Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 99 What a good general!

Zhao Mingcheng invited Zong Ze to take a seat, but Zong Ze did not do so immediately. Instead, he looked around.

Then, greeting the officials present one by one is also basic etiquette.

Finally, he walked up to Su Wu, looking energetic, and asked, "Are you Su Dujian of Dongping Prefecture?"

"Greetings, old magistrate!" Su Wu bowed.

“Hehe…” Zong Ze smiled first, took two steps closer, and then said, “As soon as I entered Qingzhou, I heard about the story of Su Dujian’s suppression of bandits everywhere. They all said that Su Dujian was brave in suppressing bandits, and even though he was shot by two arrows, he still bravely fought his way to the top. I was fascinated by what I heard, and I was afraid that I would miss the chance to see the Dujian in person. What a honor!”

This old man has been at the grassroots level all his life and has been in the officialdom for more than 20 years, but he has never been a high-ranking official. Later, he was able to become the magistrate of Dengzhou, but he didn't serve for long before retiring and going home.

This old man was very stubborn. When he was young, he took the imperial examinations all the way up to the palace examination. The palace examination was supposed to be a formality, but he refused to do so. He ignored the examination questions and the word limit and wrote over 10,000 words in the palace.

He just complained about many things in the court and the troubles caused by factions. In the end, he got a low rank and then moved around, serving as a minor official for decades.

Su Wu knew that there were two types of people who served as minor officials all their lives.

One type is like Meng Yi from Yanggu County, who does not seek to make achievements but to avoid mistakes, and he holds office and makes money everywhere. He has a clear mind and is smooth in dealing with things.

One type is like Zong Ze, who is extremely upright, stubborn and obstinate, and stubborn all his life. Even if he has outstanding abilities, if there are no major events in the world, his life will be like this.

Su Wu bowed again: "I have heard of the old magistrate's great name. He is upright and upright, and he is resolute and swift in his actions. He is also eager to serve the public and is always well-known wherever he serves. I am so sorry for my disrespect!"

Did Su Wu really hear it? Obviously, he did, although he didn’t hear it in this life.

Zong Ze was stunned when he heard this. He knew what was wrong with him. In the officialdom, most of the time, he was not liked by others.

Why did so many colleagues recommend him to welcome the new prime minister? After all, it was only three hundred miles away, and the round trip was six hundred miles. Zhao Mingcheng's family had long lost power and no longer had any stronghold in the capital. How could he think it was a good job?

He is a hard-working person, has a seniority and a tough temper.

For officials like county magistrates, most of them did not have much of a future. In the Song Dynasty, one term was held every two or three years, and with the special examinations, how many Jinshi passed the examination? How many county magistrates were there in the Song Dynasty?
Most people have only been to Tokyo once in their lives, when taking an exam. Since then, they have just been traveling around and have never been to Tokyo again.

The position of an official like a county magistrate is the most embarrassing. Even if he offends someone, it is unlikely that he will be fired. He can just move to another place and take another position. If he does a good job but has no connections, he can just move to another place and take another position.

Do you think the county magistrate is really afraid of the prefect? ​​Most of them are just perfunctory, unless the prefect is a rare talent, or has a very close relationship with someone...

Therefore, people like Zong Ze are the outliers among the group of county magistrates. They have been the outliers for decades. He is the only one who takes many things seriously and is willing to be a workhorse.

When he is used, people just say that the old magistrate Zong has worked hard. When he is not used, who doesn't say behind his back that he is a stupid and stubborn old man?

How could Zong Ze not know this?

He just doesn't care. He just has his own persistence and beliefs in his heart. He doesn't want to compete with ordinary people. He will live his life like this. It won't be long before he retires and goes home with a clear conscience.

Zong Ze was actually moved by what Su Wu said in person.

"Mr. Su, thank you for your praise..." Zong Ze said with a hint of sigh.

Su Wu only heard the sigh, and then he said: "How can it be an exaggeration? If I have never heard of the old magistrate's name, it would be fine, but now that I have heard of the old magistrate's name, how can I not be fascinated? Old magistrate, please!"

Raise the wine glass.

Zong Ze nodded, looked around, and went to the empty seat to get the wine glass.

Su Wu went there a few steps ahead. Naturally, he was much faster than the old man. He took it back in an instant, filled the glass with wine himself, and handed it to Zong Ze.

Zong Ze took the wine, looked at Su Wu again, and raised his head to see that Zong Ze was a thin, hunchbacked old man of short stature.

