Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

In the overcast sky, several gyrfalcons flew swiftly by. A large cavalry force, draped in white cloaks, spread out across the plains, their hooves thundering as they began a grand hunt to the southeast.

Several miles away, the Song army in crimson uniforms was in chaos. The vanguard general, Huang You, was already worried about being attacked in this complex mountainous terrain.

They traveled safely until a quarter of an hour before receiving a warning that a large Qi cavalry force was launching a surprise attack from behind, crossing the hilly terrain. The central army was forced to hastily prepare for battle.

"Return to base, change formation, and rescue the central army!"

The faint sound of bugles could be heard from the northwest. Huang You's heart skipped a beat. The vanguard of three thousand men immediately turned around at his command, and the swordsmen and shieldmen ran forward from the rear, rushing back the way they came.

Under the gloomy sky, someone among the running figures sensed something was wrong. The tremors underfoot grew stronger, and the direction of the roaring sound in their ears was also wrong. They turned around abruptly, their eyelids twitching as far as they could.

"Cavalry! Enemy at the rear!"

The running troops suddenly panicked, and Huang You's shouts of "Turn around, defend!" rang out in the ranks, reminding his soldiers what to do, but there was no time to lose.

A large number of cavalry charged forward, with a "King" banner at the front. Everyone, from the riders to the horses, was covered in white cloth, which made Huang You's eyelids twitch.

No wonder the scouts didn't discover them beforehand; the Qi army was well disguised. In such icy and snowy conditions, it's easy to mistake them if you're not careful.

The soldiers on the field were changing positions. The swordsmen and shieldmen who had run to the west of the formation ran east again. Soldiers with anxious expressions occasionally bumped into each other in their panic, stumbling and almost falling. After adjusting their positions, they ignored the pain from the impact and scrambled back into the ranks.

The cavalry swept across like an avalanche.

The Song soldiers, armed with large shields and long spears, ran faster and faster, with spearmen behind them turning around to form a forest of spears.

Among the galloping cavalry, the middle rider drew his bow and released the string. The rising black shadow fell down, hitting the unprotected spearman squarely. Blood splattered, and screams erupted from the chaotic infantry.

"Zhang Conglong, charge!"

Wang Bolong's eyes lit up, and he shouted loudly. The young man, who had already been promoted to military marquis, yelled "Follow me and kill!" He held two iron hammers in his hands and charged ahead of the chaotic Song army.

Countless thunderous hooves trampled over the enemy, and soldiers who had not formed a defensive line were sent flying by the high-speed charging warhorses. Hammers, spears, and swords tore apart the bodies standing on the ground, and the smell of blood spread with the cold wind. Dark red and viscous bloodstains spread across the plain, and hundreds of corpses were instantly spread out under the cavalry's charge.

"Things are hopeless, General, let's go!"

Huang You's personal guard called out and stepped forward to pull his warhorse away.

An arrow flew by and struck him in the chest. "Ah!" He fell from his horse.

"Be careful, General."

The guards stepped forward, raising their shields in a row. Then, a series of clattering sounds came from the front as arrows pierced the wooden shields. Several guards' horses were hit by arrows, and with a scream, they reared up, throwing the riders off their backs.

On the battlefield, some were cut down by cavalry and screamed in agony, while others faced swords and spears and shouted in despair to fight back, desperately trying to take someone down with them.

The thunderous sound of countless hooves surged forth, banners fluttered in the air, and the Qi cavalry charged forward like a flood, breaking through the Song soldiers blocking their path. Arrows were constantly being shot from the hands of their comrades following behind, and men fell one after another, struck by arrows.

The screams all around him made Huang You's heart sink inch by inch. In just a short while, seven or eight of his personal guards were either hit by arrows or their warhorses were hit by arrows and collapsed on the battlefield.

Several shields that had been blocking the arrows suddenly disappeared, and in the distance, the young general at the forefront, his white robe stained with blood, was already charging forward.

"You barbarians, leave your heads as credit for my army!"

The young man, wielding two dripping hammers, exuded a terrifying aura. He smashed the head of a Song soldier beside him with one hammer and charged forward with unstoppable momentum.

Ten feet.

It's too late to return it...

