Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 323 Oh no! It's ruined, it's ruined, it's ruined...

The situation was on the verge of erupting. Liu Yu never expected that a crude and vulgar soldier would actually dare to draw his sword against him.

When Liu Yu saw several armored soldiers entering through the door, how could he not shout, "Men, seize him!"

At this shout, all the military officers sitting on the right stood up in unison. They didn't do anything, they just suddenly stood up!
The Jiesheng Army soldiers who entered hadn't really intended to come up, so they immediately stopped in their tracks.

Luan Tingyu and Huyan Zhuo were the leaders of the army, and it was Huyan Zhuo who spoke up: "Gentlemen, do not act rashly!"

Luan Tingyu also chimed in, "Lord Liu, you really shouldn't push people too far!"

Fan Yun couldn't get up because Luan Tingyu was already blocking his way. But Fan Yun pointed his knife at Luan Tingyu and cursed, "You dog of an official, in this courtroom today, taking your head is as easy as taking something out of a bag!"

For a moment, the situation was brought under control again, but Liu Yu was even more furious: "Rebellion! Rebellion! Men, quickly send the Jiesheng Army into the city!"

Liu Yu was truly put in a difficult position. If this matter was dropped today, who in Dongping Prefecture, or even the two routes of Jingdong, would still respect him as the Xuanfu Envoy?

There were only a few dozen soldiers in the outer courtyard, and twenty or thirty officers in the yamen. Liu Yu was still quite flustered!
Even before they came, it was anticipated that Geng Nanzhong of the Privy Council would send three thousand Jiesheng Army soldiers to accompany them. However, what was anticipated was a struggle that would be open or covert. These three thousand Jiesheng Army soldiers were brought to Liu Yu to capture people. No one expected that it would be so tense.

The tense situation was undoubtedly orchestrated by someone behind the scenes...

The idea was also to give the newly appointed Liu Yu a hard time, to scare him and make him behave himself in Dongping Prefecture.

Liu Yu was truly embarrassed, but relying on his three thousand victorious soldiers, he couldn't possibly not use them, so he ordered his men to go out of the city to fetch more troops.

Hu Yanzhuo frowned, while Luan Tingyu glanced at Fan Yun a few more times. Fan Yun gritted his teeth and pointed his knife forward, waving it: "It seems this corrupt official really doesn't know what's good for him!"

Cheng Hao, however, was quick-witted and immediately turned around. What was he going to do?
Just then, Cheng Wanli rushed in, shouting, "What's going on? What's going on? Quickly put the knife away and let's discuss this further..."

Cheng Wanli also understood why the soldiers were so agitated; if someone wanted Su Wu's life, then someone else would also risk their life for him.

That was not just Su Wu's life, but the lives of more than ten thousand cavalrymen in Jingdong, and the lives, fortunes, and futures of everyone present.

When Fan Yun saw Cheng Wanli arrive, he lowered his head slightly and actually put away his waist knife.

Just as Liu Yu was about to lash out, Cheng Wanli spoke up first: "Hurry up and leave! Everyone, leave! What kind of behavior is it to draw swords against each other in the yamen? Go, all of you, leave!"

Cheng Wanli was driving people away, first expelling all the soldiers. He wanted to try to ease the situation a bit, so he wanted to persuade Liu Yu several times.

Cheng Wanli went to catch up, and the soldiers naturally went outside. Fan Yun was also pushed and supported by Luan Tingyu as they walked out.

The civil officials and clerks on the left also went out.

As Fan Yun walked out, he said, "Just kill this corrupt official!"

Luan Tingyu said softly, "Let's see how Minister Cheng persuades the enemy. We also need to figure out the path to victory. It's better to discuss things carefully in the long run. There's no rush!"

These words really calmed Fan Yun down.

Fan Yun still had something to say: "My husband saved my life from under the horses' hooves. If anyone wants my husband's life, I'll kill him!"

Luan Tingyu nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know..."

As they talked, everyone left the courtyard.

Sitting in the yamen, Liu Yu was utterly humiliated. He turned to Cheng Wanli and said, "What kind of behavior is this? What kind of behavior is this? Has Jingdong ceased to be the Song Dynasty? Has it become a den of rebels? Prime Minister Cheng, you will return as the Prime Minister, and your jurisdiction has become a den of rebels?"