If Zong Ze did not wear this official uniform, but a cloth shirt, he would be no different from a weathered old farmer working in the fields.

"Let's drink this cup with Supervisor Su!" Zong Ze drank it all in one gulp.

Just look over there, the gentlemen are coming and going, chatting and laughing, having a great time.

Zong Ze finished a cup of wine and then listened to a song. After all, that group of women were just the background music for the men to toast each other.

The song "Eight Sounds of Ganzhou" composed by Su Wu was just an additional choice of background music.

But Zong Ze really came to listen. As he entered the room, he happened to hear the song sung by Su Wu.

I only said those few words: the downtrodden life of a noble, the old age in the fields... watching the romantic and generous, talking and laughing through the remaining years...

"The lyrics written by Su Dujian are so good... We should extol them again!" Zong Ze went to pour the wine himself. He had come a long way of 300 miles and was exhausted.

After rushing here, I could only say a few words, and the table was also nearby.

The old man knew that he was a small person, a marginal figure at the table, and he did not expect to be surrounded by people and be respected.

"Excuse me, old magistrate. It's just that there is no place for soldiers like me to use our talents. Although we have suppressed a bandit, it is not a great achievement. It is said that Li Guang fought bravely all his life, but it was difficult to be awarded a title..." Su Wu smiled.

I don’t know why, but the two of them just met for the first time and after a few words, they became close friends.

Maybe the two of them are actually just minor figures. It seems that they are seeing Su Wu off today, but is it really so?
Mr. Li gave me some face...

Or maybe it was just the words, looking at the romantic and generous words, it seems that it was today, there were two prefects, a lot of judges, magistrates, and magistrates, and the clerks were even more crowded...

The literati are truly romantic and generous...

The lyrics also say that we can spend the rest of our lives chatting and laughing, and perhaps this is referring to Zong Ze at this moment.

"Have another drink. It helps to quench my thirst after the journey." Zong Ze filled the glass with wine.

"Please!" Su Wu nodded.

I just want to ask why Zong Ze inexplicably wanted to have a few words with Su Wu?
Perhaps it was because Su Wu wrote this poem, or perhaps it was because he heard that Su Wu was hit by two arrows, but still bravely took the lead and defeated the bandits.

People gather in kind, and things are divided into groups.

Everyone has his own temperament and people with similar temperaments. This stubborn old man from another place could not fit in among those people.

I also heard Zong Ze come and ask, "Are you going home tomorrow?"

"Well, the army will set out tomorrow and return to Dongping Prefecture."

"I'm old and I don't sleep much. I'll get up early and take you there." Zong Ze said.

"it is good!"

"You are still young, but your writing is like an old man, with a bit of decadence. This is not right. You have a bright future, unlike me who is nearly sixty years old. If you really have ambitions, you may be able to become a marquis one day."

Zongze smiled...

"My dear husband, do you also say auspicious words on the occasion?" Su Wu asked with a smile.

"You bastard...hahaha...I just heard that you have 2,000 troops under your command. They are very powerful. I want to go and see them before you leave..."

Zong Ze said what he really thought in his heart. He was just interested. He had traveled to many counties but had never seen a real strong army. He wanted to broaden his horizons.

"Okay, I'll go back tonight and polish the old magistrate's armor, wash the horses, sharpen the weapons, and wash the flags and banners. I'll just wait for the old magistrate to come and see it tomorrow morning!"

Su Wu expressed respect, but there are really not many backbones in the Song Dynasty today, very few, and Zong Ze is one of them.

"Hmm?" Zong Ze's face changed. He was just curious to see the strong army, but why did this Su Dutou take it so seriously?

Is this the treatment? Even the emperor's inspection is just like this...

"No need to trouble you..." Zong Ze felt embarrassed and waved his hand.

"How can it be a trouble? In my heart, the old magistrate is worth this!" Su Wu said sincerely.

For a moment... Zong Ze didn't know what to say, felt a little helpless, and still couldn't understand or was confused.

Why... is there really someone who respects me so much?
It was Su Wu who asked, "Does the old magistrate also read some military books?"

Zong Ze was a little embarrassed to laugh when he heard this: "Hehe, I was just looking at it casually, just for fun."

"An old horse in the stable still has a thousand miles to go!" Su Wu also said politely.

Zong Ze waved his hand and said, "There is no such thing as an old horse waiting for the stable. After a few days, I will retire and return home."

