Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 98 A hero among men!
"The Qingzhou incident is over. The bandits are gone. The bandits are all gone. I have been into the mountains several times recently and have only found one or two bandits. Now all the bandits in Qingzhou have been killed. The mission is complete. Please return to Dongping Prefecture!"

Su Wu spoke loudly in the Qingzhou government office.

Among those present were prefects, judges, magistrates, several county magistrates, military commanders and military supervisors.

Everyone was in high spirits, bowing and congratulating each other, and also coming to thank and congratulate Su Wu.

The prefect's husband, Murong Yanda, was all smiles. "Thank you for your hard work, Su Dujian. Now that all the big thieves are gone, the thieves in the prefecture are gone. Even if there are still a few small thieves, Qin Zongguan and Huang Dujian will not be a problem. Thank you Su Dujian for coming from afar to help, and thank you Dongping Prefecture Prefect Cheng for being so righteous."

Qin Ming said, "Superintendent Su is leaving tomorrow. The prefect will prepare a big banquet tonight to see him off."

Su Wu bowed and said, "Thank you, Mr. Prefect, and thank you to all my colleagues in Qingzhou. Without your support, how could we have won today's great victory?"

Nothing, just money.

The first time he asked for 100,000 strings of coins, the second time he asked for 30,000 strings of coins, and later he gave him 20,000 strings of coins and 10,000 strings of coins a few times.

All in all, there were 180,000 strings of cash, including a lot of food and fodder, which was difficult to count. There were even gifts given to Su Wu personally, which were also very valuable.

Murong Yanda has said it several times, saying that he will give more when the bandits are completely wiped out.

请！
Murong Yanda nodded, looked around, and smiled: "I have said before that there will be a big reward when the bandits are defeated. How can I break my promise? I will definitely deliver it before we set out early tomorrow morning."

Don’t mention the specific number.

Su Wu's heart tightened. This matter seemed a little uncertain. It was no longer the time to ask others for help as before.

In the end, maybe it will just be a dismissal. There is nothing we can do about it. Just dismiss it...

It is meaningless to complain here, and it will look ugly. Go back and complain to Cheng Wanli.

"Please take your seat!" Murong Yanda felt somewhat guilty, so he changed the subject and started eating and drinking first.

There is a grand banquet in Qingzhou today.

Many people came, not to mention the officials, but also many local wealthy families, gentry and celebrities...

Qingzhou is actually a good place, with many talented people and beautiful scenery.

After Su Wu sat down at the table, he looked around and noticed something strange: a couple was sitting at the table above, with their seats facing Su Wu.

The couple seemed to be in their thirties or forties. Although they were a little older, the man was handsome and the woman was pretty, and they had good temperament.

All I could see was Murong Yanda frequently communicating with the two of them, with a smile on his face.

Su Wu listened attentively, and heard Murong Yanda say, "Congratulations, Brother Zhao, your injustice has been cleared and you will be given an important position again!"

Su Wu was shocked. The man's surname was Zhao and he seemed to have no official position in Qingzhou. Could he be Zhao Mingcheng?

Su Wu had already stood up and walked forward, but he did not look at the man surnamed Zhao first, but at the woman first.

I really couldn't help but look her up and down. This woman had a graceful appearance and a thin figure, but there were no wrinkles between her brows. Her face was white with a rosy glow, her nose was straight, her mouth was small, her eyebrows were curved like willow leaves, and her eyes were bright and lively.

He looks quite heroic, and he is not shy at all when meeting people face to face.

I heard her speak openly: "Prefect Murong has the news quickly..."

Murong Yanda himself went to see the woman, and he also had some respect for her, and he also smiled: "Mr. Li, you don't know that I've been worried about the bandits recently, and I've been writing letters to Tokyo every day, and I just happened to find a few words in the letters."

Mr. Li nodded when he heard this. He saw Su Wu approaching and looking at him, so he looked over as well. Even if he didn't know who this strong man was, he could guess who he was. He immediately asked, "Is this Su Dujian who wiped out all the bandits in Qingzhou this time?"

Su Wu immediately bowed. It was her. It was definitely her!
"Hello, Mr. Li." Su Wu didn't show it on his face, but he was actually very excited.

In person, Li Qingzhao, the most talented woman of all time!
Just look at Li Qingzhao's gentle bow in return.

Murong Yanda turned around and laughed, "Mr. Li, you have good eyesight. It is Su Dujian who is helping me to suppress the bandits in Qingzhou."

