Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 418 This generation is fierce and brave!

Yang Zaixing was climbing the wall, carrying a large shield as he climbed higher, followed by twenty or thirty armored men...

But it was precisely because of this that this group of people stood out from the others. On the city wall, a general shouted, "Here! Here! The enemy has broken into the enemy lines!"

Even Wang Xun's gaze was drawn to it. Among the countless gray and black figures, that row of iron armor was too obvious. It must be an elite vanguard!
Wang Xun was not in a hurry, as he had already made a contingency plan and had a troop of elite armored soldiers sent to support him from the city wall.

Despite carrying a large wooden shield, Yang Zaixing actually managed to climb onto the top of the crenellations. His bravery was truly remarkable. There was a soldier guarding the city who was poking and prodding at the top of the crenellations, but Yang Zaixing swung his shield and smashed him down. In the brief moment of the opening, he leaped up and, like a monkey, stood inside the crenellations.

Numerous armored vehicles swarmed in, and countless tin cans clanged and clattered, resulting in a chaotic battle. Yang Zaixing had been struck countless times, yet he seemed oblivious to the pain, his back knife slashing and sparks flying...

In an instant, he actually managed to cut some openings, allowing the people behind him to attack continuously.

Wang Xun, watching from the city wall, frowned and muttered, "These people are fierce and brave!"

Although Yang Zaixing seemed to have gained an initial advantage, the endless stream of armored soldiers quickly surged forward, making it impossible to move. All kinds of weapons were used to attack and stab...

As the armored soldiers clashed, everyone was instantly brought to point-blank range. Even Yang Zaixing's large, thick-backed sword, raised in mid-air, couldn't be brought down. His armpits and lower arms were blocked by the armored soldiers' heads, preventing him from exerting any force...

Isn't this the experience and skills of veterans?
How could Yang Zaixing not be alarmed? He was invincible in every battle and incredibly brave, but he had never seen such a relentless stream of soldiers rushing forward.
The soldiers before him were all much shorter than him, yet not one of them hesitated even slightly. They all charged forward, using their hands, feet, shoulders, and heads if they couldn't wield their weapons properly...

Yang Zaixing was tall and stood out from the crowd, but he was surrounded by people who were all exerting force, as if they wanted to push him out of the battlements, or even fall into the city with him...

Yang Zaixing, with his brute strength, kicked one leg behind him and roared as he tried to push back, but for a moment he was unable to advance or retreat.

But seeing the endless stream of soldiers advancing, a dense, boundless mass, Yang Zaixing was greatly alarmed. He knew he couldn't hold them off...

He hurriedly looked around, trying to think of a way to break the deadlock. This was the first time he had ever seen such a situation.

In the past, he had also climbed the city walls. When he actually reached the top of the battlements, his tall stature alone was enough to frighten those around him. After he swung his broadsword a few times, very few dared to approach.

If he were to kill one or two more brave and daring individuals, the situation would be settled, and no one would dare to fight him head-on anymore.

Today, however, the situation is quite different. There are endless "dwarfs," and not a single one of them is backing down.

Yang Zaixing also experienced for the first time what a truly elite army was like.

Wang Xun, who was on the city wall, had relaxed his slightly furrowed brows. He was not muttering anything, but he was thinking.

These people... haven't really fought a tough battle. If General Rudaru were here, the first thing he would do upon reaching the city walls would certainly not be to draw his sword and kill anyone, much less to engage in a fierce battle with the numerous guards...

The first thing to do is to charge forward with shields, scattering the defenders, so that there is a chance to expand the victory.

This bandit general was clearly incredibly strong, yet he still wanted to show off his martial arts skills and fight with others after coming up to the city wall...

That would obviously be wasting a fleeting opportunity.

Of course, Wang Xun was comparing this armored bandit general to Lu Da, not to himself, since he himself was also one of the first to breach the city walls!

If Wang Xun were to scale the city walls, it would be a completely different story. After reaching the crenellations, he wouldn't immediately descend onto the city wall. Instead, he would grab his large shield and leap high into the air, crashing down on the heads of the numerous defenders...

Just focus on overwhelming them first...

Regardless of the method, the principle is the same...

Using armored vehicles to scatter the enemy is always far more important than killing a particular enemy.

The armored soldiers were indeed difficult to kill... but once they fell to the ground, most of them would be very slow to get up again...

