Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 422 Is it really Jing Ke? The true motive has been revealed?
Cao Cheng looked at Yang Zaixing, then waved his hands to the left and right, signaling everyone else in the tent to leave...

But then Yang Zaixing lifted the tent flap and pointed outside: "General, how can such a camp really hold out for a day or two?"

Looking outside the gate, apart from the central command tent and the area within a dozen or so paces that had been cleared by guards, the rest of the place was packed with people, with hardly any room to even squat down. It seemed that these thirty or forty thousand people would have no room to move around if they lay down to sleep...

Yang Zaixing was clearly furious. Why? The formation hadn't truly collapsed just now, so in Yang Zaixing's view, there was still a chance to fight back. After all, the enemy numbered only a little over a thousand. If they could find a way to successfully intercept them, they would surely win...

Even though Yang Zaixing knew the chances of intercepting them were slim, he was doing everything in his power; it was the only way to turn the tide...

Now, the situation has truly turned into a rout. Countless people have fled in disarray. At this moment, everyone in the camp is filled with panic and confusion.
There was clearly no chance of winning anymore...

Commander Cao is utterly foolish...

But then Cao Cheng said, "Zaixing, this time, you and I have no chance of winning at all. We can't win..."

"This humble general will fight to the death. No matter how brave and invincible our thousand-odd cavalry are, manpower and horses will eventually be exhausted. As long as our hundreds of thousands of men do not scatter, then whether we attack the city or trap the enemy cavalry, how can we not have the slightest chance of victory?"

Yang Zaixing's words made some sense, as he had also been thinking the same thing. Among tens of thousands of people, a thousand or so cavalrymen were just a small fraction. As long as the main army didn't collapse, those cavalrymen, heavily armored, would eventually get tired...

"Su Wu has arrived..."

"I am not afraid of him!"

"He's coming, and behind him, countless elite troops are sure to follow. It might only take a day or two... Even if you drive him out of the formation today, what about tomorrow? What about the day after?"

"Even if it's just driving them out, it's still a victory. The troops inside the city have already left and are no longer a threat. Wuzhou will fall immediately. In that case, we'll have a fortified city in our hands, and our supplies will continue. We can then plan for the future..."

"Then why not just go back to Hezhou? Hmm? The city is already there, why bother getting entangled here?"

"General, things aren't like that..."

Cao Cheng raised his hand and said, "Enough, enough, there's no need for us to argue anymore. Let's just talk about what's to come. The outcome is already clear. No matter how we fight, we can't win... We soldiers are hardly soldiers at all. Compared to them today, we are worlds apart. Not to mention Su Wu's troops right now, just look at Wang Xun's troops in Guangzhou. You've seen it with your own eyes. Their armor, weapons, morale, and fighting spirit are incomparable..."

Cao Cheng, to be a leader, he really has some skills...

"What does the commander-in-chief want to say?" Yang Zaixing asked.

“What can I say? I’m saying…we need to think about leaving. There are tens of thousands of people who can’t escape…” Cao Cheng stopped hiding his thoughts.

"Where are we going?" Yang Zaixing seemed still resentful.

"Wherever the Ninth Prince goes, that's where we'll go. What the Ninth Prince wants is protection and assistance. We thought we could protect and assist him, but in the end, it's all for nothing... It must be the Dali Kingdom. The Ninth Prince is already on his way. We should go after him and go to the Dali Kingdom together... Only with the Ninth Prince can the Dali Kingdom accept us. Otherwise, we're nothing but bandits. What country would be willing to accept a group of bandits..."

Yang Zaixing wanted to say something, but suddenly sighed, moved to a chair, and remained silent for a moment before speaking again: "Let's go... so many brothers, and we're just leaving like this..."

“Yes…” Cao Cheng was clearly also reluctant.

“We can’t just leave like this. If you’re going to leave, then you go, Commander! I won’t leave!” Yang Zaixing was a man of great loyalty and righteousness.

