Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1021 Following the Army
The sky sank behind the distant mountains. Many people were hurrying home. There were also night owls who had just dressed and walked out onto the street with a folding fan, swaying as they walked towards the agreed place.

Zhao Liangsi walked out of the palace gate with his head down.

The matter was settled, and he hardly elaborated on the benefits of the alliance, and the king and his ministers of Qi put forward the conditions for the alliance.

There is nothing else to it, just money and food.

150,000 pieces of cloth or grain of equivalent value, 100,000 taels of silver, and 20,000 kilograms of tea as compensation for the previous two breaches of contract. In this way, Qi was willing to form an alliance with the Song people and capture the land of Yanyun. After capturing Yanyun, it would pay 120,000 pieces of silver, 150,000 pieces of cloth, and 50,000 kilograms of tea every year.

What they asked for was not much, just half of the annual tribute provided to the Liao people. But after taking over Yanyun, whether to pay the annual tribute or not was another matter.

But Zhao Liangsi always had a sense of ease and unreality. He asked himself that if he were a person from Qi, he would probably ask for too much and would not let go until he made Song feel painful.

The sky gradually darkened. Lanterns were hung on the shops on both sides of the street, swaying gently in the breeze. The dim light illuminated the road, and it was barely visible. The figures walking by recalled what they had seen and heard recently.

Destroy Buddhism...

The locust plague on the grassland is rare in a century...

Eight hundred miles urgent...

Tsk, these things must be related...

Zhao Liangsi was thinking all the way, and before he knew it, he had returned to the inn. All the attendants who had accompanied him came over and asked, "Mr. Zhao, how is it going?"

Someone looked at him with a frown on his face: "You don't seem very happy, could it be that..."

"It's done." Zhao Liangsi raised his eyes to interrupt the other person, walked into the house and slowly sat down: "After I finished speaking today, the king and his ministers of Qi readily agreed to it. They just wanted to pay a small amount of money as compensation for breaking the contract twice before, and I agreed to it."

The others looked at each other, and someone sitting at the bottom asked: "I wonder how much you want?"

"But it's more than half of the annual tribute from Liao."

"That's not much!"

"These Qi people are quite sensible."

"Finally I can go back..."

Everyone in the room was delighted. Zhao Liangsi lowered his head and pondered without saying anything. After a while, the deputy envoy looked at him and asked, "Why are you not happy? What's the problem?"

"Maybe it's going too smoothly, I feel uneasy." Zhao Liangsi narrowed his eyes and looked at the people in the room: "Tomorrow I will go to the palace to sign an alliance with the people of Qi."

The people in the room fell silent and turned to look at him.

Zhao Liangsi sat up straight and said, "Pack your bags tonight. Tomorrow, when you get the letter of alliance, you will return to Bianliang immediately and present it to the emperor."

"What about you, Mr. Zhao?"

"I'll stay here and see what Qi is planning." Zhao Liangsi stood up, walked a few steps outside, stood at the door and turned to look at everyone: "I always feel that something is happening in Qi."

The Song Dynasty envoys in the room looked at each other, responded in unison, and watched him walk into the darkness and go to the back room.

As the night passed, when the sky was getting light, the eunuchs and maids in the palace had already gotten up and were busy with their day-to-day affairs.

After a night of deep sleep, Lu Bu opened his eyes, reached out to take away Su Jinniang's arms, got out of bed and put on a black robe.

There was a sound of blankets sliding down from behind, and a warm hand brought a wide robe. Lu Bu paused for a moment, then reached out and put it on: "Sorry for waking you up."

"It's time to get up at dawn. I still have to practice martial arts later. I can't just forget about it." The woman at the back was wearing cool clothes, and it wasn't cold to wear them like that in the late summer.

Lu Bu stretched out his arms and let her put on her clothes one by one. He tied the belt with embroidered cloud patterns. He looked at her face and thought for a while: "Wu Qing has been putting off sex recently. Are you pregnant?"

Su Jinniang didn't stop moving. She reached out and picked up an ancient and fragrant hairpin to fix Lu Bu's hair. "She doesn't allow us to talk about it."

"What's so secret about this?" Lü Bu smiled and turned his head slightly: "If there are more people in the family, it will be a blessing."

"If you tell me too early, you will disturb the gods. If they are good gods, it will be fine. But if they are evil gods, it may be harmful to the fetus." Su Jinniang picked up the jade pendant and hung it on her belt. She gently smoothed the wrinkles on Lu Bu's clothes and said, "It's wrong to tell you today. Don't say it was me who told you later."

Lu Bu shook his head and laughed: "I have fought on the battlefield all my life and killed countless people. What ghost or god dares to get close to me?"

Then he agreed again: "Since she said so, I won't ask."

Su Jinniang nodded, and then couldn't help asking, "I heard that my husband is going to the war again?"

"The northern border is unstable, so I have to go take a look, and kill people for a few decades to come out in peace..."

The dark-colored robe waved, and the tall figure walked out in a square step: "After this, there should be no danger of border troubles in the north."

Su Jinniang watched him go out from behind, smiled, touched her belly, not knowing what she was thinking about, then put on her clothes and walked to the open space in the garden behind.

