Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 427 A rogue is not fit for a great nation!
Why did their interests suddenly align?

As Zhao Gou then said deceptively, "Your Majesty knows, Su Wu established his prestige in the army through his undefeated record. Su Wu relied on the strength of his cavalry, tens of thousands of whom, clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons, traversed the land with unparalleled skill, causing the armies of the world to dare not contend with him. Su Wu's victories always relied on his cavalry. On my way to Dali, I found the country filled with high mountains and deep rivers, with almost no flat land. His horses are northern horses, and it is impossible for them to be able to traverse the Dali territory. Therefore, Your Majesty need not worry. If Su Wu is wise and self-aware, he is merely bluffing. If Su Wu is arrogant and foolish, and truly leads 30,000 troops into the high mountains and deep rivers of Dali, he will surely suffer a crushing defeat..."

As he spoke, Zhao Gou also went to look at Duan Heyu. He didn't finish his sentence; some things were better left unsaid, things he could only think about and hope for...

For example, if he truly hoped that Su Wu would fight against Dali, then he would be hoping that Su Wu would suffer a crushing defeat. This would be of great significance to Zhao Gou, not just because Su Wu was defeated...

This would shatter the myth of Su Wu's invincibility, and its impact on the hearts and minds of the people and the overall situation of the world would be self-evident.

Duan Heyu nodded in agreement: "Although Dali is a remote country, how can it be an easy country to conquer? Su Wu knew perfectly well that the supply of provisions and provisions for two thousand miles, and the treacherous roads of high mountains and great rivers, even if he only had 30,000 men, let alone 100,000, where would he find the opportunity to deploy his troops? Fighting in Dali is completely different from fighting in the Central Plains. I don't think Su Wu would be so unwise..."

Duan Heyu was unaware of Zhao Gou's ulterior motives. He genuinely believed that Su Wu would not enter Dali with an army of 30,000. Besides the terrain and logistics, there was also the national strength of Dali. Dali was a country capable of supporting 80,000 to 90,000 troops. Dali was not a truly poor and barren place. The military resources accumulated over so many generations were not a joke.

Su Wu, who was able to gain control of the Central Plains, would never do such a foolish thing.

Zhao Gou, having his own thoughts, said again: "However... those like Su Wu are inherently driven by a love of bravery and aggression. Your Majesty should still prepare for the possibility that... in case they become enraged and launch an attack..."

Zhao Gou still hoped for a war to break out, as it would benefit him...

Does this mean Duan Heyu won't benefit from this?
Duan Heyu smiled slightly: "If he really marches in, what's wrong with that? Shanshan Prefecture has already suffered from war and is in ruins. Now, the Gao family's troops are guarding Shanshan Prefecture..."

That's all he said... He won't say any more...

But he also looked at Zhao Gou with a slight smile...

Zhao Gou suddenly realized what was going on; perhaps this ruler was also hoping that Su Wu would advance his troops into Dali…

Although the reasoning and logic were complex, Zhao Gou understood them.

How could the Gao family maintain such power in Dali for so many years? They even frequently kicked the ruler around.

Power has always come from strength. What is strength? It is military strength.

The Gao family has soldiers, land, grain, and money...

However, after the rebellion of the first thirty-seven tribes, the Gao clan is now weakened and its strength greatly reduced. In total, they have no more than ten thousand soldiers...

Duan Heyu would never possibly eliminate the Gao family. They had just rendered great service to the country and suffered heavy losses. If the king were to do such a thing, wouldn't he be morally reprehensible? Furthermore, wouldn't he lose the legitimacy of his throne?

Therefore, if Su Wu were to actually advance, he would certainly have to attack Shanshan Prefecture first.

What about Gao's family?

If the Gao family is willing to fight to the death, then let them fight. After all, Shanshan Prefecture is already a ruin.

If the Gao family were to fight again, regardless of the outcome, they would suffer even greater losses and would never regain their former glory. Wouldn't the decline of the Yang and Dong families then fall on the Gao family as well?

If you ask why Yang Dong declined, it was actually due to internal strife. The Gao family was defeated by the two families, which mainly happened during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song.

Thus, within Dali, there are only small clans, no more large clans, and the Duan clan will rise to prominence!

What if the Gao family defectes?
That's excellent. The Gao family will leave the country from now on and will no longer have a legitimate place in Dali. Even if they add more than 10,000 soldiers to Su Wu, they will not be able to truly break the balance of power...

