Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 341 This time, we'll die together!
The night is deep, but people cannot sleep.

The moon in Tokyo is just as bright as the moon over the grasslands, so white it can reflect a person's face...

Tong Guan sat in the courtyard, with his old servant Lao Jiu beside him. Lao Jiu had cried all his tears...

No words were spoken...

On the grassland, the riders never sleep, and the strong horses take turns galloping day and night.

South of Wugu Mountain, more and more cavalrymen were appearing, and news kept reaching Su Wu that the Jurchen cavalry numbered at least ten thousand, and there were as many as five or six thousand heavily armored knights.

The cavalry from various tribes of the grasslands numbered well over fifty or sixty thousand...

Two or three hundred miles to the north, north of Wugu Mountain, there are also Jurchen cavalry, numbering over ten thousand, of whom four or five thousand are heavily armored.

The tactics are actually not complicated; the south will definitely come first, followed by the north.

As for the key to victory, it should be the cavalry from the north.

Su Wu had only two choices: either to start a war with the enemy in the south as quickly as possible, but this was not guaranteed to succeed; if the enemy did not want to fight, the war would not begin.

The same logic applies to attacking the north first.

Alternatively, they could divide their forces to fight, just like the Jurchens, sending a portion of their elite troops north to meet the enemy.

Upon realizing this, Su Wu understood that the Jurchens' seemingly simple tactics were actually extremely sophisticated.

Clearly, the Jurchens had anticipated that Su Wu's forces might have an advantage, hence this tactic.

This is the best way to limit Su Wu's numerical advantage.

For example, at this very moment, if Su Wu were to send too many troops to the north, the main battlefield in the south would be left with too few troops.

If Su Wu had sent only a few dozen or twenty thousand troops northward, those few dozen or twenty thousand cavalry would not have posed much of a threat to the Jurchen cavalry in the north.

The Jurchens were even confident of their great chance of victory. They believed that as long as the north won, the northern cavalry would be able to break through and destabilize Su Wu's battle formation.

The Jurchens clearly had absolute confidence and were never afraid of fighting outnumbered, but they tried their best to avoid one thing: always maintaining a numerical advantage for the Song people on one side of the battlefield.

If one side can win, the possibility of winning on both sides will increase exponentially.

Su Wu clearly did not underestimate the war on the vast grasslands. What seemed to be the simplest mode was often accompanied by the most extreme calculations of advantages and disadvantages.

At this moment, Su Wu still had concerns about the combat strength of his cavalry. After all, a large part of them were not cavalrymen before, and this was the first time they had fought as cavalrymen.

To put it bluntly, the fighting ability of these Song cavalrymen was actually inferior to that of the Jurchens.

Faced with such a direct confrontation with the Jurchen cavalry, Su Wu was not truly prepared.

But Su Wu also knew a principle: how many things in this world are done only after being fully prepared?

When will this "preparation" ever end?

If they never fight a tough battle, Su Wu's cavalry will never be properly prepared.

We must fight!

War is always an extremely risky affair, and no matter how much you try to control the risks, you can never get rid of them.

Su Wu is going to take a gamble!

This time, with superior elite forces, if we don't take this gamble, we'll never have the guts to gamble again...

Late at night, Su Wu still couldn't sleep; the pressure in his heart was greater than a mountain.

He paced back and forth beside the bonfire made of cow dung.

In cavalry duels, the experience of the troops and the skills of the soldiers are all very important.

Even more important is the courage to fight to the death.

Victory or defeat is not always a matter of comparing casualties. In many wars, even if the casualties are greater than those of the enemy, victory can still be achieved.

If you have a man, he will fight on and on, fight to the death, and fight until the very end. He will never consider retreating. He will do everything he can to fight until the moment of victory!

He also needs to be able to fight, to be good at fighting, to be smart, to be physically strong, not only to be brave and invincible, but also to be young and vigorous, and to be clever, resourceful and adaptable!
Who?
"It's him!" Su Wu muttered softly, placing his bet on him.

It's time for him to truly step onto the historical stage.

The night was still deep when Su Wu shouted, "Someone, go and summon Yue Fei!"

The soldiers immediately went to summon Yue Fei and pulled him out of his sleep.

Yue Fei strode over and bowed respectfully before Su Wu: "Your Majesty's summons at night must be for important matters! Please give your orders!"

