Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 310 May Lord Su live a long life, a hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years!

The resentful army was indeed capable of fighting. Su Wu had known this beforehand, as evidenced by Guo Yaoshi's first charge into Yanjing City.

The Yuan Army was clearly capable of fighting tough battles. After all, they were a group of people who were desperate to survive, and they had fought against the Liao army and the Jurchens many times. If the Yuan Army was truly incapable of fighting, how could the Liao people have recruited An Guo Yaoshi again?

After Guo Yaoshi led his troops in another valiant effort, the situation on the city wall changed. The hundreds of Jurchens, who were preoccupied with one thing and unable to defend another, could not hold the city. The slaves, servants, and the old, weak, sick, and disabled were even more easily defeated.

The war was about to be settled, but unfortunately, the city of Zhuozhou was also ravaged by the Jurchens.

In fact, this matter had both advantages and disadvantages for Su Wu. The disadvantage was that the entire society of Yanyun suffered enormous damage, and it would take a lot of time and effort to restore production in the future.

The advantages are self-evident. The Jurchens practically plundered the entire Yan-Yun region, except for Yanjing City. After that, the so-called noble families of Liao collapsed. Su Wu hardly needed to do anything to consolidate most of the land in Yan-Yun...

As for entering Yanjing City, Su Wuxu will probably have to put in some effort, but it is highly likely that although the Jurchens will not kill or kidnap people indiscriminately in Yanjing City, they will still take stock of the land and property.

When Yanyun came into Su Wu's hands, it was tantamount to carrying out a revolution in land and society. Su Wu could start operating it directly, which was extremely convenient.

Between the pros and cons, it's hard to say whether it's good or bad...

Once Zhuozhou falls, we can head straight for Yanjing.

Inside Yanjing City, things were bustling with activity. A large portion of the spoils of war that the Jurchens had plundered from Yan and Yun were still in Yanjing City. This was partly because the army was in a hurry to march south, and partly because there was a shortage of transport capacity and manpower.

Therefore, at this moment, the Jurchens in Yanjing City are busy transporting as much of their spoils of war as possible outwards and northwards.

Wanyan Xieye was also caught in a dilemma at this moment: should he transport the grain and other necessities first, or the gold, silver and copper and other valuables first?
This may be the first time the Jurchens have faced this very simple economic problem.

Is currency more important, or is the production of goods more important? Which is more important, money or goods?

According to one's own thinking, money is certainly more important, but for a country, resources are a hundred times more important than money...

Wanyan Xieye, though illiterate and lacking economic knowledge, managed to weigh the pros and cons after much deliberation. He concluded that provisions and other necessities were more important. Although the gold and silver in a single cartload far outweighed the goods, the goods had to be transported first.

Even Wanyan Xie knew that if money went beyond the Great Wall but couldn't buy anything or be spent, it couldn't be eaten, couldn't be turned into productivity, and couldn't support the strength of the country.

Or to put it another way, if you have a lot of money but insufficient productivity, you can't buy many supplies, so money is meaningless.

Cart after cart of grain and other supplies began to leave the north of Yanjing City, heading north. Two routes were made at high speed: one went through Shunzhou and Changping, exiting through Desheng Pass and heading beyond the pass; the other went through Tanzhou, exiting through Gubei Pass and heading beyond the pass.

Before that, a large number of young and strong slaves captured from various parts of Yan and Yun had already been driven out of the pass. People are better than animals. People can walk on their own. Give them a bite to eat and they will leave. It is easier than herding sheep. Sheep cannot understand words and will run around. People will not!

The Yan River is narrow from north to south, and Su Wu's cavalryman hurriedly returned to report the situation.

Su Wu quickly rode out with only one goal: to pursue them. The Jurchens in Yanyun had almost no cavalry. As long as he could catch up, it wouldn't be difficult. Even if he chased them beyond the pass, it wouldn't matter much. At this moment, the Jurchens in the north had almost no fighting power left.

