Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1144 The tiger hunts south
Yanjing.

Several military camps rose up in succession, forming a larger encampment. In the fields east of the city, banners fluttered in the wind. Sixteen-year-old Zhang Conglong walked out of the barracks, straightened the sword at his waist, and put the iron helmet tucked in his waist on his head.

He finally reached the age to join the army. In the past two years, he had grown taller and stronger, and his appetite had naturally increased. His family could no longer afford the food, so he decided to join the army and fulfill his childhood dream.

"Village Chief, what are you still doing here? It's almost late."

A soldier walked over and looked at his young face with a pang of jealousy. Low-ranking officers in the newly recruited army could be taken by force. None of the men in their garrison could beat this half-grown boy. It wasn't that he was particularly skilled in martial arts, but his strength alone was enough to overwhelm them.

"What's the rush? I've been keeping track of the time." Zhang Conglong adjusted his helmet and chuckled. "Let's go to the drill ground."

Ten soldiers, dressed in their best and carrying their packs, marched forward under his leadership.

Such scenes were happening throughout the military camp. More and more figures in armor gathered, and as the camp began to be emptied, able-bodied men came to dismantle the tents and load them onto trucks.

A large flag bearing the character "齐" fluttered freely in the air for more than ten breaths before finally lowering, only to rise again.

Military commanders and captains called out "Assemble!" The voices echoed in the air, and flags representing generals fluttered in the wind. Zhang Conglong, who could read a few characters, hurried to a flag bearing the character "王" (King).

Wang Bolong, with his scarred face, sat astride his warhorse, his gaze fixed on the gathering figures, some familiar, some unfamiliar. A rider approached to report, and the Han Chinese general leading the Guards of the East grinned and waved, "Let's go!"

The dark mass of soldiers moved with the general's banner, the thunder of hooves and footsteps echoing, and the surrounding military formations moved in turn, heading towards a point three miles south of the camp.

On the vast plain, a high platform stands, surrounded by soldiers holding spears, swords and shields, and black and red banners flutter in the wind.

The army that came from the north slowly came to a stop, and the banners belonging to the generals were unfurled in front of the high platform, with the fluttering banners neatly arranged behind the large banner with the character "齐" (Qi).

"This is what the army looked like before it set off..."

Zhang Conglong turned around excitedly in the army formation. He saw faces that were either equally excited or indifferent. After looking at them for a while, he understood that the former were new recruits like him, while the latter were veterans who had fought in countless battles.

After this trip south, I'll probably be just as calm if I encounter something like this again.

With a sigh, Zhang Conglong continued to look around with excited eyes.

In the distance, a noisy sound came, gradually growing louder and closer. Shouts of "May Your Majesty be victorious!" reached his ears. Zhang Conglong turned his head sharply and stood on tiptoe to look in the direction from which the sound came.

The black figures completely concealed him, preventing him from seeing anything in the distance. He could only hear the thunderous sound of horses' hooves amidst the cheers.

The emperor arrived on horseback.

Zhang Conglong became excited. The people had a lot of praise for their emperor, and some storytellers even told stories about the emperor's cavalry experiences in teahouses. Although he didn't have much money and didn't go to listen often, he was always thrilled after listening to them.

The sound of horses' hooves stopped on a distant high platform, and a figure was walking upwards. Zhang Conglong had sharp eyes and could see that it was a figure wearing a blood-red cloak, and the armor gleamed brightly in the sunlight.

"May Your Majesty be victorious!"

A deafening roar erupted ahead, and someone beside him was shouting. Zhang Conglong suddenly realized what was happening and opened his mouth, shouting back at the top of his lungs.

The sounds ahead gradually subsided. Zhang Conglong shouted twice more, and when he heard the sounds around him had faded, he stopped shouting with great excitement. He noticed whispering nearby and glanced over to see several excited new recruits talking quietly.

The emperor on the high platform seemed to say something, and a loud-voiced figure stood below, inhaling and shouting.

“In the past, the world was in chaos, with numerous feudal states. After the First Emperor unified the country, the world was united, and the Nine Tripods protected China. After that, the world was divided and united for several generations, and the descendants of later generations dared not forget their responsibility to unify the world.”

The whispers among the soldiers immediately ceased.

"In this world, the only great powers are Qi and Song. I dare not compare myself to the First Emperor of Qin and the Han Emperor, but I do have the ambition to conquer the world. The Southern Song Dynasty is now content with its corner of the country. It does not think about the welfare of the people, nor does it care for the well-being of its people. It only indulges the scholars and officials in their greed for land and the exploitation of the people."

Under the military flag, Zhang Conglong gripped the hilt of his horizontal sword.

"I, though incompetent, wish to seek well-being for the people of the Zhao Song dynasty, so that they may have someone to rely on, someone to provide for their livelihood, and no longer have to worry about making a living—"

The figure on the high platform made a sword-drawing motion, and a series of lights reflected from a distance.

"I hereby swear that I will regard all the people of the world as one family, and I will not return home until the Song Dynasty is destroyed—"

The echoes traveled far across the plains. At the front of the army, the generals mounted their horses with a roar, raised their weapons in the sunlight, and roared, "Destroy Song and Zhao!"

