Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 337 Yes, I am the King of the Great Song Dynasty!
Zhahemu, a fifteen-and-a-half-year-old boy from the Dadanyedu Gua tribe, has a two-year-old horse and is herding his sheep home...

The yurt was small, and inside lived a woman, a boy of eleven or twelve years old, and a little girl of seven or eight years old.

According to Zhahemu, he should have an older brother who was summoned away by Yedu Gua Khan.

A small bag of gold was left at home, and Zhahemu himself only carried a small amount with him before setting off with Su Wu.

Su Wu, curious, asked, "How do you know about the Tang Dynasty?"

A few wrinkles appeared on Zhahemu's dark skin as he smiled, and he replied, "I heard it from my grandfather when I was little..."

Su Wu seemed to know, and then asked, "Then how did your grandfather know about the Tang Dynasty?"

“My grandfather and the Great Khan shared the same grandfather. My grandfather often talked about this. He also said that his great-great-grandfather fought for the Tang Dynasty and went to many places in the Tang Dynasty…”

Zhahemu seemed genuinely proud.

Su Wu was pondering something: Was the Tang Dynasty really that good? Why would people remember it for so long?

Is there something that will be talked about so much, and told as a story by generation after generation?

The Great Tang Dynasty... Su Wu slightly raised his head. The sky was clear and blue, and a gentle breeze was blowing... Oh, the Great Tang Dynasty...

The Tang Dynasty back then was perhaps like paradise on earth; everyone had heard of it, and everyone spoke of it...

At that time, Li Keyong would only come to this grassland to say a few words, saying that he was going to fight for the Tang Dynasty. These young people would be filled with enthusiasm, and they would excitedly ride their family horses, pack their bags, take their weapons, and go to fight to the death!
What does this feel like?
What feeling could be better than this? It was true for the Dadan, the Khitan, the Shatuo, the Tangut…

As Su Wu ventured deeper into the grasslands, he realized that families like Zhahemuna's, with their herds of cattle and sheep, were already considered very fortunate.

Many more grassland people, like tenant farmers or even slaves, did not own their own cattle and sheep, nor their own yurts; they were merely herders for their masters…

There were no conflicts along the way, perhaps because of Zhahemu, and more so because the Dadan people and the Song people were never enemies.

As long as Su Wu doesn't plunder here, or has any deep-seated grudges here, the herdsmen won't draw their weapons and shout to kill him when they see him; they might even come out to watch the spectacle...

If Su Wu wanted a bowl of water, the child, with snot hanging from his lips, would cheerfully lead him to find the clearest stream...

The people of the Central Plains, the Central Plains dynasties, haven't been here for over two hundred years. Two hundred years ago, during the Tang Dynasty, at its weakest point, when the Tang Dynasty fell, the Tang people still conscripted troops here to fight for supremacy...

Heading north, passing the southern edge of the Khangai Mountains, you can look up and see the end of that mountain range, which is considered a sacred mountain on the grassland.

Further north, the Uyghurs once thrived here and built a city called Woldu, which is now the site of the Zubu King's Palace.

The current Zubu King is not very old, only in his forties, and his name is Tielali, but this age is already considered very old on the grasslands.

Tielali was originally an ambitious man, but due to the excessive suppression by the Liao people in the past, he did not have much prestige or power in the Dadan Nine Tribes.

The most straightforward example is that twenty years ago, Tielali repeatedly requested that the Khitan marry their daughter to him, but the Khitan royal family refused.

Now, twenty years have passed, the Khitan are gone, the Tielali have grown old, and the Jurchen have arrived.

At this very moment, Tielali was also convening the various tribal khans to discuss what to do if the Jurchens came.
But an uninvited guest arrived. The scouts outside the city had long since spotted the arrival of ten thousand Song cavalry and reported it to them.

Tielali was in a real bind. Many herders had no concept of the Song people, but he certainly knew what they were.

In the council hall within the city, Tielali also asked, "The Song people arrived soon after, and the Jurchen envoys arrived first. They've all come. Everyone knows why they've come. Let's discuss it..."

A cold laugh rang out first: "Hmph... The Liao people are gone, so we will no longer be oppressed by them. Now, let's see who offers the highest price, whether it's the Jurchens or the Song people..."

