Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Late autumn, Bingzi year.

Of the seven thousand brave warriors, four thousand were elite cavalrymen from the Western Army, and three thousand were elite infantrymen from the Western Army, the Imperial Guard, and the bravest and most courageous.

This is all that has been temporarily assembled in Bianliang City over the past few days.

It wasn't that Yao Pingzhong didn't want more troops, nor that Zhao Huan didn't support them; Li Gang and Zhong Shidao, to Zhao Huan's surprise, joined forces to withstand the pressure from the young emperor.

Many of the infantrymen who had experienced the battles of the past few days were preserved in the city. Even some of the Western Army under the command of the Zhong brothers, Zhong Shidao and Zhong Shizhong, were forbidden from fighting under the orders of the retired Emperor Zhao Ji and the Privy Councilor Tong Guan.

Faced with the power struggle between the two emperors and the lack of cooperation from his colleagues, Yao Pingzhong was somewhat displeased. However, the fact that there were seven thousand men was already beyond his expectations, so he did not hesitate much and took the imperial wine from the palace to the waiting troops.

Large amounts of liquor were poured into bowls, swallowed, and then the sound of porcelain bowls shattering echoed through the night.

At the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), the gates of Bianliang City were opened, and the assembled soldiers, their mouths gagged and their hooves wrapped, quietly headed north.

The night was overcast, and the stars and moon were obscured.

The campfires of the Qi army were lit, and several squads of soldiers carrying weapons patrolled past. There were figures on night watch in the camp who stood still, their upright figures making them look like the elite of the camp. The armor of the soldiers outside occasionally gleamed with metallic light in the distant campfire.

"Commander, the Qi army camp is just ahead," the scout whispered cautiously as he approached.

"...I have eyes." He glanced at his scout with annoyance. The burning campfire in the distance was invisible to a blind man in the darkness. He wasn't blind.

Yao Pingzhong breathed a sigh of relief. If things went well today, he would be able to turn the tide and save the day. No matter who he was in the court, even the emperor would have to address him respectfully as Prime Minister Yao.

As for whether it will succeed...

Will not!
Clenching his fist, Yao Pingzhong suddenly stood up: "Order the entire army to advance and attack the Northern Bandits' central army directly."

……

Fifteen li west of the Qi army camp.

Everything was normal in the forest. After nightfall, the wind picked up, and the branches and leaves above rustled. A dozen or so figures entered the forest, exchanged a few words with someone, and hurried into the woods.

Someone took out a tinderbox, its crimson light flashing in the forest. The figure that had entered the forest quickly approached: "General, the Song people have indeed left the city."

Wanyan Loushi reached out and pulled his cloak over himself, then slowly raised his head.

Tudan Hexi covered the tinderbox again, and the warhorse standing next to him seemed to sense the change in atmosphere. It swayed its neck warily and kicked its hind legs twice.

Wanyan Loushi stood up and patted its head: "It seems the news from Bianliang City was correct. Send the order to prepare for battle."

……

Fifteen li east of the Qi army camp.

The dark figures moved back and forth, bending down for a few moments before moving forward again. Gradually, shadows began to rise from the ground, and figures stood up one by one. Torches were lit and held above their heads. They glanced to the south, silently mounted their warhorses, and gripped their weapons.

A figure draped in a cloak raised his spear and pointed it forward. The formed ranks began to move out of the forest, and the occasional clanging of metal could be heard as the troops marched.

In the dim firelight, a red warhorse approached. Lü Fang, holding a halberd, looked at his commander beside him and said, "General, do you know who has been contacting us in the city these past two days? How could they sell out such important military intelligence as a night raid?"

"Who knows?" Yang Zaixing shrugged, a strange look on his face. "His Majesty was also skeptical, but these kinds of things..."

With a wide field of vision, he squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and the warhorse began to run swiftly.

“I would rather believe that something exists than something that doesn’t exist.”

Lu Fang blinked, then squeezed his legs down on his warhorse, gave a soft shout of "Giddy up!", and the horse trotted away.

Yang Zaixing shouted, "Everyone be careful, don't make a sound within ten miles."

Regarding tonight's actions, the State of Qi had already received messages from Bianliang City after the siege, including information about the conflict between Zhao Ji and his son Zhao Huan, as well as the information from Yao Pingzhong, Zhong Shidao, and Li Gang on how to continue the defense.

