Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Heavy rain fell in Hebei, and for several days the rain continued to wash over the land, with raindrops pattering against the leaves of trees in the courtyard.

The continuous rain curtain blocked people's vision, weaving a curtain of rain under the eaves. Soldiers wearing raincoats walked quickly across the courtyard, holding signs that read "Immediately send word".

Since the army set off from Daming Prefecture, news has been coming in within a few days that although the surrounding military prefectures have not made any moves to covet the territory, there have been occasional reports of rebellions.

However, this was not enough to write up an urgent document to send to this side.

As the garrison commander, Lü Yan hurriedly came forward. The arrival of such official documents often brought bad news, and at this time, it was impossible to know where the news came from.

"Report!" Rain splashed onto the ground as he clasped his hands in a gesture of respect: "General Du Xue has sent an urgent message from eight hundred li away. Please assist the Prefect in delivering it to His Majesty."

"Hiss—" Lu Yan's eye twitched, then he returned the greeting: "I am Lu Yan, the Minister of Agriculture, temporarily serving as the Prefect of Daming Prefecture. Please wait a moment, messenger. I will send someone to lead the way."

The messenger looked grateful: "Thank you for your help, Minister Lü."

Lu Yan hurriedly sent people to find someone skilled at locating clues, and only when he had a moment did he ask, "What happened? Why is it necessary to send an urgent message over 800 li?"

He gestured with his hand and led his soldiers outside.

The soldier, knowing he was a member of the imperial family, followed behind him, his face weary. He gently rubbed his cheek and said, “General Du was fighting the Song army, both large and small, in the field. He defeated them one after another. His own troops also suffered losses, but most of them were former Song soldiers who had surrendered. As a result, the two armies that were supposed to continue fighting with me inexplicably withdrew one after the other.”

He then took a breath and said, "General Du attacked Taiyuan Prefecture, but Zhang Xiaochun and Wang Bing led their troops to block him here and could not make any progress. That's why I was sent here to report that our army may be late."

Lu Yan frowned, thinking to himself that nothing good ever came from an urgent courier. He quickly found someone to change to a faster horse and ordered a cavalry escort.

This group of men sped out of the city and headed south towards Lü Bu's central army.

……

The Yellow River's waters come from the sky, rushing to the sea never to return.

The surging river flowed through the northern part of Kaide Prefecture, and no city or army could withstand the Qi army wherever it went.

Along the way, the cities of Nanle and Qingfeng surrendered one after another. Yang Zaixing and Han Shizhong, who were leading the vanguard, dispersed the surrendered troops and reorganized them, advancing towards Puyang.

The army marched swiftly through the rain. A group of surrendered Song soldiers, who would never normally drill in the rain, wore raincoats and excitedly hurried toward the capital of Kaide Prefecture.

Ahead, a troop carrying the banner bearing the character "Cao" is rapidly approaching.

The two armies faced each other. The surrendered soldiers, dressed in scarlet uniforms with black cloths tied around their arms, gradually revealed fierce expressions as they watched the troops ahead.

……

The dampness brought by the rain mingled with the fishy smell of the earth. A gentle breeze blew the flags in the air, but it couldn't lift the waterlogged banners. The messengers who came and went kicked up mud and water, and the people covered in mud looked helplessly at their "thousands of holes" before continuing on their way.

"...The Puyang garrison took the initiative to attack, which was quite unexpected." Lu Bu looked at the military report from the front and said to the men who were waiting with their heads down, "Go down first and wait for more accurate battle reports from the front."

Several generals from the central army approached him. Lü Bu spoke in a low voice, while the cavalrymen of the left and right guards pounded the ground in the mud, occasionally stepping into puddles and making a dull splashing sound.

"It is rare for the Song army to have men who dare to fight."

“Going into battle in this kind of weather will indeed have an impact on us, but in my opinion, the Song army will be more affected.”

"It seems that Han the Scoundrel and Yang the Kid will soon have another military merit to gain. Your Majesty, you are showing favoritism to one another."

Shi Wengong, Mi Sheng, and Wang Zheng spoke with smiles on their faces. Along the way, they took turns leading the way. Although they were enthusiastic about being the vanguard, they were more concerned about how to perform in the Battle of Bianliang.

"Stop talking such useless things." Lu Bu laughed and scolded, then turned to look at his generals: "I didn't see you step forward when we were selecting vanguards, and now you're talking nonsense? Shut up, or I'll punish you all by deducting a year's salary to fund my army."

The group quickly stopped smiling, and Mi Sheng even covered his mouth with both hands to indicate that he would not speak. Lü Bu then smiled and said a few more words to them, before glancing up at the rain in the sky.

"However, judging from the Song army's performance in battle, they can be considered valiant." Rain splashed from his straw hat, and Lü Bu wiped the raindrops from his face: "Send orders to Han Shizhong and Yang Zaixing, instruct them to..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stopped, looked ahead, and the generals around him also quickly turned their gazes forward.

"Report!" A mounted messenger galloped up and stopped in front of Lü Bu.

