Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1155 What Does the Emperor's Favor Have to Do With Me?
The figures hidden in the darkness of the house were clearly wearing armor. The two men reached out, picked up their protective swords and hung them at their waists, then picked up their helmets and stepped out.

Kaka-

The armor plates made a soft clattering sound as Lu Junyi and Xu Ning, two tall and strong men, stepped outside.

Yan Qing pursed her lips, took two steps back, and stood there quietly without saying another word.

"Lord Xu, Lord Lu, hurry and come with me."

Wu Yong was overjoyed to see the two emerge and quickly stepped forward, ignoring the sweat pouring down his body: "The Qi army is advancing very fast; if we slow down, things could get very..."

"What?" Xu Ning's chubby face revealed a strange smile.

"Uh... what do you mean?"

Wu Yong's smile slowly froze, his anxiety subsided, and his eyes swept over Xu Ning and Lu Junyi in front of him. Only then did he notice that both of them had a mocking look in their eyes, and they were not wearing the embroidered robes that should have been worn over their clothes.

With a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, Wu Yong turned and walked away, saying, "The three of you should hurry, the hidden troops are just ahead on the street."

He took two steps outwards when a large hand reached out from behind and grabbed his shoulder.

"Wait a minute."

Sweat trickled down his forehead and across his brow bone, his eyes glistening with moisture. Wu Yong didn't turn around, giving a dry laugh: "When the two commanders..."

“Mr. Jialiang, I think what you just said was inappropriate…” Lu Junyi grabbed Wu Yong’s shoulder and pulled hard, causing Wu Yong’s face to contort in pain. He stepped forward and whispered in Wu Yong’s ear, “It’s not appropriate!”

Wu Yong's cheek twitched, his lips trembled, and he forced out an awkward smile: "What...what's wrong?"

Xu Ning spoke up from the side: "I admit that I'm living off the government's salary. After all, I used to be a teacher in the Golden Spear Class, and now I'm just hanging around in the Hejian Prefecture Army, so it's not wrong."

He reached out and lifted the iron helmet he was carrying, patted it twice, put it on his head, and straightened it: "Repay the Emperor's favor? I was almost played to death in prison by that Zhao scoundrel, what's there to repay?"

"Heh—" Xu Ning walked over, his cold arm guard pressing down on Wu Yong's other empty shoulder, his round face smiling even more mockingly: "As for Song Jiang, if it weren't for you letting that traitor Tang Long use lies to take advantage of my drunkenness and lead my whole family into the den of thieves, my wife would be in your hands. Do you think I, Xu Ning, would be willing to join your gang?"

"Lord Xu is joking. I wasn't there that day and knew nothing about it..." Wu Yong looked ahead without daring to turn around and forced a smile.

"I don't care about imperial stipends. Back then, I was the richest man in Hebei, and the government, along with two scoundrels, seized my wealth. How could I possibly have any goodwill towards the Song Dynasty court? Besides..."

On the other end, Lu Junyi's voice came: "A question has suddenly arisen in my mind these past few days." He tightened his grip on Lu's shoulder: "How could you have happened to kidnap me while I was being exiled?"

Wu Yong felt his inner clothes getting cold. His eyes darted left and right, and he managed to speak, "Isn't this just a coincidence that we're on business in Daming Prefecture?" He swallowed hard and said, "Gentlemen, we really need to get somewhere else as soon as possible."

"What a coincidence..."

Ignoring his subsequent words, Lu Junyi raised his hand and slapped Wu Yong's shoulder twice. The strategist's knees trembled from the force of the blow. He listened to the voice behind him: "After following you, I was only focused on making a name for myself and getting rewarded for punishing that adulterous couple. I didn't have time to think about anything else. But coming to Hejian Prefecture has made me more and more calm. Now that I think about it..."

Xiao Yi once said that you went to a brothel to look for him. That's strange. How could a man like you go looking for a playboy who frequents brothels and brothels?
These past two years, you haven't seemed like someone with homosexual tendencies, so why did you so specifically go to him that day to inquire about my family matters?

Then that despicable couple conspired with Liang Zhongshu to seize my family's property. Were you plotting against me back then?

A commotion arose outside the courtyard, with faint shouts audible. The people inside remained silent for a moment. Lu Junyi and Xu Ning looked at the strategist dressed in a scholar's robe with ambiguous smiles. Yan Qing glanced at them, turned and went into the house. Not long after, he came out with his hands behind his back, still standing silently behind Lu Junyi.

Wu Yong's eye muscles twitched, a sense of panic spreading through his heart, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"Actually, if you can help me fulfill my wish, I will accept it. After all, even without you and Liang Zhongshu, that slut and that scoundrel will still try to seize my family property and take my life."

