Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Arrows flew haphazardly through the firelight, piercing the running bodies. The fallen figures reflected the faces of their fallen comrades in their pupils. Thick, dark red blood gradually spread together, pooling into a small bloodstain in the crater created by the impact.

The soldiers following behind grabbed a section of the wooden ladder, raised their shields in one hand, and roared as they ran forward, braving the slanting rain of arrows from above.

A cloud ladder was burning about twenty feet below the city wall. The wooden structure crackled and popped from time to time, and black smoke meandered into the sky, facing the black smoke on the city wall and dancing opposite each other.

Below the city walls, ladders were extended and stretched up to the top. Occasionally, the climbing figures would fall with screams. The base of the walls was littered with corpses that had fallen to their deaths, as well as piles of logs and boulders. Dark red bloodstains covered the brown earth.

Shouts and shouts, the whooshing sound of boulders being thrown, the sound of running footsteps, and the booming of cannons echoed throughout Bianliang City. Banners representing generals were displayed, fluttering in the autumn wind.

Lu Bu stood on the observation platform, surrounded by the Left Guards, who were clad in black armor and wielding large shields and iron spears, forming a defensive battle formation. Archers with divine crossbows were arranged in three rows inside, with two ballistae positioned on the left and right.

Large flags bearing the characters "Qi" and "Lü" fluttered above. The figure who had been gazing into the distance turned his gaze back down to the sunlight shining from the west, and stepped off the observation vehicle.

"Stop the people ahead." Lu Bu casually gave the order, then turned to Wang Zheng: "Can this place be flooded..." He paused, then shook his head: "Never mind, pretend I didn't ask."

He stood there with his hands on his hips, expressionless.

Wang Zheng kept his eyes closed and remained silent. He had already experienced the strength of Bianliang's defenses yesterday, and today's test by His Majesty must have given him a decision.

"Send the order for the army to prepare to retreat. There's no need to sacrifice lives." Lü Bu walked to Red Hare, saddled it, stepped on the stirrups, and mounted the horse. Red Hare moved slightly, stamped its feet twice, and snorted.

"Here!"

The messenger waved his command flag, and the sound of gongs echoed in the sky. The surrendered soldiers and Qi infantry who were attacking the city began to retreat in an orderly manner.

Before long, they withdrew from the range of the catapults and ballistae on the city wall, and the huge army began to slowly retreat, disappearing below the city.

"Refund..."

"Finally retreated!"

"Victory!"

On the walls of Bianliang, many soldiers and generals guarding the city shouted out, and some people dressed in imperial guard uniforms knelt on the ground, holding a dead body and weeping bitterly.

Li Gang frowned, watching the retreating Qi army outside. He then looked up at the still bright sky, puzzled by their withdrawal. After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Someone come here..."

"General!"

Several city-guarding generals with faces covered in black and gray dirt came over, wiped the sweat from their faces, and their faces became even dirtier.

"Have the able-bodied men sweep the city walls, and order the reserve soldiers below to come up and relieve them of their duties."

Li Gang gripped his sword hilt, watched the black figure disappear into the distance, and sighed: "Even though the Qi army has retreated, we must still be careful to guard against them raiding the city."

Several generals quickly clasped their hands in greeting: "Yes."

Nodding, Li Gang turned around and said, "Guards, enter the palace."

……

The city streets were filled with soldiers and yamen runners. Ordinary people stayed indoors to avoid the possible war. When the bells, which signaled the retreat of the enemy, rang out, the yamen runners patrolling the streets struck their gongs and shouted, "Peace and tranquility prevail, you may leave your homes!"

Li Gang paid no attention to the common people who were gradually starting to leave their homes. He rode his horse past in a hurry, dismounted in the palace, and galloped into the hall where Zhao Huan was.

The guards at the gate did not stop him and let him walk in. As soon as he opened the two wooden doors, he heard a familiar voice.

"Your Majesty, the Qi army is retreating outside. This is a good opportunity. If we send envoys into the camp now to discuss peace talks, the Qi people might just..."