In the past, we gathered together out of loyalty and brotherhood; how can we disregard that loyalty and brotherhood and disperse today?

What is the point of living a human life?
Everyone in the world has their own choices, but what Yang Zaixing chose was more important to him than his own life.

“If you don’t leave, I won’t leave either. If no one leaves, the Ninth Prince will truly become a homeless dog. This is the last bit of hope for the Great Song Dynasty…” Cao Cheng’s words showed that he had a certain understanding of Yang Zaixing.

Sure enough, Yang Zaixing hesitated...

But then Yang Zaixing suddenly turned ferocious and said, "I have another plan... which may be able to turn the tide of the world in one fell swoop! If this plan fails, then the commander-in-chief can run away, how about that?"

"Hmm?" Cao Cheng was also surprised and said, "Then hurry up and tell me!"

Yang Zaixing then stood up again: "I will feign surrender, just like Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin!"

"What?" Cao Cheng immediately stood up and waved his hands repeatedly: "This matter must not be accomplished! Su Wu has countless warriors with him, it is impossible! Even Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin failed!"

"That's because Jing Ke lacked courage. He already had the dagger in his hand, and the King of Qin was only inches away, yet he couldn't kill him. If I were Jing Ke, I would surely have succeeded!"

Yang Zaixing was speaking seriously, and he had a scenario in mind: as long as they got close enough, killing Su Wu wouldn't be too difficult...

It's not that Yang Zaixing is overconfident or thinks he's invincible, but the opportunity definitely exists. If not now, when?
"Why do you think you can be as close to Su Wu as Jing Ke?" Cao Cheng asked.

Clearly, Cao Cheng was also tempted at this moment, because the benefits of succeeding in this matter were simply too great and too tempting.

If successful, the world will be thrown into chaos and people's hearts will be thrown into turmoil. Today's predicament may be resolved immediately, and the restoration of the Song Dynasty will surely be just around the corner. Even if it is not the Ninth Prince who ascends the throne, today's achievement will allow Cao Cheng to achieve fame and glory throughout the world. He will surely hold a high position in the future and be remembered for generations!
Cao Cheng was well aware of Yang Zaixing's ferocity and bravery, so how could he really be completely unmoved?
Yang Zaixing also frowned, pondering how to ensure he could get close to Su Wu.

Suddenly, Yang Zaixing had a flash of inspiration: "A head!"

The inspiration still came from Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin...

"Who is it?" Cao Cheng asked.

"Find a head that is slightly fair-skinned and somewhat resembles the Ninth Prince..." Yang Zaixing was truly going all out this time.

Cao Cheng frowned, thought for a moment, and then nodded, saying, "Alright, wait a moment!"

With that, Cao Cheng went out. Not many people had actually seen the Ninth Prince, and this matter was extremely important, so he had to go and select him personally.

For a powerful figure like him, killing an innocent person at this moment meant nothing...

Among thirty or forty thousand people, you're bound to find one you like...

For Yang Zaixing, loyalty and righteousness were paramount at this moment. He believed that sacrificing one person to save the world was ruthless, but things had come to this point. The lives of hundreds of thousands of brothers were at stake, and even he himself was going to his death. There was nothing more to say...

Wait, wait quietly...

I waited for a very, very long time...

It was getting dark by the time we got there...

Su Wu had already mounted his horse and returned to the city, and the dragon banner had been hung on the towering city tower.

The knights were exhausted, so they ate and then slept...

Su Wu was the same; he would eat his fill and then lie down, with soldiers on duty to protect him...

It was the dead of night when suddenly someone came to report something important. Wu Song asked first, and then he woke up Su Wu.

Su Wu frowned: "You came alone?"

Wu Song nodded: "That's what they said. They said a bandit general named Yang Zaixing was carrying Zhao Gou's head and knocking on the door in the middle of the night..."

"Yang Zaixing?" Su Wu frowned deeply.

"Yes, that's the name, I remember it..."

Su Wu smiled faintly: "They've let them into the city?"