With a determined look, Huang You raised his spear on horseback: "Today's battle is critical. A true man should die on the battlefield, wrapped in a horse's hide. How can we let such lowly creatures look down on us? Follow me and kill them!"

The horse's hooves began to gallop, and dozens of knights behind and beside him responded loudly, raising their swords and spears and charging after him.

The charging youth raised his double hammers and charged at the general under the yellow banner, shouting fiercely, "The one who will take your life is Zhang Conglong of Qi!"

Two large hammers were swung up and charged into the crowd. The sound of bones shattering rang out under the hammers, and blood sprayed into the air.

Dangdangdang——

Three loud metallic clangs rang out, and one of the generals who had been riding across the battlefield fell to the ground. Then, with a "crack," the yellow flag that had been floating in the air fell and covered the general lying on the ground, his blood gradually staining the flag red.

"Good job, Zhang!"

Wang Bolong, who was commanding the cavalry from the rear, was overjoyed to see the Song army's flag cut off. He raised his broadsword and shouted, "Drive the surviving Song soldiers back and charge their central army!"

"Send word to Commander Du: The vanguard has collapsed!"

"Blow the trumpet! Blow the trumpet!"

Woohoo——

-

A mournful horn sounded, and the gyrfalcon flew out swiftly, letting out a loud cry.

……

Almost at the same moment.

Five li east of Shouyang.

Countless warhorses galloped across the plains, corpses lay strewn everywhere, and blood flowed into the low-lying areas, pooling into blood pits. Aliqi threw down the Song general hanging from his spear: "Forward! Attack their central army!"

……

West of Taiyuan.

The shouts of battle echoed across the central army of the army, arrows and crossbow bolts crisscrossed the sky, piercing the bodies of men and horses, and blood flowed and spread.

A Qi cavalryman staggered to his feet, the arrow in his cheek causing him excruciating pain. Through his blurred vision, he saw a crimson figure thrusting a spear straight at him. Unable to resist, he lunged forward with all his might, severing the man's arm with a single stroke. As the scream rang out, two spears thrust forth, and the cavalryman, unable to dodge in time, was struck squarely and died instantly.

"General Zhong, the Qi army has retreated again."

Two banners bearing the character "Teng" retreated, and then the sound of bugles rang out. Large numbers of cavalrymen left the battlefield, ran up the sloping hills, and disappeared into the distance.

Soldiers, clutching their swords and spears, stood there bewildered, while large patches of black soil were exposed from the muddy ground trampled by men and horses.

"Quickly adjust the formation..."

Zhong Shizhong's face was ashen. When Feng Tai retreated earlier, some generals led troops to pursue him, but they were intercepted halfway by these two generals surnamed Teng, resulting in hundreds of casualties. Then they charged towards his side, but after fighting for a while, they retreated again...

"Quickly send someone to contact both the front and rear armies!" Zhong Shizhong suddenly looked up and said quickly, "The Northern bandits retreated after their initial attack to delay us; there must be ambushes in both the front and rear as well."

The riders were ordered to gallop away, but before they could get far, horns and hooves sounded from the east and west sides.

The expressions on everyone's faces changed, and Zhong Shizhong's face turned particularly grim: "Retreat!"

Large numbers of Song soldiers turned and ran south, with Wang Bolong and Aliqi, who were driving away the fleeing troops, quickly following behind.

Shouts, hoofbeats, and horn calls echoed through the sky as the three generals Feng Tai, Teng Kui, and Teng Kan, who had already retreated, rushed back into the battlefield.

The Central Division had been in the wilderness for quite some time. The journey and fierce fighting had taken a toll on many of them, and they urgently needed to find a place to rest.

Unfortunately, they weren't familiar enough with the area to know every single tree and blade of grass. They simply followed the mountain range, aiming to minimize the fighting strength of the Qi cavalry.

The warhorses galloped, and the soldiers, finding their white robes cumbersome, quickly removed them, revealing their black military uniforms underneath. On the vast plain, the dark mass of cavalrymen gathered together like ants.

"stop!"

"Stop!"

Several shouts rang out, and several Qi army generals gathered together. Feng Tai used his golden mace in his left hand to push down his iron helmet: "Ahead is the Bear-Swallowing Valley of Killing Bear Ridge. There is only one entrance here. It's easy to go in, but getting out will depend on us."