Su Wu nodded: "From the north, a Jurchen army of ten thousand men has arrived, with about four or five thousand heavy cavalry. I will give you eighteen thousand cavalry and six thousand heavy cavalry. You will go to meet them. You can only win, you cannot lose. You must not lose no matter what. If you lose, our battle will be a rout, and countless comrades will die here. Perhaps I will also die here. Do you dare?"

It was time to let go. In all the previous wars, Su Wu had been in the most difficult and dangerous situations, and he couldn't afford to lose any of them. So every time, Su Wu risked his life to fight.

This time, he couldn't afford to lose either. Su Wu also realized that there seemed to be no war in this world that one could afford to lose. War is war, the last resort of all politics, and it is already the last resort. Where is there a war that one can afford to lose?
Bet on Yue Fei this once, bet on Grandpa Yue this once! After training him for so long, he should have fought the Jurchens!

Yue Fei was taken aback upon hearing this: "Does Your Majesty mean that this humble general is the commander-in-chief?"

Su Wu nodded seriously and earnestly: "Yes, you will be the commander-in-chief!"

"I..." Yue Fei was still a little stunned, not because he was thinking about anything else, but because he was thinking about how many brave and courageous people were in the army.

Leaving aside others, let's talk about General Wu... Oh, General Wu didn't come this time...

Then let's talk about General Lu, how brave and valiant he was! General Lin Chong... and General Han Shizhong, General Liu Zhengyan... and many more...

Why did it have to be Yue Fei? He was the commander-in-chief of an entire army!

Su Wu asked, "What? You dare not?"

Upon hearing this, Yue Fei only uttered one sentence: "If this humble general were to die, it would be..."

"Do you dare or not?" Su Wu asked again.

"dare!"

"That's good then. Dawn, you lead the troops out. There is only victory, no defeat. No matter what the circumstances, you can only win!"

Su Wu's tone was extremely serious!

Yue Fei gritted his teeth: "Even if everyone dies, I will not allow the Jurchens from the north to break through to the Great King's formation!"

He understood, and Yue Fei understood! With just a few words, and without Su Wu needing to analyze or explain anything to him, Yue Fei understood everything!
Su Wu felt more at ease and said only one sentence: "After this battle, the imperial court will also establish the Beiting Protectorate here, and you, Yue Fei, Yue Pengju, will be the first Protector of the Beiting Protectorate!"

The Protector-General was an official title in the Tang Dynasty. The Song Dynasty inherited the Tang system, but it did not have this title.

How could the young and passionate Yue Fei not be excited at this moment?
I don't know how many poems I've read, but I met a cavalryman at Xiaoguan Pass, and the Protector-General was at Yanran.

I encountered an envoy in a brocade carriage; the Protector-General was in Loulan.

The Protector-General conquered Wuwei this year, and birds flew in vain across the vast desert.

The general's horn bow is difficult to control, and the protector's iron armor is cold and hard to wear.

The Protectorate General and the Protectorate General's Office represented all the glory of the Tang Dynasty and all the achievements of the military era.

Yue Fei was a man of utmost loyalty and righteousness. He excitedly declared, "Your Majesty, I will fight to the death! I will go forth, and though swords and spears may kill me, and horses may trample me, I will not return defeated!"

Su Wu nodded: "Alright, go back and get some more sleep. Sleep well, and we'll set off tomorrow!"

Yue Fei was clearly very excited. He shook his head and said, "I will not sleep tonight. I will go and gather my men to prepare. We will wait until dawn tomorrow when His Majesty will issue the military tally and we will lead the troops north!"

"Alright, go!" Su Wu nodded, feeling extremely gratified, and kept telling himself, Yue Fei, you can definitely do it!
Yue Fei strode away excitedly, his steps powerful and vigorous, as if his whole body was brimming with strength. His strong arms swayed from side to side, exuding both majesty and an irrepressible surge of hot blood.

Su Wu wanted to sigh, but he held back and stopped, as if he had been infected by the young and passionate Yue Fei.

The next day, Su Wu will also set out on an expedition, heading south of Wugu Mountain with more than 40,000 cavalry to confront the Jurchen and steppe allied forces of 60,000 to 70,000 cavalry.

Tonight, Su Wu also couldn't sleep, and dawn gradually broke.

Without cooking, on this grassland, with so many people together, they couldn't even find fuel to cook a hot meal or soup, so they had to eat dry flatbread and plain water.

In the Northwest, in many places, every household grinds grain and bakes flatbread, transporting it from Huanqing and Fuyan to Xingqing Prefecture, and then to the grasslands.

