Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 318 What...what is this?!

In Zhuozhou City, the battle was raging, and the Jurchens were focused on climbing up the city walls. This time, Guo Yaoshi was truly capable of fighting.

Guo Yaoshi's combat prowess is like Schrödinger's cat; sometimes he's incredibly powerful, and sometimes he can fight without firing a single shot.

After a battle, the Jurchens exerted pressure, and Guo Yaoshi was in grave danger atop the city wall. Thus, the Jurchen envoy departed.

In the distance, Su Wu also saw a small, scattered group of Jurchen people heading down to the city. He didn't need to guess; they were envoys.

Liu Guangshi said, "Brother, this time, will that Pharmacist Guo... relapse again?"

Su Wu calmly replied, "Let him be!"

"Brother, are we just going to let him go like this?" Liu Guangshi really couldn't understand his brother's thought process.

Su Wu simply said, "What else can we do? If it's going to rain, it's going to rain; if a mother wants to remarry, what else can we do but go with her? This kind of person spends his whole life calculating pros and cons, weighing gains and losses, good and bad. One day, one day, he will be wrong... if not now, then someday!"

"Mmm... Brother..."

"No rush. The Jurchen issue doesn't concern these people, but rather those of us, our brothers. Zhuozhou is insignificant; whether we can hold it or not, the most important thing is to secure Yanjing and prevent the loss of any key passes. Then, it will be a matter of fighting to the death. Right now, it would be best if Guo the Pharmacist could exhaust the Jurchen's strength as much as possible. If not, we won't dwell on it. When the time comes, it will still be you and me fighting the Jurchen to the death. There will always be another time like that..."

Su Wu understood that the Jurchens wouldn't shed tears until they saw the coffin; they would never easily give up their abundant wealth, which was their future livelihood. They would only truly be willing to give it up when they felt the pain.

It is also said that Su Wu, how could the Jurchens let themselves be controlled by others? When forced into a corner, how could they not want Su Wu's life?

Therefore, Su Wu was mentally prepared. The present situation was a minor matter; the real battle was the major event.

It also depends on where the Jurchens ultimately choose to go north, and it can be speculated that the Jurchens may also need to test them in various ways.

Ultimately, this whole affair boils down to how much money, food, supplies, and manpower the Jurchens can take back with them.

Su Wu had another thought: even if more money, grain, and supplies could be taken away in the end, the population must be retained. Without people, without productivity, and without a base of soldiers, the Jurchens would find it difficult to grow powerful.

Of course, beyond the bottom line, the more you can get, the better!

It's inevitable that he's thinking about the bottom line. In Su Wu's mind, the bottom line is actually clear: Su Wu's bottom line is that the Jurchens can take away some money, food and goods, but the number of people cannot be too many.

Even Su Wu would need these people now, these young men and women who have experienced great changes, who have received great kindness from Su Wu, and many of them have deep-seated hatred on their hands, they are truly useful!
Just look at the recruitment flags at the city gates of Hejian Prefecture; they are truly overflowing with people! It is said that the soldiers under Yue Fei's command in history were so good at fighting. Wasn't it because the Jurchens ravaged Henan, Hebei, and the Huai River region for several years, causing countless obedient and law-abiding people to be filled with hatred?
Su Wu had probed the Jurchens' bottom line: they wanted half. Furthermore, the Jurchens clearly realized that Su Wu would inevitably cause some trouble with the Song Dynasty in the future…

In this world, there are no things that are so clearly right or wrong. Whenever right and wrong are exceptionally clear, it is because many details have been covered up by others.

Inside Zhuozhou City, Guo Yaoshi was also meeting with the Jurchen envoy, Gao Qingyi, who said, "Commander, why are you changing your mind again?"

This is a question. The Jurchens, at this moment, are still powerful. They have gained too much confidence from their battles and are inevitably somewhat condescending.

Guo the Pharmacist replied, "The kindness and righteousness shown by Lord Su is so profound that I am ashamed and do not know how to refuse. We are of humble origin and value kindness and righteousness above all else. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

The reason why Guo the Pharmacist still met with the Jin envoy was simply that he knew he was a peasant with limited experience, and he couldn't help but want to see if the Jin people could offer better terms, even though he knew that the Jin people in front of him were probably untrustworthy, he still wanted to give it a try...

Such people are often like this; they always hope for an unexpected surprise...

It was also with Su Wu that he felt no surprises, but rather immense pressure. Su Wu disliked him and expected him to work hard to please Su Wu.

Gao Qingyi didn't know much, but he understood that this was a case of waiting for a higher price to go.

