Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 424 He said he had eighty warriors, willing to go and kill...

The person who entered was Gao Liangcheng, a pillar of the younger generation of the powerful Gao family in Dali.

Twenty years ago, it was his great-grandfather who usurped the throne from the Duan family, and then returned it to the Duan family a little over a year later...

Gao Liangcheng's uncle, Gao Mingqing, had recently died in battle at Shanshan Prefecture. In other words, the current temporary peace in Dali Kingdom was also achieved through the hard work of the Gao family.

The politics within Dali were more like a small-scale political federation, with the Gao family enjoying enduring prosperity while the Yang and Dong families rose and fell intermittently...

Moreover, each family truly had its own territory and population, legitimate fiefdoms.

The Duan family, on the other hand, seemed to be the leader jointly elected by all parties.

So the Gao family was sometimes a usurper and sometimes a protector of the country. Of course, the Yang family had done similar things in the past.

At this moment, the Gao family was clearly once again a minister protecting the country...

Gao Liangcheng was actually not very old, perhaps only twenty-two or twenty-three. After he walked in, he looked Zhao Gou up and down. At this moment, Zhao Gou was only twenty years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning)...

How could he not be flustered at this moment? He then asked, "May I ask who this person in front of me is?"

Duan Heyu stood up and introduced: "This is..."

It's not easy to introduce him right now? If Zhao Gou had arrived a few days later, it would have been easier to introduce him...

Why? Because the elder of the Gao family had just died in battle, and Gao Liangcheng had nominally inherited the political legacy of the Gao family, but had not yet had time to formally bestow the title.

If he were to be granted a title, Gao Liangcheng would become the prime minister, with the rank of "Duke of China." This "China" does not mean "Huaxia China," but rather the middle of the upper, middle, and lower realms.

In a moment of quick wit, Duan Heyu blurted out, "This is... seemingly the Vice Chancellor of the Dali Kingdom, a descendant of the former Prime Minister, named Gao Liangcheng..."

It is clear that the Dali Kingdom did not have the official position of "Vice Chancellor," which was an official position in the Song Dynasty, generally equivalent to a deputy prime minister.

This explanation was intended to make Zhao Gou understand that this person's identity was extraordinary, but it also made Zhao Gou aware that the person's true identity was still open to debate.

This inevitably revealed Duan Heyu's ulterior motives. He probably didn't want Gao Liangcheng to take over as prime minister again. For countless generations, members of the Gao family had been prime ministers, and the Dali Kingdom was actually ruled by the Gao family, with the king often acting more like a symbol...

This is just right; all the capable elders of the Gao family are gone, and it's this young man's turn. Duan Heyu, more or less, has some thoughts about ending this matter...

Clearly, Duan Heyu at this moment has not yet truly reached the state of being free from desires and ambitions, nor is he ready to truly become a monk.

Sometimes... if you really think about it and analyze it, isn't it related to the fact that many of the kings of Dali became monks?
But Duan Heyu obviously didn't dare to act directly. After all, Gao Liangcheng's uncle had just died fighting for the country in Shanshan Prefecture, and his body was still warm. Duan Heyu couldn't really be ruthless towards Gao Liangcheng...

This is the most perplexing part, yet also the best opportunity. The Gao family now only has this young man left to shoulder the responsibility, but they can't just act rashly. The other party has provided money, food, soldiers, and manpower, and has even sacrificed countless lives to temporarily suppress the rebellion. How can they turn their backs on them?
Zhao Gou was an extremely intelligent man. After taking a look around and combining what he had seen and heard along the way, he looked at the two people in front of him and bowed respectfully: "So you are the eldest son of the Gao family. It is an honor to meet you!"

Gao Liangcheng's expression was not unpleasant, and he bowed deeply, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

So they sat down again, waiting for Duan Heyu to ask, "What was the meaning of Liang Cheng's words just now?"

Clearly, Duan Heyu is an elder, and recently he has been working on another matter: marrying his daughter to Gao Liangcheng. This is undoubtedly a way of manipulating Gao Liangcheng.

Gao Liangcheng spoke up: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Dali has always been a country in a state of partial peace. The affairs of the Central Plains are truly not matters for Dali to interfere in. Now that the throne has changed hands in the Central Plains, and the prince of the former dynasty has come seeking protection, this matter... may be a disaster... we must think it over carefully..."

