Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1149 Hejian Prefecture

"Walk--"

"Break through!"

Seeing Lu Junyi and Yan Qing leave first, Mu Hong and Xu Ning knew they were in trouble. Before Shi Wengong could get close, they turned around and ran. The actions of the generals in the army made the soldiers who were still resisting feel as if they had been granted a pardon. They abandoned their opponents and desperately spurred their horses to follow behind Mu Hong and Xu Ning.

The cavalrymen dressed in crimson began to turn and flee. The soldiers dressed in black all around turned around, some chasing one enemy in groups of three or four, others working together in groups of two or three to kill the enemy from behind. One soldier carried a weapon behind them, while the others switched to horse bows and started shooting.

Arrows whistled through the air from time to time, and Song cavalrymen fell from their horses. Some even turned around and fired back with their bows. Before long, more pursuers followed and shot arrows at him.

Leading this group of routed soldiers were Lu Junyi and Yan Qing, master and servant, four highly skilled martial artists who cleared the way as they retreated southwest.

Shi Wengong wanted to give chase, but Lu Junyi and his men now numbered less than a hundred. They were all running away to save their lives and were even more daring and fierce than when they charged into battle. With four fierce generals leading the way, it was impossible for them to catch up in time.

Shi Wengong tugged on the reins and ordered half of his soldiers to surround and kill the remaining surviving cavalrymen. Meanwhile, he personally led the other half of the cavalrymen, along with Shi Bao and Wang Yin, to drive over a thousand infantrymen back south to Hejian Prefecture.

Lu Junyi and nearly a hundred others fled southwest, running wildly through the mountains and climbing higher hills to look down at the battlefield.

The battlefield, which had just seen over 10,000 soldiers, was already beyond description in terms of brutality. The Song soldiers, who were divided and driven away, were like cattle and sheep on the grassland. Several cavalrymen took turns forming formations to kill the enemy. Often, after a single charge, dozens more "cattle and sheep" would appear, and the driven crowd would gather more and more.

Large patches of blood remained on the ground. The bright red color made Mu Hong's eyes twitch. His hand gripping the hilt of his knife shook violently, causing his whole body to tremble: "Hurry back to find Steward Song. The Qi army is powerful. Brother Shi Jin is definitely in grave danger."

However, not long after, a cloud of dust rose in the distance, and more and more black figures appeared in a line at the edge of the horizon.

"...They're Qi reinforcements." Gritting his teeth, Mu Hong turned his horse around, grabbed the reins, and said, "Let's go find the commander-in-chief, quick—"

One by one, figures followed behind.

Behind them, Lu Junyi, riding on his warhorse, held a long spear. The blood splattered on his cheeks had not yet dried. He wiped it with his hand and glanced down, his chest heaving.

Beneath the billowing dust, the fierce Qi cavalry and the hastily fleeing Song army were clearly distinct yet intertwined, both heading in the same direction.

“…Xiao Yi.” A hoarse voice came from Lu Junyi’s throat.

"Your Excellency is here." Yan Qing hurriedly rode forward. His armor was tattered, and his handsome face, which was well-connected in the major brothels of Daming Prefecture, was covered in dust and blood.

Lu Junyi turned his head and glanced southeast, his eyes filled with a gloomy expression: "You think that by mingling in the officialdom, you can go back to Daming Prefecture and tear that adulterous couple to pieces?"

"..." Yan Qing's lips moved slightly.

The jade unicorn didn't need his reply; it simply pulled on the reins and spurred its horse to chase after Mu Hong's troops ahead. Yan Qing sighed, gritted his teeth, and followed behind.

The thunderous sound of warhorses echoed on the border between Mozhou and Hejian Prefecture. Large numbers of military horses entered the Hejian Prefecture area from here, and soldiers in scarlet uniforms fell to the ground one after another, serving as road signs for the Qi army that was marching south.

The Qi army's battle flags fluttered gracefully in this important town in Hebei.

