Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

That night, many people in the Qi army camp were resting.

The scent of wound medicine wafted through the military camp on the night breeze. Occasionally, a soldier would walk by with a torch, glance expressionlessly at the back of the figure being led towards the central command tent, and then continue walking towards the wooden fence on the other side.

Chinese army.

Lu Bu put on his black robe and came out. He had also rested. The battle had gone relatively smoothly today. When he returned to camp in the evening, he, Wang Zheng, and several generals discussed the situation. Even if Daming Prefecture resisted fiercely, the city could be captured in three days at most.

However, just now, a guard on night duty came in to report that someone from Daming Prefecture had come to surrender. This surprised him a bit. After all, although the Song army in Daming Prefecture was weak during the day, their attitude of resistance was quite firm. How could they have changed their tune at night?

"His Majesty."

Inside the tent, Wang Zheng, Xi Sheng, Bian Xiang, Han Shizhong, Xu Wen, and other generals who had been summoned bowed to him. Lü Bu waved his hand and sat down: "The prefecture of Daming has sent people to surrender. After much consideration, I have decided to meet them..."

Seeing the officials take their seats, he touched the table with his finger, then raised his hand and beckoned to Yu Cheng outside: "Let them in."

The group of people outside, surrounded by the watchful eyes of the guards, cautiously entered.

Under the firelight, the man at the front knelt down with a thud, revealing a fawning smile: "Liu An, the official in charge of the garrison of Daming Prefecture, greets His Majesty the Emperor. I said that the weather has been favorable for the past two months, with the sun high in the sky and the weather good. It seems that Heaven knew that Your Majesty's dragon boots were about to set foot on the land of Daming Prefecture, and dared not offend the true dragon's aura, so it made special adjustments."

Holding the letter high with both hands, he said, "This is the surrender document from Du Yun, the garrison commander of Daming Prefecture, Li Cheng, the military supervisor, and Li Shixiong, the military commander. We were afraid of soiling Your Majesty's hands, so we specially fumigated it with mugwort three times. Please take a look."

Yu Cheng stepped forward and picked it up. He watched as the man took out two more official seals from his robes, wiped them with his sleeve, and then held them above his head: “These are the official seals of the garrison commander and the prefectural judge of Daming Prefecture. The smaller one, like the decree, was fumigated with mugwort.”

Yu Cheng held the letter, opened his lips, then closed them tightly. He reached out, grabbed the official seal, turned around, and walked to the table to put it down.

Lu Bu's eyelids twitched violently a few times. He glanced at the person kneeling opposite him, then picked up the letter. A smoky aroma of herbs wafted into his nose. He couldn't help but lean closer to smell it, and looked at the letter in his hand with some surprise: "...It really was fumigated with mugwort."

“Naturally fumigated, hehe…” Liu An rubbed his hands and smiled obsequiously: “I have the nickname Liu Fuchen in the Garrison Command. I am very clean. If Your Majesty needs me, I can clean the military camp every day.”

The expressions of the people in the tent were somewhat strange. These people were not unfamiliar with what surrendered officials were like. During the Liao Dynasty, some spineless people had knelt down before the army even attacked. However, it was truly rare to see someone like this person who spoke and acted in such a way. Although the surrendered Song officials and generals from the previous military prefectures spoke obsequiously, at least they still had some bottom line. This fellow…

For once, Wang Zheng did not lie on the table; instead, he looked at the kneeling person as if examining a novel toy.

Beside them, Han Shizhong, Bian Xiang, and a few others who were usually quite boisterous twisted their bodies, only to feel as if insects were crawling up and down, making them extremely uncomfortable.

Xu Wen, who was not on duty at the moment, sat in his seat and leaned closer to Han Shizhong: "Brother Liangchen, didn't you used to hang out with the Western Army? How often do you show this kind of attitude?"

"How would I know!" Han Shizhong glanced at him and curled his lip. "All I've ever seen are people who steal credit. I've never seen anyone like that before."