Only Lü Bu, Wang Zheng, Mi Sheng, Bian Xiang and others knew about this. Even he himself only heard about it today when he was summoned there. As for who sent the message, he originally thought it was one of his own spies hiding in the city, but later he learned that the spies had already withdrawn from the city before the war started.

Although he was curious about which person had sent the message, his master didn't say, and he was too embarrassed to ask.

As for the Zhao Song court on the other side, Yang Zaixing really couldn't figure out what they were thinking. Perhaps they wanted to surrender to our dynasty?
However, the war was not over yet. Although the Song Dynasty had lost a lot of territory, it should not have reached the end of its road. At this time, some people were already eager to sell out the court for their own benefit. In the past, his father had thought about taking the imperial examination to serve the court. Now, thinking about it...

It seems the skull is damaged.

A thought of filial impiety crossed Yang Zaixing's mind, but he quickly shook his head and lightly slapped himself to banish the idea.

My goodness, if I think like this, wouldn't I be an unfilial person? I shouldn't have done that.

With a slight lift of his hand, Yang Zaixing slapped himself twice more, completely ignoring Lu Fang's look of utter disbelief and his hesitant expression.

Speaking of which, there's a lonely grave not far from where we were just now...

Could it be that I came into contact with something unclean just now?
After a moment's hesitation, he couldn't help but say, "General, let's go back and find a Taoist temple to burn incense."

"Ah..." Yang Zaixing was lost in thought and instinctively responded, then realized what he meant: "Huh? What did you say?"

“…Let’s find a Taoist temple to offer incense.” Lu Fang paused for a moment, then mumbled a repeat: “It seems like there have been some problems lately.”

"Oh." Yang Zaixing nodded on horseback, his tone quite agreeable: "We should go and offer incense. The last time we were the vanguard, things didn't go well, so we should go and get rid of the bad luck."

Lü Fang opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Well, as long as I can go.

Under the control of the valiant general at the front, the warhorse's speed increased rapidly, and at a certain moment it let out a powerful roar: "Attack! Crush the invading enemy!"

"drive--"

"Boha——"

Herod——

The neighing of countless horses suddenly rang out under the urging of the riders on their backs. In the darkness, the mighty cavalry raised their lances and charged at the undulating black shadows ahead, displaying an aura of overwhelming power.

……

As the wind swept across the plains, the marching troops, moving through the darkness, stepped onto the plains, their footsteps becoming softer and slower. The approximately seven thousand soldiers quietly advanced forward.

A cool autumn breeze brushed against his face. Zhe Yanzhi, a valiant general of the Western Army, looked at Yao Pingzhong, who nodded and said, "Attack!"

Zhe Yanzhi waved his hand, and the foot soldiers moved silently, holding their spears and iron swords behind their backs, their pace quickening.

A sharpshooter suddenly knelt down, pulled the trigger of his crossbow, and the crossbow made a soft click. In the distance, someone clutched their neck and fell backward.

The Song soldiers who ran to the antlers moved the barricades aside, and with each other's help, they climbed over into the Qi army camp, where the gate slowly opened.

Combat boots and horseshoes wrapped in thick cotton cloth pounded wildly across the earth.

It's close!
On horseback, Yao Pingzhong's face glowed red. He took a deep breath of the cool air as the wind blew by. He held his crescent-shaped halberd upside down as he rode his warhorse, which rose and fell with the rhythm of the wind.

The cavalrymen beside him galloped forward, their footsteps echoing across the camp grounds. Over there was the main tent of this military camp, where a general must be inside. Yao Pingzhong moved his blade forward.

……

A small number of infantrymen entered the camp after the cavalry charged in. The general in the lead sensed something was wrong, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He reached out and drew his iron sword. "Kill!" he shouted, and the men who followed him raised their spears.

The spearhead lifted the tent flap.

……

call--

"Northern traitor, prepare to die!"

Warhorses charged in, and a crescent-shaped blade shattered the screen depicting a roaring tiger against the moon, slashing down with a single stroke.

click-

"what?"

The feel beneath the blade was off, and there was no smell of blood. Yao Pingzhong's face suddenly changed color: "Something's wrong! Something's wrong!"

