Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 380 Who do you think you are?
Su Wu looked Jiang Bai up and down again, examining the man. Su Wu knew that this man might not be a gentleman, but Su Wu valued one thing about him: his quick wit.

Su Wu spoke up: "Take your men across the river and just pretend they are defeated soldiers..."

Su Wu stopped there and looked at Jiang Bai.

Jiang Bai immediately replied, "This humble general understands. Does Your Majesty intend for this humble general to cross the river to Hanyang to spread various messages and rumors?"

This time, Su Wu truly believed Jiang Bai could handle the matter, so he nodded: "Well, at this time, there are tens of thousands of troops gathered in Hanyang, and the various regions and tribes must be in complete chaos. I suppose you must know a few people. You can lead your defeated troops to join them, or you can disperse to various tribes. It all depends on your abilities..."

Jiang Bai was overjoyed and relieved. It was better than nothing; assassinating the king was far too difficult and extremely risky.

Jiang Bai immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this matter is not difficult. This humble general knows how to handle it well!"

Su Wu nodded: "Then go quickly!"

Jiang Bai bowed and said, "This subordinate will go and prepare immediately!"

Su Wu maintained the same attitude: although he knew that the army in Hanyang was incapable of fighting, he still had to use all available means to ensure that nothing went wrong, and also to save as many innocent lives as possible.

Jiang Bai indeed led his men across the water and went...

Su Wu was also waiting to cross the Han River. Hanyang was a corner where the Han River and the Yangtze River met, which could guard both the mouth of the Han River and the Yangtze River waterway.

There was a garrison in Hanyang called Hanyang Army. This area was a military prefecture, obviously a strategic military location. During the Southern Song Dynasty's resistance against the Jin Dynasty, fierce battles also took place here.

Nowadays, this place is more like a river and land port, an extremely important distribution center for goods, and a hub for commerce.

The emperor would choose the location. Hanyang was actually rich and well-fed, and could advance or retreat as needed. However, the Hanyang army was no longer a strong army. But most of the soldiers were not poor. They lived off the land and water, and the loading and unloading at the docks were mostly controlled by the soldiers.

Now these soldiers have been gathered together to fight the Yan bandits to the death.

Who could Jiang Bai possibly turn to? He turned to a deputy commander of the Hanyang army named Dang Quan.

Why were Jiang Bai and Dang Quan so familiar with each other? The reason is simple: the Han River was a vital waterway, and since their territories were close, they often exchanged information about military and civilian matters. It was hard for them not to become familiar with each other over time.

Half a day and a night passed, and then another day, on the second night, Jiang Bai met Dang Quan.

Upon hearing Jiang Bai's explanation, Dang Quan was filled with shock: "The Prince of Yan is leading tens of thousands of elite troops to personally attack your Fuzhou?"

Jiang Bai's face was also filled with terror: "Yes, those soldiers were like wolves and tigers, their armor like a forest, their horses countless, like an overwhelming force, charging forward. They killed people like cutting melons and vegetables, how could we stop them... Alas... I surrendered, but I was also afraid, so I led my brothers to flee again that very night. The Prince of Yan has probably already crossed the Han River. You didn't see it. If you had seen that kind of power, your legs would probably have gone weak..."

Dang Quan also said, "I can figure it out myself. Who is this King of Yan? The Dangxiang were destroyed by him, the Khitan could not defeat him, and the Jurchen were utterly defeated by him. Yet he wants me to fight him to the death. Alas..."

"Who asked you to fight to the death?" Jiang Bai asked.

"That Wang Yuan, the Chief Steward Wang from the Northwest, is now in charge of Hanyang. He summoned me and said that Hanyang is my territory, and I am familiar with its terrain. He ordered me to set up camp here to defend the city, to act as a bulwark for Hanyang, and to fight to the death! So, if the enemy attacks the city, I will charge into the enemy ranks from the flank..."

Dang Quan shook his head, his face full of bitterness.

"Sigh...this...this could really be fatal..." Jiang Bai was naturally worried for his friend.

"Now I'm stuck, unable to advance or retreat. Advancing means death, retreating means death too!" Dang Quan was truly at his wits' end. He had lived a comfortable life, with wives and concubines, children, a house, and land. He never imagined that he would one day actually be on the battlefield. This land of Hanyang hadn't seen a war for ten generations...

