Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 392 Mutiny of the Yingzhou Army

When Prince Su Wu of Yan left the capital, the entire city of Tokyo seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

In just one day, the emperor's abdication edict was already everywhere in the streets and alleys of the capital city, and even in all the prefectures and counties of the country, it was sent out by fast horse.

The places in Tokyo where imperial edicts were posted on the streets and alleys were once again packed with people.

"He really abdicated?"

"We've witnessed something, haven't we? How should I put it? Anyway, I feel a bit strange... Is our Great Song Dynasty really gone? It doesn't seem like there's anything particularly strange about it..."

"This is all jumbled up; the Song Dynasty is gone..."

"So what dynasty are we in now?"

How would I know what dynasty it is?

"If the Emperor Zhao is no longer the Son of Heaven, then who is?"

"It must be the Prince of Yan. Who else could it be but the Prince of Yan?"

"Oh, that's him, that must be the Prince of Yan! It's good that he's the Prince of Yan, he's better than this Emperor Zhao..."

"Of course! Didn't you see that all the soldiers in the city have left? I heard that the Jurchens have invaded again, and the Prince of Yan has personally led his elite troops to fight in Yanyun. Tell me, how can such an emperor not be better than those who abandon us and run away when trouble comes?"

"That's right, that's right. If the Prince of Yan had been the emperor in the past, how could the Hebei and Beijing regions have suffered such a great calamity?"

There was talk everywhere, mostly from ordinary people like peddlers and laborers...

However, some scholars stood aside, staring at the abdication edict, and for a moment, they felt a mix of emotions.

This refers to Chen Dong, who listened to the crowd's discussion while looking at the imperial edict, his mind filled with countless thoughts...

This time, he also went to Jinghu. To be honest, he knew the hardships of life very well, after all, he himself came from a poor family, and studying was not easy, let alone taking the entrance exams...

To have reached this point and be admitted to the Imperial Academy is the result of countless hours of hard work...

This time, his focus wasn't on human suffering, or rather, not primarily on that; rather, he was concerned with the human condition...

The emperor claimed to have hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Hanyang, but the entire army collapsed in a single battle with the crown prince. Why?
As I traveled, I kept asking, "Human nature, it's still human nature..."

To Chen Dong's utter surprise, there was not a single soldier in the land willing to die for the emperor...

Now that these things have happened, how can we not investigate the reasons behind them? Why are soldiers and men across the land unwilling to die for the emperor?

Having found a research topic, he relentlessly explored it, going and returning along the way, asking countless questions...

The answers were varied and numerous, but none of them revealed a single person's loyalty to the Emperor Zhao...

Standing on the streets of Tokyo now, if the people of Jinghu or Jingxi are too far from the emperor... these people of Tokyo are right under the emperor's nose.

The emperor, the imperial city, the court—no matter what happens, the people of Tokyo are always eager to discuss it…

They also disliked the Zhao Emperor just as much...

For a moment, Chen Dong felt somewhat lost...

Standing there, bewildered before the abdication edict, lost in a jumble of thoughts...

The Imperial Academy was still operating as usual, and the students still went there to listen to the lectures given by the instructors...

The classrooms at the Imperial Academy were in complete chaos, with countless debates taking place...

Perhaps it was because the Prince of Yan had left, and those fierce soldiers had all left, that both the instructors and the students seemed less worried and spoke freely...

In fact, public opinion was somewhat one-sided. No matter what, people felt that it was inappropriate for the Prince of Yan to force the emperor to abdicate, and that it was not the behavior of a subject...

However, most people did not actually launch a fierce attack on the Prince of Yan...

There are inevitably a few people who are mortal enemies with Su Wu, and when they curse him, their words are spittle flying...

The Imperial Academy was also bustling with activity, filled with groups of people engaging in lively discussions...

Chen Dong returned, sitting silently in the corner...

Even when a few close friends come to visit him from time to time and ask him a few questions, he seems absent-minded and only gives a few perfunctory replies...

In Tokyo, someone is crying...

Many people are crying... It's inevitable that they are the ones who have received the emperor's favor for generations, but now that the country has been destroyed, how can they not cry?
People like Li Bangyan cried their hearts out.

Li Bangyan's son, Li Lu, tried to persuade him repeatedly, but to no avail.

