Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 307 Is this not the God of War reborn?
On the city wall of Datong, Wanyan Zhamu was fighting bravely. He was actually quite old, but he was truly wearing armor and leading the charge, personally wielding his sword to kill the enemy.

His ferocity was just like when he faced tigers and bears while foraging for food in the mountains and forests. His movements were swift and agile, and every swing of his knife was a fatal blow delivered at the perfect moment.

What martial arts did these Jurchens practice from a young age? What special skills did they acquire?

In fact, they had never learned any special skills, nor did they possess any so-called unique abilities.

Why is he so good at fighting? It's nothing more than the keenness he's cultivated through countless life-or-death experiences.

In those mountains and forests, the temperature drops to tens of degrees below zero in winter. Grass doesn't grow, birds don't fly, and the earth is completely white. It's really hard to find food, let alone raise children...

The tigers in that forest, weighing several hundred pounds, weren't considered large, nor were the bears. As for foxes and wolves, they weren't even worth mentioning.

The food that humans eat is the food that these wild beasts eat; they steal the food from the mouths of wild beasts and live in the places where wild beasts live.

Perhaps it takes countless brushes with death to grow into adulthood; those who cannot grow into adulthood simply die...

The Jurchen people at this time truly lived up to their name as warriors.

It is also worth mentioning the impact of the rise of the Jurchens. When the Liao Dynasty rose to power, the area outside the Great Wall was still a wild and undeveloped land, and the Liao Dynasty did not develop the area much.

The Jurchen Jin dynasty was the one that truly introduced farming and many handicraft techniques to the area outside the Great Wall. These Jurchens were indeed Jurchens who came from the mountains and forests, and they were a truly primitive tribe that rose to prominence.

Then came the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, and a century later came the Ming Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, there were also Jurchens in the area outside the Great Wall, such as the Jianzhou Jurchens or the Manchus. Regardless of whether their bloodline was Wanyan or something like that, the area outside the Great Wall at that time had actually formed a combination of agriculture and fishing and hunting, and was no longer a purely fishing and hunting tribe.

Even when the Manchus rose to power, they mainly relied on farming. The Ming Dynasty even helped them farm. The Aisin Gioro clan was never a hermit. When the Aisin Gioro clan rose to power, their troops were mostly foreign soldiers. There was a kind of mixture, which is why there was the so-called Manchu Eight Banners. What are the Eight Banners?

The term "mixed" refers to the Eight Banners, which consisted of everyone in the surrounding area who could be united, including the Han Chinese.

To say that the Manchu army was at its peak, it wasn't actually composed of the Manchus, but rather of the three Solon tribes, Evenks, Daurs, and Xibes found in the mountains and forests...

The ferocity of the three Solon tribes was unparalleled. The Solon tribes were not many people, but countless men died fighting for the Manchus, almost to the point of extermination...

At this time, the Jurchen people that Su Wu faced were actually closer in culture to the later Solon tribes, and their living areas and conditions were also closer. Everything about the entire people, if not exactly the same, was very similar.

They are genuine primitive people who just came out of the mountains and forests!

On the front wall of Datong, hundreds of Jurchen women stood there, and countless Taiyuan soldiers tried to climb up, but could not reach the top for a long time!
This inability to advance doesn't mean we can't take the city, but rather that we can't even hold onto a small piece of land on the city wall.

These were the same people who defeated Zhang Jue of Pingzhou in a single battle.

Su Wu witnessed his ferocity and skill in battle firsthand, and it was the first time he had ever seen him like this.

The Jurchen warrior, struck in the face by an arrow and unable to open his eyes, remained calm and lunged forward, accurately grabbing a soldier and leaning against the battlements, desperately biting at the Song soldier's neck...

Su Wu watched with a furrowed brow as the man, while tearing at the Song soldiers in front of him, reached out and grabbed at someone's shoulder armor, then jumped off the city wall...

One person, carrying two others, possessed incredible strength, enough to leap off the city wall and even knock down a person on the long ladder outside the crenellations...

Su Wu frowned repeatedly upon seeing this...

Why are people not afraid of death? There are many reasons. Some might be deep-seated hatred, the lure of a great reward, or simply a surge of impulsive courage...

It's also possible that some people are simply courageous and fearless in the face of death...

There are also some people who are born with a life-or-death experience, having lived in danger since childhood, always fighting for their lives. So, it's not that they are not afraid of death, but rather that they face death with a more ordinary and calm acceptance...

Beside Su Wu, Lu Da remarked, "These Jurchen soldiers seem to be..."

Lu Da seemed unable to find the words to describe it. He could say it was fierce and brave, but he had seen many fierce and brave people. This was more than just fierce and brave...