"Yes, he was in the prefectural government office. The prefect let him in. He was just one person, so it was fine. But this fellow said he wanted to see the emperor and present his head in person. A few soldiers tried to snatch it from him, but they couldn't. Huang Sheng couldn't really kill him, so he gave up and sent someone to report it..." Wu Song replied.

"Let's go, let's go take a look at the prefectural government office..." Su Wu put on an outer garment and led a hundred or so soldiers forward, since he lived behind the prefectural government office.

Meanwhile, inside the main hall of the front office, all the lights were on, making it bright. Su Wu went directly to sit behind the table in the center of the hall, and there was a chorus of greetings from both sides...

Su Wu waved his hand and looked at the man standing below the court. He was a very imposing man, extremely tall, with a bulging body and a dark face, but he was very strong.

This person was also paying homage to the emperor...

Su Wu then asked, "Your name is Yang Zaixing?"

The tall, imposing man bowed and replied, "This criminal, Yang Zaixing, has come today to present the head of Zhao Gou to Your Majesty..."

As he spoke, Yang Zaixing lifted one of the cloth bags in his hand and shook it...

Su Wu didn't even glance at the cloth bundle, and simply asked, "What do you want?"

"The guilty are trying to atone for their sins by performing good deeds, all they want is a chance to become rich!" Yang Zaixing said.

"You're quite straightforward. How much wealth do you possess?" Su Wu asked.

"I am willing to be a general in Guangxi, preferably of the sixth rank or above, and to receive 100,000 strings of cash..." Yang Zaixing answered fluently.

"Is it Zhao Gou?" Su Wu asked expressionlessly.

"Exactly!" Yang Zaixing waved the cloth bundle again, his heart suddenly tightening. Why didn't Su Wu look excited?

Logically speaking, Su Wu should have been overjoyed to hear that it was Zhao Gou's head...

But then Su Wu suddenly said, "I told you that Zhao Gou wasn't in this cloth bag..."

Yang Zaixing felt a sudden panic and blurted out, "Your Majesty is wise; it is indeed Zhao Gou, the ninth son of the Zhao family of the former Song Dynasty. If it weren't for Zhao Gou's head, how could this criminal dare to come here?"

"Then open it and take a look..." Su Wu knew perfectly well that if Yang Zaixing was such a two-faced person, how could he have made a name for himself in history?
How could a few hundred soldiers fight to the death against tens of thousands of Jin troops without retreating?

How could two liters of arrowheads be burned out of one body?

Yang Zaixing's attempt to exchange his reputation and integrity for wealth is truly a bizarre and unbelievable joke!

Yang Zaixing walked forward, saying, "If Your Majesty truly doesn't believe me, just see for yourself whether this head is indeed that of Zhao Gou..."

The soldiers on either side immediately went to stop them, shouting, "Insolence!"

Yang Zaixing stopped in his tracks and said, "I have heard that Your Majesty is the greatest hero of our time. I, Yang Zaixing, am a commoner from the Jianghu, so I admire you and that is why I have done what I have today. Could it be that the rumors are false?"

In Su Wu's view, Yang Zaixing's words were full of flaws. He conflated matters of the imperial court with matters of the martial arts world, and he regarded Su Wu as a kind of martial arts giant like Cao Cheng...

Su Wu smiled faintly: "Yang Zaixing, do you know why I am so certain that Zhao Gou is not in this cloth bag?"

Yang Zaixing's heart was pounding. He even subconsciously looked around at his surroundings, and even considered... if all else failed, he would have no choice but to force it...

But he also said, "If Your Majesty is not a hero or a great man, but just a petty villain, then I, Yang Zaixing, would rather die on the spot today! For the sake of a hero, I would die a hundred times without regret; for the sake of a petty villain, I would have no face to see anyone!"

It's the same old routine... Actually, it does have some effect. For example, Wu Song, when enraged, would rush down the stage in a few steps: "Who do you think you are? You think you can judge the affairs of the world? My brother is a hero, not just in your words, but in the eyes of the world. Hand him over!"

