Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Yelu Yudu rode his warhorse past soldiers with torches and headed towards the place where the prisoners were being held.

The night wind whimpered across the battlefield, campfire sparks scattered and burned, teams of soldiers holding strong bows and crossbows stood in the back, in front were rows of long spears and iron spears, and in the front were soldiers holding swords and shields, three layers inside and three layers outside were guarding the thousands of prisoners of war.

When the soldiers around saw him coming, they stepped forward to ask him a few questions, then pointed inside and said something. Yelu Yudu dismounted, followed by the ugly monk, the two generals Xie Jianu, and fifteen personal guards wearing iron armor and holding swords on their waists.

The group walked past the deer antlers placed in the front and followed the instructions of the soldiers into this temporary prisoner-of-war camp.

Teams of figures with their hands and feet tied with hemp ropes bent over and formed a twisted arc. The figures who walked in didn't even look and went straight to the leftmost position.

The bonfire illuminated the area over ten meters away. The yellow-haired foreign general had been stripped of his armor and was tied up in place, with four black-armored soldiers holding spears guarding him.

The ugly monk and others in the rear stopped. Yelu Yudu signaled to the guards, and the four of them also took a few steps back.

"Yelü Yudu?"

The familiar Khitan language came, and the Khitan man of noble birth nodded, stepped forward and stood in front of Aliqi, looking him up and down: "Have you seen me?"

Aliqi was silent for a moment: "...I followed the army to Shangjing a few years ago. I saw Xiangwen from afar, and I saw him again on the battlefield a few days ago."

"I forgot that I fought with you once." Yelu Yudu said insincerely, with one hand on the hilt of the sword and his eyes downcast: "I am now the General Ping Liao of Qi."

Aliqi looked at him strangely. General Ping Liao, who was standing there, knew what he wanted to say, but he was too lazy to pay attention. He looked at him indifferently: "Do you want to surrender?"

"If you don't surrender..." Aliqi licked his dry lips: "Are you going to kill me?"

Yelu Yudu said nothing, but just looked at Aliqi calmly.

"...It seems so." After grinning, Aliqi slowly put away his smile and looked at Yelu Yudu for a long while: "The commander is dead, the court is too dirty, I don't want to work for it." He gritted his teeth and said in a sonorous and powerful voice: "I surrender."

"Smart." Yelu Yudu praised and turned to the soldier guarding him: "Untie him."

Someone came over and untied the ropes on him. Aliqi didn't stand up immediately. He had been tied here for too long, and his blood circulation was a little blocked. After a while, he slowly stood up and looked at Yelu Yudu: "Why did the Emperor of Qi ask you to persuade him to surrender? Why did he kill him if he didn't surrender? Aren't you afraid of causing fear in others and fighting to the death?"

"So many questions." Yelu Yudu turned around and looked outside, then glanced at Aliqi: "You are lucky, you were brave on the battlefield before, and His Majesty noticed you. But it is this bravery that has caused you some trouble. The person you killed in this charge was the apprentice of the Grand Historian, who had been following His Majesty when he was in hiding."

Looking at Aliqi's changing expression, he paused for a moment before saying softly, "If you don't want to die, do more meritorious deeds and go to court less often in the future."

What else could he say? Aliqi could only smile bitterly, bowed to Yelu Yudu to thank him for his kindness, and then followed him outside.

That night, all the captured Liao army generals and officers surrendered, and a total of more than 9,000 surrendered soldiers followed the generals and were incorporated into the Qi army.

When the moon was at its zenith, a large group of soldiers surrounded Miyun City.

……

The darkness turned into a dark sky, the golden sun rose, and the spring breeze blew over the flags, making them rustle.

There was not a single bird in the sky, as they had been frightened away by the sounds of collapsing houses, running footsteps, and roaring below.

"Hurry up! Move the tiles and wood up!"

"The house over there has been demolished, quick, quick, quick!"

One by one, the young and strong men picked up large bricks and wooden beams and put them on the cart, and then watched the cart transport these stones and materials requisitioned for defending the city to the top of the city.

An official in the city was dressed neatly, standing in front of the crowd, and shouting at the people who gathered around him: "The Qi bandits are brutal and no different from bandits and mountain robbers! If they break into the city, they will kill and rob at will, and bully your and my wives and daughters. How many cities in Zhongjing and Shangjing will suffer, and the people in the city will suffer!

Now we have to demolish our own houses to stop the enemy from entering the city and protect the lives of this city. There is really no other way! I promise you that when the Qi bandits retreat, I will compensate you and rebuild your homes.

For the time being, to save your lives, please bear with it for a while!"

After that, he bowed and shouted again, "Please, everyone!"

Many of the people looked terrified, and after looking at each other, they shouted loudly.

"It's okay to tear down the house. At most, we can stay at our relatives' or friends' house for two days. Please don't let the enemy troops in."

"I'm leaving my life and property in the care of my elderly parents."

A variety of noisy sounds were heard in the city. Outside, the sounds of horns and drums rang out in the sky as the sun rose higher. The rumbling footsteps had already sounded on the plains.