The expedition was launched. Everyone moved extremely quickly. Yue Fei received the military tally, mustered his men and horses—18,000 cavalry and tens of thousands of horses—and headed northeast.

Su Wu headed southeast.

Sitting on his horse, Su Wu squinted his eyes, as if he could really fall asleep for a while.

But someone beside him asked, "Your Majesty, why did you suddenly issue such an important military order last night?"

This was Wu Yong's question. The division of troops was not unexpected, but the appointment of Yue Fei as commander was truly unexpected.

Su Wu kept his eyes closed: "If he goes, he will surely win!"

Su Wu not only had to say this to others, but he also had to tell himself the same thing. He had to be like Yue Fei, going into battle with unwavering faith and not be weak. This time, the head-on confrontation would test not only his mental strength, but also his physical and mental abilities!

Su Wu also needed to constantly build up his mental strength.

Wu Yong was genuinely puzzled, but dared not ask further. Why did he ask? He wasn't the only one with this question. Wu Yong also looked behind him.

Lu Da also spoke up: "Brother, let me go. That kid is brave and skilled in martial arts, but he is young and we don't know if he is calm and collected. If I go, we will surely win!"

Su Wu turned to look at Lu Da and simply said, "That kid is capable!"

"Sigh..." Lu Da sighed...

Liu Zhengyan then spoke up: "Your Majesty, this humble general can also go. Does Your Majesty not know of this humble general's willingness to die?"

Wu Yong finally chimed in, "Alas... this is truly worrying!"

Su Wu added with certainty, "That kid can fight until the sky darkens! He can't be bad!"

"Since you've said so, brother, then I won't say any more!" In truth, Lu Da was somewhat displeased, displeased that he wasn't the one chosen for this crucial moment!
If it were Wu Song, it would be fine, but Wu Song isn't here, so it's still him!
Su Wu suddenly turned to the group and smiled, "We are also fighting a tough battle here. I feel at ease keeping you all by my side!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Da smiled and said, "Brother, don't worry, we've won too. I'm just worried about Yue... Since you're so sure, I won't say anything more... Never mind..."

As Lu Da spoke, he waved to the others, indicating that there was no need for further words.

The army continued marching, and Su Wu squinted and went to sleep, feigning sleep.

Dawn broke.

In Tokyo, the sun had already risen, but Tong Guan was still sitting in the courtyard.

There was a cup of hot tea on the stone table next to me, but it had long since gone cold.

Tong Guan seemed to wake up with a start, looked up at the sky, and exclaimed in surprise, "It's already dawn?" The old servant beside him quickly spoke up, "Prime Minister, is there really no other way?"

Tong Guan ignored him, but said, "Perhaps I am truly afraid of death. I never knew I was so afraid of death..."

“Prime Minister…” The old servant thought that Tong Guan had changed his mind by now, but he didn’t expect him to say such a thing.

Then Tong Guan frowned and said, "Back in the day, when we were fighting on horseback, I wasn't this afraid of death, was I?"

"Huh?" The old servant was confused by the question, but he shook his head instinctively. He had witnessed firsthand that Tong Guan was indeed fearless when it came to death.

Tong Guan sighed, looked up at the sky, then looked down at the cup of cold tea…

I looked up at the sky again, then looked down at the cup of cold tea.

Finally, Tong Guan reached out and took the cup of herbal tea.

"The Grand Chancellor..."

"Please don't hurt me again, I'm terrified!" Tong Guan's face was truly filled with fear.

"Prime Minister..."

"Sigh... I was thinking to myself, should I procrastinate for another day? But then I thought, if I procrastinate today, I'm afraid I won't dare to do it tomorrow..."

Tong Guan shook his head repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.

"Sigh..." After a heavy sigh...

Suddenly, Tong Guan lifted the lid of his cup and shoved a cup of cold tea straight into his mouth.

The old servant stared, dumbfounded, at that moment of resolute decision.

With two gulps, Tong Guan's Adam's apple bobbed up and down twice, and he actually drank it all in one go. Then, Tong Guan wiped the water droplets that had flowed from the corner of his mouth to his beard, his hands trembling as he slowly put down the teacup.

Zi's ​​face also turned deathly pale. Tong Guan was extremely anxious and said, "He's dead, he's really going to die this time! Damn it, you idiot, why did you have to seek death?"