It's not invincible; if you really get stabbed or stabbed by swords and spears, you'll bleed and die...

What should it be then?

Su Wu uttered a single phrase: "Life and death are just commonplace..."

“Yes, my husband is right!” Lu Da nodded.

The Liao army, with its million-strong armored force, deserved its defeat...

Su Wu then remembered something else: sometimes, many things need to be considered from both sides.

What are you thinking about?
He wondered if he had acted too soon. If he pushed these Jurchens too hard, they would not be able to live a good life and maintain this ordinary life and death.

Shouldn't we let them live a better life? Only then can we rid them of this mundane existence of life and death.

If we wait until they enjoy their retirement for a few years, wouldn't it be much easier to fight them?
While Su Wu was thinking about all this, he uttered a single sentence: "Add more drums!"

Wang Bing and his soldiers were indeed fierce and brave; the Taiyuan soldiers were truly formidable.

For some reason, from the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, the Qin and Han Dynasties, to the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty, and now to the Song Dynasty, the soldiers of Taiyuan and the surrounding areas have always been good at fighting.

Even the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty and the end of Taiyuan were extremely tragic endes, so tragic that for eight months, the tree bark was eaten away, countless people starved to death, and even cannibalism occurred... But the soldiers and civilians of Taiyuan, especially the common people, truly kept fighting, they just kept fighting...

This is the most tragic part of the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Jingkang Incident, and the most commendable part of the entire northern country!
To say that it was all due to Wang Bing and Zhang Xiaocun is extremely inappropriate. It was the credit of the entire Taiyuan army and people, because they had such an unyielding spirit!
Just like today, the Taiyuan soldiers are climbing the city walls, and Wang Bing has personally led the way. These Taiyuan soldiers have not actually experienced many wars. They usually only fight against bandits. The bandits of Taihang Mountain and Lüliang Mountain are now truly following Wang Bing to fight one after another.

The number of dead and wounded is unknown...

On the contrary, the troops attacking the city from the east and west, such as Guan Sheng and Hao Siwen, were far inferior to the Taiyuan troops facing them...

With no Jurchens on either side, Guan Sheng and Hao Siwen's army were unable to advance for a long time...

There's also Su Wu's saying: "Add more drums!"

Today, it was the first time Su Wu had ever been so reckless with human lives, truly filling the gaps, filling them until his teeth were clenched. Such good soldiers were probably rare even in Taiyuan. The military corruption on the Song Dynasty's borders was not limited to Hebei; Taiyuan was the same. From officials to finances, everything was corrupt...

Wang Bing has not been here long, and he certainly cannot gather many truly elite and powerful troops. How could there be so many brave and courageous men like him?

But Su Wu was risking lives to save others!

When it comes to the life and death of the nation and the survival of the people, the soldiers of Taiyuan are the first to sacrifice!

This has always been the case!

Throughout history, in every battle for survival, the Taiyuan troops have always been on the front lines, whether fighting the Xiongnu, the Turks, or resisting the Khitans, and now they are fighting the Jurchens!

Even though there have been failures in history, they were all incredibly tragic and can be as clear as day!
You say the Song Dynasty's military was really weak?

It is weak, but it's not really that weak!
That's how fierce and brave the soldiers of Taiyuan are!

Why did the Song Dynasty perish? It perished because of its emperor, its nobles, and its organizational system, which was utterly corrupt and unable to contain such ruthless individuals!

Historically, the people of Taiyuan fought to the death on the city walls for months. When the emperor's edict arrived and ordered them to surrender, the hundreds of thousands of people in Taiyuan were already starving and skin and bones. What were they thinking at that time?
This tragic event will never happen again!
Su Wu suddenly stood up, descended from the platform, and shouted, "The Trapped Camp, dismount and form ranks!"

Su Wu knew that cavalrymen were expensive, and he didn't know how much money he had spent on these cavalrymen.

Su Wu knew even better that he couldn't bear to lose these cavalrymen; he would be heartbroken if even one of them died!

Wu Song, the commander of the Trapped Camp and General of the Vanguard Cavalry, is not here this time; he has gone to kill people in various prefectures and cities in Hedong.

Why did Su Wu come in person?
He witnessed the ferocity of the Taiyuan soldiers on the border. The Taiyuan soldiers represented the entire Hedong region and the Shanxi area!

In Shanxi, this is probably the only truly formidable army.

Su Wu wanted the Taiyuan soldiers to see that he was not the kind of person who would sit idly by.

Su Wu also wanted the Taiyuan soldiers to get to know him for the first time, to truly get to know him!

