Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

A piece of raw meat fell into the kennel. The black-haired hunting dog lying on the ground suddenly stood up, pounced on the piece of meat, bit it, and retreated into the back room. There was a sound of dog biting.

The figure who threw the meat had strong facial lines. He stood in front of the house with one hand behind his back, staring expressionlessly at the place where the noise came from. After a while, he turned around and took the wet wipes handed to him by the servant at the back and wiped the grease off his hands from handling the raw meat.

A figure quickly walked in from outside, glanced over here, and quickly approached, revealing Zhang Qing's featureless face, and said respectfully: "My dear, I'm back."

The person walking slowly looked at him and asked, "Did you see the person over there?"

"Yes." Zhang Qing nodded, took out a thin bamboo tube from his arms and handed it over: "The garrison commander only gave this, saying it was the recent movement of the Qi army."

"Give me."

A hint of interest showed on Zhang Jue's tough face. He reached out to take the bamboo tube, checked that the seal was intact, and twisted it to open it.

The smell of sealed salted fish penetrated his nostrils.

Frowning, Zhang Jue didn't think much about it. He stretched out his hand to look at the cloth carefully, then nodded with satisfaction and stuffed it back into the bamboo tube: "You have to go out again later to deliver this thing to the south."

"Yes." Zhang Qing responded softly.

Zhang Jue walked towards the study, and Zhang Qing followed closely behind him.

"Did the Jurchen say anything?"

The figure walking behind shook his head: "I asked him, but he said he couldn't say anything about the appointment. I could only find out that there are not many candidates for the position in Qi State recently, so maybe the transfer will stop now."

Zhang Jue exhaled: "Qi is rude and has not treated the great families and scholars well. At this time, the benefits of the war with the Khitans are not obvious. Once the war is stopped, the newly promoted heroes and the local great families will definitely cause trouble."

Then he reached out and touched his beard: "Rather than hanging around with this court that is bound to have problems, it would be better to go to another Ming dynasty..."

Before he finished speaking, he put the hand holding the cloth under his nose with a strange look on his face, then showed a look of disgust and waved his hand aside: "Next time, tell that Jurchen not to stuff everything into her stomach."

Zhang Qing raised his eyebrows and looked at his husband, then looked at him swinging his hands in the air and replied respectfully, "Yes."

The cursing voice of Zhang Jue who was walking in front of him reached his ears: "A bunch of barbarians who only know how to fish, hunt and kill people... Tsk, this smell, come with me to clean it up first."

"Yes, Langjun."

The walking figure changed direction and walked away.

……

The withered yellow leaves could not stand and fell from the branches one after another, revealing the bare branches. Passers-by had to wear thick clothes.

Qiao Lie, wrapped in a fur coat, stood in front of the window looking at the familiar street. Behind him, staff from the Youshi Mansion came to ask for instructions and waited for his arrangements.

"Have those people started to take action?" White mist floated out from his mouth and nose, and he turned his head to glance at the people behind him.

"News came from Pingzhou that several fish have taken the bait..." The respectful guard paused and added, "Only Wanyan Zongbi has not made any movement. I don't know why."

"...Has this guy changed his temper?" Qiao Lie narrowed his eyes, then shook his head: "Don't worry about him, it would be best if he could behave like a good dog. Keep an eye on the rest of them."

"Yes!" The person behind him responded and stepped out.

Wanyan Zongbing, Wanyan Chanchun, Wen Huanzhang and others were all on the list in his hand, and his spies were constantly taking turns to monitor them. Not only these three people, but also several Liao generals who surrendered had people around them.

But compared to the above three, they usually behave according to the rules and regulations and did not arouse Qiao Lie's interest. In comparison, those old Liao officials who were forced to surrender under the navy's offensive were more worthy of attention.

In recent times, not only did they give the troops a rest after a long battle, but they were also working hard to digest the land they had acquired while waiting for the Xijing Road to block the escape route.

Unlike before, with the support of the other three regions, many old Liao officials here can be exchanged with officials from Zhongjing and Shangjing. However, after some operations, they did not expect to receive unexpected intelligence.

"Zhang Jue, Wen Huanzhang, Wanyan Chanchun..." Qiao Lie tapped the windowsill with his hand, and raised one corner of his mouth: "I didn't expect that you could be connected together, interesting."

……

The sky is remote.

The people on the border all made way to the north road at the notice of the officers. The weather was getting colder and it was almost winter. The tall trees had taken off their clothes and people's footsteps were walking on the leaf-covered ground. Amid the roar, the sound of fluttering flags could occasionally be heard.