"Bullshit!" Li Gang was furious. His slightly dark face flushed red. He walked over and pointed at Li Bangyan, who was speaking: "We fought to the death on the city wall just so that we could enter the Qi army camp without bowing and scraping and kneeling to beg for peace. And you are actually encouraging the emperor to do such a spineless thing."

Then, with a fierce glare, he looked at Zhao Huan and said, "I beg Your Majesty to execute this scoundrel and maintain the integrity of our Great Song Dynasty court."

Li Bangyan, who was standing to the side of Zhao Huan, had a dark expression on his face. Zhao Huan's expression was also slightly stiff. After a while, he tugged at the corner of his mouth and revealed a half-smile: "Commander Li is overthinking it. Shi Mei (Li Bangyan's courtesy name) is just offering his own opinion. Our dynasty has never had the practice of punishing someone for speaking out."

After thinking for a moment, before Li Gang could speak, he quickly said, "It's good that you've arrived. What's the situation on the city wall?"

Upon hearing this, Li Gang knew he couldn't do anything to Li Bangyan, so he could only suppress his anger and get up: "The Qi army retreated early, and our army suffered few losses, but the city wall was badly damaged and needs to be repaired overnight."

"I trust you with this matter." Zhao Huan nodded, not wanting to say more, and waved his hand: "You have worked hard to repel the Qi army today. I have prepared imperial wine and roasted meat. Li Xingying, take them to the city wall and convey my gratitude to the army that defended the city today. You may leave."

Li Gang had no choice but to accept the emperor's excuse of not speaking to him. However, he had not had much to say about today's battle, and he had also been tasked with rewarding the troops. After a moment's thought, he agreed and said, "Your subject takes his leave." The military commander, who had not been in the hall for long, was thus dismissed.

Li Bangyan watched him leave, snorted twice, and seeing the emperor's dark complexion, he rolled his eyes and leaned close to Zhao Huan: "Your Majesty, Li Xingying is indeed a pillar of the country. I have heard that the soldiers in the city are very convinced of his authority. They dare not go west when he is ordered to go east. Even the most famous generals in the army do not have as much influence as him. Some soldiers have some complaints about this."

"...You scoundrel, don't spout such provocative words." The young emperor glared at him, remained silent for a few moments, and then couldn't help but ask, "Are you serious?"

Li Bangyan smiled obsequiously: "Of course, we wouldn't dare to deceive Your Majesty." He bowed even lower: "The two old generals of the Western Army, Zhong, and even their fierce general Yao Pingzhong are all in the city, but they are still being suppressed by Li Gang because of his status. The men of the Western Army are all resentful about this."

“The Western Army…that belongs to the retired emperor,” Zhao Huan said softly.

Li Bangyan quickly shook his head: "Your Majesty is mistaken."

Zhao Huan turned his head and glanced at him sideways.

"The Western Army belongs to the Song Dynasty. As long as you are the Emperor, sitting on this throne, what can he possibly do to cause trouble? Besides, they were indeed loyal to the Grand Tutor before, but now..."

Seeing Zhao Huan's thoughtful expression, Li Bangyan lowered his voice even further: "Tong Guan made a series of foolish moves during the Northern Expedition, resulting in repeated defeats and the deaths of many generals, whose bodies and souls could not return home. How many people in the army are still willing to be loyal to him so single-mindedly?"

Zhao Huan's eyes lit up: "You mean..."

Li Bangyan looked up outside: "Many generals in the Western Army said they were willing to die for His Majesty, but they were always stopped by Li Gang and never got to see him."

The young emperor stared directly at the obsequious eunuch, then gestured upwards with his right hand. Li Bangyan leaned closer and heard a low voice in his ear: "Go and summon Zhong Shidao and Yao Pingzhong, but don't let Li Gang and the retired emperor's men know."

Li Bangyan smiled, his entire body almost folded into a vertical line: "Yes."

……

The Zhong brothers and Yao Pingzhong, along with other generals, naturally did not have the great resentment that Li Bangyan had described. As soldiers, it was normal for them to obey orders and defend the country.