"I'll guard it."

Aliqi looked around and said, "My soldiers are capable of both cavalry and infantry, and are best at fighting in hills and forests. They can set up a defensive line in front."

Teng Kui and Teng Kan exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement: "Very well, then we'll leave it to General Aliqi."

The blond-haired valiant general nodded, but before he could speak, Wang Bolong suddenly said, "Wait a minute!"

Aliqi turned his head: "General Wang, what advice do you have?" "I wouldn't presume to offer advice." Wang Bolong scratched his head and looked at the others: "I just wanted to ask if any of you have seen the Song army's supplies and provisions."

The others' eyes lit up, they exchanged glances, and then shook their heads.

“I haven’t seen them either.” Wang Bolong raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and said, “Could we wait a while, until those cowardly Song soldiers are exhausted and hungry…”

He stretched out his right hand and squeezed: "We can try to wipe them all out in one fell swoop."

The others thought for a moment, and Feng Tai frowned: "However, Commander Du told us not to annihilate this Song army in one battle, but to lure the other two Song armies to come to our rescue."

Wang Bolong's eyes flashed: "Times have changed. Since it's difficult to contact the outside world from here, we can completely wipe out the Southern Dynasty's army, and then disguise our troops. Even if Commander Du finds out, he won't say anything."

The men opposite raised their eyebrows. Feng Tai hesitated for a moment and said, "Alright, to prepare for both possibilities, we should also inform Commander Du. He is waiting for the other two Song armies to arrive."

The crowd nodded in agreement, and then a dozen or so cavalrymen turned and galloped away.

……

Weisheng Army.

A cold wind swept across the empty plains, and the soldiers, chilled to the bone, rushed into the central command tent.

Wearing winter clothes, Yao Gu was resting and drinking hot soup when he put down his bowl after hearing the report from his subordinates: "You said Jiao Anjie discovered that the Qi army was pressing in? How many troops are there?"

“A dark mass, countless in number.” The thin soldier knelt on one knee and looked up at him: “General Jiao asked me to ask Commander Yao what to do? Should we defend the place?”

Yao Gu's expression changed: "Have the Qi people gone mad? The Zhong people have already invaded Taiyuan, and they still have the mind to block us..."

He stopped speaking, frowned and pondered for a moment: "I'm afraid he didn't take Zhong Shizhong seriously because there are relatively few of them. That's fine too. With me holding back the main force of Qi, he will have more opportunities."

The soldiers below, seeing him deep in thought, did not dare to disturb him.

"Inform Jiao Anjie to build more camps to attract the attention of the Qi army at the front, and also to send more troops to make feigned movements to create the impression that our army is about to advance north."

"Send a message to Zhang Hao, saying that the northern bandits' army is pressing in on the border and is approaching our Weisheng Army, preparing to attack the northern bandits from both sides."

"Yes."

……

It is fifteen li east of Yuci City.

Amidst the cold wind sweeping across the woodlands and hills, Sun An glanced at the clearly westward-moving ball of light behind the dark clouds overhead, then looked around at the soldiers wrapped in cloaks, and hesitated for a moment: "Send out ten more scout teams to investigate further afield..."

He paused for a moment: "They've only gone south for thirty-five li. The Song army's speed is far too slow."

"Here!"

Watching the figure rush out to relay the order, he turned to look behind him and said, "Send someone to inform Commander Du that I haven't found any danger here yet, and we're continuing to search south. Ask him if he's found anything there."

……

"Go and ask General Sun An if he has seen any Song troops."

Du Xue stood with his hands behind his back on a blue stone on the hill, looking somewhat impatient: "Even if the Song army from Fenzhou is slow, they should be here by now."

Someone responded and ran out from behind, while another ran over: "Report, Commander Du, there is no unusual activity from the north, and the Song army in Taiyuan City is also not making any moves."

"Understood." Du Xue nodded calmly, stood for a moment, then turned around: "Someone, go to Feng Tai and see how Zhong Shizhong is doing. Tell them to be careful of a Song army surprise attack."

"Here!"

……

The wind, carrying snowflakes, blew across my face, and painful groans echoed through the valley. Occasionally, someone's stomach would rumble, and the seated figure would lean back, looking up at the sky, as if that would make them forget their hunger.

