Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1145 How could I possibly be ridden on by someone?

Adjust the time forward a bit.

As spring sunshine rises above the clouds, it illuminates the unchanging, bustling streets of Bianliang.

The familiar women stood on the street talking, occasionally giggling. Some students from the Imperial Academy, dressed in Confucian robes, walked in twos and threes on the street, their folding fans held in their hands, pointing and gesturing around, occasionally chuckling. Suddenly hearing a commotion behind them, they turned around to look.

"disease--"

A swaying figure rode a swift horse, a bamboo tube sealed in vermilion held high above his head, his other hand whipping the horse relentlessly, his hoarse voice echoing through the streets: "Go—"

The people blocking the road quickly moved aside, letting the fast horse gallop past. The students who had been chatting and laughing just moments before exchanged glances, then looked at the passing horse.

"An urgent message... What happened?"

"Could it be that they've been forced into rebellion by treacherous officials again?"

“Traitorous officials are ruining the country. We students should stand up and warn the officials.”

"Brother Chen is right. Let's go to that restaurant over there and talk over drinks."

The 800-horse express courier paid no attention to the reactions of the imperial students behind him and headed straight for the capital. The imperial guards guarding the capital did not dare to be negligent. When they saw the rider on the approaching warhorse, they quickly stepped aside and let the messenger rush in.

They rode quickly inside. The rider leaped off the horse, his legs buckled, and he almost fell to the ground. He quickly braced himself with his hands, stood up, and staggered away.

Imperial guards rushed over to help him up and dragged him into the palace.

Emperor Huizong was painting in his study, just sketching the shadows of the mountains in his landscape painting, when he heard the noise outside. He couldn't help but frown and look up, when the door suddenly opened with a "bang," and three figures appeared in the backlight.

The man in the middle ran forward and knelt down with a thud. The bamboo tube with red lacquer fell from his hand and rolled forward. His weak voice said, "Your Majesty, the State of Qi has issued a proclamation to invade our border. Their vanguard has already entered. Please respond as soon as possible."

pat-

The brush fell from Zhao Ji's hand, spreading a large stain in the center of the mountain peak. Then the brush rolled downwards, leaving a crooked black line in its wake.

"Someone, quickly summon Grand Tutor Tong and Commander Gao."

The figure outside hurriedly ran out, and soon Tong Guan and Gao Qiu ran into the palace with the message. They heard Zhao Ji's voice coming from inside the room: "Quickly, go to Wansui Mountain, tie red silk to each piece of Genyue, take my edict, and go to the Taoist temple to invite 108 enlightened people to pray for the Great Song Dynasty."

"Go to the painting academy and convey my imperial decree to create the 'Hundred Cranes Soaring and Gathering' painting. Our Great Song Dynasty is blessed by Heaven, and I am the Daoist ruler. Celestial birds are auspicious omens in the mortal world. If their forms are depicted frequently, the enemy troops will collapse on their own."

"Furthermore, immediately order a ritual to be held at Yanfu Palace. I will personally preside over the Luotian Ritual."

Upon hearing the sounds inside, Tong Guan and Gao Qiu's expressions shifted. They simultaneously knocked on the door of the Imperial Study, and a slightly impatient voice called out from inside, "Come in!" The two quickly pushed open the door and went inside.

"Your Majesty, I have met with you."

"Don't stand on ceremony, come over here quickly."

Zhao Ji looked somewhat anxious and beckoned two trusted confidants over: "I have received two urgent reports from the border today. The Qi army has entered our Hebei border, attacking Xiongzhou on one side and Cangzhou on the other. Do you have any good strategies to repel the enemy?"

Gao Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly, and Tong Guan beside him said, "Your Majesty, the Qi army is barbaric and good at fighting, but their food and money have always been scarce. You should order the troops in each city to guard their cities carefully and not to go out and fight recklessly. If they can hold out for a year or two, the Qi people will retreat without a fight."

Zhao Ji frowned but did not speak immediately.

Gao Qiu's eyes darted around before he cautiously spoke, "Your Majesty, why don't we retreat south? Bianliang is too close to Hebei; it's not a safe place. If something were to happen, the Qi rebels would target Your Majesty first..."

Zhao Ji's eyes darkened for a moment, but he still didn't speak.

Tong Guan glanced at his expression, his mind racing: "This is not advisable. There is a fierce battle ahead. If Your Majesty leaves now, wouldn't it cause the soldiers at the front to collapse even faster?" Seeing the emperor glaring at him, he quickly added, "However, what Commander Gao said makes some sense. Your Majesty, as the pillar of our Great Song Dynasty, you are certainly being targeted by the Qi rebels. If their army besieges the city, you will be in danger..."

"Danger……"

Emperor Huizong stroked his beard and paced back and forth. His two trusted ministers were unsure of his thoughts, so they exchanged a glance and fell silent, lest they provoke him at this moment and bring trouble upon themselves.

It's unclear how many times Zhao Ji (Emperor Huizong) circled around, but the Song emperor, stroking his beard, looked up and muttered to himself:
"Leave...no, I am such a great emperor, if I run away before they even attack, what will the world think of me? I cannot leave, but the throne is indeed a problem. If someone can distract the Qi traitors in front of me...um...uh...wait!"

