Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1163 Untitled
As the sun and moon alternated and clouds gathered and dispersed, countless people toiled on the land of the Song Dynasty, and lives were frequently lost to the sharp blades of metal.

Countless busy figures rode horses at breakneck speed, delivering messages to those on the road, while enemies also ran into the city to deliver messages.

Squads of soldiers in scarlet uniforms walked through the space outside the city.

The crops that had already grown to a considerable size in the fields were cut down prematurely. In the nearby villages, soldiers carrying chickens and cured meat were driving away villagers and farmers with miserable faces. Occasionally, they would curse and turn their spears to stab people hard. The sound of crying echoed on the road to Daming Prefecture.

With a shout of "Demolish!", the bridge over the river began to collapse, and the wooden bridge deck fell into the river.

A large number of soldiers bent over and buried a little bit of barbed wire in the ground. Some dug holes in the ground, which looked like pimple marks on a face when viewed from above.

In Daming Prefecture, located north of Bianliang, the atmosphere of tension persisted due to the arrival of enemy troops. During this period, refugees fleeing south could be seen frequently, and everyone's story made the people in the city even more nervous.

A Song army officer dressed in the uniform of a low-ranking general stood near the city gate with his soldiers, forcibly dragging strong and healthy refugees aside to be conscripted into the army. Some women cried out, but were instead forced into the city by men wielding weapons.

The white warhorse stopped in front of the government office. Soldiers stepped forward to pull the reins, and the tall, sturdy figure dismounted and strode into the government office with a face full of anger.

Many of the soldiers and officers on duty around him looked at his back with puzzled expressions, wondering what he had done to offend this favorite of the pacification commissioner.

"Yue Fei has met with Prime Minister Zong."

The young man who entered bowed to the old man who was writing something with his head down.

Zong Ze, who was buried in his documents, looked up, rubbed his tired eyes, and stood up: "Pengju, you're here. What's wrong? Did someone upset you?"

Wen Huanzhang, who was standing to the side serving him, also smiled at him in a friendly manner.

Yue Fei nodded, turned around and closed the door, then stepped forward: "Prime Minister, they are forcibly conscripting laborers at the city gate. If this continues, the people will become resentful."

Wen Huanzhang glanced at Yue Fei, then lowered his head and remained silent.

Zong Ze put the pen down on the pen rack, stood up and walked out of the desk: "I also know what Pengju said."

He gestured towards the seat next to him, sat down in the seat above him, picked up the now-cold tea, took a sip, wrinkled his nose and mouth, and swallowed it after a long while.

Yue Fei strode over and plopped down, not touching the other cup of green tea on the table. "Prime Minister, I know the Qi army is pressing hard, but forcibly conscripting civilians is going too far. They are all refugees who didn't die in the north, but are they going to lose their lives here in Daming Prefecture?"

“…Pengju, don’t be impatient.” Zong Ze grinned as he put down the tea and pushed it away slightly. “I know it’s not right, but firstly, this is an order from the garrison commander of Daming Prefecture, and secondly, I agree with this matter.”

Yue Fei suddenly stood up: "But..."

"Let me finish," Zong Ze reassured him, pulling him to sit down. "What do you think of the atmosphere in the city right now?"

Yue Fei frowned.

“Not good.” Zong Ze asked himself, his gaze slightly complicated: “The Qi army is on a roll, conquering cities and fortresses without anyone being able to stop them. It is normal for the common people to be worried about this.”

He gently patted the armrest: "In the past, even if Daming Prefecture couldn't support all those who fled here, some of them would still be able to make a living. But now that war is imminent, they can't even find a way to support their families."

Now, Governor Du has ordered men to join the army, partly to reduce the number of people who gossip, and partly to give them food. These refugees, if they don't engage in production, will likely cause trouble for the city's defenses.

Yue Fei remained silent for a long time before finally managing to say, "However... the methods were a bit too extreme."

“It was a bit too extreme.” Zong Ze stood up and walked to the geomantic map, where the red flag representing the Qi army was very close to Daming Prefecture. “However, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Let’s give them more food so that the women and children in their families don’t starve to death.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

……

On the way from Enzhou to Daming Prefecture.

The wagons carrying supplies creaked and groaned, occasionally making a "clunk" sound on the rough road, while the sound of warhorses galloping could be heard from afar.

The rising dust obscured everyone's vision. Looking down from above, the army, winding like a dragon, was advancing. In the distance, a scout charged toward the forty thousand-strong army. The officer in charge of the reconnaissance ran over, received the report, and then rode back to the banner fluttering in the dust.

