Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

A ray of golden sunlight pierced the eastern night, and the sounds of roosters crowing and birds chirping echoed throughout Daming Prefecture, signaling the start of another busy day.

Many people opened their eyes and sighed. The city was under lockdown due to the war, and even though only a day had passed, it felt like an eternity. They didn't know when this would end.

The person who opened the door looked up at the gray sky, resignedly pulled at his hempen clothes, and prepared to go to work in the city.

The summer morning was already bright. People who came out greeted a few neighbors who were also up early and quickly headed towards the street corner.

sand--

The footsteps came to a heavy halt. In their sight, the Song soldiers in their crimson robes had changed color to black armor, weapons in their hands. They turned to look at the sound, and a troop of cavalry on horseback passed by, glancing at them without stopping.

"Gudu."

The group of men who had just stepped out of the alley froze in place, unsure whether to continue or turn back. After a long while, the soldiers on the other side waved their hands, signaling them to get lost. The men hesitated for a moment.

Someone stopped in their tracks: "I won't go today. I have some money left at home, enough to last me a couple more days." With that, they turned and left.

The others looked at each other, gritted their teeth and stamped their feet, still nervously walking forward with their heads down. They had elderly parents and young children at home, and a wife in the middle waiting for rice and flour to be cooked. If they didn't go out to work, the whole family would be left with nothing but the northwest wind.

On the streets, soldiers in black military uniforms could be seen everywhere. Perhaps seeing people coming out in the morning, more and more officials and constables from the Daming Prefecture government gradually appeared. They pointed to the public notices that had been posted long ago and shouted loudly to gather the people together. Then they informed them that Daming Prefecture had surrendered.

Among the crowd, a handsome, refined middle-aged man dressed in a thin shirt gently waved a feather fan as several yamen runners took turns pointing at the notice and reading it aloud.

“The world has changed overnight…” Zhuang sighed softly.

"Who says otherwise? We don't know if the Qi army entering the city is a good thing or a bad thing. What if they start looting? Who knows how many people will die or be injured?" Someone next to him said worriedly.

The person who had spoken earlier turned his gaze upon hearing the voice, and seeing that the worry on the man's face seemed genuine, couldn't help but say, "There's no need to worry. If the Qi army really wanted to plunder, they would have started when they entered the city yesterday. We were all asleep at that time, so wouldn't it have been easier?"

"So you're saying...they won't rob us?"

"Just a few days ago, I heard officials say that the Qi army was killing people like flies."

"Don't tell us you're lying."

One sentence drew the attention of many people around him. The refined man shook his head confidently and said, "No, the government's previous words were just to instill fear in people towards the Qi army. They were not true. In fact, the policies implemented by Qi in the north can be considered benevolent. If you compare them in the future, you may find that the taxes are much lower than before."

"That's a good thing, then."

"That's really less; then we'll have more money in our hands."

"Who knows if that's true? Let's be careful."

Amidst the cacophony of voices, the crowd dispersed. The refined-looking man glanced at the public notice again, shook his head with a smile, slapped his folding fan against his palm, and strolled out with his hands behind his back.

The sunlight was already shining on the streets in the morning. Shop assistants took down the door panels and opened the shop doors, but they didn't dare to solicit customers as usual. They just waited silently for people to come in.

The refined young man bought two pieces of crystal cake and placed them on a lotus leaf. He would occasionally pick one up and take a bite, looking around at the cautious pedestrians and vendors. He glanced at the Qi soldiers who were out on the street without weapons and were taking out money to buy things, his eyes thoughtful.

Tread-

The sound of footsteps and hooves came from a street. The man stopped and watched as the people near the street entrance hurriedly moved aside. He put half a crystal cake in his mouth and chewed it, while looking in that direction with great interest.

Everyone in Daming Prefecture knew this street and alley, where several wealthy families lived. Although he was certain that the Qi army would not attack ordinary people, he was not completely unaware of their backgrounds.

Before the Qi army established its kingdom, it often plundered wealthy households and powerful families. Judging from the time, many wealthy households in the Jingdong area have already been enlightened. It is unknown whether they will behave the same way after entering Daming Prefecture.

"...covered in blood, truly ruthless."

"Don't tell me they're going to kill everyone in here."

Whispers rippled through the crowd of onlookers. The first general to emerge on horseback was fair-skinned and round-faced, and looked quite neat. However, the soldiers who followed him were covered in blood.

A series of figures passed by, and a warhorse's head peeked out of the alleyway before slowly emerging, revealing the person sitting on its back.

Suddenly, the surrounding crowd let out a "Wow..." sound. The eyes of the people eating food suddenly sharpened. The general on horseback could be seen to be wearing plain silver armor, but now it was almost impossible to see the original color because it was covered with blood. His armor was brown all over, only his face was clean and looked like a full moon, with an air of wealth.