Then he said again, "Tell me, tell me, what is the emperor doing here in Jinghu when he has nothing to do? Why did he come here for no reason... Ah! What is he doing here? He did something stupid, why doesn't he take responsibility for it himself, why is he causing trouble for us?"

“Yes, it’s a perfectly good day, and they have to make us fight against the Prince of Yan. What kind of nonsense is this!” Jiang Bai immediately chimed in.

"Forget it, let's take it one step at a time. It's not that I don't want to fight, right? Which of our brothers wants to fight? Let's fight the Prince of Yan. Isn't there news that the Prince of Yan is here? All the civil and military officials are here, all the ministers are here. He's here to welcome the Emperor back to the capital, to get the Emperor to issue an edict of self-reproach. If you've done something wrong, you should admit it. Isn't that enough?"

Dang Quan was full of complaints, clearly because the emperor had ruined his wonderful life.

"How about we surrender? I secretly came to find you, brother, hoping to see if you could protect me. We just wanted things to calm down so we could go back to our lives. I didn't expect you to be in such a difficult situation too. In that case, let's just surrender to the Prince of Yan. He hasn't really mistreated me..."

Jiang Bai felt the time was right, and thus uttered these words.

"To surrender? I'd like to, but I don't know where to surrender to..." Dang Quan said in a moment.

“That’s easy. I’ll go back then and go find the Prince of Yan again. If I say that I came to persuade you to surrender, the Prince of Yan won’t question me about my unauthorized escape. I might even get credit for it, and you’ll also get credit. Maybe we brothers can both get a reward!”

When Jiang Bai arrived, he overthought the situation, assuming that the emperor was there, along with many Han soldiers and generals from the northwest, and many trusted officials brought by the emperor, so the military control must be extremely strict.

So when I first arrived, I wasn't quite sure I could be direct.

Only now do I realize that there is no such thing as regulation whatsoever...

Then what's there to say? Just lower your price!
If one unit surrenders before the battle even begins, wouldn't that be a great achievement? If several units surrender one after another, then that might truly be the greatest achievement of this battle. The Prince of Yan is renowned for his treatment of people, so the reward for his merit goes without saying.

"Brother, what are you thinking about? You should go back quickly. I was just worried about not having a way to speak with the Prince of Yan. Regardless of whether there is war or not, let's talk things out with the Prince of Yan first. If we do, the Prince of Yan is a man of honor and won't really make things difficult for me!"

Dang Quan had thought about this matter in depth before, but he really didn't have the connections. In the entire Hanyang, there wasn't a single person who could get in touch with the Prince of Yan.

I don't ask for anything else, I just want to stay alive and get through this peacefully. Merit is best if I have it, but it's okay if I don't. I just want to live and be able to return to my original life.

"Then I won't say any more. Write a letter, affix the official seal, and I'll take it back!" Jiang Bai was overjoyed, as this was the first time he had accomplished something on behalf of the Prince of Yan.

"Wait a moment!" Dang Quan really went to write it. Whether he was two-faced, two-faced, or trying to please both sides, he really didn't want to risk his life.

Over there, Prince Yan is crossing the Han River. He himself came first, but the soldiers, horses, and logistics are still slowly crossing, one trip at a time, because there really aren't enough boats.

Across the river from Xiangyang City, within the army camp, a small disturbance also broke out.

Since arriving in Xiangyang and first meeting the Prince of Yan, many of the ministers have not seen him for several days. Many Han generals know that the Prince of Yan has led his troops straight to the southeast, but these ministers are slow to realize this and are deliberately keeping it a secret.

Since they could never see the real person, the husbands naturally started to make a fuss.

This escalated to the point where it reached the main tent.

Wu Yong still had to receive them.

It was also Rongguo Gong Qian Chen who asked, "Why hasn't the Prince of Yan seen us lately? Is he busy with some important matter?"

Qian Chen had some guesses in his mind... but he asked on behalf of others.

Wu Yong nodded: "That's how it is... Please don't be impatient. We've come this far. Things are complicated, so let's take it one step at a time..."

Li Bangyan spoke up: "Stop talking nonsense. You want to see the Prince of Yan today, but you're avoiding us. What kind of behavior is this?"