"...Wei Zhaode has already suppressed the situation and is already attacking Dezhou."

Lu Bu pondered for a moment, a smile appearing on his face. He glanced at the civil and military officials beside him and said with satisfaction, "Although he is a dragon of the sea, he can also wreak havoc on land. But tell him to be careful. At this moment, the central army cannot spare too many troops to assist him. Tell him to fight if he can, and if he can't, to attack elsewhere and stretch the beacon fire line of Zhao Song a bit."

"I'm afraid the Song Dynasty won't be mobilizing troops to attack the navy for the time being." Wang Zheng pondered for a moment, then smiled. "Even if they can't take those places, they can still make the Song Dynasty panic."

“Speaking of which, the Song emperor has probably already amassed troops and entered the capital region.” Mi Sheng grinned and laughed twice. “With the skills of those imperial guards in the capital region, if I were a kid with the surname Zhao, I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully at night.”

"Then you'd better hurry up and make your son a general, after all, the old one has abdicated and become the retired emperor, hahaha—"

The sound of laughter reached his ears, and Lu Bu's lips curled slightly. He felt a pang of emotion; even the emperors of the Han Dynasty, though fond of playing around, were not as weak as those of the Song Dynasty. Fortunately…

I was not born in this dynasty.

He tightened his grip on the reins slightly, and after a moment his smile faded: "The Song Dynasty is indeed a great power. Even a centipede with a hundred legs will not die easily, let alone one that is not yet dead. In this attack on Daming Prefecture, all generals must exert their full strength and not give them any opportunity to take advantage."

"Yes, sir!" All the civil and military officials bowed and sang in unison.

Soon after, the cavalrymen cracked their whips, and the infantry quickened their pace, pressing southward with overwhelming momentum.

……

The afternoon sun pierced through the clouds, and the black plumes of smoke from the walls of Zongcheng and Xiajin dissipated. Soldiers, carrying their weapons, leaned against the city walls, panting. Shivering young men from Song stepped forward and dragged away a small number of dead soldiers from their own city. Then, glancing at the large number of soldiers kneeling with their heads in their hands below the city, they let out a mournful cry.

The Qi general, dressed in his armor, glanced at the conquered city and ordered a rest.

As dawn broke and then broke again, the prisoners were organized into an army, guarded by surrendered officers, and continued south to attack the next city in the attack plan.

Space gradually shrinks over time.

In Daming Prefecture, Yue Fei wiped his spear with a velvet cloth, his eyes becoming unfocused. The battle reports from the front were coming quickly; the news of the fall of the nearby city of Enzhou had already reached the army. Even though he knew that this was an exchange of the city above for time to prepare, he still felt somewhat frustrated.

"Brother Pengju, Brother Pengju."

"Huh?" Yue Fei turned his head and saw Tang Huai, Wang Gui, and Zhang Xian carrying several lotus leaf packages and a wine jar as they walked into his tent. "What are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought."

Wang Gui slammed the wine jar on the table, plopped down on Yue Fei's military bed, and clicked his tongue, "Could it be that you're worried about things at home?"

"No, not at all." Yue Fei shook his head: "My mother and wife take care of everything at home, so there's nothing for me to worry about." He looked at the three of them: "What I'm worried about is just the current war."

Zhang Xian tore open a lotus leaf package, and the fragrant aroma of roasted chicken wafted out: "What are you thinking about! When the soldiers come... uh, what's wrong with that? In the future... in the future we'll fight."

Yue Fei stared at him expressionlessly for a few moments, then suddenly smiled: "What you're saying... actually makes some sense."

"That's right." Zhang Xianle laughed heartily, patting his chest as he spoke: "Although I, Old Zhang, don't have much formal education, everything I say makes sense."

Tang Huai opened the lotus leaf package, picked up a pancake, and stuffed it into his mouth: "Eat yours, you're getting all worked up over saying you're fat."

"Alright, Brother Pengju, let's not think about those things that don't count for what they say." Wang Gui distributed wine to the group, then reached out and tore off a leg from a roasted chicken. He opened his mouth wide, stuffed it in, and mumbled, "We'll just do whatever the order says when the time comes."

“We have to think about it. We can’t just believe whatever others say.” Yue Fei shook his head with a smile, and without being polite to the others, he picked up some braised meat and ate it. “This time, the Qi army is indeed facing an unprecedented crisis. We need to be more prepared.”

“That’s something the ministers in the court should be thinking about.” Zhang Xian swallowed the food in his mouth and casually wiped the crumbs off his lips. “We should just focus on how to survive on the battlefield.”

