Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 328 This Su Wu seems to genuinely intend to apologize?
Yanjing City!
Liu Guangshi had been waiting for six or seven days, and finally Su Wu arrived.

Inside the Langya Prince's residence, the two had a private conversation.

The Langya Prince's Mansion was truly impressive. Wu Yong chose the best residence, consisting of three interconnected buildings.

Although it was in the north and the weather was just beginning to get warm, the house was already lush and green. The ice on the surface of the water had melted, and new fish had just been thrown in, swimming happily...

There was a small pavilion on the water, where two people were sitting.

They exchanged only one pleasantry before falling silent again. After tea and snacks were served, the two quietly drank half a cup of tea...

Liu Guangshi spoke up: "The people in Tokyo... perhaps they want to force my brother..."

Su Wu remained expressionless: "Well, if we look at it from another angle, if I were one of those people in Dongjing (Kaifeng), I should also take the initiative to do something. This is the best course of action. One has elite troops under his command, another controls power in Yanyun and Jingdong, and the third has achieved great merit, all of whom have already broken free from the control of the court. It's better to act sooner rather than later. We should act while this person's position is still unstable. If we drag this out, this person will only become more powerful and influential, and will become more and more deeply entrenched, making it increasingly difficult to take action..."

Liu Guangshi nodded in agreement: "What you say is true, brother... but you now bear a heavy responsibility, and the Jurchens are not easy to deal with..."

"I am very pleased that you came and said this..." A bitter smile appeared on Su Wu's face...

Liu Guangshi quickly said, "How could my brother and I have any selfish motives? It's just that I'm really in a dilemma right now. That... that gentleman surnamed Geng, who used to be the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince's Palace, has instructed me to prepare the troops in Hebei and Hedong. Brother, what does this mean?"

Su Wu smiled wryly and waved his hand gently, saying only, "Let's discuss this carefully... Tell me, if I go to the capital to apologize, can I come back and lead the army to fight the Jurchens?"

Liu Guangshi was taken aback upon hearing this. He had the answer in his heart, but he dared not give a random answer and remained silent for a moment.

"Tell me about it..." Su Wu urged.

"I..." Liu Guangshi really didn't dare to answer. Could he really ask Su Wu to lead the troops?
Su Wu smiled bitterly, his smile growing ever more bitter: "It seems there's still a layer between us, in our hearts..."

"Brother, what are you saying?" Liu Guangshi patted his chest to assure him.

Su Wu waved his hand gently again: "Enough, enough, in the end it's all my business..."

Liu Guangshi couldn't answer, but he could ask, "Brother, what are you really thinking?"

Su Wu didn't mince words: "Look... I have a solution that benefits both sides, can you help me devise one?"

"That's acceptable," Liu Guangshi nodded, "I'm all ears..."

Su Wu had already made up his mind, but he insisted on discussing it with everyone he met, asking for advice and suggestions...

He continued, "I cannot actually do that, amassing an army and becoming powerful. If I did, how would the world view me? But I must go to Tokyo no matter what... Going to Tokyo, I may die... Don't you think so?"

"Huh?" Liu Guangshi pretended to be stunned.

"Stop 'ah,' you might die, don't you?" Su Wu asked defiantly.

"Brother...maybe I really didn't think much about it, I didn't know..." Liu Guangshi pretended again.

"Alright, whether you know or not doesn't matter. I'll go. I might die, or I might live. I really don't want to die. In my heart, no one wants to die, and in my public heart, I don't want to die either. If I die, then it's your turn to fight the Jurchens, you fight..."

Su Wu looked at Liu Guangshi.

Liu Guangshi waved his hands repeatedly: "Brother... I've never thought of that. If I were to fight the Jurchens, how could I possibly defeat them with just over ten thousand troops in Fuyan? It's fine if I stay in the city and defend it, but if I were to actually go and fight the Jurchens, then..."

"Alright, alright, we're brothers, loyalty should come first. For both public and private reasons, I don't want to die and can't die. But I can't hold onto my troops and become a rebel. If I bring too many guards to the capital, I'll be a rebel; if I bring too few, I might die... I've decided on exactly eight hundred armored cavalry. I'll go to the capital like this. You can choose one or two thousand men to come with me, just like you're escorting me. How about that?"

Su Wu suddenly stood up as he finished speaking. The pavilion wasn't large; it was just a few steps away from the railing. He leaned on the railing with both hands. Wu Yong really knew how to handle things. Koi carp weren't really suitable for the hot weather in Yanjing, but there really were koi carp swimming around...