Having observed the situation on the city wall, Wang Xun felt relieved and turned his attention elsewhere. However, there was nothing particularly noteworthy to see there…

In most places, the rebel army had already begun to linger, and the area around the city was filled with people dawdling, with ladders being overturned and taken away one after another...

Upon seeing this, Wang Xun knew that the battle was over and the enemy's attack on the city had failed.

He couldn't help but turn his head to look at the line of armored bandits. A few had come up earlier, but they had all been swallowed up and disappeared. He didn't know if they were under his feet or had fallen into the city.

Only the tall bandit general had been pushed to the edge of the battlements and was turning around to look back. Clearly, the bandit general could not hold on any longer and was already considering retreating.

If he didn't retreat, the spears behind him would be piercing his tall head from afar.

Wang Xun was watching intently, and a thought crossed his mind: it would be best if he could be pushed out in one fell swoop and died in Luocheng.

Sure enough, Yang Zaixing was pushed out of the crenellation and fell suspended in mid-air, but there was no dull thud as if a heavy object had hit the ground...

Wang Xun peeked through the arrow slit and saw that the thief's body was dangling in mid-air, yet he managed to grab onto the long ladder halfway down...

Wang Xun muttered helplessly, "I don't know if this guy is just lucky or highly skilled..."

That's it, that's how the war is. The bandits wanting to break through the city are just dreaming...

Turning around, he looked through the arrow slits facing the city to see if anything unusual was amiss inside...

Something was indeed amiss within the city; suddenly, shouts and commotion of battle could be heard from the military camp…

Wang Xun didn't frown, only saying, "Just as I thought!"

There was indeed a battle taking place in the military camp; at least three or four hundred soldiers from Guangzhou were fighting against soldiers from Wuzhou who were guarding the camp gate.

From his vantage point, Wang Xun could see clearly from afar, even though many buildings provided some cover. The number of bandits was not large, much less than he had anticipated. He had expected at least two or three thousand men, but there were only three or four hundred, though there were a few dozen suits of armor among them.

Of the several thousand Guangzhou garrison troops, only three or four hundred rebelled. So these Guangzhou garrison troops can still be used in the future. They can be used for civilian labor, auxiliary troops, logistics, and so on.

Clearly, Wang Xun was also waiting for chaos to break out in the city. Otherwise, it would be troublesome to keep the thousands of Guangzhou garrison troops on guard. Once the chaos occurred, there would be no need to keep guarding them anymore.

Looking at the Wuzhou army guarding the camp gate, there was only one commander, a mere hundred or so men, yet they held the gate firmly, not yielding an inch...

Looking further ahead, a band of knights was already approaching, numbering no more than four or five hundred...

Wang Xun didn't look any further and was quite confident. He was just waiting for the knight to arrive so that his horse could charge forward and it would be as easy as cutting melons and vegetables.

But then Wang Xun said to his attendants, "Go and search around Guangzhou. Are there any singing troupes?"

Who isn't a young master or a prince at heart?

In the past, although his father, Wang Bing, was not a high-ranking official in Wuzhou, he still held a position and his salary from the imperial court was not low. He was considered to be from a well-off family, so how could he not send his children to school?

In the past, how could Wang Bing not have thought that his son would one day be recognized outside the Donghua Gate? How could he have wanted his son to become a common soldier of the Song Dynasty like him?
Unexpectedly, life is unpredictable, and Wang Xun still became a soldier, a hero who crawled out of a pile of dead bodies.

Later, Wang Xun followed Su Wu, naturally appearing as a soldier. When Su Wu charged into battle, he followed beside him.

Later, Wang Xun took up a post in Hangzhou. What kind of place is Hangzhou?
The most refined culture in the world is found in Jiangnan. Even Bianjing (Kaifeng) falls short. The soft Wu dialect can melt even the toughest man's heart.

And now we're listening to music again? With poetry societies and literary gatherings, how could he not go and visit?

I've been in Guangzhou for many days now, and I've been on edge the whole time. Today, the rebel army is nothing special, and the matter inside the city has been resolved. It's only right that I listen to some music!
Inside the city gate, soldiers rushed off to find a singing troupe for their steward. Guangzhou certainly had one… but compared to Hangzhou, it was probably incomparable…

Hey, Wang Xun's gaze was suddenly drawn to the street to the east. Several groups of soldiers were chasing a group of thieves. Those thieves were really good at running, running through the streets and alleys everywhere...