Su Wu led 5,000 cavalry to personally pursue them. Those supplies were also Su Wu's lifeline. Although he would become richer and richer, this money could not be exchanged for supplies in a short time. The production order in the area north of Yanyun was almost completely disrupted, and there was not much to buy in these places...

If Su Wu were to spend a large sum of money on Jingdong in the future, it would cause massive inflation, and countless ordinary people would starve to death.

Therefore, even if Su Wu wanted to spend money in Jingdong, he had to be very restrained and constantly import countless supplies from the south through the canal to offset the cost. Otherwise, he could spend so much money that he could bankrupt the society of Jingdong!
To put it more bluntly, Su Wu's money had to be spent in Henan, Hedong, and even more so in the vast south, including Jiangnan, Zhejiang, Huaihe, and even Jinghu, and even as far as Guangzhou and Fujian, in exchange for a huge amount of supplies, so that he could spend money again in Jingdong.

Don't think this is troublesome; it's a basic economic principle. At least Su Wu had somewhere to spend his money, whereas the Jurchens had nowhere to spend their money even if they wanted to...

One more thing: even if Su Wu were to go to sea someday, his primary task would not be to earn currency or to take Chinese goods abroad and exchange them for currency. This is not important, and it is a major misconception.

What's really important is to acquire more land and mineral resources that can be used to produce goods.

You can exchange goods for them, or you can use force to steal them!

This is the way to build a strong nation.

Production determines everything.

Guo Yaoshi's resentful army once again camped outside Yanjing City. Xu Guanzhong gained even more trust from Su Wu and had become the commander of the army. Several thousand cavalrymen were also under Lin Chong's command.

Preparations for an attack on Yanjing City were underway once again.

North of Yanjing, Su Wu pursued the enemy all the way north. When he reached Shunzhou, he had to split his forces into two groups.

How to divide it?
Su Wu raised his hand and beckoned to Colonel Yue Fei.

Yue Fei rode forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, my lord!"

Su Wu nodded: "From today onwards, you will lead a cavalry unit, five battalions, two thousand five hundred riders, and eight thousand horses. You will go to Tanzhou to pursue them, and I will go to Changping. Even if we have to chase them all the way out of Yanshan, we will definitely bring back all the goods that have been transported out of Yanjing City!"

Yue Fei was taken aback when he heard this. He didn't know why his husband suddenly trusted him so much. He had fought a battle alone before, but it was only a matter of three or four hundred cavalry ambushing the Dangxiang cavalry. That was nothing more than a battle.

Why would you suddenly give him such a strong cavalry force at this moment?
Why? Su Wu's manpower was also starting to run out. Now that the operation had expanded and there were battlefields everywhere, and he had to intercept the Jurchens everywhere, he also needed to start training a second echelon. Yue Fei was good at fighting, so how could he not use him?
Although Yue Fei was puzzled, he still bowed and said, "I obey your orders. If you fail to return in triumph, bring me your head!"

Su Wu added, "If you do well in the future, I will provide you with a horse, and you will be able to select your own soldiers, expand your cavalry, and also provide you with infantry support. I will teach you to lead a force on your own, just like General Wu and General Lu!"

Young Master Yue had no idea he was about to go on stage; he simply cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

Su Wu, however, said with a serious expression: "Go quickly, lest you cause trouble!"

How could Yue Fei dare to make a mistake? He quickly bowed and went to muster his troops before setting off north.

Su Wu, however, headed northwest, towards Changping.

After chasing them to the outskirts of Changping, we finally spotted the endless convoy...

In addition to the many slaves accompanying the caravan, there were also three or four hundred Jurchen riders who drove them around on horseback. The number of slaves was at least tens of thousands, so even three or four hundred Jurchens could keep them under strict control.

The bulky caravan, the bulky Jurchen people, could hardly move fast.

