Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 405 Oh my! My Majesty!
North of Yanjing, the various departments had formed long, endless lines of people...

Countless soldiers rushed forward, shouting to the generals and officers: "Do not stop! Continue north! Do not set up camp here! Your troops must advance twenty li before stopping!"

"You all keep going forward, don't stop, go for eighteen miles!"

……

South of Yan and Yun, an army of 100,000 arrived; around Yan and Yun, an army of 60,000 to 70,000 arrived, along with some civilian laborers…

Its massive organizational work is unimaginably complicated.

The area around Yanjing City must not be used to station troops. This area is a transportation hub, a supply hub, and an information hub. There cannot be the slightest congestion.

They were all from out of town. Even if there were military orders to go ahead, someone would still need to constantly remind and guide them, otherwise everything would inevitably fall into chaos...

This was the first time Su Wu had ever truly commanded such a large army.

In the Yan-Yun region, in all the prefectures and counties, fresh millet, after being sun-dried for two or three days, is immediately sent to the pounding room to be pounded continuously…

One by one, the burlap sacks were loaded into the truck and the car was driven off.

Cheng Hao arrived from Tokyo and immediately began the takeover work, working non-stop. His two or three hundred officials were on horseback everywhere, counting, signing, storing, and transporting...

Despite having a plan in place for various matters, countless situations still arose, leaving everyone overwhelmed and exhausted...

The emperor, of course, didn't care about these details; he only focused on urging things on. All sorts of information came in, and if anything didn't go smoothly, he would issue an imperial edict to reprimand the emperor!

The emperor also said, "If we do well and achieve a great victory, everyone will be rewarded!"

But when the emperor starts scolding someone, in a fit of anger, it can be quite frightening.

Just like at this very moment, the Emperor in the Imperial City of Yanjing is dictating an edict to scold Liu Guangshi: "Write it, just write it like this. He brought so many carriages but not enough craftsmen. His carriages broke down on the road, blocking the road and not clearing it in time. He even clashed with the friendly troops behind him. If this happens again, let his troops go home and let him wait in the Censorate's prison for my triumphant return to deal with him!"

He had a team of secretaries around him, led by Zhu Wu, who kept urging him to write. There was just too much to write. His secretaries included clerks borrowed from the military and scholars from Jingdong who had been directly recruited by Zhao Sicheng.

There was a scholar from Jingdong who was extremely efficient at his work. He would bury himself in writing while listening attentively to information from all sides. No matter what the task was, he would complete it quickly and well.

Zhu Wu nodded to him frequently, and even stepped forward to ask, "What's your name?"

The scholar answered clearly, "I am Xin Wenyu."

"Oh... okay!" Zhu Wu nodded.

It was this clear, resonant voice that Su Wu heard. He glanced to the side, raised his hand, and beckoned, "Xin Wenyu, move the desk to my side!"

Clearly, Su Wu knew him. Li Qingzhao had introduced this young man to Su Wu in person before, which was an indication of her intention to promote and elevate him.

Who were these people? They were Xin Qiji's father. When the Jurchen army came, he did not run away, but instead recruited people in his hometown, secretly trained troops, and started an uprising. In the end, he died at the hands of the Jurchens.

Xin Wenyu was still surprised when he heard this...

Zhu Wu quickly called out to the armored soldiers on his left and right: "Come and help me out..."

Xin Wenyu's desk was indeed moved to the emperor's side, and for a moment, Xin Wenyu was a little nervous.

Su Wu looked down at his desk and said, "Send this letter quickly. The next one should go to Cheng Hao and have him send someone to Tanzhou to take over the warehouses. He should also send someone to Datong to hand over to Wang Bing. Grain must be sent to both places immediately! Immediately, at the latest, tomorrow. No matter how much, it must be on its way!"

Su Wu was extremely pressed for time on the battlefield at this moment.