Soldiers wearing leather helmets and leather armor stood in front of the parapets, holding wooden shields and iron swords in their hands, nervously looking at the Qi army that had been camped there since last night. From time to time, they glanced back. Near the parapets inside the city, more than a dozen large clay pots were lined up in a row, boiling hot water and boiling oil. Young and strong men were carrying a log as high as a person and putting it down. It seemed that they were well prepared.

Zan Tongmei stood beside Ji Anbang with narrowed eyes, looked at the nervous soldiers, and said to the figure in front of him with some uneasiness: "Brother Ji..."

He took a step forward, opened his mouth and closed it again.

Ji Anbang was waiting for him to ask a question, but felt him take a step forward but didn't speak. He turned around and looked at him. Seeing that his old friend looked uneasy, he immediately understood what he was worried about. After a slight hesitation, he raised his hand and patted him, smiling heartily: "Don't worry, as long as we hold on here, the court will naturally send reinforcements to rescue us."

He glanced around and saw the soldiers turning their heads to eavesdrop on him. He raised his voice, "Victory and defeat are common. We may not be able to defeat the Qi bandits in the wild, but defending the city is different. As long as we work together and wait for the imperial court's reinforcements to arrive, the Qi bandits will retreat on their own."

He raised his right hand and clenched it: "Protect our homeland!"

There were also soldiers from Tanzhou on the city walls, who echoed the words and shouted, "Protect our homeland!"

"Protect our home—"

More shouting rang out.

Ji Anbang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this. If nothing else, at least the morale of the army could be put to good use. With the help of Miyun City, he could at least hold off the Qi army below for a while. He hoped that the messenger sent for help could bring reinforcements.

"coming!"

Zan Tongmei at the back suddenly spoke, and Ji Anbang quickly looked over.

Boom boom boom——

Teams of cavalrymen in black armor galloped over, drawing their bows and arrows towards the top of the city. In just a moment, a rain of arrows flew up, and the sound of arrows hitting shields was everywhere.

"Crossbowmen, don't fight back!"

With his arms waving, Ji Anbang turned around and shouted, "The cavalry will leave soon. Don't let them figure out your true strength. Wait for their infantry to come up."

"Order the crossbows to come up, and order the young and strong men below to bring more battering rams and rolling stones."

War horses galloped and shot arrows under the city, and turned to the other side along the city wall, but there was a natural way of communication on the city. As the colorful military flags were waving, the archers on the four sides of the city silently drew their arrows but did not shoot, quietly waiting for the general's orders.

The sound of horse hooves faded away, the sound of war drums echoed in the air, and the dark figures began to move forward, and gradually the figures of the people in front could be seen clearly.

Ji Anbang and Zan Tongmei's pupils suddenly shrank, and their hands unconsciously clenched into fists. They looked at each other, and the same thought came to their minds.

Wu Yanguang was indeed defeated...

In the line of sight, the surrendered soldiers in Liao uniforms were walking in the front, the Qi soldiers holding crossbows were in the middle, and the soldiers pushing ladders and catapults lined up in neat rows in the back, and stopped when they reached the range. "Bowmen and crossbowmen, get ready," Ji Anbang ordered, straightening his body and putting one hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. "The Qi bandits are driving my comrades forward to attack the city, which is an inhumane act. What we can do is to send the soldiers below on their way and prevent them from continuing to suffer the pain of war."

The roar of footsteps below stopped, and a Liao soldier with a loud voice stepped forward and took a breath: "People on the city wall, listen..."

Ji Anbang's face twitched, he grabbed his hard bow in his hand and walked to the top of the wall.

"Your Majesty the Great Qi is magnanimous and merciful..."

The arrow was put on the bowstring, and "ka--" the bow was opened to the full moon.

"As long as you lay down your weapons and surrender, His Majesty will not pursue the matter..."

let go.

hum-

"You will all add...ah——"

The arrow hit the man in the face and he fell backwards immediately.

"Nonsense!" Ji Anbang's face flushed, his hair and beard stood up: "Anyone should kill such a coward!" He looked around and said: "When the Qi bandits go south, how can they not plunder supplies? Don't think that surrendering will lead to a good end. Look at the people under the city."

He pointed his thick finger downwards: "Those who attack first and fill in the gaps are the role models for those who surrender."

Woohoo——

The siege horn sounded and the sound of fighting came from under the city.

Time flies quickly between attack and defense.

……

In the spring, Nanjing Road is full of greenery, but also has a solemn atmosphere.

Yelu Dashi stood on the city wall in armor with his hands behind his back, looking at the vast fields in the distance. Teams of black-armored figures were moving in the distance.

Since entering Jizhou, we have fought several battles with Han Shizhong, big and small, in the past few days. Sometimes we have the upper hand, and sometimes we are at a disadvantage. Generally speaking, because we have more soldiers and generals, we can still stop the enemy. However, the situation in Nanjing Road is not optimistic.