As he spoke, Tong Guan slowly stood up, his legs trembling like leaves. He cried out urgently, "Help me, quickly, quickly, help me to the bed, hurry, hurry..."

The old servant didn't even have time to wipe away his tears before rushing forward to help him up; one old man was supporting another...

Tong Guan lay on the bed, panting heavily: "I'm going to die, I'm going to die..."

The old servant was also at a loss, and could only stand aside, helpless...

After shouting for a while, Tong Guan suddenly sat up straight and asked, "You rascal, did you buy fake medicine? Why isn't it working?"

The old servant didn't answer, he just kept wiping away his tears...

"You've ruined me, you've really ruined me..." After shouting a few times, Tong Guan suddenly convulsed, clutched his stomach, and collapsed: "Ouch!!! It hurts so much!"

How painful it is to be poisoned by arsenic!
The old servant rushed forward, but was still helpless, only able to say, "Prime Minister, please bear with it, please bear with it..."

"It hurts so much!" Tong Guan rolled around and convulsed on the bed.

The old servant suddenly turned around and said, "Prime Minister, I'll go and fetch the doctor!"

But then Tong Guan shouted, "Don't hurt me! Just die! Clean me up first! Oh, it hurts so much! It's killing me! It's killing me!"

Ugh……

The old servant stood blankly in the middle of the house, then turned his head away, thinking to himself, how many people had he seen die in his life? Mountains of corpses and seas of blood, piled up like mountains, and how many he had even killed with his own hands?

Dead people...

Just a dead person...

Turn around and take a look; the Grand Chancellor has already rolled onto the ground, shouting incessantly, his face so grotesque it's unrecognizable as human...

Inside the house, countless people were listening, but no one dared to actually enter the courtyard. There were strict orders in place, and some old men were guarding the gate.

Gradually, the pivot stopped rolling, its eyes became glazed, and the sound of its breathing grew louder and louder, then gradually quieted down...

They stopped shouting a long time ago.

dying!
Alas... In the end, we are all just a handful of dust!
"Someone come here..." the old servant called out weakly towards the entrance of the courtyard.

A man arrived; he was also an old man.

"Carry him onto the bed, and fetch some hot water..." The old servant stopped crying; he was a capable man when it came to work and errands.

"In a moment, shout out the door, shout to the Privy Council, shout to the Left Gate, the Prince of Guangyang has passed away! He died of an illness, he died of a long illness and wandering, he died of old age in his bed."

The old servant spoke as he carried the person, his thoughts remarkably clear; no wonder Tong Guan entrusted him with the affairs of the afterlife.

He died?

He's dead!

At the Dragon Pavilion, the emperor stared wide-eyed and asked, "How could he have died so suddenly?"

"He said he had been suffering from an illness for a long time, but he had been forcing himself to stay healthy. This trip to Yanjing was arduous, and his illness worsened, but he still managed to hold on. Last night, he returned home and sat in the Privy Council reading official documents for several hours. After returning home, he fell asleep and never woke up again!"

Wang Fu was also very anxious as he answered.

What kind of situation is this? How are we supposed to handle this?
The emperor then asked, "Did he really die of illness? Was a royal physician summoned to examine him?"

Wang Fu knew what the emperor was talking about, so he replied, "I did take a look at the corpse, but not in detail. It is indeed dead..."

"Then send someone to check again..." The emperor was like an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth.

"Your Majesty, I already sent people to check again. The old servants have already placed the coffin inside. Is it really necessary to go and check?" Wang Fu asked. What difference would it make if they went and checked? It wouldn't warrant opening the coffin again.

You can't bring someone back to life...

"Alas..." The emperor sighed helplessly, but then said, "He was over seventy years old and died peacefully in his bed... Good, good... Great Companion..."

But the emperor's gaze suddenly sharpened as he looked at Wang Fu and stared intently!
Wang Fu bowed deeply!

The emperor's face turned ashen: "Go! Go to Huanqing and Xingqing prefectures. Go personally with a secret edict to see Zhong Shidao and Zhong Shizhong!"

“Your Majesty…” Wang Fu subconsciously felt somewhat unwilling.

"I have issued an edict ordering you to oversee logistics, reward the troops, and boost morale! I doubt those two would dare disobey!" The emperor's authority was now unquestionable.

"Your subject...accepts the decree!" Wang Fu knew that he could not refuse this matter and had no choice but to do so.

The emperor knew it, and so did Wang Fu.

