Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Late autumn, Dingchou year.

The Qi army once again besieged Bianliang, the capital of Song. Banners fluttered for miles, and the flags of the generals waved in the wind. The sunlight shone on the square formations, and the reflections of swords and spears were clearly visible on the city walls.

"The catapult is moving forward..."

"Yesterday's night raid failed, and today the Qi army comes; they are truly taking advantage of our weakness to kill us."

"Order the able-bodied men to carry more stone projectiles to the city wall."

Amidst the cacophony of voices and the constant running of messengers atop the city walls, figures with bent backs and carrying wooden baskets darted behind the soldiers, while the defenders in front stretched their arms and legs, binding the hilts of their swords to their hands and gripping them tightly.

Li Gang rested one hand on the hilt of his sword, his face calm. Since the Qi navy's sneak attack, he had grown remarkably. Even Zhong Shidao had to admire everything he had done in Bianliang.

"Send a message to General Zhong: The northern bandits have launched a major offensive against the northern city wall. Request that half of the reserve troops from the eastern and southern city walls be dispatched to provide support."

"Send word to the entire army: the situation is critical today, but as long as we hold our ground, the northern bandits will lose their morale, and from now on..."

Before he could finish speaking, several shouts of "Wait..." and "Prime Minister Li... wait..." came from the stone steps leading up to the city wall. Li Gang frowned and said, "You cannot threaten us. There will be rewards after the battle!"

Then, looking towards the top of the stone steps, he saw Li Bangyan running up, panting, holding the imperial edict high above his head: "By imperial decree, the Qi army must not be attacked! The Qi army must not be attacked!"

The imperial edict was unfurled and read aloud: "Li Gang is relieved of his post as military commander and ordered to return to the capital to await further orders."

The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Cai Mao, is a man of extraordinary talent and wisdom. He is hereby appointed Commander of the Imperial Expeditionary Force, in charge of all defenses in the city. Anyone who dares to open the city gates without authorization or recklessly engage in battle will be charged with treason and the entire camp will be executed!

Several of his close followers started making a commotion, and the soldiers and able-bodied men on the city wall were at a loss, all looking at the figure standing under the big flag.

"What did you say?!" Li Gang glared at Li Bangyan and walked over, grabbing him and pointing his free hand outwards: "The Northern bandit army is in front of us, and you're calling a halt now? Are you going to go and defend against their attack?!"

"Let go...!" Li Bangyan forcefully pried Li Gang's hands off, straightened his clothes, and waved the imperial edict in his hand: "This is the Emperor's order. Do you dare to disobey the decree?"

He slammed the imperial edict onto Li Gang's chest, then shouted, "Raise the white flag! Hurry up and get them to stop over there!"

Li Gang glared at him fiercely, then took the imperial edict and quickly glanced through it. His heart turned cold, and he looked up in disbelief: "How could His Majesty issue an edict to cease hostilities..."

Li Bangyan smiled smugly, took a breath, and said loudly, "Your Majesty is deeply saddened by the inconvenience suffered by the people in the city and the heavy casualties among the soldiers in the army, which have caused tens of thousands of families to lose their children and husbands!"

Leaning forward, close to Li Gang, he said, "Therefore, His Majesty is willing to prioritize peace and negotiate with the State of Qi." He straightened up, spreading his arms wide, "Let the people of Bianliang have a way to survive, let the soldiers guarding the city walls and surrounding areas live!" Pointing to the ashen-faced man beside him, he added, "Do you understand?"

The sound carried far and wide, and many Imperial Guard soldiers looked relieved. A close follower stepped forward and said, "The Qi army has halted its advance."

Upon hearing this, Li Bangyan and Li Gang both turned to look. The former laughed and said, "It seems that Qi is not necessarily going to commit murder. Then we can talk."

"You!" Li Gang suddenly turned to look at him, pointing to the distant army formation: "The northern bandits are like bears and tigers, they eat meat! What do you have to offer to persuade them to retreat?" He then realized: "Do you intend to do what the six states did to Qin?"

He took a step forward, his face urgent: "If you don't defend Bianliang with your own strength, how will those who rise to power through military merit respect you? If you retreat today, you'll come back tomorrow. How many cities and money have you given him back and forth? Once you've bled him dry, you and I will both be left with nothing but food."

"There's no need to worry about Prime Minister Li."

An unfamiliar voice came from the top of the stone steps again. Li Gang looked over and saw a handsome and refined-looking man who came up. He bowed and said, "Cai Mao greets Prime Minister Li. His Majesty is waiting for you in the palace. You should hurry up and go."