Duan Heyu frowned slightly. The matter he had just decided on was about to be denied by Gao Liangcheng right in front of Zhao Gou...

This feeling is really unpleasant...

But Duan Heyu could only argue his case: "For the past hundred years, Dali and the Song Dynasty have maintained a very good relationship. The friendship between the two countries has only grown stronger over time. Today, the Zhao family is in trouble and has come to ask for our help. If we do not help them, how will Dali face other countries in the future?"

Gao Liangcheng frowned and looked at Zhao Gou again...

At this moment, Zhao Gou said, "If it is truly inconvenient for Your Majesty, then I will leave and find another place..."

Duan Heyu, however, said in one sentence: "How can a king not keep his word? Rebellions are always short-lived. The Great Song is a land of propriety and has not lost its mandate of heaven. The future will tell. Now that you have come, how can you not offer some protection?"

Gao Liangcheng stood up: "In that case, Your Majesty must have had a long journey. Have someone prepare lodging and food for you. Your Majesty, please go and rest for a while, and also settle your many attendants in... Your Majesty, please!"

Gao Liangcheng didn't want to discuss it; he wanted Zhao Gou to go first so that he could have a better chance of getting things done.

Zhao Gou glanced at Duan Heyu, feeling helpless. He was under someone else's roof, in dire straits, asking for help; how could he not endure being slighted? Zhao Gou was the most patient person, so he rose and bowed, saying, "Then I'll trouble you..."

Duan Heyu nodded and even got up to see him off a few steps.

Just as Zhao Gou left, Gao Liangcheng urgently said, "I have also heard that the Emperor of Great Yan has arrived in Guangxi... This Prince Kang fled here after being defeated by the Emperor of Great Yan... If we take him in casually, what if the army of Great Yan marches into Dali?"

Duan Heyu felt there was something wrong with Gao Liangcheng's words... not that the things themselves were wrong, but Gao Liangcheng's motives were wrong...

Gao Liangcheng knew that his youth made it difficult for him to command respect, and he also knew that this was the moment when the Gao family's power was at its weakest...

At this moment, by so vehemently obstructing Dali from taking in the prince of the Song Dynasty, did they not consider that this would become an enmity when the Song Dynasty rises again in the future?
Duan Heyu asked a question: "How many li is it from Guizhou and Wuzhou to here?"

"If we calculate the actual distance, it's around 2,500 li..." Gao Liangcheng replied.

"How could he have come so easily? How many soldiers? How much food?" Duan Heyu asked earnestly. How many years had the Dali Kingdom existed? Nearly two hundred years, how many generations...?

Have we ever faced external threats? Never, only internal troubles.

Gao Liangcheng couldn't answer for the moment, but it's the same principle. The Dali Kingdom wasn't made of clay. Although it was somewhat weakened at the moment, it wouldn't be difficult to muster tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of soldiers...

It's 2,500 li, and there are still many mountain roads. How many Yan troops could possibly come?
Sure enough, Duan Heyu asked again, "Those Yan troops are all Northern troops. How many miles is it from Kaifeng Prefecture to here?"

Gao Liangcheng remained silent...

Duan Heyu immediately retorted, "Even if he comes, how many tens of thousands of soldiers can he send? Ten or twenty thousand? What use are they? A hundred thousand? How can he possibly manage the supply of provisions?"

Duan Heyu's words made a lot of sense, and Gao Liangcheng was at a loss for words for the moment. However, he had a feeling that something was going to go wrong...

After much deliberation, Gao Liangcheng uttered a single sentence: "In my opinion, the Central Plains is not like Dali. Since ancient times, the one with the strongest army in the Central Plains has become emperor. Now, it is clear that the Yan army is strong and powerful. Now that the Great Yan has been established, Dali has not even sent envoys to pay homage to them before. Now, they have even taken in the prince of the former dynasty. If the Great Yan were to firmly sit on the Central Plains in the future, wouldn't Dali have created a powerful enemy?"

Duan Heyu's expression had already changed; he had heard a sentence that seemed to have struck a nerve...

The first sentence that Gao Liangcheng said is: The Central Plains is not comparable to Dali.