This time, time is of the essence. It's not that the food has to arrive first, but at the very least, the food must travel with the army along the way. Wherever the army goes, there must be food that can be cooked immediately.

Su Wu spoke a few words, and Xin Wenyu listened without stopping his pen. He quickly wrote the previous article and sent it to Zhu Wu. He then immediately began writing the military order that Su Wu had just mentioned.

Zhu Wu was watching from the other side, nodding in approval, and instructed his men to quickly distribute the message.

Meanwhile, Xin Wenyu had finished writing the new military order and was about to send it to Zhu Wu.

Zhu Wu was about to check it again when Su Wu spoke up: "No need to check, I just sent it as he wrote it!"

Zhu Wu hurriedly went to affix his seal, which was on the table behind Su Wu. Zhu Wu then affixed the seal.

It wasn't just one sound; it was a series of loud crackling sounds as it was covered.

Su Wu turned around, picked up a small sticker from the table, walked to a huge map, and kept sticking the small stickers with various words written on them onto the map.

The movements of each unit and the movement of supplies must be posted and updated in real time, so that everything is clear at a glance...

Wu Yong, who was also busy with this matter, reported: "Your Majesty, these troops are heading towards Gubeikou. They will probably arrive in Tanzhou tonight and will definitely enter the Gubeikou route tomorrow... Lord Wu has already gone to Datong and should be able to leave from Datong the day after tomorrow. Therefore, Your Majesty should also set off tomorrow!"

"Tonight, tonight we'll leave the city and head to Tanzhou!" Su Wu won't wait until tomorrow.

"Why doesn't Your Majesty get a good night's sleep tonight?" Wu Yong suggested.

"Sleep when we get to Tanzhou!" Su Wu said firmly, for he couldn't sleep soundly until he reached Tanzhou.

Inside the main hall, people came and went in an endless stream, and sometimes they even bumped into each other at the wide hall doors.

Zhu Wu was constantly on the go, opening every letter he received as soon as possible.

He would read it through first, and if the content was simple, he would relay a message: "Your Majesty, Lord Hu has reported that Jurchen cavalry have been spotted over Yuguan!"

"Yes, I understand. Reply to him and tell him to pass through Yuguan Pass as soon as possible. Tomorrow morning, he should reach the banks of the Qinglong River, sail upstream, and set up camp if he encounters the enemy!"

Su Wu's eyes were fixed on the map, but he kept talking.

Zhu Wu nodded, turned around to inform the temporary secretary beside him, and then opened the letter. The sealing wax from the letter stained his hands red.

He glanced at it and immediately handed it to Su Wu: "Your Majesty, look quickly! It's from Linhuang Prefecture. They say Wanyan Zongwang has withdrawn his troops directly, and it seems he's heading back to Dading Prefecture!"

Su Wu immediately took the letter and read it himself. After reading it, he only said one thing: "Good, very good. The Jurchens are not fighting a decisive battle in the open field, but instead they are defending the city. Let's besiege Dading Prefecture and wipe them out in one fell swoop!"

But Wu Lai spoke up from the side: "Your Majesty, if... if by any chance... the Jurchens abandon the city and head north, then... that would be a huge problem!"

Upon hearing this, Su Wu was startled. His mind was full of thoughts, and he hadn't thought of it before. But now, looking at the map again, he exclaimed, "Oh no! Xu Wanyan Zongwang really has this plan!"

Su Wu suddenly relaxed his brows considerably and said, "Xu... Wanyan Zongwang's word doesn't count!"

Upon hearing these two sentences, Wu Yong immediately understood and nodded, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Wanyan Wuqimai and his ilk certainly do not wish to go north..."

Su Wu felt a sense of relief, but frowned and said, "We must speed things up! All departments, immediately issue orders to urge them on again!"

Zhu Wu simply turned his head and said, "You, General Yao's department, His Majesty is urging us urgently, faster and faster!"

"You, General Lu's unit, His Majesty is urging us urgently, faster, faster!"