Gao Qingyi retorted, "What do you think my Great Jin is? Guo Yaoshi, you've witnessed the ferocity of the Jurchens countless times. You saw it this time too. What a huge army, how many people, how many carriages! After this, the might of my Great Jin will be unimaginable in the future. It's quite amusing that you're waiting here for a bargaining chip. I'm afraid there won't be another chance like this in the future. Why don't you hurry south and escape? Perhaps you can still hide for a while. If you wait until next year, when hundreds of thousands of troops come, I don't know if the Song people will ask you to lead the charge. I don't know how you'll stop them!"

Asking for help? The current Jin dynasty won't! They'll only threaten!

Upon hearing this, Guo Yaoshi's heart tightened. In the future, the Song and Jin dynasties would surely fight again. Would he be cannon fodder on the front lines? Xu Zhenhuan...

For a moment, Guo Yaoshi was indeed somewhat shaken. But when he thought about it again, he wondered if the Jin people would truly accept his surrender. Even if war broke out again in the future, wouldn't he, Guo Yaoshi, be nothing more than a pawn under the Jin army?
He was no match for the Jurchens on the left, nor for Su Wu on the right; he was like a pawn on both sides.

For a moment, Pharmacist Guo felt really bad and couldn't help but wonder, how did I end up like this?
I still need to think about it...

If we were to surrender to the Jin now, there would be many uncertainties, and the Jin people's resentment would be difficult to diminish...

If he doesn't surrender now, if he truly risks his life, at least he can show Prime Minister Su that he's willing to sacrifice himself, and perhaps he can gain some of Prime Minister Su's trust...

Anyway, it was all about planning...

Guo Yaoshi retorted, "I am a Han Chinese. I only made a mistake in the past. Now that Lord Su has disregarded past grievances, how can I not repay him with my life? I was born a Song person, and I will die a Song ghost!"

After speaking, Pharmacist Guo also looked at Gao Qingyi. His words carried a hint of probing; if… the Jurchens could truly offer an even greater price than they could currently imagine, then they would see…

For example, if Guo Yaoshi were appointed as the military commissioner of Yanyun, with millions of people in Yanyun under his command... that would certainly be a topic for further discussion...

After all, although Yanyun is now in ruins, it still has a large population and countless fields. If managed well, it may really become a powerful force in its own right. Just like recently, I saw how Minister Su managed Yanyun. His methods were truly brilliant, and I have learned a lot from them.

A real man is born between heaven and earth, how can he be depressed and inferior to others for long?

Gao Qingyi was stunned when he heard this. This Guo the Pharmacist, a peasant who only cared about his own interests, was now talking about being loyal and righteous.
Gao Qingyi had no more options. Given the Jurchens' current situation, they couldn't afford to compromise. He could only say, "We'll see."

Pharmacist Guo was extremely disappointed. Why wasn't he offering a price?

Gao Qingyi had no more prices to offer, so he simply turned and left, and Pharmacist Guo didn't stop him!

There's still a glimmer of hope; if the Jurchens can't be defeated again, perhaps they'll actually be able to set a price...

The only question is why Guo Yaoshi thinks this way. It's simply a matter of experience. What happened to the Liao Dynasty in the past? Didn't they also try to win him over?

What about the Jin Dynasty in the past? Didn't they still treat us like honored guests?
And what about Su Wu? Although he may be unhappy on the surface, wouldn't we still allow him to come again?
With more tolerance, one feels that the cost of switching sides is really not high. It's as if he, Pharmacist Guo, has become a hot commodity, a hot commodity that everyone takes seriously. If one can become a hot commodity every time, wouldn't that be a great pleasure?
From another perspective, it seems like everyone is begging him!
The Jurchens left, and the battle resumed the next day. Guo Yaoshi was less worried, even though it was another battle and the situation was precarious, he always felt that the Jurchens would not really fight to the death.

We will wait for the Jurchens to retreat again, then adjust our plans and make further preparations.

Guo Yaoshi felt increasingly confident that he was of paramount importance in all matters, and this was indeed true; at this moment, he truly was of paramount importance.

Guo Yaoshi stood on the city wall, waiting, firstly for the Jurchens, and secondly for the dark mass of Song cavalry at the far end of his vision. "The Jurchens are coming, aren't they?"
Will Su Wu's messenger also arrive at night?

Waiting for the best price means not only looking at the Jurchens, but also at whether Master Su can raise the price. One peach can kill three warriors; there are two warriors in front of us, so let's see how they compare.

Shouldn't you send someone tonight, Lord Su? Didn't you see that the Jurchens still have envoys coming?