Cheng Wanli took a deep breath: "These rough and uncouth men are all about loyalty and chivalry, and they don't know anything about sages or poetry. All arrogant soldiers and fierce generals are like this. They will draw their swords at the slightest disagreement. That's why they are invincible on the battlefield. Please don't be offended, Lord Liu!"

"This is already an act of treason, and must be severely punished!" Liu Yu couldn't help but be furious.

Cheng Wanli frowned even more. Having been in Jingdong for so long, how could he not know? These soldiers usually greeted him with smiles, but each and every one of them was a vicious and ruthless thug. Of course, that's not the right word; whether they were ruthless killers or simply fierce and warlike...

These people had a life-or-death bond with their son-in-law, Su Wu!
Looking at this Minister Liu before us, his actions are truly excessive and reckless...

Cheng Wanli wasn't afraid of anything else; he was afraid that these soldiers might actually kill someone in a fit of rage, which would push Su Wu to the brink of utter ruin.

Cheng Wanli also advised Liu Yu: "Lord Liu, you may not know this, but with Ziqing not here, we cannot easily deal with these soldiers. We should wait until Ziqing returns in the future, then Lord Liu can discuss this matter with Ziqing and deal with it more properly!"

Cheng Wanli was telling the truth. Don't cause trouble. His son-in-law can decide whether to beat or kill these people with a single word. But if others want to beat or kill them, that's just wishful thinking.
"What? Minister Cheng, are you threatening me?" Liu Yu had never encountered anything like this in his entire career as an official. He didn't believe Cheng Wanli's words and thought that Cheng Wanli was in cahoots with those soldiers and Su Wu.

Helpless, Cheng Wanli could only speak earnestly again: "Lord Liu may not know, but the people of Jingdong are known for their fierce and unruly nature. Among them, the soldiers are either from local powerful families, or were once known for their bravery and fighting in the martial arts world, and some were even former notorious bandits who were later recruited... There are also many who have served the country and made countless contributions, like that Fan Yun from earlier, who has numerous military achievements and has always been extremely arrogant. Lord Liu really doesn't need to get angry with him..."

"What you're saying is enough to make even a mere Pacification Commissioner like myself avoid his sharp edge?" Could Liu Yu trust Cheng Wanli? He was just waiting for the Jiesheng Army to enter the city. He really hadn't expected these things to happen on his first day in office; otherwise, he would have let the Jiesheng Army enter the city much earlier.

Just wait a moment, and the victorious army will enter the city from their camp outside. Let's see who dares to cause trouble in this city. That soldier from earlier will also be tied up and killed as a warning to others.

In the Song Dynasty, the status of a soldier and a high-ranking official were worlds apart; how could such a thing exist?
As Cheng Wanli was persuading them, many soldiers left the government office and headed to the military camp in the city to gather. Zong Ze had already taken his seat in the military camp's council hall and was waiting.

Fan Yun entered and asked only one question: "Lord Zong, shall we kill or not?"

Zong Ze was merely giving instructions to intimidate Liu Yu, but Fan Yun didn't think that way; he genuinely intended to kill him!

There's something else that no one knows: Fan Yun has a letter on his chest left by Su Wu. It's about one thing: the troops of Jingdong must not be moved. If there's any power struggle, then killing will be the only option.

Why is this considered an event? It's because someone seized power, which allowed them to mobilize the troops of Jingdong.

While JD.com's troops remained unmoved, the power grab had already begun.

Zong Ze frowned as well: "This man was working in Hebei, and he's the kind of person who would abandon his post and run away. I thought that if I just scared him, he would back down on his own, but I didn't expect that this guy wouldn't be scared so easily!"

Zong Ze miscalculated!
“Then kill him!” Fan Yun said again.

Another person followed, Cheng Hao. He was dumbfounded. How could his brother-in-law's generals be so brave?
Really killing?
Kill the imperial envoy? If he were killed, then...

Cheng Hao also looked at the many generals, and indeed quite a few of them looked angry. Although they didn't say anything, they were truly neither surprised nor afraid...

Zong Ze waved his hands repeatedly: "Don't act rashly, let's see how Minister Cheng speaks..."

