Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1150 Don't scare people

At night, dark clouds obscured the bright moon, and the stars in the sky were hidden behind the curtain.

The sound of horses' hooves came from outside the military camp, and the flickering flames in the distance formed a fiery dragon. The sounds of horses neighing and men shouting could be heard from time to time inside the vast military camp.

Bonfires were lit, dispelling the darkness of the night and creating a circle of light in the small space. Infantrymen carrying weapons and lanterns walked through the darkness, and bursts of snoring echoed inside the tents.

After dark, the supplies and equipment that followed closely behind caught up. At this time, the able-bodied soldiers being transported were chewing on the dried meat they were given to replenish their excessive energy. Some fell asleep with half a piece of meat in their mouths, while others quickly swallowed the dried meat and rice porridge. Some took empty bowls to the cooks over there, smiling and asking for another bowl.

Ling Zhen, Kou Yi, Wei Dingguo, and Shan Tinggui walked in the open area of ​​the rear camp. Listening to the commotion and looking at the equipment covered by thick cloth, they breathed a sigh of relief. They had finally arrived safely. The journey had been tiring.

In the distance, armored guards rode their warhorses closer. Upon seeing the group, they dismounted, approached, and bowed respectfully.

"Grand Supervisor Ling, Junior Supervisor Kou, General Wei, General Shan, His Majesty requests your presence. Please follow me."

The four men exchanged a glance, then ordered the guard to lead the way. The four men mounted their horses and rode from the rear camp into the central army.

It was not yet late at night. Some of the civil and military officials who had come with the central army did not go to their tents to rest. Instead, they stayed in the central army and discussed the war situation with Lü Bu.

"Wang Bolong and Zhao Li have sent word that there is not much resistance on the border of the Song Kingdom, and everything is progressing smoothly. The navy is also making its way smoothly and is fighting a fierce battle with the Song army in Cangzhou. It is said that the defense of the border cities is not strong, and the bloodshed of the soldiers is serious, which has really opened my eyes."

"Perhaps it's because we're used to peace..."

"We saw quite a few of them in various places back then..."

"Ha, the matter of Zhao Song is really interesting. In this way, Wang Bolong, Zhao Li and their troops should not have suffered too many losses."

The order was given that after they captured their designated targets, they were not required to march south to escort the main army. Instead, they were to first rendezvous at Baozhou and attempt an attack on Zhenzhou Prefecture in the southwest. They were granted the autonomy to advance and retreat at their own pace.

As they spoke, the four men stepped into the tent, bowed, and clasped their hands in greeting: "Your Majesty, we are your humble servants."

"No need for formalities. You four have worked hard transporting the equipment. I believe speed is of the essence in war. Now that we're here, let's give them a good beating and see how well Hejian Prefecture is defended."

Lu Bu waved for the four men to dispense with formalities, and looked at Ling Zhen and Kou Xi with a smile: "At the same time, I also want to see the power of your cannons. After more than ten years of research and development, you must not disappoint me."

Ling Zhen and Kou Xi exchanged a glance, then clasped their hands in a salute: "We will certainly not fail Your Majesty's expectations."

"Good—" Lu Bu slapped his thigh and looked at Wei and Shan with a smile: "You men of the firearms battalion should rest well tonight and help the army take the city tomorrow."

The two generals clasped their hands and bowed deeply: "Yes, sir!"

The wind whistled through the tent, causing the tent flap to sway slightly. The curtain was lifted, and a figure entered.

At Lü Bu's signal, the four men took their seats. Wu Wei placed the wine and food on the table and withdrew. The four men were also hungry, so they immediately started stuffing food into their mouths, their hands not idle either. Although there wasn't much wine, it at least added some flavor, as their mouths had been bland from marching for so long.

"Where were we?" Lü Bu picked up his wine cup, took a sip, put it down, and asked, "Right, how are the officials who have surrendered in various places behaving? Are there any rebels?"

"The officials in various places are fine, and so far we haven't seen anything wrong. Our soldiers who stayed behind are also strictly abiding by military regulations. The Military Administration Department has been keeping an eye on things. Many civilians have actually become more favorable towards us because we abolished many miscellaneous taxes."

As Li Zhu finished speaking, some people sat up straight. Qiao Lie stroked his beard and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Pei Xuan, Gao Zhen, and Deng Fei are all very concerned about the surrendered cities. There will be no oppression of the common people."

“The only concern is those wealthy households and scholar-officials.” Wang Zheng leaned against the table. “Land transactions are rampant in the Southern Dynasty, and it is a world dominated by scholars. This is not very compatible with our military achievements. I think many of them are interested in moving south, but they haven’t shown it yet because it’s been too short. I’m afraid they will cause more trouble in the future.”

Lu Bu seemed to be deep in thought, tapping his finger on the table for a while before speaking: "Have the prefects in various places keep a close eye on this matter." He then turned to Fang Xuedu: "Minister Fang, please take these next few days to send over a few trustworthy captains."

He raised his hand and pointed to the geomantic map: "I'll leave the rest aside for now, but I must keep Xiongzhou, Baoding Army, and Renqiu under my control."