The route from Shanshan Prefecture to Yangjumei City is filled with towering mountains and deep rivers, many of which are treacherous passes. The fierce battles there have been victories and defeats...

Putting aside the question of victory or defeat, by January or February, the hot season in the south will have arrived. How can northerners endure the miasma in the southern mountains and forests?
If Su Wu had left early, that would have been fine. But if he hadn't left early, when that season came, Su Wu's 30,000 soldiers would likely have been wiped out.

These are all profound truths; not a single word of them is false!
If Su Wu retreats and leaves the Gao family behind, he will immediately go from being a meritorious official of the country to a traitor. Under the guise of morality and righteousness, how can he not fight?
If Su Wu had been defeated, needless to say...

Is Duan Heyu really stupid?
The conflict between Duan Heyu and Gao Shi had reached this point; historically, Gao Shi was even planning to send assassins to kill Duan Heyu...

How could Duan Heyu not take action?
Even without Su Wu, Duan Heyu would still have taken action against the Gao family, such as capturing and exiling them... which would have been a foolish move...

This disastrous move forced the Gao family to stage an assassination attempt, even though they were reluctant to actually engage in armed conflict. The assassination failed, and the assassin was exposed, leading to a major defeat for the Gao family. They also lost their moral high ground, which resulted in Gao Liangcheng accepting the marriage to Duan Heyu's daughter, thus temporarily reconciling the two families…

Otherwise, how could Duan Heyu have managed to maintain the situation and avoid collapse after taking the initiative to suppress the Gao family?
The current situation is one that Duan Heyu is simply following the trend, and it is also based on the principle that it is better to befriend friendly nations than to befriend domestic enemies. Foreign enemies are never as important as domestic enemies.

Just like in the past, Emperor Huizong of Song could disregard the Jurchens and still take action against Su Wu first. It's the same principle, the principle of a monarch!

Anyway, let's get the Gao family under control first, then we'll find a way to deal with things later...

The Central Plains are a place where a long and arduous expedition would be a losing proposition, even if the Central Plains were to become the Great Yan in the future...

As long as Duan Heyu lowers his stance, apologizes when he should, kneels when he should, kowtows when he should, and then finds a scapegoat when he should, he can always ease the tension with the superior country...

Duan Heyu clearly understood the mindset of the superior nation. What the superior nation wanted was face. As long as it was given enough face, why would the superior nation do something that would not be worth the loss?
Moreover, the future doesn't necessarily belong to the Great Yan; if it were the Great Song, then this would be an even greater windfall...

At this moment, how could Duan Heyu and Zhao Gou have conflicting interests?
It was only Gao Liangcheng who suffered, as he was truly waiting for the king to make a wise decision on this matter tomorrow.

He was still in the lodgings arranged for Wu Yong, comforting him: "Scholar, there's really no need for you to be so furious this time. My king is a peaceful and wise man who rarely holds grudges. This time, you've truly angered him..."

Wu Yong's heart tightened upon hearing this. He had no idea what would happen in the struggle between Duan and Gao. He only knew that Duan Heyu was a peaceful person, which made him anxious. He was afraid that even if things got so heated, Duan Heyu would still be able to remain calm, which would be a big problem.

His mission as envoy was crystal clear: to stir up conflict. If he failed, wouldn't he be derelict in his duty? With such a risky undertaking, how could the cost and benefit not be proportional?
Wu Yong replied, "I was also momentarily frightened and angry, fearing... Alas... It's better not to say anything. I only hope that your ruler is broad-minded and will not hold a grudge against me..."

Gao Liangcheng nodded: "I'll advise you myself, the overall situation is the most important thing, and we must persuade the king clearly..."

Gao Liangcheng also had his own agenda, inevitably wanting to demonstrate his abilities and contributions to Wu Yong, and of course, also to Su Wu...

How could he really be without a plan? Smart people always have their own calculations. Although the idea of ​​external assistance isn't quite accurate, Gao Liangcheng certainly has ideas about leveraging external forces.
Otherwise, why would he have left Yangjumei City to go on some diplomatic mission in the past? No one gets up early without a reason; he always has a specific purpose in mind.

By leveraging the power of the superior state of Yan, as long as we make contributions in this matter, the emperor will be pleased and surely reward us with an official position.

