Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The branches shook, and there was a rustling sound in the woods. A person's figure crossed a rock, passed through a forest, and slid down the slope.

When he stood up, three crossbows were pointed at him. He put them away when he saw that it was his companion who was also wearing black.

The figure who came down grinned, took a bag off his waist and weighed it, and a sound of metal collision could be heard from inside.

His comrade was startled, put away his crossbow, and said angrily: "Damn, you are lucky, what a bunch of idiots you ran into."

"Don't come on, you guys have also gained a lot."

The scouts who had just arrived wiped their sweat off their foreheads and scoffed at their companions' words. Someone brought out the hidden warhorse and said, "Don't waste time. It's important to bring back the intelligence as soon as possible."

The four scouts nodded and mounted their horses one after another.

"Let's go back and have a good rest this time. We have had a very close call these days."

"At least we shouldn't have to come out until the war starts."

The four men rode out of the woods, and then their eyes suddenly froze. More than ten feet away on the left, seven or eight scouts of the Liao army were looking over here.

"Go!"

Soon, more than ten cavalrymen from both armies rushed out quickly, one fleeing and the other chasing, and started a chase in the woods. From time to time, someone blew a signal for help, attracting other scouts to join, and gradually a small-scale scout fight formed in the area from Jizhou to Jingzhou.

All this was just a common occurrence on the battlefield between Qi and Liao. Ever since Yelu Dashi led his troops to the rescue, the scouts of both sides had been engaged in mutual reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance for several days.

Facing the Qi army in the northeast, various opinions collided within the Liao army, and the Jizhou provincial government had been spent in quarrels in recent days.

"No, the court has given us all the troops. If we go north to fight the Qi bandits and fail, how can we resist their advance in the future?"

"If we attack now, we have the initiative. If we hide in Yuyang City, who can defend it? Who among you is good at defending a city? Besides, haven't you heard that if you defend for too long, you will lose it?"

"The Qi army under the command of the thief Lu is the best at field battles. Are you going out to die?"

"Xiao Gan! How can you be called the Grand Master of the Four Armies if you are so cowardly? You should change your title to Grand Master of the Four Directions tomorrow!"

boom--

"Bullshit, when I was fighting the Qi bandits in the field on Shangjing Road, you cowards didn't know where to get water. Before, an army of 200,000 couldn't defeat me, but now you have confidence with only 100,000?"

Outside the house, several Liao soldiers in armor looked straight ahead, and in their ears they could hear the quarrels of the generals of various armies inside the house. Some of them turned their heads curiously, then gritted their teeth and turned their heads back, clenching their fists tightly and pressing their fingernails against the flesh of their palms.

"Okay, after days of quarreling, what a disgrace!"

Yelu Dashi looked gloomy, looked around at the excited Xiao Telie and Xiao Bodie, then looked at Xiao Gan who had just slapped the table so hard that it shook, stood up and took two steps: "The Qi bandits retreated from the captured city to Jingzhou, which is to let us take the initiative to find it. Although there may be traps, how can we act according to the enemy's wishes?"

Xiao Tegan's face showed exactly that.

"But the Great Stone Forest Fang..."

"Wait a minute." Yelu Dashi raised his hand to interrupt Xiao Bodie's words, with a thoughtful look on his face: "It may not be a bad thing to delay for a while now. Besides, there is no news from General Wuyan yet. Wait..."

Outside the door, hurried footsteps were heard, followed by the guard's deep voice: "Da Shilin Ya, an angel from the imperial court is here."

Several Khitan nobles in the room were startled, and Yelu Dashi quickly said, "Please come in."

The door was opened, and someone walked in. He bowed to Yelu Dashi, then took out a stack of official documents and a piece of silk with an imperial decree and handed it to him: "Dashi Linya, this is written by your majesty, please take a look."

"Oh……"

With a soft hum, Yelu Dashi stepped forward to receive it, then looked at the man and said, "What can your majesty say?"

"Your Majesty hopes that Dashilin Ya and the other generals will defeat the Qi bandits as soon as possible and return to Xijing Road to provide assistance..."

"...Xijing Road?"

Everyone's surprised voices rang out almost at the same time. Yelu Dashi quickly read the document in his hand, and then said with a wooden face: "Order the entire army to prepare to attack the Qi bandits in the north."

"... Dashi." Xiao Gan looked at the young commander and called out.

Yelu Dashi reached out his hand, handed over the document, and groaned: "Everyone, the Lu thief has divided his troops to Xijing Road. Now his generals Du Fu and Sun An are advancing smoothly under the leadership of the rebel general Aliqi. Countless counties have surrendered along the way. Datong Prefecture has sent seven urgent messages of 800 miles. Your Majesty hopes that we can repel the Lu thief as soon as possible. Otherwise..."

