Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 346 The title is Heavenly Khan
As the bright moon rises, the silvery night unfolds, and the Milky Way is truly dazzling. Looking up, one's vision is blurred, as if the stars are shifting...

Beneath an unnamed hill in the middle of Wugu Mountain, a fierce battle raged, with endless numbers of people, and even more horses squeezed and unable to move an inch...

The Jurchens did not go up mountains or rivers; even on the mountains, they were still barren, without a single tall tree. This was the case for most of the mountains on the Mongolian Plateau.

People on it are just shadowy figures, only their dark shadows flashing by. If it were just one or two, they would be hard to see from a distance, but when they are all over the mountain, they are too conspicuous!
The Song soldiers were also climbing, and it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe depending on how close or far they were. Only the generals kept shouting, "Don't fire arrows! No one, don't fire arrows!"

There is also a way to distinguish friend from foe, which is through conversation after getting truly close...

This night battle was not intentional, but merely a coincidence. No matter how much trouble it may cause, the battle must continue.

The Jurchens were running, the Song people were chasing, and people were everywhere, crossing mountains and valleys.

Even Su Wu was chasing after them, using both hands and feet to keep climbing up the slope...

Shouts of battle were everywhere, permeating the air, as if there were eagle nests and vulture dens high above, startling countless wings into flight...

Shouts were everywhere—some were chanting the team song, some were calling out names, some were calling out to their comrades-in-arms…

Why do defeated soldiers abandon their armor and weapons when fleeing? Because this allows them to outrun their pursuers!
Exhausted horses cannot go up high places. There are abandoned horses everywhere. Even Wanyan Zonghan had to dismount and use his hands and feet to enter the mountain.

There was no drumming of advance, nor the sounding of retreat; tens of thousands of people moved about in a chaotic scramble across the mountains and fields...

How could we not chase them? We weren't chasing people, we were chasing money. Every single one of them was an elite Jurchen, without exception. If we picked up even one, it would be worth three hundred strings of cash!

Getting rich is that simple. Don't be fooled by the fact that Su Wu's army fought countless battles from south to north.

However... the number of people who actually become wealthy in the military is still extremely small.

Why?

In wars that are easy to fight, heads are worthless. Ten strings of cash for a head is a considerable sum, but it won't make you rich.

In difficult battles, the enemy's elite forces are few and far between, and difficult to kill. In most cases, there are simply not enough enemies to go around, so those who truly achieve merit are always a minority.

Making a good deed once or twice can earn you a lot of money, but it's not enough to truly make you rich.

But there are always some outstanding individuals in the military who buy houses, get married, and acquire land...

In this way, these people become role models, and who wouldn't admire them?

Just like when the King of Yan went on a campaign, who wouldn't be overjoyed at the prospect of war? Everyone was thinking about getting rich and powerful.

The Jurchens, in reality, are not enough to go around. The army that the Prince of Yan can currently mobilize is in the hundreds of thousands, while the elite Jurchens number no more than fifty thousand...

That's not enough to go around.

That's how things are in this world, like a hunger marketing strategy, or even more like today, where there are only 10,000 Jurchen troops, but there are 40,000 to 50,000 people present.

Some people will become rich overnight, while others will get nothing.

Today's opportunity is not just Su Wu's, but everyone's. The Jurchens will never again be so easy to fight and kill...

The soldiers used both their hands and feet to climb the high slope, vying to be the first and afraid of falling behind!
The ground was littered with enemy armor, and some of the hot-blooded Song soldiers even began to disarm and give chase...

Seeing that they were about to catch up with someone, they felt an inexhaustible supply of strength in their hands and feet, and were extremely excited...

Once they caught up, they pounced like hungry tigers, shouting before they charged, "Don't try to take it from me, it's mine..."

In fact, his closest comrade behind him was only twenty or thirty paces or less...

He lunged forward, reached out and grabbed, as if he had caught the enemy's ankle, gripping it tightly, pulling and tugging...

On the slope, one lay on top and the other on the bottom, both panting heavily...

The people above were stomping on the heads of the people below, muttering a bunch of gibberish that was completely incomprehensible...

The men below would never let go; they held onto their broken spears and relentlessly thrust upwards...

