Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 433 What is that?
Protector Yang of Weichu Prefecture has indeed arrived. He arrived the fastest, setting up camp far away to the west of Shanchan Prefecture. He didn't just set up one camp, but rather a series of camps that gradually expanded from afar...

There's a trick to this. He had few troops at the moment and was afraid of a surprise attack by Su Wu, so he set up camps all the way here, one every ten miles. None of them were large camps. These were actually defensive positions, or bridgeheads for advancing...

They didn't truly set up a large stockade until they were about five or six miles away...

Su Wu did not go to cause trouble, for fear of frightening the people and driving them away, which would cause a lot of trouble later. After all, both Weichu Prefecture and Yangjumei City were fortified cities...

At this critical moment, we must achieve our goal in one decisive battle; we must not frighten people prematurely.

Inside Su Wu's camp, when the soldiers learned that the enemy army had also arrived, they knew that a great battle was about to begin. Many of them were overjoyed. Finally, they were going to fight. After traveling for so long and covering thousands of miles, they were finally going to make it worthwhile...

Money, a reward!

Countless respectable families in Jingdong have become wealthy. The city of Dongping has been expanded, and the extra mansions are in high demand. Outside the city, in the villages, countless families are building grand houses...

Following the emperor out, they prayed for the day they could return home and experience that same scene themselves.

Life is full of difficulties, but the most unacceptable thing is living a miserable and pathetic life...

The wait was agonizing, but the battle was finally about to begin. Countless warriors were eager to fight, and the leather straps on their armor were tightened as if afraid they would come loose on the day of battle…

The blades on both sides of the spear had been sharpened again and again, for fear that they might not be able to pierce through the enemy's armor.

Replace all the bowstrings and crossbow strings with new ones immediately. There are plenty at the supply depot. Hurry up and change them before the strings snap at the last minute...

The arrows were counted again and again; each one was pulled out and examined vertically against the lower eyelid. If any seemed even slightly crooked, they were immediately replaced…

All the leather belts, buckles, the cords binding the spear, and the cords binding the knife handle were untied and then tightened again...

Examine the soles of the boots, and add a few more stitches...

The horses need extra feed, and we also need to take them for a walk...

"Has the grenade throwing battalion been checked again?" Su Wu personally went to the grenade throwing battalion, which was the battalion of five hundred grenade throwers.

Is the large bamboo basket sturdy? Are the hand-thrown grenades damp? Are the torches made of a mixture of various greases sufficient?

Inspections were being carried out everywhere in the camp, and the emperor followed along, though he didn't really look or ask many questions. It was just for show; he couldn't possibly inspect every single detail. He was simply expressing an attitude...

Su Wu hoped that this rigorous attitude would be maintained in the army and passed down from generation to generation.

That's about enough. The emperor mounted his horse and rode off to the next camp...

The Yan army hadn't made any moves yet, but unexpectedly, a cavalry unit of two or three hundred men from the Dali army in the west began to approach and investigate...

Wu Song said to Su Wu, "Brother, I'll go and give them a taste of their own medicine!"

Su Wu raised his hand to stop them: "No need, let them come and go as they please... so that the enemy will become even more arrogant..."

"Yes, brother is right!" Wu Song is no longer the reckless man he once was. He understands the current situation, all the plans, and all the reasons behind them.

He also said, "Show weakness to the enemy, so that they won't even have time to react!"

"Gao Liangcheng described the details of the various tribes of Dali. This army is from Weichu Prefecture, under the command of Yang Hu. The thirty-seven tribes of barbarians who rebelled at the front are also part of the army participating in the war. Some of them are elite and their combat strength is quite good. Yang Hu is also a brave and fierce man. As for those from Yangjumei City, most of them have never actually seen battle..."

Su Wu said it casually...

"Yes, I understand. It seems that Yang Hu will be in the central army. I will lead the infantry to fight head-on, while you will lead the cavalry to attack the flanks..."

Wu Song answered, knowing that his elder brother was always like this, always eager to lead cavalry into battle.

Unexpectedly, Su Wu suddenly said, "This time, I will not charge into battle..."

"Huh?" Wu Song was very surprised.

Su Wu reined in his horse, his expression becoming more serious, and turned to Wu Song, saying, "From now on, I will no longer personally charge into battle!"

Wu Song was stunned at first, then overjoyed: "Brother, you've finally figured it out? Where is there any such thing as the emperor personally charging into battle? Many people want to talk about this, but they don't dare to. They asked me to talk about it in private. I wanted to, but I didn't know how to start. I just thought that you like things like charging into battle, and I was afraid of upsetting you. Hehe... It's good that you've figured it out yourself!"