With enemies chasing from behind, how could we not turn back to fight?
Three or four hundred riders reacted extremely quickly, instantly gathering behind the convoy and forming a battle line.

Su Wu frowned slightly, for the first time...

This was the first time Su Wu had truly faced the Jurchen cavalry. Although it was 2,500 riders against 300 or 400, he was still somewhat nervous.

Despite the tension, Su Wu was also excited, eager to test the mettle of the Jurchen cavalry.

They were busy getting the ranks in order, but before Su Wu could finish, the Jurchen cavalry, which were several times smaller, charged forward. Despite being outnumbered, they were unstoppable.

Su Wu was not surprised. The ranks were not yet fully formed, but he did not wait. He flicked the reins, spurred his horse, raised his spear, and shouted, "Follow me and kill!"

"I am willing to die for you, my lord!"

This is a fixed line.

More than two thousand riders galloped off. The formation was not yet truly tight, but they kept pressing in as they galloped.

When he was about a hundred paces away, Jurchen arrows came flying, clanging against Su Wu's armor. A dozen paces further on, more arrows came...

Su Wu was greatly surprised. He galloped up a dozen paces on horseback, and the Jurchen was able to release a second arrow, demonstrating his exceptional skill in controlling a bow on horseback.

Su Wu also retaliated, but he was clearly no match for the skill and speed of the Jurchens on the other side.

It doesn't matter. They're all wearing armor, so horseback archery is useless. We'll only know the outcome when we fight hand to hand.

Closer and closer, the Jurchen riders were truly bold. Even after more than ten paces, they were still drawing their bows and firing another arrow before finally carrying their bows and spears. Their movements were truly fluid and seamless. The spears they had just taken out were thrown out right in front of them, steady, accurate, ruthless, and fast!

Su Wu could only see a Song cavalryman fall from his horse right in front of him. He couldn't see much else, but right in front of him, a Song cavalryman, one of his elite guards, had fallen from his horse in an instant!
Su Wu seized the opportunity and quickly raised his spear to stab as well.

The Jurchen warrior who had just knocked down a Song cavalryman fell from his horse under Su Wu's spear. A person is a person, no matter how brave and skilled in battle, he cannot escape the realm of being human!
In the midst of the great battle, there was no chaos. As soon as they made contact, it was clear that more Song cavalrymen fell from their horses than Jurchens!

But when the two armies clashed, in the midst of their interlocking positions, the situation immediately changed drastically. Countless Jurchens fell from their horses, while the Song army suffered relatively few defeats.

Why? Once inside the battle, the advantage of numbers becomes apparent. One Jurchen cavalryman has to face several Song cavalrymen, with spears coming one after another, leaving them overwhelmed. No matter how sharp a Jurchen is, they cannot escape.

that is it.

A great man once said that the essence of war is never about the weak defeating the strong; its core essence is always about the strong defeating the weak.

Strategic strength and weakness are two different things from strength and weakness in the details of the battlefield. In other words, even if the enemy is stronger strategically, you must still gain an advantage in the details and local areas in order to strike the enemy.

Su Wu suddenly thought of this sentence. Su Wu now had 45,000 cavalry, but not many of them were strong riders; most were novices.

If he were to go into battle against 50,000 Jurchen cavalry in this manner, it would be absolutely impossible for him to win. Moreover, for a long time to come, Su Wu would not have the resources to truly confront Jurchen cavalry in the open field.

However, it doesn't mean that fighting is impossible. As long as a local advantage of using strength to attack weakness is achieved, then fighting is permissible.

Therefore, in future battles against the Jurchens, the key is to maneuver the enemy and disperse them.

In the past, the Jurchens never dispersed.

Why are we now scattered?