When the time comes, Master Su will name his price, and Pharmacist Guo can simply explain his loyalty and righteousness. Master Su will be pleased to hear this and will trust him completely. Pharmacist Guo will also benefit greatly. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?

The true path released the Jurchen envoy, and Guo Yaoshi only counted as one level? That's already counting up to the atmosphere!
But after waiting, the Jurchen envoy did not come. After waiting again, a whole night passed, and Lord Su still did not send anyone!

Early the next morning, Guo Yaoshi, inexplicably in a bad mood, stormed around the city wall.

He couldn't help but mutter curses: "These fools, they don't know what's important! They all think they've figured everything out! Hmph..."

Why did Pharmacist Guo say such a thing?

She also has a clever streak to play...

On one side is Wanyan Zongwang, and on the other is Su Wu; their levels are still too low.

What about the Jurchen emperor? What about the Song emperor?
They all wanted to try, to speculate and make profits. They had to find ways to do it. At this point, Wanyan Zongwang and Su Wu both seemed to be middlemen, trying to get direct contact with the emperor!
It seems we should try to make some connections between the Jurchen emperor and the Song emperor. The emperor should have a broad perspective, while this middleman is truly short-sighted and lacks foresight!

Of course, that's a matter for later. For now, let's just prove ourselves! We can then discuss this with the two emperors another day.

It was truly a case of Su Wu and Wanyan Zongwang underestimating people.

In fact, it was also Guo Yaoshi who wanted Yanyun. Yanyun was a place where two countries were located side by side, a place where people could easily make their own moves. Guo Yaoshi had been good at making his own moves all his life, and he naturally wanted to step onto a bigger stage, so that he would no longer have to dance with middlemen, but could dance directly with the two emperors.

Ultimately, was Pharmacist Guo the one who suffered the injustice?

Historically, Guo Yaoshi also died because of his skillful manipulation of social situations!
Unexpectedly, when they went to check again the next day, the Jurchen army was still moving; they were no longer attacking the city. One can only wonder, was Zhuozhou City really that important?
The Jurchens weren't incapable of taking the city; they were simply unwilling to sacrifice lives. Their initial attack was merely a test to see if they could conquer it with minimal losses. Since they couldn't conquer it with minimal losses, the Jurchens simply took a detour, incurring further losses.

The Jurchens could endure it, but Wanyan Zongwang knew even better that the real battle was not here, but when they were about to cross the Yanshan Pass.

Guo Yaoshi looked from the high point of the city wall and was greatly puzzled: why had they stopped fighting?

Those around him also came to ask, "Commander, should we go out of the city to give chase?"

Pharmacist Guo quickly shook his head: "No need, no need!"

So, he was so traumatized that he would leave the city to fight the Jurchens in the open? That's just a joke.
The others then asked, "Are we just going to watch the Jurchens walk around the city like this? Those carts can't possibly travel fast between the fields. If they get out of the city, they might actually capture quite a lot!"

Pharmacist Guo simply shook his head: "There's really no need for that. Our responsibility is to defend the city! We've already succeeded!"

Guo Yaoshi's mindset is to preserve his strength and not take the slightest risk. Even if he can make a big move in the future, he still needs to have the right skills.

Outside the city, the Jurchens walked with unhurried ease.

In the distance, Su Wu watched, a gentle smile playing on his lips…

Liu Guangshi then said, "These people have actually managed to hold their ground this time and are willing to fight to the death!"

Su Wu laughed, "If he were truly willing to fight to the death, he wouldn't have received the Jurchen envoys!"

"Brother's words..."

"Right under my nose, he even received Jurchen envoys... How interesting!"

Su Wu still had that light laugh...

Liu Guangshi suddenly realized something and said, "Brother, do you mean that these people want to raise the price?"

"Uncle Ping, just watch, these people will die without a burial place in the future!" Is Su Wu a man without temper?
"Brother wants to kill him?" Liu Guangshi, courtesy name Pingshu. "He's courting death!" Su Wu foresaw something; although he didn't know exactly how Guo Yaoshi was courting death, he knew that Guo Yaoshi was determined to die!

If you really think about it, you might die from being fooled by those people in Tokyo!
"Should we transfer him away from Zhuozhou?" Liu Guangshi asked.

Su Wu shook his head: "Just leave him here!"

"Such a strategic location is probably difficult to defend..." Liu Guangshi was very worried.

“This is a strategic location. We should place him between Yanjing and Xiongzhou. You will be in Xiongzhou, and I will be in Yanjing!” Su Wu was expressing his trust in Liu Guangshi.

If he doesn't stay in such a strategic location, how can he jump?
Well, there are plenty of monkeys in this world, so we need to kill a chicken.