Zhao Ji suddenly stopped and turned to look at Gao Qiu and Tong Guan: "Who said I would be in danger? As long as I am not the emperor, I will be fine."

Tong Guan and Gao Qiu's pupils suddenly dilated, and their expressions faltered, revealing surprise.

Zhao Ji chuckled, "Looks like even you two old fogies have run out of ideas." He glanced at them smugly, "As long as I pass the throne to the Crown Prince, won't this Qi traitor stop targeting me?"

"Uh……"

"what……"

Gao Qiu and Tong Guan seemed to have lost their voices, uttering only a single, monotonous syllable. They looked at Zhao Ji with unreadable expressions, their lips hesitating for a long time before finally speaking: "But Your Majesty, if the Crown Prince ascends the throne and becomes disobedient, you…"

The supreme ruler of the Song Dynasty across from him paced back and forth a couple of steps: "Hmph, what's the big deal?" He plopped down and placed his hands on the table: "Even if I'm not the emperor, I'm still his father. How could I let him ride on my head?"

The two breathed a sigh of relief, and not long after, a grand abdication ceremony was held in the palace, where Crown Prince Zhao Huan ascended the throne.

……

Return to the borderlands.

In late early summer, tender green leaves sprout from the black soil.

The border areas of Hebei and Hedong were engulfed in flames of war. Several Song armies on the east and west sides were defeated on their way to Xiongzhou. Taking advantage of this, the four generals Dong Xian, Wang Bolong, Zhao Li, and Jing Chao drove the Song soldiers to their respective target towns to attack them.

One by one, messengers dressed in scarlet military uniforms and carrying three red banners, rushed along the official road, preparing to inform the court of the Qi army's large-scale invasion as quickly as possible.

Far away, billowing dust enveloped the hills.

On the hilltop, Song Jiang, the leader, reined in his horse and leaned on his sword. He was dressed in fine scale armor and wore a phoenix-winged helmet. His not-so-tall figure swept over the soldiers advancing down the hill, his eyes filled with contemplation.

Along the road from Hejian Prefecture to Mozhou, many villages had been deserted. He led his soldiers in to loot the area and obtained quite a lot. Although the most valuable items had been taken away, many things were still left behind. In addition, the grain, clothing, and cloth that could not be taken in time were enough for his poor soldiers to squander.

As for the villages where the people didn't escape...

That was done by the treacherous Qi army. What does it have to do with him, the military commander of Hejian Prefecture who is responsible for protecting the country?

Fortunately, morale was boosted. Song Jiang breathed a sigh of relief, distributed all the copper coins he had brought with him, and plundered along the way, which at least relieved the people's fear. However, the news that followed made him even more uneasy.

The advance was defeated too quickly. Now the enemy vanguard has reached the north of Mozhou. Once they cross the river, Renqiu will be exposed to the enemy's sight.

We need to speed things up on our end.

Song Jiang stroked his beard and beckoned to the soldier who was delivering the order: "Give the order that the army speeds up its advance and enters Renqiu City before nightfall."

……

"The pontoon bridge is now in place; troops are to cross the river—"

"Don't dawdle. Take this place and rest in Renqiu tonight."

Infantrymen carrying banners crossed the pontoon bridge under the shouts of their captains. Black square formations rose up on the opposite bank, and soldiers carrying swords and shields stood in front, watching the distance warily, lest the Song army attack them while they were crossing the river.

"General Han, His Majesty orders us to continue our advance and attack Renqiu. I will take over the defense here."

The shout came from Wang Yin's mouth. Han Shizhong returned the gesture of "receiving" from the front and roared to his vanguard battalion: "Target: Renqiu, move out!"

Thousands of black-armored soldiers moved forward in unison, with Zhang Qi leading the cavalry at the forefront, billowing dust as they headed towards Renqiu City.

On the pontoon bridge, organized groups of soldiers kept running over, then replacing the generals at the front, allowing the former to attack and capture Renqiu, and so on.

While Song Jiang was still marching south, Renqiu was engulfed in fierce fighting. The solid earth and stone walls were pierced by falling arrows, sending mud and debris flying everywhere. Fire arrows with trailing flames were pinned to the top of the city walls and spread and burned. The entire northern section of the city wall was covered with wooden ladders. Arrows were constantly being fired back and forth. Poisonous smoke balls, designed to irritate people's eyes, were thrown from below the city walls onto the top of the walls and the barbican.

Coughs erupted from the unprepared Song soldiers, who ran out of the smoke-shrouded area with tears streaming down their faces, letting out a sigh of relief and wiping away the tears caused by the poisonous smoke.

In the still blurry vision, a dark figure fell from the sky. The gleaming blade reflected the sunlight. He only had time to let out a short "Ah—" before being beheaded with a single stroke. His head flew down to the city wall, and his body fell to the ground. Blood splattered on the city wall and below, Qi soldiers were frantically climbing upwards.

The sound of war drums could be heard in the distance.