"Destroy Song and annihilate Zhao!"

Soldiers wielding swords and shields struck their shields, and long spears were raised into the sky.

"Set off for battle—"

In the spring of the eighth year of Jianwu (1568), which was the spring of the tenth year of Xuanhe (10

The State of Qi issued a proclamation entitled "The Nine Tripods Transferred to the Throne, Proclaiming to the World," enumerating Zhao Ji's crimes of greed for the people's wealth. At the same time, it mobilized 150,000 troops, with Du Xue as the commander of the western army, leading 50,000 troops down from Datong Prefecture.

He himself led 70,000 troops from Yanjing through Zhuozhou, then crossed the Juma River to the south. At the same time, the navy assembled 30,000 naval and infantry troops, divided into two routes: one route of 10,000 to support the eastern army's advance into the Yellow River, and the other route to cross the sea from Pingzhou and attack Cangzhou to the south.

On the day of Wuwu in early summer, Du Xue's army pressed on Fengzhou. The border troops of Fengzhou were caught off guard and collapsed. Yuan Lang and Feng Tai led cavalry to pursue them southward. Sun An and Aliqi led two infantry routes to bravely attack. In just three days, they broke through the camp at Shuangshi, and on the eighth day, they captured the capital of Fengzhou. The Song army was in great distress and sent the warning of the invasion of Qi to the rear.

On the day of Gengshen, Hua Rong and Ma Ling, the vanguard of the Eastern Route Army, entered Xiongzhou and successively captured Rongcheng and Guixin. They then consolidated their defenses and awaited the arrival of Lü Bu's main army.

Meanwhile, Li Bao, Zhang Heng, and Zhang Shun, three generals from the Yellow River Command, led their naval forces southward, defeating nearly a thousand Yellow River naval patrols along the way, a force that few could match.

On the day of Renxu, Wei Zhaode, Huyan Qing, and the three Ruan brothers led 20,000 naval troops to attack the coast of Cangzhou. The coastal garrison fled without firing a single arrow, and the massive army landed at the coastline and headed towards Yanshan.

With the situation in Hedong and Hebei critical, the various military prefectures and states hurriedly organized troops and marched towards Gaoyang, intending to stop the southward-bound Qi army there.

In the year of Yichou, the sun shone brightly and the temperature rose. The mountains and hills within the territory of Song were already lush and green. The procession of people fleeing from north to south stretched endlessly. Families dressed in fine clothes fled in panic, driving carts pulled by pack animals. They gathered in twos and threes on the road, forming a huge wave of refugees.

When people seek refuge, it is inevitable that some crimes will occur, and from time to time, one can see the corpses of women, children, the elderly, and the infirm lying on the roadside.

The fleeing people occasionally encountered Song soldiers marching north. They were even more terrified when they met their own kind. The enemy rushed over in droves, brandishing their blades, killing those who watched, raping women, and looting all their possessions. The general in charge ordered his men to cut off the heads of the men and send them to the rear, claiming that he had killed the invading Qi soldiers.

Those who survived dared not take the main roads from then on, and could only escape along the mountain trails, continuing their flight south towards the city. If they saw a crimson figure flashing along the way, most of the people would choose to lie down in a place with lush vegetation, watching warily as the soldiers who were supposed to protect them ran away, until the army disappeared from sight, before daring to raise their heads and continue running.

"Perhaps things will be better once we get to Daming Prefecture," most people thought.

From south to north, a mixed army of 10,000 infantry and cavalry marched along the official road as if no one else was there. Song Jiang rode on horseback, his gaze constantly shifting between solemnity and determination.

A tall, dark figure ran up from behind. Li Kui grinned and shouted, "Brother, the brothers down below are a bit unsteady!"

Mu Hong also rode over on his warhorse, a long-handled broadsword hanging upside down. He glanced at Li Kui, his lips twitching slightly as if in pain, before approaching and speaking softly: "Steward, many people below are quite frightened when they hear that we are going to attack Qi. After all, we suffered a loss in the north just two years ago."

“The time I suffered a loss was two or three years ago.” Song Jiang calmed down, glared at Li Kui first, and then looked at Mu Hong and said, “We soldiers are here to protect our country. Now that the Qi people are invading the south, we should naturally report to the Emperor.”

"That damn emperor hasn't done us any favors, what imperial grace are we supposed to repay..." Li Kui, a burly and dark-skinned man, muttered, turning to look at the soldiers in scarlet uniforms: "Just because he's a mere military commander, we're supposed to risk our lives fighting for that damn emperor? Why should we..."

"Shut up, Tie Niu!" Song Jiang suddenly shouted from his horse, pointing his whip at him: "If it weren't for the impending battle, I would have chopped off your black head!"

Li Kui shrank back: "You're scaring me again..."

Song Jiang was even angrier, his face turning a deep purplish-red. Li Kui, seeing this, said, "I'm going to find Dean Dai in the back," and took off running.

Seeing Song Jiang's face contorted with emotion, Mu Hong quickly came over and said, "Steward, calm down. You know that's just the kind of person Li Kui is."

