Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 381 is a dragon, a dragon banner!
Report: Enemy troops have appeared northwest of Hanyang. Rumors say that the King of Yan has personally crossed the Han River.

The emperor immediately stood up and blurted out, "What? Wasn't it said that the traitor was still in Xiangyang?"

Liu Yanqing, standing nearby, quickly added, "Your Majesty, do not be anxious. The enemy must have divided their forces. Su Wu has an unknown number of fast cavalry, so it is perfectly normal for them to divide their forces. The best course of action now is to immediately move our troops to the south bank of the Yangtze River and garrison Jiangxia to establish a stalemate!"

The emperor's face was truly pale at this moment, deathly pale.

He was speechless for a moment, then simply waved for the person who had reported to leave, and then fell into deep thought.

Liu Yanqing continued, "The enemy's forces are elite, especially their cavalry. As long as we have the Yangtze River in front of us, we can greatly counter the enemy's cavalry advantage. If we can then calmly deploy river defenses, the northern troops will find it difficult to sustain their campaign for long!"

Liu Yanqing's words made sense. He wasn't seeking a guaranteed victory, but rather hoping that Su Wu would first encounter internal problems and troubles. This was the only way to repel the enemy...

But the Emperor pondered for a moment, then his gaze sharpened, his emotions wavering. He spoke to himself, “I am not afraid of him. I am the Son of Heaven, ordained by Heaven. I am the rightful ruler of the land, the Emperor of dignity. How could I fear a mere rebel? It is he who fears me, not I who fear him. I am the rightful ruler of the land, and I have the support of the people. Those rebels are nothing but coercive forces. They may appear fierce, but in reality, they are already on the verge of collapse. They are just waiting for a battle to break apart!”

The emperor became more and more excited as he spoke, even gesturing wildly as he spoke.

Liu Yanqing frowned, wanting to offer a rebuttal, perhaps from a military strategy perspective.

But the emperor's words left him speechless, so he could only go and see the crown prince, Zhao Kai.

Zhao Kai did not frown; his face showed genuine excitement. He seemed to truly believe his father's words. He was an excellent scholar; how could he not know what it took to rule the world?
Zhao Kai immediately declared, "Father, the people of our Great Song have long since submitted to us. How can we be usurped by a band of soldiers? This time, I will certainly don armor and take up arms to wipe out the traitors!"

Zhao Kai's words weren't just empty talk; he genuinely intended to do it.

This may not be about courage, but rather because he had read the classics and read too many stories of heroes and valiant men in history. What those books described was exactly what he should do.

Who doesn't have a dream?
If it were truly Zhao Kai, in full armor and wielding weapons, bravely standing at the front lines and leading the army to defeat the traitors, thus turning the tide, then the position of Crown Prince would be a given, and when he ascended the throne in the future, the hearts of the people would be with him, wouldn't he also be worthy of the title of Emperor of all time?
This is exactly what Zhao Kai was thinking, without a doubt!
Upon hearing this, the emperor was moved. He took two steps forward, patted his son on the shoulder, and praised him, "Good son, good son! You are worthy of being a descendant of the Zhao family. This time, you and I, father and son, worked together to defeat the bandits and return Bianjing. This will surely be a glorious story in history!"

The father and son were truly moved by each other.

Liu Yanqing, standing to the side, could say nothing more...

But the Emperor looked at Liu Yanqing and suddenly became furious. He raised his hand and pointed at him, saying, "This man harbors evil intentions and has devised this scheme only to undermine our morale. He is already a henchman of the Yan traitor!"

Liu Yanqing was slightly taken aback, then immediately kowtowed: "Your Majesty, you mustn't think of this old minister in such a way..."

"Guards!" Emperor Zhao Ji, with a stern expression, was already calling for reinforcements.

The armored warrior entered and said, "Here!"

Zhao Ji pointed and said, "Take him away and lock him in prison. Don't let this old traitor die. Let him see what the Mandate of Heaven is, what legitimacy is, and let him see clearly what the fate of a traitor will be! When the time comes, capture his son and grandson and deal with them together!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yanqing felt a sudden panic. He glanced up at Zhao Ji and an impulse arose within him.

The common man became angry and blood spattered five steps forward.

