Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 423 If this appointment is successful, it will be the time for you to enter the capital and become prime minister!

Su Wu's words were meant to drive Zhao Gou into the Dali Kingdom.

Many people present, especially the intelligent ones, immediately understood. Huang Sheng, who had already felt a jolt in his heart, looked up and knew that his task had become much more important...

Although the Dali Kingdom was not far away, it was not exactly close, and the journey there was difficult...

Food supplies, laborers, auxiliary troops...

The Emperor's preparations for this trip must not have been extensive, so he will have to rely on the local area, specifically Guangnan West Road and Guangnan East Road.

Then he thought of Guangzhou. The emperor had come from the north so quickly, he must have taken the sea route. Huang Sheng knew that Guangzhou had many large ships, so there might not be a shortage of grain, but the biggest problem was the land transport capacity.

That concluded the day's business, and everyone went to rest. But Huang Sheng didn't sleep; he picked up his pen and began writing all night...

What to write?
The text describes how to arrange the transport of provisions if the emperor were to lead troops into Dali, and even outlines the best, middle, and worst strategies.

The worst option was to directly conscript laborers to transport the goods along the way, but this would be difficult. This brings us to a place called Yongzhou. Yongzhou was a very large place, and under Yongzhou were many other "zhou". This "zhou" was the administrative unit used by the imperial court to control ethnic minorities in the southwest.

Within Yongzhou, there were many tributary states, which were actually a large number of ethnic minorities, including various barbarians. In this era, these "barbarians" did not have a unified name, and they could not even be called any particular ethnic group; they were all named after place names.

Forcibly conscripting laborers is definitely not advisable. Nong Zhigao, whom Di Qingping once subdued, was the leader of a tribe called Huodong Man. These various barbarians are not to be trifled with, and they are not so obedient to the king's rule...

They not only fought against the imperial court, but also among themselves and between different villages, whenever there was a grudge, they fought each other in a bloody manner...

In fact, Huang Sheng was reminding the emperor that although these barbarian tribes were nominally tributary states of the Song Dynasty, they could not be conscripted as laborers under the same system as those in other regions, otherwise unrest would inevitably ensue...

Huang Sheng was afraid that Su Wu, being from the north, would not know the situation in Yongzhou, so he explained these things in great detail over and over again.

The middle strategy is to have a large number of officials go out of their way to persuade, to talk to, and to ask for help...

There is an even better strategy, which is to directly provide money and food, and hire people. Doing so will be incredibly smooth, and it wouldn't be difficult to even hire various barbarians to help in the battle...

Huang Sheng's main point was clearly that this was the best course of action, and he wanted to persuade the emperor to spend money and resources on this matter...

This was Huang Sheng's first act of loyalty to the emperor!

Having written it overnight, Huang Sheng was already waiting at the door of Su Wu's bedroom with his completed memorial at dawn.

As soon as Su Wu woke up and pushed open the door, the first thing he saw was Huang Sheng greeting him. He immediately said, "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

Huang Sheng quickly replied, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was I who did not wish for the guards to disturb Your Majesty..."

Su Wu nodded and said, "I'll stretch my muscles and wash up first... You sit down over here and have some morning tea and snacks..."

Huang Sheng respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I will not eat yet, but wait for Your Majesty to stretch..."

Su Wu didn't say much. He and Wu Song exchanged blows in the back courtyard. Wu Song also came out and started training his strength early in the morning.

Before long, Lu Junyi arrived, and they exchanged blows with spears and clubs several times. Su Wu also switched to his spear and club, and they went back and forth a few times with Lu Junyi...

Huang Sheng was completely dumbfounded; this kind of rehearsal was even more exciting than a fight.

Why? Because during drills, the goal is to familiarize oneself with the equipment and use it more skillfully, hence the more elaborate and flashy movements...

In many instances, it even resembled twirling guns and sticks into acrobatics...

How could it not be wonderful?

Huang Sheng was still praising from the side: "Your Majesty and the two generals are truly skilled!"