Wu Yong glanced sideways at him, his tone hardening: "I'm afraid we really won't be seeing Minister Li today!"

"What do you mean by that? I was once a prime minister, and now I am the leading figure among civil officials. Why would I avoid matters of national importance?"

If Su Wu were in person, Li Bangyan wouldn't dare to do this. The scene of Su Wu killing Geng Nanzhong on the steps of the palace was truly terrifying and left him with psychological trauma.

But Li Xianggong didn't even know Wu Yong's full name. It wasn't that he hadn't heard of him, but that he hadn't remembered him. What was Wu Yong anyway? Who was he a student of? In which year did he become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)? Where did he get his official position?
Wu Yong wasn't angry. He simply said, "Lord Li, you may not know this, but His Majesty has probably already crossed the Han River and is not far from Hanyang!"

"What?" Li Bangyan was stunned on the spot.

Even Qian Chen was surprised, and the whole room buzzed with excitement.

Then Li Bangyan stood up and said, "What kind of logic is this? Wasn't it agreed that we would go to Hanyang first and persuade His Majesty to return to the capital? What kind of situation is this? Has the Prince of Yan gone back on his word?"

When it came to going back on one's word, Li Bangyan gasped in shock, already wondering if the Prince of Yan was going to start a war.
Is the Prince of Yan about to seize power and usurp the throne?

At this moment, Qian Chen, after his initial surprise, calmed down and said, "Please don't be impatient, everyone. Let's hear what Wu Yu-hou has to say in detail..."

Wu Yong replied, “There’s nothing to say in detail. I don’t know what Your Majesty is planning. I’ll just follow orders. The Emperor has gathered hundreds of thousands of troops in Hanyang. He won’t give up easily. Perhaps my King thinks so. He needs to teach the Emperor a lesson. Otherwise, how can he submit? Thinking about it this way, perhaps my King thinks it’s not time for you gentlemen to step in.”

Qian Chen immediately replied, "What Wu Yuhou said is not without reason. Our Emperor has always been arrogant and even stubborn, as you all know. With hundreds of thousands of troops at his side, if we were to issue an edict of self-reproach, wouldn't we be asking for trouble? We might even become traitors and be captured and imprisoned on the spot... or... beheaded and sacrificed to the flag? Gentlemen... right?"

Qian Chen's words quieted the room considerably.

Li Bangyan then said, "No matter what... shouldn't the Prince of Yan discuss this with us first?"

Finally, a word to save face—people always subconsciously care about their pride… But Wu Yong suddenly frowned and looked at Li Bangyan: “Who do you think you are? Does my king need to consult you about anything? A dissolute old man like you dares to act so arrogantly in front of my king’s tent? You really have no shame!”

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room looked up, their eyes filled with surprise and confusion.

Li Bangyan even thought he had misheard. He had never heard anyone say such things to him in his life. He didn't react for a moment and only asked, "What did you say?"

Wu Yong glanced at him out of the corner of his eye: "Who do you think you are?"

Li Bangyan was instantly enraged. He had already stood up, took a few steps forward to Wu Yong, and pointed at him, saying, "What are you? What are you? Huh? Call your king here and see if he will speak to me like this!"

It was like a scholar encountering a soldier; reason was useless, and resorting to insults was something he wasn't quite good at, being a refined man.

Wu Yong raised his head slightly: "In the court, there are those who are virtuous and those who are talented, but you are nothing but an old man who has not died. You have never made any contributions in your life, yet you hold a high position. You think you are capable, but you are nothing more than a treacherous villain by the emperor's side. We are the kind of people who go out to fight on the battlefield and go in to govern the army and the government. If we can win on the battlefield, the army and the government will be at peace!"

Wu Yong finally spoke his mind today. He was actually filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. He envied the civil and military officials of the court, was jealous of them, and hated them.

Why does he dare to say that today?
Just as the Prince of Yan was leaving, he asked a question: "What if these ministers can't see the King and start making a ruckus?"
When he asked this question, he dared not act recklessly. Wu Yong still held the title of "Master" in high regard from the bottom of his heart.

The Prince of Yan, on horseback, didn't even turn his head, leaving only one sentence: What a load of bullshit husband!
Then, the King of Yan left.

At that moment, Wu Yong was horrified. He couldn't imagine that anyone in this world, in this Song Dynasty, would actually treat the gentlemen like dirt!