His gaze lingered for a few moments, and the more he looked, the more familiar the person seemed. After a moment's thought, he suddenly remembered who this person was and couldn't help but exclaim, "Huh?!"

On his warhorse, Lu Junyi already felt all eyes on him. After a night of torment, he was covered in blood and naturally attracted attention. So he didn't feel much resentment at being the center of attention. After all, he had released his emotions and felt a sense of sagehood after settling his mind.

But after lingering for a while, she suddenly heard a surprised voice and couldn't help but look in the direction of the voice. She saw a man with an extraordinary demeanor and gentle manners, and felt a sense of goodwill towards him. However, she couldn't remember who he was for a moment, so she couldn't help but take a few more glances.

With the warhorse blocking his view to one side, Yan Qing followed him, his attention still somewhat focused on Lu Junyi. Seeing Lu Junyi's gaze fixed on one direction, he couldn't help but stop and turn to look at the crowd. He spotted the towering, robust man standing out from the rest, and his face lit up with joy as he called out, "Master, please wait a moment."

Lu Junyi subconsciously pulled his warhorse back, and as he watched Yan Qing walk in that direction, he said, "Why are you still here, you prodigal son? Could it be that Sister Xiu'er made you linger here?"

The man was taken aback, quickly swallowed the crystal cake in his mouth, was surprised for a moment, then glanced at Lu Junyi and laughed: "Xiao Yi, I should have known you were here too."

He then stepped out of the crowd, laughing heartily: "You don't know this, Xiu'er has reformed and married. My new love is Miss Lian'er."

Hearing the sound behind him, Xu Ning stopped his horse and turned around. He saw Yan Qing laughing and hugging a stranger. Then he pulled the stranger toward Lu Junyi and said, "Master, this is a good friend I met after I left the manor. He is from Quyang, Hebei. We met when I came to Daming Prefecture a couple of years ago. We haven't seen each other for the past few years. I never thought we would meet here again."

Lu Junyi blushed. Yan Qing spoke lightly, but he remembered how he used to ignore everyone and drive him out of the mansion. Later, when he was in trouble, Yan Qing followed him around without holding a grudge, even going to the deadly Liao Kingdom. Hearing him mention those things again, Lu Junyi felt ashamed and his face burned.

Seeing him bring his friend over, he hurriedly dismounted, stepped forward, and clasped his hands in greeting: "So you are Xiao Yi's friend. Then you are my friend, Mr. Lu. Please come with us for a while. I'll treat you to a good meal at the restaurant later."

Seeing this, Xu Ning dismounted and walked over, clasping his hands in greeting: "I am Xu Ning, and I am also a friend of Commandant Lu and Xiao Yi."

Xu Guanzhong quickly greeted the people, and then said to the three men, "I'd better comply with your request. I'll need Master Lu to make money in a bit."

Lu Junyi was overjoyed, and Yan Qing was also very happy. They quickly pulled Xu Guanzhong forward and continued walking. As they walked, Xu Guanzhong said, "I never thought I would meet you again in Daming Prefecture. I thought you had run off to other places."

“He went somewhere else.” Xu Guanzhong nodded. “I can’t stay idle, as you know.”

Lu Junyi and Xu Ning, mounted on their horses, listened to the two men talking without interrupting.

Yan Qing raised an eyebrow: "Then why are you in Daming Prefecture again?"

Xu Guanzhong glanced at him and smiled, "It's just curiosity." He smacked his lips, "Before the New Year, I was traveling around the northern area. I noticed the atmosphere in Qi was strange, and I guessed they were going to attack Song, so I came back to see what it would be like." Yan Qing and the other two were stunned for a moment, then heard him continue, "I just didn't expect the Song army to be so useless, taking down a city almost every day. So I simply came to Daming Prefecture to see when they could attack here."

"...You really are something." Yan Qing was at a loss for words, and after a long while, he finally spoke: "Aren't you afraid that we'll be attacked and suffer the consequences?"

Xu Guanzhong shook his head: "I am not powerless to restrain a chicken, and besides..." He glanced meaningfully at the three of them: "I am not completely ignorant of the affairs of the State of Qi."

"I almost forgot you love grand tours," Yan Qing chuckled.

Xu Guanzhong smiled in agreement without saying anything more.

Before long, the group arrived at Bian Xiang's location. Lu Junyi and the other two asked him to wait a moment while they went inside to find someone. They were watching Bian Xiang, with a strong voice, pointing at the inner city map and dividing the area for his officers and generals.

"General," Lu Junyi clasped his hands in a fist salute, "Lu Junyi has returned to report."

"Hmm." Bian Xiang nodded first, then looked Lu Junyi up and down, and smiled: "You look much better than you used to look so miserable."

Lu Junyi smiled and bowed his head: "I must thank the general for his help."

"You should thank His Majesty for this. Without his approval, you would probably be in prison for a while now." Bian Xiang laughed and waved his hand, saying, "Go change out of your armor first. Walking around in the street covered in blood would scare people to death."