Then he said to Su Wu: "Su Dujian, I don't know you. This person is Mr. Zhao Defu. There is no need to say more about this lady. Who in the Song Dynasty doesn't know her name?"

"Greetings, Prime Minister Zhao..." Su Wu bowed again, feeling a surge of excitement in his heart.

Zhao Mingcheng also stood up and bowed: "Thank you very much for your bravery in suppressing the bandits. I also heard that Su Dujian bravely led the charge and was hit by two arrows. In the past, I was convicted and lived in seclusion here, not being able to see anyone. Today, I am finally able to go out."

Murong Yanda immediately explained: "In the past, during the party struggle, the old Prime Minister Zhao has passed away, but he was somehow involved in it, and it was because of this that Prime Minister Zhao was convicted, lost his position and returned to live in seclusion. Now that his injustice has finally been cleared, Prime Minister Zhao has been reinstated and will go to Laizhou to take up his post soon."

"Congratulations!" Su Wu understood and said something politely.

Zhao Mingcheng's father, Zhao Tingzhi, was not a minor official either, but the prime minister. He had competed with Cai Jing, but failed and was overthrown. After his death, Cai Jing came to settle accounts, and his son was implicated. For ten years, he has been living in his hometown of Qingzhou with Li Qingzhao.

He has just been rehabilitated and is about to be reinstated. He is going to Laizhou to serve as the chief officer. Laizhou is also in Shandong, so it is actually not very far away.

Zhao Mingcheng smiled and shook his head, saying, "As scholars, if the court is willing to employ us, we should do our best. If the court abandons us, we can still be happy."

Li Qingzhao, who was standing beside him, also looked at Su Wu and said, "What a good general he is! Please invite Su Wu!"

Please what?
Please have some wine, Li Qingzhao has already raised her glass.

Su Wu was still a little nervous for some reason, and quickly turned back to get the wine glass from his table, saying, "Master Li, please!"

How could I not drink it all in one gulp?

Normally, women from the family were not allowed to sit at the table, but Li Qingzhao was allowed to do so.

Logically speaking, even if a woman is at the table, how can she invite others to drink like this?

But Li Qingzhao can do it!

Zhao Mingcheng and Murong Yanda, who were standing by, seemed to be used to it, and even had smiles on their faces, without any unhappiness at all.

I just want to ask, who in the world today doesn't know you? Where is "Yi An's Ci" not sung?
Even if the emperor came, Li Qingzhao could drink the wine in one gulp.

Li Qingzhao was also heard saying with a smile: "If there are thieves in Laizhou tomorrow, Su Dujian should also rush hundreds of miles to help like he did now."

Scene people!
Zhao Mingcheng, who was standing by, nodded repeatedly when he heard this: "That's right, madam, you are absolutely right."

Su Wu also laughed: "Peace is the best in the world. If I could really be of use to you someday, why wouldn't I fly hundreds of miles to come here?"

Li Qingzhao raised her cup and said, "Emperor Su, please have another one!"

Su Wu hurriedly poured the wine and exclaimed in his heart: Awesome, awesome, Master Yi An is awesome.

No wonder Li Qingzhao could write such a poem to scold her husband Zhao Mingcheng.

He just said: Live as a hero, die as a ghost hero. I still miss Xiang Yu, who refused to cross the Yangtze River.

Mr. Li is a hero among men!
Li Qingzhao's family background was extraordinary. Her father was a scholar of Su Shi's school. Su Shi was a great man in the literary world, a doctor of the Imperial College, and even one of the opinion leaders at that time.

But this did not prevent Li Qingzhao from criticizing her master Su Shi, saying that Su Shi's lyrics were "poems that could not be bound by the music and whose sentences could not be repaired."

It is truly admirable for a woman in the Song Dynasty to live like Li Qingzhao.

Su Wu drank the whole bottle, but he still felt unsatisfied. He just poured more wine and found something to say, praising: "I have heard that Mr. Li is very talented. I don't know how many of his poems and songs he has heard. Every time I listen to them, I am fascinated. I toast to Mr. Li again."

"Huh? Have you heard my lyrics and music? Please!" Li Qingzhao was also surprised that a warrior would listen to such elegant music and be fascinated by it, but she was also generous and just drank it.

Su Wu only replied: "I don't know how much I can recite!"

It’s so difficult to memorize!

