Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

As the golden sun gradually emerged in the east, the white snow on the ground amplified the brightness of the world.

As the rising sun cast golden rays through the clouds, Lü Bu wielded his halberd with incredible speed and agility in the cold air, his gleaming blades stirring up the snow on the ground and enveloping him in a white blanket of snow.

The cold snowflakes clung to my skin, mixed with sweat, and rolled off with the movement of my muscles, dripping onto the ground.

bang——

The halberd slammed heavily onto the stone table, instantly shattering the perfect spot for summer shade. The pebbles that fell to the ground rolled once and then remained still.

Heat rises from the body, and wisps of white smoke emerge from the hair and clothes and dissipate into the air. Such a scene is visible to the naked eye in the cold air.

The guards waiting in the courtyard saw him finish his morning exercise and handed him a dry towel. Lu Bu took it and handed his halberd to the burly guard, who struggled to take it and carried it aside with his comrade.

Hurried footsteps could be heard coming from outside.

Su Yi walked into the courtyard, paused slightly, and saw Lü Bu wiping his sweat. He then walked over and stopped a few steps away: "Your Majesty, Wanyan Zonghan's military intelligence: a coup has occurred in Goryeo, and Li Ziqian has requested my assistance. Minister Qiao and Wanyan Zonghan subsequently led their troops into Goryeo territory."

"Ok?"

Lu Bu stopped wiping his sweat. His tall, strong body still radiated an astonishing heat. He stretched out his large hand, which was steaming with white vapor, took the general's report, and quickly read it. Then he folded the letter and ordered the guards beside him: "Go and summon Wang Zheng, Li Zhu, and Fang Xuedu."

The guard agreed and left.

Lu Bu glanced at his brother-in-law and said, "You haven't had breakfast yet, have some with us." He reached out and took the cloak that the guard was holding and put it on to keep out the heat.

Su Yi chuckled and said, "Alright." He walked beside Lü Bu, glancing curiously at the battle report in Lü Bu's hand: "Your Majesty, wasn't the deployment of troops over there a bit too hasty?"

“It can’t be considered hasty.” Lu Bu shook his head: “Ever since Li Ziqian usurped the throne, Qiao Lie, Wang Zheng, and I have decided on the timing of our intervention in Goryeo, which is when Wang Kai will launch his counterattack.”

“That Li fellow is so useless, I remember it’s only been a few years, right?” Su Yi curled his lip: “He’s already been dealt with.”

“About three years,” Lu Bu said, walking into the room ahead. He strode forward, took off his cloak, and plopped down in the main seat. “However, there was also the factor of my coercion involved. Two years ago, Wang Kai secretly sent people to court, wanting to become a vassal, but I refused on the grounds that Goryeo had already become a vassal.”

Guards carried the fire into the burning brazier.

He waved the battle report in his hand: "It seems that this provoked the young man, who was not fully prepared to launch a counterattack. He failed to remove Li Ziqian from the court in one fell swoop, which instead gave him the opportunity to ask for help."

Qiao Lie has been holding out in Liaodong for this very reason. Now, he and Wanyan Zonghan will storm in, rescue the man surnamed Li, and once they have him under their control, they will launch an attack in his name. If all goes well, then the entire population of Goryeo will be theirs.

Su Yi scratched his head: "But I've heard that Goryeo is barren and has low grain production. If we spend time and effort to occupy it, wouldn't it be a loss if we had to spend money and grain to take it over?"

Lu Bu watched as the guards brought in breakfast and placed it in front of the two men. He first took a sip of the steaming porridge before speaking: "I have also thought about this, but the population count is not fake. Let's take it down and investigate it first."

He paused for a moment, then added, "At worst, it can be used as a place to exile prisoners in the future."

“...That’s true.” Su Yi nodded, then smiled: “I’ve heard that Goguryeo maids were quite famous during the Tang Dynasty. Although Goguryeo people have no connection with Goguryeo, I still hope for some unexpected surprises.”

Lü Bu chuckled: "Then I shall wait and see."

The two chatted casually as they ate. Before long, someone came to report that Wang Zheng and others had arrived. The two looked outside and saw three figures slowly walking in.

Lu Bu looked at them and smiled: "Gentlemen, things have changed in Goryeo, and we need to adjust our troops."

……

Goryeo, north of the Taedong River.

