Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, the morning air carried a chill. Dressed in court attire, Yang Pu rode on his warhorse, leading three hundred elite cavalrymen at breakneck speed toward the Xin'an Army.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves carried from afar to the vicinity. Upon seeing this, the officers on the city wall shouted a few times, and figures dressed in full uniform and carrying weapons rushed up the city wall, watching nervously as the approaching cavalry passed through their sight.

The dust kicked up by the warhorses shot straight north. Thirty miles away, a military camp stood beside the river, and the familiar Qi-character banner and the dragon banner representing the emperor came into view.

The soldiers guarding the camp gate were stunned when they saw the newcomer. They stepped forward to stop him, verified his identity, and then let him into the camp. Yang Pu entered the camp, dismounted, straightened his slightly wrinkled clothes, and walked in with his head held high. The soldiers behind him escorted Zhang Jue, whose bound figure hung his head and looked dejected as he followed behind.

"Who is that?"

"I do not know……"

"He looks like a high-ranking official."

Inside the camp, the neighing of warhorses could be heard from time to time, and soldiers in black armor watched the figure entering with curiosity and whispered among themselves.

Han Shizhong, clutching a piece of dried meat, swayed and staggered between the tents. His fur hat was askew, and his fur coat was open, revealing a black military uniform with cloud patterns underneath. He would occasionally tear off a piece of dried meat and chew it.

Hearing a commotion outside, he curiously took a few steps outside, turned around with the jerky in his mouth, and immediately changed his expression when he saw who it was.

Yang Pu happened to be walking right up to him. Seeing that his clothes were disheveled, his face immediately darkened. He pointed at him, but before he could say anything, Han Shizhong pushed off with his feet and leaped back into the military tent, then turned and ran.

"...Hmph, where can you run to? Your clothes are disheveled and your appearance is unsightly. I'm going to impeach you today." Yang Pu said angrily, putting his hand down. He flicked his court robe sleeves, straightened his collar, took out a small piece of sandalwood that he had prepared beforehand, put it in his mouth, and then led his men toward the central military tent.

Lu Bu was enjoying his breakfast: simple meat porridge with a few naan breads and two dishes of pickles. Since he set up camp here, no one from the Xin'an Army had dared to go out of the city gate to scout. If it weren't for the fear of heavy losses to his cavalry, he would have been tempted to lead his troops to attack the city.

"Your Majesty, Minister Yang of the Ministry of Rites requests an audience." Wei He lifted the curtain and entered from outside the tent.

"Why is he here?" Lu Bu slurped down the meat porridge, then wiped his mouth. "Let him in."

Wei He turned and went out. Then the curtain was lifted and a man dressed in a straight line walked in. He stood with his feet apart, left hand on top of right hand raised to his chest, and bowed: "Your subject, Yang Pu, Minister of Rites, pays respects to Your Majesty."

Stand firmly with your hands like towering mountains, lean forward with your waist as the axis, and bend your knees slightly in a squat.

Lu Bu's facial muscles twitched slightly, and he quickly straightened up and returned a half-bow: "Minister Yang, please rise. Everything in the army should be simple, there is no need for such formal greetings."

Yang Pu stood up, stood still, and said, "I am not a military general, and it is already presumptuous of me to bow without the proper ceremony. How can it be simplified further? This is not conducive to establishing imperial authority and will easily make my subjects arrogant."

Lu Bu opened his mouth, then resignedly closed it, nodded, and when he spoke again, it was "What you say makes sense." He gestured for the other to sit down and politely asked, "How did you know I was here, and how did you arrive so suddenly?"

"When I met Tong Guan, the commander-in-chief of the Song army in this Northern Expedition, at Baoding Army, I asked the Song army to return the traitor Zhang Jue. At first, the Song army was stubborn and refused. I was prepared to wait for the battle report from the front army. Unexpectedly, the day before yesterday, the Song army suddenly relented and asked to meet with me, agreeing to send Zhang Jue back."

Lü Bu seemed to understand and nodded slightly: "It seems it's because I led my army south here."

"That's right." Yang Pu smiled and cupped his hands. "To say that I was able to complete this negotiation is thanks to Your Majesty, it would be more accurate to say that Your Majesty was the driving force behind this negotiation."

The sounds of soldiers moving about outside drifted in, and a look of surprise flashed across Lü Bu's face before he burst into laughter: "I never thought Minister Yang would also know how to flatter and fawn."

Yang Pu said with a serious expression, "What I have said comes from the bottom of my heart."

Lü Bu simply smiled and waved his hand, then said thoughtfully, "Did the Song people make any demands?"

"Indeed." Yang Pu nodded, confirming the emperor's guess: "They naturally hoped that our army would withdraw after capturing Zhang Jue, but I did not agree."

Lu Bu smiled.

The scholar, sitting upright, said with disdain: "Our army is currently in the superior position. Whether to attack or retreat should be up to us. Moreover, His Majesty is leading the army to press on the border. How can they possibly have any room for bargaining?"

After thinking for a moment, he spoke again: "However, I agree to their request to keep Liu Yanqing, and I do not force them to hand him over."