"He is rushing to be humiliated again."

The army marched, crimson figures moved in unison, and voices of complaint were heard under a large flag with the word "Li" on it.

The voice was a little low, but still audible. Fortunately, the people around him at this time were all brothers who had been together for quite some time. They looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that no one was listening to the noise.

Tong Meng, wearing a set of Song army standard armor, reached out and patted Shi Quan who was speaking: "Stop talking so much nonsense, say less, so as not to bring trouble to Jun Ge'er."

Li Jun was wearing a black armor and a scarlet battle robe. He pulled at the sleeves of his robe and walked forward: "It's okay. We are all family here. It doesn't matter if we say a few words. Just keep your mouth shut when you go out."

He turned to look at Shi Quan and Hu Yong: "In order to avoid being found."

"Jun Ge'er..."

"That was our fault."

The two heroes in the water lowered their heads, with embarrassment on their bronze faces.

Li Jun shook his head: "Never mind, I don't blame you two, but luckily it was the Duan family who came to our door this time, so we have more manpower. We just need to be more vigilant in the future."

Tong Wei turned around in the team and saw a sea of ​​flags. He didn't have to find the target, but turned back and approached Li Jun: "Do you really want to take them with you? We don't have much friendship on weekdays." "Take them." Li Jun walked forward without changing his expression: "Our people are fine in the water, but we may not be able to fight against Duan Sanniang's men on the shore. If we want to get out of this whirlpool, it is definitely not enough for us to rely on ourselves. We still need to unite with more people."

Li Jun exhaled a breath of white air and watched it quickly dissipate: "I just hope this time it won't be like the last time, where we were separated halfway. Then it will depend on who has the toughest luck."

The rest of the people remained silent, and only the roar of footsteps around them continued to be heard.

In the early winter of the sixth year of Xuanhe in the Song Dynasty, the Song court reassembled an army of 80,000, plus the remaining troops from the previous time, totaling 150,000. With Tong Guan as the governor of the army and Liu Yanqing as the commander-in-chief, they falsely claimed that they had 400,000 troops and invaded the Yanyun area again.

……

The same month, the fourth year of Jianwu in Qi.

The weather in the north is gradually getting colder, the rolling mountains are gray, and there are few pedestrians on the winding roads. Thanks to the government's propaganda, many families living near the west side of Yuyang City have already moved away, making this land seem even more desolate.

As time went by, the war in Xijing Road ended, and the battle reports of Du Fu and Sun An were placed on Lu Bu's desk. After discussion, the Qi court agreed on the time of attack with the army far away in Datong Prefecture, and had been accumulating supplies and food for another westward advance.

With the end of the autumn harvest, carts of new grain were stored in the government warehouses. Young and strong men carried carts of military rations through the difficult roads into Yuyang, Jizhou. Even the ignorant fools on the streets knew that the war could break out again at any time.

The cold wind blew through the streets in the early morning, carrying away a layer of loose dust on the ground. The few people who got up early covered their necks and faces, or turned their backs to wait for the wind to blow past. The officials and soldiers in the city also stepped up their patrols and walked through the streets against the winter wind.

Inside the provincial government office, the winter sunlight poured into the small hall. Several figures were seated. Zhang Lin and Lu Sili were looking at the bald man standing in the middle with unspeakable expressions on their faces. Qiao Lie, Li Zhu and others who were sitting opposite them squinted their eyes slightly, and occasionally glanced at the figure sitting in the main seat.

Lu Bu was wearing a winter coat and a black brocade robe with cloud patterns. He looked at the figure standing below who was constantly wiping his sweat, reached out and took a sip of the hot soup beside him to keep warm: "Don't be nervous, I didn't ask Zhongjing to send you here to kill you, otherwise I could have directly ordered you to be beheaded in Dading Prefecture, why bother with this."

When the words fell, the standing man exhaled, bowed and said: "Your Majesty is a hero, and you will not have the intention to kill the guilty minister."

After a slight pause, he said, "I was watching His Majesty's heroic manner, and my mind was taken away. That's why I'm sweating. I'm ashamed, ashamed."

As he spoke, Yelu Xinile raised his sleeve and touched his forehead, instantly soaking the fabric.

A few days after he surrendered, he went to Dading Prefecture with Zhao Zhaorong. Unexpectedly, he received an order from there to send him here. Although he was sure that he would not be easily executed, he still had some wild thoughts. Seeing this, his eunuch felt sorry for his master and taught him a few flattering words.

Zhang Lin and Lu Sili had certainly seen His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin before, and they couldn't tell what it felt like to see him flattering them. This time, it refreshed their previous understanding of the royal family, except...