……

Midsummer, Gengshen day, Hejian Prefecture.

"Close the door! Close the door!"

The heavy city gates closed after the last cavalryman entered. Song Jiang jumped off his warhorse, swaying slightly. Ignoring his exhaustion, he roared and, with Dai Zong's help, ran up the city wall.

Outside the city, a breeze stirred up some dust, brushed away the scattered marks on the ground, and trees swayed gently in the wind.

"General, we returned quickly; the Qi army should take some more days to catch up."

Dai Zong wiped his sweat. Despite the disregard for manpower and horses, they had been unable to escape. Of the 10,000-strong army that had gone out, 70% had been lost, and who knew how many more Qi troops were still following behind.

Fortunately, there are still soldiers in Hejian Prefecture. I wonder how many people the prefect has conscripted during this period of absence.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Dai Zong couldn't help but approach Song Jiang and say, "General, why don't we go and find out how many troops we have left before we quickly set up the city's defenses?"

"That's how it should be."

Song Jiang nodded, a few drops of sweat sliding down his dark face and landing on the blue bricks of the city wall. Then, he gripped the hilt of his sword and ran quickly down the city wall.

Before long, the sound of a huge golden bell rang out in Hejian Prefecture. The Song soldiers who were still resting outside hurriedly ran out of the restaurants and theaters, got up from their comfortable lives, and went out onto the street to run to the military camp.

"The northern bandits are attacking! Soldiers and civilians alike must not leave the city in the coming days!"

"The prefect orders that all men who are sixteen years of age or older but under sixty years of age should immediately report to the magistrate's office in their respective neighborhoods."

"Because the northern bandits are coming from outside the city, the city gates will not be opened until the bandits retreat. We hope that all the people in the city will be aware of this!"

The shouting constables ran through the streets, causing chaos among the pedestrians. Those who reacted quickly ran to rice shops to buy rations for the next few days. The price of grain, which was originally 2.55 million coins per shi, more than doubled in an instant, making many latecomers curse angrily. However, even more people went elsewhere to buy their grain.

Song Jiang walked out of the prefectural government office with a dark face. Looking at the chaotic crowd on the street, he sighed. His troops had been greatly reduced, but fortunately, the prefect had acted quickly in the past two days, transferring nearly a thousand local soldiers from various villages to fill some of the gaps.

As for the garrison troops...

Xiaoyi Heisanlang narrowed his eyes, memories of his days as a righteous soldier swirling in his mind. He gritted his teeth, determined not to let them climb the city wall.

With his cloak billowing behind him, the weary figure walked back to his residence. Regardless of when the Qi army arrived, what he and his men needed most now was rest.

However, he had only been lying in bed for two hours when a soldier knocked on his door: "General, the Qi army is driving our brothers over here. It looks like they're going to attack the city."

His drowsy eyes snapped open, and Song Jiang leaped to the ground: "Let's go, to the city wall!"

The light had dimmed somewhat, but the sky remained bright with clouds of various shapes. A cacophony of sounds rose from below the city walls; cavalrymen in black armor marched past infantrymen in crimson uniforms, occasionally lashing down with their whips, eliciting screams of pain.

Song Jiang adjusted his phoenix-winged helmet, leaned against the parapet, and looked down. The Song soldiers who had been driven over were making wooden ladders for siege. His gaze swept across the cavalry, and several generals' flags came into view. He looked at the unfamiliar flags of "Yelü," "Niu," and "Dong," and then his gaze swept over the three flags of "Shi," "Shi," and "Wang." A pang of pain shot through his heart.

After Mu Hong caught up with him, he told him what had happened on the battlefield. In the battle against these three men, not only did his troops suffer heavy losses, but he also lost several generals. This made Song Jiang grit his teeth in hatred.

"The rebels are building wooden ladders; it looks like they'll be attacking soon." Wu Yong, dressed in leather armor, walked over, his eyes bloodshot, clearly having had a bad night's rest. "General, should we send out of the city to provide reinforcements?"