“That’s easy. I’ve been assigned three or five battalions from the Fuyan army ever since…” Liu Guangshi nodded.

“No, Xihe soldiers, Liu Zhengyan’s soldiers, he’ll go too, you take him with you…” Su Wu didn’t turn around, staring at the koi, this koi seemed to have something wrong with it.

"Huh? Xihe soldiers? General Liu's soldiers?" Liu Guangshi asked.

"Well, you take one or two thousand men to escort me, and I'll take eight hundred, making a total of about two thousand men... We'll go to Tokyo together to pay our respects to the Emperor. Once we're in the capital, you'll put in a good word for me. If I'm really going to die, you'll find a way to save my life, how about that?"

“Brother, your plan to have it both ways doesn’t seem very reliable. Sending this small force to the capital probably won’t be very effective. After all, the Palace Guard, the Imperial City Guard, the Heavenly Martial Guard, and the various armies around the capital have more than 200,000 men. Even if they are mostly useless, they can still gather some elite troops. This is probably difficult… difficult…”

Su Wu interrupted, "It seems I really misunderstood you earlier. There is truly no barrier between us. You were really helping me plan things out... It is also me who, with so many things on my mind, is walking on thin ice and cannot find peace of mind..."

“Brother, of course!” Liu Guangshi nodded repeatedly.

"It's alright, I'll go then. Life and death are preordained, wealth and honor are determined by fate. Emperor Xu only summoned me for an audience. I will just be loyal to the emperor and love my country, and the emperor will naturally let me go..."

What was Su Wu trying to do? Nothing much, except that Su Wu noticed Liu Guangshi's extreme caution and conservatism. Liu Guangshi seemed to be in a dilemma on both sides...

Then let's stir up a small incident to force Liu Guangshi to take a certain path. If we don't force him this time, things will get very troublesome in the future.

A great man once said that we must clearly distinguish between enemies and friends, and we must unite all forces that can be united...

Liu Guangshi is clearly not an enemy, but a friend, and someone with whom we can truly unite...

Liu Guangshi replied, "Brother, I'm afraid this is not a safe approach. Why don't we discuss it later? Let's postpone it and talk about it some more."

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "No, no more delaying. The Jurchens won't allow me to procrastinate. We must act decisively. Tomorrow, I will lead you into the grasslands. We cannot allow the Jurchens to easily control the entire grasslands. Otherwise, we will be attacked from all sides. This is a matter of national importance. The overall situation is paramount. The matter of Dongjing should be resolved decisively. There is no need to wait for the emperor's edict. Tomorrow, we will set off for the capital. In this way, the emperor will know my loyalty!"

"Going tomorrow?" Liu Guangshi was very surprised, rubbing his hands together. Two thousand people are really going?
What if I really die... those insects in Tokyo are so stupid, what if I really can't even say a few words properly...

"Don't think about it anymore. The emperor is benevolent, as he always has been. I'll go and talk to him myself. You can put in a good word for me, it won't hurt..."

Su Wu turned back. There was still half a cup of tea left, almost cold. He should drink it quickly so as not to waste it.

"Well..." Liu Guangshi was somewhat at a loss, completely at a loss. It seemed that Su Wu's words made sense, but he still felt that the situation might be quite serious... However, he dared not offer any rash suggestions...

Su Wu waved his hand and shouted into the distance, "Someone come here! The water is shallow and cold. These koi probably won't survive. Quickly get a heated room and some warm water. Burn coal, not firewood."

People rushed over, and Liu Guangshi even peeked out of the pavilion to see if the koi was really going to die, as it had very little vitality.

"Go and rest well. We'll set off early tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, you should also write a memorial saying that you're leading troops to escort... that word isn't good. You're leading troops to protect Su Wu back to the capital to meet the new emperor!"

Su Wu had already hurried away, seemingly busy with something as simple as burning coal in a heated house, trying to save the lives of these koi fish...

Liu Guangshi nodded and replied, "Yes, sir!"

After finishing speaking, he rubbed his hands together and sighed, "Why is it so difficult?"
Thinking back on it, it doesn't seem that difficult. If he goes to the capital like this, he shouldn't be involved, right?

Emperor Xu is really easy to talk to. The emperor and his own brother have a past relationship, so there's nothing wrong with talking about it, right?