Li Gang stared at him, and eight palace guards stepped forward and stood behind Li Gang without making a move.

"Sigh..." Li Gang felt that his strength had diminished considerably. His armor and the long sword at his waist felt heavy. After a moment of silence, he stepped down from the city wall, followed closely by eight imperial guards from the palace.

"Heh...we should have left long ago." Li Bangyan glanced at the figure walking down from the city wall, smirked, and looked at Cai Mao: "Everything depends on Commander Cai's control. Don't let these bastards ruin things."

“It is my duty to share the burdens of the ruler.” Cai Mao stroked his beard and then ordered the generals guarding the city wall to assemble and be placed under the supervision of the palace guards who had come with him. At the same time, he ordered his men to pass on a message to the soldiers on the city wall: no arrows should be fired and no stones should be thrown from weapons. Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed along with the entire battalion.

Slowly, officers in armor arrived, and the soldiers at the front were at a loss, watching the imperial guards patrolling the city walls with trepidation, not daring to move. Only then did Cai Mao smile with satisfaction.

Below the city gates, a figure dressed in court attire rode on horseback towards the dark, swarming Qi army.

……

The autumn wind blew up the dry sand and dust from the ground, sending a cloud of yellow sand flying into the distance.

At this moment, the Qi army had stopped beating their drums and advancing. The soldiers who had retreated to their own lines stood in the middle of the formation, trying to straighten their backs, watching several figures coming from the south. A white flag fluttered above their heads.

Qi army generals were already waiting ahead, and the figure on horseback gripped the long spear in his hand.

The white horse stopped, and the middle-aged civil official on it dismounted. A figure followed, and the two trotted forward, bowing in unison: "Excuse me, General, Song Shaozai and Zhongshu Shilang Zhang Bangchang, along with Right Censor Song Qiyu, request an audience with His Majesty the Emperor of Qi."

Yelü Ma Wu, on horseback, lowered his eyes and remained silent. The two men bowed and exchanged a glance. It was Zhang Bangchang who spoke first: "We have come for the peace between our two countries. Please convey our message to the General."

"Wait."

Yelü Ma Wu spoke coldly, then turned his horse and galloped inside, rushing to the central army. He bowed to Lü Bu and said, "Your Majesty, the envoys from Song have come to say they are here for peace. One is named Zhang Bangchang, and the other is named Song Qiyu. I have asked them to wait in front."

“Zhang Bangchang, Song Qiyu…” Wang Zheng stroked his beard and cupped his hands: “Your Majesty, according to the information previously relayed by spies in the city, they are people under the current prime minister Bai Shizhong. The other one should be someone who assists the Minister in handling government affairs and has some connection with Bai Shizhong. These two must have come to seek peace.”

The large flag above their heads unfurled with a whoosh, then gradually fell back down as the wind weakened. Mi Sheng and Bian Xiang exchanged a glance and both revealed a malicious smile.

Lu Bu straightened Red Hare's flowing mane: "Let them come over."

"Here!"

Yelü Ma clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned his warhorse around, and rode away. A short while later, a group of soldiers brought in two unfamiliar faces.

Xu Wen and Su Yi exchanged a glance, and the latter made a gesture towards the back.

A gap opened in the front of the guards, and they stood facing each other in pairs. Clang—the iron spears on both sides clashed together, forming a dome made of iron spears.

Zhang Bangchang and Song Qiyu, their legs a little weak and sore, walked through the man-made passage and entered the central army without needing anyone to remind them.

puff-

Four people knelt on both knees, bowing deeply in unison: "Your humble servant Zhang Bangchang (Song Qiyu) greets Your Majesty the Emperor of Great Qi. May Your Majesty enjoy good health and boundless blessings."

"Ah-"

A sound came from the snout, and he couldn't help but turn his head to look at the other side.

"Get up." Lü Bu didn't turn around when he heard his voice, but simply raised his head, his tiger-like eyes staring down at the two of them: "What does Zhao Huan, that brat, want with you two?"

A flash of anger crossed Song Qiyu's face, but Zhang Bangchang straightened up and said with a fawning smile, "Your Majesty, it is already autumn and winter is just around the corner. The weather will be freezing cold and the roads will be difficult to travel, which will put a lot of pressure on your army's logistics."

Our Emperor believes that there is no deep-seated hatred between our two countries; it is all just a misunderstanding. It would be better for both sides to cease hostilities, withdraw their troops, and allow the people, civilians, and soldiers to spend the winter in peace.

