Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 395 Controlling the Yuanshu
Night had fallen, and in Bianjing, a city that was not under curfew, none of the shops were open tonight, and there were no pedestrians on the streets.

Because of the quiet, any sound that occurred within the city was exceptionally clear...

The killings have gradually come to an end; vehicles, oxen, horses, donkeys, and mules are being loaded and unloaded...

Countless people spent a sleepless night...

Cheng Wanli had also grown much bolder; he even dared to open the door and stand in the doorway, looking left and right along the street…

He watched with a furrowed brow, unable to utter a word, occasionally letting out a sigh...

The servants in the house were terrified and repeatedly advised, "Sir, you mustn't take this risk! You'd better close the door quickly; those fierce-looking soldiers are not to be trifled with..."

Cheng Wanli was a timid man, yet he remained standing at the doorway, not moving an inch, waiting for a group of soldiers to escort the convoy over before he would step back a few paces...

But he still didn't go home, he was still waiting. The group of carriages just passed by like that, and quite a few soldiers glanced at Cheng Wanli, but they just walked past quickly...

"Sigh..." Cheng Wanli sighed deeply, finally understanding.

What about the mutiny and rebellion of the Yingzhou army... what about the loyal and righteous army that came to the aid of the emperor...

No, none of that. It was his son-in-law, Su Wu, who turned Bianjing into a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood...

This thought had already shocked Cheng Wanli countless times. Even if he racked his brains, he couldn't imagine that anyone could do such a thing...

This is truly beyond comprehension, beyond everyone's comprehension; it's something that humanity in this era could not have imagined...

Another person in this immense shock was Duke Rong, Qian Chen. Coincidentally, after the killings in Bianjing City ceased, he also stood at his doorstep looking out onto the street...

He also saw soldiers rushing to and fro passing by his door, completely ignoring him...

He fell into deep thought, his mind filled with countless speculations. Perhaps he understood, or perhaps he dared not understand...

Inside the imperial city, Emperor Huizong sat in the courtyard of Yanfu Palace, sitting on the ground, lost in thought, looking up at the bright moon overhead...

He was lost in thought for a long time...

He knew that things had definitely failed; without hearing a single sound, it was bound to be a complete defeat...

The last vestiges of loyalty and righteousness in the Song Dynasty have probably already been severed from their heads...

It's dead, it's dead...

Zhao Ji muttered words, shrouded in endless sorrow. He had one last skill left: to shed tears, and he wiped them away as he wept…

Of course, he also had another skill: the saddest poems and articles from ancient times to the present day all passed through his mind...

After he had gone through all the poems and articles he could remember, it seemed that dawn was slowly breaking.

There's a city gate north of Tokyo that was left open all night, and carriages kept heading north all night long...

Early in the morning, many city gates were opened, and the peddlers and laborers who were supposed to come would arrive, as would all kinds of supplies from all over the country, making it another busy and bustling scene...

Upon entering the city, countless people were filled with horror. On the outer city streets, large groups of people would frequently gather in front of the gates of wealthy households...

Inside the inner city, the imperial carriages were still moving, and through the gaps in the curtains, pairs of terrified eyes could be seen...

This killing did not truly wipe out the entire imperial court. Families that could be considered high-ranking and powerful clans accounted for only one or two percent of the city's total population.

Those who worked in various government offices, especially the lower-level officials, as well as many clerks and runners, were far from being considered high-ranking officials.

Therefore, those who are supposed to be on duty still have to be on duty...

Once inside the government office, there were some things that weren't exactly interesting, like taking a stroll around to see which officials hadn't come that day...

Even though more than 10,000 people were killed in Tokyo, the imperial court was still able to function.

There are also some other things. Among the high-ranking families in the capital city, the number of people who actually work as officials is not very large. Most of them are redundant officials who have various titles and even official positions, but they don't actually do any work...

In some families, a child is given an official position, such as a defense commissioner or militia commander, right after birth, and immediately starts receiving a salary...

Of course, among the many government offices, there are countless officials who cannot come today...