He sighed and said, "Return to Xijin Prefecture as soon as possible to help."

The generals in the room looked at each other in silence, not knowing what to say. The messenger who came to deliver the intelligence did not dare to speak casually upon seeing this. He tried to shrink to the side to reduce his presence here.

Yelu Dashi didn't even look at him. He took a breath and looked at Xiao Gan: "If Datong Prefecture falls, the Qi bandits can attack Nanjing from both the front and the back. If the Southern Dynasty villains go north again, we will be exhausted even if we have three heads and six arms."

Xiao Gan lowered his head and sighed for a long while: "I know." He raised his hand and slapped the table: "Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to fight to the death. Everyone should be careful on the battlefield."

Early summer.

The Liao army began to mobilize troops under pressure from all sides. Scouts had already detected the movements and sent back intelligence. As the war continued, there were no pedestrians or merchants in the vicinity, and the villagers had also fled with their families to somewhere unknown to escape the war.

Lü Bu, who was sitting firmly in the army, looked at the head presented to him and waved his hand: "Salt this head and return it to Yelu Dashi when you see him."

Immediately, the military order was issued, and the soldiers and generals who had been waiting in the barracks for a long time cheered one after another. The opportunity to gain military merit had come.

……

"Shield soldiers, step forward, form a battle array—"

The long wind swept up people's roars and pulled at the black and red flags.

The square arrays combined together to divide the field, forming an irregular yet tight formation.

Groups of soldiers in black armor were divided in front, behind, left and right. Their physical fitness and military discipline were formed through years of training and fighting. When they gathered together, their vigor and energy soared into the sky.

They looked greedily at the gradually receding dust in the distance. When it comes to the desire for war, they are second to none in the world today.

"Your Majesty, Yelu Dashi has brought all his assets here." Qiao Lie put his hands on the pergola and looked into the distance: "It seems that they are anxious."

The figure in golden armor on the Red Hare in front of him did not speak. Wang Zheng beside him stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes slightly: "Internal and external troubles, although Yelu Dashi and Xiao Gan defeated the Song army, it was not a serious blow to the behemoth like the Song State."

He put down his hand and patted his thigh: "Zheng's guess is correct. The situation in Xijing has made the dog emperor of Liao anxious. Coupled with the pressure from the Song people in the south and the situation of being isolated and helpless, Yelu Dashi has no choice but to come north to find us, otherwise he would rather waste time..."

Lu Bu stretched out a hand, and Wang Zheng immediately shut up and looked forward. The figures of the Liao army were already looming in the dust.

"Xu Wen."

A deep voice came from under the banner, and a young general in black armor stepped out and clasped his fists: "I will be here."

"Deliver the gifts to people before they rush up."

"Here."

Xu Wen responded, mounted his horse, called ten personal guards, and galloped out of the battle formation, raising a trail of dust as he galloped towards the Liao army in the distance.

……

A large banner with wolf hair fluttered in the sky.

Yelu Dashi was looking at the distance on his warhorse with a surprised look: "Come on, go to the front and see what those Qi soldiers want to do." Xiao Bodie said worriedly: "Lin Ya, the Qi bandits must be up to no good. If we contact them now, it might be inappropriate."

"Not even daring to make contact is the most damaging to morale." Yelu Dashi frowned as he looked into the distance, "Let's see what they have to say first. All we're saying is trying to persuade them to surrender."

As the words were whispered, the cavalrymen who were ordered to move forward galloped over, and soon they came into contact with Xu Wen and others who were galloping over.

The two men looked at the men and horses over there and stopped, and seemed to say something. Then a cavalryman stepped forward alone, and more than ten cavalrymen rode back.

"...What are you doing?" Yelu Dashi murmured under the banner: "What on earth does this thief Lu want to do?"

Xiao Bodie was even more confused. He just stretched his head and looked into the distance. His own cavalry was turning back. When he got closer, he saw the wooden box in the hands of the people in front of him. He couldn't help but glance at Yelu Dashi in front of him and said jokingly: "Could it be that the thief Lu wants to bribe us?"

"Don't joke." Yelu Dashi murmured, "If he doesn't persuade us to surrender and doesn't shout to disrupt our army's morale, what else does he want to do..."

There were clatters of hoofbeats, and the returning cavalrymen stopped their horses. A surprised Khitan knight stepped forward and presented a beautifully decorated box with both hands: "Lin Ya, according to what the Qi thief said, this is a gift for you."

Yelu Dashi gripped the reins tightly. Xiao Bodie looked at him and moved his lips. If it was really a gift, he didn't dare to say anything more.

Generals all around who had heard or seen the incident turned their gazes over here, and some people from further away were approaching.