Li Bangyan pounded his chest and cried out, "Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, if you have spirits in heaven, how could you stand by and watch the Song Dynasty perish like this? Show your power! Such a fine nation, which had restored the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties, with peace throughout the land and all nations paying tribute, was usurped by a warlord! How could such a thing happen in the world..."

Li Lu, standing to the side, felt utterly helpless and added, "Father, the situation is hopeless..."

"Heartbreaking, heartbreaking!" Li Bangyan continued to pound his chest, the thuds making a loud thud.

Suddenly, he stood up and said, "I must go to the palace to see the Emperor, I must see the Emperor... I must save the crumbling edifice, restore order to the chaos, I must..."

As he spoke, he simply started walking out...

Li Lu quickly pulled him away, saying, "Father, if those soldiers find out about this in the future, I'm afraid... I'm afraid... the consequences will be unimaginable..."

"Why would I be afraid of those soldiers?" Li Bangyan said, but after he finished speaking, he paused slightly, and there was a hint of guilt in his expression. Was he really not afraid?

Li Bangyan then said, "No matter what, our Great Song Dynasty, we Chinese people, the Central Plains, is a place where reason prevails! Was Su Wu a barbarian? I acted out of loyalty and righteousness, and I am right wherever I go!"

Su Wu was not a barbarian, so Li Bangyan continued his journey.

Helpless, Li Lu quickly hitched up the cart and took his father to the Zuoye Gate.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) remained in the palace, firstly because there were still many matters to be handled during the handover process, and the family still had ancestral temples. Secondly, the relocation was still undecided...

On the way, Li Lu asked, "Father, I'm afraid even if we reach the palace gates, we won't be able to get in..."

"Why can't we get in? They're just a few hundred soldiers. If they won't let us in, I... I'll just head towards the Imperial City Guard, towards Kaifeng Prefecture, towards the Jingji Camp outside the city. How many of those few hundred soldiers of the Prince of Yan can stop us?"

Li Bangyan's demeanor was quite assertive, which undoubtedly reflected his deep consideration.

That King of Yan was truly not a barbarian.

One can't help but think that after Emperor Taizu of Song's Chenqiao Mutiny, he had to pacify the realm...

How to appease the people? That naturally required consultation with the scholar-officials. Only in this way could Emperor Taizu of Song sit securely in the capital, and the Three Departments, Six Ministries, Two Offices, and Three Offices were finally under the emperor's control.

In the future, Su Wu will inevitably have to do the same.

Now is the time to raise the price, to let Su Wu know who is important among these scholars...

Who is the most difficult to deal with...

Inevitably, the price will be high.

Otherwise, could Su Wu really govern the country with the help of soldiers? Those soldiers were illiterate; could they write official documents? Could they calculate expenditures clearly? Could they understand tax collection?
After much thought, I realized that what happened today was just what happened in the past. Just as Emperor Taizu of Song entered the capital, Su Wu should do the same thing now.

Even as the carriage reached the left side gate, Li Lu was still full of worry, but Li Bangyan walked swaggering toward the gate guarded by the soldiers.

Even in the entire city of Tokyo, only the imperial city had a few hundred soldiers left under Su Wu's command, which was already insignificant...

Li Bangyan walked forward and said, "I am Li Bangyan, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and I wish to see His Majesty... Please lead the way quickly..."

The soldier asked, "Which official? Where are there any officials left?"

Li Bangyan was momentarily stunned, but then said, "I am the prime minister, I need to go to the palace to see someone..."

To everyone's surprise, the military leader nodded: "Go, but don't take anything with you. You'll be searched when you come out!"

Li Bangyan was stunned and actually asked, "Really?"

Obviously, this was also unexpected. Li Bangyan came with the intention of making a gesture, not expecting to actually get in.

Seeing that Li Bangyan did not move, the soldier asked again, "Are you going in or not? If you're not going in, leave now. This is the capital city, you can't linger here!"

"Come in, come in, I'm coming in!" Li Bangyan hurriedly stepped inside, but after a few steps, he looked back, feeling that something was off...

But those soldiers didn't take him seriously at all, only saying, "Hurry up, you have to come out by dusk, or you'll be locked up in the dungeon..."

Li Bangyan walked quickly...

After walking for a while, it suddenly dawned on me: why isn't there anyone leading the way?
In the past, when entering the palace, someone would always escort me...

Today, it's rather strange to be walking alone on the palace path; thankfully, he knows the way...