After a quick wash, Su Wu beckoned Huang Sheng, saying, "Minister Huang, would you like to have some tea and snacks with me?"

The four men sat down, and the soldier wolfed down his food, his appetite astounding. Su Wu, while wolfing down his food, quickly read through the memorial written by Huang Sheng...

When it was almost done, Su Wu wiped his hands and mouth with a cloth and said, "Well written! All matters, big and small, are clear at a glance. You are truly a capable minister!"

Huang Sheng waved his hands repeatedly: "I just arrived a few days earlier..."

"In the few months since you arrived, you've become intimately familiar with everything happening around you, big and small. How could you not be a wise minister?" Su Wu was genuinely praising you.

Huang Sheng was secretly pleased, but he remained humble: "Your Majesty is too kind. Anyone from this place, if you ask them, will be able to explain these matters more clearly than I could..."

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "It's different. You know what's important and relevant to the matter, and you also know what I need to do..."

"Your Majesty flatters me..." Huang Sheng was actually quite pleased with himself...

But then Su Wu suddenly said, "Now that the army has arrived, we should change many things. There are forty-four prefectures under our control. What does 'under control' mean? It means to win them over. This is not a long-term solution. All kinds of barbarians will take any benefit they can get and cause trouble if they can't. What kind of order is this?"

Huang Sheng was startled: "Does Your Majesty intend to wage war against these barbarians?"

Su Wu smiled and waved his hand: "No, if that were the case, how much effort would it take? I am willing to spend money on this mobilization of troops, which is better than having to send another large army in the future. But since we are here, the money and provisions must be spent wisely. No matter how much is spent at once, we must resolve the matter completely!"

"What does Your Majesty intend?" Huang Sheng asked.

"Isn't that what you said? As long as we spend money and grain, we can mobilize all kinds of barbarians. So let's spend, spend a lot of money, and have them serve as laborers and auxiliary soldiers. If they want to earn more, they can serve as soldiers. Now that you are the military commissioner of Guangnan West Road, I'm entrusting you with the preparation. Bring all the able-bodied barbarians down the mountain to see the might of our Great Yan army. Let them come and see for themselves!"

Su Wu spoke with ease.

"His Majesty wants them all to witness the majesty of the Emperor, then that's perfect!" Huang Sheng understood.

"Yes, once we've conquered Dali, we'll turn around and, while our military might is still formidable, we'll control all the prefectures, changing them all to counties and townships. From now on, let's not use 'barbarian' or 'barbarian' anymore, because they don't sound friendly. Let's use 'county' and 'township' instead. The mountains are barren, so taxes can be low, and taxes aren't the main issue, they're even dispensable. But the name must be the same. Schools should be built where necessary, and students should be enrolled, especially the children and grandchildren of the leaders of the various counties and townships. They must attend school... Five out of every hundred able-bodied men from the various barbarian tribes will be selected to serve in the army... If anyone shows disrespect, the imperial army will surely come to suppress them!"

Su Wu knew that only one way could truly solve these problems in the long run: education, ideology, and a sense of belonging.

This place is barren, and at this moment, we can't squeeze out much profit, nor can we count on it. But education must be carried out, so that we don't have to spend money and food to fight it hundreds of years later.

It's not that there are no Han Chinese here; there are many Han Chinese. Wherever there is flat land or town, there are naturally many Han Chinese.

As Su Wu said, "The situation in Dali is exactly the same as that in Yongzhou, and the way to govern Dali in the future should be the same!"

This refers to the population situation, not the economic situation. The Dali Kingdom's economic situation was much better, and it was even prosperous, especially in places like Shanshan Prefecture, which was rich in resources. Shanshan Prefecture was Kunming, and the extravagance of its officials and nobles was in no way inferior to that of the Central Plains.

Huang Sheng nodded in agreement, but still had concerns: "It's not difficult to use money and provisions to pave the way and conscript able-bodied men this time. However, many barbarians will find it hard to reason with the people and are unaware of His Majesty's love for the people. I'm afraid that in the future, there may not be major chaos, but there will certainly be minor disturbances..."