"This man was originally intended for me to test him. If you can use him to demonstrate that the Song people are so weak that they have no intention of protecting their own local generals, then you can send more people to spread propaganda in Song territory to undermine their morale."

Lu Bu stood up with a smile: "If we don't hand it over, it's fine to leave it in Song territory. With such a useless person as commander, our army will suffer fewer losses on the battlefield. Why not do it?"

Yang Pu didn't sit down either, and stood up as well: "Your Majesty's thoughts are absolutely correct."

"Alright, let's go out and see that bastard Zhang Jue." Lu Bu hung the Han sword on his waist and strode out: "This traitor has lived for so long, it's time for him to get to the bottom of this."

Yang Pu bowed silently behind him.

A cold wind swept across the border plains, carrying the damp chill of the nearby river.

Zhang Jue knelt on the ground, glancing up at the passing soldiers from time to time. The chill in his heart was worse than the cold wind blowing on him. He had thought that once he reached Song territory, the Song people would treat him well because he had voluntarily surrendered, thus attracting more Han people from the north to join him, so that he could rival Qi in the north. Little did he expect that he would be sent out directly.

What were these Song Dynasty officials really thinking?
I can't figure it out...

Completely baffled, Zhang Jue had been pondering this ever since he was given to Yang Pu and the others. He still had no answer and felt his head was throbbing. He couldn't help but lower his head, looking utterly perplexed.

wow——

The guards standing in front of him straightened up, their armor clanking as they did so.

"You're Zhang Jue?"

A pair of combat boots embroidered with red shinies appeared before Zhang Jue. He slowly looked up and saw a sword with a scabbard inlaid with the Big Dipper, a beast-head pouch, a crimson gauze robe, and a black robe with cloud and dragon patterns.

He involuntarily gasped, vaguely guessing the identity of the newcomer. "..." His lips trembled a few times, but he still couldn't utter a sound.

"Why don't you speak?"

Lu Bu frowned, tilted his head, and looked down at the figure kneeling outside the tent. Seeing the man's body begin to tremble, he curled his lip in disdain: "A cowardly bastard who dares to do something but doesn't dare to admit it."

Lifting his foot, he kicked hard, and Zhang Jue flew backward half a zhang with a cry of "Ah!" He slid several feet on his back and came to a stop, groaning as he curled up and twisted a few times but couldn't get up.

"Because of people like you, I have lost one of my great generals."

Walking slowly over, Lü Bu looked down at Zhang Jue's distorted face, his disgust growing even stronger: "Guards!"

Yu Cheng and Wei He stepped forward: "Your subordinates are here."

"Take him away." Lü Bu waved his hand: "When we return in the future, drag him to his death on horseback."

"Here!"

The two generals responded and gestured to the side. Imperial guards then stepped forward and lifted him up. Zhang Jue, who had just been kicked and was breathing freely, had heard clearly. Ignoring the pain, he immediately shouted, "Your Majesty, please let me explain! Your Majesty, please let me explain!"

"Wait... have mercy, have mercy!"

Lu Bu glanced at him with disgust. The two guards holding him knew what their emperor was thinking, and they dragged him away with force, the cries for mercy fading into the distance.

"Softie—"

With a flick of his wrist, Lü Bu turned to look at Yang Pu, a thought suddenly occurring to him: "By the way, Minister Yang, is Tong Guan in Baoding Army?" "...When I left, it seemed that Tong Guan had also left." Yang Pu tilted his head and thought for a moment, then sighed: "That eunuch left the city an hour earlier than me. I remember that Wang Anzhong, who was discussing matters with me, was also surprised when he heard the news, which did not seem to be a pretense."

“The Song people are also foolish, and eunuchs are corrupt and mislead the country. How can we allow them to stand in the court?” Lü Bu said, turning and heading into the tent. “Fine, since that eunuch is not here, I’m too lazy to make the trip. Send a message to Mi Sheng and the others to capture Yongqing as soon as possible. I will keep the Song reinforcements at bay and prevent them from heading north to interfere with them.”

"Here!"

The soldier who delivered the order rushed out, and as Lü Bu turned to go back, Yang Pu's voice came from the side: "By the way, Your Majesty, there is one more thing."

"Ok?"

"Although everything in the military is kept simple, one should still maintain a soldier's demeanor in terms of clothing and walking. Today, I..."

The sound was gentle and resonant, drifting away on the wind.

……

In mid-January of the fifth year of Qi Jianwu, Gu'an was captured by Mi Sheng and Shi Wengong. Generals Dong Xian and Zhao Li arrived and led their troops to join them, and together they marched to Yongqing City in the south.

The city's defenders were already uneasy because of the southward advance of the Qi cavalry. Now, with a large army attacking from the front and nearly 8,000 cavalrymen blocking the city between the city and the Xin'an army, they immediately lost their will to fight.

Before Shi Wengong arrived, the military commanders opened the city gates and headed west, then turned south towards Xiongzhou. Little did they know that their movements were being closely watched by the cavalry to the south.

