Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The sound of soldiers entering the military camp could be heard faintly, followed by the sound of clanging. This military camp could not accommodate the troops heading south, so they could only set up camp.

Fortunately, there were many skilled craftsmen in the army, as well as enough young and strong men and soldiers, and they worked quickly. Soon, they built several barracks next to the military camp, which were connected to the previous barracks of Xi Sheng, Du Fu and others to form a larger place.

In the central army tent, Lu Bu went to the commander's seat and sat down. Looking at the civil and military officials sitting together below, he rubbed his cheeks which had been somewhat dry from the wind and sun for a while and said, "Everyone, what is the current situation? Do you have any countermeasures?"

The sky was shifting, and footsteps could be heard from outside the big tent. A soldier brought some prepared refreshments to the general sitting on the seat. Xi Sheng stood up and walked towards the hanging geomancy map: "Let me tell you."

"Tanzhou originally had 30,000 troops, and later Wu Yanguang led 45,000 troops from Xijing to come to support them. After several battles, there should be more than 60,000 troops inside and outside the city. Now one person is inside the city and one is outside the city. The two armies form a horn and support each other."

Raising his hand and tapping on the geomancy map, Xi Sheng looked up at the figure on the commander's seat and said, "Over this period of time, I feel that the Liao army on the other side is indeed much stronger than those in the past. Wu Yanguang is an experienced man who does not drag his feet on the battlefield.

The Danzhou garrison commander Ji Anbang was also an expert in military operations and had great martial arts skills. General Zhao Li was ambushed by him."

The defeated Xuzhou man in the audience lowered his head.

Xi Sheng turned his head and looked at Yelu Yudu again: "General Yelu said that he was once the top martial arts scholar in Liao, but he didn't know how to behave and wasted his time at the bottom. Now he has been promoted to a lowly position by the Liao emperor. Judging from his actions, he is a man who is devoted to his country."

"Recently, I have fought with these two men several times, and both sides have won and lost."

As Xi Sheng spoke, everyone looked at each other, and many of them seemed to be thinking about something. After all, in everyone's mind, this was a war to destroy Liao, and it was certain that they would encounter difficulties.

Lu Bu took a sip of tea, pointed at the table with his finger, and suddenly asked, "Any information received from Han Shizhong and Wei Zhaode?"

"Not yet." Xi Sheng shook his head.

Du Fu, who was sitting at the side, spoke up: "Your Majesty, General Han sent a messenger to tell you that he is about to attack Jizhou. He made an appointment with me and others to send scouts to contact us if there is any problem, but it will take some time."

Zhang Lin frowned and said, "Your Majesty, according to the current situation, based on my understanding of Yelu Yanxi, he will probably gather troops and march north to protect Jizhou. Now most of the troops from Nanjing Road may have gathered in Jizhou."

Lu Bu's eyes followed his voice and looked at Yelu Yudu who nodded vigorously. He thought for a while and said, "I understand. There are priorities. Let's follow the plan and deal with the troops in Danzhou first."

The people in the military tent quieted down. Since Lu Bu had made the decision, they just had to obey it.

Wang Zheng sat in his seat and looked at the geomancy map, clasping his hands. "Your Majesty, the military report said that the Liao army used ambush troops to attack our army. Zheng thought we could use their idea."

Looking over, the tired-looking young man in the tent said, "We have an equal number of troops here. Why don't we transfer 20,000 cavalry to Jizhou in the southeast, and then march out of Miyun. By then, we will have fewer troops and Your Majesty will be in the army. If the Liao army rushes to fight regardless, we can send the cavalry to attack them from behind and surprise them with a sneak attack."

Yelu Yudu frowned and asked, "What if he doesn't come out?"

"It will either turn around or become real, depending on the situation." Wang Zheng shrugged and said with a smile: "Yelü Ping Liao is worried and confused, so don't be anxious. This time we must capture Nanjing Road and then Datong Prefecture."

Yelu Yudu nodded reluctantly, closed his mouth and said no more.

At the head, Lu Bu stroked his stiff beard and thought for a moment, then looked at several cavalry generals and said, "Your Majesty, you can give this strategy a try, but it would be a bit abrupt to send out all the cavalry."

After thinking for a while, he said: "Du Fu, Yuan Lang, Shi Wengong, and Wang De."

Four figures stood up and clasped their fists: "We will be here."

"The army has just arrived. Rest tonight. Tomorrow morning, you will set out one by one. Act anxiously." He put down the hand that was stroking his beard and gently patted the table: "Let's see how the Liao army reacts."

"Here."

In response, Lu Bu took a sip of the tea on the table and smacked his lips, "The tea sent by Song is not very good."

"Then ask them to send the emperor tea next time." Lu Zhishen below laughed: "I heard that the emperor's imperial tea is picked at a specific time, so it must have a unique flavor."

"Brother, why don't you ask him to send more gold, silver and food to fill the national treasury?"