Su Wu laughed, “No one truly enjoys putting themselves in danger, and I am no exception. But in the past, I always felt that in a life-or-death struggle, defeat was absolutely unacceptable. It was like when Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were locked in a stalemate. Yuan Shao held firm in the central army, while Cao Cao had to personally rush day and night to Wuchao… Cao Cao couldn’t afford to lose; a loss would mean utter defeat. How could he not personally lead the charge at the forefront? Many things felt like walking on thin ice. But today, I suddenly feel as if everything is planned. The soldiers are eager to fight bravely. Erlang’s charge is certainly ineffective, and Brother Lu’s command is even more reassuring… Suddenly, everything seems to have relaxed. Even with a great battle ahead, I feel a sense of relief…”

Su Wu spoke from the bottom of his heart; he truly expressed his feelings that he had always kept in mind.

Wu Song sensed it, but didn't comment. He simply said, "Well, brother, just watch. I'll lead the infantry into battle, and Master Lu will lead the cavalry. We'll surely win in one fell swoop!"

"Good, very good!" Su Wu spurred his horse and entered another camp.

He also turned to look at the two or three hundred Dali cavalrymen outside the camp, who, like Su Wu in the past, were running around the camp, looking everywhere.

There's really not much to see. The camps stretch out in a continuous line, and you can't see inside; you can only see the outer ring. What you really need to see is the area where the three or four hundred tents were burned down—it's truly a charred mess...

Yang Hu personally observed the situation and, as Gao Liangcheng had said, these people should not be underestimated.

After surveying the area, Yang Hu rode back, feeling uneasy. He asked his men, "Can any of you see anything amiss in the enemy camp?"

Everyone shook their heads...

Actually, they are all ignorant people. Why do I say that? Because Dali has never had any external threats. For countless generations, people have never seen a foreign army. All the fighting has been internal.

But another person said, "There's nothing wrong with it, except that their tents are arranged very neatly. When we get back, we should also tidy up our own tents..."

Yang Hu was also pondering what exactly felt wrong.
It’s hard to explain…

But if you really want to analyze it, it's actually a matter of aura and temperament, something you can feel but can't quite put your finger on...

Some people were saying, "Our camp is quite well-organized and everything is in order, there's no need for this..."

Then someone else asked, "Master, what's wrong? Tell us, we want to hear it..."

Yang Hu shook his head, clearly unable to explain, but he said, "That Gao family brat actually burned down hundreds of tents; how valiant!"

This was clearly unexpected, because in the past, both Gao Liangcheng and Gao Shouzhen were juniors; just a few years ago, they were still children...

Especially Gao Shouzhen, there's a joke about him, when he was twelve years old, he came back to his front door from outside, pulled down his pants and peed, saying he couldn't hold it in...

This joke made people laugh for a long time...

Turning around, he had actually become someone of importance, which was somewhat surreal for someone of Yang Hu's older generation...

A child who was still wetting and playing in the mud could, in the blink of an eye, lead his family's remaining troops to repeatedly defeat the fierce attacks of a warlord emperor in the Central Plains...

Yang Hu sighed inwardly and looked around. Most of the people around him were family members. In fact, among these people, who could compare to the two boys from the Gao family?

Beyond the sighs, there's also a sense of worry—a worry that these people will one day have to go toe-to-toe with those two kids…

But seeing that Yang Hu was praising the Gao family's son, the men around him also spoke up: "Master, what's so great about this? It was just a successful night raid, burning down some tents. It's nothing special. If I were here, I would have already routed the Yan army by now. I don't think the Yan army is anything special either. They have plenty of horses in their camp, and when we patrolled, we didn't see them come out to fight. They must have been fighting for a long time and their morale is extremely low..."

Someone else chimed in, "Hmm, I don't think it's a big deal. The fire was clearly set too small. If it were a real fire, it would have been set off much faster. The reason it didn't actually spread and burn down the entire camp is because there weren't enough fires set off. Otherwise, how could it have been extinguished? It would have definitely been a massive fire! Gao Liangcheng and Gao Shouzhen missed a golden opportunity!"

Clearly, many of the younger generation present knew the Gao brothers; they were from the same circle.

Yang Hu looked left and right, wanting to get angry, but for a moment he didn't know where to start. He could only sigh and wave his hand: "Enough, enough, all of you, retreat. Take good care of your own troops. Make sure you are well prepared for the battle. Don't slack off!"

"Don't worry!"

"Master, please don't worry, we've taken care of everything!"

"They are all veterans of the battlefield, so please rest assured, patriarch!"

The soldiers bowed and slowly retreated, each one extremely proud. Their words were true; although they were all young and inexperienced, none of them were new to fighting.

The Dali Kingdom had a Spring and Autumn and Warring States period atmosphere, dividing the "world" into fiefdoms and ruling through feudal families. The sons of these families were inevitably nobles of the Spring and Autumn period, and most of these nobles were actually quite capable, at least in terms of ambition...

