Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The banners swayed slightly in the midday breeze, and the rolling hills were covered in crimson, like a field of blooming flowers.

"Defensive formation!"

"The Qi army could attack at any moment, hurry up!"

Thirty thousand vanguard soldiers, eight thousand Taian Prefecture soldiers, and seven thousand Qingzhou soldiers, totaling forty-five thousand men, ran across the ground amidst the shouts of their commanders. In the front ranks, shields as tall as a man were driven into the soil from the hands of the men.

bang bang bang-

With a series of sounds, wooden shields formed a long wall on the mound, while soldiers with long weapons placed their spears on the shields, and archers, supported by swordsmen and shieldmen in the inner circle, inspected their powerful bows.

A low rumble of thunder came from the distant horizon, and many Song generals looked rather solemn.

Zhang Bofen's eyes flickered as he looked around at the soldiers. Those who had accompanied him and his son northward were all elite warriors. The Taian Prefecture and Qing Prefecture armies looked quite imposing and should be capable of fighting.

As expected, my father's judgment was correct. If another army were transferred, they would not dare to go into battle, or it would prevent my own troops from advancing.

The army is currently short of cavalry, and most of them are concentrated in the western army. However, they went into the city with the main army. Now, the cavalry outside the city number only three or four thousand, and they are all guarding the central army. Moreover, it is not easy for the cavalry to launch an attack here. Judging from the muffled thunder, the Qi army probably has no less than tens of thousands of cavalry.

Well, since the founding of the nation, the army has never been known for its cavalry's strength. If we can hold the Qi cavalry here and wait for the main army to arrive, we can overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

Thinking of this, the heart of Zhang's eldest son on horseback began to beat faster, and the breathing of the soldiers and generals around him also began to quicken, as if they could hear the hot blood surging in each other's veins.

“The northern bandits are attacking to destroy our Great Song Dynasty. We have no way out but to fight to the death…” Zhang Bofen calmed down, glanced at the long “Great Wall” and gripped the reins tightly: “Order the Qi army to be held back here. It would be best to surround and kill the enemy’s generals here.”

Looking into the distance, dust rose into the sky, and soon a black figure riding a warhorse appeared, with the general's banner fluttering in the air. As they drew closer, the character "Yang" could be discerned.

"The bandit general must be Yang Zaixing, one of the vanguards of the northern bandits who invaded the south."

Zhang Zhongxiong shouted from the ranks, and many people's faces showed indignation.

Opposite them, three thousand cavalrymen lined up side by side gradually formed a battle formation, slowing down on both flanks and moving closer to the center. Their warhorses strode vigorously, breathing heavily from their mouths and noses. Yang Zaixing, on horseback, raised his spear, a slight smile on his lips. The moment he uttered the word "Kill," his warhorse from the north suddenly accelerated.

The cavalrymen on the left, right, and behind him fixed their long weapons and drew their bows.

"Prepare the bow and arrows—"

Zhang Bofen's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he stood atop the hill. Behind him, a messenger signaled with flags, and a series of shouts, "Archers, prepare!" echoed through the Song army's ranks.

The sound of horses' hooves grew louder. He glanced at the army formation. The general in front led his soldiers to hold up large shields, while the archers raised their longbows with arrows at an angle.

"The enemy vanguard is small in number, don't panic." He raised his hand above his head: "On command, shoot them!"

In the distance, the sound of horses' hooves grew faster and faster.

Two loud shouts of "Shoot!" reached everyone's ears almost simultaneously.

Suddenly, the air was filled with the buzzing sound of bowstrings. Arrows from both sides rose into the sky like swarms of locusts, crisscrossing and brushing past each other before falling in dense, overwhelming barrages.

Among the charging cavalry, arrows pierced men's eye sockets with a thud. The men cried out, clutching their faces as they fell backward from their horses. Many more arrows grazed the sides of their warhorses, leaving streaks of blood as they plunged into the ground. The arrows, still carrying their force, trembled slightly at the fletching.

The horses' hooves spun through the grass, and even though some of the three thousand cavalrymen fell from their horses, the momentum of their charge remained unchanged.

The front ranks of the Song army had just withstood a hail of arrows. The commander in charge pushed aside the dead bodies, picked up the spears from the ground, placed them behind the shield formation, and took a deep breath: "Lord Zhang and General Zhang have treated us well and given us many rewards. We have received enough in this life. Now it is time for us to repay them. Let's meet the enemy!"

The soldiers on both sides shouted "Hah!" in unison, and extended their spears, erecting the spikes outside the "city wall" with a whooshing sound.

At this moment, countless people's faces turned red and their expressions became contorted with rage. Their hands and feet trembled slightly. Some were filled with fear, while others were overcome with excitement. Their nerves were stretched to the limit. As the cavalry gradually approached, they couldn't help but roar out "Ahhhhhh!"