There has been no news from the scouts sent to the east, probably because they were captured and killed by the scouts of the Qi army. It may take some time for those going to the northwest to arrive.

It was certain that the Qi bandits would launch a massive attack, but the unclear situation on both sides made the Liao heroes somewhat unbearable, and they even felt like they were sympathizing with a blind man.

"Lin Ya, Lin Ya, disaster has occurred."

Xiao Bodie's shouts came from behind. Yelu Dashi turned around and saw the son-in-law captain followed by several exhausted cavalrymen. He was moved and stepped forward to meet them: "What's going on? Are there any new movements of the Qi bandits?"

"What Qi thief?" Xiao Bo stamped his feet and pulled the cavalry behind him: "Quick, give the imperial edict to Lin Ya."

Yelu Dashi raised his eyebrows and looked at the man. The soldier quickly reached out and took out a piece of silk and handed it to him, saying, "Report to the governor, the Song thieves have torn up the alliance and invaded our borders. Now they have captured Xincheng and are advancing towards Zhuozhou and Fanyang. His Majesty has ordered you to lead troops back to the south to drive out the Song thieves."

"what?!"

Yelu Dashi was surprised. He took the silk and opened it. He scanned it and looked at the seal carefully. He closed it with a snap and looked at the man: "How many troops did the Song thieves send?"

The knight who came to deliver the decree swallowed his saliva and said, "It is said that there are 200,000 troops. We have fewer troops in the south and I am afraid we will be defeated. His Majesty has ordered several Xiangwen to lead troops to the south for support, but there are only 10,000 or 20,000 troops, which is pitifully small compared to the Song army."

"hiss……"

Yelu Dashi took a breath, looked at Xiao Bodie with a wry smile, and sighed: "It's really a bad fate. The Qi bandits just came, and the Song bandits rose up... If there is no connection between the two, I won't believe it even if you kill me."

Xiao Bodie also had a bitter face: "Don't worry about whether the two are connected or not. Now there are Qi bandits in the north who have not been eliminated. What should we do?"

Yelu Dashi turned his head to look at the Qi army outside, and the silk in his hand kept slapping the palm of his other hand. Xiao Bodie and others watched him thinking and did not urge him, but just waited quietly.

Snapped--

The silk cloth slapped heavily, and then was held: "There is no way."

Yelu Dashi turned around suddenly and said, "Leave 40,000 soldiers in the city and tell them to guard the city carefully and not go out to fight. With so many people, I think the Qi bandits will not be able to attack for a while."

He took two steps forward and said, "We will first go south to drive away the Song bandits, and then return north. I think with the armies of Wu Yan and Ji in the north, we can hold them off for a while."

Xiao Bodie thought about it and nodded sullenly: "...It has to be this way."

Yelu Dashi turned around and looked at the figure in the distance. He let out a fierce breath, waved his hands and walked forward: "Song people deserve to be killed!"

He turned around and walked towards the city, and Xiao Bodie quickly followed behind him.

The sky moved, and in the afternoon, Yelu Dashi, wearing armor and holding a spear, gathered half of the troops in the city, opened the city gate, and rushed out with the sound of roaring footsteps, heading southwest in the astonished eyes of the Qi army spies.

……

The setting sun adorns the clouds in the west, dyeing them a touch of bright red.

Below, dozens of fast horses were galloping towards them, and they couldn't help but cheer when they saw the city under the setting sun.

"Hurry, hurry, Yuyang is just ahead!"

"finally reached."

"There's food."

Horse hooves were flying and war horses were breathing out hot air. Some of the horses had foam on their lips. The knights on their backs looked tired and pale. They watched the city with the word "Liao" on it approaching in front of them. When they got close to the city, they all started shouting.

"We are soldiers under the command of General Wu Yan. Please open the door, fellow soldiers above."

A general guarding the city stepped forward and looked down. Seeing that they were indeed dressed in Liao army uniforms, he raised his head to look into the distance and without asking any questions, he casually ordered, "Open the door and let them in."

Then he hurriedly ran to the back to find the governor of the city.

The governor of that state was worried about Yelu Dashi's march southwards. When he heard from the garrison commander that Wu Yanguang's cavalry had arrived, he thought they were coming to report victory and was overjoyed.

He ran out of the government office, lifting his official robe, mounted his horse and galloped over. He saw several cavalrymen wolfing down dry food and water. He dismounted and rushed forward: "Did General Wu Yan win?"

The soldiers holding the naan bread all stopped eating and looked at each other, then at the young man beside them. The young man in military uniform lowered his arms, tears welling up in his eyes: "My father...died for the country, and Miyun City is now under siege."

Wu Yanyanshou stepped forward, clasped his fists and bowed: "Please let me see Dashilin Ya and ask him to send troops to rescue Miyun from danger."

"Ah?! This..." The governor's hands were shaking. "What should I do? Dashilin Ya just received the imperial edict this afternoon to go south to suppress the invasion of the Song bandits."

Wu Yanyanshou suddenly raised his head. (End of this chapter)