Don't be fooled by the armored warriors behind him, or by Liu Yanqing's advanced age.

Given this distance and this situation, if Liu Yanqing, who had fought all his life, were to really risk his life, Emperor Zhao Ji would most likely die!

"Go!" the samurai shouted.

Even though Liu Yanqing's hands were already pinned behind his back, the thought in his mind was fleeting. How could he possibly suddenly decide to kill the emperor at this moment?

If they don't even have the thought of resisting or escaping, and don't even try, how can they talk about regicide?
The fact that Liu Yanqing could even have that fleeting thought only proves that he is truly a warrior and a killer. How could he not harbor malice in his heart when he said he would deal with his own descendants?
Unfortunately, this is the Song Dynasty, and soldiers are soldiers; they can't do it!
Liu Yanqing was taken away like that. A general who had fought for his country for decades was held down by several young warriors, his arms upside down, and dragged away like a dead dog being pulled away...

Zhao Ji's face darkened with hatred, and he said to his son, "We can't rely on others, we can only rely on our father and son. With hundreds of thousands of troops in our hands, how can we give up our ancestral legacy to others?"

It's a pity Su Wu wasn't there. Otherwise, he would have asked a question: "Giving it to the Jurchen is fine, but giving it to Su Wu is not."
We'd rather give to friendly nations than to our own slaves!
That's probably the idea...

Or is it that Su Wu did not kill, set fires, plunder, or commit adultery, so he was not as vicious as the Jurchens?
The father and son went out hand in hand to the Hanyang government office.

We must also hold a meeting in the tent to discuss matters and make countermeasures. The Yan bandits have arrived, and we cannot delay; we must confront them head-on!
Many people quickly gathered inside the yamen, with Qin Hui as the main civil official and Wang Yuan as the main military official.

There were also several sons of Emperor Huizong of Tang.

Crown Prince Zhao Kai actually found a set of armor and put it on. Although it was heavy and difficult to bear, Zhao Kai gritted his teeth and stood aside, looking exactly like a majestic military general!
I, Zhao Gou, also observed those coming and going, and my heart was filled with mixed feelings. It seemed that there was truly no chance...

There was also self-consolation: there was never much of a chance to begin with, it was just a coincidence that seemed to have a slight possibility, oh well...

The Emperor spoke from the center: "The Yan rebels have arrived, and it must be their vanguard, not the entire army. At this moment, we must meet them head-on and strike hard. The Yan rebels' army is already in a state of panic. If we can win, their morale will collapse. Who will lead the troops to attack the rebels?"

Wang Yuan stepped forward and bowed...

The emperor was pleased to see this and assumed that Wang Yuan had come to request permission to fight.

Unexpectedly, Wang Yuan spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, this matter should be considered more carefully..."

How could Wang Yuan have spoken without careful consideration? The principles of victory and defeat are the same for everyone. In his view, a head-on attack would inevitably result in a crushing defeat. With hundreds of thousands of troops present, many of whom were utterly incompetent, a defeat like this would utterly destroy morale, making future mobilization even more difficult…

At this moment, at least these armies are still obedient. If they are ordered to cross the Yangtze River to Hanyang, they will come; if they are ordered to cross the river to Jiangxia, they will also move.

If a complete defeat occurs first, it will likely become difficult to make such adjustments in the future.

What? You really want to give them a good beating? Who? Su Wu?

Wang Yuan looked around. Was this a joke? This was utterly absurd!

Have these people truly witnessed the imposing aura of Su Wu leading his troops into battle? Have they truly seen the scene of ten thousand horses galloping? Have they ever heard the thunderous roar of hooves?
The Emperor stood on the small platform in the center, looking down at the bowing Wang Yuan, and said in a firm voice: "My mind is made up. Who will volunteer to lead the vanguard?"

Among the soldiers present were those from the Northwest and various parts of Jinghu...

The soldiers from the Northwest naturally bowed their heads and were unwilling to fight the Prince of Yan. They said that the Prince of Yan had many comrades from the Northwest by his side, and many of them were even acquaintances of theirs, so it was really impossible for them to fight.

Secondly, if they were truly facing the King of Yan's arrayed troops, how could they possibly fight?
Looking down is...