As he spoke, Lü Bu finished reading the surrender document in his hand, pondered for a moment, and waved for Yu Cheng to take it to the others: "Why didn't Du Yun, Li Cheng, and the others leave the city? And how did you deal with Zong Ze, the commander-in-chief in the city today?"

"Your Majesty, there are still a few rebellious officials in the city who do not know the times and need to be dealt with. Before I left the city, Zong Ze had already been captured and imprisoned in the government office. I believe that the garrison commanders Chen Cui and Quan Bangyan in the east of the city have also been captured by now. They are just waiting for Your Majesty's heavenly army to enter the city so that they can take over Daming Prefecture."

Lu Bu stared at him for a while, then suddenly smiled and turned to look at Wang Zheng: "How is it?"

The man on the other side immediately understood that his emperor was asking about the authenticity of the surrender. He pondered for a moment and looked at the man on the other side, saying, "We just fought to the death during the day. Now you say you want to surrender. Are you trying to trick us into entering the city?"

"I dare not!" Liu An immediately knelt down: "We sincerely want to serve the State of Qi. How could we dare to have any deceitful thoughts? If we have any disloyal intentions, may we be struck by lightning, our souls scattered in the wilderness after death, and never be able to enter our ancestral graves."

"Hahaha, you flatter me." Upon hearing this, Lü Bu laughed heartily, stood up, glanced at the people present, and said, "Since you are all willing to join my Great Qi, I naturally have no reason to refuse you."

Order the east and west battalions to assemble their troops and prepare to enter the city.

"Here!"

Several generals in the tent stood up, bowed their heads, and responded. Their loud voices startled Liu An and the others. Liu An then reacted, raised his hands, and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. We are willing to serve Your Majesty to the utmost and even die for you."

His attendants also knelt down.

Lu Bu smiled, not taking his words seriously, but gently comforted him. Then he ordered someone to take them out, turned to look at the generals who also had ambiguous expressions, and suddenly laughed: "I thought that after serving in the army for so long, I had seen all kinds of battles. Today I realize how vast the world is, and there are still many things I have never experienced. Daming Prefecture has truly given me a pleasant surprise."

"Your Majesty and we have indeed witnessed a new kind of splendor." Wang Zheng stood up, stretched, and chuckled.

Lu Bu waved his hand and said, "In a moment, the infantry will enter the city and take control of the city walls. Once it is confirmed to be safe, they will advance into the city."

The voice of approval rang out again, and then the generals filed out of the tent.

As night fell, horses galloped out of the military camp, the reveille sounded, torches were lit outside the tents, and the twinkling lights illuminated the darkness. Soldiers, clad in armor and armed with weapons, began to assemble.

News of the disturbance in the Qi army camp was quickly detected by the Song army on the city wall, but the city wall had already been occupied by Li Cheng and Li Shixiong's men.

When the military intelligence was delivered to the government office, Du Yun was overjoyed. He ordered the city gates to be opened to welcome the Qi army into the city. At the same time, he quickly took off his outer robe, leaving only his white inner garment. He had someone tie him up with a rope, but the person tying him up didn't use much force. The rope was loosely tied around his body, but the person didn't care. He hurriedly ran to the north city to prepare to welcome the Qi army into the city.

That night, the Qi army moved from three sides. When Mi Sheng in the west of the city received the news, he immediately ordered Di Lei's troops to carry wooden ladders to the west city wall. After seeing that they had climbed up without any trouble, he led his troops to the south gate. He found the wounded Dong Xiaochou and first ordered him to return to his unit. Then he sent his cavalry to the south to search for Wang De's troops and the fleeing Song army before leisurely walking into the city.

Shi Wengong, who was stationed in the east of the city, also received the news. When he woke up the entire army, Zeng Tu shouted that he wanted to enter the city first, saying that he had lost a bet with Wang De and that it was almost midnight, so it was his turn to send out troops.

The others found it amusing. Shi Wengong, annoyed by his noise, simply told him to get lost, thus gaining some peace and quiet.