Don't underestimate this. Duan Heyu can easily deal with the officials in Dali, but the officials in Great Yan are a different story. To deal with them, he'd have to consider the attitude of the superior state...

Have you not heard that Duan Heyu was also an official of the superior state...?

In this way, Gao Liangcheng also added an extra layer of insurance for himself. What does Gao Liangcheng need most?
It was actually time—time to regroup, to gather more money and supplies, and to replenish the army and armor. All of this took time, and he did his best to stall for time whenever possible.

If things drag on for a year or two, the Gao family, if not at their peak strength, can at least recover to about 70-80%.

Everyone had their own agenda.

Wu Yong was even more anxious. If this matter succeeds tomorrow, then what's the point of getting a dick?
After pondering for a long time, Wu Yong said to Gao Liangcheng, "Zhao Gou is in the city, and he must be meeting with the king right now, right? Zhao Gou is most... capable of bewitching people, so Young Master Gao must not underestimate him..."

The title "Young Master Gao" is extremely formal here, because Gao Liangcheng is indeed the son of a "Gong" (a high-ranking official).

“I know, I know. When I returned from this mission, I heard that Zhao Gou frequently entered and exited the emperor's chambers. The two must have discussed countless matters…” Gao Liangcheng frowned…

Young people are really overwhelmed. They're not quite at ease handling such a complicated situation and are exhausted.

But then Wu Yong said, "And then there's Cao Cheng. Cao Cheng is a vicious bandit. Taking risks is exactly what he does!"

Wu Yong's words were a genuine reminder. He himself was afraid that Cao Cheng would act recklessly, and he was also afraid that Cao Cheng would act recklessly towards Gao Liangcheng. He wanted to be prepared for any eventuality.

"Scholar, rest assured, although my Gao family has suffered heavy losses this time, we are not to be trifled with by petty people. Everything has been arranged properly, and you have no worries about your safety!"

High volume is extremely serious.

"That's good, that's good..." Wu Yong pretended to be afraid of dying, and said, "Let's go see the king again tomorrow..."

"Alright! Don't worry, everything will go smoothly!" Gao Liangcheng was still comforting Wu Yong, but for some reason, he himself felt uneasy...

Why make such a small thing so complicated?
The reasoning is as simple as it gets: a prince of a fallen kingdom versus a rising power in the Central Plains—what a difficult choice this is.
Why is it so difficult to simply hand over the prince to others?

Such unusual behavior must be suspicious.
What kind of demon was it? Gao Liangcheng had absolutely no idea... and knew nothing about how to solve it, which only made him more worried...

Gao Liangcheng's heart was in his throat, he was so anxious he couldn't let go, but he didn't want Wu Yong to see through him, so he could only take his leave first.

The next morning, Gao Liangcheng arrived early to fetch Wu Yong...

Inside the carriage, Wu Yong observed Gao Liangcheng's complexion and asked, "Young Master, did you not sleep last night?"

Gao Liangcheng was slightly embarrassed: "I really couldn't sleep..."

"Then there must be countless worries; perhaps there's a trap involved?" Wu Yong, once again displaying his cowardly and self-serving demeanor...

Gao Liangcheng waved his hands repeatedly: "I acted out of loyalty and righteousness, prioritizing the nation's interests. I have a clear conscience and will surely succeed!"

This was also Gao Liangcheng's true intention. At least in this matter, this was his true starting point. As a subject, how could he not succeed if he acted with this in mind? He simply went back into Duan Heyu's palace and waited at the meeting place.

Today, when I came again, something seemed amiss; I waited for a long time but the king did not appear.

Wu Yong was extremely anxious, repeatedly saying, "Something's not right. I'm afraid I have to leave. I need to get out of the city right away..."

As he spoke, Wu Yong actually stood up as if to flee...

Gao Liangcheng quickly reached out to pull him back: "No rush, no rush, Scholar, please don't overthink it. Perhaps the King is held up by something..."

"What could be more important than what happened today? Could it be that the executioners are already here to kill me?" Wu Yong looked completely panicked...

Gao Liangcheng had to reassure her: "No, no... Aren't I right here too? Who would kill you? I'll stand in front of you and kill me first if you want to kill me..."

"Are you really afraid to kill me?" Wu Yong asked hastily.