Several teams of soldiers were trying to catch the enemy from all sides, but they couldn't catch him for a while. One soldier got so angry that he took his helmet and shoulder armor again. He passed a butcher's table and put his helmet and shoulder armor on it... which instantly made him much faster...

That's interesting...

Wang Xun watched with great interest, and then raised his hand to point: "Send a captain from the Imperial Guard to block the south..."

Looking back, the arrows from the city walls had stopped, the enemy army had collapsed, and the corpses and wounded left behind were numerous, densely packed...

A soldier beside him said, "General, we should go out and fight. Maybe we can wipe out all the bandits outside the city before His Majesty even arrives..."

"That's what I think too..." Wang Xun replied with a wry smile.

"Then why don't we go?"

Wang Xun shook his head: "His Majesty has decreed that we must firmly guard the city gates and absolutely not launch an attack..."

"Does Your Majesty not trust our Wuzhou army?"

Wang Xun pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "I'm afraid that's not the case. It might be related to the Ninth Prince, Zhao Gou..."

"What connection could there be? It would be best if we could defeat the enemy. What's wrong with capturing or killing Prince Zhao Gou on the spot?"

Wang Xun shook his head: "I don't know much, but the imperial edict also mentioned one thing: His Majesty ordered that if the enemy army wants to retreat, troops must be sent out of the city to the east and south, and fast horses must also be sent out to guard the bay of Guangzhou."

"Why is this?"

Wang Xun shook his head again: "I don't know... but it must be related to Zhao Gou..."

"Sigh... such a good opportunity is right in front of us, but they won't let us take it!"

"It's alright. Defending the city is a great achievement. As long as Guangzhou doesn't fall, it will be a great feat!" Wang Xun comforted him.

"Yes, the steward is right. His Majesty must have a deeper meaning. We must not create chaos for His Majesty's sake..."

Wang Xun thought the same way: just follow military orders and don't create unnecessary complications, lest good intentions only cause more trouble...

Outside the city walls, Yang Zaixing returned dejectedly, his body brimming with anger and resentment. He looked around, but remained silent...

Even he himself didn't rush forward, so what's the point of getting angry with others?

As Yang Zaixing returned to camp, he looked towards the city wall, unable to understand how there wasn't a single coward in the entire army. Instead, they were all fearless and relentlessly charged forward.
Is this reasonable? It doesn't seem reasonable, does it? How can there be no cowardice in human nature?

Or did I learn something new this time?
Yang Zaixing really didn't want to learn this lesson...

Having gained this newfound understanding, Yang Zaixing realized that once the usurper Su Wu arrived, this so-called army of hundreds of thousands, ostensibly there to restore the nation, would likely be...

Even without Su Wu, if the more than 20,000 troops inside Guangzhou were all as elite as those defending the city today, they would likely face dire consequences if they were to come out and fight... This kind of thinking is truly unwise...

After this, Yang Zaixing became extremely anxious and uneasy, fearing that the great undertaking was about to fail.

This……

Back in the central command tent, the commander-in-chief Cao Cheng looked extremely grim.

Yang Zaixing had no choice but to step forward and bow, saying, "This humble general is incompetent, and I accept the general's punishment!"

Cao Cheng was about to curse, but he held back and said only, "No wonder, it really is Wang Xun's army, their elite troops are truly formidable. We were all caught off guard..."

Yang Zaixing nodded: "What the commander-in-chief says is true. The troops from Jiangnan and Zhejiang are indeed very different from those from Daozhou and Hezhou before..."

Cao Cheng looked around with a worried expression, his mind filled with thoughts of how to deal with the situation if he couldn't capture Guangzhou.
After exchanging glances several times, most of the people avoided eye contact. Cao Cheng really wanted to curse, but... even Yang Zaixing was helpless. What could anyone else do?
Where is His Highness the Prince?
No wonder His Highness ran away.
Shouldn't we leave now?
But what will happen to morale if they leave? Everyone is waiting to break through Guangzhou, to live a life of luxury, with endless money and provisions, and to be clad in armor...

If we were to leave this plain, the surrounding area would be mountainous...

In the past, going into the mountains was fine, with groups of three to five hundred, or even one or two thousand people...

Now, with hundreds of thousands of people being taken into the mountains, I'm afraid they won't last a month before resorting to cannibalism...