"And kill a couple more people while you're at it."

"Ha ha ha ha--"

The three rough men laughed loudly. Yue Fei smiled and shook his head, then reached out and picked up his wine bowl to sip it gently, his eyes filled with contemplation.

……

at the same time.

Dust filled the air as Qi soldiers, their faces showing signs of fatigue, sat together. Someone handed a water pouch to the silent Wanyan Zongbi: "Wuzhu, what are you thinking about?"

Wanyan Zongbi looked up and was dazzled by the sunlight. He squinted instinctively, then reached out and took the water pouch. He took a sip, and the spicy liquid slid across his tongue, down his esophagus and into his stomach. His eyes lit up, and he looked at Wanyan Zongmin standing in front of him with wide eyes: "Arubu, you really know my preferences."

He happily took another bite.

Wanyan Zongmin walked over, looked him up and down, and leaned closer: "Fourth Brother, what's going on? Are you planning to bring a marquisate home?"

Wanyan Zongbi paused, his emotionless eyes sweeping over Wanyan Zongbi's face, and gave a soft snort: "Being granted a title and the position of prime minister is the highest honor for a Han Chinese, and I naturally desire it as well."

Wanyan Zongmin scrutinized him for a few moments, took a deep breath, and stood up: "Fine, you... do whatever you want!"

Wanyan Zongbi slightly raised his head: "Arubu..."

Just as Aguda's twelfth son was about to take a step, he stopped and turned around. Wanyan Zongbi waved his hand, and the water bag flew over and he caught it.

"...Don't do anything unnecessary, or you'll die even faster."

Upon hearing the voice, Wanyan Zongmin frowned, stared at Wanyan Zongbi for a long while, and then turned and walked away.

Wanyan Zongbi stared blankly ahead, his dark pupils reflecting the distant green fields, and also gazing at the Qi-character flag. He mechanically raised his hand, took a bite of the jerky, and slowly chewed.

Soon, the army continued its march, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoing across the land, rolling and tumbling all the way to Linqing.

……

As the sun's corona approached Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the wind in Hebei occasionally paused, and a beam of gold pierced the vast expanse of heaven and earth in the east.

The sounds of people and horses gradually rose, and the silent world became lively. From north to south, from Enzhou to Guantao, waves of warhorses and infantry gradually gathered, forming a huge battle formation of nearly three people.

The banners of generals such as Niu, Han, Yang, He, and Wanyan were fluttering. Song soldiers from various regions, who had surrendered, stepped forward, and some pointed at the city and shouted something.

Wearing a phoenix-winged helmet, the Song army general, without even washing up, went up to the city wall and stood there loudly issuing orders to the messengers beside him. The Song soldiers, who had already been instructed for a long time, began to run towards the city wall.

The sounds of horns outside and the tolling of golden bells inside the city began to intertwine.

As dawn broke, the vanguard, which had gathered from near and far, discussed the order of their attack. The generals' banners flew in all directions, and some mounted their cavalry and galloped back.

Guantao, the last city in front of Daming Prefecture, is also the place where the vanguard army rendezvouses after taking their respective targets. Once this city is captured, it means that the city to the south is no different from a woman who has taken off her clothes.

Woohoo——

The bugle sounded the signal to attack, and countless warhorses and soldiers began to move slowly under the command of their respective officers. Many surrendered Song soldiers, holding swords and shields, stepped forward with a spirit they had never shown before, looking at the city ahead.

"Anyone who storms the city wall and cuts off three heads will be exempt from being a surrendered soldier!"
Those who possess five stars will have their household taxes halved!

Those who collect ten points will be recorded for meritorious service and granted a noble title.

"kill--"

Roars erupted from the battle formation, followed by a surge of figures rushing towards the city wall.

The Song general guarding Guantao broke out in a cold sweat: "Quickly send orders to the rear, move the reserve troops forward, quickly—"

The running figure disappeared into the distance, its heart-wrenching roar echoing through the city.

The shouts of battle echoed both above and below the city walls, and the smoke of war traveled along Guantao all the way to Daming Prefecture. Someone quickly relayed the message to their superior in the prefectural government office.

Soon, Zong Ze, Du Yun, Li Cheng, and others, who had climbed onto the city wall, stared at the smoke rising in the distance, remaining silent for a long time.

"The war has begun..."

After an unknown amount of time, Zong Ze uttered a soft sentence, then turned and strode down the city wall. Du Yun and Li Cheng looked at each other, both shuddering, and quickly ran down the city wall. The order to mobilize troops was then issued from the government office.

　I figured it out today!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)