“…Order the archers to come forward.” Song Jiang paused for a moment before speaking, turning his head: “You and I both know the fighting strength of the Qi army below the city. Our cavalry has been wiped out, and our infantry going out of the city is just suicide. We can only hold the city and wait for reinforcements.”

He gripped the sword hilt tightly, his tiger's mouth turning white, and gritted his teeth as he spoke: "If they attack the city, then they are not our comrades, but the enemy. We cannot be merciful to the enemy."

Wu Yong lowered his head and did not refute. After a group of soldiers carrying powerful bows walked up the battlements, the Song soldiers who had set up wooden ladders below the city stepped forward under the threat of powerful bows and crossbows.

A loud-voiced Qi soldier rode forward on his warhorse: "Hey! Song people on the city wall, listen up! Your emperor is fickle, breaking alliances with foreign powers and oppressing the people at home. My emperor does not want you to live in misery, so he personally led the royal army to conquer the south."

"Those who know what's good for them will open the gates and surrender, and even receive a minor official position as a reward. But if our army breaches the city walls..." He gestured towards the city wall, "They will only die." On the city wall, the wind blew, raising the military flag on the flagpole. The soldiers remained silent. The generals who had arrived, such as Mu Hong, Zhu Tong, and Xie Zhen, looked in Song Jiang's direction. On the other side, Lu Junyi, Sun Li, and others, who were fighting with long spears, had their eyes half-closed, making it impossible for others to see what was in their eyes.

Before Song Jiang could speak, Li Kui stepped forward, his large hand gripping the edge of the wall with his palm-leaf fan: "Bullshit! Tell your emperor to wash his ass clean, so I don't have to chop the shit out of him with my axe!"

Song Jiang glanced at the black whirlwind, then gestured to Mu Hong, and without hesitation drew a long arrow from his quiver.

"You..." The cavalryman below suddenly blushed, and after uttering just one word, a figure appeared above Li Kui at the crevice of the wall next to him, and a dark shadow attacked.

"Uh!"

The figure on the warhorse let out a muffled groan, swayed twice, and fell off with a thud. The ownerless warhorse reared up and cried out, "Hiss-hiss—" before turning its neck in a panic and nuzzling its lifeless master.

"asshole!"

Gritting his teeth and cursing, Shi Wengong raised his hand on horseback and waved it lightly: "Take two hundred prisoners up there, kill fifty of them first to avenge this arrow, and then ask them if they will surrender."

As the cavalry moved forward, cries of agony rang out. Song Jiang and his men watched helplessly as a group of figures were forced to advance. Just as they stood firm, a cavalryman behind them fired an arrow at the front.

"what--"

"Dog thief!"

Screams echoed up the city wall, and many generals stopped in their tracks, took a deep breath, and looked at Song Jiang.

Song Jiang closed his eyes briefly, knowing this was retaliation for killing the soldier who had shouted earlier. He then opened his eyes, his expression resolute.

Just then, a voice rang out from below: "This is your way of repaying your cold arrows. With just one sentence, the lives of these people are in your hands."

"Steward, let's surrender..."

"Don't kill me, surrender! We've already lost before..."

"It's Wang Er above! It's me! Quickly persuade the steward to surrender!"

Terrified screams erupted from the Song soldiers' prisoners, causing chaos on the city wall. Song Jiang coldly looked at the soldiers beside him and ordered, "Fire!"

One of the archers paused, then turned and hesitated, "General..."

"Fire the arrows!" Song Jiang roared expressionlessly. "The enemy is demoralizing our troops. If the city falls, think about whether your parents and children will still be alive!"

The archers gritted their teeth and immediately raised their arms, pointing diagonally to the sky.

hum-

Arrows soared into the sky and rained down.

A chorus of screams erupted below. The Qi cavalry had already begun their retreat amidst the shouts from the city walls, and the hundred and fifty prisoners fell to the ground, screaming one by one.

"Song Jiang, I'll fuck your mother!"