"Then go and fight! Although you are a civil official, don't be afraid. In the future, an elite force will be stationed in Guangzhou and Guizhou. If there is any trouble, just write to the court and ask them to lead the troops to fight!"

Su Wu spoke earnestly: if it needs to be fought, it should be fought; if it needs to be educated, it should be done in two ways. The problem must be resolved eventually. We can't let history repeat itself, where we had to fight the Ming Dynasty and then the Qing Dynasty...

This issue always needs to be resolved. Resolving it here will also allow for better outreach to Japan, the Indochina Peninsula, and other regions. These vast oceans will inevitably be visible eventually…

There's no point in dragging this out; the sooner we resolve it, the sooner we can enjoy the benefits...

Huang Sheng suddenly gained some confidence: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my utmost here, whether it is to mediate and maintain balance or to sow discord, I will definitely complete this task well! I will make Your Majesty's words today a precedent for the court in the southwest from now on!"

Su Wu said directly, "If you succeed in this mission, it will be the time for you to enter the capital and become prime minister!"

Su Wu's words were absolutely true. If this matter could be handled reasonably well, then he truly had the ability to become a prime minister!
"Thank you for your boundless grace, Your Majesty!" How could Huang Sheng not be moved?
Has any emperor ever spoken like this throughout history? Has any emperor ever made such a promise?

Su Wu did just that. There were risks involved, but at this moment, Su Wu made this promise, which brought him even more benefits.

If it really works out, Huang Sheng will definitely become an expert in handling all kinds of border and ethnic issues in the future, and he will be of great use in the future.

Because the Great Yan Dynasty is bound to expand rapidly, the more talented people like this, the better.

"Alright, let's leave this matter here for now and discuss it in detail later. In a couple of days, the money and provisions will arrive. Just prepare an account book for the expenses according to your wishes, and the funds will be allocated to you. Quickly recruit all kinds of laborers and soldiers. By the way, how are the bandits outside the city?" Su Wu asked.

"Your Majesty, just as dawn broke, there was no movement at all..." Huang Sheng replied.

Su Wu frowned slightly: "At this moment, things should be starting to move... Let's go take a look..."

Everyone naturally got up and followed Su Wu to see...

As soon as Su Wu reached the top of the city wall, commotion broke out. It was as if the camp was in chaos. All the gates were opened, and numerous bandits were rushing out of the four gates and running in all directions... Cao Cheng was going to run, and had no choice but to run. Yang Zaixing had come at such a risk, which meant that Cao Cheng had no other options. At this time, Wuzhou was not in any chaos. The emperor's dragon banner was still towering high, and the city gates were not even open to the fastest riders heading to Guangzhou. This meant that Yang Zaixing's plan had failed. If he didn't run now, when would he?

There was also another band of bandits, not scattered, heading northwest. This band was Cao Cheng's trusted confidants, and they could still be kept under control...

Wu Song then asked, "Brother, shall we ride off and give chase?"

Su Wu waved his hand: "Don't chase. Zhao Gou is a coward. If we pursue and kill like this, scaring everyone into a fright, Zhao Gou will probably really not dare to go on the main road anymore. Who knows how long that will drag on..."

Su Wu was afraid that Zhao Gou would be so frightened that he would hide in the deep mountains and forests and never be able to come out again, or ever be able to escape to Dali. He was even more afraid that Zhao Gou might not be able to come out of the deep mountains and forests.
We still need to reassure Zhao Gou and hurry along the main road, the faster and more smoothly the better.

If you were to ask Zhao Gou what would happen if he didn't go to Dali, but went somewhere else?
There's nowhere else to go but Dali. Zhao Gou can't really go into the forest and become a barbarian, can he? Even the barbarians wouldn't want him…

Besides, if they truly treat us like barbarians, offering money and provisions to pave the way, they'll inevitably betray us...

Even Prince Zhao Gou, born and raised in Bianjing, didn't have that ability...