So, does this mean that the people of the Central Plains don't have the same noble character as the Gao family, and that they could return the throne to the Duan family after usurping it...?

What does this mean?

Is it about self-proclaiming moral exemplars? Or is it that the Duan family wants to remember the kindness shown to them?
Duan Heyu was inwardly displeased, but he said, "The news about the Central Plains is all recent and has been uncertain. Neither you nor I truly know the situation there. For now, we should observe and wait, and be prepared in all circumstances. Let's keep Prince Kang here for now, and only discuss other matters when we have concrete information..."

Upon hearing this, Gao Liangcheng breathed a sigh of relief: "If that's what the king thinks, then it's not too bad... But shouldn't we also send someone to meet with the Great Yan emperor in Guangxi?"

"Then... you're going?" Duan Heyu asked.

Gao Liangcheng thought for a moment and nodded: "Your subject will go..."

With that, Gao Liangcheng stood up, bowed, and left.

Duan Heyu's expression was slightly displeased. How could the Duan family of Dali possibly escape the clutches of the Gao family?
But then someone else came to pay their respects outside the door. One might assume Zhao Gou had left? He hadn't left; he had been waiting outside for a long time, waiting for Gao Liangcheng to leave before coming to pay his respects again…

He dared not leave. His words were just words; if the Dali Kingdom truly did not keep him, the sky would collapse.

Duan Heyu saw him again and comforted him, saying, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Just settle down in Yangjumei City. In the future, once Shanshan Prefecture has been repaired, you can come with me to Shanshan Prefecture. It is much more prosperous and pleasant than Yangjumei City..."

Shanshan Prefecture is much richer than Yangjumei City. Its land is extremely fertile and can even be called a land of fish and rice.

Zhao Gou was relieved and quickly stood up: "That's good, that's good. Thank you for your kindness today, Your Majesty. I will repay your kindness in the future!"

Yangjumei City is nice, but it's really remote. Shanshan Prefecture is much more convenient in all matters and has better access to information.

Over there, Gao Liangcheng was indeed preparing to go to Guangxi to meet the Emperor of Great Yan. Naturally, he needed to prepare gifts and adopt a tributary posture...

What was Su Wu doing at that moment?
When he finally arrived in Yongzhou, he was still some distance from the border of Dali Kingdom, but he stopped there for a while. Why?

We must meet with all the barbarians. We have spent countless sums of money and provisions to hire them all to come down from the mountains. How can we not see them?
This was a spur-of-the-moment decision, something I came up with halfway through the journey. In the past, I met with various tribes on the grasslands; why can't I meet with the leaders of the barbarians in Yongzhou today?
Su Wu's army halted at Hengshan Village, located in the heart of Yongzhou and formerly a military stronghold of the Song Dynasty, though it had little military strength to speak of...

Hengshan Village is a strategic pass on the main road and also a strategic pass on the river; the surrounding area is inhabited by various barbarian tribes...

Hou Tang Prefecture, Feng Yi Prefecture, Lan Feng Prefecture, En Cheng Prefecture, Wu Long Prefecture... these are all place names established by the Song Dynasty. Within a single prefecture, there are all sorts of mountains and various barbarian tribes...

Some of the great barbarians even have names, such as Hu'e Dong, Lu Dong, Ji Dong, Huo Dong, Ren Dong, Pin Dong...

The reasoning behind this is that the smaller groups of people formed a province, while the larger groups each had their own names. The concept of ethnicity is not yet applicable here...

Su Wu traveled northwest from Xuanhua, the capital of Yongzhou, and waited for the various barbarians at Hengshan Village. He wanted to show off all kinds of cavalry, infantry, and armored vehicles. With 30,000 troops here, it was a huge crowd.

Xuanhua is Nanning. The name Xuanhua means "to spread power and educate." Later, there was another Xuanhua on the northern grasslands and another in the south... the meaning is the same...

Beside Hengshan Village, the surrounding barbarians, both large and small, arrived even faster than Su Wu, having already been waiting for several days. When Su Wu arrived, there were naturally banners like clouds, armor gleaming, and many soldiers already wearing their armor, their steps clattering as they came... Huang Sheng actually arrived two or three days early, and he personally handled all the activities of this alliance meeting.