Snow covered the hills, and the winter wind swirled around them, making people shiver.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed along the quiet mountain path, growing louder and louder as they approached, accompanied by a cacophony of shouts.

"stop--"

"You, surnamed Li, have usurped the throne and seized power. The world will not tolerate you. Stop now and die!"

"You can't run away!"

The thunderous hooves of the cavalry, with fewer riders in front and more behind, kicked up snow as the two groups of riders churned up the snow. Every now and then, someone would shoot an arrow from behind, and those in front would shoot it back. Occasionally, someone would fall off their horse, quickly turning the white snow red.

Li Ziqian looked anxious, glanced at the pursuing cavalry behind him, and cursed inwardly that only a fool would stop at this moment.

But the dark mass of pursuers behind them made the old man, a powerful minister since the previous king, feel a chill run down his spine. He turned to his in-law, Tuo Junjing, and asked, "Have you called for reinforcements? My reinforcements are..."

"Never mind when we arrive, run north, quick!" Tuo Junjing was covered in sweat, whipping his horse repeatedly with his arms. His armor was torn in several places, clearly indicating that he had fought a fierce battle to get rid of it.

Indeed, two days ago, the eunuch Jin Can, the eunuch An Fulin, the co-administrator of the Privy Council Zhi Luyan, the generals Cui Zhuo and Wu Zhuo, the general Quan Xiu, and the general Gao Shuo launched a coup. He was only able to escape because he received a notice from an unknown person half an hour in advance. However, he was almost cut into pieces by the soldiers who were trying to capture him during the breakout.

He originally planned to deploy troops to besiege the other side, but unexpectedly, the people there seemed to know about his troop deployment. His soldiers were blocked in the military camp and government office, and he had no choice but to break through and escape from Kaijing. Fortunately, his son Tuochun knew in advance that someone wanted to kill him and reacted in time to guard the city gate, which allowed him to escape from there.

Li Ziqian, the father-in-law, also managed to escape. The two didn't even have time to greet each other before they began their escape under the pressure of the pursuers.

A large number of Goryeo government troops appeared on the plains, chasing after the group that had fled from Gaegyeong. At first, they were able to escape on horseback, but gradually, government cavalry joined in, leaving the two leading old men no chance to catch their breath and forcing them to keep moving forward.

"Is Li Xiang of the Northern Border still one of your men?! I have already written to the Qi army, hoping they will rescue and shelter him. Don't keep the reinforcements out."

Li Ziqian's eyes twitched. His hips were burning with pain after riding horses for several days, but he still had to grit his teeth and whip the horse to gallop.

Tuo Junjing was about to say yes when he suddenly heard what was being said behind him and his eyes widened: "Qi Jun, are you crazy?! Aren't you afraid of inviting a wolf into the house, as the Han people of the Central Plains have said?"

"My life is almost over, how can I care about so many... cough cough..."

As they sped along, the cold wind bit into Li Ziqian's stomach, causing him to cough violently. He heard several screams and turned to look back. Two of his dozens of riders were gone. "It's better than being caught by that brat surnamed Wang," he thought, looking at the face of the person next to him. "Or do you want to go back and see that kid's arrogant face?!"

Tuo Junjing's face flushed red and then paled. After a long while, he sighed and lowered his head, saying, "I...I don't know."

Seeing this, Li Ziqian did not press the matter further, but his expression softened slightly. The two had nothing more to say and continued their pursuit. Their warhorses had already exhausted a lot of energy, and several riders were shot off their horses by the pursuers because their speed had decreased.

The two elderly leaders kept looking back, cursing the two scoundrels, Gao Shuo and Wu Zhuo, who were leading the troops behind them, as they whipped their horses to speed away from this side.

Sunlight shone down from the clouds, piercing through the thin snow kicked up by the horses' hooves, and large beads of sweat appeared on the foreheads of the people ahead.

In the distance, a series of booming sounds came from the distance. The team, which had been chased down to only thirty-odd people, turned pale. Before Tuo Junjing could even give the order, the sound was deafening.

Woo-woo-woo, woo-woo

A desolate bugle call echoed across the plains near the border. The Goryeo people riding their warhorses looked towards the direction from which the sound came. As far as their eyes could see, a black line, accompanied by a blizzard, stretched towards their direction.

"It's not a bugle call from the army."

As he galloped away, Tuo Junjing blurted out, his vision widening as the black armor of the cavalrymen came into view: "It's the Qi army... that guy Li Xiang..." His expression became complicated, unsure of what to feel.

