Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 406 Brother, no, I'll just fight him to the death!

"Aren't you going to Huanglong Prefecture?" Wanyan Zongbi asked Wanyan Zongwang with a puzzled look on his face.

Wanyan Zongwang shook his head slightly: "Let's enter the city of Dading first..."

"Brother, why is this? Why did you change your mind after just one trip into the city? Didn't we agree on this before? If we can't hold Dading Prefecture, won't our entire clan perish here?"

Wanyan Zongbi asked, his eyes wide.

"Just do as I say, come with me into the city and make sure the city defenses are in place!" Wanyan Zongwang was at a loss for words.

“I know, I know… They don’t want to leave. They’re blinded by this dazzling world. They’re thinking of gambling their entire clan’s lives on this one time, betting that Su Wu can’t break through the city! That’s what they all think… How many people and how much food and resources does the Central Plains have? How can it be a good plan to be trapped in an isolated city?”

Wanyan Zongbi still wanted to argue his case.

Wanyan Zongwang remarked, "Retreating to Huanglongfu or into the mountains isn't a good strategy either..."

"Where did this come from? How could Su Wu possibly come to us from the forest?" Wanyan Zongbi was clearly quite clever.

"Two choices. One choice is... from now on, we'll be like rats in the forest, burned every year, with countless people roaming outside the woods every day searching for and catching us. The other choice is... to take this gamble; if we lose, we'll perish; if we win, we'll still have the power to fight. Which of these two choices is right? Which is wrong?"

The reason Wanyan Zongwang bowed his head in the main hall of the city just now was not because he truly believed in those people, but because he himself had thought about this matter more and more thoroughly.

It's like asking a person whether to live a life of mere survival or to face death. Which is right and which is wrong?
"Didn't we say before that we were planning for the future? Who can say for sure what will happen in the future? In the Central Plains over the past thousand years, have there been more periods of chaos or prosperity? The prosperity of the Central Plains has lasted no more than seventy or eighty years at most, and as short as thirty-five. They will fight each other, they will have internal strife. It has always been like this. This time, Su Wu also usurped power. How can there not be undercurrents beneath the surface? Who knows? Who knows, the people of the Central Plains will break up on their own? Wasn't the true rise of the Khitan Liao Dynasty also due to internal strife in the Central Plains?"

Wanyan Zongbi is becoming more and more capable.

“If we return to the mountains, Su Wu will be the ruler of the world, invincible. He is very young, and the Central Plains will have enjoyed a golden age for several decades. If the golden age continues for two or three generations... more than a hundred years will have passed... How many more years can the mountains and forests withstand being burned down?”

Wanyan Zongwang spoke slowly. In the past, he had never thought that anyone would set fire to something like this. After all, the Khitan had never done such a thing.

Now I've seen it for myself...

This matter remained lingering in Wanyan Zongwang's mind!

Perhaps it was because outside the city of Dading Prefecture, all that could be seen was the blackness left by the burning... This blackness constantly reminded Wanyan Zongwang that Su Wu would set fire to it.

If it doesn't burn out in a year, or even two, or even three, five, ten, or eight years, then the mountains and forests will have been burned down countless times...

"Brother!" Wanyan Zongbi wanted to say something more, but in truth, the two had already said everything.

"Alright..." Wanyan Zongwang waved his hand and said, "Just listen to me. After entering the city, if those people in the court say anything unpleasant to you, don't act impulsively. You must ask me about everything... Don't get angry with them. They aren't all truly selfish. Our Jurchen people have come to this point, and only by uniting can we possibly overcome this calamity. We must not allow internal strife to occur first, otherwise we will truly be utterly defeated... You must listen to me this time. In everything, the greater good comes first!"

Wanyan Zongbi nodded, but his voice was filled with resentment: "Why, why? Why should I prioritize the overall situation? Why can they act recklessly?"

"There's no need for reckless behavior. Let's unite and get through this!" Wanyan Zongwang gently patted Wanyan Zongbi's shoulder, said no more, and simply said, "Let's go, the army enters the city!"

The autumn wind was bleak, blowing up ashes from the grass and trees. The Jurchen warriors stood atop the city wall, their noses soon becoming blackened with soot...

The wind was really strong; sometimes the cold wasn't from the air temperature, but from the wind.

The sheepskin coat was wrapped around the face again and again, the cuffs and collar were tied up and tied up, and then wrapped around the face again and again...

The temperature wasn't actually that cold, but it was already bone-chillingly cold.