"Absolutely not!" Gao Liangcheng was extremely certain, yet a sudden tightness gripped his heart. Was he truly afraid? This…

"Sigh... It's good that you don't dare. But if that's really the case, you must protect me..." Wu Yong was only afraid of death, yet he subtly hinted at it to everyone...

"Sit, sit down..." Gao Liangcheng invited Wu Yong to sit down, and he himself took a seat, but the longer he waited, the more anxious he became, his heart filled with unease...

For a long time...

Finally, the king arrived. He simply sat down next to Wu Yong in the middle, barely glancing at anyone. He first drank the tea, which had already gone cold, and after one sip, he ordered someone to bring him hot tea...

After several such attempts, they finally went to see Wu Yong.

Wu Yong quickly spoke up: "I wonder if the King has made a decision?"

Duan Heyu said, "My Dali is founded on Buddhism and Confucianism. Buddhism speaks of cause and effect, while Confucianism speaks of righteousness. Speaking of cause and effect, the Song emperor of the past treated Dali well, and his kindness to me personally was even greater..."

At this point, Duan Heyu paused, explaining that it wasn't entirely an excuse; Zhao Ji's bestowal of titles upon him had played a role in Duan Heyu's ability to truly secure his position as ruler in the past...

Duan Heyu continued, “Speaking of righteousness, the prince came here seeking protection, and I initially agreed. I should keep my word. If I were to hand him over now and let him perish, how would the world view my despicable behavior as the ruler of the country? Therefore, I hope the envoy will return and properly explain the reasons to His Majesty the Emperor of Great Yan.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Yong's face turned extremely ugly, but he felt a huge sense of relief. He had been terrified, as he was afraid that Duan Heyu would bring Zhao Gou here by kidnapping him...

Even Wu Yong had just wondered if Duan Heyu's long absence meant he had truly gone to kidnap Zhao Gou. As for the talk of executioners, that was obviously just an excuse…

Fortunately, it wasn't like that. It was very good, and the better it was, the angrier Wu Yong became.

Gao Liangcheng was truly anxious and had already stood up and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, you must not do this! No matter what, you must not put the country under a precarious wall!"

Duan Heyu remained remarkably calm and composed, gently raising his hand to soothe the nation: "You are still young and do not understand the principles involved. What makes a nation stand? Trust is paramount. Trust must be placed with foreign nations, with friends, and with subjects. This is the foundation of a nation! If one breaks a promise, one loses the trust of the entire world, and disaster will surely follow!"

Gao Liangcheng was dumbfounded. Looking at Duan Heyu, he only had one thought in mind: what exactly was going on?

Suddenly, Gao Liangcheng exclaimed excitedly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I have absolutely no intention of seizing power. I am only concerned with the well-being of the nation and its people, and I have no thought whatsoever of personal gain. I implore Your Majesty to prioritize the greater good and not to do anything that would harm the country and its people!"

Gao Liangcheng, in a fit of anger, spoke recklessly in front of Wu Yong, an outsider.

But... he really had no other choice but to bring the matter to the table and clarify things.

We must persuade the king!

Upon hearing this, Duan Heyu suddenly turned his gaze to Gao Liangcheng, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

What did he hear that was?

Isn't that a threat?

Wu Yong immediately stood up, his face full of anger: "Very well, Duan Heyu, remember what I said today. In the future, the mighty army of my Great Yan will surely crush the walls and tiles of your palace. You wait, I will go back and report to you so that you will know that since ancient times, when the emperor is angry, there will be rivers of blood and millions of corpses!"

With that, Wu Yong flicked his sleeve, turned around and left, hurrying away as fast as possible!
This greatly worried Gao Liangcheng. On one hand, he was still trying to persuade the king, and on the other hand, he also needed to go and bring back Wu Yong...

"Hmph! A scoundrel like him is not fit for a great nation!" How could Duan Heyu not have a temper?

Gao Liangcheng paced back and forth twice, first speaking to the king: "Your Majesty, you must not do this! Dali has just suffered from continuous warfare; if we were to suffer further bloodshed, how many lives would be lost..."

Duan Heyu remained silent, and even ignored Gao Liangcheng.

Gao Liangcheng turned to look at Wu Yong's retreating figure. Wu Yong was running further and further away. After hesitating for a moment, he quickly got up to chase after him, leaving a message for the king: "Your Majesty must not make a mistake..."

Is this what a subject would say?