After everyone had left, Yang Hu felt a vague unease, something he couldn't quite explain. He could only comfort himself by telling himself not to act yet, to wait another day or two until all the armies arrived, and then, with overwhelming superiority, to attack them; victory should not be difficult...

Perhaps Emperor Su Wu of the Great Yan Dynasty wouldn't actually fight; he might just turn around and leave. That would be perfect, as it wouldn't damage relations. In the future, when the king submits a memorial to apologize and acknowledge his submission, it would be easier to negotiate...

A day later, another ten thousand or so arrived, bringing the total number of troops in the camp to thirty thousand. Yang Hu's mind gradually calmed down. There were also imperial edicts from the emperor, praising the army, offering words of encouragement, and distributing money, though not much.

Yang Hu also wrote a letter to Gao Liangcheng in the city. Gao Liangcheng also analyzed the situation and felt that as long as the battle formation was really set up, the Yan army would most likely retreat.

Secondly, he also said that if the Yan army did not retreat, they should form ranks and confront each other. As long as fighting broke out outside the city, he would lead his troops out of the city to attack the Yan army from the flank.

A day later, more than 46,000 soldiers had gathered. Yang Hu did not move, but rested for a day, giving Su Wu a day to decide whether to retreat...

Yang Hu was also hoping that Su Wu would withdraw his troops and leave that night.

But when I looked again early in the morning, the Yan army's camp was still packed full.

Yang Hu couldn't think of anything else. He just kept beating the drums to gather his generals and soldiers, and began to arrange them into battle formations, ready to fight. He wasn't faking it; if Su Wu refused to retreat and abandon his accumulated reputation, then a battle was inevitable...

But then they saw the Dali army in the southwest of the city forming ranks, while the Yan army in the southeast of the city also began to march out of their camp and form ranks.

Judging from the momentum, it seems like a real showdown is about to begin.

To the southwest of the city, there were 46,000 soldiers, all combat soldiers, with about 6,000 or 7,000 in iron armor, and various infantrymen, all arrayed in impressive formations. Inside the camp, there were also several thousand auxiliary soldiers and laborers who had come with them...

From the southeast of the city, 1,500 cavalrymen headed to the left flank, having gone quite a distance.

Thirty thousand infantrymen, in the center, with fewer on the left flank and more on the right...

It was also a precaution, because the right side was the city, and the precaution was against the high volume of people inside the city. It was not a pretense, but a real precaution.

No matter how much he said, Su Wu could never completely trust anyone. What if the Gao family was just using a ruse? What if, in the end, they came out of the city not to fight Yang Hu, but to fight Su Wu?
Therefore, how can we not take precautions?
There are also 30,000 to 40,000 barbarians. More than 20,000 will be reinforced on the right flank, and more than 10,000 will go to the left flank. The central army does not want these barbarians, nor does it expect them to make any great contributions...

The central army was deployed, with Wu Song leading the charge. The entire army was to attack. At the general's platform, in addition to the various commanding soldiers, two hundred horses and one hundred personal guards were left.

If danger arises, Su Wu will descend from the platform, mount his horse, and with a hundred riders, he can charge back and forth without stopping!

Su Wu didn't even sit down, but stood by the platform, looking around.

The battlefield was actually rather cramped and not very open. Looking to the left, you could vaguely see Dianchi Lake, or you could call it "Kunming Sea".

It was still Yang Hu on the opposite side. The drums sounded first, and the infantry in the center and on both flanks began to advance simultaneously.

Su Wu actually had another option: to hold the camp and let Yang Hu fight. However, Su Wu had only 1,500 cavalrymen this time, and even if he held the camp and the enemy retreated, it would be difficult to seize the opportunity for a complete victory.

If a large number of enemies escape and then enter Weixiong City and Yangjumei City, it will be very troublesome.

Only by spreading out in this way and facing each other head-on can there be a chance of a complete victory in a single battle, a battle that will determine the future of Dali.

Su Wu also glanced at the city on the right, a thought running through his mind: Gao Liangcheng, I spent so much money and resources, and schemed so much, only to let you get your revenge so easily. Don't disappoint me!
Su Wu had two hundred horses by the platform to defend against Gao Liangcheng, because he never believed that the Yan army would be defeated in a direct confrontation.

They didn't even believe that Gao Liangcheng's treachery would lead to the defeat of the Yan army.

Su Wu had his eye on Gao Liangcheng.

How could Gao Liangcheng not be overlooking the battle from the highest point of the city tower at this time?

Gao Shouzhen, standing nearby, asked, "Brother, can the Yan army succeed?"

Gao Liangcheng replied, "I don't know..."

He genuinely didn't know, and he had never actually seen the Yan army in battle...

"Brother, what if... what if the Yan army fails?" How could Gao Shouzhen not be worried? The scene before him was the first time Gao Shouzhen had seen anything like it in his twenty years of life.

