Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1159 Choosing the Right Person and the Right Day
Time marched steadily forward. After the city gates were opened, the number of patrolling soldiers and government officials inside the city doubled. The four survivors, who were still alive, dared not wander around the streets. After all, they had been coming and going from government offices and military camps before, and they didn't know if anyone would recognize them.

So, apart from Sun Erniang going out to buy some food and returning, the four of them stayed in the room, discussing what to do next. However, they couldn't come up with a solution no matter how much they discussed, and gradually they stopped talking.

On the fourth day, military horses galloped out of the city, and the roads leading to the outside of the city were guarded by soldiers in black armor. Bugles sounded from the military camps outside the city, and the sound of drums signaling the arrival of a commander was heard.

"Hejian Prefecture can be considered our army's front line in Song territory."

Yu Cheng and Wei He helped the emperor put on the armor. Lu Bu, with his arms outstretched, turned to look at Fang Xuedu, Li Zhu, and Li Ying beside him: "I will leave Generals Ma Ling and He Zhongbao to guard this place. Fang Xuedu, you shall adjust the rear garrison troops. Order E Quanzhong to send half of his troops to Xiongzhou. Do not draw too many troops from other places, so as not to cause serious shortages of troops in various counties."

Li Zhu and Li Ying, you two should thoroughly manage this city and compile a register of its inhabitants. Once this is done, continue south to join me.

"Yes!" The three bowed in unison.

With the armor pieces strapped to his body, Lü Bu stretched his shoulders and neck, feeling no discomfort. Xu Wen brought over a bright red cloak, grabbed it with his large hand, and unfurled it in the air. With a whoosh, the crimson color spread and rolled in the air, slowly covering the armor on his back.

"I will leave five hundred guards for you."

With a stride forward, his cloak billowing behind him, he spoke to Lü Bu, who was walking outside, saying, "Finish things as soon as possible."

Amidst three cries of "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty," Lü Bu stepped out of the room, took the reins from Su Yi, mounted Red Hare, and pulled on the reins: "Let's go—"

The four guards and a group of soldiers mounted their horses together. With shouts of "Giddy up!" and "Haa!", they kicked their horses' bellies lightly, and the thunderous sound of their hooves hitting the ground echoed outwards.

In the eighth year of the Jianwu reign of the Qi dynasty, in the midsummer of the Dingmao year.

Qi's army broke camp at Hejian Prefecture, their banners blotting out the sky and dust forming man-eating monsters in the air. The 70,000-strong army marched south, joined forces with Shi Bao's army that had captured Leshou, and met up with Li Bao's navy on the banks of the Yellow River. They then crossed the river and attacked Yongjing Army.

The words are divided into two parts.

The departure of the troops outside had little impact on the lives of the people in the city. Most people seemed to have a weight lifted off their shoulders and felt more relaxed. However, Sun Erniang, Mu Hong, and the other three who were waiting quietly in the house were truly at ease.

"Finally, the Qi army has left. It's time for us to move." Mu Hong cheered up, found the city layout map that he and the others had drawn, put it on the table, and pointed to the northwest of the city: "We are in this corner. It seems close to the west and north gates, but in reality, they are far away. If anything happens, it will be a problem for us to evacuate. Liu Tong's side is in the north of the city. Many of the houses in the surrounding neighborhoods are damaged. Staying there for too long will easily expose us. It would be better to move to the vicinity of Er Niang's house."

He moved his finger across the map of the city: "Second Aunt's house is neither too far nor too close to the city gate, so even if she is recognized, she will have time to retreat."

Liu Tong didn't seem to care. He was confident in his agility and skill. Although he couldn't run as fast as Dai Zong, he was still faster than ordinary yamen runners and soldiers. If anything went wrong, he would slip away first, leaving the three of them to attract the attention of the officials. By the time the officials subdued them, he would have already disappeared.