Behind them, the more than four hundred pursuing Goryeo cavalrymen all paled, unsure whether to advance upon hearing the thunderous sound of hooves. It was only when the commander-in-chief, Wu Zhuo, roared, "Do not stop! The rebels are right before our eyes. Kill them and return to present their heads to the king. Everyone will be rewarded!"

"kill--"

At the command, the riders took the lead, raised their spears, and galloped away. Hearing the sound behind them, the two leaders shouted and continued running. The thirty-odd riders continued to race for their lives.

Opposite them, further away, were the Jurchen troops. Two Chinese characters could be vaguely seen on the general's banner, but it was impossible to make out what they said.

Arrows kept flying in from behind, and shouts and yells filled the air. Soon, screams rang out as people who had lost their footing were trampled by the pursuers. Their screams echoed in the air.

The wind blew across the sky, and the cries of eagles rang out. The sun moved westward, and sunlight streamed through the clouds, casting the shadow of the gyrfalcon on the ground. Its black shadow swiftly swept across the pristine white snow.

Clad in a black leaf armor and a gray cloak, with wolf fur stitched between the armor plates fluttering slightly in the wind, the Qi army general, with a youthful face and thick eyebrows forming a straight line, ran at the forefront, carrying two large hammers, his voice booming like a bell.

"That's old man Li Ziqian up ahead! Get out of the way!"

On horseback, Li Ziqian's face suddenly darkened. For a moment, he didn't know whether the person opposite him was there to rescue him or to insult him. But he hesitated for only a moment before pulling on the reins: "Make way, quick!"

The rider beside him had been hoping for reinforcements, and upon hearing this, he quickly turned his horse around and followed him to the side. Tuo Junjing looked at the thousands of Qi Jurchen soldiers galloping menacingly towards him, then glanced at his own men who had made way for him, sighed, and turned his horse to leave.

woo-

The horn blew out a long note, and a man with a menacing aura twisted his brows into a grotesque expression by wielding two hammers. He pointed his right hammer forward and shouted, "Crush him!"

"Drive the Jurchens out, defend our country and protect our homes!"

Two different voices simultaneously issued the order.

The warhorses' hooves kicked up snow, and the thunderous roar of countless hooves drowned out all other sounds on the plains, making the earth tremble.

The distance is getting closer.

The wind blew past, and the swirling snow mist changed direction. Many figures swayed in the pervasive whiteness. Someone screamed "Ah!" as an arrow struck his shoulder, causing him to drop his spear. His uninjured hand pulled out the mace.

A dense barrage of arrows whizzed past their ears, followed by the whooshing sound of arrows cutting through the air. The figure struck by an arrow clutched their chest and face, falling backward from their horse. The wounded figure shouted "Kill—" and continued charging forward.

The ferocious faces of the opposing cavalrymen came into view, their spears and iron lances approaching.

boom--

Close-range combat took place on this plain.

"kill--"

The young general, wielding two hammers, stared wide-eyed, a fierce glint in his eyes. He parried and struck left and right with the two hammers, the blows exploding into countless sprays of blood mist with a series of thuds.

The Goryeo soldiers in the rear were in a great hurry. Some of them were veterans who had fought in the war against the Jurchens. Shouting in Goryeo, they charged forward fearlessly.

Amidst the violent collisions and thrusts, soldiers on both sides swayed, figures flashing past their eyes. The young double-hammer general clearly saw the figures, appearances, and expressions of the Goryeo people. Then, a shrill scream exploded from beneath the double hammers, and thick blood splattered as the hammers swung. Similarly, the opposing general was also swinging his spear, aiming to stab the Jurchens in the head.

Blood churned and splashed as the cavalrymen clashed.

"Ahhh-"

Countless figures engaged in fierce fighting, letting out desperate shouts. Pieces of flesh and blood, severed limbs, fell from people's bodies, and mutilated bodies collapsed. Unmanned warhorses ran by, stopped, and stood bewildered in the midst of the charging warhorses on both sides.

Amidst the cacophony of frenzied shouts, a spear pierced the figure of a Jurchen warrior, and scalding blood splattered onto Wu Zhuo's face. Gao Shuo, standing beside him, joined in the frenzied shouts, and with a single thrust of his spear, he stabbed a Jurchen Sima to death on his horse.