Moreover, most of them hold important positions...

The officials and runners kept this in mind, but they didn't say much about it. Even when they moved around the yamen, they were very cautious...

Many government offices had a repressive atmosphere.

When Prime Minister Cheng arrived at the Hall of State Affairs, a line of people waited outside. Since there was no longer a senior official in the Secretariat and Chancellery, only Cheng Wanli, everyone had to consult Prime Minister Cheng on matters big and small.

As Cheng Wanli looked, it seemed as if there was a sudden break in the three departments of the Secretariat, Chancellery, and Ministry of Personnel...

Looking around, all you see are seventh or eighth-rank positions; even sixth-rank positions are rare.

Yet, in the many government offices of the capital, those who actually do the work and perform the duties are indeed these people of the seventh or eighth rank…

Where did all those of rank six and above go? Most died yesterday, a few escaped...

It really is true that birth determines everything...

The Privy Council was also on duty, and Liu Yanqing had arrived as well. Looking around, he noticed that many seats were empty during the morning meeting, except for Xuan Zan, who was still there…

After a long pause, Liu Yanqing finally managed to utter a single sentence: "Go back to your cells..."

The crowd then withdrew without uttering a single word...

Liu Yanqing returned to his cell, sat there thinking, and muttered to himself, "Prince Yan, oh Prince Yan..."

Liu Yanqing wondered to himself: Are you really not worried or concerned about what you're doing? Aren't you afraid at all?

But when he looked back, he realized that since everyone was already dead, what was there to be afraid of?

What if one or two fish escaped the net and were determined to take revenge?

Su Wu, who was not afraid of thousands of troops, would he be afraid of one or two fish that slipped through the net?

On this land, especially since the Qin and Han dynasties, no legitimate emperor has ever died from assassination attempts.

Was it that none of the many emperors had ever wanted to kill him? Obviously not, it was simply impossible.

The most dangerous, the most dangerous, was the assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the world. The map was unrolled, the dagger revealed, the King of Qin circled the pillar, and the king carried his sword…

Avenging a fugitive? That's impossible. Why would Su Wu worry about that?
that……

What else is there?

What about the remaining scholars? Just ask, of those who are still alive, who among them hasn't benefited from this affair?
common people?

The common people are watching the spectacle...

They went around looking at the corpses from one house to another, and after finishing one, they rushed to see the next...

Even if you went all over the capital, you probably wouldn't have seen enough...

Who are these people? And who are these people?

The people of Tokyo knew it all!
The murmurs around the corpse never ceased...

"Oh dear... who would have thought, who would have thought..."

"Yes, I saw his son arrive at Fanlou by car yesterday, and today... hey, he's lying here..."

"I was even thinking of using my connections to find them a job planting and pruning flowers, but now look what happened, they've all died..."

Do you know who did it?

"How could I not know? Isn't it the Loyal and Righteous Army that's here to serve the Emperor? Just a couple of days ago, everyone was saying that the Loyal and Righteous Army from Yingzhou was going to enter the capital, and now..."

"I didn't see any loyalty or righteousness in him..."

"Sigh...you guys don't understand, you're so stupid. I'm asking, do you know who the real mastermind is?"

"Huh? There's a mastermind behind this?"

"How could there not be! Otherwise, how could tens of thousands of people from Yingzhou have so easily stormed into Bianjing?"

"Really?"

Instantly, seven or eight people on either side pressed their ears together.

"Yes, if you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place. Do you know who opened the city gate at Xincao Gate yesterday?"

"Who?"

"Tell me quickly..."

"The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Li Bangyan!"

"Are you talking nonsense? Li Bangyan's entire family is dead... How could he possibly be the mastermind behind this?"

"Don't believe me? Huh? You all don't believe me? Hehe... Go ask around Xincao Gate, ask every household. Countless people saw it clearly through the cracks in the doors and windows. Where was anyone on the street at that time? Not a single person. Only Li Bangyan's carriage was there. He personally welcomed the Yingzhou soldiers into the capital! It's absolutely true!"