It was Su Wu's words that shattered the illusion of him being a "husband" in his heart; it was Su Wu who emboldened Wu Yong!
That's why he dared to act so recklessly today, with such a forthrightness, it was like the Milky Way spilling onto the ground, like a great river rushing forward...

Li Bangyan was so angry that his beard was all over his body. Wu Yong said, "You old scoundrel with a white beard, you white-haired fool, you think the country and the nation can't do without you. Only when people like you die can the country and the nation be better!"

Wu Yong could curse people with ease; he was no refined man.

Looking around the room, there were countless people who were dumbfounded, and there were also those who were secretly pleased. Li Bangyan and his ilk were just as Wu Yong said, lacking both virtue and talent, but they were able to hold high positions. In fact, they were hated by others, but others dared not say it.

"You! You! How dare you! What rank do you hold? What kind of official robes are you wearing? How dare you! You disrespect your superiors! You... you're a dog relying on your master's power! This is outrageous! Everyone here heard your words today. Don't you know that even if the emperor were changed, even if your king were the emperor, would the world still need scholars like us to serve as officials? Would it still allow you to govern the world with illiterate soldiers?"

Li Bangyan was so angry he lost his mind and blurted out all sorts of things...

That is to say, one should regard oneself as a representative of everyone.

This left everyone in the room speechless. Many people had thought about it, but dared not or were unwilling to really think about it in detail. As long as they did not really think about it or think about it in detail, they would avoid many things and have less psychological burden.

But Li Bangyan, at this crucial moment, insisted on speaking openly...

Qian Chen quickly stepped between Li Bangyan and Wu Yong, saying, "You mustn't talk such nonsense! The Prince of Yan's plan is correct. Perhaps we should fight a battle first, so that the Emperor will submit... That's right, that's right, just figure it out. Go back, go back, disperse, disperse, just wait patiently for a few days... Lord Wu, you shouldn't speak to an old minister like that, alas... You shouldn't have, you shouldn't have. The Prince of Yan is back, and he may really punish you..."

"Let's go, let's disperse..." Qian Chen was already pushing Li Bangyan out of the tent, and the other officials also got up and went out.

Wu Yongzhen then refrained from making a scene. He was well-versed in human relationships and knew that Qian Chen was also helping him.

As he watched everyone leave, Wu Yong fell into deep thought.

It was Li Bangyan who said that if any emperor came to power, would he still need scholar-officials to serve as officials?
Wu Yong himself was not qualified to be called a scholar-official; he was just a village schoolteacher and did not deserve such a high title.

Perhaps when he was young, he could still be described as a scholar.

Nowadays, he doesn't even qualify as a scholar.

He was a poor, illiterate man who hadn't read well.

Of course, these were not the things he was truly pondering. What he was really thinking about was that when the king ascended the throne, all these ministers would likely still be ministers...

It wasn't that Wu Yong was thinking of some other method, or that he had suddenly awakened to something; he was just vaguely unhappy about how corrupt the court had become.
It seems like they'll still be the same people in the future...

I was truly unhappy!
He was helpless... He probably knew that even the Prince of Yan couldn't do anything about it...

We can't really let illiterate soldiers run the administration; that would be a joke.

At this very moment, two people arrived in Hanyang City.

One was Liu Yanqing, the Vice Minister of the Privy Council, and the other was Zhao Kai, the Crown Prince who was in charge of the country.

The two arrived several days late for a simple reason: they couldn't come from the direction of Xiangyang in western Jiangsu; they took the Huainan route, which was a detour.

Upon seeing the two, how could the emperor be so lenient? He merely looked the crown prince up and down before beginning to complain: "I appointed you as the crown prince and put you in charge of the country so that you could properly guard Bianjing. With a million people and tens of thousands of soldiers in Bianjing, how could it be so difficult to defend even for a day? Why did you abandon the city like this?"

I wonder, even the unfilial and rebellious Zhao Huan of the past, when faced with the Jurchen siege, still insisted on staying inside the city. How come Zhao Kai, whom he was watching so well, couldn't even hold out for a single day?
Zhao Kai was already in tears, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly: "Father, it was that general, it was that general who colluded with the enemy! Su Wu opened the city gates with just a letter and the seal of the Privy Councilor. If I hadn't left, wouldn't I already be a hostage in Su Wu's hands... Father, please forgive me! I have traveled a thousand miles to be with you today, thinking that no matter what, I should don my armor and stand before you, fight for you, and risk my life to wipe out the traitors!"