"Your Majesty, a fierce battle has broken out at the front. Cao Rong, the commander of Puyang City, attacked our vanguard of surrendered soldiers. His son, Cao Ning, killed two surrendered captains with his spear. Two military commanders who took command of their troops after the captains' deaths were also killed by Cao Ning..."

Lu Bu raised an eyebrow, and the generals beside him showed amused expressions.

"General Yang and General Han Shizhong of my troops were about to lead their troops to attack Cao Rong's army, but the man raised a white flag and surrendered. General Han has already calmed him down. We hope Your Majesty will give instructions on whether to accept his surrender."

“That’s interesting…” Lu Bu stroked his neatly trimmed beard and said without hesitation, “Order Yang Zaixing and Han Shizhong to accept his surrender and bring Cao Ning to the central army to see me.”

"Here!"

The cavalryman bowed slightly, then quickly turned his horse and rode away.

Mi Sheng watched the departing figure and said, "Your Majesty wants to take in that Cao Rong? This fellow is clearly just trying to show off his strength. If he faces Yang and Han first, he might not be able to turn the tables on him."

“It’s all about timing and fate.” Lü Bu shook his head and chuckled. “He was able to encounter the surrendered troops ahead of his son and establish his authority. That’s his good fortune. Let’s give him this opportunity to come over and let people see that I have no prejudice against these surrendered Song generals.”

Wang Zheng touched his slightly cool cheek: "But we must also be wary that everyone might have this idea in the future. If someone gets hurt..." He glanced at the emperor's face as he turned around: "That would be bad."

Lu Bu's eyes twitched. He was about to say that he trusted his own generals, but then he remembered the fate of his "acquaintance" Xiahou Yuan and nodded: "That makes sense. In the future, when we go into battle, we should prioritize surrendered soldiers and then our own people. That way, if something happens, we won't be left without any buffer time."

Then he smiled and said, "If the surrendered generals ahead achieve merit, that is their good fortune."

The others looked at each other. Although they felt that this was making a mountain out of a molehill, they thought that the territory of the Song Kingdom was no smaller than that of the Liao Kingdom, and the population was large. They didn't know when or where they might encounter someone with such abilities. If their relatives and friends were injured because of this, they would probably feel sorry for them. So they clasped their hands in agreement.

The rain continued to fall, but the raindrops became smaller, and the army's marching speed subtly increased.

After traveling for a short while, a troop of cavalry galloped towards them, with two men wearing crimson battle robes among them. Anyone who saw them immediately recognized them as the Cao family father and son.

Splashing and sizzling—

The warhorse stepped across the shallow puddle, and the rider pulled on the reins and dismounted.

"Your Majesty, the Cao family father and son have arrived."

Over there, two men wearing only armor and carrying no weapons stepped forward and clasped their hands in unison: "We, the guilty generals Cao Rong and Cao Ning, greet Your Majesty!" Then, disregarding the mud on the ground, they knelt down: "My father and I admire the State of Qi. We surrendered late, and we hope Your Majesty will forgive us."

On Red Hare, Lü Bu's expression remained unchanged as he looked at the two men: "You two have quite the audacity to kill my generals at will. Do you think you can escape punishment by surrendering?" "I dare not," a slightly older voice rang out. Cao Rong, with his hands on the ground, did not rise or raise his head: "It is only because I am confident that I am of much greater use than those good-for-nothings."

After a pause, before Lü Bu could speak, he quickly said, "Your Majesty, I have served in Kaide Prefecture for a long time and know very well the quality of the generals here. To say that all of them are incompetent may be an exaggeration, but to say that eighty percent of them are only after the blood of soldiers and the money of the people is no exaggeration."

"Oh?" Lu Bu raised an eyebrow, looking at Cao Rong, who was lying prostrate below, with a half-smile: "You...aren't greedy?"

"Greed!" Cao Rong said without hesitation, "In this Great Song Dynasty, which military commander dares to say that he has never tasted the blood of his soldiers or extorted money from the people?"

He lowered his head even further: "But I, the guilty general, have no choice. The world is like this. If I had remained aloof, I would have been beaten to a pulp and swallowed by others long ago. Since that's the case, I might as well go with the flow and at least keep my life. As for whether I will be corrupt or honest in the future... that depends on whether the Qi state is governed like the Song state."

The sound of the pouring rain silenced Cao Rong's voice. Cao Ning glanced at his father sideways, then silently lowered his head to wait for Lü Bu's decision.

“Your Majesty, this man is quite interesting…” Mi Sheng listened for a while and couldn’t help but spur his horse forward to lean closer.

Wang Zheng stroked his beard, looking meaningfully at the father and son lying on the ground: "Cloth is colorless, but when soaked in black, it becomes dark; when soaked in red, it becomes crimson."

Lü Bu laughed loudly: "In that case, in order to prevent you from becoming corrupt, I must also pay attention to the integrity of the people under my rule."

Cao Rong lowered his head slightly, obscuring his expression. "I dare not..." Before he could finish speaking, Cao Ning suddenly exerted force with his hands, forcing him to kneel upright and look up: "The world is corrupt, why must my father be different? To integrate into it is also the way of a subject."