"You, General Liu of Xihe Lanhuang's unit..."

"You, General Zhu..."

……

Over there, Su Wu personally spoke with Xin Wenyu: "Send a letter to Erlang... Wu Song, and tell him to speed up his pace and send someone north to find Yue Fei. Tell Yue Fei to join his ranks, discuss matters with Yue Fei, and act according to circumstances. There is no siege of Linhuang Prefecture. Just gather the troops and head to besiege Dading Prefecture!"

Xin Wenyu just buried himself in writing.

Suddenly, Su Wu spoke again: "No, no, no, I've changed it. Tell Wu Song to write to Yue Fei, and not to wait or procrastinate, but to go straight to Wuzhou, to Wuzhou, quickly!"

Wu Yong looked up at the map and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, Your Majesty made a swift and decisive decision. This is the right thing to do. We should block the Jurchens' retreat. Even if the Jurchens retreat north, as long as we have an army north of them, even if our military strength is inferior, we can still hold them off!"

Su Wu nodded, looked around the map, and after a moment, nodded again: "That's how it should be, write it down quickly!"

Xin Wenyu immediately changed to a new sheet of paper and began writing rapidly. In a moment, he finished. Su Wu turned his head, glanced at it, and waved his hand, saying, "This letter, quick! Send the fastest horses and the most men, hurry!"

Zhu Wu wiped the sweat from his face as he rushed off to make the arrangements.

Su Wu stood motionless in front of the map. After a moment, he suddenly turned around and said, "Let's go! Everyone, let's go! Load everything onto the carts! Put away the map! Let's go! Let's go now! First, let's go to Tanzhou!"

As he spoke, Su Wu hurried out, as if he couldn't wait a moment longer. He had a very bad premonition: the Xu Jurchens were really going to return north.

If the Jurchens return to the Greater Khingan Mountains, then we'll be in big trouble. We'll have to be on guard against these thieves every day.

I don't know how much money, food, and manpower it will require in the future...

I fear that in the future, the only solution will be to repeatedly burn the Greater Khingan Mountains every autumn and winter...

This is not something Su Wu wants to see. This situation is incredibly wasteful and still doesn't solve the problem, which Su Wu finds unacceptable.

The cities and lands outside the Great Wall were strategic objectives, but the Jurchen people were of paramount importance!
The Jurchens were a banner for countless mountain tribes in the Greater Khingan Mountains, Lesser Khingan Mountains, and Changbai Mountains. Once the Jurchens were subdued, all of them were subdued.

If the Jurchens are dissatisfied, who knows how much effort it will take to settle things in the mountains and forests...

At this moment, Su Wu was extremely anxious.

The Jurchens' resilience and cunning left Su Wu somewhat helpless...

Outside the city of Dading, Wanyan Zongwang was also frowning, because he had arrived and the situation had reached its most urgent point. He had arrived at the city gates on horseback.

The city did not open its gates to welcome him; instead, it made him wait!

He waited for a long time before opening the gate to let him into the city.

The two brothers had discussed it beforehand: the elder brother would enter the city while the younger brother remained outside, serving as a deterrent to prevent any unforeseen events.

Wanyan Zongwang went straight into the imperial city of Dading Prefecture, which was the former Zhongjing Palace of the Liao emperors and was extremely luxurious.

The imperial court was filled with people.

Wanyan Zongwang went straight in, and Wanyan Wuqimai, the younger brother of the current Jin emperor Wanyan Aguda, sat in the center.

To the left sits Wanyan Xieye.

As Wanyan Zongwang entered, countless unfriendly glances were cast his way as he walked.

Wanyan Wuqimai was furious: "Why did you return instead of attacking Linhuang Prefecture?"

Wanyan Zongwang looked serious. He took a deep breath before speaking: "Your Majesty, we cannot take Linhuang Prefecture. At this moment, Su Wu's army has already assembled. Su Wu will definitely do his best this time. There are at least 100,000 elite troops. We cannot defeat them by force. We should avoid their sharp edge for now, wait for the right opportunity, and then plan our move slowly!"