On the Jiaxu day of the last month of summer, Yang Bangyi, the Minister of the Chancellery of Qi, Zhang Lin, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, and Yang Pu, the Minister of Rites, signed an alliance with the Song Dynasty, agreeing that the Song Dynasty would send money, food and cloth to assist Qi in launching an attack on Liao. After taking over Yanyun, the two countries would become brother countries, and Song would send a certain amount of annual tribute.

After the agreement was signed, the Song Dynasty envoys who had been waiting outside the palace immediately set off to return to Song Dynasty. Meanwhile, in Dading Prefecture, all government offices were operating at a high speed. Food, fodder, and weapons were loaded onto trucks and sent to the military camps outside. A series of strong figures gathered from the city and headed out.

Gathering in the military camp under the banners of Yelu, Han, Guan, and Shangguan, several generals from the southeast received orders to follow the army, packed their bags, picked up their swords and spears, and walked out of their homes.

On the Yi-Hai day, the news of the gathering of troops spread in the streets. Zhao Liangsi, who was holding a wine pot, realized the Qi court's previous decisive action, but he was also more and more curious about the fighting power of the Qi army. After thinking for a while, he called the waiter to pay for the wine and got up to walk outside.

On Bingzi day, the assembled cavalrymen took their dry food with them, carried bows and swords and spears, tied their armor to pack horses, and rode out of the camp on two horses.

The neighing of war horses could be heard from time to time in the long dragon-like team, and the sound of horses' hooves tapping the ground was endless, gradually forming a huge roar.

"Etc., etc!"

The voice of shouting rang out on the left side of the road. Many soldiers and horses turned their heads to look at the horse that was galloping alone. Shi Bao in the accompanying team urged his horse, picked up the bow with one hand, drew out the arrow, and shouted loudly: "Stop! Get off the horse--"

"I am not a bad guy, don't shoot me, don't shoot me!"

The man shouted and reined in his warhorse, then jumped off the horse nimbly and clasped his fists in front of Shi Bao's sight: "I am Zhao Liangsi, an envoy of the Song State. I have something to ask for an audience with His Majesty the Emperor of Qi. Please let this general pass on the message."

“…Song envoy?” Shi Bao raised his eyebrows, reined in his mount and walked two steps beside Zhao Liangsi, looking him over. The hand holding the arrow turned pale for a few breaths before it regained its color. He put it back into the quiver and shook the reins: “Wait here!”

Zhao Liangsi hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you, General."

Shi Baoli ignored him and rode his warhorse all the way to the central army to report. Not long after, Wei He's fat body appeared in front of the Song Dynasty envoy and sized him up. "You are very brave to come near the military camp. You are lucky not to be killed by the scouts."

Zhao Liangsi smiled and said, "I have always had a good life."

Wei He curled his lips and didn't bother to pay attention to him: "Follow me, his majesty wants to see you." He pulled the reins, and the warhorse exhaled and went backwards.

Zhao Liangsi quickly jumped on his horse and followed behind, quickly tidying up his clothes with one hand. The horses were walking in the army, and the sound of horses marching around them was roaring in the ears, and occasionally the sound of horses snorting could be heard.

Zhao Liangsi, who was riding on the horse, felt his neck and chest were a little hot. He looked to both sides and felt that the knights' eyes were vaguely scanning him, as if those people were staring at these two vital points of his body.

Tsk, what a barbaric army...

He secretly complained in his heart. A large flag with a black background and red edges was fluttering in the air in front of him. On the fiery red warhorse, the Emperor of Qi was wearing a dark suit, a purple gold crown on his head, and a ring-handled sword dangling from his waist. Beside him were two hundred guards in black armor, holding spears and swords, watching him approach vigilantly.

Zhao Liangsi reined in his warhorse and dismounted smoothly. He took two steps forward and bowed, saying, "I am honored to meet your Majesty. May your Majesty live a long life."

"The Song envoy didn't go back?" Lu Bu raised his eyebrows, staring at the figure in front of him with his tiger eyes: "What are you doing here today?"

Zhao Liangsi stood up, not daring to look directly at the figure on the horse, and lowered his head to take a breath: "I have heard that Your Majesty often defeated large Liao troops with a weak force. I have always envied your army's combat power. Therefore, I have the courage to come to the army today. I beg Your Majesty to take me with you to the northern border to open my eyes and see what the powerful army in the world looks like."

Lu Bu on the horse narrowed his eyes. Wang Zheng, who was following the army, was lying on his horse. Hearing this, he straightened up from his horse and gently approached the back of his own emperor: "Your Majesty, you might as well agree to him."

Lu Bu glanced behind him and saw the lazy young man nod. Then he looked at Zhao Liangsi and said, "Okay, you will follow my central army and watch how the army fights."

Just as Zhao Liangsi showed his joy, he saw the figure on Red Hare's back turn around and tell the guards, "Find a set of armor for the Song envoy, so that he won't be too late to find it when the time comes."

The official who rebelled against Liao was stunned, and couldn't understand why the central army needed to wear armor. But after thinking about it, he felt that the Emperor of Qi was afraid that he would be injured by mistake, so he bowed and thanked him for his kindness.