"Yes, sir." Fang Xuedu bowed and accepted the order. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Should I send capable men to the Western Route Army so that the commanders of the occupied territories can be adjusted in time?"

“Agreed.” Lu Bu nodded in agreement, then stretched and said, “Although the Song army is weak, we must not be complacent and be careful of a Song counterattack.”

"Here!"

……

Under the same night sky, people who should have died a few years ago because of Fang La gathered together. The candlelight shone on the faces of a dozen generals, and the city defense map hanging in front of them was covered with flags.

"The Qi army is coming in large numbers. Tomorrow, it won't just be cavalry blocking the roads." In the burning firelight, Song Jiang's hoarse voice came out: "...Several military prefectures in the north have been captured one after another. The fact that the army has come here shows the strength of the Qi army. You all participated in the battle a few days ago. The situation is critical this time, so there is no need for Song Jiang to say more."

The room was completely silent, save for the occasional popping of a few candles.

Li Kui looked left and right and said, "Why do we have to hold this position? Why don't we just run south from Hejian under cover of night?"

"Run?" Xu Ning gave him an annoyed look. "There are cavalrymen outside. Where can we run to? You think you can just ride the wind away?"

Li Kui glared at Song Jiang, who slammed his hand on the table with a loud "Bang!": "Tie Niu, shut up! This is a military meeting, don't cause trouble."

Li Kui shrank back, took a step back, and muttered, "He's yelling at me again. Isn't the purpose of a military council to allow people to speak? How come others can speak, but Tie Niu can't? What kind of military council is this..."

The others ignored him, letting him mutter to himself in the back. Song Jiang looked at the others and said, "The city now has more than four thousand troops, with ample food and weapons. If we hold out, we can hold out for a month or two. At that time, the imperial reinforcements will surely come. As soon as chaos breaks out outside, it will be time for us to go out of the city and cooperate with the reinforcements."

"Yes."

Mu Hong, Xie Zhen, Tang Long, and Dai Zong immediately clasped their hands and shouted, while the others also cupped their hands and responded.

Seeing this, Song Jiang encouraged everyone a few more times, which made the faces of the several people who were somber look a little more cheerful. Then, this timely rain left Wu Yong, Dai Zong, Mu Hong, Zhu Tong and a few others behind, while the rest of them went out the door and returned home.

Sun Li led Sun Xin and Le He out of the courtyard gate, glanced back at the house where voices were still coming from, and looked over Zhu Wu and Bai Sheng, who were walking past him forlornly.

Wu Song came out with a cold face, glanced at the group, paused for a moment, then strode away.

Afterwards, Lu Junyi straightened the hilt of his sword at his waist, and led Yan Qing with his head held high and eyes straight ahead. Xu Ning, carrying his sword, came out and nodded to him before heading home.

"Big brother..."

Sun Xin glanced at his older brother standing beside him and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

“Nothing…” Sun Li paused for a moment, then walked away with his hands behind his back: “Let’s go home first.”

Sun Xin and Le He exchanged glances, somewhat bewildered, and followed him. ...

To the south lies Cizhou.

The prefectural government office was still brightly lit under the cover of night. Wen Huanzhang, dressed in a scholar's robe, hurriedly ran into the main hall. Zong Ze, looking tired, stood in front of the hanging geomantic map. In the firelight, his white hair was neatly combed and reflected the dim light. A young man with a resolute face and a strong build stood beside him with his hands at his sides.

"Prefect, sir." Wen Huanzhang cupped his hands in greeting to Zong Ze, then nodded to the young man: "Yue Bingyi."

"Professor Wen." Yue Fei smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. He was a humble man who had always admired scholars. Wen Huanzhang was also a talented man, and since he had taken the initiative to greet him, he naturally welcomed him with a smile.

Wen Huanzhang smiled at him and asked impatiently, "I heard that an angel just arrived? Is it to appoint you, sir, to lead the troops in Hebei to resist Qi?"

“It’s not that much power.” Zong Ze shook his head, gestured, and went to sit behind the table. He didn’t hide anything: “I’m just appointed as the General Commander of the Hebei Righteous Army, and I can also control the military affairs of the western Hebei region. I have the power to execute first and report later.”

Wen Huanzhang looked somewhat disappointed and let out a sigh: "It's better than nothing, Prime Minister Zong. The Qi army is marching south in a large force. If this continues, the court will be in danger of collapse. I hope you will send troops out as soon as possible."

“There’s no rush.” Zong Ze frowned and reached out to press Wen Huanzhang’s hand in the air. “The Qi army has been attacking Xiongzhou for over a month now. I don’t know where they are now…” He stood up again and walked to the map. His brows furrowed deeply. “We are already quite far from the north in Cizhou. The Qi bandits have a strong army and a large cavalry. I don’t know where they are now.”

"No matter where they fight, Zhenzhou and Hejian are key locations that the Qi bandits will definitely want to capture." Yue Fei suddenly interjected while looking at the map: "Since they have gone to Xiongzhou first, they will definitely attack Hejian first."