This is true. Logically speaking, the time for him to retire and return home is not far away. He also retired in history. But things are unpredictable. Who could have predicted it?
"Alas... I'm old, so old..." Zong Ze went on. He had a Jiangsu and Zhejiang accent, but in fact, he didn't sound fierce or majestic, but rather approachable, and even to northerners, it was quite fun.

"Not old, not old, not old!" Su Wu drank a few more glasses of wine and even spoke in an accent like other people.

The old man laughed and said, "You... you have learned it quite well."

"Just wait for the old magistrate to come early tomorrow!" Su Wu raised his glass and toasted again.

Zong Ze drank it all in one gulp, and asked with a smile, not hiding his accent: "Have you tried Qiantang's old wine?"

"I've never tasted it..." Su Wu was really good at learning and could understand.

"I don't know when we can meet again..." Zong Ze sighed again, but he couldn't bring himself to ask Su Wu to taste the Qiantang old wine. In this era, separation often lasts a lifetime.

"Maybe soon." Su Wu answered seriously. The old man had no connections, but he now has some connections. Maybe he can think of a solution.

"Hehe...have a drink." Zong Ze just nodded and didn't take it seriously.

Su Wu himself didn't dare to take it seriously. He could only say that he could think of a solution, but it might not succeed.

It would be best to transfer Zong Ze to Dongping Prefecture to serve as a judge. This matter depends on Cheng Wanli.

Cheng Wanli is actually not doing a good job at work in the yamen, and he is in need of a good assistant. This depends on how he can fool people.

The two chatted slowly until the banquet was over. Su Wu left the city and went to the camp, while Zong Ze went to stay at the post house.

When he returned to the camp, the first thing he did was to give orders to wash the flags, brush the horses, clean the armor, and sharpen the weapons. Although the soldiers might not understand why these things were done in the middle of the night, once Su Wu issued the order, there would be no doubts, and the whole army got up in the middle of the night to do it.

As soon as it was dawn, Su Wu also dressed himself in new clothes, deliberately wearing armor and helmet, and patrolled the camp to see if anyone from outside the camp had arrived.

coming!

Su Wu went to the camp gate to greet him: "Old magistrate, please come in!"

Zong Ze entered the camp gate with a smile on his face. Under Su Wu's guidance, he looked around and asked, "Is dividing the food and grass on both sides like this a way to prevent fires..."

"That's right." Su Wu nodded in response.

"A circle of tents like this, surrounding them like this, is this a group?"

"That's right, one group, one stove."

"Oh... that's the horse."

"Hehe, my old husband can see it clearly."

"What is written in the book is different from what I saw with my own eyes. What happened over there was..."

"I won't go there. That's where people go to the bathroom."

“Haha… that’s a little tricky.”

“It’s very particular.”

"Then go and have a look...oh...if it's half full, you have to fill it up, and keep it away from water sources..."

……

"There are so many horses here, feeding them normally would be very expensive..."

"The grass, soybeans, and even some soybean cakes and soybean meal are mostly purchased from Daming Prefecture. You can't buy too much in other places. Occasionally, some eggs are added to them."

"You are very rich..."

"We are so poor that we have no idea where to eat next..." Su Wu smiled bitterly.

Zong Ze said with a serious expression: "Alas... it was just a joke. I have been to so many states and counties, how could I not know the difficulties of a governor like you? Others are trying their best to reduce the financial expenditures of their subordinates, but you can support so many elite soldiers. I am afraid that you will have no food to eat. It is strange that our dynasty has 800,000 imperial guards and hundreds of thousands of garrison troops. This has never been the case in all dynasties..."

Su Wu didn't want to respond, so he just said, "The old magistrate is concerned about the country and the people..."

Just then, another group of people and carts came to the camp gate, bringing some food and 30,000 strings of cash.

Although it was not much, it was more than what Su Wu thought about yesterday. Perhaps it was because he wrote a poem last night?
When Qin Ming came to see them off, the camp was already dismantling the tents and other items.

Everything was packed and loaded onto the truck at a very fast speed.

Military officers and soldiers from various units also began to line up.

set off!

Su Wu was the first to ride his horse, while Qin Ming and Zong Ze stood on a slightly higher place on the side of the road and watched.

gone!

The armor was shining, the weapons were gleaming, the horses' fur was smooth and shiny, the flags and banners were bright, and even the military uniforms were as good as new.

The horse's hooves are clattering and the footsteps are clattering.

For a moment, old Zong Ze was suddenly in a trance. The wind blew sand into his eyes. He raised his hand and gently wiped it away. He didn't know what was touched in his heart.