I just had a new impression of Lu Bu in my mind.

He is a cautious person.

……

same moment.

The sound of war drums in Hedong City was fierce and rapid.

Niu Gao and Wang Jun came to the city wall wearing armor, and what came into view was a dense crowd of tribal soldiers, rushing towards the city wall like a tsunami.

On this side of the city wall, Tuo Zhao held an iron knife, tied his hair with a red headband, and shouted loudly to encourage his people. Many of them had blood-soaked cloth wrapped around their bodies, and they looked indifferently at the enemy army charging down below.

"General Wang, as before, the northern wall is left to you."

Wang Jun clapped his sword and said, "Don't worry, at worst I can break another sword."

He went down the city wall and, with the young and strong men selected to help defend the city, ran along the road at the base of the city wall towards the north wall.

By the time they arrived, the attack and defense of the city had already begun.

The grassland cavalry on the plains wandered under the city, shooting arrows on horseback to cover the soldiers who were carrying ladders to climb the city. Arrows were shot together and flew towards the top of the city, covering the sky and the sun.

The sound of arrows breaking through the air made some people scream in pain. Some warriors, enduring the pain, stood up from behind their shields and battlements, and used forks to push out the ladders on the top of the city wall. Some archers fired back from behind, and there were screams from under the city wall.

"Archers, keep shooting arrows. Get the stones and battering rams ready!" The surviving officers from each camp shouted, while nervously observing the number of grassland people climbing the ladders and wooden ladders below.

Niu Gao was guarding the west city wall. Messengers kept running back and forth to report the situation of the city wall section to him. Then the big man made decisions to adjust the troops and personnel. As for how to kill the enemy on the front line, that was something that the middle and lower-level officers should consider.

Stones and wood fell downwards, and the figures attacking the city let out roars, and the intensity instantly increased.

The flaming arrows cut through the air, flying towards the enemy from below and above. Some of them were blocked by the shield, and the blade cut off the arrow shaft downwards, and the fire on the shield gradually went out.

Black smoke gradually rose above and below the city, blocking the sunlight. On the northern section of the city wall, a ladder was hung on it. A figure holding a round shield and an iron knife in his mouth climbed up. Fist-sized stones were bounced off by the shield until a stone as big as a human head fell down and hit the shoulder of the grassland soldier with a "bang". A shrill scream was heard, and the figure fell from mid-air.

The soldier who was bending over and lifting stones had not yet felt happy when a stray arrow flew from the side and below, and pierced through his neck with a "puff". The soldier fell down with his body tilted, and someone quickly came up to take his place.

The battle line stretched out, and the field below the city wall was densely packed with people.

……

In the distance opposite the city, the war horses kept shaking their bodies and moving their legs. In the middle of the cavalry formation, there were several flags with ferocious beasts and birds of prey, and a large banner with the word Liao erected high.

Xiao Yixue, a tall and strong man wearing fine iron armor, looked at the distant city wall for a long time, his expression gradually becoming a little anxious.

"Don't worry, we should be able to take this city today." Beside him, the one who spoke was the King of the Zubu tribe, Zubugudu, with a smile on his face: "We are not good at attacking cities, so we can practice with the Northern Frontier Protectorate. Now that the warriors are gradually familiar with it, it will be smoother when we attack other places in the south."

Xiao Yixue turned his head to look at the fat King Zhubu, with a fake smile on his face: "If that's the case, it would be great. I will write to your majesty to state your achievements, and we won't take any of the loot from the south. All of it will belong to you."

Several leaders who had led the troops were overjoyed when they heard this. They looked at each other and praised him. Zubugudu rode his warhorse forward for a distance, drew out his scimitar and raised it: "Warriors, increase the intensity of the attack. After the city is captured, you can take the city back. I won't take a penny!"

Wuwuwu——

A low horn sounded.

……

Among the crowd attacking the city in front, Zhubu Tata, the first warrior of the Zhubu tribe, heard the sound of a horn coming from afar, raised his face slightly, and raised the iron knife in his hand.

"Warriors... the king is watching us from behind. This is a clarion call for encouragement."

The iron knife pressed forward: "Conquer this place and present victory to the king."

The cavalrymen coming out from various corners spread out and exerted greater pressure on the defenders on the city walls.

Zubudata sat on horseback, controlling the rhythm of the attack and issuing orders to the cavalry from time to time.

-

Suddenly, an eagle's cry resounded in the sky above his head. He looked up and saw a huge hawk spreading its huge wings and circling back and forth.

enemy?

……

On the wall, Niu Gao strode along the wall, adjusting the defense. He only had so many soldiers, so he could only rotate them as much as possible to let them rest. His slightly hoarse voice continued: "These grassland barbarians are not good at attacking the city. You don't have to be afraid. Just shoot arrows below. There are comrades in front to protect you."

While he was constantly adjusting the commands, he suddenly heard something, stopped, and looked further away.

At the end of the field of vision, smoke and dust rose and a black line spread out.

"……coming."

A smile appeared on the dark face.

(End of this chapter)