“Pengju is right.” Zong Ze turned his head, nodded approvingly, and coughed lightly, covering his mouth: “I think so too, but it is not easy to estimate the speed of the Qi army’s advance.”

He pointed at the map and said, "Let's assume their eastern army is in Hejian Prefecture and their western army is in Baode Prefecture. As long as Zhending Prefecture hasn't fallen, then we'll be completely useless in Cizhou."

He moved his finger slightly: "If their advance continues at the same pace as at the beginning, then the areas south of Hejian Prefecture, including Jizhou, Enzhou, and Yongjing Army, may fall."

We want to assemble a force capable of fighting, and we must fight the enemy here.

With a tap of the finger, the three characters "Daming Prefecture" appeared before my eyes.

Wen Huanzhang and Yue Fei exchanged a glance, stepped forward, carefully examined the geomantic map, and then slowly nodded.

……

The next day.

As a ray of white light appeared in the east, dispelling the darkness, smoke rose from the Qi army camp, and soon a bugle sounded. The neatly dressed soldiers enjoyed their breakfast.

Banners fluttered in the morning breeze, and warhorses galloped out of the open camp gates, raising a cloud of yellow dust between heaven and earth.

Soldiers clad in black armor then filed out of the gate and lined up neatly on the plain. Banners fluttered in the air, and the great banner representing the emperor's central army slowly emerged and entered the formation. The figure on Red Hare drew the Han sword from his waist and pointed forward.

"Set off—"

woo-

The bugle sounded a long note, and tens of thousands of soldiers marched forward. In the camp, young men pushing artillery carts shouted slogans as they followed the artillery battalion. Wei Dingguo and Shan Tinggui rode on red and black mounts, their faces flushed with excitement as they swayed slightly with their horses. All around them was the sound of orderly footsteps.

"Ling Dapao, don't let me down today." Wei Dingguo turned to look at Ling Zhen, who was swaying on his horse: "If this cannon doesn't fire, my brother and I will lose face in the whole army."

"Don't worry." Ling Zhen rolled his eyes and pointed his nose at the two generals: "Today is the first time this cannon has been used. If it has any problems, I will be the one to be held accountable first. It's not your place to embarrass yourselves."

“Hey—” Wei Dingguo pointed at him, then turned to Shan Tinggui and said, “Damn it, since when is being held accountable a way to show one’s face? Is he mocking me like this?”

"You two, stop fooling around." Shan Tinggui said helplessly, looking around. "We're all in the same boat. If anything happens, neither of us can escape."

The sound of horses' hooves reached his ears from below. Kou Wei frowned on his ugly face and turned to look at them: "I say, can't you three have any good hopes? You're already so pessimistic before the war has even started. You're going to ruin our good fortune by talking so much. If something really happens, you'll all have to go to Pei Xuan's place."

"Hey, don't say such scary things in broad daylight!"

The three of them glared at him, then gave an awkward laugh: "We were just trying to lighten the mood..."

"Don't take it so seriously."

……

The dust raised by the army's march was quickly detected by the soldiers in Hejian Prefecture. Song Jiang was summoned from his residence and hurriedly rode his horse to the city wall, where he quickly ran up. The prefect and officials in the city also rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

The view stretched out from the high city wall into the distance, where the horizon met the sky, and a long, dark line stretched out. Dust covered the sky and blocked out the sun. Everyone knew that this was the scene of the Qi army marching on a large scale. Many officials who had never experienced war were pale and their legs were trembling.

Song Jiang, his face grim, gripped his sword hilt: "Prepare for battle!"

……

"Uu——"

Beneath the great banner, Lü Bu exerted a slight force in his hand, causing Red Hare to stop, shake its head, and snort. He gazed at the distant outline of the city walls, looked at the fully armed black-armored cavalry ready for battle, glanced at the sky again, and spoke in a low voice: "Attack the city—"

Woohoo——

The cavalry charged out at breakneck speed, shouting, "His Majesty commands, attack the city!" The roar and the sound of horns rang out simultaneously.

Among the cavalry that had been lined up and waiting for a long time, Yang Zaixing raised his strong bow, waved his hand sharply, and pointed to Hejian Prefecture: "Follow me and prepare to cover our comrades in attacking the city!"

As the war drums sounded, the army slowly moved in that direction. Behind them, the newly unveiled artillery advanced with the strong pushing of the able-bodied men. Horse-drawn carts carrying wooden crates rolled over the ground, and laborers unloaded the crates containing solid shot and gunpowder from them.

The artillery battalion, dressed in black and red uniforms, quickly stepped forward, skillfully opened the boxes, and loaded gunpowder and round bullets. Some soldiers lit torches with tinderboxes and stood quietly beside the gunpowder. Several soldiers, calculating angles, muttered incantations and kept adjusting the angle of the cannon.

A gust of wind blew by, and Red Hare couldn't help but spur its horse. Lu Bu turned his body in response, and in his line of sight, the torch fell towards the long cannon barrel.

boom--

In the eighth year of the Jianwu reign of the Qi dynasty, in the midsummer of the year Guihai, at this moment, the world changed color.

　Oh no, my stomach's rumbling! /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)