The speaker was Qidaili, the Great Khan of the Yedu Gua tribe. There was a reason for his words. It was not long ago, probably only twenty or thirty years ago, when Yedu Gua rebelled against the Liao people.

The Liao people's Northwest Pacification Commissioner wanted to fight, and the Zubu King at that time was called Mogus, who was the vanguard. Yedu Gua could not win the battle and reluctantly submitted.

Now that the Liao people are dead, how could Ye Du Gua feel secretly pleased, or how could he not feel a strange, sarcastic attitude?

Qi Daili naturally did not give the so-called King Zubu a friendly look.

Furthermore, amidst the chaos, whether by mistake or intention, the Liao people also attacked Mogus. Later, Mogus also rebelled against Liao and was defeated.

This grassland is inexplicably chaotic!

But in the face of the situation, Qi Daili knew that they needed to unite, because only by uniting could they get a good price.

Tielali wasn't angry. That's how things are on the grasslands. Whoever has more people and more cattle and sheep speaks louder. Back then, the Liyedu tribe dared to act arrogantly in front of the Liao people. How could they not have some confidence?
And Jesus' territory is the southernmost. What does being the southernmost mean? It means a better climate, more rainfall, and more abundant vegetation. This doesn't come for nothing...

Tie Lali slowly said, "What you say is true, but things are not just like that. I have also heard some things. It is said that the Jurchens and the Song people are also at war. It is said that the Jurchens once even attacked the Song emperor's city, and it seems that even the emperor was frightened away... I also heard that the Jurchens were later defeated by the Song people in the Yan-Yun region, and almost all the wealth and people they had gained were lost..."

Qi Daili didn't even glance at Tie Lali, and said only, "So you mean they're all about the same, and can fight, is that what you mean?"

"That's the idea. So, it's not easy to set this price. If we offend someone, we might not be able to handle it in the future!"

Iron Thorn still fully respects the powerful...

Naihe Qidaili said, "You people are all afraid of wolves in front and tigers behind. Are the warriors of our grasslands any worse than anyone else? As long as we unite as one and the nine tribes are united, we are not afraid of anyone!"

Tielali frowned. In the past, there were Liao people and the Liao people's Northwest Pacification Commission. He, the King of Zubu, was a big deal. He had once thought of unifying the nine tribes, but the Khitans were very strict in their defenses.

Now that the Liao people are gone, the Tielali tribe has declined, and the Qidaili tribe has obviously also begun to consider unifying these nine tribes.

Qi Daili wasn't the only one with this thought. Hurzahusi, the leader of the Kereit tribe, also had ambitions to become the dominant power. He said, "It would be good if the nine tribes were unified. I would approve of this. As long as the nine tribes are unified, we won't be afraid of the Song or Jurchen people."

Hurzahus was young and not to be underestimated. He was also famous in history. He had indeed fought in the north and south, defeating many tribes and conquering a vast territory in a short time.

He had a son who was even more famous, Wang Han. He appeared in many stories, and was the biggest villain before Temujin's rise to power. In the novel, he was also the main villain in the story of Princess Huazheng and Guo Jing.

Wang Han inherited the empire that Hurzahus had established.

Who is Hurzahus's father? He is none other than Mogus in the past. Hurzahus is also very capable. He has gathered his old troops, won back the hearts of the people, and become even more powerful.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the council hall left King Tirali feeling utterly helpless, with an eagle on his left and a wolf on his right.

He had no choice but to say, "Sigh... let's talk about the present matter first. The Song people arrived as soon as they were told, they came right from the capital. Should we fight? Who will fight? If we make peace, then I'll go and talk to them..."

These words caused everyone to fall silent.

Yedu Guabu Qidaili had many plans in mind. He would not fight; the battlefield was on his own territory, so how could he fight? It wasn't that he couldn't fight, but once he stood up, the weather would be hot, and the people of the tribe would be scattered across the grasslands grazing their livestock. The Song people would come and go freely; how could he defend himself?
It was Kreikurzhus of the Kereit tribe who spoke up: "Whether to fight or not, let's go and meet him first. I'll go and meet him. I also have ten thousand cavalry. No matter what, I'll go and meet him. In the future, I... and you, will still offer the same price! I'm doing this for you... If anything happens in the future, you should also do your part for me!"