Lu Junyi chuckled and scratched his head: "No one has ever died from fright, but it's certainly not pleasant." He paused, then added: "I happened to run into Xiao Yi's friend Xu Guanzhong today. I wonder if it would be possible for us to have some drinks at noon before returning to our duties?"

"You are granted a rest today." Bian Xiang raised an eyebrow, looked at Yan Qing, and smiled: "You have not rested since last night, so you can take a nap and come back tomorrow. However, the army will not stay here for long, so be prepared to set off again."

"Thank you, General." The three men bowed in thanks, then turned and left.

Bian Xiang watched their retreating figures, then stroked his chin: "Xu Guanzhong, why does that name sound so familiar? It's like I've heard it somewhere before..."

The other captains remained silent, waiting for his orders. Bian Xiang glanced at them and then realized what was happening: "Everything's fine here now. Go on patrol as before."

"Here!"

Several captains bowed and stepped forward. Bian Xiang then went to the map of the city he had just seen, picked it up and put it aside. After dealing with military affairs for a while, he got up and took out the map of Hebei, thinking of taking a look at the route ahead. He had only glanced at it twice when a sudden inspiration flashed in his mind, and he immediately looked up.

bang——

He slammed the geomantic map onto the table: "That's it, the geomantic map of Liaodong!"

Bian Xiang quickly got up and went out of the house, calling out, "Someone, someone!" A personal guard came over, pointed at the other person, and asked, "Where are Commandant Lu and the others?"

The guard bowed and said, "They've already gone out; should we go and look for them?"

The word "go..." hovered on his lips, then he abruptly stopped. Bian Xiang waved his hand and said, "No need. Prepare the horses first. I'm going to see His Majesty."

"Here."

……

at the same time.

It was cold, damp, and had a foul odor.

Wen Huanzhang leaned against the prison wall, looking somewhat dazed. His eyes were blank as he stared at the sunlight streaming through the iron bars. Dust was visible to the naked eye in the light, flying around everywhere.

He was also on the list of those arrested last night, but unlike Zong Ze and his son, the people who came to arrest him simply grabbed his arms, tied them up, threw him into jail, and that was the end of it.

“Hey, hey~”

Outside the wooden fence, a sound came in. Wen Huanzhang's eyes twitched. A prison guard with a red flower pinned to his hat and a face full of scars was standing there. Next to him stood another person who looked similar to him. They must be brothers.

"What have you done to deserve this?"

Wen Huanzhang's lips twitched slightly, but he was too lazy to pay any attention to him.

"Oh ho ho~" The prison guard with the flower looked at the one next to him: "Brother, this guy has a pretty stubborn temper. He ignores us two brothers. I like it."

The man next to him sneered and looked at Wen Huanzhang, saying, "You scoundrel who's not even left, listen up. Your grandfather, Cai Fu, is the jailer and executioner of both the two prisons in Daming Prefecture. This man next to me is my brother, Cai Qing. If you want to live comfortably here, you'd better be smart and show some respect to your grandfathers."

Wen Huanzhang glanced at the two opposite him, chuckled lightly, leaned his head back, and didn't bother to pay any attention to them.

Upon seeing this, Cai Qing glared at him, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Hey! Ignoring me? I have a short temper... You thief, are you looking for death?" He reached out to take the keychain off his body.

Cai Fu stopped his brother's actions with a gesture of his hand, then gave a thumbs-up towards the prison: "Good, you have guts. I hope you will have guts in the future."

Wen Huanzhang glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, then closed his eyes without saying a word.

Cai Fu took a breath, tapped Wen Huanzhang twice from a distance, and dragged his brother into the prison.

As soon as they entered the cell, Cai Qing came over and said, "Brother, this scoundrel is putting on a tough act for us two. Why don't we teach him a lesson?"

“We still don’t know what’s going on.” Cai Fu narrowed his eyes and looked back at the closed wooden door. “Last night, those bastards dumped people here and left, and then the Qi army came in. We don’t know if this guy was specifically requested by the higher-ups.”

Cai Qing hesitated for a moment: "What does Big Brother mean..."

“Wait.” Cai Fu sneered, sat down, poured a bowl of cold water, and took a sip. “Let’s see if he gets summoned from above. If he does, just pretend he was never here. If no one comes looking for him…”

thump—

He slammed the large, rough porcelain bowl on the table: "I'll show him what kind of novelties are in this prison."

"Brother, you've thought of everything perfectly." Cai Qing laughed heartily and sat down beside him. "That old rascal is so rude; we'll have to treat him well." Then, his eyes darted around, "But what if the ministers of Qi want his life..."

“If that’s the case, it’s better that it didn’t fall into our hands.” Cai Fu’s hand on the table slowly clenched: “If it fell into our hands…” He looked at his brother: “You still have that rusty knife, right?”

"Here I am, hahaha—" (End of Chapter)