A soldier ran from the front, weaving through the soldiers to the general's flag: "General Zhong, the Qi army outside the valley is building defensive positions. If we are late, we may not be able to break through even if we want to."

Zhong Shizhong remained silent, his eyes sweeping over the soldiers beside him. Those wounded by arrows and knives had hastily wrapped their wounds with cloth and lay slumped to one side, while most of the uninjured soldiers were clutching their abdomens, their rumbling stomachs sounding like the constant beating of small drums.

“…We’re leaving, otherwise we’d be here ourselves, even without the Qi army.” With a bitter smile, Zhong Shizhong stood up: “Order the army to prepare for a breakout.”

"Yes."

Several messengers struggled to their feet and searched for the officer in charge. The approaching figure exchanged a few words, and gradually a noisy murmur rose in the valley.

"No way! I'm starving, and you want me to fight now? That's just suicide!"

“That’s right. My soldiers are all starving. How can they lift swords and spears? Go ask those with the divine crossbows. They just hold up their swords and it’s so easy for them! Why do we always have to be the ones to lead the charge?”

"Today, each member of my Divine Arm Bow Division fired twenty arrows, killing and wounding hundreds of enemies. Such achievements deserve a reward anywhere. Commander Zhong has been leading troops for a long time and should be reasonable. Please bestow a reward upon him."

The shouts reached his ears, and Zhong Shizhong felt as if he were standing in an ice cave, his body and mind turning cold. His lips trembled for a long time before he managed to speak: "You are all fine sons of my Western Army, fighting for your lives on the frontier and battling on the battlefield. When did you become so cowardly and afraid of death?!"

Facing his platoon of soldiers, he lowered his head in embarrassment. Behind him, an officer shook his head and said, "General Zhong, the emperor doesn't starve his soldiers. We have been running and fighting all this time without a drop of water or a grain of rice. We really can't take it anymore."

Zhong Shizhong looked at the general leading the Divine Arm Bow: "Are you all here too?"

The general's lips twitched slightly, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Our men kill the enemy for the reward. As long as the money is right, they will fight without hesitation!"

Zhong Shizhong sighed, "I'm leading you lightly armed troops on a rapid attack on Taiyuan, so why would I offer any reward?"

The man bowed his head: "Then we are afraid we will refuse to fight."

"...I never imagined that what my brother went through would happen to me." Zhong Shizhong smiled bitterly, recalling what Zhong Shidao had said about the Divine Arm Archers refusing to fight if they had no money, and regretted not taking it to heart.

Taking a deep breath, the old general stroked his white beard, turned around, and nimbly mounted his horse: "Are there any brave warriors who will accompany this old soldier into battle?"

His eyes were sharp as he scanned the soldiers in the valley, and all he could see were the red tassels on the tops of their leather helmets.

Behind them, more than thirty personal guards mounted their horses in unison: "We are willing to follow Commander Zhong to fight the enemy!"

Many soldiers trembled; some raised their heads, opened their mouths, and then lowered them again.

"I'm willing to go!"

A figure suddenly stood up and strode towards the seed master.

"I am coming too!"

"And I……"

The soldiers, one after another, gathered behind Zhong Shizhong. The old general looked around again and, seeing that no one was willing to stand up, sighed to the sky: "Several thousand soldiers, yet only a hundred or so men remain."

He pulled on the reins, spurred his horse, and shouted, "Follow me to kill the enemy!"

Clang——

Iron sword drawn: "Follow Commander Zhong to slay the enemy!"

As the shouts rang out, the figures around them buried their heads even deeper.

The mountain wind blew into the valley, carrying with it the sounds of shouts and fighting from outside.

Not long after, Aliqi carried the head of the seed master, whose eyes were wide open, into the valley and raised it up: "Those who abandon their weapons will be spared!"

They knelt on the ground in submission.

……

at the same time.

Lead-gray clouds swept across the river, and five thousand elite soldiers, in neat formation, escorted the convoy into the city, proceeding all the way to the imperial palace.

Four slender figures stepped down from the carriage, turned around to take the little children, and walked inside together.

Inside, a tall, imposing figure in a black cloak stood in the courtyard, smiling at the newcomer.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." (End of Chapter)