"Sure?"

"Hey! There are at least three thousand, if not five thousand, people who saw it with their own eyes. Not only at Xincao Gate, but also along the way, there are many people who saw it with their own eyes. They all saw Li Bangyan riding in a carriage leading the Yingzhou soldiers back and forth. How do you think I knew? Didn't I see it with my own eyes?"

"Was that really him? Then how come his whole family was killed?"

"What else could it be? It must be because their goals are different. The soldiers want to get rich, while Li Bangyan wants the Yingzhou soldiers to fight the Prince of Yan to the death. The Yingzhou soldiers dare not, so Li Bangyan probably used some kind of threat. If the soldiers revolt, they will all be killed. So many have already been killed, what difference does one more family make..."

"Oh... I see..."

"I see!"

"The truth is often truly unexpected!"

"I thought……"

"What do you think?"

"Isn't this the residence of Master Cheng on the road ahead? His house is in good condition, and I even guessed that it might belong to the Prince of Yan... but it turns out it's not..."

"Hmph, even if those Yingzhou soldiers had a hundred lives, they wouldn't dare to offend the Prince of Yan. How many fierce and ruthless figures does the Prince of Yan command? How can the Yingzhou soldiers compare? Therefore, they wouldn't dare to touch Minister Cheng..."

"That makes sense... The Prince of Yan is destined to ascend the throne and needs to gain the trust of the people, so he would not do such a thing..."

"Once the Prince of Yan truly ascends the throne, these things will surely cease to occur. The Prince of Yan will certainly not allow the soldiers and men of the land to lack even a bite to eat..."

"Just wait and see. Perhaps the Prince of Yan cares about his reputation, or perhaps the Jurchen military situation is urgent. We'll see when... He'll ascend the throne eventually..."

"Hurry up, the sooner the ascension to the throne, the better. When the Yingzhou troops entered the city yesterday, I was terrified. My whole family was trembling with fear. Now that the Prince of Yan has ascended the throne, we can finally live a more peaceful life and stop living in such constant anxiety..."

"Alright, alright, I won't say any more. I have to hurry and visit other places..."

"Let's go together..."

"Pah, good riddance! His dog bit my son and refused to pay compensation. When I argued with him, he beat me up... God has eyes, he deserved it!"

Someone, perhaps, dared to spit out such a thing just before leaving, and then quickly disappeared into the crowd...

Was this truly at the behest of the master? Perhaps not. Often, in wealthy and powerful households, the most wicked servants are far more vicious than their masters…

These trivial matters rarely reach the ears of the master of the house...

Although the entire city of Bianjing was shocked and bustled today, everything slowly returned to normal...

The people most affected are actually those who rely on these wealthy families for their livelihood. Without their masters, they have no job and no means to support their families...

Even the vendors who delivered vegetables to wealthy families couldn't help but complain when they saw the mountains of various delicacies piled up: "Why bother? What grudge could possibly warrant such a fuss..."

Then he added, "Put everything out at the door and sell it cheaply, whatever you get, it's better than it rotting... Sigh... We've lost a lot of money..."

It's a real worry. I used to make a fortune through this business, but of course, I also lost count of how much money I had to give away to get things done...

Everything is ruined...

But thinking back, there's no rush. The old is gone, and the new will come. Even if the old husband is gone, there will be a new one... How can we not eat vegetables?
Let's wait... let His Highness the Prince of Yan ascend the throne quickly, and bring all the new prime ministers here...

This wonderful house needs to be lived in, doesn't it?
Soon after noon, lines of carriages began to arrive on the road, dragging the corpses from the city out of the city...

Ten thousand bodies isn't a lot; a truckload might carry ten or so...

By evening, all the corpses in the city had disappeared, and surprisingly, people from Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial City Guard came to clean the streets...

One more question: Where are the soldiers from Yingzhou?

The Yingzhou soldiers left the city from the north; there wasn't a single one left inside...

Sure enough, there really was a mastermind behind it all...