Today, it is the hearts of the people!

The elite troops, consisting of two battalions and a thousand heavily armored soldiers, dismounted and formed ranks extremely quickly!

Su Wu, clad in heavy armor, stepped forward, glancing back and forth before uttering only one sentence: "Follow me to the city wall!"

Lu Da was already standing in front of Su Wu with a large shield on his back, while Yue Fei and Li Cheng were protecting him closely on either side.

Then a voice called out from behind: "I am willing to die for you, my lord!"

On the platform, many people were anxious. Liu Guangshi said, "Mr. Xu, why don't you try to persuade your husband..."

Xu Guanzhong frowned as well: "Why doesn't the general speak up?"

Yao Pingzhong, who was standing nearby, remarked, "I actually like Coach Su's temperament!"

"This...this is not a matter of temperament, it should not be like this! I thought he was going to supervise the battle, but who knew he was going to attack the city..." Liu Guangshi's words were true. He really thought Su Wu was just going to supervise the battle and drive the soldiers to the front.

Xu Guanzhong thought it over and over, and then said quietly, "Xu may not necessarily be a bad thing. Your actions have a deeper meaning."

“What’s the deeper meaning behind this… What commander would actually climb a wall? What if… I mean, what if… What should we do?” Liu Guangshi was extremely worried.

Xu Guanzhong also frowned. He was worried about the possibility of something going wrong, but he also knew the deeper meaning behind this matter.

This is the morale of the army along the Hedong route!
Why do you see it?

Su Wu led a thousand elite soldiers from Jingdong and marched swiftly towards the city walls, where they were already about to reach the city.

Wang Bing was already standing on the ladder truck, shouting, "Brothers, look at Commander Su! Commander Su is here to personally help us!"

How do we know that Marshal Su has arrived?

The great banner has arrived!

Many of the Taiyuan soldiers who had not yet gone up turned around to look, and sure enough, Marshal Su had arrived!
Who is Su Shuai?
I have heard of him; he was an extremely capable man, who quelled bandits in Jiangnan, recovered Yan and Yun, and recently I also heard that he destroyed the Tanguts…

How could the Tanguts not be the mortal enemies of Hedong for generations? The Taiyuan troops have fought against the Tanguts in the past, in many major battles, such as those at Linzhou, though fewer in recent years…

I've only heard about it... I've never seen it, but I've heard that Commander Su is extremely brave, skilled in battle, and resourceful.

Looking back, did he really come to climb the wall?

Are you really coming to help my Taiyuan soldiers climb the wall?
I don't think so...

So-called high-ranking officials of the imperial court, academicians of the Privy Council, so-called commanders-in-chief—where have they ever personally climbed over walls? Unheard of, not even by our ancestors…

It's really here!
Steward Wang was still shouting, "Brothers, with Commander Su personally coming to help, we should fight even harder! Don't let Commander Su laugh at us!"

These words, shouted with all their might, were truly effective; the soldiers on both sides genuinely kept climbing up that ladder...

Commander Su arrived as soon as he said he would. He really didn't believe that even with their great abilities, the Jurchens couldn't possibly defend this city today!
Once the Jurchens were completely wiped out, Su Wu no longer considered the other Jin troops a threat.

This is the first time we've faced the real Jurchens, and we must win. We must win in one battle; there can be no back-and-forth or back-and-forth fighting.

Su Wu came in person, Lu Da carried a large wooden shield and climbed up the ladder cart, Yue Fei took a step ahead, Su Wu followed, Li Cheng was behind Su Wu, and behind them were countless soldiers!

Looking up, the inside of the vehicle was actually very dark. Lu Da's large shield completely blocked the light from the exit at the top of the vehicle, so he just kept trying to climb up.

As soon as the light came on, Lu Da had already leaped out of the exit and onto the city wall, Yue Fei followed, and then Su Wu.

Like an iron tower, Lu Da still held his wooden shield in his hand, and he just kept pushing, bumping, and smashing the wooden shield into the crowd, instantly creating a clearing on the city wall...

Countless weapons slammed into Lu Da, causing sparks to fly everywhere. Lu Da simply buried his head behind the huge wooden shield, ramming it left and right while shouting, "My lord, come and kill me!"

Su Wu came to kill, without any special moves, just smashing forward with his two maces!
A Jurchen woman was pushed by Lu Da and stumbled. Su Wu then struck her with his mace, hitting her iron helmet squarely. The Jurchen woman was stunned and collapsed.

Su Wu moved forward, smashing repeatedly. This was his first time killing a Jurchen. The Jurchen were also mortals, capable of dying, and could not fight a hundred against one...