Unable to muster any strength, he just kept stabbing and thrusting, calves, thighs, buttocks, wherever he could get his hands on...

He kept stabbing and stabbing, then stood up and stabbed again...

There were also Jurchens who, after being caught up, turned around and threw weapons and stones at each other, killing and driving back one person, but were then caught up by others...

Many Jurchens, unable to even climb the mountains, were trapped below the high slopes by countless Song soldiers, and were also fighting a desperate battle...

Su Wu gradually stopped chasing and found a place on a hillside with a wide view, so he went up and down to look around...

Tonight, there will be no more military orders!

Everything was in complete chaos, and no military orders could be relayed...

Su Wu suddenly sat down on the ground. In the distance, he could see a dark mass moving about at the foot of the mountain, and the sound of horses' hooves was slowly getting closer.

Many people arrived, including Wu Yong and his men, the horse handlers, and some logistics personnel, who gradually caught up...

As they slowly approached, they were all dumbfounded.

Even Tielali, Qidaili, Hulubazeng, Dunbinai, and others arrived...

Nothing could be seen, only outlines, but the sounds of fighting and shouting could be heard...

Qi Daili was overjoyed: "We've caught up! We've definitely caught up! The Song army is so mighty, and the King of the Great Song is even more mighty!"

This time, I witnessed it firsthand: the Song army charging into battle, the king leading the charge, the Jurchens fleeing in disarray, and the Song army in pursuit...

Everything was seen!
This also provides a clear comparison: the Jurchens, who had annihilated a million-strong Liao dynasty, were nothing compared to the Song people...

This is the significance of Su Wu inviting them to watch the battle; if they win a great victory, he must let them see it with their own eyes!
Su Wu rested for a long time before slowly descending the mountain. At this moment, there was no point in him staying there; he needed to return to a place where he could issue military orders and command troops…

We await the dawn, and for everything to settle down.

Su Wu needed to go to a place where everyone could find him, and also a place where he could find everyone...

Go down the mountain, where there are no forests. The further we chase, the farther away we get. How many people have crossed the mountains and ridges?
Countless people were anxious and impatient, only to return empty-handed. How could they possibly accept this? They traveled thousands of miles, and if they returned like this, they would be filled with deep regret...

If they really gain nothing but some military pay and rewards, they might be ridiculed by their neighbors and even complained about by their family when they return home...

It wasn't like this before. Whenever they went to war, there would be a chorus of weeping, and when they returned, they would be overjoyed.

Things are different now. While departures are marked by tears, safe return brings a sense of anticipation from family members…

If you see others making a fortune, wouldn't you feel even more unhappy?
It's like when many people go out to work, their families worry about them, but when they return at the end of the year penniless, they still face complaints from their families. The principle is the same, and these emotions are not contradictory...

So, how can one be content if one can't even get a head?

Even nowadays, when women get married, they still consider these things, especially women from military families...

Various forms of competition, many of them intangible, constantly urge people forward to find the Jurchen heads...

Su Wu descended the mountain, and his two guards followed him down. The fighting below gradually subsided, and the Jurchens disappeared into the crowd, their whereabouts unknown...

Su Wu found a flat spot near the stream, sat down, and someone went to look for Wu Yong behind it...

They also sought out the logistics staff, and before long, they laid out blankets, set up a table, and lit a bonfire.

This campfire is like a lighthouse on the vast grassland, telling everyone that the king is there.

Many people will come on their own...

For example, Tielali, Qidaili, and others...

Su Wu remained seated, waving his hand dismissively: "Sit down, everyone. The mutton soup is cooking..."

Everyone sat on the ground to their left and right, and each person was given a wool blanket...

Qi Daili was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, I have already sent someone to urge them. Tomorrow morning, a flock of sheep will surely be delivered, along with firewood and cow dung, so that Your Majesty's warriors will all have hot mutton soup tomorrow morning..."

"Thank you!" Su Wu laughed heartily. This beggar's den was quite something...

“Of course, from now on, I, Ye Du Gua, will be the king’s subject…” Qi Daili said with a smile, and turned around to look for the Ye Du Gua boy Zha Hemu who should be with Su Wu.