Lu Junyi snorted and said to himself, "Unfortunately, I don't see a single ounce of hope for revenge in you right now, so why should I waste my time on you?"

"Wait, my two officers, please wait!"

Wu Yong suddenly exerted his strength, leaped forward, turned around, looked at the two men, his heart filled with panic, and blurted out: "We were born Song people, living in the court, and have been paid by the government for many years. Even if we suffer the greatest injustice, how can we lose our integrity and submit to the traitors?"

Xu Ning's expression was strange: "Mr. Jia Liang, have you forgotten that I was killed by a high-ranking official because of my family's heirloom armor?" He pointed to his own chest armor, making a thumping sound: "I have been on duty diligently and without error. If I leave, it is not that I have failed the court, but that the court has failed me, Xu Ning!"

Lu Junyi frowned: "Mr. Jialiang is well-read and should know that if a ruler treats his subjects like brothers, the subjects will treat the ruler like their own heart; if a ruler treats his subjects like dogs and horses, the subjects will treat the ruler like a fellow countryman; if a ruler treats his subjects like dirt, the subjects will treat the ruler like an enemy. My family property has been seized, and I am unjustly imprisoned. What should I do then?"

"Then you two should also know that those were all selfish and reckless acts by low-ranking officials. As long as the Emperor hears the news, he will sooner or later bring them to justice and set an example."

Wu Yong looked at the two men with a sincere expression: "A few treacherous officials in the court are nothing more than a minor ailment. The real threat is the State of Qi. Their policies differ from those of our Great Song, and everyone in the world is deeply worried about their barbaric behavior..."

“That’s a matter for you scholars. I don’t think it’s so bad for them to gain military merit and be ennobled or appointed prime ministers.” Lu Junyi waved his hand before he could finish speaking: “It’s better than lingering in this Song Dynasty court and never getting anywhere.”

Xu Ning smiled, her fair, round face beaming. "I think so too," she said, reaching out and drawing her protective sword with a "clang."

Wu Yong's pupils constricted sharply, and he took a step back: "Xu Ning, what are you doing!"

“When you come to someone’s home, you should at least give them a small gift.” Lu Junyi, standing beside him, drew his sword and looked at Wu Yong expressionlessly. “We would appreciate it if Mr. Jialiang could lend us his head. We will surely offer him many gifts at his grave in the future.”

Wu Yong cursed inwardly, not daring to speak again. Taking advantage of the fact that he was not wearing armor, he turned and ran. But as soon as he turned around, Yan Qing, who was behind Lu Junyi, stepped out, raised the crossbow on his back, and fired an arrow at him.

bass--

"Oh!"

Wu Yong was struck in the back of his thigh, his legs buckled, and he fell face down to the ground with a thud. He quickly stretched out his arms to move his body forward, leaving a winding trail of blood on the ground.

Tread-

The sound of two boots walking echoed behind him. Wu Yong crawled and turned around to look. When he saw the two men approaching, he quickly turned around, clutching his injured leg with one hand and waving the other behind him: "Wait, wait, you two, you two! We... we even drank together before."

"Yes, but there are a lot of people drinking." With a light laugh, Xu Ning strode forward and plunged his sword into Wu Yong's abdomen.

puff--

"Uh……"

Wu Yong stared wide-eyed at the person before him, blood gushing from his mouth. Lu Junyi stepped forward, his sword flashing. *Swoosh!*

Wu Yong's head spun out and landed on the ground with a thud, rolling a few times.

Yan Qing rushed forward and grabbed Wu Yong's hair to straighten him up: "Master, Teacher Xu, what should we do now?"

Lu Junyi blinked. He was good at charging into battle and killing enemies, but he was at a loss as to what to do in this situation.

"Open the gate." Xu Ning thought for a moment and said, "The Qi army is everywhere on the streets right now. If we go out rashly, it will inevitably cause misunderstandings. If a barrage of crossbow bolts comes, the three of us might suffer casualties. It would be better to open the gate and let them in. The courtyard here is not big, so even if there is danger, we can hold out for a while."

“That makes sense.” Lu Junyi nodded and looked at Yan Qing: “Let’s do as Teacher Xu says.”

Yan Qing then went to open the courtyard gate, and Lu Junyi and Xu Ning carried the headless corpse to a corner.

The three then placed their heads on the ground, hung their longswords beside their saddles, and stood quietly behind their horses, waiting.

A moment later, footsteps were heard on the street, and then someone shouted, "The door is open this way, come in and take a look."

Then three soldiers carrying wooden shields ran over, followed by five archers carrying crossbows. As they watched Lu Junyi and his two companions inside, they all raised their crossbows with a whoosh.