Even Murong Yanda and Zhao Mingcheng were stunned by these words. Could such a strong warrior who led the troops by example really be elegant?
Murong Yanda turned around and raised his hand: "Come on, join the music class."

How can there be no music troupe between you, my lord?
A group of women came in with graceful lotus steps, playing zither, pipa, erhu, huqin, flute, xiao and shakuhachi, a whole group of people.

Murong Yanda really knows how to enjoy life. Cheng Wanli can’t compare to him. It seems that there is a gap in their strength.

"Sing Yi An's poems." Murong Yanda waved his hand.

This was the first time Su Wu attended such a banquet, but he had taken it as a habit and wondered how many times he would attend it in the future.

The song is: Last night the rain was light and the wind was strong, I couldn’t sleep off the hangover, I asked the person who rolled up the curtains, but he said the crabapple tree was still the same…

The melody is gentle and very pleasant to the ear.

It’s good, it’s really good, the Song Dynasty is really good.

If you don't want to think about those sorrows, it's really not bad to live in this era.

What a treat! Su Wu was able to enjoy such elegance.

Seeing Su Wu enjoying himself, Li Qingzhao asked with a smile after the song was over: "Does Su Dujian really know how to write lyrics and music?"

These words...

Su Wu was scared: "It's just pretentious."

"Haha..." Li Qingzhao was truly different from other women. She could actually laugh heartily. She then said, "Is it because I am here that the eunuch is being modest?"

Just now Su Wu said that he didn’t know how much he could recite, but now he says he doesn’t understand?
Today is a farewell banquet, how could Li Qingzhao not give Su Wu a chance?
Li Qingzhao was no longer a young person, and had experienced the ups and downs of life. She had some skills in dealing with people. Even if Su Wu was just pretending to be cultured, as long as he was not really nonsense, she would at least give him some face and say something nice about him.

In the Song Dynasty, writing lyrics was very common. There were many people who could read. Even the Jianghu man Yan Qing could write lyrics. Anyone who could read could write a few songs. Whether they were good or not was another matter. Whether they were elegant or not was another matter. Of course, there were also those erotic lyrics. Erotic lyrics were also a big art. They were very popular in the brothels. Even the Liao people could write those erotic lyrics. They were both erotic and elegant. This person's surname was Xiao, and she was also a queen.

Of course, today is not the day for sex.

When Su Wu heard what Li Qingzhao said, his heart tightened. How could I know this?
Even if you want to copy, copy...

But... I don’t know how much I can recite.

Su Wu looked at Li Qingzhao's smiling eyes, looked at the curiosity on Murong Yanda's face, and looked at Zhao Mingcheng with some anticipation.

"Mr. Li is so hospitable that I dare not show my ugliness to you," Su Wu said.

Li Qingzhao understood: "How can this be a show of ugliness? Please, Su Dujian!"

Actually, no one was waiting to see him make a fool of himself. It was all about appearances and people. Su Wu waved his hand and said, "Since Mr. Li is in front of me, I can only make a fool of myself. Please give me paper and pen."

Su Wu was not trying to show off, it was really Li Qingzhao's straightforwardness that made him feel comfortable. Su Wu was also very excited as if he had really seen Li Qingzhao.

Who wouldn’t be excited if it were someone else?
The pen and ink are coming, and everyone is waiting.

Most people want to see something new, to see a warrior writing lyrics and see what he can come up with. Of course, it's not something to make fun of, but it's still fun.

Just come and write.

After writing it, Su Wu ignored everyone else and just sent it to Li Qingzhao.

Li Qingzhao lowered her head and looked.

It is hard to comment on the quality of Su Wu's calligraphy. It is just at the level of an ordinary official. It can't be said to be good, but it can't be said to be really ugly either.

Let’s look at the words again…

At first glance, it seems like this: The old general returned from drinking at night, and took off the carved saddle at the Changting. I hate the drunken lieutenant in Ba Ling, who was in a hurry and didn't recognize me, and the peach and plum trees were speechless. A horse crossed the Shehu Mountain, and the sound of the string cracked the rocks. The downtrodden marquis, the old man in the fields at the end of the year.

Li Qingzhao raised her head and asked, "Are you talking about Li Guang?"

Su Wu nodded expectantly: "That's right."

Li Qingzhao lowered her head and looked again: Who would go to Sangma Duqu, and ask for a short coat and a horse, and move to Nanshan? Look at the romantic and generous, talking and laughing through the remaining years. The Han Dynasty opened up the frontier, and its achievements were thousands of miles away. Even at that time, the strong men had no time. Outside the screen window, the wind was blowing and the rain was drizzling, and there was a slight chill.