Bai Sheng nodded in agreement with a bitter face. He didn't want to stay in Hejian Prefecture from any perspective. Unfortunately, he was unlucky and was being watched closely by Mu Hong and Sun Erniang. He couldn't go anywhere and didn't care where he went with them. He could only take it one step at a time.

The shrew slammed her hand on the table: "Brother Mu is absolutely right. I've always felt this place is inconvenient. It would be better to come to my place. At least there are two rooms that can accommodate the four of us."

Bai Sheng rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "It is a room, that's true, but I didn't ask you bastards to live here. You, a woman, insist on squeezing into this room and now you're complaining that it's too small."

If it weren't for your ugly appearance, I would have...

"Let's get going!"

Mu Hong immediately made a decision and slapped Bai Sheng on the shoulder: "Stop standing there like an idiot, hurry up and tidy up your junk."

Bai Sheng felt a surge of anger rising to his head. He stood up abruptly, saw Mu Hong glaring at him, but instantly calmed down and lowered his head, saying, "I'll go and get ready right away."

Shrinking back as he walked toward the wooden box, Mu Hong pursed his lips and looked at Sun Erniang: "Erniang, go ahead first, we'll follow behind you."

Sun Erniang nodded, turned around and went out.

……

Government office.

Armored guards patrolled outside, while four men at the gate, wielding gleaming iron spears, watched the passersby. Every hour, a replacement would come to relieve them, ensuring the soldiers were always in top physical condition and ready to fight at any time.

The political affairs here are temporarily taken over by Li Zhu, Fang Xuedu, and Li Ying, while they each have their own matters to attend to.

"Let's start sorting out things in the city from the west side. That's where the market is located, and most of the commercial taxes and transactions take place there. If we can restore it, the city can recover faster. Also, most wealthy families have shops there, so we can take this opportunity to sort things out." This was Li Zhu's voice.

Li Ying blinked, and said thoughtfully, "Since Li Guanglu wants to start with the western market, then I'll go and take a look at the shops there. Having lived in the north for more than ten years, I know the prices of money, grain, and cloth in Song very well. I can take this opportunity to learn more about it."

The two men surnamed Li looked at Fang Xuedu, the tall and slender official from the Ministry of War, who shrugged and said, "Why are you looking at me? I haven't finished my work yet, and I still have to sit here."

"Alright, we'll go first, Brother Fang, you go ahead."

Li Zhu and the other man didn't force him. They left the government office and led a group of guards towards the west of the city.

……

West of the city.

The shops here have gradually reopened for business, but they are not as bustling with customers as they were before the war. The waiters and tea masters stand at the door with little enthusiasm, beckoning every passerby to come in and have a look.

Occasionally, merchants and customers would argue over prices, creating a slightly noisy but not disruptive atmosphere that brought a sense of relief to those dining in the hotel restaurants at lunchtime.

This familiar, everyday life.

At one moment, the sounds in the street suddenly subsided, and some places became abruptly quiet. The person sitting by the window turned his head and said, "Hey, Brother Mu, Second Sister is from the State of Qi."

"Ok?"

Hearing Liu Tong's words, Mu Hong and Sun Erniang turned to look outside and saw a group of well-dressed soldiers in black armor guarding the shop. After a short while, two people in brocade robes came out. These elite Qi soldiers quickly stepped forward to protect them and went to the next shop.

"vomit--"

Mu Hong spat out the chicken bone he was holding in his mouth: "Looks like he's a high-ranking official from Qi, always escorted by elite guards when he travels."

Bai Sheng ate his food indifferently to the side. Liu Tong looked up after a while and said, "We'll start now..."

"Just send them to their deaths?" Sun Erniang rolled her eyes at Cao Shangfei, then looked at Mu Hong, who was also shaking his head, and smiled: "Find out their identities, and maybe we can find a way to take care of them later. Anyway, we're in the shadows, so we still have time."

“That’s right.” Mu Hong nodded in agreement. “Brother Liu, please find out the identities of these two men, and also find out if there are any other high-ranking officials from Qi in the city. We can choose one of them to kill and make the people of Qi feel sorry for him.”