How could Fan Yun not be anxious? He blurted out, "Lord Zong, that corrupt official is leading his troops into the city. If we don't act now, won't we be waiting for him to kill me?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Hao immediately envisioned a massive battle and quickly replied, "No problem, no problem, I'll go out of the city too. I can persuade the Jiesheng Army to stay outside the city!"

Zong Ze turned to look at Cheng Hao: "Really?"

Cheng Hao nodded: "Most likely!"

"Then hurry up and go!" Zong Ze said quickly, and Cheng Hao immediately flew off.

Zong Ze immediately added, "That's excellent, but the city gates must also be guarded. The Jiesheng Army must not enter the city. General Huyan and General Luan, quickly send reinforcements to each city to guard them!"

Huyan Zhuo was somewhat worried and asked, "If we really have to force our way in, are we capable of fighting?"

Zong Ze was extremely conflicted; this was a real problem...

Seeing Zong Ze's conflicted expression, Fan Yun said, "Master Zong, I'm going out for a bit!"

"Alright, alright, go and hide for a while!" Zong Ze nodded and left.

Zong Ze paced back and forth, conflicted, while Hu Yanzhuo waited...

After waiting for what seemed like a while, Zong Ze finally spoke: "If they force their way in, just... shoot them! But you must not kill too many. Just kill the one who leads the charge. Don't kill those who don't move. That's the only rule!"

Huyan Zhuo clasped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Understood!"

With that, the many generals strode off!
After everyone else left, Zong Ze became even more restless. He could see soldiers assembling on the drill ground outside the gate, their armor clattering loudly...

"Sigh..." Zong Ze sighed repeatedly. He really didn't understand what the court was doing.

Why is it that the Emperor, Geng Nanzhong, and Liu Yu are all like this?

No matter what, how can we ignore the battle on the front lines?
Who made these decisions with their brains like dogs?

Furthermore, given the arrogant and fierce soldiers in this region of Jingdong, how did they come to believe that this matter could be done?
Inside the Xuanfu Envoy's Office!

Cheng Wanli continued to plead, "Lord Liu, whatever you decide to do... you should consider it carefully!"

While glancing outside the door, Liu Yu spoke perfunctorily to Cheng Wanli: "What about Di Qing back then? Hmm? How does Di Qing compare to Su Wu? Han Qi could kill any of Di Qing's generals without hesitation. What could Di Qing do?"

"Times have changed. I was trying to protect you from trouble..." Cheng Wanli truly thought so. He was afraid that some people in the army, such as Fan Yun, might actually kill someone and hide in that marsh. If Su Wu returned in the future, wouldn't he be caught in a dilemma?
Only by persuading Liu Yu to cease hostilities can everything be stabilized.

"Enough talk, the affairs of Jingdong are now in my hands!" Liu Yu was determined. He didn't really respect Cheng Wanli. Compared to Cheng Wanli, he believed he had a better future. In fact, if the court were to purge Su Wu in the future, Cheng Wanli might also become a prisoner.

Speaking of his future, once the JD.com matter is handled well, Liu Yu will naturally have a bright future!

Then, looking through the doorway, another woman walked in, heavily pregnant. Cheng Wanli quickly got up and asked, "My dear girl, what brings you here?"

The good girl naturally came. She was already in the back office settling her household affairs, so how could she not come now that things had escalated to this point?
"Father, I'd like to try to persuade Master Liu too!" Madam Cheng, despite being pregnant, still bowed deeply.

Helpless, Cheng Wanli turned to introduce her again: "This is my beloved daughter!"

Liu Yu glanced at her briefly, then exclaimed, "Oh, Su Wu's wife!"

Cheng Wanli nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes..."

Liu Yu ignored Madam Cheng, but Madam Cheng, standing before him neither servile nor arrogant, still had to speak: "Why must you be so forceful, Mr. Liu? Are you determined to take my husband's life?"

Liu Yu immediately flew into a rage: "What kind of talk is this? Huh? The affairs of the court are even more complicated for officials. How dare you, a mere woman, interfere? Why aren't you at home taking care of your husband and children? What are you doing here in front of the government office?"

Cheng Niangzi's expression remained unchanged as she looked at Liu Yu and slowly said, "You want to take other people's lives, but aren't you afraid that others will take yours?"