No one wants to die.

No one wanted to escape.

The warhorse's dark pupils met his gaze.

……

The thunderous sound of hooves rolled across the sky, accompanied by the desperate shouts of countless people. On the violently heaving back of the horse, Yang Zaixing drew back his powerful bow, and a dark shadow suddenly flew out.

Behind the large shield, the commander who had just shouted was still roaring angrily when the sound of something cutting through the air came whistling through the air. His voice suddenly stopped, and he was thrown backward as if he had been hit on the head by a heavy hammer. His spear fell to the ground again, and only then did people see that the arrow had entered his mouth. He was definitely dead.

The next instant, the Song soldiers' arm muscles bulged, and their spears thrust out.

"Hey--"

Yang Zaixing exhaled and spoke, then reached out and tugged at the reins. The warhorse let out a long neigh, its face turning sharply as the spear tip pierced its fur, and a trickle of warm blood dripped onto the ground.

The warhorse suddenly reared up, its front hooves kicking in the air. Yang Zaixing had already sheathed his bow and, turning sideways, brought down a golden tiger-head spear.

bang——

Several spears that hadn't been retracted in time were smashed to the ground. Several Song soldiers holding the spears couldn't withstand his terrifying strength; their arms trembled as they raised their hands, the skin and flesh of their palms being torn open, leaving them covered in blood.

At this moment, three thousand Qi cavalrymen also charged forward.

Boom boom boom——

One after another, the charging figures crashed into shields and spears, pushing and squeezing inwards. The enormous impact caused the shields to tremble backwards, abruptly halting the horses' momentum. Cavalrymen were thrown into the air, while some large shields shattered instantly, turning the figures behind them into dust.

Corpses were engulfed by the rising and falling hooves of iron horses, and in the blink of an eye, flesh and bones were mixed together. Soldiers who had stabbed warhorses were pushed several feet away by the horses, and then the heavy bodies of the warhorses fell down and collided with them. Some riders who were lucky enough to survive were thrown around in a daze, and in the instant they recovered, they drew their swords and rushed forward.

The charging cavalry surged forward through the outermost city walls, spreading out and leaving behind piles of corpses, the stench of blood constantly filling the air.

Yang Zaixing was always at the forefront, leading dozens of his personal guard cavalry in a valiant charge forward. His spear pierced the face of a Song soldier, and with a sudden burst of strength, he flung the man away. With a backhand swing, the spear's extreme force sent another soldier flying, his body twisting unnaturally three feet off the ground before crashing heavily into his comrade.

"I am Yang Zaixing of the Great Qi Dynasty—"

A loud and powerful voice came from the general in front, his white cloak fluttering and changing color. A lieutenant's head exploded after being smashed by him. The figure wearing silver scale armor galloped across the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, charging up the hill without hesitation, with a wild and savage aura.

"You traitorous general, prepare to die!"

The warhorses galloped at full speed. A commander on the slope was stabbed in the abdomen by a spear. The rider raised his hands and shook them. The Song general who was impaled on the spear flew over Yang Zaixing's head with a scream and landed behind him. The personal guards who followed fell off their horses and immediately let out another miserable scream.

...The sounds of fighting and shouting reached his ears, and Zhang Zhongxiong's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He watched as the generals below, carrying the banner with the character "Yang," charged into the formation, and their soldiers were killed like vegetables. When he saw someone being thrown into the air, he could no longer hold back.

"Archers! Archers! Shoot arrows at that general, quickly—"

A figure carrying a powerful bow and crossbow rushed out from the crowd on the hill, hesitated for a moment as he looked at his comrades in front of him.

Zhang Zhongxiong's eyes were bloodshot: "Hurry up!!!" Saliva sprayed from his lips: "Kill him!!"

hum-

……

Covered in blood, Yang Zaixing thrust left and swept right, and none of the soldiers or generals in front of him could withstand a single blow. His silver-white scale armor was smeared with the blood of his enemies, making him look as if he had been pulled out of a pool of blood.

The arrowheads reflected the sunlight from the sky, and in the flashing light, Yang Zaixing raised an eyebrow and suddenly turned his head to dodge the incoming arrows. Then he felt a pain in his body as several arrows pierced his armor. He heard screams as several Song soldiers in front of and beside him were hit by arrows and fell to the ground.

Feeling warm liquid flowing inside his armor, Yang Zaixing frowned again. Fortunately, his armor was of high quality, with soft inner armor for protection, which prevented him from suffering a fatal injury.

Seeing the archers above nock their crossbows again, the valiant general sighed, tugged at the reins, and said, "Let's go!"

The warhorse immediately turned and rode away, several arrows whistling past its ears, some striking the horse and causing it to neigh in pain.

"Retreat! Sound the bugle!"

