novelSusiti Chapter 61 Song Jiang, who always wanted to be granted amnesty
Chapter 61 Song Jiang, who always wanted to be granted amnesty
The night was silent and uneventful.
As dawn broke and the east began to lighten, Wu Yong rushed hurriedly to Chao Gai and Song Jiang's residence.
"Knock knock knock..."
The knocking was urgent and loud. Even though they were still asleep, Wu Yong insisted on immediately seeking them out to discuss important matters.
Both Song Jiang and Chao Gai were woken up early in the morning, completely bewildered, still heavy with sleepiness and drowsy in their eyes.
Hearing Wu Yong's urgent tone, saying that it was a matter of great importance concerning the survival of the stronghold, the two dared not delay for a moment. They immediately roused themselves, put on their clothes, and followed him quickly to the Hall of Righteous Gathering.
It's important to know that in the original story, when Chao Gai was the chief leader of Liangshan, the council hall was called the Hall of Gathering Righteousness. It was only after Song Jiang took over that it was renamed the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness.
Now, Chao Gai is still the leader of Liangshan, and the name of the hall has not been changed in the slightest, still using the old name.
The three entered the Hall of Righteous Gathering. Song Jiang and Chao Gai exchanged a glance and immediately dismissed the minor leaders, guards, and servants on duty in the hall.
In this way, the huge hall was instantly cleared out by the three of them, leaving only the three of them to discuss important matters in secret, completely isolating them from all other people.
"My dear scholar, what urgent matter requires such haste so early in the morning?"
After Chao Gai and Song Jiang sat down, their faces full of doubt, they asked in unison.
"My two elder brothers, what I have to say today concerns the momentous matter of surrendering to the imperial court, which affects the lives, fortunes, and future of over ten thousand brothers of Liangshan!"
As soon as Wu Yong uttered those words, Chao Gai and Song Jiang immediately straightened up, all sleepiness vanished, and their expressions became even more solemn and serious.
The strength of this otherworldly Liangshan is far inferior to that of the Liangshan in the original Water Margin novel on Earth.
After all, the Liangshan Marsh in the original novel was a powerful and well-equipped place with many leaders, and it was fully capable of establishing its own independent territory. Otherwise, it would not have been chosen by Emperor Huizong of Song as the leader of the four major rebel groups.
The remaining three major bandit groups had all been defeated by the Song Dynasty's imperial army and even the Liao Dynasty's iron cavalry.
However, although this Liangshan in this other world has more than 10,000 soldiers and seems to be quite powerful, they know very well that the government troops they have defeated several times are not considered elite.
Once those powerful families decide to take action against them, they will be utterly unable to resist.
After all, since the fall of Laizhou, many border troops have become their henchmen. If any of the six major families of Laizhou decides to raise an army to besiege them, the current Liangshan forces will be wiped out in an instant, with no chance of survival.
In the original story, Song Jiang strongly advocated for amnesty, mainly because of his loyalty to the imperial court and his desire to find a legitimate path for his brothers.
In this otherworldly Liangshan, accepting amnesty is the only way to survive in dire straits; refusing to serve the imperial court means certain death.
Song Jiang and his men did not want to join those powerful families and become their henchmen, or even bring disaster to the country and its people. Their only option was to join the Prince of Laiyang.
Furthermore, the stronghold had gathered a large number of former defeated soldiers and down-on-their-luck officers from the Laizhou border army. These men had been framed by treacherous people and forced into becoming outlaws, but they still longed for military glory.
If given the opportunity to rejoin the ranks of the government troops and regain their innocent status and future, they would certainly wholeheartedly support Song Jiang and his men.
Now that they've heard Wu Yong say that there's a real way to get them amnesty, how could the two of them not take it very seriously?
"Scholar, speak quickly! What method is there to grant us our wish to be granted amnesty and surrender to the court represented by the Prince of Laiyang?"
Unable to contain his excitement, Song Jiang leaned forward slightly and eagerly pressed for an answer.
These days, they have not been without opportunities to seek amnesty.
But when those minor officials saw the Liangshan group, they were all so frightened that they were trembling and dared not speak to them at all.
As for high-ranking officials in the court, they didn't even have the chance to meet them.
Now that the King of Laiyang has made a name for himself, they naturally want to express their willingness to surrender, but they have no way to do so, and so it has been delayed.
At this moment, upon hearing that the strategist Wu Yong had made progress in seeking amnesty, Song Jiang and Chao Gai were overjoyed, as if a long-awaited rain had fallen after a drought.
"Brother, you may not know this, but the reason we have been unable to obtain amnesty for so long is because of our low social status. We have not been able to establish connections with the court or the prefectures. Now, I have a plan that will surely help you two brothers achieve your wishes!" Wu Yong said confidently with a sure smile on his face.
"Oh? Tell me quickly what your plan is!" Chao Gai asked Wu Yong anxiously, leaning forward.
Wu Yong bowed and slowly replied, "My two elder brothers, I have recently sent people to inquire around and have finally found out that there is a retired old general living in seclusion in Taoyuan County near Liangshan."
"This man fought on the battlefield in the past and has a distinguished record of military achievements. He is highly respected in the army. What is even more remarkable is that the old general was also a bandit in his early years. He knows our difficulties and will surely empathize with our situation."
"Most importantly, this old general has some connections with the Prince of Laiyang. If we can invite him up the mountain to help us and mediate, wouldn't we Liangshan people then have a legitimate way to communicate with the Prince of Laiyang?"
Song Jiang lowered his head and pondered for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the table as he carefully considered the feasibility of the plan. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the matter was safe and worth trying. Then he looked up at Wu Yong.
"Scholar, just who is this highly respected old general who is well-connected with the Prince of Laiyang?"
Wu Yong spoke slowly and solemnly, uttering a name that made Song Jiang's face show some unease: "Zhang Ping."
"It's him!" Song Jiang had naturally heard of this name.
Zhang Ping, a general of the Laizhou army, was also a famous general with outstanding military achievements. He once followed the eighth prince Jiang Ce, who was training in the border army, and the two developed feelings for each other.
However, because of the battle more than two years ago, Zhang Ping retired to his hometown. When the Prince of Laiyang rose to power, he immediately sent his son Zhang Hao to help him.
As for Zhang Ping, perhaps it's because he's getting old; nearing fifty, he just wants to stay in his hometown and retire.
These figures have an undeniable connection with the Prince of Laiyang. Song Jiang fears that if he were to harm them, the entire Laiyang army might be mobilized and wipe out Liangshan.
Seeing that Song Jiang had some concerns, Wu Yong immediately explained, "Brother, don't worry. I've already planned it out. Although the Laiyang army is powerful, Fengxiang County is controlled by a powerful family. Even if they wanted to make a move, they wouldn't be able to get here."
"Furthermore, we are only asking the old general to come up the mountain to find a way out for ourselves. As long as we treat him with courtesy, I believe that it will not be long before the matter of our brothers being granted amnesty is settled, and then we will naturally be safe and sound."
[Ding dong, Wu Yong's skill "Strategist" is activated.]
The Wise Man: He has read countless scriptures and possesses a clever and resourceful mind throughout his life...