Wanyan Wuqimai's anger had not subsided. He asked, "In the past, this risky strategy of launching an attack before the grain was collected was also your idea. At the time, I did not quite agree with it. You conspired with many generals on this strategy, and even Xieye agreed with you. I had no choice but to agree. And now? The Song people launched a sneak attack and set fires. We failed to protect the grain and failed to capture Linhuang Prefecture... You have committed a grave crime!" Wanyan Xieye, who was standing to the side, could not help but lower his head and leave.

Wanyan Zongwang did not bow his head. He continued, "Your Majesty, times have changed. Now the enemy is strong and we are weak. Taking risks is a gamble. If we succeed, great. If we fail, that is also unavoidable. The best course of action now is to quickly lead our people and slaves north, back to Huanglong Prefecture, back to the edge of the mountains... to preserve our strength and prepare for future opportunities!"

"Do you think I would listen to you? Why can't we defend Dading? Your father and I have worked so hard to conquer these cities and territories, from Huanglong Prefecture to Dading Prefecture, and Liaoyang Prefecture, dozens of cities. You just want to give them up? How many brave women died for these cities and fortresses? You are giving up such a great foundation so easily? How can you face your father?"

Wanyan Wugumai was genuinely angry; it wasn't entirely about fighting for political interests. At this moment, although the Jurchens were also beginning to have their own selfish motives, the overall atmosphere of unity still existed...

After saying this, Wanyan Wuqimai turned his head and asked, "Xieye, you say it!"

Wanyan Xie also spoke up: "Xu Zongwang's words make sense. It is a prudent strategy to avoid confrontation for now and plan again another day!"

Wanyan Wuqimai's expression changed, but then he heard Wanyan Xie also say, "But at this moment, we don't lack troops. Dading City is inherently fortified. If we can protect these hard-won assets, we can surely raise an army of 100,000 again within two or three years after Su Wu retreats. But it's risky. If Dading City is truly besieged, it will be like a besieged city..."

Wanyan Xieye, that's saying both sides, it's not that Wanyan Xieye is trying to smooth things over, he's not like that, it's just that things happened so fast, he hadn't made up his mind yet, he was hesitant in his heart.

But Wanyan Zongwang uttered a single sentence: "Dading Prefecture cannot be defended! If we do not leave, when the city falls, the Jurchen people will perish!"

"Why couldn't it be held?" How could Wanyan Wuqimai not ask?

Wanyan Zongwang looked around, taking in everyone present: Jurchens, Tieli people, Khitans, Han Chinese, Xi people, and even a few Goryeo people.

Now they are all in this court, all Jin subjects.

After surveying the area, Wanyan Zongwang finally spoke: "Song... is no longer Song. Now it is Su Wu's Great Yan, with vast territory, millions of people, and a continuous supply of money, grain, and military equipment. Even in Hedong and Yanyun alone, there are tens of millions of people and countless acres of fertile land. If we are truly trapped in Dading Prefecture, Su Wu will besiege this city for as long as it lasts, whether it's a few months or half a year, or even a year, two years, or three years..."

After saying this, Wanyan Zongwang sighed helplessly...

"The Southerners, they can't hold out in the winter! The Southerners have families and hometowns, how can the soldiers stay here for long and maintain their morale? If you ask me, at most, the Southerners will not be able to break through the city in a month and a half, and they will surely retreat!"

Who said this? It was Wanyan Zongpan, who had been sitting to Wanyan Wuqimai's right but had not spoken.

“Su Wu is not the kind of person who would give up!” Wanyan Zongwang argued forcefully. Most people present might not understand, but he knew that no freezing weather could stop Su Wu.

Even if... countless soldiers suffer from cold and hunger, Su Wu will not leave until the city falls!