When the Yan army arrived, emerging from the Yanshan Mountains, it was as if they had entered a completely different world. The ground was indeed dark, but for some reason, the wind was several times stronger than the winds of Yanyun...

Isn't it cold too?

Even Su Wu was hunching his shoulders on horseback. Fortunately, there was no shortage of warm clothing for the time being. As long as the freezing season hadn't truly arrived, the clothes from Hebei and Henan would be sufficient for the time being outside the Great Wall.

Another advantage of the area outside the pass is that it is sparsely populated and has abundant forests. Even after a fire, when countless bare trees are blackened, they still stand tall.

Just cut it down; it'll be great for keeping warm.

Su Wu finally dismounted and fell asleep. In broad daylight, he slept soundly, snoring away, because he was so exhausted.

All the cavalrymen were running further and further away, all in preparation for a surprise attack by the Jurchens.

This time, however, the Jurchens will not launch a surprise attack, and they will no longer engage in open battle with Su Wu.

There's really only one reason: Su Wu's horses had now surpassed the Jurchens' in number...

Su Wu suddenly woke up, not knowing how long he had slept, and asked those around him, "How many hours has it been?"

"It's been an hour..." the soldier on duty replied.

Having slept for only an hour, Su Wu rubbed his eyes and suddenly stood up, actually waking up from a dream.

What did you dream about?

In his dream, Su Wu sent men to dig at the base of the city wall of Dading Prefecture. They sent men more than ten times, but they could not dig it down. Su Wu was so anxious that he paced around in circles in his dream, and then he woke up.

He then asked, "Is there any letter from Ling Zhen? Where is Ling Zhen's convoy?"

The guard on duty, unaware of the situation, simply replied, "Your Majesty, I do not know. Should we go and invite Scholar Wu and Imperial Censor Zhu here?"

"Please, go and summon them immediately!" Su Wu stood up, his feet moving left and right as he walked around the campfire!
The events in the dream were actually very real; they were Su Wu's plan.

If Dading Prefecture were truly besieged, the method to breach the city would be gunpowder.

But while gunpowder is powerful, it's not as powerful as you might imagine.

In other words, city walls are not necessarily easily destroyed by gunpowder.

A rammed earth wall, several meters wide and over ten meters high, is far more sturdy than many people imagine...

Catapults and gunpowder cannons, no matter how big, are almost impossible to actually breach the city walls, unless... the city walls themselves have structural defects.

Not to mention gunpowder cannons, even in World War II, the firearms and cannons of that era could not easily destroy the walls of the cold weapon era.

The city walls of the era of cold weapons remained extremely sturdy during World War II, and were still the strongest line of defense in many city defense battles.

Therefore, Su Wu only had two ways to use gunpowder to breach the city wall: either dig a hole at the base of the wall, directly into the wall, and pile a large amount of gunpowder into the hole to detonate it, thus collapsing the rammed earth wall and forming a ramp...

Alternatively, they could dig tunnels leading to the city walls, then use large amounts of gunpowder to blast the walls down.

Su Wu knew perfectly well what was going on, and these things were constantly on his mind, which is why he had this dream when he fell asleep.

Thus, the siege plan was formulated. Two plans were prepared: one was to immediately dig tunnels, which was safe and effective, and would definitely allow them to reach the city walls without having to enter the city itself, so it was safe.

It's just time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it will drag on for a long time.

The second preparation was to rush directly to the city wall, dig holes in it, and stuff gunpowder inside.

There is another misconception: if you just pile explosives next to the city wall, you can't easily blow it down; you need this hole!

You also need to prepare some sharp tools for drilling holes, whether you are drilling on the ground or underground.

Where exactly is Ling Zhen?

Wu Yong also arrived still half asleep, his eyes barely open. When he did open them slightly, his eyeballs were bloodshot and completely red.

Working for Su Wu, this boss, is a truly deadly job.

Wu Yong rushed over and said, "Your Majesty, the head of Ling Zhen's caravan has already arrived in Yanjing City, and they must be heading to Tanzhou today."

"Send someone to urge them!" Su Wu said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wu Yong turned and left.

Su Wu added, "Send one of my personal guards to the first battalion to escort them here first!"

"Good, good, good!" Wu Yong didn't look back and hurried off.

Looking back, one could see endless streams of soldiers coming from the roads extending out of the Yanshan Mountains.

The carriages, horses, and people seem to stretch on forever.