Was it because of the great military power of the Song Dynasty? Or was it because someone had really polished the armor, brushed the horse, and sharpened the weapon for Zong Ze?

"Old magistrate, we'll meet again if we're lucky!" Su Wu shouted from afar.

"Okay...see you again if we're lucky!" Zong Ze raised his hand and waved.

Qin Ming was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at the old man next to him whom he had met last night. He looked him up and down and asked, "Why is the old magistrate so moved?"

"What a good general!" Zong Ze said.

Qin Ming nodded: "Well, Su Dujian is really a rare good general in the world."

More than 2,000 people left slowly. Zong Ze watched for a long time. He didn't know what happened to him today...

"Okay, okay..." Zong Ze said slowly.

Su Wu walked away...

I also turned back to look at that figure...

He also had an inexplicable feeling in his heart. He didn't know why, but he was willing to keep the entire army busy in the middle of the night for Zong Ze, and even march in armor.

Only when they had gone really far, until Qingzhou City was out of sight, did they stop and the entire army took off their armor.

That old man is pretty good.

We must wait for him to come to Dongping Prefecture!

I'm eager to go home.

Seven days later, at noon.

Outside the city of Dongping Prefecture, there was a huge crowd of people.

We are all here to watch the fun. There hasn't been this much fun in a hundred years...

It's just like when Su Wu hunted tigers in the past, whether it was three or four hundred kilograms, or seven or eight hundred kilograms, life was actually very boring, even hard, so watching the fun became very important.

The cavalry had already entered the city quickly, and the streets were deserted.

The weapons and armors are still shining, the flags are still clear, and the soldiers' faces are filled with high spirits and vigor, as if they are returning home in glory.

Even if they are from my hometown, they will bring vegetables and fruits, and also tea.

"The soldiers from Dongping Prefecture are just great!"

"That's right, it's different from other places. Our Dongping Prefecture is full of heroes!"

"You guys are really awesome. You killed thousands of bandits without leaving a single one alive!"

"Mighty and majestic, mighty and majestic."

"With such a strong army trained by Su Dujian, our Dongping Prefecture will no longer have to worry about bandits in the future."

The emotions of the people have always been simple and direct.

Cheng Wanli did not leave the city, but waited at the gate of the government office, where many people were also waiting.

This one came and shouted: "The prefect is wise!"

That one also shouted: "The prefect is truly the justice of Dongping Prefecture!"

Cheng Wanli bowed to everyone on both sides with a smile on his face. As an official, how could he not feel happy when he had such popular support?
In fact, it doesn’t seem difficult to be an official. As long as you really do something good, the people will regard you as an honest official.

"I'm coming!"

Su Dujian's army entered the city. After entering the city, they changed their formation. At the front, there were more than a hundred prisoners tied up, and they were just allowed to walk in front.

“So many were caught alive!”

"Fight, fight, fight the bandits!"

"beat!"

"When you were burning, killing and looting in the past, did you ever think that this day would come?"

For a time, the crowd was indignant. Rotten vegetable leaves, small stones, used tea, and rotten eggs that were too old to eat...

If there were no soldiers on both sides holding them back, I don't know how many people would have rushed up to punch and kick them.

Cheng Wanli also gnashed his teeth. He hated bandits the most, but because of his status, it was not easy for him to fight like the common people. He just said, "Throw them all into jail and torture them."

Zhang Zhen nodded immediately: "Yes."

Su Wu came on horseback, wearing armor and deliberately putting a cloak behind him. Even the soldiers wore armor. He intentionally reorganized the team before entering the city just to make them look good.

The image of an army is very important.

Su Wu approached, pulled the horse, and dismounted in one smooth and graceful movement.

"Great!" The people also applauded.

Su Wu walked forward, lifted the cloak behind his armor, and bowed: "I have fulfilled my mission. I signed a military order when I went to war. Today I have returned victoriously. I am honored to meet you, sir!"

The prefect came down the stairs and held Su Wu's hand: "You are good! Very good, very good! With you at my service, I have nothing to worry about! Dongping Prefecture has nothing to worry about!"

This scene is so beautiful. How respectful and courteous the husband is to the wise and virtuous. How much he loves talents!
Su Dujian was extremely loyal and righteous. He fulfilled his mission, fought with his life, and returned victorious.

How could this not be a beautiful story?
This Dongping Prefecture is beautiful no matter how you look at it. It’s even better to be born and raised here!

(End of this chapter)