Hurzahus truly harbors ambitions to dominate the grasslands, and he certainly has the foresight to do so; he is no ordinary man.

Tiler looked around; not all nine departments were actually present.

There is the fierce enemy, the Tatars. There is the Chajara. There is the Merkit, also known as the Merkit, and there is the Mengu, and the Damiri…

These are all tribes in the south-central part of the grasslands, but of course, this does not mean that their grazing area is limited to the south-central part of the grasslands.

Don't be fooled by the fact that these tribal names seem to represent a single power; in reality, many tribes are divided, internally divided, and constantly vying for power...

Therefore, most tribes did not truly have confidence at this time.

He was very confident and kept talking.

Seeing that everyone remained silent, Tielali spoke up, "Then let's do it this way. Beilu Khan, go and meet with the Song people first, and see how to talk and negotiate..."

Beilu Khan is also known as Hurzahus.

No one said anything more, just watched as Hurzahus became the first to stick his neck out.

Hurzahus also needed this opportunity to stand out; if he had no ambition, he wouldn't have needed to do this...

Just go out and gather your men. The Kereit tribe has a force of one or two hundred thousand, and all the able-bodied men are ready to fight. If you were to mobilize and conscript them all, you could easily get thirty or forty thousand…

Of course, they usually wouldn't mobilize and conscript everyone like that. They would always leave people to do the work. Herding is hard physical work, and if people didn't herd properly, countless people would starve to death the following year.

The 13,000 to 14,000 cavalrymen that Hurzahusi led were there to demonstrate their military strength. Others who came with larger numbers only had 3,000 to 5,000 men, such as Nayedu Guabu Qidaili, who had only about 5,000 men...

If this had not happened, historically, Khurjahus would have outwardly complied with the Jin people while secretly launching attacks, first against the Tatars, then the Merkits, and even occupied the city where the so-called Zubu King's palace was located.

He is also a remarkable person!
The army set out immediately, heading south to meet the direction from which the Song people were coming.

The Song dynasty's cavalrymen also frequently reported back.

Su Wu, seated on his horse, asked Wu Yong, "I wonder which army has come..."

He truly didn't know; there was nothing he could do. On this grassland, even Su Wu couldn't tell who was who.

Wu Yong sighed helplessly, "I'll go and meet them myself!"

Su Wu then asked, "Will you fight or not?"

"Let's see what this person is like. If he wants to fight, then he will fight. If he doesn't want to fight, then that's fine too. I suppose... he's also hesitating..." Wu Yong had an extremely accurate grasp of this kind of human nature.

Su Wu nodded and shouted, "Form the battle formation and don your armor!"

We still need to prepare for war. When it comes to matters on the grasslands, demonstrating military strength is an essential part of any undertaking, as the people of the grasslands believe in this.

It is likely that when the Jurchens reach the very heart of this grassland, they will follow the same path and display their military might.

The Jurchens arrived slowly only because they were delayed by Yelü Yanxi, the last Liao general. It seems that the Jurchen army will arrive soon.

Wu Yong was also pondering these things, and asked, "I wonder what could possibly convince these grassland people..."

Wu Yong was thinking about what conditions could move people's hearts.

But Su Wu said, "Nothing can move you, and even if it could, it wouldn't make any difference."

"Hmm? What does Your Majesty mean?" Wu Yong was very puzzled. "It's different here than back home. People here may remember kindness, but there's a condition: they only remember the kindness shown to them after they've been beaten into submission."

Su Wu closed his eyes slightly, and spoke slowly as the horse swayed forward.

"Is that really the case?" Wu Yong clearly lacked such knowledge.

“If you give him ten thousand taels of gold today, he will turn around and take someone else’s tomorrow. If you give him horses and armor today, he will become powerful and will not take you seriously at all.”

Su Wu deeply believed in the words and actions of his ancestors.

We must first beat them to a pulp. Once we've done that, everything will be easier to discuss. This was true of the Han and Tang dynasties, and it was also true of the Khitans in the past. The Jurchens will likely do the same in the future.