Sure enough, he found it and called out, "Zhahemu..."

Zhahemu stepped forward, but first looked at Su Wu.

Su Wu waved his hand: "Then you sit down too... sit next to your Khan!"

Zhahemu was overjoyed: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The interpreter was quite busy.

That Qidaili simply sat Zha and Mula beside him and then asked, "Did you kill the Jurchen this time?"

Zhahemu shook his head...

He followed them into battle, but he didn't manage to catch a single one.

Qi Daili seemed somewhat disappointed: "Then next time you're by the King's side, you must work hard!"

"Hmm..." Zhahemu nodded, his face also flushed, feeling ashamed.

At first, he was panicked, but after he calmed down, his luck ran out, and he couldn't run into any of them face-to-face... There was nothing he could do...

And there were also words of admonition from Qi Daili: "You and I are of the same blood. Your brother is by my side, and I will take good care of him. Don't worry about your family. Just focus on serving the king well!"

"Understood!" Zhahemu simply nodded.

Qi Daili kept saying...

The crowd looked at Qidaili with a hint of envy. Tielali also spoke up: "Your Majesty, from now on, all of Kereit's troops will obey Your Majesty's commands!"

Then Huluba spoke up again: "Meiliji is the same!"

“Damili will obey the King’s command!” Baguru also said.

And then there's Dunbinai, who, though slower, always spoke with conviction: "From this day forward, I am the king's servant!"

The affairs of the grasslands are actually much simpler than those of the Central Plains!
Even if these people still have many ulterior motives, at this moment, their sincerity is genuine.

This is the might of the iron cavalry under Su Wu's command.

Su Wu had another reason for bringing them along: to keep an eye on them. He was always wary of these men, fearing they might cause trouble. Before the able-bodied men from various tribes were truly mobilized, these men actually didn't have much real strength…

The grasslands are so vast that mobilizing all the troops would be a massive undertaking...

At this moment, Su Wu completely relaxed, looked around, and was in a very good mood.

First, he called out to everyone, "Let's eat..."

The mutton soup, which I had been waiting for a long time, finally arrived.

Su Wu wolfed down a few mouthfuls of food before getting down to business: "I've heard everything you all said, and I happen to have something to ask of you all..."

Qi Daili was the first to stand up, clutching his chest and bowing: "Whatever the king commands..."

Su Wu turned around and saw Wu Yong behind him. Wu Yong first handed Su Wu a cloth to wipe his hands...

What Su Wu was about to say was what he had discussed with Wu Yong.

Su Wu then said, "I would like to borrow some able-bodied men from you for a two-year term to serve in the Yan-Yun region. Of course, I won't take them for free; I will provide them with money and provisions, and they should bring their own horses. If there are any casualties, there will be generous compensation. That's not all; the first battle is to lead them from Datong across the border to the Mogeshi tribe. The Mogeshi tribe has excellent pastures, and I will share some with you there..."

This time, things are different. Su Wu can use the grassland archers. He will take them directly instead of letting these Khans lead them. Su Wu can afford to support them.

Furthermore, these people brought their own horses, making them cavalry. Su Wu would provide them with weapons, but not armor, and when they were dismissed, he would take back all the weapons...

During this period, we also need to select and train people like Zhahemu, to teach them Mandarin and even Chinese characters...

Many things, when done step by step, also have two sides. Su Wu wanted to use these people to charge into battle and fight the Jurchens to the death.

In the future... perhaps they won't be sent back at all...

The area outside the pass in Liaodong is now sparsely populated. Once the Jurchens are truly defeated, how to manage the Liaodong region will be a major issue. At that time, these people can be directly sent to Liaodong to settle down.

The Liaodong region has a very complex ethnic composition, with numerous groups of Jurchens (both unborn and accustomed), as well as the Tieli, Shiwei, Xi, Bohai, and even the Khitan...

It is also adjacent to Korea...

It's complicated, that's good. If we send in a lot more steppe people and Tanguts, they won't even be able to understand each other, making it even more complicated...

Mutual checks and balances, and then we can find a way to immigrate...

It's quite troublesome; even Su Wu himself hasn't fully figured it out...

But Su Wu definitely needed the young and strong men of the grasslands!