The order was given again, and the personal guards beside him quickly picked up the horns. The short, sharp sound echoed down the hillside, and the cavalrymen who had charged into the formation began to retreat. The Song soldiers around them tried to intercept them, but these experienced northern cavalrymen covered each other and ran away. They could only watch the enemy retreat with resentment.

Arrows were fired again from the hands of soldiers on both sides, and almost all of the arrows that chased after the warhorses embedded themselves in the ground, leaving behind only a mess.

On both sides, Tie Fangliang and Yan Shude, who had led troops to surround them, pounded their thighs hard.

……

That afternoon, the sunlight was slightly slanted, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves gradually subsided, and the troops carrying various colored flags watched their wounded comrades enter the army.

With arrows stuck in his armor, Yang Zaixing dismounted and knelt down the moment he saw the fiery red figure ahead: "Your Majesty, this humble general has failed in his attack on the Song army's vanguard. Please punish me!"

Riding on Red Hare's back, Lü Bu looked at his trusted general and beloved disciple kneeling on the ground and slightly raised his hand: "What happened?"

"It was my misjudgment," Yang Zaixing said, head bowed and slightly dejected. "There are forty to fifty thousand Song soldiers ahead, holding their positions on the hills. I thought they would be like the ones in the previous prefectures, easily scattered. But they fought tenaciously. When I charged into their ranks, I failed to kill their general in time. He then ordered his archers to fire at us without regard for casualties. To avoid too many losses, I ordered a retreat..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "We lost nearly four hundred cavalry this time, all because of my incompetence."

Lu Bu glanced at him a few times, dismounted, and pulled him up: "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Remember today's lesson and never underestimate others."

Yang Zaixing pursed his lips and gave a bitter reply.

"Alright, go bandage your wounds." Lu Bu sized him up, waved him away, and as he turned to walk towards Red Hare, he said, "However, you may escape the death penalty, but you will not escape punishment. You will be stripped of one rank of nobility and given forty strokes of the military rod. The execution will be carried out after the battle."

"Here!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Zaixing regained some of his spirits, quickly bowed, and turned to go back.

Lu Bu narrowed his eyes and turned to look at the generals beside him, including Wang De, Shi Wengong, Shi Bao, and Wang Yin: "The Song army is using the hills as cover to form a battle formation, with their main force advancing from behind. Now that the Song army is not moving, we will flank and attack their rear army. Once they are routed, we will turn around and attack their front."

The generals exchanged glances, then clasped their hands in unison: "Yes, sir!"

……

As the autumn wind blew, banners fluttered on the hills, and the stench of blood filled the air.

Zhang Bofen, Tie Fangliang, and Yan Shude walked in the middle of the army formation, their expressions somewhat grim. The Northern Army cavalry had charged once, but retreated before they could encircle them, making this battle almost a simple attrition.

"How is it? Are there any casualties?"

Zhang Bofen, the elder brother, stopped under the banner bearing the character "Zhang" and looked at his brother. In his line of sight, soldiers were constantly moving about, carrying blood-covered bodies to the side and putting them down.

The battle was not yet over, and they only dared to quickly clean up the battlefield. The Qi cavalry had not yet arrived, and they still had to guard against a surprise attack.

“The casualties are about six hundred.” Zhang Zhongxiong said with a grin, “Several of my commanders and deputy commanders have been killed in action, and a chief commander has also died.”

He spread his hands: "That Yang Zaixing was too brave. He almost fought his way to me. If I hadn't acted decisively, the losses would have been even more severe."

"It seems we need to send a message to our father as soon as possible." Zhang Bofen pursed his lips: "The Northern bandits have many cavalry, and we may not be able to stop them from launching another major attack."

Tie Fangliang and Yan Shude exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement: "General Zhang is right. However, we will definitely follow your orders and protect this position. As long as we can hold out until the main army arrives, the Qi army will be wary, and then it may be our opportunity."

The Zhang brothers smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Generals."

……

same moment.

boom--

The cannons pounded the area below the city gate tower, while the running young men tirelessly carried polished stone projectiles up the city wall.

The defending general shouted hoarsely, constantly issuing orders to adjust the attack and defense of his soldiers. Arrows, sparking with fire, shot out from the city walls and below, arcing through the air and falling into the enemy's ranks.

"The Northern bandits have a lot of rockets in stock. Damn it, who leaked this powerful weapon from the army?"

Li Gang tugged at his collar slightly, his face filled with indignation: "What kind of firearms could hit the city walls? Why was there no detailed intelligence before the war started!"

"...Prime Minister Li, the army had received intelligence, but no one took it seriously at the time."

Chen Xizhen looked at the red glowing cannon muzzle in the distance and couldn't help but say something.

Li Gang turned to look at him, then slammed his fist into the city wall.

Beneath the walls of Bianliang, the roar of cannons never ceased, while catapults and ballistae on the city walls poured ammunition down upon the city.

The siege is raging fiercely. (End of Chapter)