"The Yan army has many ironclad soldiers!" Gao Liangcheng did not answer the question directly.

"The large number of armored soldiers only indicates the wealth of the Central Plains. However, Yang Hu is leading the Dali army this time, and his forces are not lacking in armor either... What if the Yan army is no match for them?" Gao Shouzhen was actually quite nervous...

Gao Liangcheng remained silent...

But then Gao Shouzhen added, "If the Yan army is defeated, how about... we go out of the city and fight the Yan army ourselves?"

Enraged, Gao Liang uttered a single sentence: "Nonsense!"

"Why not? The Yan army is no match for them, and we can't help them much..." Gao Shouzhen asked, puzzled.

"You... never mind, I'll tell you this, remember it well. In all things, you should think things through in this way, and don't let your cleverness ruin important matters." Gao Liang said earnestly.

"Brother, please speak, I'm listening..."

"If the Yan army wins, there's nothing more to say. The affairs of Dali will be in the hands of my Gao family in the future, and even the ruler will be gone, or... we might even replace the ruler and gain great benefits. If the Yan army is defeated, and we charge out to help them win, the emperor will be even more grateful and value my Gao family, and we will gain even more. If the Yan army seems to be defeated, what benefit will we gain from fighting them? Why did Yang Hu come this time? He came to steal the credit. Even if all of them don't want this great achievement to go to us, and they are all going to win, what merit will we gain from charging out? In the future, the Yang family, the other families, and the ruler will still see us as a thorn in their side, and they will use all sorts of methods against us, leaving us overwhelmed. Tell me, what do you choose?"

Gao Liangcheng asked...

Gao Shouzhen understood and nodded, the reasoning was clear.

But Gao Shouzhen asked, "What if, just in case, the Yan army is defeated, and even if we charge in, we still can't stop the defeat, wouldn't that be..."

Gao Liangcheng waved his hand: "Then let's follow the Emperor of Great Yan to the Central Plains, what's wrong with that? At least once we get there, we won't have to live in this predicament. The Emperor will value our loyalty and righteousness, and I'm sure he'll give us important positions! There will definitely be a time when we can make a comeback. You think the Central Plains is Dali? The Central Plains is vast and has millions of people. There's plenty of money, food, and soldiers. If we can't make it this year, we'll definitely come back next year! By then, we'll definitely be his right and left arms!"

"Brother, I never knew you thought so far ahead!" Gao Shouzhen admired him from the bottom of his heart.

"From now on, you must never say such words again. No matter what you think in your heart, you must never be indecisive. This is a great taboo!"

“Brother, I understand, I’ve remembered it. I… I just can’t bear to leave Dali. After all, our home is here, our clansmen are here… generation after generation have been here…”

"Don't worry, today we will get what we want!" Gao Liangcheng said comfortingly, then took a deep breath.

To the west, the troops of Dali were finally getting closer.

To the east, the sound of drums also rose, and the Yan army began to move.

The two streams of water, overflowing the embankment, like surging tides, began to converge at one point.

Suddenly, the sound of drums grew louder and more urgent from the east.

The drumbeats then began to fall like rain from the west.

Countless footsteps pounded down in an instant, making the heavens and earth tremble. Gao Liangcheng felt even the city walls were shaking!

Gao Liangcheng swallowed hard. He had never actually fought a battle before. The battle against the thirty-seven tribes of barbarians that he fought not long ago was his first time on the battlefield, and he didn't actually charge into battle himself. It was Gao Shouzhen who charged ahead.

Suddenly, they found themselves on this battlefield, a situation where tens of thousands of people were facing off.

Gao Liangcheng felt his thighs trembling for a moment, perhaps because the city wall was shaking, causing his thighs to tremble as well.

Five hundred paces, three hundred paces, two hundred paces, arrows are flying, one hundred paces, twenty paces...

Within ten steps, the battle began.

A violent explosion followed instantly, booming and rumbling...

Gao Liangcheng's still slightly trembling thighs instantly startled him. He stood on tiptoe to look and saw wisps of blue smoke and flames appearing in the crowd. Around the smoke and flames, countless Dali soldiers scattered and fell...

"What is that?" Gao Shouzhen asked, her eyes wide.

Gao Liangcheng was also completely baffled...

But then a roaring sound arose again, continuous and endless, with blue smoke and flames everywhere.

"Gunpowder, I've seen it in books, gunpowder!" Gao Liangcheng remembered.

"Huh? It has such power?" Gao Shouzhen asked, speechless.

"The Yan army must win! The Yan army must win! We can't wait any longer! Beat the drums, open the city gates! All troops, attack!" Gao Liangcheng shouted, his heart pounding with excitement.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'll go, I'll go!" Gao Shouzhen's steps were unsteady for a moment. After going back and forth several times, she aimed at the steps and ran off.

(End of this chapter)