This woman is truly ignorant and arrogant!
"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!" Liu Yu was furious. He looked at Cheng Wanli and said, "Is this the daughter you raised? I think your Cheng family is truly a family of traitors! Master Cheng, you are also a Jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examination), and you are well-versed in poetry and literature! Are you really a family of rebels?"

These words must have terrified Cheng Wanli. He immediately stood up and said, "Lord Liu, what are you saying? You can't frame a loyal official like this!"

But then Cheng Niangzi spoke up: "Father, some things you can't get by begging. This Prime Minister Liu already considers us traitors, and the court probably considers us traitors too. Otherwise, why would Prime Minister Liu come here to take my husband's life? Let's not beg anymore!"

Cheng Wanli then said to Liu Yu, "Lord Liu, I, Cheng Wanli, truly have no desire to get involved in the struggle between the emperor and the retired emperor. My son-in-law, Su Wu, has never thought about such things either. He is still fighting to the death against the Jurchens in Yan and Yun, and he is serving his country to the death! Why must it be like this?"

Cheng Wanli has spoken so bluntly, he really has no other choice, this is truly forcing him to his death!
He just wanted a peaceful life, and now he wasn't even that keen on getting promoted. He just wanted to live a good life in peace and quiet. How could such an unexpected disaster happen? What... what is going on?

Cheng Wanli was extremely anxious!
How could Liu Yu not relish Cheng Wanli's anxious and fearful appearance at this moment? He sneered, "Hmph... When I came yesterday, did I greet you with a smile? It was you, it was all of you, who took advantage of my weakness. Now it's too late to say these things!"

Liu Yu knew perfectly well that once the victorious army entered the city, the overall situation would be in his grasp!

Cheng Xiaoniang also gave a cold laugh: "The affairs of the nation and the country are being ruined by people like you!"

What does this mean?

Cheng Wanli didn't understand, and neither did Liu Yu!
Cheng Xiaoniang added, "Father, there's no need to say more!"

Cheng Wanli was utterly helpless, his face contorted as if he were about to cry. He paced back and forth, constantly rubbing his hands together, sighing, "Alas...no, no!"

"Hmph! It's too late to regret now that things have come to this!" Liu Yu knew that time was almost up, so he kept looking towards the gate.

Sure enough, the soldiers arrived as quickly as they were told. Armored soldiers entered in a flurry, first guarding the left and right entrances, then moving into the left and right corridors. Countless armored soldiers filed in, instantly filling the government office to capacity.

Cheng Wanli just glanced outside, then closed his eyes and cried out, "Oh no! It's ruined, ruined, ruined..."

Madam Cheng looked outside as well. She was standing in the front, but she moved aside to sit down in the middle of the yamen, rubbing her big belly.

Liu Yu was overjoyed and turned to Cheng Wanli, saying, "Hmph... let's see just how many rebels there are in your Dongping Prefecture!"

Hearing the clattering footsteps outside, Madam Cheng remarked, "Master Liu is truly calm in the face of adversity; even if Mount Tai collapses before him, he remains unfazed!"

Seeing the soldiers already surging towards the yamen, Liu Yu replied with a single sentence: "The Emperor's mandate and his majestic power, how can they be afraid of you petty villains?"

Cheng Wanli was extremely anxious. He even went forward to meet them and turned to his beloved daughter, saying, "My dear daughter, come and stop them!"

The obedient girl remained unmoved, but as she had said, someone wanted her husband's life!

Liu Yu laughed at Cheng Wanli, saying, "Do you think you can stop us? If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?"

Suddenly, someone in the surging armored crowd shouted, "You corrupt official, your life is coming!"

Liu Yu was taken aback; the voice seemed somewhat familiar…

As the armor was being distributed, a man stepped out from the crowd. It was Fan Yun. Before even drawing his sword, he bowed and said, "Greetings, Master Cheng! Greetings, Madam!"

"What is this? What is this?!" Cheng Wanli was so anxious that he jumped up and down, saying this.

Liu Yu stood there stunned, unable to react for a moment. After a brief pause, he shouted, "Where is the Victory Army?"

"The Victory Army won't be able to come!" Fan Yun said angrily. Even with Cheng Xiangong standing in his way, he couldn't very well confront him. He then added, "So what if the Victory Army does come?"