"You surnamed Song, I'll haunt you even as a ghost."

The curses made the people on the city wall look rather unpleasant, but Song Jiang gripped the hilt of his sword, his expression unchanged.

Shi Wengong frowned, exchanged glances with Wang Yin, Shi Bao, Niu Gao and the other generals, and hesitantly gave the order: "Try again."

As the bugle sounded, hundreds of cavalrymen dismounted, wielding round shields and swords, and mingled among the prisoners, carrying wooden ladders as they advanced.

More arrows rained down from the city walls.

……

The early summer breeze was blowing, and under the not-yet-hot sunlight, there were many figures running around.

Warhorses galloped across the blood-stained plains. Lü Bu rode on Red Hare, leading the central army in a grand procession. Wang Yin, Shi Wengong, and others from the vanguard constantly reported news of the battle to him.

He already knew that the three generals on the plains had defeated the reinforcements from Hejian Prefecture and were driving prisoners to attack the city walls. He glanced at the battle report and wrote: "Whether the commander inside the city is a woman's mercy depends on whether he is driving prisoners to attack the city. Since the commander of Hejian Prefecture ordered an attack on the prisoners below the city, he must be a tough opponent."

He handed the battle report to Yu Cheng beside him: "Pass down the order, have Shi Wengong and his cavalry patrol the main roads outside Hejian Prefecture, and have Wanyan Loushi, Yelü Mawu, Wanyan Huonv, Yang Zaixing and others patrol fifteen miles outside Hejian Prefecture, clear out the passing caravans to plunder grain and supplies, cut off the supply to the city, and seal off this place."

Han Shizhong, Mi Sheng, and Bian Xiang led their infantry forward quickly, while Ling Zhen, Wei Dingguo, and Shan Tinggui led the firearms battalion to follow. This time, they might have to rely on the firearms battalion to breach the city.

He raised his cold gaze, dismissed the messenger, and marched on for a while. As darkness fell, he arrived outside the city of Hejian. Shi Wengong and Niu Gao were leading cavalry to block the main road. Seeing the army approaching, they quickly led their personal guards over and saluted Lü Bu.

"This humble general Shi Wengong (Niu Gao) greets Your Majesty."

Lu Bu chuckled and reached out to take a wine flask from beside his warhorse and toss it over.

"We have achieved merit in killing the enemy this time. After we take Hejian Prefecture, we will hold a banquet to celebrate."

Shi Wengong took the bottle and drank a mouthful, but Niu Gao smiled bitterly: "This humble general has no merit. The troops from Hejian Prefecture that marched north were all defeated by General Shi and his men."

“It’s all the same.” Shi Wengong swallowed his wine, wiped his mouth, and handed it to Niu Gao: “They’re all foot soldiers, it’s the same no matter who comes.”

Niu Gao took the wine flask and gulped down several mouthfuls in a row. Shi Wengong immediately glared at him and reached out to snatch the wine flask, but the burly, dark-skinned man quickly stepped in to protect him.

Ignoring their playful banter, Red Hare moved slowly along. Lü Bu gazed at the distant city, narrowing his eyes. A breeze ruffled the cloak hanging behind him: "This is Hejian, and it's already like this..."

After a moment of silence, he turned to the two generals and asked, "Has anyone inside the city broken through to send word?"

"Have."

Shi Wengong stopped his movement of snatching the wine bag: "Since we arrived, we have sent out scouts to intercept and kill messengers who came out of the city to report the news. We have already killed thirteen people."

He paused for a moment, then added, “We also sent men to guard this path marked by Song prisoners of war, and it has been quite effective.”

“It seems that driving prisoners to attack the city has made those prisoners dissatisfied.” Lu Bu looked at him and smiled: “That’s good, at least the terrain here is no longer completely unfamiliar to us.”

He then pointed with his riding whip at the city's outline illuminated by the setting sun: "Send the order down, the entire army will rest for one night, and we will attack the city tomorrow!"

"Here!"

(End of this chapter)