Wu Song had already reached out his hand, wanting the cloth bag!
Yang Zaixing simply tied the cloth bag to his waist, refusing to give it up no matter what. He glared at Wu Song and gritted his teeth, saying, "Trying to bully the weak with numbers? If I die here today, you can take it yourself!"

Perhaps Yang Zaixing also felt that Su Wu might be testing him...

Wu Song turned to look at his brother, Su Wu, who leaned back and said, "This man is loyal and righteous, there's no need to kill him. Spare his life and send him to Bianjing. Since he is so loyal and righteous, let him serve as a bodyguard for Zhao Qing, the head of the Academy of Painting and Calligraphy..."

Su Wu spoke seriously, which chilled Yang Zaixing to the bone. He really didn't know where he had given himself away. Logically speaking, there was absolutely no way he could have given himself away. He hadn't even seen the head in the cloth bag yet, so how could he have given himself away?

No matter how much doubt there was, one should at least take a look inside the cloth bag to see if it truly contained Zhao Gou...

How can you be so certain that the bag does not contain Zhao Gou?
What went wrong?

Yang Zaixing couldn't understand it at all. Could it be another test? Was Su Wu so suspicious that he was being tested all along?
But judging from Su Wu's appearance, it no longer seemed like a test...

But then a giant appeared before him, already standing in front of him, arms outstretched, and said without hesitation: "You say that the many bully the few? If this were on the battlefield, I would ignore you. But here, you come alone, which is truly audacious. In the martial world, you must be a hero. I will pay you some attention. I do not change my name or surname, I am Wu Song of Jingdong! Come on!"

Wu Song spread his palms out in front of him, with his four fingers slightly bent upwards. In fact, this gesture was disrespectful to people.

Even among the heroes of the world, few have ever taken Wu Song seriously with their fists and feet. The fact that the two of them were fighting in the yamen today already shows that he values ​​them quite a bit. If it were anyone else, they would have been hacked to death long ago.

Upon hearing the name Wu Song, Yang Zaixing's heart sank. Putting everything else aside, Wu Song's name was now known throughout the world. He was the most valiant warrior under the command of the Emperor of Great Yan!

Such a reputation is certainly not undeserved; just look at Wu Song's physique, he is not to be underestimated.

But Yang Zaixing knew that if he couldn't get past Wu Song today, there was absolutely no way he could kill Su Wu...

Since then, Yang Zaixing has never been defeated in a one-on-one fight since he grew into a young boy!

How can we not fight today?

"General Wu, I'm sorry to offend you! But this will also let you know that I, Yang Zaixing, am no worse than you!" This was Yang Zaixing's true feeling.

"Hmph..." Wu Song chuckled lightly, kicked off with both legs, and flew forward, his fist even more imminent!
Yang Zaixing also assumed a horse stance and threw out both fists.

"Oh!"

With a muffled thud, Wu Song stood firm and exclaimed, "What strength!"

Yang Zaixing didn't move his back foot, but instead shifted his front foot to his back foot before he could stand still. He was even more surprised, his brows furrowing. Clearly, Wu Song was stronger...

However, this is not a necessary condition for victory. After the strength contest, if one is slightly inferior, then the skill and technique will prevail.

Yang Zaixing moved sideways, and his moves came at once. The first move was "Single Dragon Probes the Water," followed by "Double Dragons." His body leaped into the air, his fists striking forward and backward...

Wu Song neither dodged nor avoided the attack, but met it head-on, and even dared to speak in a distraction: "I haven't used these fists and feet of mine for a long time!"

The two men were exchanging blows, neither of them dodging or maneuvering much; they were both using a hard-hitting, direct style of fighting.

With solid, direct attacks, both sides were able to hit each other, and for a time it actually seemed like a very evenly matched contest...

Many soldiers were amazed by what they saw, while Huang Sheng and the others had already moved aside to avoid them...