"Humph--"

Glancing around, Yelu Dashi snorted and frowned, then waved his hand, "Open it and see what's inside."

The pace of the people around them slowed down for a moment. The knight over there received the order and reached out to lift the lid of the box: "Ah——"

With a scream, the man on the horse dodged backwards in shock, and the box in his hand fell down. He then reacted and stretched out his hand to retrieve it, but it was too late.

click -

The wooden box fell to the ground, and a head pickled in lime rolled on the ground for a few times and then stopped. Wu Yan Yanshou's face was facing up, and his lifeless eyes were looking at the sky.

"How could it be!"

"Young General Wu Yan..."

"The Qi thief deserves death!"

The sound of whispering was heard among the people around him. Yelu Dashi suddenly clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white and made a creaking sound.

"Lin Ya..."

"Lin Ya, don't be impulsive."

The three generals Xiao Telie, Yelu Fuding and Yelu Wuzhi, who had just ridden over, glanced at the ground and then looked at Yelu Dashi's expression. They immediately knew what was going on and were afraid that he would be enraged before the battle, so they quickly started shouting.

"Don't worry, I'm not that easily angered."

Yelu Dashi's hands regained color, and he squinted at Wuyan Yanshou's head and sighed, "Father and son sacrificed their lives for the country one after another. They were both first-class loyal ministers. We must not let the bodies of such loyal ministers and good generals be exposed in the wilderness. Come on -"

With the drawn-out tone, the guards behind him responded and obeyed the order.

"Send young General Wuyan's head back to Yuyang City, and find a skilled craftsman to carve a body for him, and give him a proper burial!"

"Yes."

Yelu Dashi watched as his personal guards came forward to pick up Wuyan Yanshou's head and put it back into the wooden box. He then looked at the generals around him and said, "Let's go. The thief Lu is inviting us to a fight. We can't keep him waiting for too long."

With a ruddy face, he raised his spear: "Our Great Liao has been passed down for more than 200 years, and there are countless heroes who dare to die for the country. How can the emerging countries like Qi thieves compare to us! Great Liao——"

He took a breath and shouted in a broken voice, "Long live!"

"Long live the Great Liao!" The royal concubine Xiao Bodie drew out his scimitar and held it high.

"Long live the Great Liao!" Three Khitan nobles, Xiao Telie, Yelu Fuding, and Yelu Wuzhi, shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Long live the Liao Dynasty!"

The roar of the mountains and the sea radiated in all directions, and the soldiers of the left and right armies, such as Xiao Gan, Guo Yaoshi, and Xiao Wulila, were infected and shouted together.

"Pass the order..."

The spear reflected the light of the sky, emitting a brilliant flash.

……

Dedede——

The warhorse's hooves churned, and with a "whoosh" sound, a trail of brakes was left behind. Xu Wen bowed to Lu Bu and said, "Your Majesty, I have returned to hand over the order."

Lu Bu stretched out his hand and waved, and the general of the Right Guard immediately led his men to the side.

A roar came from the front. Lu Bu turned his head and looked behind him. Zhang Lin understood and stepped forward quickly: "Your Majesty, the Liao army is shouting long live the Liao army."

"Oh? A human head boosted their morale?" Red Hare dug its hooves, and Lu Bu reached out and stroked its mane: "I'll beat it down again."

"Order——

Wang De and Shi Wengong attacked from the left.

Xiao Haili and Niu Gao will lead from the right, Wanyan Loushi will lead from the center, and use the cavalry to crush their morale. The rest of the troops will advance. When the cavalry returns, I want to see the Liao people exposed to our range of fire. "

"Attack—"

The man holding the horn put it to his lips.

……

“…attack—”

There was a flash of metallic light, and the spear pointed forward.

Woo, woo (woo, woo)——

Under the sky, desolate horns sounded almost overlapping. Yelu Dashi was startled, then his face changed and he shouted loudly: "Forward, infantrymen follow up, forward--"

The war horses slowly sped up and charged forward, their hooves roaring and tumbling. The cavalrymen heard the order and shouted "Hoo!" in a strange voice, waving their weapons high in the air.

On both sides of the field, clouds of dust rose up, and thousands of soldiers roared and rushed towards each other.

War horses advanced at high speed, long spears and iron lances were held under the armpits of the knights in the front row, and the generals wearing iron armor and iron helmets kept giving orders, and the adjusted troops gradually formed a battle formation.

The Liao soldiers who were rushing over shot the arrows in their hands, and then watched the arrows from the opposite side also come at them in a staggered manner. The sound of arrows breaking through the air continued, and horses and human bodies kept falling to the ground and tumbling into the air. The sound of bones breaking was accompanied by the sound of blood.

"kill--"

The black-armored knight shouted hysterically, and then

Boom——(End of this chapter)