Moreover, having reached their level as heads of military families, their family's future is inextricably linked to the Song Dynasty. Therefore, these reinforcements from the northwest have been working tirelessly and without complaint in the city defense battles of the past few days.

However, this situation only lasted for a few days, as the retired emperor, the eunuch Tong Guan, Li Bangyan and others all sent people over.

Gifts were being given and rewards were being bestowed; people were constantly busy receiving gifts. As for their true intentions... everyone knew perfectly well.

Therefore, Li Bangyan's arrival was expected by these important generals in the Western Army. After tidying up, they went straight to the palace without saying a word.

“Your subject Zhong Shidao (Yao Pingzhong) greets Your Majesty.”

Inside the hall, two robust figures respectfully clasped their hands in greeting to the seated young emperor.

"Generals, you may rise without the formalities." Zhao Huan, his face beaming with joy and a smile still somewhat childish, quickly rose from the dragon table and said, "I have heard that the Western Army is full of heroes and outstanding individuals. Seeing your appearances today, I know that the rumors are true."

Zhong Shidao and Yao Pingzhong exchanged a glance. Although they were old, they were still vigorous and had once personally charged into enemy lines and killed countless generals in their youth.

One of them was a man in his prime, strong and robust, with a face that exuded the unique boldness of a warrior from the Northwest, giving Zhao Huan, who was used to seeing civil officials and eunuchs in the court, a sense of novelty.

"Please have a seat." Zhao Huan pulled the two men to their seats before turning back to his own. He then summoned a eunuch to serve them sweet soup and tea. "I invited you two generals here today because of the matter of the city's defense."

He smiled at the two men and said, "Bianliang is too big. Li Xingying alone cannot defend it. Therefore, I plan to appoint another Pacification Commissioner. Please..."

His gaze swept over the two men, finally settling on the face of the man with gray hair and beard: "General Zhong, would you mind condescending to help share Minister Li's burden?"

Then, with a gentle smile, he looked at the other person and said, "General Yao will assume the position of Commander-in-Chief. The Western Army inside the city, as well as the existing and arriving reinforcements outside the city, will all be under your command."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The two generals quickly rose to accept the order.

Zhao Huan then smiled and looked at Zhong Shi, saying, "General Zhong, now that you have taken on the post of Pacification Commissioner, what are your thoughts on city defense?"

Zhong Shidao cupped his hands and spoke with a strong voice: "I think Li Xingying did a good job. He fortified his camp and cleared the fields, and did not fight the Qi army. He used the city walls to wear down the morale of the Qi army. When the Qi army ran out of food, they would withdraw on their own."

Li Bangyan glanced at him, then lowered his eyelids and stood aside, trying to minimize his presence.

Zhao Huan's smile froze slightly. He had intended to hear other answers, if Zhong Shidao and Li Gang shared the same idea, and the two followed the established rules...

Well then, it seems that changing generals on the eve of battle is not a good idea. Perhaps Zhong Shidao has his own concerns. The Qi army is still outside the city, so let's not cause any trouble.

After a few thoughts raced through his mind, Zhao Huan barely suppressed his disappointment. Yao Pingzhong, however, stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that we should resolve this matter quickly in the current situation."

The three of them suddenly looked up and stared at him, and Zhong Shidao's expression changed slightly.

Yao Pingzhong waved his hand: "Yesterday and today, I saw it clearly from the city wall. The Qi army was powerless to attack and suffered heavy losses in recent days. Their morale has declined to varying degrees."

Zhong Shidao shook his head: "I can't say it..."

Yao Pingzhong interrupted him directly: "I know that you, Lord Zhong, are trying to say that the Qi army is powerful in open field battles, but in my opinion, it is not invincible."

After a pause, looking at Zhao Huan with a strange expression on his face, he spoke softly: "What the Qi army is relying on is nothing more than the old stories of the Qin and Han dynasties, using military merit to motivate the lower-ranking soldiers to fight to the death. However, Bianliang is a city with high walls and thick walls. The previous naval attack and the attack on our city these past two days are enough to make them realize that force cannot prevail. The soldiers in the army will surely be extremely disappointed knowing that they cannot break through the city and gain merit."