After Su Wu arrived, he waited a few more days until all the large and small barbarian tribes from afar arrived, totaling about forty to fifty thousand people...

However, the council hall in Hengshan Fortress was too small, so Su Wu specially set up a huge tent outside, which was filled with two or three hundred people.

These barbarian leaders brought varying numbers of people, from a few dozen to two or three hundred, or even four or five hundred...

Their clothing varied; some had embroidery on their faces, others had feathers on their heads, and they wore all sorts of hairstyles and hats...

There were also many interpreters, but fortunately, many Han Chinese in various parts of Yongzhou made a living by trading with these barbarians, and there were quite a few who understood the languages ​​of these barbarians...

Everyone knew that this was His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Yan, a powerful nation in the Central Plains. People of such status had only been heard of before, and had never been seen in all their generations...

In fact, apart from these leaders and a few knowledgeable people, many people in the villages of the various barbarians had never even heard of an emperor in this world...

This shows how isolated this mountain village is...

At this moment, everyone knew that the emperor was going to war, apparently to attack the Dali Kingdom, and had hired them to help with tasks such as transporting goods...

This is a good deal. The copper coins of the Song Dynasty are hard currency; they can be exchanged for anything—grain, iron, cloth, salt, tea…

At this very moment, the Great Yan under Su Wu was still using Song Dynasty copper coins. This was not surprising. Not only Song Dynasty copper coins, but also a small number of Tang Dynasty copper coins were still in circulation. Furthermore, copper coins from various countries during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period were also in circulation, as long as their purity was not poor.

Even during the Ming and Qing dynasties, Song dynasty copper coins were still in circulation—that's absolutely true. Even Tang dynasty copper coins were still used as currency in the Ming dynasty…

Today's gathering was arranged by Su Wu, who spent money to invite everyone to sit down. This wouldn't have been possible without spending money...

Wine and dishes were provided, as well as tea... The emperor of the great nation could not be stingy.

Then, Su Wu spoke: "Since ancient times... all the people of this world have been one family for thousands of years..."

Su Wu had to speak in short sentences and pause, providing a platform for the interpreters, but some of the barbarians were quite strange; they could understand most of what he said without an interpreter…

Su Wu continued, “You may not know this, but in the Central Plains, books from thousands of years ago still exist, copied down generation after generation. Where you came from, where you went, why you went… all have a clear history…”

Su Wu's words were half true and half false. It wasn't that the events were false, but rather that the clear thread of events, much of which is unverifiable, is interconnected if we consider it from a genetic perspective...

When Su Wu began telling stories, he naturally started with tales of Chi You and others, and then he also talked about the Shang and Qiang people...

In short, everyone is originally from the Central Plains!
He also said: "Even brothers will separate their households and fight. Two generations are relatives, three generations become neighbors, and after ten or eight generations, they will be scattered to the four corners of the earth. This is the way of things in the world. Now, I am the emperor, and my intention is to reunite this family and unite them together. In the future, brothers will be even more loving and affectionate. This is my intention..."

A buzzing sound filled the air; all the barbarians, big and small, looked on in astonishment and turned to look at Su Wu…

Su Wu sat at the head of the table, looking extremely majestic. He wore a yellow robe, a dragon emblem on his chest, and a hollowed-out golden crown. His eyes and brows exuded power...

The group sized each other up, saying they were all brothers...

In reality, most people don't look that different from one another; even if there are slight differences, they are not many...

But to say that they were all one family, from the same ancestor, isn't really that convincing...

Su Wu wasn't in a hurry. He simply explained the matter, as it wasn't something that could be resolved in a few words. He wanted to first instill a sense of the issue in these people, and to spread the word, even if it was met with skepticism...

In the future, when education arrives, let the sons and grandsons of these leaders read the classics, and they will naturally become brothers.

Another point is the human tendency to admire the strong. Once these people truly witness the strength of the Great Yan Emperor, they won't need Su Wu to promote it anymore. They themselves will be proud of Su Wu's words today, and they won't be happy if anyone questions them...

This is just a starting point, just the beginning.