Yue Fei wielded a huge axe, hacking forward. It's unclear why Yue Fei chose such an axe, as it seemed to be the kind used by the army for chopping wood.

Li Chengzhang kept stabbing at him with his spear!

They were all clad in iron armor, sparks flew everywhere, and crackling sounds filled the air. Su Wu was frequently struck, but fortunately, he was tough and able to protect his vitals, so it was impossible to tell who was stronger or weaker. It was just a chaotic battle with constant hitting and smashing.

Lu Da was truly Su Wu's strongest shield. He always had his large wooden shield with him, and he didn't kill anyone. At most, he would use the wooden shield to hit the person who fell to the ground. He only did one thing: protect Su Wu by his side.

It was sheer strength, the strength honed day and night, the strength that came from being well-fed at every meal, that allowed him to ram into things from the left and right, creating countless spaces for Su Wu...

Wang Bing followed, and the Jingdong vanguard and Taiyuan soldiers mingled together, advancing wave after wave, all heading up the city wall.

Wang Bing exclaimed, "My lord is mighty!"

But he was the only one calling out; everyone else was fighting for their lives and didn't have time to call out, but everyone could see it!
On the platform, everyone watched with bated breath. Liu Guangshi was extremely anxious: "He actually went up there, brother! You must protect yourself!"

Xu Guanzhong simply said, "General Lu can protect them, and Colonel Yue can protect them too. It's alright, it's alright..."

Isn't what Hsu Kuan-chung is saying just self-comfort?

He knew that his master intended to use this opportunity to win over the hearts and minds of the Hedong army. How could soldiers win over their hearts? First, they would live and die together; second, they admired strength and were willing to follow the strong; and third, they would receive money and provisions.

Today, the commander-in-chief has come to our aid. He will not stand idly by and watch the Taiyuan soldiers fight to the death. He will be the first to charge forward and die with them. In the future, the Taiyuan soldiers will know that Commander Su is looking after them. There is no such thing as direct or collateral branches.

I also know that this coach is trustworthy and will never abandon his colleagues no matter what.

Thirdly, today, the soldiers of Taiyuan have truly witnessed the bravery of Commander Su. If they do not follow such a commander, who else can they follow?
In the future, when these Taiyuan soldiers learn about the generous treatment and rewards bestowed upon Marshal Su, how could they not be loyal to him?
The Hedong region has many prefectures and counties, but in terms of military strength, only Bingzhou and Taiyuan are truly important!

With the troops of Taiyuan, there is a route through Hedong!
What Wu Yong is doing right now will not have any backlash or consequences within Hedong!

In chaotic times, military strength is of paramount importance!
Hmm? Has the world really descended into chaos?
Xu Guanzhong was momentarily dazed. The once prosperous Song Dynasty seemed to have suddenly, in an instant, truly entered a chaotic world. It was so fast that no one could react, and it had really entered a chaotic world!
For a moment, Xu Guanzhong didn't know whether to be happy or sad...

Looking again at the city wall, one could see one's own lord fighting fiercely, truly standing firmly on the city wall.

Xu Guanzhong was overjoyed, and he also knew that the city was not far from falling, and that the number of Jurchens born was no more than a few hundred, and that would stop once they were all killed!
Xu Guanzhong could also see that although he was seeing these so-called Jurchens for the first time, he knew that they would not surrender unless they were all killed!

Today I've truly witnessed the ferocity and bravery of the Jurchens!

One can't help but wonder, how many tens of thousands of Jurchens are there... what a formidable enemy they are?

Thinking of this, Xu Guanzhong couldn't help but frown again. To fight against such a powerful army, looking around, regardless of victory or defeat, he didn't know how many soldiers would die before him...

He couldn't help but look up again, still looking at Minister Su. If he really wanted to know whether to win or lose against the Jurchens, he could only look to Minister Su. Perhaps only he could contend with such a powerful Jurchen army, which consisted of tens of thousands of Jurchen cavalry and hundreds of thousands of horses' hooves...

Thinking about it deeply, it seems that Commander Su did not make the decision to be the first to ascend the mountain on a whim; he must have... perhaps... probably had already planned to be the first to ascend the mountain...

Moreover, the opportunity was excellent; it came when the Taiyuan soldiers had fought to the death for a long time but failed to climb up, and when the Jurchens on the city walls were also somewhat exhausted and had suffered many casualties...

At this moment, the enemy's fighting strength was waning, and the Taiyuan troops were also fighting with difficulty. Commander Su went forward to be the first to scale the walls...

The more Xu Guanzhong thought about it, the more relieved he became. Commander Su was skilled at planning, both in terms of action and in understanding people's hearts...