As for the generals of Jinghu, they had never seen what the battlefield looked like. They were living a peaceful life when suddenly they had to die for their country. Needless to say, they could only bow their heads.

The emperor was furious. He slammed his hand on the table in the courtroom where the case was being heard, so hard that the gavel shook...

Then the emperor angrily rebuked them: "You are only afraid of Su Wu's skill in battle and wary of his reputation. Don't you know that Su Wu's army is already in a state of panic? This is the time for you to make your mark!"

The emperor still prioritized encouragement, but this encouragement still received no response. There were quite a few soldiers and generals present, and the law does not punish the masses, so no one could be blamed.

The emperor was even angrier: "Wang Yuan, you are now the commander-in-chief of my army, why do you remain silent?"

Wang Yuan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, that Yan traitor is surrounded by... many of our brothers. If we were to kill them face to face, my men might hesitate in the face of battle..."

"Those are traitors, they are all traitors, what brothers!" The emperor shouted sternly, but also looked at the many generals of Jinghu Army.

The generals of Jinghu only buried their heads even deeper.

The emperor was so angry that he didn't know what to do. These scoundrels were indeed hopeless. It was also because Master Zhong was not here. If Master Zhong were here, how could things have turned out like this?

But then, Crown Prince Zhao Kai spoke up beside him: "Father, they are naturally afraid of the traitor's reputation, but I am not afraid. This is the foundation of our Zhao family. I am willing to lead the troops to attack and we will surely return victorious. Once I win, the morale of the army will be greatly boosted. In that case, when the generals fight again in the future, they will be eager to fight!"

Zhao Kai understood the principle; having read so many books, how could he lack even this basic understanding?

Ordinary people are always like this: they flock together to grab the benefits, but hide and avoid the difficulties. Only by setting an example can one achieve great things!

It was also the Emperor's words that Su Wu, who seemed fierce at this moment, was actually just a paper tiger, easily broken.

The emperor turned to look at his son and was deeply moved. Being a sentimental person, how could he not shed tears?

He said, “My son, these scoundrels are all unreliable. Only you, who have studied the classics and know loyalty and righteousness, are worthy of our trust. So go! This time, I am sending you to the battlefield. With one heart and one mind, we will surely achieve a great victory!”

Zhao Kai also shed tears and bowed deeply, saying, "Father, rest assured, I will surely defeat the enemy even at the cost of my life!"

"Good!" Zhao Ji was overjoyed. He stepped forward, opened his arms, and actually hugged his son tightly. But he still couldn't wrap his arms around this armored man. He patted his shoulders and back, saying, "My son, don't worry, the ancestral legacy will definitely be yours!"

"Your subject will go and muster the troops right now, I'm off!" Zhao Kai was extremely excited, and with the demeanor of a true man, he set off immediately.

There is also self-indulgence, thinking that once he leaves, what he sees behind his back is nothing less than "The wind is howling, the Yi River is cold, the hero goes forth and never returns!"
Actually, it's very romantic, a unique, personal, and individualistic romantic sentiment that truly fills my heart at this moment.

My son is really gone.

The old man followed him out, seeing him off repeatedly, all the way to the entrance of the government office.

One only needs to ask, which person in the entire room didn't turn their head to look at it?
Some even harbored a hopeful expectation that this journey would truly be a triumphant one. Qin Hui, for example, was deeply moved and felt that such popular support was a sure path to victory! Even Zhao Gou was filled with envy, even thinking that if he were in Zhao Gou's shoes, he might be able to do the same. Unfortunately… he wasn't Zhao Gou…

Unfortunately, there will never be even the slightest possibility again...

Wang Yuan, following behind, sighed slightly, but dared not truly sigh or let out a sound; he sighed with restraint.

The emperor also urged, "Wang Yuan, why don't you hurry and go with my son to help him muster troops, prepare weapons and provisions!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wang Yuan had completely forgotten about this matter, as he was only focused on watching the show. He quickly rushed out to help.

So Su Wu really didn't bother with the Northwest Army anymore. Why? Wang Yuan also said that most of Su Wu's subordinates were his brothers and comrades from the Western Army. If they fought, wouldn't it be a huge family reunion?

