Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The city of Daming was filled with celebrations under the cover of night. News of Du Yun's victory over the Qi army had spread throughout the streets and alleys. Many wealthy families and officials who were reluctant to part with their property were overjoyed and celebrated by drinking heavily in the city's restaurants, as if they had already won a great victory.

On a noisy night, soldiers in military uniforms followed their generals through the streets, occasionally glancing at drunken men leaning against walls and vomiting.

"Really... Just because he repelled someone's probing attack, Du Liushou talks as if he's conquered Yanjing. And these people, are they all out of their minds, getting so drunk?"

Wang Gui pinched his nose as he walked past a street corner. Just now, a drunkard couldn't help but vomit in the corner. As for whether someone would curse in the street tomorrow morning...

who cares.

"The people in the city have been feeling suppressed for too long, so this kind of release is good." Yue Fei pressed down on the hilt of his sword, looked up at the cold moonlight, and let out a long breath: "However, it was indeed a bit too much. If we have to fight a tough battle later, the people in the city may not be able to withstand the sudden increase in pressure."

"I heard that today's attackers are all the garrison troops who surrendered in the northern cities."

Wang Gui, with his protruding belly, patted it and said with considerable dissatisfaction, "They're all spineless cowards. They actually turned around and attacked us, wasting all these years of military rations."

In the darkness of night, the sound of soldiers marching in unison filled the air. Yue Fei merely turned his head slightly and said, "Those who aid and abet evil will surely meet a terrible end. Those who betray the emperor after receiving imperial favor will be dealt with in due time."

"Brother Pengju, don't be angry. We were just chatting." Wang Gui looked at his serious friend in front of him, scratched his head, chuckled, and changed the subject: "By the way, did you know that the guy named Li Shixiong on the city wall today did a good job but didn't get a reward? I heard that Governor Du said that the rewards would be distributed after the battle. His soldiers were full of complaints, and in the end, he had to pay some money out of his own pocket to appease them."

“…Life is hard, perhaps Governor Du has his reasons.” Yue Fei said with difficulty, then stopped after a moment of silence. “You take your men and continue patrolling. I’ll go and discuss tomorrow’s city defense with Minister Zong.”

After saying that, he turned and left in a hurry.

"Still the same stubborn mule." Wang Gui chuckled as he watched his retreating figure. "That damn garrison commander is just sucking up the soldiers' blood and being unscrupulous. If you want to help, just say so. We brothers all support you, what are you going to do about it?"

Turning to look at the dozen or so soldiers, who were also smiling, he glared at them and said, "Alright, all of you, perk up and get back to patrol."

A dozen or so people responded softly and continued to follow him forward, carrying knives and guns.

Yue Fei walked briskly along the way. The patrolmen saw him but did not stop him. The people guarding the government office recognized him as a favorite general of Zong Ze and let him in.

As he hurried to the door of Zongze's house, before he could even push it open, a familiar voice came from inside: "Prime Minister Zong, there are not many capable fighters in the city. This Li Shixiong is a valiant general. Du Liushou's stinginess with money is likely to hurt people's hearts. In the future, not only will the soldiers not fight with their lives, but if the generals become dissatisfied because of this, wouldn't it be like destroying the Great Wall and adding insult to injury when the Qi army is stationed outside the city?"

I hope that Chancellor Zong will step in to appease General Li and his soldiers, lest those who fight for the country be disheartened by this."

Yue Fei raised an eyebrow, but did not immediately push the door open and go in. He peeked through the crack in the door and saw a broad, sturdy figure facing him. He heard Zong Ze's somewhat surprised voice: "I never expected that Commander Li would come here because of this matter."

Li Cheng, the military commander of Daming Prefecture?!

Yue Fei paused for a moment, then the aged voice continued, "I am already aware of this matter, and I will not let it go unresolved, however..."

A voice tinged with amusement rang out: "I always thought you and Li Shixiong were at odds, but I never expected you to speak up for him because of this matter."

"My relationship with him is one thing, but the fact that he has made meritorious contributions but has not been rewarded is another matter. They should not be confused."

Outside the door, Yue Fei stood silently for a few moments, then turned and quietly left.

The moonlight shone on the figures below. Yue Fei watched the patrolling soldiers pass by in the city, their shadows indistinct, yet they were not alone.

……

The next day.

The Qi army vanguard outside the city did not attack the city. Han Shizhong, Niu Gao, and Wanyan Loushi studied the geomantic map outside the city for a long time, and then asked the soldiers who were familiar with the place. Only then did they send troops to the north gate to make a siege posture. While waving flags and shouting, they ordered people to dig a tunnel from outside the north gate, intending to dig into the city through the ancient river channel there.

Before the war, Zong Ze ordered his men to place eight large urns at each corner of the city. The empty urns were placed upside down, and the mouths of the urns were covered with raw cowhide. Blind men were sent to listen for underground sounds. At the same time, to assist in surveillance, millet was scattered on the ground at suspicious points, and soldiers were specially assigned to monitor these areas.

When people from both sides came to report that there was movement underground, Zong Ze hurriedly ordered his men to pour in the juice made from the Golden Juice Poisonous Herb and throw in poison smoke balls. Immediately, there were sounds of coughing and vomiting underground.