Liu Guangshi, standing to the side, kept shifting his feet, glancing at the city wall every now and then, then looking away again, as if he dared not look...

He was truly afraid, afraid of two things. First, he was afraid of Su Wu's personal safety. Second, if something happened to Su Wu, it would have far-reaching consequences, disrupting the war effort and jeopardizing his future...

He glanced at Liu Guangshi on the city wall again, and breathed a sigh of relief. But when he stopped looking, he felt a surge of relief again. When he couldn't hold it in any longer, he glanced at him again and breathed a sigh of relief once more.

Liu Guangshi's comings and goings were just like that...

Yao Pingzhong kept watching, muttering to himself, "Well done, Commander Su... Commander Su is so brave! Alas... If I had known earlier that Commander Su was going to climb the city wall, I would have asked for permission to go with him! Wouldn't we be fighting fiercely on the city wall right now?"

Han Shizhong uttered a single sentence: "What a pity..." Liang Hongyu, standing behind Han Shizhong, chimed in: "Han Lang, I had only heard of your bravery, sir. Having accompanied you on this campaign, I only witnessed your strategic planning and decisive victories. I even wondered if the rumors were somewhat exaggerated, and whether you truly lived up to your scholarly image. But seeing you today, I know that what I heard before was entirely accurate, and perhaps even more so..."

Han Shizhong said in a low voice, "How could it be faked? It's just that this shouldn't have been done this time. You could have just sent me to go first. Why did you have to go yourself, sir..."

"Master Xu was anxious because he couldn't succeed for a long time, so he bravely went off on his own!" Liang Hongyu said.

Why didn't Su Wu say so beforehand?

Only Xu Guanzhong knew that if Su Wu had said so beforehand, they wouldn't have been able to go. With so many brave and fierce men around, who could have stopped him?

Even though it was a capital offense of disobeying orders, the crowd would still drag Su Wu to the spot, making it impossible for him to escape.

But the soldiers on the city wall, who had been watching the battle without shouting, suddenly cried out: "My lord is mighty!"

"My lord is mighty!"

"My lord is mighty!"

They couldn't shout in unison at first, but after a few shouts, they were all speaking in unison. In an instant, more than 10,000 people shouted together, and their voices resounded throughout the world.

On the city wall, Su Xiang Gong was engaged in continuous fighting when he suddenly felt his blood rushing to the top of his head. As he swung his mace, he felt as if he were being empowered by a god!
That's strange!
Su Wu himself did not expect that his sudden entry into battle would have such an effect!

Shouts continued, and countless knights raised their long lances high above their heads!

Su Wu smashed the mace with even greater force, sparks flew everywhere, and bones shattered!
Even on the battlefield, whether they were soldiers from Taiyuan or Pudong, everyone knew, whether they could see it or not, that Commander Su was wreaking havoc on all sides!

On the platform, Han Shizhong had already started walking. Where was he going?
He walked over to the row of huge cowhide drums, said nothing, picked up a spare drumstick from the side, pushed forward and squeezed past a soldier who was beating a drum, and waved his hands: "I'll beat the drum for you, sir!"

Liang Hongyu shouted sweetly, "Me too!"

In this way, Yao Pingzhong turned around and went too, and naturally the drums sounded loudly.

Then there was Liu Guangshi's frowning remark: "Oh dear, you all shouldn't be making things worse..."

Who paid any attention to Liu Guangshi? The drums were beating loudly, and Han Shizhong's muscular arms were truly powerful. The sound of the drums was deep and booming, making people feel as if their hearts were beating along with them.

All I ask is how the Jurchens on the city walls are doing?

A short but incredibly strong man, wearing two layers of armor, lunged at Lu Da's large shield, causing Lu Da to stumble backward and fall heavily to the ground. Despite being struck by various heavy weapons, he managed to get up and charge forward, his hands unarmed, grabbing only the large shield in Lu Da's hands...

He seemed to want to seize the large shield, or perhaps knock it down. He didn't even intend to kill anyone; he simply wanted the shield to fall so that the Song barbarian in front of him could no longer charge around...

Su Wu kept striking the man with his mace, but the man ignored him, grabbed the large shield, and desperately tried to take it back, even jumping up to grab it with both hands and feet!

Sure enough, Lu Da's shield slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground along with the Jurchen woman. Enraged, Lu Da stomped on it, the shield clanging as it struck the ground. Ignoring the noise, he stomped on the wooden shield, which then pressed down on the Jurchen woman, preventing her from getting up.

Lu Da bent down to pick it up, and whatever he picked up was what he got—a round-headed hammer. He crouched down, sat down, and began smashing things...