Rainwater washed down, drenching his slightly immature face. His square face and bright, piercing eyes made him look very energetic.

Lu Bu paused for a moment, then smiled, turned around and pointed at him, saying to the generals behind him, "You have quite the courage for your young age."

Cao Rong was alarmed and quickly pulled his son, saying, "You have no right to speak here. Lie down right now!"

Cao Ning twisted her arm, shaking off her father's hand, and muttered, "I didn't say anything wrong."

Cao Rong was even more anxious, but then he heard a burst of laughter from ahead. He quickly looked up and heard Lü Bu say, "Alright, I didn't really intend to do anything to you. Get up."

Cao Rong was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed, splashing mud and water everywhere: "Thank you for your leniency, Your Majesty."

He stood up and tugged at Cao Ning, who then reluctantly got up.

Lu Bu looked the father and son up and down again. Seeing that Cao Ning was already a head taller than his father, with broad shoulders and a strong build, but with a youthful face, he couldn't help but ask, "Are you called Cao Ning? Have you come of age yet?"

Cao Rong reached out and touched his son, Cao Ning, who quickly bowed and said, "Your subject is still four years away from coming of age. I was traveling and studying in the north before, and this time I returned home to visit my family and happened to meet Your Majesty."

Lu Bu laughed. He asked himself a question, and he realized that Lu Bu had completely exposed himself; he did indeed look like a young man.

After taking another look at Cao Ning, he noticed his square face and fair complexion. Although he didn't resemble his old friend in terms of features, it stirred up some memories for him. So he said, "I am short of a bodyguard. Would you be willing to take the position?"

Cao Ning was taken aback.

Cao Rong was overjoyed, his face beaming with happiness. He quickly clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "It is His Majesty's honor to appreciate and promote my son, and I am naturally willing."

Lu Bu smiled and looked at Cao Ning, then pointed at him and said, "Let him speak for himself."

Cao Ning paused for a moment, then carefully said, "Of course I'm willing, but my master allowed me to return home this time, so it doesn't seem right not to tell him."

Cao Rong covered his face with a helpless expression.

Lu Bu pointed at him, turned around and smiled: "He is a respectful person to his teacher." He turned back and said: "Write a letter to your master and tell him that you have joined the army. If he is willing to teach you, I can invite him to join the army as a general. If he is not willing, I have many fierce generals here. I will find someone with high martial arts skills to be your master. He will definitely not be weaker than him."

Cao Ning immediately hesitated. Cao Rong next to him winked and gestured for him to agree quickly. He looked at him without saying a word, and after a long while, he finally spoke: "This humble general is willing to serve as Your Majesty's bodyguard."

Then, as if sensing something, he added a cupped-hand salute.

Lu Bu and the others burst into laughter. Cao Rong's worry vanished, and he grinned as if he had found a fortune on the road.

"Someone, find Cao Ning a set of military guard uniforms and armor to change into. That Song army uniform is too ugly."

"Here!"

Wei He responded from behind, stepped forward with a smile on his chubby face, and gestured behind him: "Cao family boy, come with me."

Cao Ning looked at his father, and seeing him nod, he apologized to Lü Bu and followed Wei He to the back.

As Lu Bu watched him walk away, he turned to Cao Rong and said, "Now that you and your son have defeated the surrendered troops of Kaide Prefecture, you will lead your troops to the front. I will send a few more men to assist you."

Cao Rong quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. This humble general will certainly serve you to the death."

Lu Bu nodded, waved for him to leave, and turned to look at the messenger behind him: "Order Li Shixiong and Suo Chao to lead their troops forward and join Cao Rong's forces as the vanguard heading south."

The messenger responded and left.

Lu Bu then turned to look ahead and waved his hand: "The army shall continue its advance."

After several days of rain, the rain gradually stopped. As darkness fell, the troops set up camp. The soldiers lit bonfires to dry their rain-soaked clothes, and the sounds of talking and laughter filled the camp.

Cao Ning, dressed in a brand-new set of black armor, stroked the armor plates, feeling a sense of unreality.

So... he's become a member of the Qi army?

I don't feel anything special...

After looking at it from left to right, Cao Ning pondered for a moment, and it seemed that there was still something different.

As warhorses galloped into the camp, the young man instinctively looked up, wanting to step forward to stop them, but Wei He grabbed him and said, "Young master, please stop. You can't stop them."

Cao Ning was taken aback and turned to look at him: "Why?"

Wei He gestured forward: "Didn't you see the triangular flag on his back? That's for urgent dispatches."

Cao Ning was stunned for a moment, then unconsciously touched his head: "This... I was so caught up in the novelty that I didn't notice for a moment."

Wei He grinned and looked at the embarrassed and annoyed boy, patting him on the shoulder: "Learn well, on the battlefield, it's not about who has the best martial arts skills who survives to the end."

The boy on the other side paused, then nodded thoughtfully. (End of Chapter)