Furthermore, we must let all the monkeys know that what those people in Tokyo say is all nonsense and cannot be believed.

How can this be proven without leaving behind a pharmacist named Guo?
Many people may not have seen through Zhang Jue of Pingzhou in the past, but with the arrival of Guo Yaoshi of Zhuozhou, the world will see clearly that those gossipy people in Dongjing are all talk and no action.

Let Pharmacist Guo have all the right timing, location, and people, and really have a chance to jump.

Su Wu also looked at Liu Guangshi. The time would come for Liu Guangshi to make a choice. With Guo Yaoshi's jump, Liu Guangshi would become the bulwark for the southward advance. Let's see how Liu Guangshi chooses…

At this moment, aside from the people of Jingdong, Su Wu wanted to test them, intentionally or unintentionally...

Some things happen quickly. Just one day later, Liu Guangshi received an official document announcing his promotion to Associate Privy Councilor... and even his father, Liu Yanqing, was appointed to the Privy Council and went to Tokyo to take up his new post...

Su Wu also held the position of Signatory to the Privy Council, a position personally announced by the Emperor in court, in front of the Retired Emperor, yet the official document had not yet arrived...

Liu Guangshi held the official document as if it were burning his hands. After thinking for a while, he hurriedly went to find Su Wu.

The official document then reached Su Wu's hands...

Su Wu was still watching when Liu Guangshi spoke up: "Brother, it seems the court... truly doesn't believe you..."

"The imperial court..." Su Wu sighed.

"Brother...we must quickly report to the Emperor and convey your loyalty and righteousness!" Liu Guangshi said urgently.

He was afraid. He was afraid that one day he would have to confront Su Wu in battle formation. He was clever; he sensed it...

"If the Emperor wants my life, I will gladly await my execution! As long as the Jurchens do not rise up, I will not be ashamed before the Emperor, the state, or the common people!" Su Wu declared.

"Absolutely not! If, brother... alas... wouldn't the morale of the mighty army be shattered? We all follow you to achieve great deeds; if anything happens to you... then..."

Liu Guangshi was extremely anxious.

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "We are about to fight to the death. The Jurchens have been bypassing the city walls, waiting to come out and fight to the death. In this life-or-death battle, we don't know if we will live or die. Why think about anything else? Dying on the battlefield will be the end of everything..."

"Alas..." How could Liu Guangshi not know the situation before him? Just as Su Wu said, there was still a battle to the death, and who knew whether he would live or die?

These troubles only arise when one is alive; once one dies, all is over. Even Liu Guangshi himself, looking at Su Wu before him, was uncertain of his fate. If his brother could charge into battle, why shouldn't he go?

"How did things turn out like this!" Liu Guangshi exclaimed with a sigh.

"Why is that? Among us who lead troops, aside from those spineless eunuchs, those who truly achieve great merit can expect a good end? Di Qing?" Su Wu shook his head and said.

“Brother is a high-ranking official, a scholar, and a recipient of the imperial examination!” Liu Guangshi said.

"Having passed the imperial examination, do I have a classmate? Do I have a mentor to guide me? Which prime minister's daughter am I married to? Do I have any friends who called my name outside the Donghua Gate? Scholar? I have studied poetry and books, written any grand essays, or established any theories in the world. Can I be called a scholar? Where is the emperor who granted me the title of Jinshi and honored me with the title of scholar-official?"

Su Wu's self-mockery was also a way of telling Liu Guangshi that they were the same kind of people!

"The Emperor Emeritus?" Liu Guangshi's heart tightened.

Su Wu also took something out of his pocket. Liu Guangshi received a document from Tokyo, announcing his promotion to Associate Privy Councilor.

How could Su Wu not receive that imperial edict hidden in his belt?
Liu Guangshi took it and stared in disbelief: "What...what is this?!"

How could Liu Guangshi not understand what this was?
Su Wu did not answer.

Liu Guangshi's voice trembled: "This...this must be a fake! Someone wants to frame my brother!"

true and false?

Su Wu asked, "What if it's true?"

Su Wu did not explain what Zhao Ji's "Slender Gold" calligraphy style was, what Zhao Ji's signature was, or what Zhao Ji's unique monogram was.

Su Wu then took out another item, which was handwritten by Tong Guan.

Liu Guangshi's eyes were like a scanner; he quickly scanned several pages of paper, containing several hundred words.

What Tong Guan said needs no further explanation; how could he not write a letter to Su Wu? They had to do it! Otherwise, they would both die!

It can't be fake, right?

"This...this...this..." Liu Guangshi even took a step back. No matter how much he thought about it, he never imagined that he would experience such a thing.