Li Ying, a doctor from the Ministry of Revenue who was accompanying the army, spoke up, causing everyone to laugh.

Then they all fell silent. They all knew that the court's finances were sometimes good and sometimes bad. In recent years, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue had been scratching their heads over money and grain, especially Li Ying and Jiang Jing. They were extremely attentive to every policy that could bring in money and goods.

Lü Bu twisted his body as he listened, thinking about the journey from nothing to now, and said to comfort him: "Now it's much better. In the past we were poor, but now we have swallowed up three lands."

He stood up, glanced around at everyone in the tent, and raised the teacup in his hand: "After we take over Nanjing Road, I think the burden on the court will be greatly reduced. Today, let's use tea instead of wine. Drink this cup and destroy the Liao court."

"Destroy Liao Ting!"

Voices rang out in the tent, and everyone's faces showed excitement.

……

On the battlefield, the sound of golden gongs was heard, announcing the withdrawal of troops.

Zong Shidao looked helplessly at the soldiers who were retreating like a tide, the air of blood, smoke and dust on the battlefield filled the air with the wind.

Some generals ran over angrily and threw their weapons on the ground.

Dang clang——

The spear bounced twice on the ground and rolled aside.

"General, why are you withdrawing your troops?" Wang Yuan's face was slightly dusty: "I will rush forward and kill that general..."

"This is not what General Zhong should do." The guard Yao Pingzhong stepped forward to stop him, and glanced behind him: "Those damn eunuchs behind told the army to withdraw and go to Xiongzhou."

“Xiong…Xiongzhou?!”

Wang Yuan was stunned and then even more angry: "What are those rootless people doing? The army first gathered in Jingji, and then sent to Dingzhou to station. After finally entering the border of Weizhou, they want us to withdraw to Xiongzhou. Why is this?!"

Yao Pingzhong's face was gloomy. He turned to look at Zhong Shidao's helpless expression and said, "General Zhong wrote to the Prime Minister last time, saying that we should not ally with Qi to destroy Liao, which made the Prime Minister unhappy..."

Feeling the sharp gaze from behind, the Western Army general quickly lowered his voice and said vaguely: "Anyway, there is some progress on the side of Prime Minister Ao, and they have already fought to the vicinity of Xincheng. I heard that many villages and towns have joined the Eastern Army. Now they are rushing over from 800 miles away, asking us to go there to follow their orders. They said that so many people in the north are loyal to the court, and we must not kill the Liao army soldiers recklessly. They are afraid that the military supervisor here will not be able to keep an eye on General Zhong, so..."

"Ah——" Sighing, Yao Pingzhong sullenly stopped the topic.

"I... my family... hey, I'm going to marry him..."

Wang Yuan was dumbfounded. He pointed his finger at the sky and uttered a few words in succession, then stopped abruptly. Finally, he raised both hands, looked up to the sky and screamed "Ahhhh——" for a while, then jumped on his horse and turned around to leave, not even caring about the spear on the ground.

Yao Pingzhong sighed again, looking at Zhong Shidao who was thinking something over there, and signaled the soldiers to pick up Wang Yuan's weapon. He went over and hesitated, not knowing what to say. Zhong Shidao turned around and patted him: "You lead the troops to the rear camp and send the order to advance eastward. Fortunately, Xiongzhou is not far away, and there is a waterway ahead to save effort."

"...Yes." Yao Pingzhong stood there for a long time, lowered his head, clasped his fists, and turned around.

In the distance, faint cheers could be heard coming from the Liao army.

“…Victory.”

"Song... retreat."

The short words floated over with the wind. Yao Pingzhong clenched his fists, walked to the warhorse step by step, jumped on it, and pulled the reins.

Obviously, it was almost there...

Under the daylight, a large number of soldiers in crimson uniforms turned around and marched towards Xiongzhou with resentment and confusion.

……

east.

The flag of the Song Dynasty was hoisted on the top of the new city wall. Tong Guan, wearing brand new golden armor and a long sword inlaid with gold and silver hanging from his waist, stood on the top of the city wall, stroking his short beard and shaking his head as he looked at the flag fluttering in the wind.

After a while, he frowned and pointed at the flag with a look of surprise: "This position is not good, people in the city can't all see it. Come, give it to me..."

He paused, scanned the city wall, looked around, and pointed at the city gate tower: "Plant the flag on the top of the tower for me."

The generals behind him looked at each other, Xin Xingzong winked at his personal soldiers and said, "I will order someone to do it right away."

Then he took a step forward, took a red brocade cape from another guard and presented it to Tong Guan: "Prime Minister, there is no obstacle on the city wall, and the strong wind will blow you away. Let's go to the government office first."

Tong Guan nodded, reached out to take the cloak, turned around to look at the soldiers who were folding up the flags, and said, "Hang it higher!" He gave another instruction and then led the way down.

On the city wall.