If more rebels join them, they are all composed of surrendered soldiers from various places, who are not resistant to hard fighting. If they are allowed to bleed and be killed on the battlefield, they will surely complain bitterly.

Taken together, their army might be even worse than we thought.

Zhao Huan frowned: "But there's been no news of Zhang Shuye's troops outside the city, or perhaps they've met with misfortune. If Commander Yao were to leave the city now, I fear..."

Yao Pingzhong nodded: "Your Majesty, I am not being reckless, but I am determined to fight the Qi army to the death under this clear sky."

Moreover, a large number of soldiers isn't necessarily a good thing. Against a fierce and valiant enemy like the Qi army, soldiers willing to fight to the death are far more important than sheer numbers.

An excited look appeared on his face as he raised a finger: "If you give me an army of daredevils, I am willing to launch a night raid on the Qi army's camp, catch them off guard, and break their army to relieve the siege."

"This……"

Zhao Huan appeared tempted, but Li Bangyan, sensing the danger, first glared fiercely at Yao Pingzhong, the man stirring up trouble, then quickly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, perhaps we should negotiate peace with the Qi army..."

"Absolutely not!" Zhong Shidao stood up and bowed deeply to Zhao Huan with his hands clasped together. "Your Majesty, we must not negotiate peace. The Northern bandits are inherently ambitious, and their ruler, Lü Bu, is a ferocious tiger. Negotiating peace would only give them time to accumulate strength. Once they are powerful, our Great Song Dynasty will be in grave danger!"

He glanced at Yao Pingzhong again, his expression complicated as he lowered his head: "For now, we should focus on defending the city. Reinforcements from all sides are surely on their way. I beg Your Majesty to wait patiently. Once the million-strong army arrives, we will surely defeat the northern bandits."

"Your Majesty, we should still go out to fight, otherwise the whole world will think that our Great Song only knows how to cower in defense and cannot fight on the front lines!"

"This servant is willing to serve as an envoy to the Qi camp for the imperial court!"

The three men invited him three times. Zhao Huan looked at one of them and then at the other, his young face twitching repeatedly. Finally, he waved his hand and said, "You all go out first, let me have some peace and quiet."

The three exchanged a glance, then bowed in unison, saying, "Your Majesty, we take our leave."

The sound of footsteps faded away. Zhao Huan stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open forcefully. The cool autumn air filled his lungs, calming the young emperor's agitated mood somewhat.

Looking up at the sky, it was already sunset. The sunlight in the distance dyed the surrounding clouds red, and strangely shaped red clouds came into view.

As my gaze shifts, two clouds, one long and one short, come into view. The longer one is pure white, while the shorter one is close to the setting sun, its edges tinged with red.

"Dragon-Panning Staff..."

Unconsciously tapping the window frame in front of him, Zhao Huan's vision was somewhat blurred. His mind was filled with images of Li Gang's face, Li Bangyan's shrill voice, and occasionally the figures of Shi Dao and Yao Pingzhong, whom he had never seen before.

finally……

The gaze settled on Yao Pingzhong's face, which was etched with a sense of pride and magnanimity.

"Somebody come!"

Zhao Huan turned around abruptly, and a young eunuch ran over. He whispered, "Go and summon Commander Yao back. I have something to ask him."

The young eunuch responded and hurriedly ran out.

Li Bangyan, Zhong Shidao, and Yao Pingzhong left the palace. The three, who were not very close to begin with, disliked each other and immediately parted ways to go into the city. Not far away, the eunuch who went out of the city to look for someone summoned the newly appointed commander-in-chief back to the palace.

Zhao Huan invited Yao Pingzhong to the Funing Palace, where the two talked for an hour before Yao Pingzhong finally left with a smile.

Soon after, orders to establish a Pacification Commission and recruit daredevils were issued to the city. Li Gang, who was inspecting the troops, was stunned for a long time upon hearing this, and finally slammed the wine bowl in his hand onto the table.

Bang bang bang—

The empty bowl, spilled with wine, spun, and a long sigh echoed in the air: "Brutal fool!" (End of Chapter)