He glanced at the figure in the lead.

Slightly——

The teacup was placed on the table, and Lu Bu looked up at him: "I don't like such flattery. Considering that this is your first offense, I will not bother with you."

The room was quiet. Yelu Xi Nilie's expression froze for a moment, then he bowed his head and clasped his fists: "Yes."

Lu Bu looked at the figure who lowered his head opposite him and smiled: "You don't have to be so careful. I still say the same thing. I don't want to embarrass you."

Seeing his face soften a little, he spoke: "I asked you to come to Nanjing only because I didn't want to cause trouble along the way. You and Yelu Yudu and others are all prominent figures. You can write some documents later. They will be useful when the army marches westward in the future."

Yelu Xinile understood immediately and quickly clasped his fists and responded: "This matter is simple. It is a good thing to reduce the death of soldiers and civilians. I am willing to do my part."

Lu Bu then smiled and waved his hand: "Yu Cheng, take him away...", then paused: "Since you are the first prince to surrender, I will not treat you unfairly. I will grant you the title of Huai'an Marquis, and your food, clothing and expenses will be guaranteed in the future."

Yelu Xinile hurriedly bowed to express his gratitude, and seeing a tall general in exquisite armor coming in, he knew that this was the person who would take him down, so he hurriedly said goodbye and followed that person down.

"Your Majesty, using this boy can save you a lot of trouble." Zhang Lin looked at the figure leaving, his expression returned to normal, and he smiled at Lu Bu: "With their handwritten letters, they are worth a hundred thousand troops."

"It's just that the soldiers of Xijin Prefecture may not recognize it." Wang Zheng said lazily on the other side and yawned: "But at least it can weaken their morale."

Lu Bu waved his hand and smiled: "I just want to save the lives of fewer people. The huge Nanjing Road has been severely damaged now." He sighed with some emotion: "I don't want to have few young and strong people on the list after conquering it."

"Your Majesty is right. Almost all the men in Xijin Prefecture have been wiped out." Li Zhu paused for a moment while twisting his beard. "If we really fight to the end, I'm afraid we will suffer a lot of damage in a short period of time."

Lu Bu lowered his eyes and said nothing. He seemed to see many familiar scenes. However, when he looked intently, he still saw the people and things in the room. He shook his head and stood up: "Let's not talk about these troublesome things. Life or death, everything is fate. We just need to do our best."

Then he looked at the people present and said, "In the past few days, we have prepared food and equipment, and sent troops to Xijin Prefecture to completely cut off the Liao Dynasty's imperial lineage."

"Here!"

In Yuyang City, the tense atmosphere was intensifying. Officials and generals all knew that they would be going to war again. The usually arrogant people in the market had already put away their thorns and reduced their presence to the minimum.

On the street, Wang Bolong brought his trusted brothers to stroll around the city. Ever since the Liao army withdrew from Jizhou, the one thousand soldiers under his command were finally able to enter the northern territory to join him. Now that the expedition is about to begin, it is natural for them to relax in the city.

On the busy street, familiar-looking generals could be seen from time to time. Shi Bao, Li Tianrun and other people from the south were selecting fur coats to send back to Dading Prefecture. Pang Wanchun, who had a sister to take care of, bought a lot of popular rouge and powder, and asked someone to send them back without caring whether Pang Qiuxia liked them or not.

The sun sets and the moon rises, and the light appears again. When the sky breaks through the leaden clouds, war horses gallop through the streets of Yuyang City.

As the trumpets and drums of war sounded outside the city, Yelu Yudu, as the vanguard, was the first to lead his troops out of the camp.

Soon, generals' flags, held high by flag bearers, followed the mounted warriors. The rumbling sounds of horse hooves and footsteps could be heard outside Yuyang City, advancing westward along the plains.

In early Mengdong, Song Jiang, the vanguard of the Song army, defeated Guiyi. Liu Yanqing left a thousand soldiers to guard the city and did not stay there as before. He led his army to continue northward.

A few days later, Yang Keshi led the cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Gu'an, and information about the Song army's attack again flew into Xijin Prefecture like snowflakes.

At the same time, after being persuaded by Yelu Yudu, Xianghe surrendered again and was incorporated into the territory of Qi.

The two teams of soldiers, one above and one below, gradually approached the city of Xijin Prefecture.

Then, the Liao Dynasty court issued an order to Xiao Gan and Guo Yaoshi to return to support the army. The two generals immediately received the order and led their troops back to Xijin Prefecture. (End of this chapter)