Anyway, in the East City area, everyone is saying that countless people witnessed Li Bangyan being the mastermind behind everything...

Some curious people even went to the Xincao Gate to verify this. Even the woman patted her chest and swore it was indeed Li Bangyan; she saw him clearly through the crack in the second-floor window…

Old Master Li had been a government official in the capital for most of his life. Whether they were human or ghost, intentionally or unintentionally, they had all glanced at him a few times. There were even many clerks and runners, or servants in the homes of many wealthy families...

I recognize it clearly...

It's definitely Li Bangyan!

Many intelligent people, very intelligent people, are also caught in a dilemma at this moment...

what is the problem?

Loyal and righteous loyalist army, Li Bangyan...

The logic seems sound... but there are still some doubts...

But along the road to Xincaomen, everyone you asked was absolutely certain...

It has truly become an unsolved mystery...

North of Bianjing, on the south bank of the Yellow River, lies a mass grave...

Mei Zhan sighed, "It's finally finished..."

Shi Qian didn't offer any of those sentiments; he simply said, "Give us the money!"

Of course, money will be distributed. So much has been looted that it's piled up everywhere, piled up like mountains, too much to count...

The soldiers have worked so hard, how can we go back on our word? We must send them out, send them out in a generous manner.

After they finished distributing the gifts, they had to leave for the border region.

There's one more thing to do: once they've been escorted through Daming Prefecture, arrangements must be made for those who are willing to send money home, and the money sent home to them one by one.

"Send it!" Mei Zhan nodded and personally made the arrangements.

Everyone was satisfied with the amount of 150 strings of cash given to each person; they considered it a real windfall and their trip worthwhile.

While they were still burying the body with soil, over there, Mei Zhan was personally opening the box and distributing the money piece by piece...

The soldiers watched from afar, and when they got to work, they were full of energy, eager to finish their tasks and collect their pay.

Burying over ten thousand corpses, even without digging pits, is still a huge undertaking...

Let's get to work tonight!
The moonlight is beautiful!
One night passed, and early the next morning, smoke rose from the chimneys, and money was being distributed.

Once everything was finished, they arrived from the north, a cloud of knights, their roar echoing through the sky.

The soldiers were alert; some put on their armor, others drew their weapons...

Mei Zhan remained motionless, gazing far to the north.

The soldiers who had been so fierce and menacing when they were killing people in Bianjing City were now pale as death as they held their weapons in their hands and looked at the knights rushing towards them from the north.

Shi Qian shouted, "The Yan King's army has arrived..."

Upon hearing this, the people nearby turned pale, and everyone immediately rushed to see the plum blossom exhibition...

This is how to do?
Didn't they say that the Prince of Yan had already gone to Yanyun to fight the Jurchens to the death? How come he arrived so quickly?
Yesterday I was thinking of getting the money and going home as soon as possible...

This...this looks like we're going to have to fight the King of Yan to the death!

Such a grave crime is probably unforgivable...

"General, what should we do?" the soldier shouted anxiously.

Mei Zhan waved his hand: "Stand still, and you may still have a chance to live. I will go and speak to the Prince of Yan. This time, the blame does not lie entirely with us. The real culprits are in Dongjing. You all know that someone opened the city gates for us and someone led the way for us!"

These words immediately calmed the people around him considerably...

Yes, it's that Li Lu, Li Bangyan's son, Li Lu, it's him...

Just look north, and you'll see the Yan King's knights, truly everywhere, spreading out on both flanks, roaring like thunder, moving with incredible speed, and immediately surrounding you...

After exchanging a glance, Mei Zhan said to Shi Qian, "Brothers, don't make any sudden movements that might cause misunderstandings. I'll go and apologize to the Prince of Yan first!"

As he spoke, the horses moved, with the great banner of the Prince of Yan towering ahead, and Mei Zhan and Shi Qian quickly departed.

A moment later, the two arrived in front of the banner, dismounted, and bowed in greeting.

Without saying a word, Su Wu raised his hand and ordered, "Men, tie up Mei Zhan!"