Seeing that they could not gain any advantage, the generals outside the city did not press their attack and immediately stopped their assault. They withdrew their troops to send a message to Lü Bu, who was behind them, while they built military camps and waited for reinforcements to arrive.

Before long, Lü Bu's banner came into the scouts' view, and the atmosphere in the commander's tent became more relaxed.

The battle reports from the past few days, including the assessments of the Song army in the city by several generals, came together, bringing a look of great interest to the weary generals.

After reading the report, General Lü Bu passed it to his men and rubbed his wrist with his broad hand: "I thought that Daming Prefecture was just like the cities ahead, all cowards and weaklings. I didn't expect to find such a tough nut to crack. Otherwise, I would have always thought that the Song people were all fragile and would break at the slightest touch."

These words made the generals in the tent laugh. Han Shizhong stood up, clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, we did not bring many siege weapons with us, which is why the people in the city were so arrogant for a while. I implore Your Majesty to send the firearms battalion to the front. I am willing to be the vanguard and take the head of the city's garrison commander to present to you!"

Di Lei stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your Majesty, General Han and his men have been fighting all the way, it is time for this humble general to take to the battlefield."

"Your Majesty, let this humble general advance!"

"His Majesty……"

Lu Bu looked at the group of generals who had volunteered for battle with a satisfied expression, but then remembered something and waved to Yu Cheng: "Bring up the map of Daming Prefecture."

Also, summon the person who presented the map and have him explain it to the generals.

He then looked at the eager crowd and pressed his hand down, saying, "Don't be anxious. A couple of days ago, someone presented me with a city defense map. Although Daming Prefecture will definitely redeploy its defenses now, we can still learn from it to some extent."

Han Shizhong, Di Lei, Lu Zhishen, and the others who had stood up looked at each other before sitting down quietly to wait.

Before long, Yu Cheng hung up a newly copied city map. Su Yi, who had gone out to look for someone, came in, followed by a well-proportioned young man with a handsome face. The young man stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty, I, Yan Qing, pay my respects and greet all the generals."

"Get up." Lü Bu remained seated and smiled as he spoke to him, "Tell the generals about the layout of this city."

"Here!"

The young man who stood up bowed his head respectfully, then looked up at the generals. A soft "Eh?" came from inside the tent.

Bian Xiang stood up and stared at Yan Qing for a long while before asking before he could speak, "Young man, haven't we met somewhere before?"

"General, you must have a bad memory." Yan Qing's eyes lit up as he looked at the two men, and he smiled and clasped his hands in greeting: "I was originally a servant in the household of Lu Junyi, the best spearman in Hebei. When you, General, came with General Sun and General Du to meet my master for a martial arts contest, you showed me your true face."

"Oh...it's you. I knew you looked familiar." Bian Xiang clenched his right fist and slammed it into his left palm, looking at him: "And what about Lu Junyi?"

Yan Qing quickly said, "My master abandoned the darkness and embraced the light when he was in Hejian Prefecture, and now he is serving in the army."

"Very well, very well, bring him to visit me later so we can catch up." Bian Xiang laughed heartily, then bowed to Lü Bu and the generals in the tent to apologize before sitting down.

"I will certainly go with my master to pay a visit." Yan Qing hurriedly agreed, then walked towards the geomantic map: "Daming Prefecture is about twelve li long from north to south and about eleven li from east to west. Not far from the east gate is the Wei River, and the city wall there is the most solidly built. I have heard from the old people in the city that the west gate used to be a river crossing, but the river dried up decades ago, and the sluice gate was later sealed off, changing it to what it is today. The city wall is spacious enough for three or four horses to run side by side."

He glanced at the generals below who were listening quietly to him, then pointed to the north and south sides: "The north gate is also connected to the old river channel, while the south gate leads to the Wei River section below. Merchant caravans mostly pass through here."

The houses within the city walls are quite far apart, so if fire is used, it may not be effective against an experienced opponent.

By the way, speaking of the past, the north and south were the focus of its defense. Now that someone else is in charge of defense, I wonder how things will turn out.

Han Shizhong glanced at Yan Qing and stood up: "From my previous probing of the city wall defenders, there are quite a few defenders on the city wall, and they have plenty of whirlwind cannons, ballistae, and archers. It is clear that the people inside the city are very cautious."

"Your Majesty, let me go up and give it a try. I'll know what's going on after just one fight."

"Yes, you can't get a clear picture just by listening."

"And there's my subordinate."

As he watched the generals in the tent stand up one after another, Lü Bu also felt a surge of urge to send troops into battle, but Wang Zheng, who was sitting to the side, shook his head at him.

Taking a breath, Lü Bu laughed: "No rush. Now that our army is marching here, these people from the south are much more anxious than we are."

Han Shizhong stood there, frowning. "Does Your Majesty mean... that someone might come to support Daming Prefecture? Does Your Majesty intend to besiege the city and attack the reinforcements?"

"Daming Prefecture connects the north and south and is an important town in Jizhou. If it were me, I would never sit idly by and let the city fall."