So Su Wu didn't dwell on the explanations and got down to business: "This time we're going to Dali, and it's Dali's fault. You are all citizens of our Great Yan. What crime has Dali committed? How dare you harbor traitors? You must be plotting something, hoping to overthrow our Great Yan in the future. We, the Yan army, will fight this battle. You only need to help transport food and supplies. If anyone is willing, they can come and fight too. Ten strings of cash for each enemy soldier's head. It's a good deal!"

Su Wu was very straightforward.

But this one sentence stirred up a thousand waves...

Immediately someone came up and asked, "Ten strings of cash? Is it really ten strings of cash?"

The currency of the Song Dynasty was truly useful; even in many cities around the Mediterranean, it could still be used as money at this very moment. Let alone in Yongzhou…

Clearly, the northwestern part of Yongzhou was extremely poor. Ten strings of cash were a fortune; if you strung them together, they couldn't even count them all…

The constant stream of inquiries was a testament to the many people eagerly watching Su Wu.

Su Wu nodded: "Ten strings of cash, ten strings of cash for each enemy head, but you must obey orders. You must obey orders regarding who you can kill and who you cannot kill!"

Su Wu was actually surprised... clearly surprised that these people were suddenly so agitated... Could it really be because they were poor?

After thinking it over, I realized that poverty was only one aspect; the other aspect was that these people didn't really think killing was a difficult thing.

They saw each other and fought each other countless times. In places where law and civilization could not reach, killing was never a big deal.

Even the smallest thing can lead to murder, cutting off the head and hanging it on a big tree at the village entrance... or skinning the person alive...

This isn't some legend or story...

One is a tribe nestled in the snowy mountains of Northeast China, and the other is a tribe deep in the mountains of Southwest China... Some of these tribes didn't truly leave their primitive state and enter civilization until after liberation...

The phrase "eating raw meat and drinking blood" has actually existed throughout human history, and even after the advent of trains and airplanes, it would still persist for a long time...

Not to mention that at this moment, a large portion of the people Su Wu was facing were indeed in a primitive state of eating raw meat and drinking blood, but they also knew that money could buy a lot of things, because there were always towns and Han people in the mountains and forests...

Of course, there are also some who, although living in the mountains and being self-sufficient, are not so primitive, and are even no different from the Han people, except for their customs...

Su Wu had just learned a little about how to tell them apart: look at their appearance. Some people have tattoos on their faces, while others don't, but that might not be a reliable indicator...

As soon as the crowd began to buzz, Su Wu saw that quite a few people had already stood up and were chattering away.

The interpreter hurriedly added, "He said he has eighty brave warriors who are willing to go and kill..."

"He also said that his warriors were the best at killing..."

"Your Majesty, they are the Hu'e barbarians. Six hundred of them have come. They say they can also kill people and earn these ten strings of cash... They also asked Your Majesty if you can keep your word..."

Su Wu was also surprised. What was going on?

Why do they have to kill people?
This is something I never expected... Why do people like to fight when life is good?

Or is it that wealth truly has the power to move people's hearts?

No wonder the Dali Kingdom, a Buddhist country, couldn't control the various barbarian tribes during its many years of rule here. They rebelled and caused chaos from time to time, and even the Shanshan Prefecture was destroyed by them...

Money? No problem...

Su Wu had plenty of options, so he simply said, "Let them go out and take a look, then come back and we'll continue the discussion..."

What are we going out to see?
It's just a box of money, how could there be none?

Everyone went out of the main tent to see for themselves, and orders were given to bring the boxes over for display...

The young man returned to the main tent the fastest, finding the interpreter who was speaking in gibberish.

The interpreter said, "Your Majesty, he says he has brothers and relatives in the village. Could you please summon them all?"

"How many people are there?" Su Wu asked casually.

The young man excitedly exclaimed, "There are still 180 left, making a total of 270..."

Su Wu smiled slightly: "What's your name?"

“Jerug…”

"Yes, we're setting off tomorrow. Send someone back to fetch us, and we'll catch up ourselves... how about that?" Su Wu answered earnestly, displaying an approachable demeanor.

“Okay, thank you…” The young man glanced at the interpreter…

The interpreter whispered, "Your Majesty..."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Su Wu laughed heartily... Things seemed to be different from what he had expected. The forty-four tributary prefectures and the various barbarian tribes in the southwest didn't seem so difficult to deal with...

Could it really be that easy?

(End of this chapter)