Zhao Gou, who wanted to live in a civilized society, couldn't possibly avoid going to Dali.

The crowd simply watched from the city walls as the bandits scattered and fled, disappearing into the woods...

Su Wu also rode out of the city, intending to give chase and scare the bandits into running even faster and farther...

Dali was a country that the Song Dynasty would not conquer. It was Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, who, leading his army, said by his own mouth on the banks of the Dadu River: "This place is not mine."

This means that Dali, on the other side of the Dadu River, was not part of the Song Dynasty.

Therefore, Dali, though confined to a corner of the country, maintained an extremely good relationship with the Song Dynasty for most of the time.

The two countries have extensive political, cultural, and economic exchanges and are very close.

This was also the main reason why Zhao Gou was willing to go to Dali...

The culture of Dali has been inherited from the Song Dynasty and the Central Plains. It also held imperial examinations, but there were some differences. Other countries' imperial examinations selected "Buddhists and Confucians", while Dali was a Buddhist country.

Therefore, someone who could take the imperial examinations appeared to be a "Buddhist," a monk, and then this monk had to study Confucian classics to pass the exams...

Of course, this policy has not been in place for very long.

The politics of the Dali Kingdom were very chaotic. The throne was often a joke. There were many powerful clans and families in Dali. The throne was subject to various attacks and threats. Among them, the Gao and Yang families were the most powerful, and the Dong family was also very strong.

Once these families gained power, the throne would immediately change hands. Most of the time, the Duan family would be chosen as kings, but there were also a few times when they would take the throne themselves. Of course, this would not last long, as other powerful families would overthrow them and replace them with the Duan family...

Such events in the history of the Dali Kingdom were not occasional occurrences, but rather a recurring pattern with almost no exceptions.

More than 20 years ago, the King of Dali was surnamed Gao, but now he is surnamed Duan. The current king is called Duan Heyu. His father was a ruthless man in a story. His father was called Duan Zhengchun!

Another matter is that Duan Heyu's title of king was personally conferred by Emperor Huizong of Song. Zhao Ji conferred upon Duan Heyu the titles of Grand Master of the Palace, Inspector of the Ministry of Works, Pillar of the State, Military Governor of Yunnan, and King of Dali!

These were all details that Su Wu needed to obtain from various Guangxi officials. He also learned that not long ago, the Dali Kingdom had also suffered a rebellion.

Initially, it was a rebellion by some tribes, namely the so-called various barbarians, including the Mu Ning, Wei Yuan, Po, and Ma Long tribes. Later, it got out of control, and thirty-seven barbarian tribes rebelled together, even breaking through the Shan Chan Prefecture...

This is just a series of events that have occurred in the last five or six years, or even the last one or two years...

When Su Wu heard the officials talking about these things, he immediately sensed something...

There's something to be done about this...

But we have to wait a bit longer. Let Zhao Gou make some more trips and clear out the area around Wuzhou, and retake Daozhou and Hezhou. Su Wu won't have to do this anymore; the soldiers in Wuzhou are really putting their hearts into it.

After waiting for Wang Xun... and then for the tens of thousands of Jingdong infantrymen to follow, Su Wu was anxious even though the weather wasn't hot. These matters had to be resolved before the truly hot season arrived...

In just over ten days, the army will be assembled: 30,000 infantry, 1,500 cavalry, and some tiger-squatting cannons.

The army is marching northwest...

The laborers recruited first numbered seven or eight thousand, and Huang Sheng also sent people to work on both sides, so at least tens of thousands of laborers could be gathered.

Some auxiliary soldiers also came with the army, including former soldiers from Wuzhou and Guizhou, as well as some barbarians from the mountains and forests. Just by looking at their attire, one could see a variety of strange things, and many of them had tattoos on their faces...

Many Chinese interpreters also accompanied the army.

Once the army entered Yongzhou, they began their journey towards Dali.

The roads were difficult to traverse, yet also accessible. Dali and the Song Dynasty had maintained a close relationship over the years, and these roads were originally trade routes. Traveling by large carts was not easy, but traveling by horse was a piece of cake. If one were to use a small cart or even a wheelbarrow, then it would be perfectly smooth...