What else to fight?
Moreover, many of these Han generals from the Northwest Army had fought alongside that traitor in the past, and naturally feared him. This was understandable, and the Crown Prince, being a wise and discerning man, understood this perfectly…

This journey is to achieve a resounding victory, to shock the world, and to sweep away the once-unyielding power and prestige of the Yan rebels...

Crown Prince Zhao Kai will naturally use the troops of Jinghu. He may have heard some things about the rebel Yan, but he certainly doesn't know much about them!
For Wang Yuan, the Crown Prince's choice was indeed troublesome, as he knew the nature of the various tribes in Jinghu.

It's troublesome, but we have to do it. Just pick and choose. The soldiers of Jinghu aren't completely without armor and weapons. Each unit has a few hundred soldiers, sometimes four or five hundred, sometimes two or three hundred. We can always pick and gather some.

We should be able to gather at least eight or nine thousand, or even ten thousand, for His Highness the Crown Prince... If we really can't gather enough, the various armies in the Northwest can send out some armor, weapons, and equipment to help us gather enough. It would look like a mountain of gold, as numerous as hairs on a cow.

His Highness the Crown Prince, clad in armor, truly looked every bit the imposing figure. He mounted his horse with a quick turn, and with assistance from his left and right, he sat majestically on the saddle.

He can also ride a horse, and as long as he doesn't gallop at full speed, he's still quite steady.

The army set off for the northwest to confront the Yan rebels!
Our first destination is a camp on the outermost edge of the Hanyang defense line. It will take another day or two to get there. That is the front line of Hanyang's defense. Once we get there, we will plan how to deal with the enemy and see exactly where the Yan rebels are.

Yan Ni did indeed cross the Han River, but he wasn't in a hurry to move. The large number of troops and supplies behind him were still being transported in batches, and they first set up camp to wait...

They were not only waiting for the 20,000 light and heavy cavalry, but also for news from Jiang Bai.

Jiang Bai's news arrived quickly, naturally mentioning that Dang Quan, a general in the Hanyang army, was willing to surrender.

Yan Ni Su Wu was also somewhat surprised. The efficiency and the result were beyond Su Wu's expectations. He immediately sent a reply, firstly to commend him, and secondly to make arrangements.

Needless to say, they were rewarded, and promised money, grain, and official positions; both of them received these.

The arrangement was well thought out; all that was needed was for the entire party to remain in the stronghold, and the army didn't need to be mobilized. They would just observe the situation and see if it could turn out to be a surprise attack or something similar...

Su Wu didn't lack those few soldiers; in fact, if they actually came, it would cause him trouble in managing them.

Of course, Jiang Bai was also urged to continue his efforts, spreading rumors and winning over the Han army generals...

If we can save one life, then we should save one life.

He replied and went, and before long, another scout returned.

At this moment, the people standing to the left and right of Su Wu's tent were Yang Chun, Hu Cheng, and others.

The cavalry leader, Yan Qing, brought news: "Your Majesty, an army of about ten thousand men is heading northwest from Hanyang, and their armor and weapons are quite good..."

"What flag are you carrying?" Su Wu asked, wondering who had come.

They couldn't help but feel a bit of the worry they had before: what if they really had to face the Western Army in arms?
It has already been ascertained that Wang Yuan is leading the troops this time.

If Wang Yuan actually does it then...

Then... Su Wu would not hold back either, and a tragedy was about to unfold.

Therefore, Su Wu felt a tightness in his chest.

"It's a dragon, a dragon banner!" Yan Qing exclaimed, his face showing surprise. This was the first time he had ever seen such a thing.

"What?" Su Wu was stunned for a moment. He had seen the dragon banner before. He had seen it at the ceremony of presenting prisoners and accepting surrender in Bianjing, and he had also seen it when he worshipped at the Imperial Ancestral Temple with the emperor.

Of course, you don't need to have seen it beforehand. The banner is embroidered with a majestic and fierce golden dragon. Who wouldn't recognize it?
Could it be that the Emperor himself has come this time?

Su Wu had this thought in his mind, but he immediately overturned it. If Zhao Ji really had this ability, he wouldn't have run away from everyone who came...

Could Zhao Ji, who commanded hundreds of thousands of troops, be the kind of person who led a vanguard of ten thousand men into battle?