What about Su Wu himself?
He suddenly looked around and saw his Snow-Treading Black Steed standing up, sleeping. Horses are animals that sleep standing up.

Su Wu simply asked, "Have you fed me?"

The guards simply nodded: "Your Majesty, it's ready!"

"Mount up and let's go!" Su Wu went to the horse, patted it a few times to wake it up, and then mounted it.

The Snow-Treading Black Steed seemed to still be a bit grumpy after waking up, kicking its hind legs to express its unwillingness to cooperate.

Su Wu simply gathered the reins, pulled them to the left and right, straightened the horse's head, and lashed it with the whip. The Snow-Treading Black Steed obediently accepted its status as its master's ox or horse.

"Go, follow me! Three battalions of personal guards, go first!" Su Wu was anxious, extremely anxious, fearing that the Jurchens would flee.

He had to go. He had plenty of horses, so he had to hurry and get to the city of Dading. Only when he saw that the Jurchens were still inside the city could he feel at ease.

If he/she isn't there? Then we'll have to work even harder to catch up!

In war, Su Wu was fearless!

The soldiers were exhausted, and some of them, who had been on duty, hadn't slept for even an hour, only thinking that it would be their turn to sleep soon...

Unexpectedly, we have to set off again.

It's a habit, and this isn't the first time. The last time I went from Zhangjiakou to Datong, and the time before that in the Hetao region, it was the same.

The mind is accustomed to things, but how can the body get used to them?
Countless soldiers mounted their horses, their eyes closed...

He's gotten used to it; even when the horse is jostling him, he can still snore from time to time...

Your Majesty... Sigh... I don't want to think about it anymore, I won't say anything more, let's go, let's go...

Fifteen hundred riders and six or seven thousand horses followed Su Wu northward...

Dading Prefecture is actually not far, only four hundred li away!
If you run like this, the road is easy to travel. You may not be able to get there during the day or at night, but you will definitely be able to get there in the middle of the night.

Before leaving, Su Wu gave one more order: "Wu Yong and Zhu Wu shall temporarily make the arrangements here!"

But upon turning back, Su Wu issued another military order: "Do not bring the great banner!"

That tall dragon banner was truly a burden; at this moment, it was of no use whatsoever.

One of the guards was unsure what to do—should they turn around and send it back, or what?
But Su Wu said, "Just throw it on the ground, on the roadside, and someone will come and pick it up!"

The men guarding the banner looked at each other, as if asking: Is this alright? Is this something we can do?
But looking at the emperor before him, he thought, "Fine, fine, throw it away..."

The banner wasn't originally erected; instead, several riders were holding it to one side. This made it easier to carry. The riders exchanged glances, and one of them shouted, "One, two, three..."

The emperor's banner was indeed thrown away by the roadside.

The people behind them were stunned; they could actually throw away the great banner?
Your Majesty is in a bit too much of a hurry...

Fortunately, some people actually came up to pick it up. After picking it up, they would pat it clean, remove the dust, and carefully put it away to take back. Zhu Wu hurried over and saw this scene from afar, sighing, "Ah, oh dear..."

A thought lingered in my mind: This is no emperor! What kind of emperor is this? This... this...

Wu Yong also returned, and the two looked at each other... their faces showing only helplessness.

Zhu Wu then said, "There's no real danger. With so many horses, we can move freely! Your Majesty wouldn't really go out on a fight with fewer troops..."

"I know, I know..." Wu Yong nodded, looked around, and pointed into the distance: "Who's that group? They've been resting for most of the hour, haven't they?"

“Shi Wengong!” Zhu Wu replied.

"Good, good, good. Shi Wengong is good. He seems to lack a real meritorious battle achievement. This is the time for him to make a name for himself. He has four battalions under his command, totaling two thousand men. Send him quickly to catch up with His Majesty and have someone to meet him!"

"That's true. His title was only earned when he won the first victory against Fang La. He didn't get it when fighting the Tanguts or the Jurchens..."

Zhu Wu nodded, knowing that Shi Wengong was actually very brave.

He then turned around and quickly sent someone to deliver the order to Shi Wengong.

A moment later, the two thousand knights mounted their horses and set off.

Zhu Wu was still blocking the road when he saw Shi Wengong coming ahead and shouted, "Take His Majesty's banner with you..."

He also thought that although Su Wu's banner seemed unimportant, it was actually very important. The banner standing outside Dading Prefecture was a deterrent to the Jurchens.

This is an attitude of fighting to the death. Su Wu came in person, and the emperor came in person. This time it's either you die or I live.