No matter what, the Jurchens really need Su Wu to fight them. If Su Wu dies, wouldn't the morale of all the powerful armies collapse? Especially the elite cavalry of Jingdong, wouldn't they all be filled with fear and panic, and how could they fight the Jurchens?
These words can be spoken to the Emperor later, and the Emperor will surely understand. As long as Su Wu's attitude is good and he truly demonstrates loyalty and righteousness, once the Emperor is fully aware of the situation, there seem to be many things he can say...

If we go tomorrow, then let's go tomorrow. We should at least try to mediate. For the sake of our country and its people, we should try to mediate properly.

Let's go, let's go...

The next morning, it was absolutely true.

Su Wu led 800 cavalrymen and three battalions of 1,500 cavalrymen, all of whom were Liu Zhengyan's troops from Xihe.

A total of 2,300 people set off with only a few days' worth of food.

Liu Guangshi looked at Wu Song next to Su Wu, then at Lu Da, and then at... someone he didn't recognize, Shi Wengong?
Are we really going to fight?

They wouldn't have done that. If they wanted to fight, they wouldn't have sent so few people; they should have sent tens of thousands of cavalrymen south.

If we don't fight, what if... he/she really dies?
This reveals the inner turmoil Liu Guangshi was experiencing at that moment.

Su Wu, sitting on his horse, suddenly said, "I did arrange for some men to go to the capital ahead of time. Xiao Yi, Yan Qing, you know him, the head of the cavalry."

"Brother is so thoughtful, we should go and find out what's going on first!" Liu Guangshi nodded.

"Hmm, let's see if the armies in the capital will also be mobilized in advance!" Su Wu said.

"Of course not!" These were Liu Guangshi's hopes. He hoped that the gentlemen in the capital wouldn't do such a thing. If they did, there would be no room for negotiation, and this brother in front of him would definitely turn around and leave.

It's better for everyone to have a good talk; that's better than anything else!
At least this guy in front of me seems quite sincere. Although he's a bit wary, his sincerity is definitely there!

More than two thousand cavalrymen headed further south, at a leisurely pace, while Su Wu waited for news from the capital to come and go several times.

Liu Guangshi's memorial was being sent urgently, and the official roads in Hebei and Beijing were naturally unobstructed.

Liu Guangshi's memorial contained nothing but praise for Su Wu, describing his loyalty and righteousness, and his sincere heart...

He also advised the emperor that he must see Su Wu's sincerity.

After receiving the memorial, the emperor summoned several ministers to discuss it further.

Everyone was reading the memorial, and the emperor asked, "Does Su Wu seem to genuinely intend to plead guilty?"

Li Bangyan pondered for a moment: "Liu Guangshi brought 1,500 soldiers to escort them, while Su Wu brought 800 men. It seems they are quite sincere..."

Geng Nanzhong frowned: "I think not. Su Wu now commands a large army and controls Yanjing and Jingdong. How could he easily submit? Why? Think about it, if you were Su Wu, would you submit so easily? Just now you came to request credit, and he even wanted to be granted more favors openly and secretly. He could kill the two envoys of Jingdong without hesitation. Cheng Wanli has already entered the Privy Council, but he has been delayed... Why did he suddenly come?"

It is naturally full of doubts; how could a smart person not see it?

Bai Shizhong, being a shrewd man, also spoke up: "This is a delaying tactic. Liu Guangshi has probably already revealed the secret. With hundreds of thousands of troops in Hebei, Hedong, and the capital region, Su Wu is likely terrified. Therefore, this delaying tactic is used to buy time. Su Wu has only just entered Yanyun and just received a large sum of money. He hasn't had time to strengthen himself yet. How could he not come? This is a case of enduring hardship and biding his time!"

"Hmm?" The emperor glanced sideways, also deep in thought.

Li Bangyan immediately changed his tune: "What you two gentlemen say makes sense. Think about the An Lushan Rebellion. Before An Lushan plotted his uprising, didn't he frequently visit Chang'an? He even performed the Hu Xuan dance for Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei... He could even call her 'mother.' I'm afraid Su Wu, upon entering the capital this time, might be even more so. As long as he can deceive His Majesty, he could probably summon a whole host of 'mothers' and 'fathers'... Such people have always been like this throughout history!"

Geng Nanzhong's brows relaxed, and he seemed to feel much better for some reason. He said, "Alas... Xu Liu Guangshi was also deceived by him, and actually submitted a memorial to plead with Su Wu..."

"Then..." The emperor was momentarily flustered and filled with worry, but he asked, "If... people are so easily dealt with like this... the people of the world will probably not understand what's going on, which would make me, the emperor, seem harsh and cruel..."