That night, the troops outside the city entered the city without any resistance from the Song soldiers inside, and the streets were taken over by the troops.

Some wounded soldiers, unable to sleep at night due to pain, stared in disbelief as the Qi army, carrying torches and clad in black armor, entered and placed them under temporary medical care.

"...What was the purpose of our arduous battles all day?"

"We guess we're just unlucky."

"Brother, it was such a waste to die like that..."

Intermittent sounds came from the wounded soldiers, some of them crying out in pain. The Qi soldiers standing outside exchanged glances upon hearing this, but then paid no attention. As long as no one caused trouble, they didn't care whether the wounded soldiers lived or died.

Red Hare entered Daming Prefecture under the torchlight, its iron hooves clattering on the streets. Du Yun, who was wearing an undergarment and whose ropes had been removed, spoke with a smile under the watchful eyes of two guards.

"...This is the road to the government office. It's bustling with people during the day, and besides the western market, this is the area with the most shops in the city." Seeing Lü Bu glance back at him from horseback, he instantly became excited: "Your Majesty, the government office is not far ahead. Zong Ze, Chen Cui, and the others are imprisoned in the government office and the prison respectively. Would you like to interrogate them?"

Lu Bu was somewhat too lazy to pay attention to him, but since Daming Prefecture had just surrendered, he still mustered his spirits to say a few perfunctory words, which made Du Yun even happier.

Before long, the marching troops stopped, and several figures standing outside rushed over. Under the torchlight, the crimson battle robes of the Song army were clearly visible. Li Cheng and Li Shixiong, who had removed their armor and were not carrying any weapons, knelt down with a thud: "We, the guilty generals Li Cheng and Li Shixiong, pay our respects to Your Majesty. May Great Qi be victorious."

Lu Bu stopped Red Hare, smiled at the two men, dismounted and helped them up: "During the day, you two generals blocked my army from seizing the city, you are truly excellent generals."

Li Cheng and Li Shixiong clasped their hands in fear and said, "We have offended the Heavenly Army and deserve death. Please punish us, Your Majesty."

Lu Bu laughed and patted the two men on the shoulder: "Don't panic. When two armies are facing each other, each has its own duties. At that time, you two had not surrendered, so you naturally had to do everything you could to stop my army from climbing the city. But now that you have decided to serve me, you must fight for me on the battlefield as you did during the day."

Li Cheng and Li Shixiong were relieved and smiled, bowing with their hands clasped: "We are willing to do our best for the Great Qi."

"it is good."

Lu Bu patted the two men on the shoulder, then beckoned Du Yun over and told the three of them to follow him: "The three of you will come in with me."

The three men were excited and bowed to accept the order. They followed Lü Bu inside, and the guards behind them quickly entered the government office. The torches burned in the air, making a whooshing sound.

Candles as thick as a child's arm were lit in the main hall, and bronze mirrors reflected the light behind the candles, illuminating the place as if it were daytime.

Lu Bu turned and glanced around the government office of Daming Prefecture, then withdrew his gaze with little interest, looking at Du Yun: "You just said that Zong Ze is imprisoned here?"

"Yes." Du Yun hurriedly stepped forward, bowing and scraping: "He has been locked up in the back room by me."

"Bring him up," Lu Bu said, turning to sit at the table behind him.

Now that the Qi army has entered Daming Prefecture, everyone is thinking about how to please the emperor. Upon hearing his order, Li Cheng and Li Shixiong personally went to bring Zong Ze and his son over.

There were many things to do at night, and no one wanted to make things difficult for the two of them at this critical moment. When they came in, the Zong family father and son were still dressed and looked the same as when they were captured. After entering, they stood there with their heads held high, staring at Lu Bu in his seat without saying a word.

Du Yun couldn't stand their behavior, so he raised an eyebrow, stepped forward, and pointed at them with his spear: "You dogs, how dare you be so disrespectful to His Majesty! Kneel down!"