When responding to events and expressing one's feelings, a warrior needs a place to use his skills and also needs to pursue a future. This is how it should be.

Li Qingzhao looked up again and said nothing good. She only said, "This song, 'Eight Sounds of Ganzhou', is a poem with Su Shi's style and uncensored sentences! It's really shocking!"

"Ah?" Su Wu was stunned. Whose style is this? Su Shi's style?

Is this evaluation high or low? It shouldn't be low, right? Xin Qiji shouldn't be low, right?
Murong Yanda and Zhao Mingcheng were both surprised when they heard this, and they looked at each other. Zhao Mingcheng took the poem and they both read it together.

There were not many words. After Chu Yi finished reading them, the two looked at each other and were even more shocked. Could it be that this warrior who led the troops in front of others was really talented?
Although it is not the kind of graceful and elegant words, it also has a kind of martial spirit. The rhyme is extraordinary, and the choice of words and sentences is unexpected. It responds to the events and expresses the feelings. It is truly a masterpiece.

Murong Yanda's eyes changed immediately, and he immediately turned around and raised his cup towards Su Wu: "Su Dujian, please drink this cup!"

In the past, I was really negligent. Not just on the surface, but in my heart. In the literary circle, there was really a sense of identity.

Su Wu drank a sip and said, "I'm sorry to show my ugliness."

Zhao Mingcheng immediately raised his glass and said, "How can I still show off my ugliness like this? Good words, good words. Madam said that poetry with punctuation is not to be discarded, but Madam usually likes words that match the rhythm. This word is exactly what a man should say! The style of Su Shi is true!"

Su Wu took another sip and looked at Li Qingzhao beside him, who was laughing: "The poem is really good. It won't sound good if the girls sing it with their voices..."

Li Qingzhao really discussed the Tao. Even if this poem was really pleasing to the eye, if it was not a masterpiece, there would be no question of discussing the Tao on the spot.

Poems without well-written sentences and punctuation were a concept created by Li Qingzhao herself, and a comment on a type of bold and unrestrained ci poetry. She said that type of ci poetry, although it had rhymes, when read or sung, it sounded like verses of varying lengths, and lacked the charm of singing lyrics.

What cannot be bound in the song is that when singing with the tune of the ci form, it does not sound good and deviates from the flavor of the original song.

Li Qingzhao's master Su Shi is a representative figure of this type of poetry.

At this moment, the word Su Wu is being used to talk about.

Su Wu was just stunned when he heard this. Zhao Mingcheng came to talk to Li Qingzhao and said with a smile: "Madam, why do you have to be like this... Today, Su Dujian is really extraordinary. We all neglected him in the past. Su Dujian is a great talent. Today, he has made a great splash and made us look at him with new eyes."

Su Wu felt embarrassed. He was really too excited to see Li Qingzhao today. He had never really thought about joining the literary circle. In fact, he knew he couldn't get in.

This is not just a matter of a few poems, nor is it a matter of writing some long articles. It is a matter of the entire mentality and thinking, and even the way of behavior and conduct. Su Wu is bound to be out of tune with it.

Su Wu only said: "It's just a pretense."

To be honest, he really can't do this.

Zhao Mingcheng smiled and said, "In the past ten years, I have lived in seclusion in my hometown. Usually, I would drink tea and discuss philosophy with my friends. From time to time, I would compose a few songs to comfort myself. Over the years, I have compiled a collection of my friends. Can Su Dujian's poem be included in the collection?"

Is there such a thing?
Su Wu just nodded: "Okay, okay."

What is a collection? A collection of lyrics, compiled by Zhao Mingcheng and his many friends. Once the collection was completed, it would naturally need to be copied or printed.

In this way, it will spread and be sung all over the world.

What kind of treatment is this?
Zhao Mingcheng also said: "If Su Dujian has any more masterpieces, you can send them to me."

"It's just this one song, nothing more. Please don't blame me, Prime Minister Zhao." Su Wu didn't want to do this and didn't force his way in.

Zhao Mingcheng laughed when he heard this: "Since he has already taken action like this, how can there be nothing? There must be more!"

Murong Yanda also said: "Su Dujian may be modest, or he may be guilty, it doesn't matter, since he has such talent, how can he be buried?"