Stealing a glance at Lü Bu's expression, seeing neither joy nor sorrow, he muttered to himself, and continued, "Our Great Song is willing to serve the State of Qi with the respect due to a son. From now on, the State of Qi will be the father, and our Great Song will be the son. The annual tribute will be increased by 30% in exchange for non-aggression. What do you think?"

Lu Bu frowned but remained silent.

Mi Sheng slapped the saddle and held up three fingers as thick as small radishes: "Thirty percent?! Are you trying to fob us off like beggars?! At least seventy percent!"

Zhang Bangchang's face twitched. He looked at Lü Bu and saw the fierce tiger slowly nodding: "Minister Mi is right. I am not someone who is short of money. Thirty percent is not enough for us to retreat."

Song Qiyu glanced at Zhang Bangchang, his face somewhat unpleasant. The latter smiled and said, "Thirty percent was an oversight by the foreign minister, so let's make it fifty percent."

Lu Bu turned to look at Wang Zheng and the others, who also looked hesitant, clearly debating whether to agree to these conditions. "No, it's unreasonable to send us away with just some tribute."

Su Yi, who had followed them in, called out, waking them up. The youngest son of a merchant family raised his hand and said, "Our army has come because your emperor attacked our land and killed our people. You should pay us three million taels of silver..." He then spread his five fingers and said, "Five million taels of silver, fifty million taels of silver!"

Xu Wen, standing beside him, and Mi Sheng and Bian Xiang opposite him stared wide-eyed at the deputy general of the Left Guard in front of them, somewhat incredulous. Even Lü Bu couldn't help but sized up his brother-in-law.

Wang Zheng's eyes lit up, and he immediately clapped his hands: "That's right, there are still three prefectures, Yan'an, Taiyuan, and Longde, that need to be ceded to us."

Song Qiyu's eyes widened, but he couldn't utter a word. His hands trembled at his sides, whether from anger or nervousness, it was hard to tell.

Zhang Bangchang, standing to the side, stroked his beard, his eyes darting back and forth several times. He gritted his teeth and said, "But Your Majesty, we do not currently possess such a large amount of gold and silver. What should we do?"

Lu Bu and his group, along with Song Qiyu standing opposite him, all turned to look at him. After a long while, Lu Bu waved his hand and said, "That is your business. I will not concern myself with it."

The wind blew the robes of the group, and the large flags above their heads fluttered loudly once more.

Zhang Bangchang stroked his beard, spun around twice, and stopped, puffing out his chest as he looked at Lü Bu: "I wonder if Your Majesty would accept beauties as payment for gold and silver?"

Lu Bu's cheek twitched, and Wang Zheng's smile froze. Xu Wen, Su Yi, Mi Sheng, and Bian Xiang, who were in the inner circle, all gripped their sword hilts tightly. Bian Xiang, who was pinching his beard, pulled out two hairs with force.

“The princesses and imperial daughters will be compensated with two thousand taels of gold each, which I believe is a reasonable amount.”

Under the bright sunlight, the men in the Qi army headquarters finally made a move again. Lu Bu glanced at his men, and Xu Wen and Su Yi reacted the fastest. Seeing the emperor's gaze, they both exclaimed, "No!"

Xu Wen stepped forward, his face grim, and walked to Zhang Bangchang's side: "These are just some weak women, how could they be worth such a price? Two thousand taels of silver could buy a city's worth of women as maids from a slave trader! I'll give you five hundred!"

“General, you are mistaken. Princesses and noblewomen are of noble birth, how can they be compared to those clumsy and stupid women outside?!” Zhang Bangchang shook his head and gestured with his hand: “Eighteen hundred taels.”

“What use are these women? They’re just a burden.” Su Yi stepped forward and said, “A waste of food and manpower, six hundred.”

“This is a member of the Zhao Song imperial family, a noble person supported by the people. How can you treat me so lowly and humiliatingly? One thousand five hundred taels.”

"Your haggling is beneath you, you should know..."

"The princess is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; she is..."

Lu Bu, aboard Red Hare, watched the three haggling back and forth, especially seeing Zhang Bangchang's serious expression. For a moment, he felt as if he were in a dream. He rubbed his temples and waved his hand, "Shut up, all of you!"

"This humble subject has been disrespectful!" "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

The three men, as if waking from a dream, bowed to Lü Bu.

Lu Bu froze on his horse for a moment before relaxing his shoulders: "Calculate one thousand per person. If you're unwilling, then continue the war."

"Your Majesty is merciful, you must not start a war!" Zhang Bangchang hurriedly knelt down, raised his hands high and lowered them, his tone light: "Then one thousand taels per person."