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances. This wasn't unheard of; for example, the Tang Dynasty would conscript cavalry from the grasslands in the past.

Qi Daili asked again, "How many will Your Majesty summon?"

this is the key of the problem.

Su Wu replied, "Not many. Yedu Gua sent three thousand, Zubu Kereit three thousand, Meiliqi three thousand, Damiri two thousand, and the Menggu tribes two thousand..."

Thirteen thousand in total is really not much. When we go back, we will also need to conscript more Tanguts, about six or seven thousand, so we'll make it a total of twenty thousand.

Then break these people up and reorganize them into different units, regardless of their combat strength...

Upon hearing the number, Qi Daili immediately smiled and said, "Your Majesty, what's so difficult about that? I'll gather all the able-bodied men in the tribe when I return, and Your Majesty can choose them!"

Tie Li also spoke up: "It's not difficult, but..."

Hesitantly, Su Wu raised his hand: "You say..."

Tielali said apologetically, "I just hope that the King can give more of the tribesmen under that wolf cub Hurzahus's command..."

"You can discuss this yourselves. I'm new to the grasslands and not very familiar with these things. Just come to a conclusion yourselves!"

Su Wu still refused; he simply wouldn't get involved in the matter.

Tielali was utterly helpless, but he still had to think of a way to win the favor and gain benefits from this king. That Qidaili was truly cunning… he was already outdated…

Su Wu glanced at the others, and Hulubazeng spoke up as well: "Your Majesty, rest assured, we will send the person to Yedu Gua when the time comes..."

Bakuru and Dunbinai didn't say much either. Their two tribes only had two thousand people, which was really not many. Perhaps the benefits they had obtained this time were much greater than this...

Su Wu nodded and smiled, then looked up at the dark mountain shadows in the distance; it was still early for dawn…

Suddenly, Tielali spoke up: "Your Majesty, I have heard that in the past, the various tribes of the grasslands had a title..."

"Oh?" Su Wu nodded and asked. He had heard of this kind of thing before, there were many, such as that Khurjahus, whose title was "Beilukhan", and Temujin, whose title was "Genghis Khan".

Tielali smiled, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty will surely like the title of Heavenly Khan! With Your Majesty's military might on the grasslands today, it is enough to awe the entire grasslands. We, the Khans of all tribes, hereby jointly offer a sacrifice to Heaven to grant Your Majesty this title!"

Su Wu was stunned upon hearing the interpreter's words. He never expected that among the many honorific titles on the grasslands, this one was the most special...

Wu Yong's face turned black behind him!
Is this even usable? Who is the Heavenly Khan? That's Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin! The strongest carbon-based life form on Earth in that era!

Tie Lali naturally tried every means to please Su Wu, hoping to gain benefits from him...

Su Wu's face suddenly darkened, and Tie Lali was startled, wondering what was wrong.

Su Wu waved his hand dismissively, his tone unfriendly: "Never say such a thing again!"

Wu Yong, whose face was originally dark, suddenly gave a strange and eerie smile to Tie Cili...

Looking back, perhaps it's true that this idea was good, but it was conceived a bit too early...

Tie Lali was terrified, not knowing how his flattery had backfired. He could only bow repeatedly, saying, "I know I'm guilty, I know I'm guilty..."

Wu Yong suddenly spoke up: "Hey, Your Majesty, don't be alarmed. I just misspoke. It's nothing, nothing at all..."

When Tie La went to see Wu Yong, he learned that Wu Yong was a trusted confidant of the King of Song, which put him at ease considerably...

He bowed several times before carefully taking his seat.

Su Wu glanced sideways at Tie Lali. No wonder this fellow, despite having the title of King Zubu, never won the favor of the Khitans his entire life…

He seems clever, but he's actually a complete idiot.

Idiots are great, idiots are useful!
Su Wu immediately said, "Well, don't panic. When we return, I will inform the Emperor that our Great Song and Liao are brotherly nations. In the past, the Emperor of Liao entrusted us to treat their people well. Since you were appointed as the Zubu King by Liao, we should not strip you of your title when you come to the Great Song. Instead, we should reinstate you as the Zubu King and allow you to continue residing in the Zubu King's Palace!"