Su Wu thrust his spear repeatedly, some striking empty air, others hitting their mark. Once three or four hundred cavalrymen were absorbed into the enemy ranks, Su Wu would have no more enemies before him. But his steed continued galloping, while Su Wu pondered this question. In the past, the Jurchens could not truly be considered a nation, a territory. Now, the Jurchens truly had a nation, a territory, and therefore, cities to defend and people to protect.

This is when the once invincible Jurchens began to show weaknesses. Their troops started to be divided into cities, and when a city was attacked, troops had to be sent to its rescue...

Therefore, as long as the strategy is appropriate, local advantages can definitely be planned out...

Thinking of all this, Su Wu felt a sudden sense of relief.

The 50,000 Jurchen cavalry, which had been weighing heavily on Su Wu, suddenly made him feel much better.

After a short while, Su Wu's side spurred their horses to regroup. Instead of reining in their horses, they galloped around the field and then turned back. He knew that the Jurchens were fast, so he couldn't stop riding!
Once we circle back around the field and see the Jurchens again, there will be no more than a hundred Jurchen riders left. Then we'll go again!

If they come again, they will surely be overwhelmed, and only a very few Jurchen cavalry will be able to break through the enemy lines.

This victory was nothing special, and not something Su Wu should be overly happy about. However, Su Wu was still very happy because he suddenly thought about how to fight against the Jurchens in the future. The grand strategy was set, and he could slowly work on it.

When the Jurchen army returns, they will head to the border regions beyond the Great Wall. Su Wu cannot stop them. Su Wu's plan is to slowly wear them down after they return.

With the strategy decided, how could Su Wu not be happy?
Moreover, there will be plenty of time in the future, and more free time will gradually come. There will be time to slowly work on the gunpowder and cannons... and eventually, a good result will be achieved.

At this point, in Su Wu's mind, the Jurchens were no longer an insurmountable mountain, but a mountain that he could definitely overcome.

Despite the small victory, Su Wu's forces suffered considerable losses, with two hundred dead and wounded. After a brief cleanup, they recovered the horses and collected the armor and weapons.

Not far ahead, tens of thousands of young men and women wept with joy.

The entire audience was kneeling, yet some were asking, "Which army rescued me from this dire situation?"

One of the soldiers replied, "My master, Lord Su, has personally led troops to rescue you!"

"Lord Su? It's Lord Su! Lord Su Wu, Lord Su!"

"How dare you address my husband by his given name!"

"No, no, you are too kind, Lord Su! We will never forget your great kindness!"

"Thank you so much, Lord Su, for saving my life!"

"We will repay Lord Su's kindness in saving the people with our bare hands! We would never forget it, even if it meant serving him like an ox or a horse!"

Shouts rose and fell, and life's ups and downs were nothing more than that. It seemed that he was about to leave the pass and spend his whole life as a slave to the Jurchens. But who would have thought that someone would actually descend from the sky as if riding on auspicious clouds!

This feeling needs no words; the entire audience shouted and cried, some even weeping uncontrollably…

Prime Minister Su also rode forward and slowly inspected the area, thus making an appearance, which was very important.

Everywhere you look, people are kneeling and kowtowing!

"Lord Su, I will certainly set up a longevity tablet for you, and burn incense and pray for your well-being every day, wishing you a long life of a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand years!"

Upon hearing this, a soldier standing next to Su Wu was greatly alarmed. He glanced at Su Wu instinctively and immediately rebuked him, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Su Wu, unsmiling, made several appearances before waving his hand and saying, "There's grain in the cart. Let them cook and eat their fill before we talk about anything else!"

After saying this, Su Wu turned his horse around and left. The soldiers and civilians began to busy themselves. After eating and drinking their fill, they still had to walk to transport these things back to the army.

These people also need to be resettled. They will first be resettled in Zhuozhou City or Yanjing City. After the war is over, they will be sent back to their original places of residence, given food and land, and allowed to farm for Minister Su.

Prime Minister Su doesn't want much; one-tenth of the taxes should be paid, and there should be no extra taxes. If Prime Minister Su wants more, he should pay for it himself.