Yang Zaixing noticed Cao Cheng's hesitation and said, "General, why don't we disperse for today and let everyone go and organize their troops? Let the men get some rest too."

Cao Cheng nodded and waved his hand: "Hmm...that's fine too..."

Everyone naturally got up to take their leave.

Yang Zaixing didn't leave...

Cao Cheng didn't say much, but simply gestured for Yang Zaixing to sit down.

Cao Cheng asked, "Zai Xing, do you think there's any way to breach this city?"

Yang Zaixing frowned, pondered for a long time, and then shook his head: "I'm afraid it really can't be broken..."

"Is it really impossible to break?" Cao Cheng was clearly still hoping for the best.

Yang Zaixing shook his head earnestly: "This humble general is truly incompetent and cannot devise a strategy to break through the city... If we resort to brute force like this, we will absolutely not be able to break through..."

"Alas... How could I not have sworn brothers in Guangzhou? I had a plan for an inside-outside attack, thinking that taking Guangzhou would be easy, but unexpectedly, there's not a sound from within the city..."

Cao Cheng raised his hand to his forehead...

Just a few days ago, he was still thinking about breaking through Guangzhou and making a big move.

By this time, the prince had fled, and the city was helpless; hundreds of thousands of mouths still needed to be fed…

Upon hearing this, Yang Zaixing suddenly recalled something and blurted out, "When I was on the city wall, I really did faintly... as if... hear shouts of battle coming from inside the city..."

"Huh?" Cao Cheng was surprised.

Yang Zaixing frowned and thought for a moment, then nodded seriously: "It really is..."

"Alas... that means the uprising failed and the plan was ruined..." Cao Cheng became increasingly helpless, his face full of sorrow.

"General, how about we lead our troops away from Guangzhou first?" Yang Zaixing was also thinking of a plan.

"Where to? What destination?" Cao Cheng asked, frowning.

“Or, we can go up the coast to Quanzhou! Quanzhou is even richer than Guangzhou…” Yang Zaixing said, then looked at Cao Cheng.

Cao Cheng waved his hands repeatedly: "We can't go, we can't go. It's 1,400 or 1,500 li away. I'm afraid we'll run into that traitor Su Wu before we even get there. It'll be a terrible situation, a terrible situation..."

Yang Zaixing's words were just a test; now he was certain that his commander was still of sound mind and knew he couldn't fight Su Wu head-on...

“Then let’s head west, to Guangnan West Road, and capture Wuzhou, Xunzhou, Guizhou, and Liuzhou. Although these places are barren and sparsely populated, as long as we fight our way through, we should be able to barely supply our military needs… at least… at least we’ll have a steady supply of food…”

Yang Zaixing had genuinely considered that he couldn't stay in Guangzhou any longer and needed to find a way out.

Along the way, there might be enough food, but we could no longer enjoy a life of luxury, and we might not even have enough to eat every day...

"I'm afraid..." Cao Cheng sighed helplessly, "I'm afraid this is the only way..."

“Then… Your Highness Prince Kang…” Yang Zaixing was afraid that Prince Kang would disagree.

"Prince Kang... Hmph..." Cao Cheng pretended to look around, then spread his hands: "Prince Kang is probably already on his way back to Hezhou..."

"Huh?" Yang Zaixing was stunned on the spot. He hadn't seen anyone for the past two days, but he hadn't thought much of it, assuming that His Highness Prince Kang was just like before, "keeping to himself"...

I didn't expect them to run away...

"This... How could Your Highness leave first?" Yang Zaixing was also dumbfounded. Weren't they all working for him? How could he run away?
Cao Cheng waved his hand: "No need to talk about it. Just wait until we head to Guangnan West Road, and he'll surely come back..."

"Why is that?" Yang Zaixing wanted to find out.

Unexpectedly, Cao Cheng replied, "How would I know why? He heard that Su Wu was coming, and he immediately left..."

Yang Zaixing was speechless. He understood the situation, but how could he make it clear to others?

“Re-emergence…” Cao Cheng suddenly adopted a serious tone.

"Hmm? Just give the order, Commander!"

"I'm not giving any orders, but I want to say that you and I... how should I put it... if we raise an army, it's a crime punishable by the extermination of our entire clan, a crime that will leave us without a burial place. No matter what, at any time, you must not have any slackening of your resolve..."

Cao Cheng spoke tactfully.