"He won't give up? Hmm? Since ancient times, since ancient times... Gao Qingyi, you speak, you are Han Chinese, you have read many books, you know the Southerners better than anyone else, the Southerners and Northerners have been fighting for thousands of years, it's been going on for a long time..."

Wanyan Zongpan turned to look at Gao Qingyi. Gao Qingyi was originally considered a confidant of Zonghan, but unfortunately Zonghan died a violent death.

At this point, Gao Qingyi naturally replied: "Since ancient times, for thousands of years, soldiers from the Central Plains have never spent the winter in the north! This is clearly recorded in historical books..."

In fact, Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang had fundamentally different views on war, especially on the Central Plains, and their opinions were in conflict...

Wanyan Zongwang was naturally much "gentle." Wanyan Zonghan, on the other hand, was extremely tyrannical.

Gao Qingyi was clearly on the same page as Wanyan Zonghan, and his views on war were much more radical.

As Wanyan Zongpan added, "Even if Zonghan were still alive, he would certainly not agree with your words about running away before you've truly decided to fight to the death!"

At this moment, Wanyan Zongwang frowned. He scanned the entire room again, his gaze settling on Wanyan Xieye.

Of Wanyan Aguda's brothers, only two remain: Wanyan Wuqimai and Wanyan Xieye.

Wanyan Zongwang desperately needs Wanyan Xieye to say something...

"This city of Dading has over 30,000 Jurchens and so many able-bodied slaves. It shouldn't be difficult for us to hold it for a month or two... The winter is bitterly cold, and the southerners probably won't even have enough to keep warm. If we can't take it for a long time, can the southern troops really hold out? Can they really besiege it for so long without retreating?"

Wanyan Xie wasn't oblivious to the situation, but he truly harbored a sliver of hope, so he needed to question his own luck again... to get a clearer picture...

Why were they so lucky? It's not that they were stupid.

It was because everyone firmly believed that the more than 30,000 Jurchen warriors would fight to the death, and there was no doubt about that, including Wanyan Xieye himself. Although he was a bit old, he still had the will to fight to the death.

No matter what the Jurchens inside this hall say or think, none of them are afraid of death, including Wanyan Wugumai and Wanyan Zongpan!

This is the most troublesome thing for Wanyan Zongwang...

At this moment, I'm not afraid of even a little bit of cowardice; what I'm afraid of is not being afraid of death at all...

Wanyan Zongwang could only sigh...

After listening to Yan Zongpan ask, "Brother, have you become timid after enjoying too much wealth and honor?"

Wanyan Zongwang looked as if he were constipated, and was in great discomfort.

Wanyan Zongpan continued, “Brother, rest assured, once the weather truly turns bitterly cold and the biting winds are biting, those low-ranking soldiers in the south will surely suffer greatly, that’s for sure! The morale of the army will be thrown into chaos! It won’t last long! Su Wu’s decision to come north in early winter was a foolish thing to do, utterly stupid!”

Does this make sense?
That makes a lot of sense!

Even Wanyan Zongwang felt somewhat shaken for a moment...

Wanyan Wuqimai continued, "Your plan failed, causing the Jin dynasty to lose countless provisions. Your battle was unsuccessful; you couldn't even capture Linhuang Prefecture, which was mostly guarded by Khitans. Your crimes are numerous. I will not punish you for now. You must quickly bring the army back and strengthen the city's defenses. This time, as soon as the Yan army retreats, the situation will immediately change. Once the Southerners leave, we can besiege Linhuang Prefecture again. The Khitans will be terrified! I will give you another chance to redeem yourself. We will capture Linhuang Prefecture again in the dead of winter! There must be a large amount of provisions left in Linhuang Prefecture for the Khitans. In this way, the provisions will be continuous, and the grasslands can be plundered! The Jurchens will rise up!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"What a brilliant plan!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Those around him were naturally talking incessantly...