Lu Bu tapped the table with his finger, a thoughtful expression on his face: "It just so happens that we have been rushing south, and the soldiers in the army are quite tired. Let's rest for a few days and get them back to their best."

"Order the scouts to run a longer distance and check if any Song troops are coming to reinforce us. If they are, take them down; if not..."

boom--

He lightly tapped the table: "Bring the cannons up and fire a few shots at them."

"Here!"

The generals bowed and accepted the order, then filed out. The sounds of the troops gradually diminished in the camp, with only the clanging and banging of the rear camp coming from behind, making it seem somewhat lonely.

At the same time, cavalrymen riding fast horses and wearing leather armor galloped out of the camp gates and headed in all directions.

The course of events was both within and beyond Lü Bu's and his generals' expectations.

Mid-Autumn Festival, Dingyou year.

Scouts discovered that reinforcements were coming from the west of Daming Prefecture. Lü Bu sent Yang Zaixing to cross the river at night and defeat 2,500 reinforcements from Xiangzhou in the southwest of Wei County.

Subsequently, reinforcements from Kaide Prefecture came north from the Yellow River, but were defeated by Li Bao, Zhang Heng, and Zhang Bao on the river. Many of their ships were severely damaged, and Li Bao ordered them to be dragged to the shore and have their bottoms ripped open.

On the day of Ji Hai, the Bozhou reinforcements heard that the Kaide Prefecture navy had suffered a defeat and that Daming Prefecture was still under siege. They recalled the troops that had gone to the border with Daming Prefecture, showing an attitude of defending Liaocheng to the death and not caring about other people's affairs.

Meanwhile, the Qi scouts outside, seeing that nothing more had happened, began to slowly return.

……

The armies inside and outside the city began to rest and prepare for battle. The Song soldiers on the city walls wished they could keep their eyes glued to the outside of the city. But inside the government office of Daming Prefecture, it was a different story.

The burning candlelight illuminated the hall, and the guards stood in the courtyard, occasionally glancing at the open door where figures were pacing back and forth.

Du Yun was in a bad mood. Inside the room, Zong Ze, Li Cheng, and several generals, including Yue Fei, Li Shixiong, Chen Cui, and Quan Bangyan, were gathered in front of the geomantic map, talking quietly.

"The Qi army outside the city split up its troops. The largest force was at the north gate, which, judging from the size of the flags and banners, numbered about 50,000 to 60,000. The east gate had 20,000 troops, and the rest were in the west of the city."

"Surrounding three sides and leaving one open, it seems the northern bandits will attack soon."

Zong Ze paced back and forth for a while, then stopped, stared at the ground and pondered for a moment. He had some ideas in mind, but couldn't make up his mind for the time being.

Li Shixiong stood there and said in a low voice, "The troops in the west of the city are probably just putting pressure on us, but if a battle breaks out, their troops can also use siege ladders to attack. Therefore, we cannot let our guard down on the west side of the city."

Li Cheng and Yue Fei stood silently in front of the geomantic map. At this time, news had already reached them that two reinforcements had been defeated and one had retreated. Furthermore, Qi soldiers were wandering around outside carrying tattered Song army flags, which had already caused the soldiers on the city walls to be alarmed three times a day.

"Alright, stop overthinking." Zong Ze took a breath: "The situation is clear now. We know how many troops are outside and how many generals are in the city. The Qi army outside the city knows even better. The rest is just a matter of seeing who is the best."

Turning to Yue Fei and the other generals, he glanced at Du Yun out of the corner of his eye: "These past few days, the Qi army has been besieging us while simultaneously breaking through our reinforcements. Their aim is to demoralize us. Go to the treasury later and get some money for the soldiers."

Du Yun swayed as he sat, a look of pain on his face.

Zong Ze looked at him: "Du Liushou, is there no problem?"

"...No problem." Du Yun forced a smile: "The money in the treasury is at your disposal, Master Zong."

Zong Ze nodded, then looked at Li Shixiong and Li Cheng: "General Li, go and get the money and distribute it. Supervisor Li will be responsible for checking it."

The two generals looked at him, knowing that this was to make them keep an eye on each other and not be greedy for money. They had no complaints, but simply clasped their hands in a fist salute to Zong Ze and walked away.

"General Chen, Brother Chaomei."

Chen Cui and Quan Bangyan looked at him.

"The troops outside the east side of the city are entrusted to you two. Remember to guard this place well."

The two men bowed and accepted the order, then went out.

"Well... nothing else, I'll head out now." Du Yun stood up after seeing that most people had left, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zong Ze, and walked out.

Zong Ze bowed slightly behind him, looking at Yue Fei who had stayed behind: "This battle is extremely dangerous. Your troops must fight to the death; perhaps not many will survive the battle..."

“It is only right to fight to the death for one’s country. If Prime Minister Zong gives the order and Yue Fei hesitates, he cannot be considered a true man.”

"Defending the city will only allow for passive responses. Tonight, take your troops out of the city, and regardless of what's happening inside, find the rear camp of the main army..."

He tapped his finger on the geomantic map.

Yue Fei gritted his teeth and nodded firmly. (End of Chapter)