"What do you think I should do?" Su Wu asked.

"Brother..." Liu Guangshi had thought of many things beforehand, but when faced with the situation, he couldn't help but show his disbelief.

It has been said that among the nine emperors of the Song Dynasty, among these civil and military officials, who has ever seen such a thing?
Su Wu stared at Liu Guangshi and asked, "You said... give me some advice, what should I do?"

Liu Guangshi stood there, holding the imperial edict in his left hand and Tong Guanzhi's letter in his right. For a moment, his legs were trembling uncontrollably.

After all, Liu Guangshi was a man who had faced countless dangers and walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood...

They were indeed trembling with fear...

Su Wu reached out his hand...

Liu Guangshi nervously handed the two documents back to Su Wu. Su Wu folded them in the left and right, then put them in front of his chest, and said, "Before, you advised me on one side and spoke to me on the other. But now that this has happened, why are you so afraid?"

"elder brother……"

"you say……"

"Brother, I..."

"How about we take our ten thousand cavalry and ride back to the capital at top speed? It'll be just as convenient, since your father will be arriving in the capital in a while, and you'll have nothing to worry about..."

"This...this might not be appropriate, the Jurchens are still right in front of us..."

"Then let's wait. Let's deal with the Jurchens first, go through with our deaths. If we die, so be it. If we survive, we can think about this later. By then, your father will have entered the capital, you will be wary, the Grand Chancellor will be dead, and I will be too late... At that time, you can kidnap me and take me to Yanjing, and we'll all be rich and powerful."

Su Wu asked again...

Upon hearing this, Liu Guangshi was greatly shocked. He knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Ah? Brother, I would never dare to think such a thing! In this life, I am willing to follow your lead!"

"In the end, I'm a dead end, but you all have to live!"

Why did Su Wu do this?

Others are naturally unaffected, whether it's Liu Zhengyan, Yao Pingzhong, Han Shizhong, or even Yue Fei...

Liu Zhengyan, of course, simply followed the military order. Yao Pingzhong, on the other hand, was a cursing and swearing fellow. If it were truly a matter of purging the court of corrupt officials, Yao Pingzhong would probably be overjoyed and wouldn't have any doubts.

Han Shizhong, Yue Fei, and even Wu Lin and Wu Jie—they didn't have much influence and couldn't make any decisions. When people were being manipulated and didn't understand why, they were actually easy to deal with…

Both Master Zhong and Master Zhong are very old and live far away from their hometown, so their influence is minimal...

The people at JD.com need no further explanation.

Only Liu Guangshi, who was right in front of him, was a cautious and prudent person who had been calculating all his life and lacked the boldness to go all out. Moreover, the Liu family was deeply rooted in Fuyan and had a large army. Therefore, Su Wu had no choice but to use Liu Guangshi to test him.

Liu Guangshi knelt before him, saying only, "Brother, no matter what, I don't want you to die. I will do everything in my power to protect you!"

"Let's not talk about that. Die on the battlefield first. If you die on the battlefield, everything will be resolved, and you will rise step by step!" Su Wu wasn't just testing him; he was also expressing a lot of helplessness...

Liu Guangshi was speechless for a moment, then said, "Brother, why are things in this world so difficult? This court, this emperor... Brother, I am willing to die with you!"

How could Liu Guangshi not be in a difficult position? It couldn't be more difficult than this!
"You don't need to die. Just let me die, and you will gain my merit! You can also take care of many brothers!" Su Wu was filled with sorrow...

"I will not live a life of dishonor!" Liu Guangshi said repeatedly. He sensed something, something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but he felt it...

Perhaps sensing that her older brother was testing her...

Perhaps sensing that her brother truly intended to die...

Perhaps sensing the bloodshed that awaits in the imperial court in the future...

None of it is real!

In the midst of my feelings, I unconsciously uttered these words.

"Let's go, let's go, let's mount our horses and fight again!" Su Wu was extremely melancholy, and slightly raised his hand to wave. There was still a battle to fight! There was still a few bites to take from the Jurchens!
What kind of bullshit court is this? What kind of bullshit emperor is this?
Have they really driven those who are willing to die for their country to this point? Everyone talks about Su Wu, and even more so about Liu Guangshi. Wasn't Liu Guangshi precisely someone who was willing to die for his country, yet he was forced by the court and the emperor to kneel and kowtow endlessly on the ground…

They also asked, what should be done about Tong Guan?
(A little less today, 6,300 words. It's my dad's birthday, and I rushed back after drinking to write this. Sorry! Brothers, it's the last day of the month, so take a look at your monthly votes and don't waste them! Muah...)
(End of this chapter)