Of course, these are all things to be discussed later. The land will always belong to Prime Minister Su. You are to cultivate it. Cultivate it diligently, deliver the grain diligently, and you will all have a good life next year.

He saved lives, distributed land, and reduced taxes; no court could be better than Minister Su!
At that time, perhaps Prime Minister Su will restore an organization called "Zhechongfu". When life is good, he will organize military training during the off-season for farming. That will be the time for you all to repay Prime Minister Su's great kindness and virtue.

The Zhechongfu system was actually quite good, but the Tang Dynasty ruined it.

When needed, it can be used as a real military mobilization organization, which will greatly expand Su Wu's source of soldiers. Those with stable property have stable minds, and in order to protect their hard-won good life, everyone is brave and fierce.

Even when not relying on them, they should still be maintained so that they can be used as a militia organization.

Let's just do it this way for now!

At this moment, what Su Wu needs to do is become the savior of the entire Yan Yun!
The entire Yan Yun region owes him, owes him alone!
Meanwhile, Yue Fei was heading north towards Mizhou, pursuing the Jurchens all the way to Gubei Pass. It was time for him to prove himself, but he only faced two or three hundred Jurchens.

Yue Fei was incredibly fierce; he single-handedly took down seven or eight Jurchens, and after defeating two enemy forces, he returned home in high spirits.

The siege of Yanjing is still in preparation!
Inside Yanjing city, however, there was no panic; one person finished performing and another took the stage—it was a familiar routine.

Many people were even looking forward to it when they learned that the person coming from outside the city was Minister Su of the Song Dynasty. Why?
Because if Lord Su doesn't really come to rob and plunder, then the Jurchen barbarians really will rob and plunder, and if you don't comply, they will really kill you.

It's still better to have come from the past, when Prime Minister Su came to Yanyun and distributed grain to the people! Although it wasn't much, it was real. How could the barbarians compare?
The Jurchen barbarians in the city dared not even glance at it.
In the past, when Prime Minister Su was in the city, he treated people kindly!

It's better to be a Song citizen. I hope Prime Minister Su can really defeat the Jurchens and enter the city. Once they're in, all the things those barbarians stole will be returned...

Those who were truly wealthy in the past were especially eager for this, listening intently from morning till night, just to hear any movement inside or outside the city.

Why hasn't Lord Su attacked the city yet?

Yanjing was indeed different. There were only one or two thousand Jurchens, but there were also many Jurchen deputy soldiers, as well as Liao troops who had surrendered to the Jurchens early on, who were also very capable fighters. In total, there were about ten thousand Jurchens.

Add to that the forced slaves, and the number is well over sixty or seventy thousand.

In terms of appearance, they could also defend the great city of Yanjing very well.

Su Wu had already circled the city several times, observing where the strong points were and where the weak points were, figuring out how to attack, using feints and diversions, and waiting for weapons.

We are still waiting for reinforcements. Guo Yaoshi will be the main attacker, but he also needs reinforcements to cooperate. Liu Zhengyan is going to Yingzhou to guard Yuguan and will pass through here. Yao Pingzhong is going to Tanzhou to guard Gubeiguan and will also pass through here. Let's wait a bit!
To the south, Liu Guangshi had already headed south, heading towards Xiongzhou.

The operation was clearly growing larger and larger, with countless fast-riding soldiers galloping across the Yan-Yun land. The time had come to truly test Su Wu's command abilities!
Fortunately, Su Wu had already experienced this once in the Northwest, so he became even more familiar with it. He managed everything in an orderly manner, and the money, grain, and laborers were all handled step by step.

He also sent a letter to Jingdong, saying that the Jingdong army was going to expand its forces again. On the one hand, it was to expand its forces in Yanyun with Zhechongfu, just waiting for this battle to end.