Su Wu hurried forward, Yue Fei even more so, and the soldiers around them, some from Jingdong and some from Taiyuan, had already advanced countless times, and now they were advancing wave after wave...

It's a chaotic situation, where no one can dominate or work together. All that's allowed is for one person to keep going, even if it means stepping over the corpses of their comrades to move forward...

This is a fierce battle, a battle that will continue until the world is in chaos and one side can no longer fight.

Su Wu was here to ensure that the Song army would fight to the very end. He didn't have time to besiege the city, nor did he have time to climb it again and again, and he didn't want to do it again and again. The morale of the army also needed to be established in this first battle against the Jurchens.

This time, we must break through the city!
"Follow me!" Su Wu shouted!
The question is, in which great battle was the victory achieved without Su Wu personally leading the charge? Was it won by relying on others to fight their way through?

Only by capturing Xingqing Prefecture could victory be assured. Su Wu did not go first, but in the Battle of Monan, how could Su Wu not lead the charge?

Why is it that generals are so hard to die? This has been the case since ancient times. Even if a general suffers a great defeat, he can often escape with his life. Or, if the army is defeated, the general is always the last to die. Even someone like Li Guang was captured alive. Why is that?

Firstly, the soldiers' armor was of superior quality; secondly, their trusted confidants provided excellent protection.

For example, now that Lu Da's shield was gone, everyone around Su Wu was rushing towards him.

As long as Su Wu moves forward, they will move even further forward!

As long as Su Wu is not afraid, they will be even less afraid!
This is also the reason why sometimes a general's bravery leads to victory.

Even Old Wang was shouting, "Charge! Charge forward!"

The hundreds of Jurchens, though few remained, fought on to the death.

It's unclear which one is Wanyan Zhamu, or whether she's alive or dead...

Keep fighting, and eventually the battle will end...

With the Jurchens wiped out, how could the remaining soldiers—Xi, Han, and Khitan—stand atop the city walls?

Su Wu went up to the city and chose to fight the Jurchens!
It's over...

The setting sun was like blood. Su Wu stood atop the battlements, panting heavily, looking down over the south of Datong City and over tens of thousands of soldiers...

Everyone was watching him, both below and above the city walls.

Countless dead and wounded were killed, and hundreds of Jurchens defended the city walls, each sacrificing a single life for a few Song soldiers...

But Su Xianggong stood there, silhouetted against the setting sun, appearing exceptionally majestic and invincible!

The Jingdong Army is watching, the Taiyuan Army is watching, the Pudong Army is watching...

People were so engrossed in watching! This time, no one shouted anymore; no one shouted "My lord is mighty!"

As the drumbeats subsided, Liu Guangshi could see the silhouette against the setting sun—small yet incredibly tall, as imposing as the majestic city of Datong!

No, it's even taller and more imposing than that magnificent city!

Liu Guangshi quipped, "My brother, with such a formidable city and such a fierce enemy, broke through in a single battle. Is he not a god of war reborn?"

Xu Guanzhong breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Yes, the God of War is nothing more than this! The God of War of the Great Song Dynasty!"

On the city wall, Prime Minister Su, having recovered his strength, waved his hand and shouted, "Distribute the rewards! It was agreed beforehand that each Jurchen head would be worth two hundred strings of cash! For those who died in battle, they will receive... three hundred strings of cash as compensation!"

Lord Su was willing to go all out and give money. But money was useless to Su Wu; it was just a pile of gold, silver, and copper. It could only be used for one purpose: to distribute rewards and compensation.
When Su Xiangong was in the lower city, he passed by many soldiers, their faces covered in blood.

Su Wu would greet them from both sides.

The soldiers bowed respectfully, speaking with accents from Beijing and Taiyuan.

"Meet my husband!"

Wang Bing walked beside him, saying to those around him, "Sir, your bravery this time is even greater than before! It makes all the soldiers of Taiyuan look at you with awe!"

Su Wu glanced at Wang Bing, said nothing, but gave him a meaningful look...

What does it mean?
Perhaps it's about something else: I'm going to purge the court of corrupt officials in the future, will you go with me?

Wang Bing knew perfectly well what was going on, and his expression was slightly embarrassed, but he met Su Wu's gaze without actually avoiding it. Perhaps he still had some concerns, concerns that people of this era should have...

But some things cannot be thought about, cannot be thought about deeply... What if... just what if, one day the court issues an order, that Wang Bing should fight Su Wu...

All I can ask is, what should I do?
But then Su Wu laughed heartily: "Chief Steward Wang is becoming more and more skilled in battle. Today is not like the day we fought Fang La. The Jurchens are much more difficult to fight than Fang La. Chief Steward Wang is also more valiant!"