"You little Korean dog, how dare you kill one of our army's generals?"

The next instant, in the charging ranks, a young general with a single eyebrow and wielding two hammers emerged from the front line of the cavalry. His two iron hammers smashed a gap in the cavalry on the left front, and the sound of bones cracking between men and horses was exceptionally clear at that moment.

Upon seeing this, the two Goryeo generals felt a chill run down their spines, and thrust their long spears at each other's faces and chests, one above the other.

Clang, clang—

Two metallic clangs rang out, sparks flew from the spear tip and the hammer, and the spear shaft trembled as it was retrieved by its owner. Wu Zhuo and Gao Shuo's hands, which were holding the spears, trembled uncontrollably, their arms went numb and were too sore to lift.

"Wow, that's strong!" x2
In the chaotic battlefield, figures clashed and fought. A young Qi general emerged from behind two large hammers, his face a mixture of youthful innocence and ferocity. He tilted his head and said, "Old man, you're asking for death!"

The warhorse charged forward, swinging its twin hammers left and right, roaring, "Give me your life!"

The hammer swung down with a whoosh, clashing with the spears in the hands of the two generals.

bang——

Almost simultaneously, the four weapons struck the gun barrels with a single sound. Wu Zhuo and Gao Shuo, the two Goryeo generals, felt a piercing pain in their tiger's mouths, and warm, sticky liquid slid down their palms and the backs of their hands.

"Drink-"

With a roar, the young man slightly raised his hammer, moving it two or three inches away from the gun, and then brought it down again in an instant.

click-

The two spear shafts shattered, and the hammers, undiminished in their momentum, struck both generals in the face simultaneously.

puff--

A cracking sound reached their ears, and two figures fell backward from their warhorses, their full foreheads caved in, blood and yellowish-white substances gushing out, their faces unrecognizable, a bloody mess.

The surrounding Goryeo cavalrymen were terrified. The young general, not bothering to wipe the blood from his face, roared ferociously, "I am Wanyan Jindanzi of the Great Qi! Who else wants to die!"

Then, they plunged into the surging sea of ​​blood.

The fighting stopped after a quarter of an hour. The less than one hundred Goryeo cavalrymen fled the place in terror. Wanyan Jindanzi stopped his Jurchen cavalrymen who were about to give chase, and told them to clean up the battlefield. He then rode his horse to the group of about thirty exhausted riders.

Li Ziqian and Tuo Junjing couldn't help but shudder as they watched the approaching Qi army generals.

Putting aside the fact that his two massive hammers dripped blood as he approached them, the fact that this young man was so powerful and unusual, resembling a black bear, was enough to make anyone tense.

"Gentlemen, I am Wanyan Sheyema, the eldest son of Wanyan Zonghan, the Prefect of the Bin Prefecture. I have come here on orders to escort you to my Qi Kingdom." Jin Danzi bowed to the two men and spoke in a friendly manner, "I am leading a thousand cavalrymen, so there is no need to worry about your safety along the way."

The two Goryeo traitors exchanged a glance and remained silent, while Yi Ja-gyeom gave a bitter smile.

The boy's smile was ferocious and terrifying; one of his horizontal eyebrows was stained with blood, and blood was still flowing down it. He might kill the two of them in a moment of impulse.

After a moment of silence, Tuo Junjing asked, "Where is Li Xiang?"

"You mean that bastard at the border? It seems your king wrote a letter, telling him to clear the way for us. He didn't want to listen, so I smashed the knife in my hand with a hammer and that's how we cleared the border."

Tuo Junjing glanced at Li Ziqian, then fell silent, unsure of what to say.

Jin Danzi didn't care that the two of them didn't speak. He just told the cavalry to quickly clean up the battlefield, bring the fallen comrades along, and lead the surviving warhorses. He then leisurely headed north.

……

same moment.

Hedong.

Dozens of men trudged through the mountains, their steps uneven. The weather was cold this year, and the path up the mountain was slippery, making their steps unsteady.

Just past the halfway point of the mountain, several figures emerged from behind a rock and blocked the path leading uphill, holding knives and looking at them warily: "Who are you? What are you doing up the mountain?!"

"Oh, please." A figure stepped out from the group: "Please tell Brother Wang Shan that Zhang Yong of Xiangzhou requests an audience."

Behind him, Yue Fei calmly gazed ahead. (End of Chapter)