"Get out! Get out!" Cheng Wanli pushed Fan Yun, not with much force, but out of anxiety.

Fan Yun didn't leave. He took out a letter from his pocket: "Please take a look, my lord!"

Cheng Wanli quickly looked at it, and after a moment, he turned to look at his daughter: "Have you already seen it?"

The obedient girl stroked her belly and nodded.

"This...this..." Cheng Wanli was extremely shocked and didn't know what to say.

“Father, my husband did the right thing. Now, our family is either in power or at the mercy of others. History will tell us the same story for generations to come!”

Madam Cheng had indeed read the letter long ago. It was the history book that she taught Su Wu to read. Her mind was very clear, so how could she not know what to do now?
Could it be that Liu Yu has truly seized power?

The child hasn't even been born yet, but one day someone's head will be rolled on the ground.

Then Madam Cheng said, "Father, my husband will return to mediate in the future, but today, we must do it!"

Fan Yun chimed in, "We will obey Master Su's orders, and Madam also shares this sentiment!"

These words were spoken to Cheng Wanli...

"How can we mediate this now..." Cheng Wanli muttered. If he did what was in the letter and what was happening now, how could Su Wu mediate in the future?
If you really think about it, it seems that only by sending a large army into Tokyo and changing the emperor can the situation be truly resolved...

Ugh……

Cheng Wanli was extremely helpless, and looked at Liu Yu again: "Why is this? Why do you have to force me like this?"

Liu Yu was stunned for a moment, but now, looking left and right, he seemed to understand. Cheng Wanli obviously dared not do it. Could it be that he was just putting on an act?
Cheng Wanli dared not do it. How could a mere woman and a crude brute dare to act recklessly?

Liu Yu steadied himself: "Cheng Wanli, are you really a traitor?"

Cheng Wanli was looking at Liu Yu, and he had something to say but didn't know how to say it...

But before he could keep an eye on him, Fan Yun emerged from behind, took a few steps forward, and held a knife at his waist!

Cheng Wanli only saw a figure pass by, and instinctively reached out to grab it, but he couldn't hold on to it.
As the long sword came hurtling towards him, Liu Yu's face immediately contorted with terror. He raised his hands and jumped back to hide, shouting, "How dare you!"

The words had barely left his mouth when the blade plunged into his abdomen, accompanied by Fan Yun's voice: "Killing you is no more than slaughtering a chicken or a dog!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fan Yun plunged the white knife in, pulled out the red one, and held it to Liu Yu's neck: "You corrupt official, you deserve to die!"

Liu Yu, who had just gotten up to try and hide, fell back onto the chair, his face contorted in pain. He kicked his legs and frantically clutched his stomach, repeatedly stammering in terror, "Please, please... don't do anything rash, please..."

"It's hard to say!" Without waiting, Fan Yun cut with the blade, opening the throat, and then cut again, and the head fell off.

In an instant, blood gushed upwards, soaking Fan Yun completely.

Cheng Wanli stood there, frozen in place!
Madam Cheng lowered her head and turned away, avoiding further attention, but her expression remained unchanged. One hand on her belly, the other supporting her on the armrest of the chair, she slowly stood up. Surrounded by the Jiesheng Army men who served Liu Yu, Madam Cheng uttered a single sentence: "Don't kill needlessly..."

Fan Yun nodded: "Understood!"

Cheng Niangzi stepped forward and took her father's hand: "Father, let's go first... This time, I'm afraid we won't be able to go to the capital again."

Cheng Wanli could only sigh, "Alas...why? Why force them like this? Why push them to this point!"

With that, the father and daughter went out.

Fan Yunlai waved his hands to the soldiers, instructing them to pack it up: "Carry it to the military camp first, so that the Chancellor can also take a look..."

Fan Yun simply followed her husband's orders, and after finishing, she would ask Master Zong and the others to see what to do next...

And then there was Cheng Wanli's sigh: "Why must you force people to do this..."

A daughter chimed in, "Father, good advice is useless against a wicked man. He was a villain to begin with, so let him be. The world has changed; there's no longer any distinction between right and wrong. Those history books, we thought they only recorded ancient events, but they actually record the present. If Father goes to the capital like this, he'll likely lose his head one day. Who can we blame? We can only wait for my husband to return and set things right..."