Go to Longting first. If you don't find him there, just go to Yanfu Palace. The Emperor will definitely be there.

Just keep walking forward quickly. Although there are still one or two people occasionally in this imperial city, it is actually empty. The emptiness of such a large place is somewhat eerie...

Since there was no Longting, Yanfu Palace was found instead.

"Your Majesty!" Li Bangyan shouted, bowing at the door.

Startled, Zhao Ji, who was sitting inside in a daze, suddenly stood up: "Who is it?"

"It's an old minister..." Li Bangyan bowed and quickly went inside. There were soldiers at the door, but they didn't stop him...

Upon reaching Zhao Ji, Li Bangyan knelt down on both knees and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, this old minister is incompetent!"

Zhao Ji listened intently for a moment, tears welling up again. He first helped the man up before speaking, "It's Li Qing, it's really Li Qing... It turns out that the most loyal and righteous person in this world is Li Qing. I imagine that for Li Qing to be able to come to the palace to see me, he must have endured countless hardships from those soldiers, and even more so, countless struggles with those treacherous officials..."

“Indeed…the soldiers are rather rude…” Li Bangyan replied.

"Li Qing, you've suffered! Li Qing, you've suffered!" Zhao Ji was truly moved. He never expected that someone would actually come to see him, even in the deep palace.

"Your Majesty is suffering!" Li Bangyan replied.

"Come, come..." Zhao Ji took Li Bangyan's hand and led him to the back room, whispering, "If we talk here, those soldiers might overhear. If we talk inside, they won't follow us in..."

The two entered the inner room, which was actually the Empress's bedroom; no other man had ever entered there before...

The two sat down, and tears streamed down their faces...

Emperor Huizong of Tang also said: "Minister Li, is there any...is there any other way?"

Li Bangyan knew what the emperor was asking, and was momentarily bewildered...

"Save me, save me..." Zhao Ji uttered repeatedly. Suddenly, a lifeline appeared, how could he not seize it?
Li Bangyan frowned and wondered... was there still a possibility of this?
It's not entirely impossible...

After all, Su Wu left, going to fight the Jurchens and die...

if……

If so...

At this moment, should we contact our many ministers and meet with the military commanders of the various regions around the capital?
The promises made were of saving the country and the emperor, of instant advancement; surely, some would be tempted...

Of course, we can't be hasty; let's see what kind of life-or-death struggle Su Wu and the Jurchens will ultimately have...

If so, Su Wu would suffer heavy losses, his army's morale would plummet... and Su Wu would be utterly defeated...

This is clearly worth doing, especially since it's done discreetly, and no one else will know...

If things were really as they thought, wouldn't the Li family become the greatest meritorious family in the Song Dynasty in the future?
Even after discussing it with Su Wu, they still got entangled in endless haggling. What if things really developed as they imagined...?

The benefits would truly be endless for generations to come...

Perhaps he could be made a king?

After pondering for a long time, Li Bangyan said in one sentence: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I am indeed making contacts everywhere. There are hundreds of thousands of troops in the capital region, and they are sure to be loyal and righteous. Once I have made the necessary arrangements, I will surely be able to turn the tide in one fell swoop..."

Emperor Huizong of Song was overjoyed: "Excellent! Excellent! I have been waiting for your good news. I knew that the hearts of the people would not be with the rebels. I am the legitimate ruler! I am the legitimate ruler! Evil cannot prevail over good! Evil cannot prevail over good!"

"Then this old minister will not say any more. Your Majesty must rest assured these days, as this old minister will take care of everything!" Li Bangyan already knew in his heart that at this moment, he was the emperor's only lifeline.

If everything goes smoothly...

We have to get to it, hurry up and get out of the palace to do it!
With that, Li Bangyan turned to leave.

The emperor saw him off, tears streaming down his face, repeatedly saying, "Come see me more often, come more often, I promise I'll come more often..."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I'll come whenever I have time..." Li Bangyan nodded... After leaving the palace, Li Bangyan truly began his campaigns, needing a group of court officials...

There should also be several loyal and righteous soldiers...

To be effective, one must thoroughly study the list of court officials and the list of military commanders from various regions around the capital, deciding who to contact first and who to contact later...

For a moment, Li Bangyan was also greatly interested...

The first person that comes to mind is Bai Shizhong. Since the restoration of the retired emperor, Bai Shizhong has gradually faded out of the court...

