name announced outside the Donghua Gate as a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination). Now, with all of you here, could someone like me, Wang Fu, who was promoted eight ranks ahead of others, have accomplished such a thing?"

How could Wang Fu not defend himself? If he did not defend himself today, it would be tantamount to admitting guilt, and wouldn't he truly become a villain for all time?
Today's danger is more frightening than the soldiers' knives. If he is truly a traitor, he will be blamed. If anyone here today were to spit on him, he would drown on the spot!

"These treacherous and unfilial scoundrels are still here, spouting their clever words. It is precisely these clever words that have deceived the emperor for a moment, leading to the current situation!"

Zhang Xiaochun did everything in his power to resolve today's crisis peacefully.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, if it were just me, Wang Fu, framing loyal officials, why would the Emperor have to flee in such a panic? It's not that I have no ruler or father, but I have no choice and no other option. The Emperor's orders cannot be disobeyed, but the Emperor is also a human being. If the Emperor has made a mistake that has led to this situation, how can I not speak out?"

As Wang Fu spoke, he paced back and forth, walking towards the crowd, letting everyone see that he was pouring out his heart on his face...

He continued, “Gentlemen, gentlemen! Is it difficult for me to confess my crimes and submit to the law today? No, it is not. The death of Wang Fu alone can resolve this crisis. What difficulty is there? I only fear that you do not know the reason behind this. Once I die, the Prince of Yan will retreat, and the Emperor will have already gathered his troops. He will then raise a large army to fight. That will truly lead to chaos in the world, with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, rivers of blood flowing like streams. Will our loved ones grieve, and will our enemies rejoice? With the Central Plains in chaos, the Jurchens will seize the opportunity to rise up. The Xiongnu and Turks will be incomparable, and even the Liao Dynasty of the Khitan will be no match for them… At that time, with internal and external troubles, the land will be shaken. Whether you are a high-ranking official or a commoner, everyone will be living in constant fear. I absolutely cannot allow the world to descend into such a state!”

After saying this, Wang Fu, who was walking around, was covered in tears!

He also glanced at the Duke of Rong, who also had a worried look on his face. It was the Duke of Rong who had come today to resolve this crisis.

Zhang Xiaochun was speechless for a moment, realizing that Wang Fu was right.

In terms of debating skills, Zhang Xiaochun was clearly far inferior to Wang Fu. Wang Fu also had a major advantage: what he said was indeed true.

Zhang Xiaochun was so angry he was practically fuming. He could only raise his hand to point, his whole body trembling as he cursed, "Shameless thief! Outrageous! In all the thousands of years of history, I have never seen such a shameless thief!"

Duke Rongguo, Qian Chen, turned to look at Su Wu, who frowned, lowered his head, and remained silent.

Qian Chen whispered in Su Wu's ear, "Prince of Yan, how is the army doing now?"

Why are you suddenly asking about this?
Su Wu understood, and replied, "The crowd is indignant..."

Qian Chen took a deep breath. How could he not know that this was not just Su Wu's affair, but the affair of tens of thousands of soldiers and men behind him?

If it's a debate, the army will remain stable; but if the emperor insists on sentencing, the army may change.

Who wouldn't be pleased with the merit of following the emperor?
Qian Chen said in one sentence: "Before entering the capital, and after entering the capital, there was no such thing as any generals surrounding him wanting to be crowned with the yellow robe. It seems that the Prince of Yan has already done his best."

Su Wu was actually very moved...

Qian Chen truly lived up to the name of the Qian family of Wuyue.

What Qian Chen could think of, many people present naturally had in mind as well…

Su Wu looked up and around, and many people looked at him, exchanging glances for a long time.

Wang Fu glanced at Su Wu, seemingly organizing his thoughts before speaking again.

Su Wu suddenly raised his hand and waved: "Alright, you may leave!"

Wang Fuxu still seemed to have more to say, and said, "Your Majesty, I still have something to argue. Even if I die, I will die a worthy death, so that you all will know how to act in the future. This current situation must be resolved..."

"Go down..." Su Wu's brows furrowed.

Wang Fu bowed immediately and hurried towards the back door he had just entered through.

Zhang Xiaochun persisted, saying, "This scoundrel spouts nonsense, not only failing to be loyal to the emperor but also smearing him. He is the most shameless thief in the world! He even dares to talk about passing the imperial examination, which is an insult to the sages and our ancestors!"

Everyone watched as Zhang Xiaochun began to berate...

Qian Chen then asked, "Now that the Prince of Yan has summoned everyone here, what should we do? Does the Prince of Yan have a plan?"

There has to be a way, right?

Su Wu neither accepted the imperial robe, nor entered the imperial city, nor allowed his troops to rebel... So what should he do next?

Su Wu frowned and remained silent for a long time...

Su Wu remained silent, and a slow, loud buzzing arose inside and outside the yamen, followed by increasingly louder discussions...

"We should quickly send someone to Jinghu to invite the Emperor back. Only then can we discuss this matter before the Emperor and reach a conclusion..."

"The emperor is in Jinghu, gathering the troops of the whole country. Even if he returns, it will be with a large army... At that time, I'm afraid a real war will break out."

"Then let the Prince of Yan go to Jinghu to see the Emperor, and discuss the matter together. Let's just talk it out and let bygones be bygones..."

"Hum..."

"What do you mean by that sneer?"

"Just let it go? You're a well-read scholar, but can you really talk things out like this? Wang Fu's words are undeniable!"

"Nonsense! The Emperor is benevolent and righteous, while Wang Fu only cares about his own interests, so he's talking nonsense..."

"Enough, enough, I won't argue with you. I also think that the world shouldn't really be destroyed, leaving us both in dire straits..."

"That's what I thought too... Could we really fight... fight..."

"What are you fighting for? At this moment, what are you hesitating about?"

“Speak freely. I’m afraid even the Prince of Yan won’t be able to control those peasant soldiers. What have those people seen? Huh? When they see money, which one of them doesn’t have eyes that light up? We can’t really have a war where ‘the streets are trampled with the bones of nobles, and the imperial treasury is burned to ashes,’ can we?”

These words truly silenced the entire room.

Su Wu also looked up to see who had uttered such insightful words.
Oh, so it's the "prodigal prime minister" Li Bangyan.

In this great Song Dynasty, they really managed to raise so many and so well these little insects...

Suddenly, everyone looked at Su Wu at the same time!
(End of this chapter)