“I have no desires or wants now, why force me to this point…” Cheng Wanli didn’t blame anyone, he only felt helpless.

He knew all the entanglements of interests and understood all the reasons behind them. He wanted to avoid it and thought that everything was still manageable, but he couldn't escape it no matter what!
"Father, my husband is back. He will handle things well..." the daughter comforted him.

“Sigh…” Cheng Wanli nodded: “I know everything, but I didn’t want things to come to this… It shouldn’t have been like this, Tokyo… Just as Master Zong said, rotten wood serves as officials, and beasts eat the salary…”

“We should move everything back. Father will need to stay in this government office for a while longer…” the daughter added.

Cheng Wanli had already walked out the door, but when he turned back to look, he just shook his head silently.

Outside the city walls, in the Jingdong military camp, Cheng Hao was surrounded by a large group of people at the Jiesheng Army's encampment. They were discussing many things, but none of them were about Liu Yu's demand for Su Wu's life...

Then the military order came, ordering everyone to enter the city. No one said why, but Cheng Hao said it was to order everyone to enter the city to arrest the so-called Su Wu's henchmen.

How could everyone not hesitate? They just listened to Cheng Hao say, "Now that we have arrived in the land of Jingdong, you are all soldiers of Jingdong, all brothers. My brother-in-law and many generals of the Western Army are all sworn brothers. Brothers, just do not move. Let's see what you gentlemen have to say!"

No one nodded or spoke.

He truly didn't move...

Just listen to Cheng Hao continue speaking, going on and on... Cheng Hao had so much to say... from Chancellor Tong to the Privy Council, from the Privy Council to Chancellor Su, from Chancellor Su to how good the treatment of the Jingdong Army was, and how much Chancellor Su rewarded the soldiers...

Zong Ze looked at Liu Yu's severed head and body and sighed repeatedly, questioning Fan Yun, "Why were you so impulsive? How could you do such a thing?"

Fan Yun didn't take out the letter; he just stood there without saying a word.

“If you act like this… how will your husband understand in the future?” Zong Ze continued.

Fan Yun replied, "It's better than my husband dying in Yanyun in a few days!"

"You still...you still..." Zong Ze sighed helplessly, pacing back and forth several times, and finally said, "I'm afraid that one day, your husband will really lead troops into the capital!"

"Then we'll wait for my husband to return and decide..."

"You go and hide for a while, I'll report this to the capital, Tokyo, and see if we can still have a good talk with the Emperor..." Zong Ze still wanted to try his best, to write a ten-thousand-word letter, to explain all the matters, to inform the Emperor of all the details, and to persuade the Emperor to change his mind...

Su Wu was a pillar of the nation; we cannot doubt or pressure him like this!
Ugh……

Zong Ze sat down and picked up his pen. For a moment, he didn't know where to begin, but he had to say something. He also knew that he could only do his best and leave the rest to fate.

Even if this memorial is sent, it will likely not dissuade many people, and in the end, Zong Ze will inevitably become a follower of Su Wu!

Ugh……

Whose fault is it? Whose fault is it? Why did the former emperor flee in such a panic? If he hadn't left, none of this would have happened.

Why are there so many incompetent and foolish people in the court? Now that the throne is rightfully ours, why be so wary of Su Wu? We can't wait until the war is over to discuss anything.
There are too many strange things...

What's wrong with this country?
He also needed to write to many officials in Jingdong to clarify the matter, especially Zhang Shuye from Qizhou. Zhang Shuye had to come and meet with them in person to talk about Cheng Xiangong, his Zong Ze, and Zhang Shuye...

Another thought crossed my mind: Su Wu was still fighting to the death!
They were rushing westward, with tens of thousands of Jurchens behind them. After two days of continuous marching, Wanyan Zongwang seemed to have finally realized what was happening...

The Jurchen army could stop just like that!
Su Wu was in front, and even he slowly stopped!
The current situation is awkward, and Wanyan Zongwang is extremely embarrassed!
Liu Guangshi was collecting the remnants of the Jurchens in the Zhuozhou area when he suddenly received an urgent letter from the imperial court...

(Goodnight, guys...)
(End of this chapter)