Isn't this the perfect time for Bai Shizhong to rise again?

Just go and search...

Li Bangyan was busy going about his business, and several days passed in a flash...

Suddenly, Liu Yanqing, the Vice Minister of the Privy Council, sent people to invite him, not only him, but also many people from various government departments.

What is it?

The news of the mutiny in Yingzhou had just reached the capital...

Many gentlemen had arrived, but no one was truly in a hurry. Li Bangyan was even less anxious, and in fact, he seemed somewhat pleased...

Why?

Now that the emperor has abdicated, it is the King of Yan who is in power.

The mutiny in Yingzhou was not the Emperor's concern, but rather the Prince of Yan's, and naturally, the Prince of Yan was in a state of utter distress...

Of course, it's not that everyone is unwilling to contribute, but there's a prerequisite: the Prince of Yan must personally come and invite everyone to contribute!
Li Bangyan also asked, "Why did the Yingzhou army mutini?"

Liu Yanqing succinctly replied, "What else could it be? With food and pay shortages, the soldiers can't survive; how could they not mutini?"

"Didn't we each contribute tens of thousands of strings of cash earlier? Where is the money?" At this moment, Li Bangyan, who considered himself the most important person in the court, naturally had to speak up...

"That amount of money, added together, is only three or four million strings of cash, and it was only a few hundred thousand strings that Duke Rong himself contributed... Compared to the various prefectures and counties across the land, this amount is merely a drop in the ocean. Fortunately, Prince Yan arranged for funds and provisions to be sent from Jingdong to supplement the supply; otherwise, the land would probably be in great chaos. But I never expected that the Yingzhou army couldn't even wait a few days..."

This is truly what Liu Yanqing was thinking, and what he said was based on his genuine understanding.

He knew nothing about the other things Su Wu was going to do.

But what did Li Bangyan say?
He said, "JD.com is really rich... it can even subsidize the nation's finances... then there's no need for the Three Departments and the Ministry of Revenue..."

Liu Yanqing felt something was off about Li Bangyan today. Had he lost his mind?

Liu Yanqing replied succinctly, "Let's think about how to resolve this matter first..."

“JD.com has money and resources, so what’s the problem?” Li Bangyan added.

Rongguo Gong Qian Chen, who was standing to the side, could not stand it any longer and said, "Prime Minister Li, please say less..."

Li Bangyan spread his hands: "Perfect, I won't say anything. Such a major matter will be handled by the Prince of Yan..."

Liu Yanqing was also helpless. He truly couldn't understand these officials, so he could only ignore them and look around: "Gentlemen, could we raise some more money and provisions? If so, I can send an envoy in the name of the Privy Council to negotiate and appease them... Otherwise, if things really get out of control, the Prince of Yan is in the north and it will be difficult for him to turn back in time, inevitably... then more prefectures and counties will be ravaged, and there will be many more followers, making it difficult to control... It's the common people who will suffer the most..."

"Won't that bring in the money and supplies for JD.com?" Li Bangyan chimed in.

"Such a large sum of money and provisions will take some time to arrive, won't it? At this point, the Yingzhou troops have only just mutinied, so the impact is not significant. When the time comes to make a decisive decision, it is natural for you all to contribute your efforts first..."

Liu Yanqing is seriously trying to solve the problem.

Li Bangyan looked around but remained silent, meaning he had no money.

It's the same principle: wherever a country is short of money, they ask the officials for it.

If we really do things this way, wouldn't it become the norm?
What's the point of being an official then?

Qian Chen looked around, but no one looked up. He hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself. He had already suffered a great loss last time, and this time, it wouldn't be a matter of just a few coins...

I hesitated for a moment...

"Sigh..." Liu Yanqing sighed helplessly. He wasn't sighing about a mutiny, but about how the soldiers had truly become bandits, looting and plundering, causing countless civilians to suffer annihilation.

Li Bangyan suddenly said, "Liu Shuxiang is an ever-victorious general; just lead the troops to fight..."

Lead the troops to fight?

Which troops should he lead? The troops from the capital region? Liu Yanqing is truly afraid that these troops from the capital region will scatter halfway there…

The troops from the Northwest? Will they arrive in time?

That's secondary; sending troops also requires money and provisions...

If soldiers are at home and their pay and rations are a few days late, they can still manage to get by. Unless they are truly starving to death, no one will risk their life to rebel...