Black and red flags fluttered in the square formation of countless figures, and bright red cloaks billowed. Lu Bu rode forward two steps on his fiery red warhorse, reached out and stroked its neck to soothe his old mate, and coldly looked at the vanguard soldiers who had already stormed the city wall. He then signaled the other infantry units to step forward: "I'll give you two hours to take Renqiu."

"Send orders to the scouts to explore ahead."

Immediately, the bugle sounded, and the war drums became even more stirring.

The order to intensify the attack came from the rear. Han Shizhong slammed his steel spear into the ground, drew his sword from his waist, grabbed the shield from his bodyguard, and shouted fiercely, "Follow me to take the wall!"

He ran forward, used his shield to block several incoming arrows, grabbed the wooden ladder, and climbed up with his sword in his mouth.

On the city wall, where a fierce battle raged, fresh soldiers dressed in scarlet uniforms kept rushing forward under the pressure of swords and spears. The generals leading the troops were quite strong and drove the vanguard soldiers back in disarray.

Han Shizhong suddenly leaped up from the wall, took a big step, and swung his knife. With a "swoosh," he cleaved the roaring Song general in two, armor and all. He glanced at the somewhat stunned Song soldiers, then stepped forward and slashed again.

Amidst screams, a trail of blood splattered from the figure.

"First to charge, kill!"

There were also panicked shouts: "Hold on!"

However, putting aside the morale of the Song army in Renqiu, they were facing an elite force that had experienced the war to establish the nation. The leader, Han Shizhong, was a highly skilled and exceptionally fierce warrior. The sounds of fierce fighting came from the other two ends of the city wall. Generals Bian Xiang and Xi Sheng commanded their fierce generals to launch the most intense offensive, pushing forward and squeezing the space of the defending troops on the city wall.

"Ahhh-"

Qin Ming wielded a spiked club with both hands and struck a Song army commander on the head. With a roar, the commander spat out blood from his seven orifices. Then, with a spin, the spiked club swung in the air, smashing the surrounding Song soldiers to the ground with a series of thuds. Several figures were knocked off the city wall or were beaten to death on the spot by the club. The soldiers who followed behind quickly charged in.

"Hahaha—that's great! I'll smash you all to death with one blow."

Qin Ming, leaning on his spiked club, burst into laughter, his face beaming with excitement.

Before him, crimson figures were constantly being swallowed by black ink, and some even turned and fled. The Song army in the city seemed to have run out of reserves, and for a time, they seemed to have nothing to do.

Amidst the sound of war drums, the Qi soldiers, who held the advantage, continued to charge upwards. Soon, some Song soldiers in the city threw down their weapons and chose to surrender. Meanwhile, a black tide engulfed the city walls, launching a second wave of attack into the city.

In just over an hour, the entire city surrendered, and Renqiu fell.

Boom boom boom——

The sound of marching troops reached his ears. Lu Bu looked at the captured Renqiu City, but his face showed little joy. He tugged on the reins of Red Hare, saw that the daylight was just right, and raised his hand: "Order Wang Yin, Shi Bao, and Shi Wengong's three divisions to immediately advance into Hejian. The rest of the cavalry will follow behind, and the infantry will go forward to guard Hejian for me."

"Order Xi Sheng to leave 1,000 soldiers to guard the city, and the rest of the infantry to slowly withdraw from Renqiu. Order the supply battalion to continue forward."

He looked at the "Qi" banner that had been replaced on the city wall: "Also, send someone to the rear to tell Wang Bolong, Zhao Li and other generals to follow up quickly."

He ordered the riders to gallop away at full speed.

……

The army in Hejian was unaware that the battle was ending much faster than anyone could imagine, and that the city had been sealed off after its fall, so no one could send out any messages.

The northward-bound troops were advancing under Song Jiang's command. The vanguard, Lei Yingchun and Zhang Yue'e, a married couple, were three miles away from his central army and kept urging him to catch up.

Song Jiang was not usually a radical, but considering that Renqiu was now isolated and difficult to defend, and that the Qi army on the other side was a brave and skilled force, he couldn't help but feel worried. He immediately ordered the whole army to move forward quickly, since they had already entered Mozhou, and moving slowly might cause unnecessary trouble.

Despite his caution, within a few days, an army of over ten thousand men marched swiftly, their roar deafening.

In the distance, the Qi scouts who had been ordered to go south to scout were all experienced. They sensed something was wrong, jumped off their horses, lay down on the ground and listened for a while, then rode up to a high place to carefully observe the scale of the dust and smoke rising. They then rode back to report.

In the midsummer of Ding Si, Lei Yingchun finally realized something was wrong. Scouts at the front reported military intelligence, so he immediately stopped his march, set up a defensive formation, and ordered a messenger to request reinforcements from Song Jiang in the rear.

Zhang Yue'e led more than 300 light cavalrymen to patrol the flank, ready to support her husband at any time. However, when the thunder of horses' hooves reached her ears, her experiences of fighting in the north two years ago suddenly flooded her mind.

"The cavalry are in charge, a large number of cavalry."

"I know there's no escape now. Prepare... prepare for battle—"

(End of this chapter)