Wanyan Zongwang, for a moment... slowly lowered his head...

But then someone shouted from the doorway, "Your Majesty, military intelligence from the south!"

"Come in and report!"

"Your Majesty, several thousand Yan cavalry have been spotted at Yuguan Pass, and Yan scouts have been spotted at Gubeikou Pass, seemingly scouting ahead... It also appears that troops have left Linhuang Prefecture..."

They're here! Wanyan Zongwang knew that Su Wu had really arrived!
But then Wu Qimai said, "They've come quickly. It's clear that Su Wu is also in a hurry. He knows that the deep winter is hard to endure and wants to finish this quickly. Let him sigh and leave under the high walls of Dading Prefecture!"

In fact, everyone was right; no one was wrong.

In many things in this world, there is nothing wrong with things until the outcome is known.

Wanyan Zongwang looked around. Among all the people in the hall, who was wrong?
Or is Wanyan Zongwang necessarily right?
Some people may have selfish motives, such as Gao Qingyi. How could a Han Chinese like him be willing to suffer in the mountains and forests?

Wanyan Zongpan wanted to succeed to the throne in this city, because only in this city could he possibly succeed to the throne...

But Wanyan Xieye's thinking is also correct: what if the city is defended?
Su Wu was indeed ruthless, but could he really suppress the complaints and grumbles of all the soldiers under his command in the freezing cold?
do not know……

According to Wanyan Zongbi, Xu Zhenru believes that Wanyan Zongwang and Su Wu are similar in some ways, but not so much in others...

"Go...fortify the city's defenses!" This was the order from Wanyan Wugumai, the Jin emperor.

Wanyan Zongwang bowed deeply, covered his chest in a gesture of respect, and then turned and left.

After going outside, I was momentarily confused...

Su Wuzhen arrived, reaching Tanzhou overnight, and then, without stopping, went straight to Gubeikou that same night…

As dawn broke, Su Wu continued walking. He saw the dilapidated ruins of the Great Wall, once standing on the mountainsides or beside the roads...

The Great Wall here dates back to the Yan state during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, was repaired by the Qin dynasty, and was further constructed during the Han dynasty…

The Tang Dynasty also built a pass here, a gateway for entry and exit...

There's also helplessness...

Before the Liao Dynasty was even established, they even abolished the passes, because these passes had been used to defend against them. As soon as Shi Jingtang ceded territory, the first thing the Liao people did was to abolish the passes...

Now, Su Wu passed by this place and looked at those ruins. He didn't sigh, but just rode on quickly to cross the Yanshan Mountains...

He had originally thought that he could finally get a good night's sleep once he reached Tanzhou, but now he couldn't even sleep peacefully there. He would have to cross the Yanshan Mountains before he could even think about taking a short nap.

Now, of all the forces, only Su Wu is to lead the way.

Soldiers along the road shouted, "The imperial banner! The Emperor has arrived! Make way!"

"Make way! Make way!"

The soldiers along the way kept looking back as the dragon banner passed by. It was the emperor, truly the emperor, galloping past everyone on horseback!

And then there was the soldier's comment: "Oh dear, now that our king has ascended the throne and become the emperor, shouldn't he be leading the charge and fighting on his own?"

"Could it really be?"

"Is this good?"

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

"That's just how His Majesty is, what can we do?"

"Who says it's not?"

"Does His Majesty not trust us?"

"Our Emperor is far more capable and skilled in battle than you. Can he trust you?"

"I know, I'm not trying to compete with His Majesty. I'm saying that His Majesty doesn't trust us, which is why he still went ahead and led the charge!"

"Hurry up and go, hurry up! This is the only chance. Otherwise, His Majesty's merits will surpass ours, and then what's the point of earning a title!"

"Let's go, let's go, hurry up!"

"Oh my! Your Majesty! Why can't you just sit comfortably in the back?"

"Ugh……"

Isn't that also a complaint...?

(End of this chapter)