Geng Nanzhong said, "Your Majesty, we're not going to kill anyone. Just let Su Wu come to the palace to see us, arrest him, and send his trusted generals to the capital to report on their duties. Then, he should hand over his power. Cheng Wanli will also come to the capital to plead guilty. Then, send a pacification commissioner to clean up the officialdom in the eastern capital. After that, we can discuss the crimes. Isn't killing the pacification commissioner a crime? Although he doesn't necessarily need to be severely punished, as long as we take back all the power, we can keep Su Wu in the capital. Whether we give him an official position or bestow favors, what's wrong with that? Wasn't Di Qing, who was once a high-ranking privy councilor?"

Bai Shizhong remarked, "Prime Minister Geng Shu is brilliant!"

Li Bangyan lagged behind: "Indeed brilliant. This is what is meant by distinguishing merit from demerit, and rewarding and punishing appropriately. Your Majesty will have a good reputation, and the country will be at peace..."

"Then hurry up and make arrangements. Bring the soldiers into the capital to prepare. I've heard that Su Wu is incredibly brave and fierce, capable of taking on a hundred men single-handedly in battle. We need a group of truly capable men, not the old, weak, sick, or disabled. We need people who dare to die to fight him... Hmm... I've also heard that his troops are incredibly brave and fierce. The military camps outside the city should also be prepared. Deploy more elite troops to the left and right. We can't let Su Wu's eight hundred or so men suddenly attack. We must surround them completely. That way... that way will be safe!"

These were the Emperor's words. The Emperor had clearly made a decision, but he was extremely flustered. He even had a scene flash through his mind: Su Wu charging at him with a knife right in front of him in the main hall.

Bai Shizhong just nodded and looked at Geng Nanzhong, who was able to mobilize troops.

Li Bangyan also went to see Geng Nanzhong.

Clearly, no one present questioned whether Su Wu could fight a hundred men single-handedly, nor did they question whether his soldiers were fierce and invincible.

Geng Nanzhong was in a very difficult position. He said, "Su Wu is such a shrewd person. He cannot be taken lightly. If he is moved around at will, there are probably spies of his in the capital who will notice. What if Su Wu turns back halfway? Wouldn't all our efforts be in vain?"

"Then... what should we do?" the emperor asked.

To say that this emperor has no opinions of his own is to underestimate him. He even imprisoned his father; how could he be someone without opinions of his own?
But he seemed to lack his own opinions, simply listening to the conversations of the group and nodding in agreement.

In this world, what is more important than the stability of imperial power?
No!

What about family, love, friendship, and even the most mundane kind of affection...

In the face of a stable imperial power, all of this is a joke!
This is how men think!

The emperor was clearly already certain of his decision, but like Su Wu, he consulted with everyone he met.

What should we do then?

Geng Nanzhong also shared the emperor's worries: "Your Majesty, rest assured, it will be a few days before they enter the capital. I will take my time to do it. There is no rush. The more you rush, the more mistakes you will make. If we do it slowly and secretly, we will be absolutely sure to succeed!"

The emperor said with deep concern, "Then I entrust everything to the Grand Chancellor!"

"Your Majesty, I am humbled. This is my duty!" Geng Nanzhong clearly understood the proper conduct of a subject.

Raise a question, explaining how difficult and challenging it is to solve.

Then, I turned around and thought, "I can solve such a troublesome problem." So I asked the emperor, "Am I exceptionally talented?"
This isn't a sophisticated method; it's just basic stuff.

The emperor echoed, "Without the Grand Chancellor, I fear I would not be able to sleep soundly. The Grand Chancellor is truly a pillar of the nation and my right-hand man!"

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation!" Geng Nanzhong was secretly very pleased with himself, even overjoyed, but he still managed to feign trepidation. He added, "There is no time to lose, Your Majesty, I will go and do it right away!"

"Very well, my dear minister, go immediately!" The emperor nodded, his face full of anticipation!
Geng Nanzhong should still give a solemn bow, turn around and look at him with a certain demeanor. If you look closely, it is indeed a scene of "the wind is howling and the Yi River is cold, the hero goes forth and never returns!"
A sense of tragic heroism and competence, and also extremely reliable!

The ministers withdrew.

The emperor was extremely excited. Everything was ready, and he was just waiting for Su Wu to come to the capital. Right now, he had something to do: go to the inner palace, to Longde Palace, to see his father again!
(End of this chapter)