Wang Bing nodded: "We should fight to the death!"

"Back to camp!" Su Wu waved his hand and walked quickly, but suddenly asked, "Chief Steward Wang, you are in charge of guarding Datong City!"

"Understood!" Wang Bing felt relieved. The fact that the order was not changed showed that Prime Minister Su had a broad mind, which was admirable!
Tokyo!

The Jurchen army continued to cross the river, some by boat, some by bridge...

The army numbered 50,000 cavalry and over 100,000 horses, and also had tens of thousands of infantry, at least 50,000 to 60,000. However, not all of them were infantrymen; many of them were slaves, and some were even former Song soldiers who had recently surrendered. The slaves, following their masters, had already come to accompany them...

There were also quite a few infantrymen and some cavalrymen stationed in Daming Prefecture as the rearguard...

The amount of grain, fodder, and carts that followed was countless, emptying the cities of Hebei...

Arriving in a massive, surging procession, the enormous city of Tokyo suddenly seemed far less grand in the face of such a spectacle…

Standing atop the city wall, Li Gang felt a chill run down his spine. He had never seen anything like it before, not even in his entire life…

Many officials from Bianjing also went up to the city wall to observe the enemy. After a while, they felt their hands and feet turn cold and their faces turn ashen.

The soldiers on the city wall, some of the more timid ones were already trembling with fear, while some of the bolder ones were drawing their bows and arrows, and even stuffing gunpowder into their small iron cannons...

On the walls of Tokyo, there were small iron cannons, brought out from the armory. They weren't big, only as thick as an arm, and their power wasn't great either. The gunpowder wasn't very good either, but they were loud enough and could kill people, though they were incredibly cumbersome...

Inside the city gate tower, many officials went to see Li Gang.

Everyone came to ask, "Minister Li, can you really stop the enemy from entering the city?"

Li Gang, his scalp tingling with fear, could only say, "Don't you all see how wide this moat is, how high this city wall is? Are you really so intimidated by the enemy? Can those horses' hooves fly?"

"Sigh...yes, yes..." The crowd needed comforting.

"You may all leave now. It would be bad if the enemy fired arrows and you were accidentally injured. I will defend the city myself!" Li Gang dismissed them, then regretted letting them come to see.

Everyone turned around and got off. Staying there and watching was truly terrifying.

Li Gang, of course, gritted his teeth and continued to keep an eye on things, while also going around to check on the defenses of various cities and to boost the morale of the troops.

Outside the city, Wanyan Zongwang arrived, and Wanyan Zonghan also rushed over.

The brothers were also discussing it...

Wanyan Zongwang exclaimed in amazement, "This city is truly enormous, far exceeding any previous imagination. I could never have imagined that such a large city existed in the world until I saw it with my own eyes!"

“Yes, I thought the rumors were untrue and exaggerated, but seeing it with my own eyes is the only way to know what it looks like! I heard there are several walls inside, both inside and outside, so it must be true…” Wanyan Zonghan also said.

The phrase "country bumpkins coming to the city" is a derogatory term, but in this case, it truly is.

The width of the moat and the height of the city walls exceeded all expectations...

Wanyan Zonghan asked his elder brother, "What should we do next?"

Wanyan Zongwang was also frowning. He was at a loss for what to do. As for attacking the city, he still had to wait for the weapons to be manufactured, but he didn't know how many weapons to manufacture or what size they should be...

And that moat, it's really a problem...

Looking at the city walls, the iron armor gleamed, countless in number. I had already circled around them once. Armored figures were everywhere in the city. How could one not frown?
It was also Li Gang's plan that, even if there weren't many soldiers, they would still make sure to gather enough men to stand on the city wall, to make it look like they were determined to resist to the death...

It's possible that the Jurchens were also uncertain at this moment. Having penetrated so far into the Song Dynasty, with reinforcements arriving from all over the country and powerful armies from the northwest on their way, the Jurchens must have been in a state of panic...

Li Gang's thoughts were not far off; Wanyan Zongwang had indeed seen this city of a million, but he was also deeply conflicted and hesitant...

His brothers were all looking at him, asking what to do.
This is the residence of the Great Song Emperor. In any case, there should be one or two valiant troops stationed within the city. The moat is so wide, and there are layers upon layers of city walls: the outer city, the inner city, the imperial city, and various barbicans...

Wanyan Zongwang then asked Zonghan, "Are the troops in Jingdong truly skilled in battle and brave?"

Wanyan Zonghan did not speak, but he nodded.

After thinking it over, Wanyan Zongwang suddenly said, "Let me think about it some more..."