These words did make the emperor feel a little better.

Liu Yanqing added, "Your Majesty, please forgive us. The Crown Prince's words are all true. It is indeed the gate guards, Han Miao and Fu Tong, who are traitors!"

The emperor immediately turned his gaze to Liu Yanqing and questioned him: "My son has come here because of our ancestral heritage. Like father, like son. Your son has already joined the rebels. Why do you still come before me? Could it be that you have come to act as a spy for your son?"

How could Liu Yanqing not kneel on the ground and kowtow: "This old minister has failed in educating his son, this old minister is willing to atone for his sins with his life, this old minister deserves to die, to die on the battlefield!"

That's a nice thing to say.

The emperor sighed deeply, looked to the left and then to the right, his heart filled with sorrow.

He had just received a messenger's message that Zhong Shizhong was besieged in Xiangyang and could not come.

Then the emperor asked, "You are the Deputy Privy Councilor, you come from a family of military generals, and you are a victor in battle. Raise your head, I have a question for you!"

Liu Yanqing quickly raised his head: "Your Majesty's kindness deserves my death!"

"Given the current situation, how should we plan? Where should we fight the enemy to the death? How should we allocate resources?" The emperor was truly asking these questions. It was at this moment that Zhao Ji realized that commanding a war was not as simple as it seemed.

The emperor had a conversation with Wang Yuan the day before, saying that if he made this move, Wang Yuan would say the enemy wouldn't come; if he made that move, Wang Yuan would say the enemy would attack the flank...

It is also said that enemy troops were ambushed here. Wang Yuan said that an army of 100,000 could not be hidden, as enemy cavalry were everywhere.

It is also said that a dam was built there to divert water, which flooded the entire army...

Wang Yuan said that the waters of the Han River could not be stopped.

The emperor only needs to say this and that, do this and that, and by doing these things, he can achieve a great victory...

Wang Yuan just kept saying this wouldn't work and that wouldn't work, and he would explain why it wouldn't work, and he always made a lot of sense.

But when the emperor asked Wang Yuan for a plan, he did not give a detailed answer.

Wang Yuan couldn't utter a single word.

The emperor immediately understood that to truly lead a large army and command battles, relying on a warrior like Wang Yuan was not enough; it required a gentleman like the Zhong family, but that gentleman was unavailable…

Isn't this driving me crazy?
Liu Yanqing has arrived. Although he is also a soldier, he seems to have a great reputation, not far from being inferior to the Zhong family's son...

Liu Yanqing replied, “Your Majesty, when I entered the city, I saw that the camps stretched out to the north of the city, indicating that a large army was stationed there. The most important thing now is to immediately move the army to Jiangxia and use the Yangtze River as a defense to lure the Yan rebels out of their cavalry advantage and try to cross the river. Only in this way can we have a chance to repel the enemy!”

The emperor was immediately enraged: "Nonsense! I have hundreds of thousands of troops here, seeking only victory. Su Wu has only tens of thousands of men. Do you think I should avoid his sharp edge? If word gets out, won't the whole world be in uproar? People will think that the traitor has the upper hand and that I am in grave danger. How can that reassure the people?"

The emperor also understands... although he doesn't understand much, he at least understands the specific ways in which the Mandate of Heaven manifests itself. If he really retreats and hides, he fears that the people of the world will misunderstand that the Mandate of Heaven is changing...

"Your Majesty, this is the way of military strategy... A small lack of patience can ruin a great plan..." Liu Yanqing still wanted to persuade him.

"Shut up, stop talking nonsense. I think you might really be an inside agent or a spy..." The emperor was furious.

Then a voice came from the doorway: "Your Majesty, military intelligence!"

"Come in and speak!" The emperor was in a very bad mood.

"Report! Rebel troops have appeared northwest of Hanyang! Rumor has it that the Yan bandit Su Wu has personally crossed the Han River!"

(Brothers, a new month has begun. I'm asking for a few guaranteed tickets at the beginning of the month. Thank you all!)
(End of this chapter)