Lu Bu opened his mouth slightly and nodded reluctantly: "Very good."

Zhang Bangchang stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes: "Well... I would like to discuss the military prefectures that are to be ceded." He paused, then added, "Yan'an Prefecture, I believe is inappropriate."

Wang Zheng roused himself and stepped forward.

The group then discussed the cities to be ceded, but this time Zhang Bangchang was unwilling to cede Yan'an Prefecture to Qi, and only agreed to the route from Taiyuan to Longde Prefecture.

The commotion in the central army continued until after noon, when Zhang Bangchang and Song Qiyu, exhausted from talking, finally excused themselves and left.

Lu Bu did not make things difficult for the two men, but simply ordered his guards to escort them out of the battle formation before preparing to return to his camp.

call--

……

The walls of Bianliang.

The sight of the Qi army formation in the distance increased the pressure on many of the defending soldiers. In particular, the summoning of the commanding general to the central camp made many soldiers uneasy, and their weapons were so soaked with sweat that they could barely hold them.

As luck would have it, the soldiers in front of the Whirlwind Cannon had been fighting continuously in recent days and were exhausted. Their already weak bodies were further weakened by the unease in their hearts, and they couldn't help but secretly draw their swords. They sharpened these swords every day, and the familiar metallic sheen made them feel a little more at ease.

However, as time passed, the man's strength quickly dissipated. Finally, he lost his balance, his body swayed, and his arm instinctively reached to the side. He tried to grab the rope with both hands, but he forgot that he was holding a knife.

A cold glint flashed, and the rope binding the crossbar as a safety device snapped with a whoosh, causing the cannon tip to rise instantly.

boom--

The stone projectile flew out.

"What's going on?!" Cai Mao was looking at the Qi army's battle formation in the distance with fear when he suddenly heard a loud noise. He saw a dark figure fly out of his own city wall in an arc, and his legs almost turned to jelly.

He grabbed the wall, shouting, "Who? Who did this?!" He struggled to sit up, yelling, "Quickly chop off his head and send it to the Qi army camp! Tell them we had no intention of starting a war! Hurry—"

The palace guards rushed out.

……

boom--

The stone projectile struck between the two armies, bouncing forward, falling, rolling, and finally stopping at a distance of ten zhang from the Qi army's formation.

Tens of thousands of eyes were fixed on the stone bullet.

Zhang Bangchang and Song Qiyu, who had just turned to leave, froze in place when Lu Bu's powerful voice came from behind: "You... are you stalling for time to prepare for battle?"

"No!" Zhang Bangchang screamed, turning around abruptly and kneeling down. "Your Majesty, please understand. My heart is with the Great Qi, as clear as heaven and earth, as bright as the sun and moon. I have no other intentions. If I have uttered any falsehoods, may my entire family suffer a terrible death. I beg Your Majesty to give us some time, and someone will surely come to explain."

Lu Bu narrowed his eyes, looked at Zhang Bangchang who was swearing oaths to the heavens and the earth, then glanced at Song Qiyu who was trembling, and after a long while he spoke softly: "Then let's wait."

Zhang and Song breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Under the watchful eyes of the guards, they stood together, trembling. Not long after, one of the gates of Bianliang City opened, and a knight arrived swiftly. The riders dismounted in front of the formation, shouted a few times, and led by a captain, quickly ran into the central army carrying a cloth bag.

"Your Majesty, I, Sun Fu, have come to pay my respects. Just now, a scoundrel in the army made a mistake and accidentally triggered the Whirlwind Cannon, which caused the stone projectile to fly out. Now that the culprit has been executed, I hope Your Majesty will understand the truth."

He then took out the blood-dripping cloth bag, placed it in front of him, and spread it out, revealing a human head inside.

"Since it's a misunderstanding, let's just forget about it." Lü Bu waved his hand and looked at Zhang Bangchang and the others: "Go back and bring the money, provisions, and women here."

"Yes, Your Majesty! Your humble servant will certainly do my utmost for Your Majesty!"

Zhang Bangchang cupped his hands in greeting before quickly leaving with the two men.

Lu Bu gazed at Bianliang for a long while, muttering something under his breath, before waving his hand and ordering a retreat!

As the sound of the golden bell rang out, the army slowly retreated.

Less than half a day after the Qi army returned to camp, Li Ying, Fang Xuedu, and Li Zhu had already rushed to the front of the army from the rear, bringing with them a piece of bad news.

Naval commander Zhang Heng died from his injuries. (End of Chapter)