"Your emperor is not my emperor, why do you kneel before him?" Zong Ze stared at him coldly: "You dog, you led the Qi army into Daming Prefecture, I wish I could eat your flesh and blood."

"How dare you!" Yu Cheng and Wei He glared at him, reached for the hilt of their swords, pulled out a section, and took a step forward.

Xu Wen and Su Yi also looked grim, staring coldly at the father and son opposite them.

Lu Bu raised one hand, and the two generals saw it out of the corner of their eyes. They snorted coldly, put their swords back in, and retreated behind the emperor.

"You are Zong Ze?" Lu Bu looked the old man up and down. "The whirlwind cannons on the city wall were your doing? They certainly caused quite a bit of trouble for our army."

Zong Ze closed his eyes, then opened them again: "It's a pity their range is too short, unable to bury you all beneath the city walls."

Yu Cheng, Wei He, Xu Wen, Su Yi, and the others in the hall all stared at him with burning eyes.

Lu Bu was not angry when he heard this: "As a subject of Song, it is only right that you are so diligent in defending the city. However, although your intentions are good, you do not have the ability to do so." He smiled at the father and son and tapped his finger lightly on the table: "Are you willing to surrender? I will grant you the title of third-rank official, and your son can also be a fifth-rank official. Both of you can be ennobled as marquises."

Zong Ze closed his eyes and said, "As a Song official, I have never thought of changing my identity. There is no need to say more. I only ask for a quick death."

Zong Ying looked at Lü Bu with a stubborn expression on her face.

Lu Bu looked at Zong Ying beside him and rubbed his chin: "And you? Are you willing to surrender? If you surrender, your father will not die."

Zong Ying's face was somewhat pale, but his eyes were bright: "My son and I are of one mind, and we will advance and retreat together. If you want to kill, then kill. Why say more?"

Upon hearing this, Zong Ze opened his eyes, looked at his son and nodded, "Good, worthy of being my son." Then he looked at Lü Bu and shouted, "Kill him quickly! Kill him quickly!"

Lu Bu sighed and turned to Yu Cheng: "Take them away and send them on their way."

Upon hearing this, Zong Ze and Zong Ying didn't wait for anyone to urge them. They turned around, held their heads high, and walked out.

"Here!"

Yu Cheng bowed respectfully and looked at the two from behind, his expression now showing some admiration.

Although they belonged to two different countries, such people who were willing to sacrifice themselves are truly admirable.

Before long, two heads appeared, and Lü Bu ordered them to be buried in the north of the city.

……

Tread-tap-

The warhorse stopped on the street, and the general on horseback held his lance upside down, looking at the dark alley ahead. Just as he spread his legs to kick the horse's belly, a hand reached out and grabbed the reins: "Master, wait a moment."

Lu Junyi suddenly turned his head, his face contorted in a grimace: "Xiao Yi, why are you stopping me!"

"Master, please calm down." Yan Qing looked at him, took a breath, glanced at the soldiers following behind, took two steps forward, and whispered, "The Qi army is not like the Song army. They are very disciplined and the people in the Military and Political Affairs Department will not give face to anyone. At this time, the army is entering the city to appease the people. If you kill your way back to the mansion, you may feel good now, but if you are captured by the people in the Military and Political Affairs Department later, you will probably have to pay a heavy price."

He licked his slightly dry lips: "Wouldn't it be a terrible injustice for the master to ruin his body or even lose his life for a pair of adulterers?"

"Then what do you suggest?!" Lu Junyi's eyes blazed as he glanced into the darkness, then looked at Yan Qing: "Are you suggesting I give up my hatred? If so, I'd rather die with you!"

"Of course not." Yan Qing quickly shook his head and said, "My master and General Bian have been on very good terms these past few days. He asked Bian to speak on his behalf to His Majesty. Once we get His Majesty's permission, those two scoundrels will be beyond saving."

Lu Junyi then showed a happy expression: "You're right, I'll go find General Bian right now."

The monotonous sound of horses' hooves echoed in the darkness. (End of Chapter)