"Do not act rashly. We are waiting here to surrender."

Yan Qing shouted, spreading his hands, and Lu Junyi and Xu Ning also indicated that they had no weapons.

"surrender?"

The soldiers looked at each other, and one of them took two steps forward, looking at the head on the ground and then at the three people over there.

Yan Qing quickly spoke up: "This man is a trusted military advisor of the General Commander of the Hejian Prefecture. He set up an ambush in the west of the city. We are loyal to your army, so we deliberately eliminated him."

The soldiers on the other side looked on with a mixture of belief and doubt.

Seeing their doubts, Yan Qing had an idea: "Many years ago, we had the honor of meeting several generals of your army, one of whom should be your country's Sun Zhenxi."

The eight people looked at each other, and one of them said, "Wait here," before turning and leaving.

Lu Junyi and Xu Ning looked at Yan Qing's back. The former couldn't help but whisper, "When have we ever met anyone from Qi? Sun Zhenxi... I don't remember him."

Yan Qing leaned back and lowered his voice: "Xiao Yi is not sure either, but he remembers that many years ago someone came to challenge the master to a duel. The weapons he used were the same as those of several heroes on Liangshan later. In particular, one of the men used double swords. Such a skilled fighter who could match the master is rare in the martial arts world. It should be Sun An, the Dragon Slayer, who is now the General Who Guards the West of Qi."

Lu Junyi thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "That's right, it should be him. There are few people in the martial world who use dual swords, and even fewer who can fight me one-on-one. I didn't expect it to be him. The other two men must also be from the Qi army." He gave Yan Qing a reproachful look: "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Yan Qing didn't utter a sound, but secretly thought to himself, "You used to be the richest man in Daming Prefecture, and you got involved with those who risked their lives. After that, you went to the bandit's den, and there's no need to mention that they went to the north and became government troops."

Looking at the black-armored soldiers nearby, he thought to himself that now was the best time; given their reputation, he shouldn't lose his life in this battle.

The noise outside gradually increased, and more footsteps sounded. A man who looked like a general walked in, his jujube-red face scanning the courtyard: "I am Guan Sheng, the Colonel of the Cavalry. Who are you three?"

Yan Qing let out a breath.

Life is saved.

……

A column of black smoke spread through the air, obscuring much of the sunlight.

Arrows, rockets, and crossbow bolts shot from the soldiers' hands, and figures carrying shovels and wooden shields quickly moved through the streets, digging up and removing the antlers buried in the ground.

"Step forward."

Amidst shouts, some of Song Jiang's men rushed forward and carelessly threw the wooden chairs and tables they had seized into the street, then retreated under the rain of arrows, leaving behind several corpses riddled with arrows.

"Clean it up quickly." Wang Yin, mounted on his horse, held a powerful bow in one hand, his brow furrowed the entire time.

The heavy sound of hooves sounded behind him again. The man turned around and saw a huge steel object appear behind him.

Yao Gang held the face shield in his hand, shook his head twice to indicate the front: "When will it be cleared out? Damn it, I should have taken the armored cavalry and run to other city gates."

"Don't rush." ​​Wang Yin was currently overwhelmed with problems, veins bulging on his forehead. He pointed ahead with his bow and said, "Didn't you see those sons of bitches causing trouble? I think we should switch to infantry."

"No."

Yao Gang shook his big head: "I finally get to fight, don't even think about letting me out. It's just a few obstacles. As long as you clear out the barricades, don't worry about the rest of the debris. When the time comes, it'll all be just fragments."

Wang Yin's temples throbbed. He turned to look behind him, then to look ahead: "Fine, I'll just take some men up there and clean it up."

"It's settled then. I'll be waiting for your news from the rear."

As Yao Gang spoke, he turned and walked back step by step. Behind the archers' position, the well-dressed cavalrymen had already dismounted with the help of the infantry to avoid putting more burden on their horses while they waited.

A cavalryman galloped up from the rear, ran to Wang Yin, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "General, the houses on the other roads have been demolished, and it will take a long time to clear them."

"Enter Mother's."

Wang Yin blushed slightly, dismounted his warhorse, and walked forward with his steel spear in hand: "Men, follow me, we will clear the way ourselves."

"Order the cavalry in the rear to retreat and replace them with infantry. Also tell General Yao to be patient; we'll be relying on him soon."

Cavalrymen dismounted and ran forward with the infantry beside them.

The sounds of fighting and shouting echoed through the air.

Across from him, Song Jiang anxiously looked towards the east and west of the city, wondering what was happening on those two sides.

(End of this chapter)