Song Jiang said indignantly, "It's all my fault for spoiling him all the time. I'll definitely teach this scoundrel a lesson when I have some free time."

Mu Hongquan pretended not to hear him and spurred his horse to his side: "General, this can't go on. If we can't boost morale..." He glanced around, leaned out and whispered, "I'm afraid we'll fall apart if we encounter the Qi army."

"...Distribute the money the soldiers are carrying." Song Jiang pondered for a moment before speaking, then turned to look at Mu Hong and lowered his voice: "Send out scouts to see if there are any wealthy estates nearby, so that the soldiers can make some money; that might help."

Mu Hong's eyes flickered, then he nodded, turned his horse around, and rode away.

……

As the sun began to set in the west, Hua Rong, standing atop Guixin City, gazed at the distant Qi-character banner fluttering in the distance, a smile appearing on his face.

A cavalryman came running over, and the general's order and token were hoisted onto the city wall by a wooden basket. After checking them, Little Li Guang hurriedly went down to the city wall and ordered the soldiers to open the city gate.

The army arrived with a thunderous roar. Han Shizhong, as the vanguard, greeted Hua Rong and then led his troops into the city.

Behind them, a dark, surging tide of soldiers came, with large numbers of cavalry and infantry entering the city. Soldiers began to build camps five miles from the city, preparing to set up camp and rest.

The messengers on their swift horses came and went, relaying various messages to the generals in the army and reporting back to the central army. Lu Bu, riding on Red Hare, listened to the messengers' voices and looked at Hua Rong standing at the city gate, a smile appearing on his face.

"This humble general, Hua Rong, greets Your Majesty." The general in silver armor stepped forward and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Lu Bu waved his hand and said, "Get up. You and Ma Ling have not failed my trust. Mount your horses and follow me into the city."

"Here!"

Hua Rong smiled, jumped onto his warhorse, and rode to the side and rear of Lü Bu, listening to the voices coming from ahead: "How is the Song army responding here?"

“It’s even worse than the previous two years.” Hua Rong laughed, then thought for a moment and said, “Perhaps it was because the Song army inside the city was not well prepared and climbed the city wall in just one hour.”

Although Xiongzhou was a border region, the morale of the Song troops there was truly low. Huang Xin and Hao Siwen had barely been on the city walls for a quarter of an hour when the entire city's soldiers surrendered.

He paused slightly, looked at Lü Bu ahead and turned back, speaking with some emotion: "Your Majesty, the governor of Xiongzhou was the first to surrender. I only sent men to keep an eye on him. Would you like to see him?"

Hearing the sound of the soldiers marching, Lü Bu pondered for only a moment before raising his hand and waving it over: "Let him come later. After all, he is the first Zhao Song official to surrender, so he should be given some preferential treatment."

Hua Rong nodded in agreement. The two chatted intermittently along the way. A considerable number of soldiers had entered Guixin City. Lü Bu could feel the gazes cast from the surrounding houses, knowing that these people were watching the commotion outside. He casually gave an order to appease the people, and soldiers naturally rode out on horseback to start shouting to reassure them.

Guixin's government office was not far away, and the generals on horseback soon entered it. Because it had been conquered by Hua Rong, only a few servants were left cleaning up. When the guards came in, they drove everyone out and took over the place.

In the main hall, Lü Bu sat in the main seat, and a group of generals sat down around him. Yu Cheng ordered someone to bring in the geomantic map.

“Xiongzhou is a very good place. It is located in the middle of Hebei. We can use it as a center to advance while taking over the surrounding prefectures and counties.”

Lu Bu took a sip of hot drink, feeling somewhat better from the fatigue of the long march. He stood up and walked over: "Order Dong Xian and Wang Bolong to lead 6,000 troops westward to take Ansu and Guangxin, and Zhao Li and Liu Yuan to lead 6,000 troops eastward to take Baoding, Bazhou, and Xin'an, and then proceed from those two places."

He paused, then turned to Yu Cheng: "Has there been any new information from Li Bao?"

Yu Cheng shook his head: "Not yet."

"Never mind." Lü Bu thought about it and didn't take it seriously. He slid his finger across the screen and said, "Send out cavalry to search along the river and have them cooperate in taking Qingzhou and other places in Yan'an. Also, cut off the connection between Cangzhou and the eastern counties."

"Yes, sir." Yu Cheng cupped his hands in response and hurriedly went outside to give the instructions.

Lu Bu pointed to Mozhou: "Speed ​​is of the essence in war. Since the Song army is not ready, we don't need to stay in Xiongzhou for too long. Pass down the order: the whole army will rest for one night and set off for Mozhou tomorrow morning, heading straight for Hejian!"

"Here!"

More than ten burly men stood up, clasped their fists in response, and their voices shook the house.

That night, Lü Bu met with the surrendered Song Dynasty officials and comforted them gently.

The next morning, Han Shizhong led his troops toward Mozhou under the cover of darkness. At daybreak, Lü Bu left a thousand soldiers to guard the city, and the main army continued its advance.

Meanwhile, to the south, Song Jiang led the Song army from Hejian Prefecture out of a village.

"Continue north!"

He said.

(End of this chapter)