"Leave it to me." Liu Tong nodded in agreement, looked down, quickly stuffed the wine and meat into his mouth, and after a while watched the people from Qi walk away into the distance before standing up, touching his mouth, and leisurely going downstairs.

……

Nighttime, at Sun Erniang's house.

The lit candlelight illuminated two figures in the room. Mu Hong and Bai Sheng's shadows were clipped onto the wall. On the other side of the wall, Sun Erniang's room was silent; she was clearly asleep.

The door creaked open, and the flickering candlelight illuminated Liu Tong's face. He quickly ran over, grabbed the cold water on the table, and gulped down several mouthfuls before wiping his mouth and sitting down.

"I've found out everything."

"Brother Liu truly lives up to his reputation as a top-notch spies; he's gathered the information so quickly."

Liu Tong waved his hand and looked at Mu Hong: "Where is Second Madam?"

Mu Hong, impatient, turned his head towards the wall and said, "Women are too fussy. I'm going to sleep now. You tell me quickly."

"The two we saw at the restaurant at noon today are indeed high-ranking officials. One is Li Ying, who is a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue, and the other is Li Zhu, who is the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices in Qi."

Catching his breath, he looked at the two of them and said, "I took a walk around the city this afternoon. Although there are quite a few officials left over from Qi, there are only three people with the highest official positions. Besides the two I mentioned, there is also a man named Fang Xuedu, who is the Minister of War."

Bai Sheng smacked his lips, unsure of what to say, but Mu Hong's eyes lit up: "He really is a high-ranking official. If we can kill one of them, we can become famous and make a name for ourselves. The two men at the hotel today looked so refined and scholarly. Hmm? The name Assistant Li sounds familiar."

He frowned slightly and leaned forward: "Did you see that Minister of War? Is he also a scholar?"

"I saw it." Liu Tong nodded: "He has a well-proportioned figure, three strands of willow beard on his face, and looks more like a scholar than Wu Yong."

Mu Hong said "Oh..." and suddenly looked up: "That's right, I was wondering why Assistant Li looked so familiar. I saw him before in Jiangning. He was with Lu Bu. He was a refined man and always had a smile on his face."

Bai Sheng and Liu Tong exchanged a glance: "So, who is he?"

"How would I know..."

Mu Hong shrugged: "I haven't spoken much to him before, and there's nothing particularly special about him."

Later, focused solely on capturing Jieyang, he stopped paying attention to the Liangshan people. After that, he followed his brother Song Jiang to Jingxi. Aside from Lü Bu and someone called Mi Sheng, he knew nothing about the others.

He paused, then looked at Bai Sheng and Liu Tong: "Speaking of which, you two both work at JD.com, so you should know more than I do, right?"

Liu Tong immediately shook his head: "No, I used to hang out in Hebei and the Jingdong area. Later, I met Brother Chao Gai in Jingdong. I only found out who the Liangshan people were when I went to Yuncheng County. But there were so many names, and I didn't see any of them. How could I know who was who?"

Bai Sheng shrugged: "Most of Liangshan's great reputation is due to Lü Bu. As for the others, I only know Du Xue, Bian Xiang, and Mi Sheng. I haven't heard much about Li Zhu, Fang Xuedu, etc. But I do know about Li Ying."

After thinking for a moment, he said, "If I remember correctly, it should be from Dulonggang. He is the head of Li Family Village and has a nickname..." He held up a finger and looked up for a long time with his rat-like eyes. "That's right, it's called Soaring Eagle! Damn it, so many years have passed, I've almost forgotten some things about the martial arts world. I only remember that the most troublesome family in Dulonggang is the Zhu family, and the Li family seems to be famous for doing business."

"That's nothing famous, I've never even heard of it in the south."

Mu Hong waved his hand, rested his chin on his hand, yawned, and thought for a moment: "Forget it, let's go to sleep first. We'll discuss it with Second Aunt tomorrow and see which job we should do."