Hang in there, and JD.com's cash and supplies will come in.

But going to war is different. You need to pay money to set off, and you need to pay money to go into battle. You also need to prepare food for the journey in advance, otherwise, if they go hungry on the way, wouldn't there be tens of thousands of bandits?

How can we set off without food?
"Sigh..." Liu Yanqing looked around, his heart turning completely cold...

No matter what, no matter who the emperor is... this land is still the land, these people are still the people, this state is still the state...

Is the world for the public good? Or for private gain?
Helpless, Liu Yanqing said, "Then let's call it a day and talk about it again in a few days..."

This court is utterly useless... From the day the Jurchens arrived, it's been a complete mess. Changing emperors only made things worse, and with the rise of the Prince of Yan, chaos reigned supreme...

This imperial court is ruined; who knows when it will be able to stabilize again...

Li Bangyan was the first to stand up: "Now that the throne has been abdicated and the Prince of Yan is in charge, such a major national matter should be decided by the Prince of Yan. Let's disperse..."

Is Yingzhou far away?
Actually, it's far, six hundred li.

Is Yingzhou near? Yes, it is. It's 600 li away. Even if the army marches at full speed, it would only take them ten days to get there on foot.

Of course, everyone also thought that war meant there were large armies and countless cities along the way, so it couldn't be something that happened right now...

Even Liu Yanqing thinks so...

Inevitably, the common people will suffer...

I also wrote to JD.com to see if they could send a small contingent, not too many, five or seven thousand would be enough...

The troops of Jingdong were not something that Liu Yanqing, as the Deputy Chief of the Privy Council, could easily mobilize, so the only option was to send a letter to inquire...

You must report this matter to the Prince of Yan immediately...

Where is Su Wu now?
Currently on JD.com, currently mobilizing troops on JD.com, all available forces are being mobilized, heading north...

In any case, when Liu Yanqing's letter arrived, it was all in vain, as Jingdong had no troops available at the moment...

But Su Wu couldn't simply ignore the matter. Once news from the capital reached him, he would naturally lead a fast cavalry force south to rescue Tokyo...

That much is undeniable...

The Privy Council meeting ended, and Li Bangyan was truly in high spirits...

He went to the capital immediately, but on his second trip, he was still somewhat worried that the soldiers would refuse him entry again...

Unexpectedly, the soldiers didn't stop him; they just let him go...

Upon seeing Zhao Ji again, Zhao Ji was indeed in much better spirits. When he saw Li Bangyan, he was overjoyed and rushed to the courtyard of Yanfu Palace to greet him...

Without waiting for him to bow, she grabbed Li Bangyan's hand and led him into the palace, then into the inner room...

"Your Majesty, this is wonderful news, a truly great thing..." Li Bangyan was genuinely delighted.

"What brings you such joy? Tell me quickly!" The emperor was also very excited upon hearing this.

"The Yingzhou army has mutinied and rebelled!" Li Bangyan exclaimed.

"What's there to be happy about..." Zhao Ji was somewhat disappointed.

"Your Majesty has not considered the details. At this time, the Yingzhou army has mutinied. Wouldn't that cause Su Wu a lot of trouble? He has to divide his troops to quell the rebellion on one hand, and deal with the Jurchens on the other. Su Wu can only win people's hearts with a few tens of thousands of troops. Wouldn't this divide his forces and reduce his chances of victory?"

As soon as Li Bangyan finished speaking, Zhao Ji's eyes lit up immediately: "Absolutely, absolutely, this is a wonderful thing..."

"That's good!" Li Bangyan wanted to keep Zhao Ji in suspense and make himself appear even more superior.

"And there's a second good thing?" Zhao Ji was overjoyed and squeezed Li Bangyan's hand tightly.

"There is another good thing. This old minister was thinking... could we contact the general of the Yingzhou army? That general seems to be named Mei Zhan. He fought against Su Wu in Datong before, the one who went with Wang Fu, the one just now..."

Li Bangyan actually did some research on it.

"That would be perfect, then he must have a grudge against Su Wu! He might as well say that the mutiny was caused by Su Wu's usurpation of the throne!" The emperor automatically filled in the blanks, and the logic made perfect sense.

"Indeed, that's why I contacted him and told him to just let him fight his way to the capital. Who knows, he might actually become a force to save the country!"