This is the last chance!
If you miss it, future opportunities will only become increasingly scarce.

"Go quickly, travel day and night, with your fast horse never stopping, and do not delay even for a moment!" The emperor was also driven to desperation.

The Zhao dynasty seems to be truly about to end, about to end. A monarch who has lost his country? This is something that cannot be accepted under any circumstances.

Has the emperor done everything in his power?
Did the emperor truly not want Su Wu to go to war? In fact, he had been hoping for Su Wu to go to war for a long time.

To reassure Su Wu before his expedition, he gave him whatever Su Wu wanted...

The power in the imperial court was given to Cheng Wanli, while the Privy Council was controlled by Liu Yanqing, the father of Liu Guangshi, who was most loyal to Su Wu.

Even within the imperial city, only Su Wu's trusted troops remained to protect it.

Even Emperor Huizong of Tang (Zhao Ji) took the initiative to ask Wu Song, Su Wu's most trusted confidant, to guard the palace!

This was all so that Su Wu could go on his campaign without worry.

Su Wu had to act; if Su Wu didn't act, nothing would be accomplished. It was like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, slowly killing it.

Su Wu's move is the opportunity, the chance to take a gamble.

The opportunity is right in front of us, how could we possibly let it slip away?
This was the first time in Zhao Ji's life that he had such a fierce look in his eyes!
Wang Fu dared not meet your gaze, but bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I will grind the ink now. As soon as Your Majesty begins to write, I will travel day and night!"

The emperor nodded, then quickly turned away, unwilling to leave. On the table lay a nearly finished painting, all the seals affixed, even the monogram "The One Under Heaven" written on it.

There are blank spaces there, waiting for someone to compose a poem on them.

The emperor picked up his brush and went to compose a poem!
The poem is brief: The fate of the nation hangs in the balance; we all hope that the people of this clan will turn the tide and uphold their loyalty for eternity!
Once the ink had dried and the scroll was rolled up, the emperor looked at Wang Fu again and said, "Go!"

Wang Fu accepted the scroll and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing this painting upon me!"

He bowed and did not rise, slowly retreating, then turned around. Within the imperial city, he did not run, but after leaving the palace, he sped away.

The emperor took his seat, focused his gaze on the distant Genyue Garden, and found the natural scenery to be truly unsightly, extremely unsightly, and the ugliest he had ever seen.

Wansui Mountain is all about the wonders of the world, the wonders of the vast and abundant land of our Celestial Empire! Strange trees and rocks, rare animals and treasures, all showcasing the grandeur of a great nation!

In the future, people from all over the world will come to pay tribute, and they will see strange sights that they have never seen before in their lives.

What need is there for natural scenery? Where can't we find natural scenery? How can we demonstrate the power and prestige of a superior nation?
On the grassland, beside Wugu Mountain.

The scouts arrived: "Your Majesty, eighty li, eighty li!"

Su Wu nodded: "We'll stop after two more hours, get closer tomorrow, and then we'll face off in a stalemate tomorrow afternoon!"

This rhythm needs to be controlled, precisely controlled, and it will also be an unconscious tacit understanding between the two parties.

Night battles are all disadvantageous.

Two hundred li to the north, in front of Yue Fei, a scout reported: "General Yue, we've gone seventy li, seventy li in total, and we haven't seen any enemy reinforcements. We've gone one hundred and thirty li to the north, and we haven't seen a single person!"

Since setting out, Yue Fei's brow had never relaxed, and he even asked, "Have we found any high ground to the north thirty miles away?"

"Yes, we looked at a few places, but they were all too small to set up a proper formation!"

"Go search again. If you can't find it within thirty li, then search within thirty-five li. We must find a wide hilly area..." Yue Fei said anxiously.

"Understood!" The scouts continued on their way.

Yue Fei looked back at the many generals. The king had put his mind to it; none of the senior generals had been reassigned, but had all gone with the king.

The officers before me are all among the youngest and strongest in the army, many of whom have just been promoted for their military merits!
The king was also afraid that Yue Fei would not be able to control the situation, so he made this arrangement. He also wanted the youngest soldiers to have more trust in Yue Fei after this experience.

Another point is that young military officers often have an even greater motivation to strive for fame and fortune.

Yue Fei turned back to look at the countless faces that still bore traces of youthful innocence, and declared in one sentence: "Brothers, this time, we will die together!"

Amidst the naive youths, a single cry rang out: "Let's die together!"

(End of this chapter)