Mei Zhan did not resist; he simply continued to tie her up.

After he was tied up, Su Wu dismounted and said, "Come with me and report this matter in detail! If you conceal anything, you will be executed without mercy!"

Mei Zhan simply nodded: "Yes, yes, yes, this humble general would never dare to hold back."

As they spoke, Su Wu went ahead, followed by Mei Zhan, whose hands were bound. The two walked about twenty or thirty steps ahead.

Then, Su Wu asked softly, "Everything went smoothly?"

"Your Majesty, everything went very smoothly... and there were even some unexpected surprises..." Mei Zhan replied.

Su Wu nodded: "I understand, Li Bangyan."

"In that case, it's a lucky accident. He was just delusional, so it's no wonder. It's perfect. Just push the blame onto him, and Your Majesty will have far fewer troubles..."

Mei Zhan is also clever...

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "A truly intelligent person can see through these things."

"Ah? Who is it? Your Majesty, tell me your name, and I will soon return to the capital to execute these people!"

Mei Zhan was also anxious. He knew very well that he was meant to take the blame, and if he couldn't do it well, it would be a dereliction of duty.

"No need, no need. I never intended to deceive the world. As long as the matter is done well, that's enough. It doesn't matter if those clever people see through it; it would be boring if they didn't. Just let them know how powerful I am, and they'll learn to be obedient and less arrogant in the future!"

In his mind, Su Wu was becoming more and more like an emperor.

Does he care?

He doesn't care!

When writing or compiling history in the future, he will naturally have to take a look.

As for what future generations might explore, that will only be something for them to talk about over tea...

Mei Zhan, standing to the side, was still somewhat worried: "I'm also afraid that someone will spread rumors and tarnish the King's reputation..."

"No one will spread rumors anymore..." Su Wu took a deep breath, but he wasn't actually that happy or excited.

He then added, "You'll have to suffer for a few days, and so will the soldiers under your command. They'll all be kept in the Jingji military camp in the north of the city for now..."

“It’s alright…” Mei Zhan nodded.

"Enough said, I'm going into the city!" Su Wu said, turned around, and mounted his horse.

The Prince of Yan's banner continued south, heading straight into the city of Bianjing!

On the street, countless people watched. The Prince of Yan did not ride in a carriage, but instead rode forward on horseback, his face ashen...

Countless people on the street were pointing and whispering, "That's the Prince of Yan, that's him..."

Before long, the bells of the imperial city rang, which was usually a summons for the emperor to hold an urgent meeting...

Now that the emperor is gone, the summons is still a summons...

As for which of the various government offices has the highest rank and who has the most seniority, if it's hard to say, then let's go in groups of two or three. Hurry up, get in the carriage and head to the Left Gate to enter the Imperial City...

The imperial city is bustling again.

Inside the Fu Ning Hall, there were quite a few people, mostly dressed in blue, very few in red, and only three in purple: Cheng Wanli, Liu Yanqing, and Qian Chen.

The number of attendees seems to be more than usual at morning assemblies...

There was no commotion at all; the entire place remained silent.

Su Wu entered the hall and went up to the high platform, but he didn't actually go up. He only went up halfway before sitting down on the steps.

At the top is a plaque with four large, gold-plated characters: "Unifying the Primordial Elements".

Su Wu glanced around, then spoke without a word of idle chatter: "So many people have died. All the government offices have worked so hard. Every matter of national importance must be dealt with properly. The money and provisions will come from Jingdong and will arrive in a few days, entering the treasury of the Three Departments. Spend what needs to be spent, and don't spend a single penny that doesn't need to be spent. Whoever has the highest rank in the government office should make the decisions. If the ranks are similar, they should all make the decisions. There should be no shirking of responsibility. If any government office causes trouble, the ringleaders will not escape punishment. Those who should be imprisoned will be imprisoned, and those who should be beheaded will be beheaded!"

The entire audience remained silent, trembling with fear.