Someone nearby took out a tinderbox and picked up the torch from behind the saddle.

"Don't fire!" Yao Pingzhong suddenly shouted, "There's an ambush! Retreat!"

……

"no one!"

"They're all scarecrows!"

"That's a mannequin!"

Countless shouts rang out from the foot soldiers entering the military tent. Some looked towards the Qi soldiers still standing guard at night. In the flickering torchlight, golden straws pierced out from their armor, as if mocking them.

"If there's a problem, get a refund!!"

Yao Pingzhong rushed out of the tent and shouted a message.

whoosh-

The rocket soared into the sky with a piercing whistle.

Yao Pingzhong suddenly turned his head on his warhorse to look at the flame shooting straight into the sky. "Kill—" "Don't let the Southern Barbarians escape!" The shouts came from that direction, and the torches lit up in an instant.

A piercing scream rang out, and a hail of arrows rose and fell in the firelight.

Woohoo——

In the distance, a faint sound of a bull horn could be heard. Yao Pingzhong turned his head in alarm again. The ground trembled slightly, and then the sound grew louder and louder, forming a rumbling thunder.

"Northern bandits are lying in ambush! The North..."

The shouts abruptly ceased. The Qi army's camp to the north illuminated half the night sky, while the darkness behind them resembled a predatory beast. The warhorse circled a few times, and Yao Pingzhong's eyes suddenly widened. A mighty army of armored soldiers advanced from the light, their blood-red banners fluttering. A hail of arrows rained down from behind, and his own soldiers fell one after another, killed.

Zhe Yanzhi, riding beside him, glared angrily and cursed, "Which bastard betrayed us?!"

Yao Pingzhong reined in his horse: "Get out of here!"

Shouts and neighing of horses rose up in the night. The figures rushing into the camp retreated hastily, and people were constantly pushed to the ground. Screams of pain came from the trampling of the footsteps, but no one stopped.

Iron hooves cleaved the earth, and a long line of galloping figures emerged from the night, their flickering lights moving forward and backward, forming a wedge that pierced into the panicked crowd.

Rumble, the horses' hooves thundered across the plains.

"Kill! Kill!"

The cavalry in the front row roared, like a raging tide crashing against a dam. Several heavy, muffled thuds echoed as they rammed into the ground. The Song soldiers who were running around were instantly thrown into the air by the charging warhorses. The sound of bones cracking rang out several times in the air, and blood spurted from their mouths, rolling and falling to the ground.

The already panicked Song soldiers became even more disorganized in an instant.

Firelight blazed in the north as the heavily armed Trapped Camp, led by Lin Chong and Tang Bin, slaughtered the Western Army cavalry who were unable to retreat.

Cavalry charged in from both the east and west under the cover of night. The sudden attack caused the generals, who had initially intended to resist, to flee on horseback. At that moment, there was no possibility of retaliation.

Long spears hung low, and with the speed of the horses, the spear tips thrust into people's bodies, blood splattered, and corpses were trampled under the iron hooves of warhorses, arms crushed and heads smashed.

Some tried to escape, but the warhorses charged forward in a crisscrossing pattern. Two swords, one in front and one behind, slashed at their chests and backs. Their bodies, cut by the blades, froze for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

The infantry and a small number of cavalry following behind saw the situation ahead and were immediately terrified. Except for a few who were not thinking clearly and hesitated, the rest turned around and ran away.

They were brave and willing to fight, but with the battlefield in such a state of chaos, no one was willing to risk their lives to test the waters.

The chaos of the battle escalated, with some fighting their way out through sheer bravery, while others met their demise, and heartbreaking screams echoed continuously.

This defeat came too suddenly. The attackers became the attackers, and the change of roles was too rapid. No one could calm down.

The charge of the cavalry on the left and right almost destroyed any possibility of organizing resistance. Large numbers of routed soldiers knelt down and surrendered in the face of the Qi cavalry on horseback.

This night is destined to be restless.

……

Amidst the cacophony and panicked shouts, Lu Bu, clad in armor and a crimson cloak, stood with his hands behind his back beneath a large banner. Surrounding him were armored guards carrying torches, their sharpened weapons gleaming in the firelight.