We can't worry about that now. We have to get Wu Yong back and keep him in check first. Otherwise, it will be too late no matter how hard we try.

Wu Yong ran faster and faster, not wanting to give anyone a chance to back out. He didn't even sit in the carriage anymore and hurried back to his residence. Armored guards followed him. If his horse hadn't been still at his residence, he wouldn't have wanted to go back at all. He just wanted to leave the city as fast as he could.

Gao Liangcheng was chasing after them, and he followed Wu Yong all the way to his residence.

He was confident he could catch up, so he grabbed Wu Yong's arm and said repeatedly, "Scholar, please calm down, please calm down... The king is probably just angry. He will calm down in a day or two, and Zhao Gou will send him to the border himself!"

"Don't pull me! If I don't leave now, I'll surely die. Even if I'm only half a step slower, I won't live to see the Emperor!" Wu Yong shook him off and hurried away...

Gao Liangcheng wasn't really trying to pull or drag her; she just followed along, talking incessantly: "Perhaps the king has been somewhat bewitched. I'll explain things to him in detail, and he'll surely be alright..."

"You'd better send someone to escort me away quickly... I can go back and tell His Majesty that the King of Dali is reckless and rude, but Young Master Gao is wise. That way, we can still leave you and Dali a way to negotiate in the future... If I really die halfway, and no one reports this to the Emperor, then there will be no possibility of negotiation in the future... Only a fight to the death will be possible!"

Wu Yong possesses both wisdom and understanding of human nature.

These words surprised Gao Liangcheng. He knew that what he said made a lot of sense, but he still said, "If this matter can be resolved well, wouldn't that be a great achievement for the scholar?"

He clearly knew what Wu Yong wanted...

Wu Yong retorted, "What merit do dead people need?"

Hearing this, Gao Liangcheng felt helpless. He could only sense that Wu Yong was walking faster and faster, so he subconsciously pulled hard and actually brought Wu Yong to a stop on the spot...

Wu Yong retorted angrily, "What? Do you really want me dead? Or are you going to capture and detain me?"

Gao Liangcheng quickly let go: "No, no... that's not what I meant, I was just in a hurry..."

"Alright, now that you've let go, I'll run away quickly. You must send someone to escort me; you absolutely cannot let me die... that way, perhaps fewer people will die in the future..."

Wu Yong spoke earnestly this time, and even patted Gao Liangcheng on the shoulder. How could this not be a sign of his sincere feelings?

"Sigh..." Gao Liangcheng sighed helplessly. He looked left and right again. He couldn't stop the Great Yan envoy. What should he do?
Then we must turn back immediately and persuade the king right away. Only then might we be able to catch up with Wu Yong...

"Don't worry, scholar, I have soldiers to escort you. You may walk slowly, and the King will soon change his mind..." Gao Liangcheng said no more, bowed, and hurried on to see the King again.

Seeing Gao Liangcheng turn and run away, Wu Yong sighed, "He's a good man..."

With that, Wu Yong took off running. "Walk slowly?"
Unfortunately, he couldn't fly. If he could, Wu Yong would probably have flown away on the spot, as even flying would have been too slow!

Wu Yong was certain that Duan Gao would definitely turn against him!

I only hope that Gao Liangcheng survives; otherwise, it would be such a pity to lose such a promising young man...

He returned to his lodgings and rode out of the city at full speed. He planned to wait outside the city for a while, as the Gao family soldiers would come to escort him. In fact, Wu Yong was not very worried. As long as he rode a hundred miles or so to the east, he would be able to shake off these Gao family soldiers. They were slow...

How could Wu Yong's residence not have spies around him?
The informant, seeing Wu Yong lead his men away on horseback at full speed, was overjoyed and hurried back to report...

Not long after, at Zhao Gou's residence, Cao Cheng was overjoyed: "Your Highness, Wu Yong has escaped! Haha... the mission is accomplished!"

"Really?" Zhao Gou was overjoyed.

"Absolutely true!"

"It's done, it's done..." Zhao Gou, excited, rubbed his hands together, pacing back and forth, and added, "Prepare the carriage again, let's go see the Duan family ruler! We must make them really fight..."

Meanwhile, Su Wu, a thousand miles away, was also all ready...

It seems that everyone else has succeeded in their plans, except for the passionate young man Gao Liangcheng, who has suffered a complete defeat!
(End of this chapter)