How could Li Bangyan be without a plan?
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji was overjoyed: "Who says there is no loyalty in the world? With such a first person, there will surely be others. When the time comes, I'm afraid the army that comes to the aid of the emperor will be everywhere!"

"Your Majesty, please do not be hasty. Observe the situation calmly and see if Liu Yanqing has any tricks up his sleeve. In any case, the court is currently out of money and food, and no army can move... The situation is improving, the situation is improving... Your Majesty's words just now also make sense. Xu Meizhan is a man of unparalleled loyalty and righteousness, and his actions are precisely to save the nation from peril!"

Li Bangyan thought it was better the more he thought about it.

Emperor Huizong was extremely excited: "Minister Li, hurry out of the palace to investigate the military situation. See where Mei Zhan is every day. It would be best if he really made a rapid advance and quickly marched to the capital!"

Li Bangyan nodded, "Very well, this old minister will go and investigate again! I will inform Your Majesty immediately if there is any good news!"

The next day, without much further investigation, the Privy Council came to invite them again.

Liu Yanqing, in a state of utter panic, addressed his ministers: "Gentlemen, gentlemen, the rebel army from Yingzhou has already entered Chenzhou. They have captured Xiangcheng and Nandun, and are about to besiege Chenzhou... The troops in the prefectures and counties are utterly useless. They offer absolutely no resistance and are advancing like a whirlwind. If we do nothing, they will surely wreak havoc on the capital region, and then even the capital city of Dongjing will be in danger... Gentlemen, gentlemen, do we really want to let the rebel army enter Dongjing?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Chen frowned deeply, his heart filled with anxiety. Finally, he stood up and said, "We've already completed the transaction once before. Right now, I'm in the capital and truly have no extra money or provisions. At most, I can gather about sixty or seventy thousand strings of cash and provisions, which I'll give to you as well..."

Qian Chen's words were indeed true. Last time, he acted within his means and forged a good relationship with Su Wu, without holding back at all.

Cash and provisions were truly scarce, so when Liu Yanqing first approached him, he hesitated to speak...

This time, things seem to be getting more urgent. If Chenzhou is captured, then we will truly be in the capital region. How far away is Tokyo?

Give it all away, don't keep anything...

They have so many industries, both in Beijing and Jiangsu/Zhejiang. Even if they run out this year's supply, they'll still have more next year…

Upon hearing this, Liu Yanqing was overjoyed and bowed deeply, saying, "I thank the Duke for his righteousness in serving the country!"

Qian Chen simply waved his hand and said, "Go and resolve this matter quickly..."

This amount of money and supplies is clearly insufficient, far from enough.

To appease the rebels, who have already captured several cities, their appetites must have grown considerably. And this appetite is no longer just about money. If we were to offer them amnesty, in addition to a large sum of money and provisions, they would probably also demand official positions and the like...

This was all the usual practice in the Song Dynasty...

With the army from the capital region setting out to quell the rebellion, this amount of money and provisions is far from sufficient...

Liu Yanqing could only speak again: "Gentlemen, gentlemen... the Duke of Rong has already contributed a huge sum of money, shouldn't you all... also..."

Looking left and right, not a single person looked up to meet my gaze...

Liu Yanqing's heart, already chilled to the bone, had reached rock bottom...

Little did he know that Li Bangyan, bowing his head, almost couldn't help but laugh, inwardly praising, "Yingzhou Mei Zhan, so fierce and brave! Well done! Hurry up and march on Tokyo..."

I was thinking that this time I really needed to send someone towards Chenzhou to see Mei Zhan as soon as possible...

Who should we send?
After much deliberation and countless choices, none seemed quite right, except for my son, Li Lu…

We need to have a backup plan for this; sending someone else is really not feasible. We also fear that one day Su Wu might actually win battles in both the north and south, achieving great victories against Mei Zhan and the Jurchens, and ascending the throne. In that case, all these matters must be kept extremely secret…

Just wait for the meeting to end, then get on with it...

After everything is settled, you still need to go to the capital to see the Emperor. This time, the Emperor will probably be overjoyed...

In the world, only Li Bangyan is truly loyal and righteous!

Plum blossoms are blooming, come quick!
Ideally, we should recruit... no, recruit loyal and brave men along the way. If we could gather a million loyal and brave men to enter Bianjing, we could protect the country and the emperor!
(Brothers, we're exhausted after 7300 meters... Our energy and spirit are really not what they used to be...)
(End of this chapter)