But then Su Wu stood up, walked out from behind the table, and went to the side of the battle circle.

Seeing this, Yang Zaixing in the battle circle suddenly felt a surge of joy, as if an opportunity was about to arrive...

However, the armored soldiers on both sides had already blocked Su Wu behind them, so there was no chance. This chance was not even fleeting. In fact, how could there be a chance?
How could Su Wu possibly give Yang Zaixing an opportunity?

Yang Zaixing was also anxious, and in that instant, he took several punches to the arms and chest, and his body kept retreating.

Wu Song, however, did not launch a preemptive attack. Instead, he paused and said, "You dare to be distracted? You truly have no sense of mortality. At a time like this, you still think about assassination? What a joke..."

Wu Song had already seen through the situation. He realized that this fellow was already at a disadvantage in the duel. Instead of focusing on the fight, he dared to pay attention to his brother's movements. What other explanation could there be but an attempt to assassinate him?
Yang Zaixing was furious when his thoughts were exposed. Wu Song paused for a moment, then launched a surprise attack, kicking him sideways.

"That's more like it! You're a true hero!" Wu Song raised his fists to block the kick, which made the massive body tremble. As soon as the kick landed, Wu Song lowered his body, his head slid down to the ground, one hand braced on the ground, and his legs soared into the air: "You can taste my legs too!"

Yang Zaixing had just pulled one leg back and was still forward when two feet came flying at him. He quickly raised his arms to block them.

The muffled thud came again, and Yang Zaixing staggered slightly...

Wu Song's body was like a spring, full of inexplicable strength. He had been training every day, and could spring up again in an instant. Taking advantage of Yang Zaixing's stagger, he unleashed a barrage of punches...

Yang Zaixing retreated repeatedly, but he could still hear Wu Song's words: "If you hadn't been distracted, we could have fought for who knows how many rounds. But you were so distracted and preoccupied with other things. You've suffered a very frustrating defeat today!"

As Wu Song spoke, his face was mocking, and he unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, his body arching like a cheetah, the force he exerted was probably unmatched by most in the world.

Yang Zaixing was clearly at a disadvantage; he had tried everything he could, but he couldn't turn the tide...

In terms of experience, Yang Zaixing is no match for Wu Song; in terms of strength, perhaps due to his age, Yang Zaixing is also slightly inferior. If he were to hone his skills over the years, he might be able to match Wu Song in terms of strength... In terms of technique and skill, Yang Zaixing is also not as good as Wu Song...

In terms of bravery and willingness to die, the two are probably evenly matched.

Logically speaking, even if they were slightly off, the fight between Yang Zaixing and Wu Song today should have taken a long time to decide and was quite a spectacle.

Unfortunately, at this moment, the battle has become a one-sided affair.

It is said that in this world, there are very few people who can withstand Wu Song's fists and feet.

In fact, Su Wu was secretly praising Yang Zaixing in his heart, saying, "Yang Zaixing is truly a hero!"
Wu Song's mocking manner was truly unacceptable to a hero like Yang Zaixing. Suddenly, Yang Zaixing thrust his hand downwards...

It was inserted into the cloth bag containing the human heads. What was taken out of the cloth bag?
It was a sharp, short dagger that gleamed with a cold light. The blade was indeed short, perhaps only half a foot long at most, and it had clearly been brought in from inside a human head, mouth, nose, or skull...

The short blade swung forward, its aim being to kill Wu Song first, then Su Wu. Yang Zaixing roared, "Today I will slaughter all you traitors and rebels!"

Clearly, Yang Zaixing was out of options, so he had no choice but to go all out and see if it would work...

We can no longer consider whether it will succeed or not; we must fight for our lives!
The short blade swung down, aiming straight for Wu Song's face...

Wu Song crouched down, using his shoulder to face the person, and stepped forward to hug them. It was a helpless move, and also a scene he had witnessed countless times on the battlefield. Dealing with it was a muscle memory that required no thought.

She dodged instantly and then used her shoulder to knock Yang Zaixing backward.