At the same time, news that Zhang Jue had been handed over to the Qi State envoy was spreading rapidly in all directions. The newly formed army, which was originally ready to set off, hesitated and stopped in Bazhou, not daring to move forward.

While Wang Anzhong urged the newly formed army in Baoding to cross the Juma River and head north, he also sent people to search for Tong Guan in the south, but no good news came back from either side.

The former complained that Qi cavalry were patrolling the area, and that the enemy emperor was personally leading the expedition, so he dared not advance lightly. He hoped that Baoding would send more troops to join him. The latter rode a fast horse all the way to Hejian Prefecture but did not see Tong Guan's figure.

When the news reached Wang Anzhong, he was immediately put in a difficult position. Originally, Tong Guan had the most power and responsibility in the Northern Expeditionary Army. Military orders came from him, and regardless of whether they were reasonable or not, the generals of all the armies would obey.

Now that he is stationed in Baoding, he cannot suppress the generals from Hedong in Hebei with his status and seniority, let alone the Ever Victorious Army who have surrendered. In the past, even Tong Guan would have to speak to them politely.

"Lord Wang, Lord Wang."

The clerk who rushed in waved the letter in his hand: "A letter from the new city ahead, please take a look."

"The Qi army has reached Xincheng?" Wang Anzhong suddenly stood up, rushed forward, grabbed the letter, tore it open, and carefully read its contents. His face changed color: "Damn it, what do the Zhai brothers mean by this? Zhang Jue is just a surrendered man. Whether he is sent or not is none of their business with the Qi Kingdom!"

pop-

The scholar crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it on the ground: "They should just focus on defending the city. Why bother with all this!"

The clerk stood silently to the side, only bowing his head. Wang Anzhong took two steps, then sat down behind the table, picked up a pen and wrote something on a piece of paper. He then dried the paper, packed it up, and handed it to the clerk: "Go find someone and quickly send the letter to Xincheng. Tell the Zhai brothers, Zhai Jin and Zhai Xing, that the decisions made in the court are not something they, mere military men, can comment on. Just focus on guarding the city and don't worry about anything else."

The clerk responded and hurriedly ran outside.

Before long, a fast horse galloped northward.

……

Warhorses galloped across the plains, while cavalrymen carrying wolf-riding banners followed closely behind Wang Yin, their horses whistling through the air.

Looking down from the air, the densely packed cavalry and banners, thousands of cavalrymen, resembled undulating ocean currents, surging and surging.

Among the wolf riders, Yelü's four sons rode side by side on horseback. The figure furthest to the side was Yelü Zonglin, that simpleton, who looked at the warhorses galloping around him and rubbed his nose and mouth hard: "Finally, we've got another battle to fight. I thought His Majesty wanted us to attack Xin'an Army."

Yelü Zongdian glanced sideways and sneered: "Are you stupid? If there were no other way, when have you ever seen cavalry dismount to attack a city?"

“That’s just how those grassland people are.” Yelü Zonglin glanced at his second brother leisurely.

Yelü Zongdian rolled his eyes: "Going back eight generations, our family are also from the grasslands."

Yelü Zonglin waved his hand casually: "Ah, yes, yes, our ancestors for eight generations are grateful for your affirmation, Second Brother."

The sound of horses' hooves was dull and thunderous. Yelü Zongyun, his face flushed, suddenly stood up from his horse and swung his arm.

Snapped--

"what!"

Yelü Zonglin was so badly beaten that he collapsed onto his horse. The man who had hit him hissed and kept waving his hands, yelling, "You idiot...you want a beating, don't you!"

"Second Brother, calling me an idiot won't do you any good!"

What are the disadvantages?

"We have the same father. If I'm stupid, you're not much smarter!"

"I'll fucking kill you, you bastard!"

Yelü Zongyun and Yelü Zonglei glanced at their noisy brothers, sighed, and tilted their heads to one side, one shoulder higher than the other. They simply didn't have the energy to deal with these two unruly bastards.

Waaah, waaah—

The next moment, the messenger blew the horn.

The two men, who were fooling around on horseback, suddenly stopped. Yelü Zongyun's face darkened. "Stop fooling around!" he yelled at them, then drew his crescent blade. "We've caught up with the Song army's trail. We can't let them escape into Bazhou!"

"Look!"

The two boisterous brothers grabbed their weapons, their faces beaming with excitement: "These bastards, they came all the way from Yongqing, making us run all this way."

“If they don’t run away, we won’t have any credit,” Yelü Zonglei said slowly.

"Prepare the bow and arrows—"

A general shouted from a distance, and the wolf riders beside him simultaneously drew their powerful bows, pulled out arrows, and amidst the thunderous sound of galloping hooves, a crimson figure came into view.

"This battle is all about slaughter, charge!"

Under the banner of the wolf riders, Wang Yin shouted, and his steed galloped up, the shouts from all around blending together.

"kill--"

……

With a slash of his sword, Ma Ling, who had climbed the city wall, galloped quickly across the top of the wall, while a huge crowd surged outside Yi County.

The army's advance spread, its offensive like a tidal wave. (End of Chapter)