On the one hand, JD.com must accelerate its military expansion, expanding as much as possible. In the current situation, once Su Wu's order arrives, no one can say anything. With the country and nation in such a state of ruin, how can we not strengthen our military and restore our homeland?

Su Wu was a scholar of the Privy Council. In order to defeat the Jurchens, it was not unreasonable for him to make expedient measures in the face of battle. As long as he could recover the lost territories, how could that not be a great achievement?

Everything is about to get on the fast track; it's time to unleash our accumulated strength.

The documents ceding the three prefectures in Tokyo have not yet left the city!

Wanyan Zongwang was naturally furious and wanted to teach the Song people a lesson. He ordered that the so-called Prince Kang of the Great Song be taken to the city and beheaded.

Prince Kang, Zhao Gou, was bound hand and foot and placed on a cart, then dragged to the city walls.

The cold, sharp blade hovered around me, and the Jurchen people beside me were all fierce and menacing, truly worthy of my killing.

Zhao Gou, the only son of the retired emperor who was "both literary and martial," was so frightened that he could only weep uncontrollably.

I long for it too, brother, oh brother, please come quickly to save me.

When it was truly time to execute them, the city gates opened in the blink of an eye, and here they came! The documents and contracts ceding the three prefectures of Taiyuan, Zhongshan, and Hejian had indeed arrived.

Zhao Gou, who was about to urinate, let out a long sigh.

The second batch of money also left the city. The second batch consisted of three to four million strings of silver, but not much gold, and another one or two hundred thousand bolts of silk.

Wanyan Zongwang was still furious. This was too slow. When would they be able to gather five million taels of gold and fifty million taels of silver?
The two trembling Song envoys simply bowed and said, "Sir, you also asked if copper coins could be used instead?"

Wanyan Zongwang simply waved his hand: "We want gold and silver, not copper coins! If we can't raise three million taels of gold and ten million taels of silver by tomorrow, kill that so-called prime minister first! Go back and report immediately! We don't have much patience left. If they continue with that delaying tactic, we will definitely attack the city and take it ourselves!"

The Song envoy should hurry back and report!
Upon arriving at the Chui Gong Hall, the Emperor was furious: "At this critical moment for the nation, unlike in the capital city of Dongjing, where countless families still scheme and plot, you are all here. Many noble families and aristocratic clans, whose wealth has remained unchanged for over a hundred years, cannot even produce tens of thousands of strings of cash? Send the Imperial City Guard to knock on each and every door. If they still do not consider the plight of the nation, then imprison them and confiscate their property!"

The entire audience was completely silent!
Who should be imprisoned? Whose home should be raided?
Aside from a few who rose from humble beginnings, everyone here is rolling in wealth. Do they really think the emperor is ignorant and clueless?

Even among the crowd, many remained in the capital, trembling with fear. Perhaps they weren't truly loyal and valiant, but rather too wealthy to leave. People are willing to die for money, so they took a gamble, betting that these barbarians had no intention of destroying the country, but were merely there to reap the benefits...

The emperor was still furious: "If the Jurchens enter the city, no matter how much wealth you have, it will all be for naught in the end! Think of your wives and daughters at home, wouldn't you... I can't even bear to say it. What do you mean? We share the same fate, and we share the same fate. How can you still have the right to make your own plans? You'd better think twice!"

"To handle official business of the Imperial City Guard!" the Emperor shouted; this was an official title!

The young and strong soldiers stepped forward, cupped their hands, and said, "Your subject is here!"

"Go! Go to every household!" the emperor waved his hand.
The officers of the Imperial City Guard had already come out, and everyone in the room frowned.

"Dismiss the court!" The emperor waved his hand and stormed back to the inner palace!

The emperor is truly furious. The Zhao family has treated the scholar-officials better than ever, even sharing the empire with them. Now that the empire is in trouble, how can the scholar-officials selfishly sit idly by? How can he not be angry?
(Brothers, 6,400 today...)
(End of this chapter)