Yang Zaixing understood immediately and bowed respectfully, saying, "General, rest assured, I will risk my life at any time, even if it means dying first!"

"Good, good, very good!" Cao Cheng felt much more at ease. Why did he say this? Because unease had begun to creep into Cao Cheng's heart.

Yang Zaixing had something to say next, but he didn't say it...

Unexpectedly, Cao Cheng blurted out, "Do you think Su Wu will chase after us if we go to Guangnan?"

“Now that we’ve arrived in Guangzhou, Su Wu will certainly not return to base so easily…” Yang Zaixing was very certain.

"So... what should we do next?" How could Cao Cheng not think about these grand strategic plans?

From Guangdong to Guangxi, where else can you go from Guangxi?
“Then… there are perhaps only two paths: one to Jiaozhi, and the other to Dali…” Yang Zaixing answered in silence, though he was actually quite discouraged…

The situation changed too quickly. With an army of hundreds of thousands, it seemed poised to sweep across the land. Unexpectedly, not long after leaving home, Guangzhou became an insurmountable mountain.

Looking ahead, it seems like there's no future at all...

In an instant, I became a homeless dog...

Unexpectedly, Cao Cheng asked, "Is it better to go to Jiaozhi or Dali?"

These words...

I don't want to think about it, and I don't want to answer it.

But I still had to answer: "Jiaozhi is a barbarian land, the home of indigenous savages. It has little contact with the Central Plains, a small population, and low-lying cities. I'm afraid they wouldn't dare offend the superior nation... As for Dali... Dali has dozens of prefectures and counties. In the past, it had a very good relationship with our Great Song. If the prince himself goes there, he might be treated as an honored guest... Besides, there are many Han Chinese in Dali, and they can understand each other's language..."

"Then let's go to Dali! We'll head straight for Dali! Dali is situated on high ground, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the country must have a large and well-equipped army... Su Wu's campaign was probably rushed, and he certainly won't pursue us relentlessly to this point. Once we reach Dali, he will naturally withdraw his troops. Even if we fight again, he will need to prepare for a long time. We can only wait for Su Wu to withdraw before we can make our move again..."

Cao Cheng's analysis was spot on.

Yang Zaixing nodded repeatedly, but he couldn't help feeling sad. It seemed that he really had to live abroad for a long time. How could he not be sad to leave his hometown?

Cao Cheng had already stood up: "Now that it's agreed, quickly issue the order for all departments to prepare. We're heading to Guangnan West Road to capture Wuzhou first!"

"Okay..." Yang Zaixing also got up, feeling extremely helpless, but he had no choice but to do so.

However, with such a large enemy army of hundreds of thousands, it would take some preparation before they could set off; they really couldn't leave in just one or two days...

How did Su Wu come to be?
He traveled along the canal to Hangzhou, then boarded a ship with about five hundred men ahead of him. The rest of the army had been traveling by land and water, and had just arrived in northwestern Fujian from Zhejiang...

Su Wu's ship was sailing on the Lingdingyang. Looking at the vast ocean, he couldn't help but think of a man who wrote, "At Huangkong Beach, I spoke of fear; in the Lingdingyang, I sighed in loneliness. Since ancient times, who has ever escaped death? Let my loyal heart shine in history..."

The fall of the Southern Song Dynasty... is truly heartbreaking. Countless soldiers and civilians, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, fled into the sea with the emperor, sacrificing themselves for their country and perishing in the sea. It was a tragic event, but also a testament to their loyalty and valor.

Wasn't the Battle of Yamen fought right here on this sea?

Lu Junyi was among those accompanying him on this trip.

At the bow of the ship, waves rose, and Su Wu asked, "Brother, would you be willing to serve as an official in the court?"

Lu Junyi smiled and shook his head: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid I'm not suited to be an official..."

"Brother, haven't you been busy with official business these past few years?" Su Wu asked with a smile.

Lu Junyi waved his hands repeatedly: "That's different, that's really different... His Majesty knows me well, I'm a pleasure-seeker, I haven't even had an heir. The events of these past few years have been quite interesting, being an official in the court would probably be much more boring..."

"Then I'll share the same title as you, brother?" Su Wu asked.

"Your Majesty really doesn't need to do this. It can't be passed down for more than two generations anyway. Without offspring, it's even more useless. Wealth and honor are enough, wealth and honor are enough!" Lu Junyi smiled broadly, his smile utterly sincere.

(End of this chapter)