Wu Song took a step back and stopped abruptly: "Is it really Jing Ke? The dagger has been revealed?"

As he spoke, Wu Song turned and laughed, "Brother, it's exactly the same! Just as you said! You are truly a prophet!"

Su Wu took two steps forward and sighed, "Yang Zaixing, let it go..."

Yang Zaixing had just steadied himself when he looked around and saw nothing but armored vehicles everywhere. And many more armored vehicles were filing in...

Before Su Wu stood armored figures, and Wu Song was also present. A middle-aged man then approached and stood to the side…

Yang Zaixing, holding the short blade, had already thrown the severed head from his waist to the ground. He looked around, his eyes growing increasingly ferocious, and asked only one question: "How did you see through it all? How did you know beforehand?"

Yang Zaixing couldn't understand. Could it be that Cao Cheng betrayed them? It's the same logic. No matter how much they suspected, they shouldn't have been so certain beforehand, without even checking if Zhao Gou was in the cloth bag.

But then Su Wu said, "Yang Zaixing, you are a loyal and righteous man who would die for your country. You would never do such a vacillating thing. You are so sure of that!"

These words left Yang Zaixing speechless, though he still had a question: how did Su Wu know that he, Yang Zaixing, was a loyal and righteous man who would die for his country?

But what he said is absolutely true! We have come here today to die!

Yang Zaixing sighed and said, "If this still doesn't work, is it truly fate?"

Su Wu's heart tightened. Could it be that Yang Zaixing was about to commit suicide? Su Wu said in one breath, "Brother, I trouble you and Erlang to capture this thief. Don't worry about him being injured, just capture him alive!"

The burly middle-aged man beside Su Wu was Lu Junyi, who said, "Easy!"

Lu Junyi naturally stepped forward, holding a stick from the prefectural government office in his hand. Wu Song, however, was in no hurry. He approached slightly but did not leap forward.

Yang Zaixing immediately swung his blade again; how could he not wield such a short blade, only half a foot long?
Lu Junyi's long staff came flying, its shadow flashing like the wind, forcing Yang Zaixing to retreat step by step...

What was Yang Zaixing thinking at this moment? A thought truly lingered in his mind: He had truly underestimated the heroes of the world in the past…

I used to hear people say that Su Wu's men were incredibly brave and fierce, each one invincible. I thought it was all just talk, but today I know it's absolutely true.

I once heard people say that Su Wu was an invincible warrior. He always led the charge in the midst of a vast army, fighting bravely and dying fiercely, and never being defeated in a hundred battles!
That's certainly true...

Assassination? Yuan Dao is a joke. Even if he wasn't discovered beforehand, going to his face would probably still fail...

Lu Junyi's greatest skill lies in his spear and staff. If Yang Zaixing had a long weapon, he could fight back. But with a short blade, he would be in pain and completely helpless.

He simply used his arms to block several times, thinking of closing in and fighting again.

But then a voice came from beside him: "Go!"

Yang Zaixing turned his head slightly in an instant, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wu Song raise his leg and kick him. Then his vision went black and he fell to the ground.

Before falling into a deep sleep, he vaguely heard Wu Song say, "If this man were not an enemy, he would truly be a hero, someone worth befriending!"

Lu Junyi replied, "Indeed, most of the heroes in the martial world are just empty names; there are very few true heroes like this."

Yang Zaixing had truly fallen into a deep sleep...

Su Wu said, "Tie them up and keep them under guard. Take them to Bianjing tomorrow..."

There are soldiers who will take care of it.

Wu Song had already opened the cloth bundle: "It really isn't that fellow. He does bear some resemblance, though not much... I wonder if that fellow is still in that camp. This time, we must capture him..."

Su Wu laughed, "No need for that, just chase him away... At this moment, he's definitely not in that camp..."

"Brother, why is that?" Wu Song asked, puzzled.

"Drive him into the Dali Kingdom!" Su Wu declared firmly.

(End of this chapter)