It was originally granted by the Liao Dynasty, but the Liao Dynasty's grants no longer had any legal authority. The Song Dynasty's grants, of course, continued the legacy.

Tie Lali was extremely excited upon hearing this. He sprang up from his seat and bowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty! I, Kerei, will serve the Song Dynasty for generations to come!"

Su Wu nodded, not looking at the others much. Of course, the others hadn't done anything; they hadn't earned any merit yet, so how could they?
That's exactly what I wanted—to satisfy the unease in these people's hearts.

It's like when women compete for the emperor's favor; most of them never blame the man, but only blame the other women for being vixens.

Of course, the premise is that this man has to be able to stand up for himself.

Suddenly, Tie Lili glanced at him again and said, "Your Majesty, I wonder if the Emperor has any daughters of marriageable age? I have two sons who are not yet married... If they could be happily married, wouldn't my Kereit clan be extremely honored? And we would serve the Emperor with even greater devotion!"

Su Wu raised an eyebrow, glanced sideways at Tie Lali, and thought, "Damn it... what he said..."

Su Wu was no longer angry. There was no need to get angry with this idiot; he could just treat him as a joke.

There really is an emperor...

But I can't marry him... I can't marry him for either appearance or substance.

Su Wu glared at them, then waved his hand and said, "Go and see where the sheep have gone, and urge them to come quickly! Tomorrow morning, the soldiers must have mutton soup!"

Tie Li was still full of anticipation, but he was rejected again. He wasn't angry, though. He looked at Wu Yong again. He had learned that he could first observe Wu Yong's expression in front of this king.

Wu Yong secretly waved his hand in front of his chest, and Tie Lali quickly bowed, then turned and left as ordered!

Xu was still puzzled. Perhaps the king dared not make decisions for the emperor on his own and had to go back and ask before he could give an answer.

They continued drinking mutton soup and eating mutton. The interpreter was busy coming and going, while Su Wu chatted leisurely with the others.

My most selfish thought is that I need to keep all these people under my control for the time being.

There's one more thing Su Wu hasn't mentioned today: the horse tax. Each department has to pay Su Wu a batch of horses every year on time and in the required amount. We'll talk about that when we leave.

Time seemed to fly by; Su Wu had only dozed off for a short while when the first light of dawn slowly appeared in the east…

Many logistical supplies arrived, and drums and gongs were also brought out; the gongs were sounded.

Soldiers are gradually returning...

In any case, having fought to this point, we've reached the point where manpower is exhausted, and it's time to call it a day.

We also need to send people into the mountains to sound the gong everywhere, otherwise many people won't be able to hear it.

Of Wanyan Zonghan's men, very few will have escaped this time. Whether one escapes or one flees, it has little impact on the definition of an annihilation battle...

I wonder if Wanyan Zonghan is dead or not...

However, it doesn't matter, as there are still the Khans of the various tribes of the grasslands here. They can just wait for their people to come and surround and search the two sides outside the mountain. This Wugu Mountain is not large, only two or three hundred miles from north to south, and no more than fifty miles from east to west at its widest point.

Su Wu did know what Wanyan Zonghan looked like, and only Su Wu knew him. Su Wu couldn't possibly identify each head one by one; he simply couldn't.

Because the heads at the foot of the mountain had slowly piled up like a mountain, Wu Yong, along with many other officials such as the military advisors and clerks, kept writing and registering them...

People were returning all over the mountains, and gongs were being struck everywhere, calling the soldiers back.

They also sent people to search further into the mountains, but the targets were not the Jurchens, but their own soldiers, and even to treat the wounded and collect the bodies.

There was no rush to leave. The army rested on the spot, and once they were well-rested, they would go into the mountains again to search carefully every place within reach.

After completing these tasks, Su Wu would head east to bring his army to meet many people and the Khans of other tribes.

Su Wu also wanted to go and take a look at Linhuang Mansion.

But Su Wu was also worried that the Jurchens would launch a full-scale attack again... The Jurchens could still muster at least 30,000 cavalry, and even countless auxiliary soldiers...

To fight or not to fight? That is the question.

Where is Yue Fei? Why hasn't he come to see us yet?
(End of this chapter)