Shi Wengong naturally raised his hand to beckon, summoning one of the knights to fetch the banner.

Why did Su Wu think this banner was unimportant?
Just like the next morning, Su Wu indeed appeared outside the south city of Dading Prefecture, with a total of no more than 1,500 cavalry.

They stood with swords drawn, ready to march and form ranks two hundred paces from the city walls.

Countless people came to watch from the top of the city wall.

Wanyan Wugumai came in person, pointing and asking, "Who is this vanguard of the Yan army?"

No one answered, which meant that no one knew either.

They came too fast!
Even the intelligence gathered by the patrol scouts wasn't this fast; it's also because the patrol scouts couldn't gather such concrete intelligence in such a short time.

Indeed, no one answered.

Wanyan Wuqimai scanned the crowd, and suddenly, Wanyan Zongwang spoke up: "It must be Su Wu!"

"Hmm?" Wu Qimai turned to look at Wanyan Zongwang in confusion: "How did you know?"

"It's him!" Wanyan Zongwang said without explanation, only certainty.

Wu Qimai was initially startled and disbelieving, but then he suddenly remembered someone: his elder brother, Wanyan Aguda.

Wu Qi bought the letter, frowned slightly, and asked, "Who will go out of the city to fight him?"

It's time to select the generals!

How could there not be those eager to try? Not to mention Wanyan Zongbi or Wanyan Loushi, even Wanyan Zongpan looked eager to try. Su Wu's personal arrival was the perfect opportunity to make a name for himself. What Wanyan Zongpan needed most was prestige.

But Wanyan Zongwang was the first to speak: "There's no need to go, it's pointless... If you go after him, he'll leave on his own, and you won't be able to catch him. He might just be bait in a trap!"

Gao Qingyi chimed in, "That's absolutely right. This is a tactic that Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, often used."

Wu Qimai was a seasoned veteran, and he knew what was going on, so he didn't say much and just watched...

Su Wu was also scanning the crowd on the city wall, but he couldn't really see them clearly; he could only make out a whole bunch of people of different heights, builds, and builds...

Since the Jurchens did not leave the city, Su Wu, as was his custom, went around the city to personally scout out the battlefield terrain and other conditions.

Su Wu rode his horse in circles...

Atop the city wall, all was silent.

As we continued watching, there wasn't much left to see...

It doesn't seem right to just leave without watching...

Wanyan Zongwang then spoke up: "Everyone, please go back first. I will be stationed here in this city. If there is any situation, please send someone to report to the capital immediately."

This was like a stepping stone, and Wu Qimai nodded and stepped down: "Yes, the city's defenses are solid, so there's nothing to worry about!"

The group turned and went down from the city wall.

Zongwang and Zongbi stood on the city wall, watching the cavalry heading east.

"How did it arrive so quickly?" Zong Bi asked now because there were too many people around.

“We came without rest or sleep!” Wanyan Zongwang replied.

Wanyan Zongbi nodded; in truth, he was somewhat impressed!
Suddenly, Zong Bi raised his hand and pointed into the distance: "Another horde is coming from afar, they're probably working tirelessly too..."

Wanyan Zongwang remained silent...

Zong Bi kept babbling, "Brother, do you think Su Wu has ambushed us in the distance? Is he trying to lure us out of the city to fight?"

The elder brother remained silent...

"Brother, I couldn't even see clearly or recognize him just now, how can you be so sure it's Su Wu?"

“Brother, should I go out of the city to take a look? I’ll go alone and see Su Wu…”

Wanyan Zongwang finally spoke, but it had nothing to do with what Zongbi had said. He said, "Zongbi, prepare some men and select a strong horse to be stationed in the north of the city. I will give you my orders!"

Wanyan Zongbi then asked, "Brother, do you have a brilliant plan? Are you going to intercept Su Wu?"

Wanyan Zongwang shook his head: "These men and horses should not be moved, no matter how the war goes. They should remain in the northern city on standby!"

Wanyan Zongbi suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. He understood. This was a backup plan, or rather, not a backup plan at all. It was the last resort, the final preparation for breaking through the encirclement...

His elder brother asked him to prepare, and he himself was asked to prepare his confidant, Wanyan Zongbi. That meant that the final breakout was Wanyan Zongbi's responsibility.

“Brother, I won’t leave!” Wanyan Zongbi said.