Once that's done, everything will be much easier.

"Does Your Majesty intend to... wage war?" Wu Yong asked.

Su Wu waved his hand: "Just you wait and see... It may not necessarily be me who has to fight."

……

The grassland is not actually very flat.

One hill after another, none with a significant difference in elevation, yet they rise and fall like waves...

The tactics of grassland warfare, from ancient times to the present, are extremely simple and effective.

Or, they'll launch a surprise attack with lightning speed!

Genghis Khan in history often did this kind of thing, and was often the one who did it, even having his wife taken away in this way.

Either you're deploying your troops on this high ground, and he's deploying his troops on that high ground opposite you, and the land in between isn't a canyon or anything like that, but rather flat land, or perhaps slightly undulating.

Standing on high ground, Su Wu looked across at the other side. It was a dark mass, and he couldn't make out the details. But judging from the reflection of light on the other side, Su Wu said with certainty, "The people on the other side are lacking armor!"

Wu Yong immediately chimed in: "The Khitans never allowed them to rise to power in the past!"

The person opposite him suddenly shuddered and was also observing the Song people. He was immediately horrified. There was no other reason than the gleaming iron armor opposite him.

Of course, there were also many light cavalry on both flanks, some wearing leather armor, and others wearing a mix of leather and iron armor.

How to do?
This was the hesitation in Hurzahus's heart.

Su Wu glanced up at the sun in the sky, not in a hurry, and asked the young man Zhahemu beside him, "Are you afraid?"

Zhahemu shook his head: "I'm not afraid! My family has produced warriors for generations. My brother has become a warrior at this moment, and I will be a warrior in the future! I'll take your money and bring you to the King's Palace!"

Su Wu laughed heartily. Sometimes, a young man's pride is very important. He had actually noticed the subtle tension in Zha Hemu's expression.

But I also like that this kid keeps his promises.

"Who's on the other side?" Su Wu asked.

Zhahemu shook his head: "I don't know, but it's definitely not our Yedu Gua. It's either the Kremlin or the Tatars, or maybe it's Meriqi..."

"You don't recognize that flag?" Su Wu asked again.

The young man shook his head awkwardly... He really couldn't recognize it. It wasn't that the flag was difficult to spot, but rather that he was inexperienced and had never seen much of the world. The only time he could find his way to the King's mansion was when he helped herd sheep to exchange for salt...

Of course, Su Wu hired more than just this one little guy along the way; there were others who could recognize the flags on the other side.

It is Kreece.

He could see a group of knights coming out to meet him; they were likely messengers or something similar. Su Wu simply waited.

But he still asked Naza and Mu, "How about you stay by my side from now on?"

Zhahemu looked at Su Wu with a puzzled expression.

"Stay by my side and be a warrior!" Su Wu made his words clear.

Zhahemu shook his head: "That won't do, the Great Khan won't allow it!"

"What if your Khan allows it?" Su Wu asked.

“That works! You’re offering a lot of gold!” Zhahemu nodded.

Su Wu laughed and said, "Very well, for the sake of your Khan's permission, today... I will fight a battle!"

"Are you going to fight the Kereit?" The boy suddenly became nervous. Perhaps he was smart; he had just realized that there shouldn't be a war, so he wasn't too afraid.

At this moment, I really started to feel nervous.

"Otherwise, why would your Khan agree to let you be my warrior?" Su Wu's logic was a bit complicated.

So, Zha and Mu were pondering.

However, the envoy from the other side had already arrived. He knew that once he found Su Wu's banner, he could tell who the leader of the Song people was by looking around. So he bowed to Su Wu, covering his chest.

They speak in a garbled, incoherent language, belonging to the Donghu language family.

Zhahemu understood and was translating: "He said that Beilu Khan of the Kereit tribe invites you to come and see him?"

Zhahemu translated once, and then another translator brought from Xingqing Prefecture translated it again before Su Wu could understand.

Upon hearing this, the knights around Su Wu were all filled with rage.

Su Wu, however, was not angry. He asked, "Did he really say that?"

Zhahemu sensed the atmosphere and, instead of answering immediately, asked the envoy a question.