Su Wu continued, "Promote Zong Ze to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Zhao Sicheng to Vice Chancellor, Zhang Shuye to Commissioner of the Three Departments, Li Hang to Deputy Commissioner of the Three Departments, and Li Gang to Vice Censor-in-Chief. Go quickly! Zong Ze, Zhao Sicheng, Zhang Shuye, and Li Hang must enter the capital in five days, and Li Gang in eight!"

Who answered?
Cheng Wanli looked around, then at himself, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "Yes, sir!"

"From the Privy Council, transfer Xu Guanzhong, Zong Ying, and Cheng Hao... In this way, we can first stabilize the situation in the court and prevent any chaos! After that, we can discuss and decide on the official positions..."

Cheng Wanli looked around again and added a hint: "Kaifeng Prefecture... is also extremely important..."

"Oh, the prefect of Kaifeng, there's a prefect in Huzhou named Xing Yue, tell him to come quickly... Yan Qing will concurrently serve in the Imperial City Guard, and Wu Song will naturally be in the Palace Guard..."

Su Wu made all the arrangements with just a few casual words.

After thinking about it again, it seems like it's about right for now.

Then he said again, "Dismissed... There will be another court session. Report on other matters later!"

The crowd gradually dispersed...

The situation in the imperial court seemed to have stabilized, and everyone had a pillar of support, knowing who to turn to for matters big and small.

Su Wu was still sitting on those steps, actually tired, both mentally and physically, with Wu Yong by his side...

Su Wu raised his hand: "Bring me a table, along with writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone..."

Wu Yong quickly made the arrangements and arrived shortly afterward.

It's time to reward those who have made contributions, or at least to conduct a phased reward system.

Su Wu wrote down each name on a piece of paper, first listing the names, then listing the official titles of these people, making sure they were appropriate and reasonable, and then adding those titles later.

Suddenly, Su Wu looked up and asked, "Wu Yong..."

"Yes!" Wu Yong bowed quickly, already guessing what was about to happen, and was extremely excited.

"What official position do you think you should hold?" Su Wu asked.

Wu Yong quickly replied, "This humble official would never have..."

"Speak properly!" Su Wu snapped.

"This humble official is willing to stay by Your Majesty's side at all times..." Wu Yong was certainly clever.

"Hmph!" Su Wu's laughter was neither hearty nor sarcastic; it was hard to decipher.

"This humble official...this humble official is truly willing to serve Your Majesty with advice and strategies for the rest of his life..." Wu Yong replied again, bowing even lower, his heart pounding.

"So, what about you? You've been thinking about something your whole life. For now, I'll give you the position of Hanlin Academician, so you can move around freely. We'll see how it goes when the war is truly over. What do you say?"

This time, Su Wu acted with sincerity...

"A Hanlin Academician?" Wu Yong was immediately surprised.

"Yes, Hanlin Academician!" Su Wu nodded.

Wu Yong's eyes immediately welled up with tears...

“Let’s go see Zhao Ji. It’s time to make him move…” Su Wu got up. He had already written down all the official titles and honors, but then stopped writing them down. He had to write them down behind Wu Yong’s back.

Wu Yong cannot be allowed to know these things in advance. Wu Yong has reached the point where he can be both used and suppressed. We cannot let everyone think that Wu Yong and Su Wu are so close. That would not be a good omen in the court.

Su Wu walked ahead, and Wu Yong hurriedly followed behind. At this moment, he was truly excited. A Hanlin Academician... He had been taking the imperial examinations until he was thirty or forty years old, and he hadn't even passed the lowest level. He felt resentment, but also a great deal of envy.

Today, he's actually a Hanlin Academician? Wu Yong could hardly believe it...

Moved, Wu Yong followed Su Wu, but subconsciously turned his head to look at the writing on the table. Unfortunately, it was all names, without any specific rewards or official titles...

If he had known in advance, he would have sent a letter to each of them to inform them beforehand; wouldn't that have been a good deed...?

What a pity, what a pity...

"Hurry up!" the Prince of Yan urged from the front.

Wu Yong immediately quickened his pace...

(End of this chapter)