The other two immediately agreed as well.

The next day, the three men told the she-devil about their choices. Sun Erniang stared at them for a long time, thinking: "Back then, I traveled to Hedong, Hebei, and Shandong. I don't think I've heard of any of these three. I only remember those good fighters on Liangshan. Oh right, I think I heard of Fang Xuedu back in Hedong, but I don't think I have..."

Tilting her head, Sun Erniang frowned for a long time, then sighed, "Never mind, so many years have passed, I really can't remember if I've ever heard of this person."

"Now it's our turn to choose." Mu Hong's sharp gaze swept over the other three: "Which one should we kill?"

Liu Tong: "Li Ying."

Bai Sheng: "Assistant Li."

Sun Erniang: "Fang Xuedu."

Three names were spoken from three different mouths. Mu Hong's eye twitched, and he said with some helplessness, "There are only four of us. If we split up to kill them, and the enemy has more guards, we will surely die on the spot. It's better to choose one of us to kill."

The woman and two men opposite them looked at each other and spoke almost at the same time.

"Li Zhu." "Fang Xuedu." "Li Ying."

"...What difference would there be between the result you get from someone else and the one you just gave?"

Mu Hong pinched the corner of his eye, feeling that letting them choose would only make him furious. He nodded and said, "Let's decide on Li Ying first. He's a rich man from a village, so he should be easy to kill."

He paused for a moment, then chuckled, "Yesterday he was walking with that Assistant Li; they might be on good terms. If it happens that..."

He clenched his fist: "Send those two Lis to see the King of Hell together!"

The other three looked on and had no objections. Mu Hong and Bai Sheng stayed home to sharpen knives and make simple bows and arrows, while Sun Erniang and Liu Tong went out to find out about Li Ying and to find out his daily routine and the routes he usually took.

……

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

The people in the city gradually calmed down. Life had to go on, and it didn't matter who was in office. As long as they could survive, what the flag on the city wall said didn't matter to them. Besides, the taxes and levies under the Qi state were less than those under the Zhao and Song dynasties. In comparison, the annual surplus might be much greater, which made many people very happy.

Li Zhu and Li Ying conducted their inspections very quickly, registering all the merchants and wealthy people in the western city market. A few who did not cooperate, or even those who outwardly complied but inwardly defied them, were arrested by the guards and thrown into the execution ground to be beheaded. The rest of the people did not cooperate with what the two said.

Fang Xuedu was also coordinating the troops in the rear, and unexpectedly discovered that the soldiers and warriors in Song did not resist the orders of the Qi government, and even supported them in many ways, which relieved the Minister of War who had originally thought that troops would be transferred from the north.

"It seems the situation is very promising." Li Zhu stroked his beard, took a sip of the honey water he had bought, and smiled as he looked at his two colleagues.

"It's all thanks to the cooperation of the locals." Fang Xuedu stretched and looked at Li Zhu and Li Ying, who had looked up from his desk. "It seems that things are going smoothly for you two."

"After killing a few chickens, the remaining monkeys are naturally afraid." Li Ying smiled and looked at the sky outside. "Speaking of which, we've been working non-stop for several days now. These past few days have left me dizzy and lightheaded. How about we find a place tonight to have some drinks and relax a bit? I know a good tavern; their roasted chicken is exceptional."

"That's good!"

Li Zhu and Fang Xuedu stroked their beards and laughed heartily: "It's time for us to relax a bit, otherwise we'll be buried under all this political work."

……

same moment.

Four pieces of black cloth were placed on the table. Mu Hong reached out and picked up one in front of him: "Li Ying goes to the tavern to drink every night. There's no better time than today. Let's make our move now."

Three other hands are extended.

　I consider myself to have a pretty good memory, but even after all these years, I've forgotten the names and faces of some of my junior high and high school classmates...

　　(⊙﹏⊙), I think there were a few from university that I can't quite remember, つ﹏

　　
　
(End of this chapter)