If that's the case, then Su Wu really treated Zhao Ji as a human being today. If he were to see Zhao Ji suddenly become enlightened and have the courage to die for his cause, Su Wu might just worship him!

Then who else can raise the dragon banner?

Crown Prince Zhao Kai?

It seems he has arrived as well.

It was still an accident. Su Wu didn't really know Zhao Kai. Historically, people like him were just captured by the Jurchens and that was it for their lives. There was nothing more to tell.

Could it be that this person truly possessed such bravery and martial prowess? It's just that he was historically trapped in the hands of the Jurchens and had no opportunity to demonstrate it?

Su Wu suddenly became extremely serious: "Investigate again and report again. Send more men and investigate more!"

Yan Qing bowed and quickly left.

Su Wu frowned, got up and looked at the map beside him.

Hu Cheng sensed Su Wu's emotions and said from the side, "Your Majesty, this humble general will lead the troops to meet them. We must win this first battle. If we do, our morale will be unstoppable. It is no big deal if this humble general dies!"

Yang Chun was a beat slow, but he also stood up and said, "Your Majesty, this humble general is willing to go. This humble general has followed Your Majesty in countless battles, and has never been defeated. This battle will be even more victorious. This humble general is going!"

Su Wu was speechless for a moment, but carefully selected a battlefield on the map. The area of ​​Hanyang was indeed densely covered with waterways, with the Han River and the Yangtze River sandwiched between them, and streams and rivers everywhere, which was actually not conducive to cavalry warfare.

Therefore, the selection process had to be extremely careful, and Su Wu even had to personally travel around to find the candidates.

Then Su Wu said, "Take a hundred or so riders and follow me eastward to find more high places to look around!"

The two generals said no more and followed Su Wu.

They set off on a fast horse, a black steed treading on snow, galloping eastward for two hours. Whenever they saw a high place, they would climb up to look around, find their direction, and then continue on their way.

Su Wu's earnestness was no less than that of the female warrior.

Having already memorized the map, Su Wu stood on yet another high point, clearly distinguishing the cardinal directions, and slowly said, "Honghu is in the southwest, and Honghu is right next to the Yangtze River. Do you know what lies on the other side of the Yangtze River from Honghu?"

Hu Cheng nodded: "It is under the jurisdiction of Ezhou, namely Jiayu County and Puqi County. If you go further southwest, it is Linxiang, and then Yuezhou, where Dongting Lake is located."

Hu Cheng also memorized the maps. He knew that the kind of generals a commander-in-chief would produce would also be like him, and he learned by imitation without even realizing it.

Su Wu nodded in agreement: "That's right, Puqi County is indeed an ancient battlefield, the place where Cao Cao's 800,000-strong army was defeated!"

"The Battle of Red Cliffs?" Hu Cheng immediately asked.

"Yes, the Battle of Red Cliffs was not far in the southwest!" For some reason, Su Wu sighed for a moment. He was also certain of one thing: there really was a navy in Dongting Lake. He had seen it in the documents of the Privy Council.

Although Su Wu knew that the navy in Dongting Lake was actually not very effective, at least there were warships and a group of men who could sail them. Logically speaking, there should have been some on the banks of Jiangxia as well.

Su Wu also had doubts. The intelligence he had received in the past day or two indicated that the emperor's army of tens of thousands was stationed in Hanyang. What was the reason for this?
This doesn't conform to military strategy... This is a military strategy with a standard answer that you can copy, so why aren't you copying it?

Old Zhong isn't that foolish, and Wang Yuan isn't someone to be trifled with either...

There's only one explanation: the emperor is acting unilaterally!
Thinking about it this way, it makes perfect sense. Otherwise, with the old general's abilities, there's no way he could have placed such a large army at the confluence of the Han River and the Yangtze River, unable to move left or right, with only one direction for advance or retreat...

Su Wu suddenly turned his gaze from the south back to the northeast, raised his hand and pointed: "This place is flanked by two rivers on the left and right, with a wide network of waterways in between. It is a good place to fight!"

"I'm afraid they won't come!" Hu Cheng said.

Su Wu was certain: "He will come! This time he's coming to attack us! So, he will definitely come!"

Su Wu had already figured out many things!

(Brothers, give me some tickets for the minimum guarantee at the beginning of the month...)
(End of this chapter)