Su Wu was also sizing up the envoy. A tattered triangular hat covered his head, beneath which were greasy strands of hair. His face was not much different from that of a Song person. There was a bow and arrows at the side of his horse, and a long spear in his hand. The spearhead was not bad, but the shaft was not very straight...

Zhahemu asked a few more questions, then returned to answer: "That's exactly what he said... He said you are the guest and he is the host, so if you have anything to say, you should go and talk to him!"

"Is Beiluhan a name?" Su Wu asked, though he already had a general idea in mind, but he just wanted to be sure.

"No, it's an honorific title. His name is... Hurzahus. I know him..."

Su Wu waved his hand and said, "Tell him to go back and tell that... Zhahusi, that the King of the Great Song has arrived. If he does not come to submit and kneel, he will be killed without mercy today!"

"Huh?" Zhahemu was a little stunned.

Su Wu smiled and waved his hand: "Speak!"

He rattled off a whole bunch of nonsense, and the messenger's face turned angry. He turned and ran away.

Zhahemu spoke up himself: "Are you the King of the Great Song Dynasty?"

Zhahemu clearly understood that the Song Dynasty was the same as the Tang Dynasty, although it was a one-sided view, he understood the principle.

Su Wu nodded: "Yes, I am the King of the Great Song Dynasty!"

"Is it bigger or smaller than King Zubu?" Zhahemu asked, as a young boy would ask.

Before Su Wu could answer, Wu Yong said directly, "What kind of king is King Zubu? How many soldiers does he have? My king has 60,000 cavalry, 200,000 infantry, and all kinds of troops together, he has 500,000!"

As soon as the interpreter spoke, Zhahemu's eyes widened: "So many?"

All I could see were the soldiers on either side laughing heartily.

"Then... then as long as you talk to my Khan, I'm willing to be your warrior!" Zhahemu patted his chest.

Wu Yong teased, "My king doesn't need another warrior like you!"

“You are the King of the Great Song Dynasty, you can’t go back on your word, can you?” Zhahemu said anxiously.

Su Wu smiled and waved his hand: "Get this kid a set of armor! The enemy won't move for a while, there's still time!"

Someone went to deliver the message, and another person brought the armor. Su Wu waved his hand and said, "This armor is for you. From now on, you are a warrior!"

"Really?" The young man was knowledgeable and knew how valuable this set of armor was.

"I won't go back on my word, and neither will you! Let's see if you're a true warrior first, lest you die later!" Su Wu nodded and said.

Zhahemu immediately dismounted and put on the clothes, with others helping him. He excitedly exclaimed, "I will definitely be a warrior! When my grandfather was alive, he said that I would definitely be a warrior when I grew up!"

After a flurry of activity, he mounted his horse and Su Wu looked at him: "Not bad, you've got the look!"

Upon hearing these words, Zhahemu felt quite pleased with himself. He looked himself up and down, admiring his imposing appearance. Even the Khan's personal guards might not be as well-dressed.

Just as Zhahemu was still happy about the new gift, he heard Su Wu shout, "Let's go! He's hesitant to come, so let's go find him. That's just what he wants! We'll give him face too!"

Su Wu had guessed it too. That Zha Husi wanted to save face, so he also wanted to demand a high price. Perhaps he was just a smooth talker, trying to please both sides.

Then give him a price, and from then on, it will be easier to set prices on the grasslands!
The beginning is very important. Compared with the Jurchens, it's not about who treats you better, but who is more ruthless and better at fighting!

Su Wu rode ahead, his personal guards immediately following, urging their horses to protect him from all sides. Za and Mu were caught in the middle, leaving him no time to think of anything else...

Once the central army's strong horses set off, the left and right strong horses would naturally follow. In this small exchange, they had already formed a wedge formation, with Su Wu as the sharpest point of the wedge.

Su Wu was certain that in ancient times, when had any Central Plains dynasty ever been defeated by a nomadic tribe? From weapons and armor to morale and the will of the people, they had always been completely overwhelming, with the saying that one Han general could defeat five Hu tribes.

Su Wu must win these back!
(Brothers, here's a correction to a mistake in Chapter 334: at this moment, the King of Zub is not Mogus, but Tirari. The preceding text also needs to be revised due to the issue of the order of events.)
(End of this chapter)