Messengers kept running to report on the military situation at the front, and occasionally delivered the emperor's orders to adjust the movement of troops.

"ended."

As the battle cries subsided, Lü Bu flicked his arm, his crimson cloak billowing, and turned to walk into the camp.

"Let Hua Rong, Lin Chong, and Tang Bin clean up the battlefield, and the rest of you go and rest. We will advance on Bianliang again tomorrow."

……

There were also quite a few people in Bianliang who didn't rest either.

As the routed soldiers returned, Li Gang and Zhong Shidao, who had rushed down from the city wall with their personal guards, looked at the soldiers in the firelight. The former grabbed the collar of the returning soldier and asked, "What did you say? We've been defeated? The Northern bandits were on guard?"

"Yes, the northern bandits' camps ahead were empty. After we stormed in, many camps to the north lit up with fire, and cavalry charged from the open fields to the east and west. Upon seeing this, we immediately retreated. As for the rest of us..."

The person speaking lowered their head, not daring to continue.

"Where is Yao Pingzhong?!" Zhong Shidao took two steps forward, his eyes gleaming with a hint of fire.

"I don't know." The general smiled bitterly and glanced at Zhong Shi, saying, "The commander-in-chief was at the forefront. When we returned, we didn't see him, so we don't know if he's alive or dead."

"Sigh!" Li Gang sighed heavily.

Zhong Shidao slapped his thigh, his aged face turning ashen: "An incompetent general can cause the death of an entire army... You worthless wretch!"

The torches crackled all around, illuminating the dark faces of the two men in charge of the city's defenses. After a long while, Li Gang spoke up: "Prime Minister Zhong, let's go into the palace first and talk about tonight's defeat."

“Of course.” Zhong Shidao nodded slowly, paused for a moment, and said, “...However, we should also make sure the garrison on the city wall is ready. After this battle, the Qi army will surely besiege the city again tomorrow.”

Li Gang didn't speak, but nodded solemnly.

The two men quickly arranged the city's defenses before heading to the palace. Zhao Huan was terrified when he learned that the night raid had failed, and it took the two men a good talking-to to calm him down. By then, it was already dawn.

The two generals dragged their weary bodies back, only to find out that Zhe Yanzhi had actually escaped back. They quickly summoned him, and after glancing at the three or five cavalrymen who had followed him back, Zhong Shidao remained silent for a long time: "With so many dead and wounded, is Yao Pingzhong still alive?"

“I don’t know…” Zhe Yanzhi shook his head with a wry smile: “When the Qi cavalry attacked, the commander-in-chief had already run out of the camp. I didn’t see him charge towards the Qi army. Perhaps…”

Before he finished speaking, both Zhong Shidao and Li Gang understood what he meant.

Fleeing to evade punishment!
The four characters instantly appeared in the minds of everyone present.

"Deserves to be killed!"

Zhong Shidao left two words sullenly and turned to leave.

Little did they know that Yao Pingzhong, seeing that the situation was hopeless, galloped 750 li in a day and night, and only dared to dismount and eat his first meal when he reached the territory of Dengzhou. This can be considered as traveling a thousand li in a day, but that is another story.

As expected, Qi Jun's reaction was exactly what Li Gang and Zhong Shidao had anticipated. At dawn the next day, a dark mass of troops appeared in the sight of the defenders on the city wall.

The sounds of bells and drums echoed through Bianliang city, and the yamen runners on the streets continuously banged gongs and drums, calling for the people to go home.

In the palace, Zhao Huan, his eyes bloodshot, looked at Li Bangyan, who stood bowing, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I intend to make peace with the Qi army outside the city. Who do you think is appropriate to send?"

"This..." Li Bangyan glanced cautiously at Zhao Huan, then lowered his head: "How does Your Majesty intend to negotiate peace?"

Zhao Huan opened his mouth, frowned, and hesitated for a moment: "How about giving them some money, food, and palace maids to make them leave?"

“I’m afraid that’s not a good idea.” Li Bangyan shook his head and took two steps closer: “Your Majesty, the Qi army has seized a lot of land, but they would never agree to take money, provisions, or women. Perhaps…”

He glanced at the seated young emperor again and uttered four words: "Cease territory to sue for peace." (End of Chapter)