Actually, there is another route to take, which is to enter Dali from Sichuan, but the route there is also the same.

In Su Wu's view now, this road, though usable, will definitely need to be repaired in the future...

Now, the city of Yangjumei in the Dali Kingdom is actually the location of the later Dali Kingdom. Zhao Gou really traveled day and night for about twenty days and arrived there.

Dali has two capitals: one is Shanshan Prefecture, which is Kunming, and the other is Yangjumei City, which is Dali.

At this moment, Shanshan Prefecture had just been ravaged by the rebel army of the thirty-seven tribes, resulting in countless deaths and injuries, and was extremely desolate. King Duan Heyu was living in Yangjumei City.

In fact, the two places are not close, about five or six hundred miles apart, but if Zhao Gou wanted to go to Yangjumei City, he must have already passed through Shanshan Prefecture.

Therefore, at this moment, Zhao Gou was filled with worry. When he arrived, he was unaware that the Dali Kingdom had suddenly encountered such chaos. Even a powerful figure like Cao Cheng was unaware of the current situation in the Dali Kingdom...

When Zhao Gou finally met Duan Heyu, Duan Heyu bowed first while Zhao Gou was bowing, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Zhao Gou was taken aback, but was overjoyed. He bowed and said, "Greetings, King of Dali!"

The two met not in the imperial court, but at Duan Heyu's residence.

Zhao Gou also sized up Duan Heyu, and couldn't immediately tell his age. He looked young, but there were wrinkles around his eyes and brows, and his demeanor didn't seem like that. Yet, he had a handsome face and looked like a young nobleman...

Duan Heyu's official name upon ascending the throne was Duan Zhengyan. This man was remarkably long-lived, living to be over ninety years old...

At this moment, he was already forty-four or forty-five years old. Perhaps it was because he took good care of himself and studied Buddhism that Zhao Gou could not guess his age.

The two took their seats in front, and Zhao Gou had already surveyed the surrounding buildings. Although some were different, they were actually quite similar to those in the Central Plains...

Even the furniture and utensils are pretty much the same...

This was also Zhao Gou's first time in Dali. He sat down in the grand chair and didn't know how to start the conversation, since he had just witnessed the tragic state of Shanshan Prefecture not long ago.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Duan Heyu took the initiative to speak: "I have heard some things about what happened in the Central Plains. It was just a usurpation by rebels. One day, it will surely return to the rightful ruler!"

Duan Heyu's words were not just politeness; he genuinely thought so.

That's how he got his throne. Before his father, the Gao family usurped the throne. So what?
Gao Shengtai reigned as emperor for only two years before his health deteriorated. Fearing retribution after his death, he returned the throne to Duan Zhengchun of the Duan family...

Who is Duan Heyu? He is a person without desires or wants, who does not strive or fight.

His experience is indeed true, so in that sense, what is his must be his...

In the future, Duan Heyu will also become a monk...

Zhao Gou, taking Duan Heyu's words as mere politeness, said with a troubled expression, "This time, I have nowhere else to go, so I thought of coming to Dali to take refuge for a while..."

What did Duan Heyu say? He simply smiled faintly and nodded slightly: "It's alright. No matter what, that usurper will not come to this remote place... We will wait for the day when things are set right, and Your Majesty will return!"

"That would be wonderful! I thank the King for taking me in!" Zhao Gou was overjoyed and rose to give a deep bow.

Duan Heyu rose to help him up, saying, "I dare not accept such a grand gesture from Your Majesty. The Song Dynasty and Dali have enjoyed a century-long friendship, a beautiful story that has been passed down through the ages. With this latest event, it is even more splendid and a model for future generations! I will personally send someone to escort Your Majesty back to the capital when Your Majesty returns!"

But at the entrance, a young scholar-like man entered the room without waiting for an announcement and said, "Your Majesty, this matter should be discussed further..."

(End of this chapter)