“Some things are beyond your control… If that time really comes, and you survive, at least the Jurchen will still have a name in this world! Wanyan, in the mountains, still has a reputation and prestige. Perhaps you really will have the opportunity you mentioned. With the chaos in the Central Plains, perhaps you really will live to see those things…”

For some reason, Wanyan Zongwang suddenly had a bad feeling, perhaps because he saw Su Wu working tirelessly, one book after another, without sleep...

"Am I alone?" Wanyan Zongbi asked.

Wanyan Zongwang looked at his younger brother and smiled slightly: "Are you scared? You're not a child anymore! Don't be afraid!"

"I'm not afraid, I'm just..." Wanyan Zongbi was in a state of panic...

"You're not much younger than Su Wu. If he could do it, you should be able to too!" Wanyan Zongwang said earnestly, as if speaking to a father.

“Why don’t you go and prepare men and horses, brother…” Wanyan Zongbi suggested.

“No…” Wanyan Zongwang uttered.

"Then why don't we take everyone in the city with us and leave right now? Let's go!" Wanyan Zongbi asked again.

"Now? We can't leave now..." Wanyan Zongwang was actually starting to regret his decision. Looking back on it now, he truly regretted his final decision two days ago. Even two days ago, he had hesitated...

In the end, it's only two days; if you hesitate for a moment, two days will pass...

Now, it's all too late.

"Why can't we leave? I'll lead my troops to cover the rear and fight Su Wu to the death. You all should leave quickly..." Wanyan Zongbi wasn't lying.

"Do you know how many are behind that?" Wanyan Zongwang asked.

"I know, 100,000? How many more can there be? No matter how many troops Su Wu gathers, it's only 100,000!"

"Yes, 100,000. We have about 5,000 right now, and who knows how many tens of thousands we'll have today. How are we supposed to move? Are we supposed to have people constantly pounce on us? When have Jurchen warriors ever been carried to their deaths on the battlefield? Me?"

Wanyan Zongwang looked up at the sky, which was still dark, with the sun rising in the east...

"I'm sure I can stop them! I'll make sure you all get far away from me!" Wanyan Zongbi was actually feeling resentful.

How long can Xu Zhen hold out? A day? Half a day?

Su Wu now has many strong horses, while the Jurchens now have few and thin horses...

They also had to take care of countless elderly, weak, women, children, and slaves...

Slaves are the property of countless people, something many are unwilling to relinquish...

Moreover, those elderly, weak, women, and children are the families of countless Shennong people. How could they be abandoned?
This is no longer possible. It might have been possible two days ago, but now, it's absolutely impossible...

Rather than die with their backs to the enemy, they should rely on the high walls to constantly wear down the enemy, exhausting them both physically and mentally, and inflicting heavy casualties. Then, Zong Bi could lead a contingent of elite troops to break through the encirclement...

Sacrificing the pawn to save the king is the last resort for survival, or rather... sacrificing the king to save the pawn...

It's better than having nothing at all, right?

Moreover, the fierce fighting depleted the Yan army's elite forces, leaving them severely wounded and easing the survival pressure on Wanyan Zongbi as he attempted to break out the encirclement later.

Wanyan Zongwang made up his mind and did it. If he hesitated any longer, there would be no hope left.

Wanyan Zongwang's expression suddenly changed, becoming extremely serious. He looked at Wanyan Zongbi and said sternly, "Stop talking! Just do as I say! Otherwise, I will die with my eyes open in disgrace, and don't come back to see me after you die!"

"Brother!" Wanyan Zongbi's eyes immediately reddened.

"Come closer, and I'll say something to you!" Wanyan Zongwang still had a plan, his last and final plan.

Wanyan Zongbi leaned closer, somewhat expectant, wondering if his brother had any brilliant plan at the end.

But then he heard his elder brother whisper in his ear, "If, by any chance, you can't escape in the end, don't kill yourself. You have to go see Su Wu and talk to him... talk about the future of the Jurchens, talk about their way of survival..."

Wanyan Zongwang always manages to think things through to the very end...

"What?" Wanyan Zongbi exclaimed in surprise.

Wanyan Zongwang nodded, his tone gentle; "You must listen to me, understand?"

"Brother, no, I'll fight him to the death!" Wanyan Zongbi was extremely angry.

“Alright, go on…” Wanyan Zongwang didn’t argue at all, but gently patted his younger brother’s shoulder again and waved his hand lightly: “Go on… go on… patrol the city defenses… go on…”

(Brothers, there will be double monthly votes at the end of the month, so please give some if you have any...)
(End of this chapter)