Several Song soldiers in red sighed as they watched a group of generals escorting the commander of this northern expedition down the city. "Damn it, it's tiring enough just to carry these flags these past few days. They're in this position now, and they'll move to the other side next hour. Damn, they can move faster than us. At least we should stay on this wall for half a day before we go down."

"That's right. He just opens his mouth and we poor people have to climb up and down. It's no joke if we fall."

"It's still much better than the vanguard troops. I heard they are now stationed in the worst place and eating the worst food..."

"Come on, shut up, don't let people gossip about you, just hang it up now."

Several soldiers climbed to the roof with sighs. The wind blew up the flags, which fluttered on the city wall.

"…Changed location again."

On the street, Yan Qing leaned against the wall outside the restaurant, stroking his chin as he looked at the figures in the distance that had turned into a few black dots.

Beside him, Li Kui was sitting on a bulge by the wall in a very ungraceful manner. Hearing what he said, he looked up, revealing a face covered with arrow wounds, which were left during the siege. If Yan Qing had not pushed him quickly, the arrow would have pierced his eye socket.

Lowering his head, the Black Whirlwind muttered with some resentment: "Those officials like that rotten flag more than their mother. They look at it eight hundred times a day. After all, we conquered this city, but they just sent a useless eunuch to say some nonsense. The royal wine they gave us smells like urine.

Damn it, you need us to smile, but no, you don’t even show us a single feather, and you’re holding your breath like this.”

"tractor!"

Yan Qing called out and glanced around. The city was relatively peaceful because of Tong Guan's order to pacify the people of the north. He only watched a few hurried people and bored soldiers walking past in the distance. Then he lowered his head and glared at him: "Trouble comes from the mouth. Don't cause trouble for the vanguard."

"Really..." Li Kui snorted, and seeing Yan Qing staring at him, he quickly waved his hand: "Okay, okay, I won't say anything, Xiao Yi, don't be angry."

Yan Qing then retracted his threatening gaze, looked at the flags that were beginning to stretch on the top of the tower, and stood up straight with his back: "Let's go, it's really suffocating, we might as well go back to the camp."

"I won't go back." Li Kui shook his head: "If I go back, I will have to see Wang Wenbin's ugly face. I'm afraid I might chop him off by accident."

"...You are so honest." Yan Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry, he put his hands on his waist and said, "Okay, let's sit for a while and then go back."

Li Kui then calmed down. The two figures, one black and one white, one strong and one well-proportioned, gathered together and said a few words from time to time.

……

Dusk fell and dinner was served in the hall. The dim candlelight illuminated the small space on the table. A grilled fish, two pieces of grilled meat, a few pieces of naan and a pot of wine were all Yelu Dashi had.

Yelu Dashi opened his mouth and ate the still hot meat slowly, his brows were furrowed. Although the previous surprise attack on Han Shizhong's troops was successful, the main force of the Qi army was still there. After leading the troops in the past two days, the morale of the Qi army was indeed much higher than that of his own troops. They were evenly matched in several conflicts. If it were not for the large number of people, which gave the soldiers a lot of confidence, the army would have dispersed after a few more battles.

His biggest headache now is how to fight next. If he is given some time and the soldiers under his command are trained, they may be able to hold out. However, what he lacks most now is time.

There were footsteps coming from outside. The sturdy man who was always called Dashi Lin Ya looked up. It was the son-in-law of the emperor, Xiao Bodie, who also frowned and walked in quickly. He handed the letter in his hand to him and said, "Lin Ya, a fast horse from Tanzhou just sent a message saying that Lu's troops will arrive in the next two days. Let us be careful."

"Let me take a look." Yelu Dashi quickly put down the naan in his hand, wiped it on a wet towel beside him, took the military newspaper and read it by candlelight.

Xiao Bodi saw him leaning closer, then looked around at the furnishings in the room, walked over and took two candlesticks: "Lin Ya, can't you light more candles? There are still some here."

As he spoke, he moved the candle over and lit it, and the room instantly became much brighter.

"I'm the only one having dinner, why do I need to light so many candles?" Yelu Dashi smiled, took the military report in front of him a little further away, read it and put the paper down: "It's indeed a bit difficult, but I think the thief Lu will not come to Jizhou first, so we should be careful of Danzhou."

He exhaled and leaned back: "But it's not easy for us either. If the Qi army in the east joins us, it will be a difficult task."

Xiao Bodie sat down beside him, frowning and resting one hand on the table: "What should we do?"

"When an enemy comes, we will fight him with our generals; when a flood comes, we will block it with earth." Yelu Dashi's voice was steady, which made Xiao Bodie's brows relax a little. He listened to the person next to him continue to say: "Tomorrow we will gather our elite troops to fight the Qi army for a decisive victory. As long as we defeat part of them, we will be able to relax a little."

Xiao Bodie rolled his eyes and said, "Then we should give more rewards."

Yelu Dashi nodded slowly, as if thinking about something.

Under the firelight, the voices of the two Liao generals discussing continued. (End of this chapter)