There really is no more, not even a drop left. If he is just reciting nonsense, he will be exposed sooner or later. Su Wu just shook his head and interrupted: "My two lords, have some wine..."

Zhao Mingcheng just raised his cup and said, "Supervisor Su has returned to Dongping Prefecture. Don't forget about it."

Su Wu smiled and said nothing, thinking only that he would forget about it when he got back.

Just looking at Su Wu's seat, Lu Da, Lin Chong, Yang Zhi and others, who were originally sitting there cautiously, were now stunned.

What’s going on, brother?
Brother, what is this operation?

Then Li Qingzhao said, "Wouldn't it be perfect if Su Dujian was transferred to Laizhou to serve as Dujian?"

Su Wu waved his hands repeatedly: "There is a big bandit in Dongping Prefecture, and Mr. Cheng is also very worried and is waiting to go back to clear it out."

Mr. Li, please don't ruin my plans! You can admire me, but you can't ruin my future and my money. My husband Cheng is a very good man. I miss him so much that I have to go back quickly.

Li Qingzhao laughed and waved her hand: "Just joking..."

Su Wu only thought in his heart, scare me!
Just looking at Mr. Li, he really does have a cunning look on his face.

Murong Yanda smiled and said, "I also want to transfer Su Dujian to Qingzhou, but I can't take away the great talent under Prefect Cheng."

Zhao Mingcheng said, "Su Dujian, my wife likes to joke around most, don't take it seriously."

Just look at Zhao Mingcheng visiting Li Qingzhao, and you can see their face full of affection.

Murong Yanda waved his hand and said, "Come and sing this song 'Eight Sounds of Ganzhou' and see if it matches the rhythm."

Everyone was waiting for the song to start, and seeing the level of the singer, the music started. It was really not abrupt. "Eight Sounds of Ganzhou" was originally a Tang Dynasty song with a sense of desolation, which suited the song. However, the voice of the young lady from the Song Dynasty made it less desolate and more graceful.

At this moment, a man walked in from outside the door. He was wearing green official clothes and was probably in his fifties or sixties. His hair and beard were all white. He was very thin, with slightly protruding cheekbones, but his steps were steady and he looked extremely capable.

The man walked to the front and asked, "Which one of you is Mr. Zhao?"

Zhao Mingcheng nodded as well: "I am, who are you?"

The old man stepped forward and bowed again: "I am Zong Ze, the magistrate of Ye County. The official document from the court has arrived. My colleagues recommended me to come and welcome Prime Minister Zhao to take up his post. I came to Qingzhou to ask for information and suddenly came here to pay my respects."

Laizhou is close to Qingzhou, only about 300 miles away, and can be reached in two or three days by car. In that era, this distance was not considered a long distance.

Zhao Mingcheng immediately smiled and said, "Thank you all for your kindness. We will set off tomorrow. Elder Magistrate Zong, please take a seat."

Su Wu, who was standing by, was also looking at this capable-looking old man, but when he heard the name, he was stunned.

Zong Ze?

Is that Zong Ze?

In history, when the Jin army marched south and everyone in the world fled, Zong Ze, as a minor official, organized an army of volunteers and fought hard against the Jin army. He won victory after victory and stood out in one fell swoop.

Later, he was directly promoted to the deputy marshal of the army. Although he was in his forties, he repeatedly fought against the Jin army and won great victories from time to time.

Even when Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong were captured, he still tried his best to rescue them. Even when Zhao Gou ascended the throne, he still strongly advocated war.

During those years, Zong Ze really led his troops to attack and fight everywhere. He was a rare tough guy in the era of communication between the Northern Song Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty, and he was also one of the few people who could fight.

Su Wu just kept looking at Zong Ze in front of him. Is it him? It turned out that at this moment, he was the magistrate of Ye County, Laizhou!

What we see today is that in the same era, there is a heroic woman and a heroic man. It is fortunate.

Su Wu immediately thought that he had to get Zong Ze!
(Brothers, actually the scenes in the text are slightly different from the historical time. For example, Zong Ze and Zhao Mingcheng actually missed each other. There was a sequence, Zong Ze first and Zhao Mingcheng later. Logically, Zong Ze should have been transferred from Laizhou to Dengzhou at this time, which is not far away. The timeline of Water Margin itself is not very clear, so I arranged the characters and plots in this way, and slightly exaggerated them, just to make it more exciting and avoid criticism. But the characters and events are confirmed by historical facts and have never been false.)
(End of this chapter)