If all else fails, withdrawing the troops is not out of the question; let's think about it...

But Wanyan Zongwang was thinking that Li Gang was bracing himself on the city wall.

Inside the imperial city, in the main hall, a noisy commotion was taking place again.

"Your Majesty, the Jurchen army is truly magnificent, its numbers boundless, and even its horses are countless..."

"Yes, Your Majesty, with the army within our city, I'm afraid we are no match for them..."

“Li Gang… that Li Gang is indeed fierce and brave… and well-prepared, but the soldiers in my city are all soldiers who have never been on the battlefield, while the Jurchens are soldiers who have fought countless battles… this time…”

"Your Majesty, we should discuss a better strategy. If we can subdue the enemy without fighting, that would be the best policy! That's what military strategy says..."

"Yes, that's the way of war... to subdue the enemy without fighting..."

Emperor Zhao Huan, sitting on the high platform, was naturally in a state of great distress. Although he did not go to the city wall, he sent palace eunuchs to look at the city wall several times, even for days on end. The Jurchen army was gathering more and more, so how could he not know that what the courtiers were saying was true?

"Then tell me, what should we do? How can we subdue the enemy without fighting?" Zhao Huan had a certain fear of difficulties. In this situation, he really wanted to escape. The fact that he didn't run out of the city was the greatest courage he could muster at this moment.

"Your Majesty, as Minister Bai said, and as Li Gang also said, the Jurchens' arrival is nothing more than bringing money and provisions, just like the Turkic army's visit to Chang'an in the past, waiting for a peace talks. We should send someone out of the city to negotiate... As long as they withdraw their troops, the terms will be easy to negotiate, just like the rewards given to Liao and Western Xia in the past, just money. We will wait for the day when we can avenge this great grudge, just like the Tang Dynasty. Now our Great Song has the spirit of the Han and Tang Dynasties. In the future, we will surely be able to capture the Turkic Khan Jieli and bring him to the court to beg for forgiveness, just like the Tang Dynasty!"

"Yes, absolutely. No matter what, we should send an envoy to inquire. Asking is always better than not asking..."

"Perhaps after asking around, this matter isn't such a big deal after all..."

……

At this moment, everyone was talking at once, but the key figures, Bai Shizhong, Zhang Bangchang, and Li Bangyan, remained silent...

The emperor nodded in agreement: "Then let's send someone to inquire first. If it really is a matter of money and grain, then we can avoid bloodshed!"

"Very well, send an envoy immediately!"

Who should we send? It shouldn't be any of you here. Just hurry up and find a righteous person, someone with the courage to leave the city.

There are still righteous people in the capital...

We sent people out of the city.

As Wanyan Zongwang was pondering this, he heard that an envoy from the city had arrived. He immediately thought for a moment and said, "No need to bring him to the main tent. Just say that we will not negotiate with them, and we don't believe them even if they do. It's just a delaying tactic by the Song people. How can such a delaying strategy fool the Jurchens? Tell them that if they truly want to negotiate, then they must send a prince and a prime minister. Only then will we believe the Song people. Otherwise, we will definitely attack the city within two days!"

Someone went to reply to the Song envoy who came from the city.

Inside the military tent, Wanyan Zongbi also asked, "If my brother is like this, how can the Song people agree? I'm afraid it's absolutely impossible!"

Wanyan Zongwang waved his hand and said, "It's alright, let's give it a try. I know they won't agree. If they don't, we'll think of another way. If there's no other way, then let's retreat. We've already fought this far, let's retreat back to the north of the Yellow River, stabilize the situation first, and see if we can keep Hebei in our hands."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

But Wanyan Zonghan chimed in: "What if the Song people agree?"

Wanyan Zongwang then said, "That would be perfect. It means that the people in this city are also in a state of panic, and the military strength is probably weak. Just name your price, and the money and supplies will be easy to negotiate... It's like getting something for nothing..."

How cunning was Wanyan Zongwang? The situation was originally one of getting something for nothing, but he applied maximum pressure to test it out. After this pressure, the result was clear, and everything became obvious.

The Song people were truly strange; they were a complex mix of states, sometimes fierce and sometimes cowardly. It was also a matter of observing the people within the city walls to see which state they were in...

Perhaps it is truly a sign of cowardice, just as Wanyan Xiyin said, tigers and wolves, if raised for too long, will turn into sheep. The people in this city are naturally more sheep than tigers and wolves. It also depends on whether the sheep or the tigers and wolves are in charge in this city...

(Brothers, it's late, but I've already written 10,000 words! I won't say I'm tired, love you all...)
(End of this chapter)