Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Late December.

Xiangzhou welcomed tens of thousands of people, a procession of the elderly and children, who entered the border. Wang Boyan, the prefect of Xiangzhou, having received Zhao Gou's instructions, dared not neglect his duties and personally led five hundred soldiers and over a hundred yamen runners to greet them.

Looking at the sea of ​​heads, the prefect felt a mix of emotions. The influx of over ten thousand new recruits invigorated even this trusted confidant of the Ninth Prince, but...

Elderly people walking with canes, women carrying young children in their arms, and mothers leading seven- or eight-year-old boys walked along the road pointed out by the yamen runners not far away. Some stopped and hesitated, but in the end they still followed the main group forward.

These people will ultimately benefit the Qi Kingdom, since the tide is unstoppable. I just hope that the Ninth Prince won't choose to fight head-on because of the surge in the number of troops, as Xiangzhou has no natural defenses.

With a deep sigh, Wang Boyan shook his head, trying to clear his mind of these thoughts. Before he could compose himself, he heard the sound of a mount galloping towards him from ahead.

"Yue Fei, the upright official, greets the Prefect."

Wang Boyan quickly looked up and saw a resolute face, a burly figure, and a crimson military uniform, which immediately made him somewhat fond of him.

"General Yue, you've worked hard." He chuckled gently, his eyes scanning the three people approaching from behind.

Upon seeing this, Yue Fei quickly introduced them: "These two are Commanders Wang Gui and Zhang Xian, who served in the army with me. We have all fought hard against the Qi army. That one is Wang Shan, who has abandoned the darkness and turned to the light."

"Very well, very well." Wang Boyan clapped his hands with a smile: "Please keep your men in check and come back to Xiangzhou with me."

The men quickly clasped their hands in greeting: "We dare not disobey."

Yue Fei immediately ran to issue the order, while Wang Shan, Zhang Xian, and Wang Gui followed to maintain order. Before long, this force joined forces with the army from Xiangzhou.

Tang Huai and Zhang Yong also rushed into the army under these circumstances.

"The Ninth Prince wants to see me?" Yue Fei was somewhat flattered: "Why is that? I don't have a particularly prominent reputation in the army."

"How would I know?" Tang Huai shrugged and grabbed Yue Fei's arm. "Hurry up, don't keep the Ninth Prince waiting."

“That makes sense.” Yue Fei nodded and glanced at the group. “Brother Zhang Yong, please stay here and keep the troops in check. Brother Wang Shan, please come with me so I can introduce you to the Ninth Prince.”

"This...isn't that necessary?" Wang Shan felt somewhat uneasy. He had originally planned to attack the city and rebel against the Zhao Song dynasty, but this person in front of him had forced him into it. Now he had to meet a member of the royal family, which was really hard for him to accept.

"Your willingness to bring so many troops to join the army is a great achievement, and I will certainly introduce you to the Prince." Yue Fei smiled gently, and then said to Tang Huai, "I will first go to say goodbye to Prefect Wang, and then we will go together."

Tang Huai naturally had no objection. He watched Yue Fei ride away on horseback, told the prefect behind him about the matter, and then returned to Anyang, the administrative center, with Tang Huai and Wang Shan.

Zhao Gou was waiting for him at the Wang residence when he heard from a guard that Tang Huai had returned with unfamiliar faces. He was overjoyed and immediately ordered someone to bring him over.

Yue Fei was waiting excitedly when he heard that Zhao Gou had invited him. He quickly led the two inside and said, "This humble man, Yue Fei (Tang Huai and Wang Shan), greets the Ninth Prince."

"Please rise quickly." Zhao Gou stood up and looked at Yue Fei, who had entered. He was impressed by his appearance and personally came out from behind the table to help him up. "I heard from General Tang that you led them to burn down the Qi army camp in Daming Prefecture, causing them considerable losses. I admire people like you who are both brave and resourceful. Seeing you today, I can confirm that you are indeed extraordinary."

Yue Fei blushed. Although the night raid had yielded some gains, it was a failure in the overall strategy. Moreover, the losses from being chased and killed by the Qi cavalry were so great that he was ashamed to admit it: "A defeated general dares not accept Your Highness's praise."

"Who in the Song Dynasty is not currently suffering defeat? Even the mighty Western Army has been routed by the Northern bandits. Famous generals and brave warriors have either died or fled, and this is common knowledge throughout the land. Looking at the major military prefectures, even a strong city like Bianliang is in danger of collapse. If it weren't for the arrival of winter, the Northern bandits might not have retreated."

Zhao Gou, with a bitter expression, pulled Yue Fei inside: "What the Great Song Dynasty lacks now is soldiers who dare to fight, and generals who are willing to lead troops to resist the Qi army under such circumstances. I wonder if General Yue still dares to step onto the battlefield?"

Stepping into the house, Zhao Gou released Yue Fei's hand and turned to look at him.

Yue Fei's face flushed with fervor: "I have been taught by my family since childhood that serving the country is the duty of a subject. Moreover, my mother tattooed the four characters 'Serve the country with utmost loyalty' on my back when I came of age. Now that the country is in peril, I am willing to sacrifice my life to fulfill my loyalty."

"Very well, very well, this is exactly what I've been waiting for General Yue to say!" Zhao Gou was also delighted. He then took two quick steps, turned around, and looked at Yue Fei and the two men following behind, Tang Huai and Wang Shan: "Yue Fei, listen to my command."

The figure opposite quickly bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "Your subordinate is here."

Zhao Gou's face was solemn as he looked at him: "You have rendered meritorious service in the previous battle against the northern bandits, and later you subdued the rebellious rebel army to save Jiangzhou from danger. As the Grand Marshal of the Hebei Army, I appoint you as the commander, leading your own army of 10,000 men. I hope you will fight bravely and not fail your family's teachings, nor betray the four words 'Serve the country with utmost loyalty' that you bear on your back."

"Thank you for your appreciation, Your Highness. Yue Fei is willing to do his utmost to protect the Song Dynasty."

The powerful voice reached the ears of everyone in the room. Zhao Gou smiled with satisfaction and stepped forward to help Yue Fei up.

Behind them, Tang Huai smiled broadly, his eyes barely visible, watching his brother get promoted with great joy. Only Wang Shan looked on with resentment.

Commanding tens of thousands of people...

Those are my troops! Why should you take them away and distribute them to people at will?!
He couldn't bring himself to say these words, so he could only sulk alone, not caring much about the fact that he and Tang Huai had been given the official titles of Commander-in-Chief.

Zhao Gou had no interest in the feelings of the other two. He felt a strong affinity with Yue Fei, and the young prince's hearty laughter occasionally broke out in the small room.

Outside, dark clouds gathered, obscuring the clear sky, and snowflakes the size of a thumb began to fall.

A servant came in to add charcoal to the fire.

Inside the house, Zhao Gou stopped talking, walked to the door, looked at the snowflakes that blotted out the sky, and took a breath of the winter air: "A timely snow promises a good harvest; next year's harvest will surely be good."

Yue Fei and Tang Huai nodded in agreement.

Wang Shan watched them calmly, a sneer escaping his lips.

Next year, Qi will also have a good harvest. I wonder if you will still be able to laugh then.

……

Bianliang.

Creak, creak—

Walking through the palace's blue brick path in my deerskin boots, my wavy footprints were left on the snow.

The guards on duty around the perimeter couldn't help but shiver, and called out, "Greetings, Prime Minister Li," before walking over through the snow.

The eunuch holding a long-handled broom in the distance bowed his head and greeted the approaching figure. After watching the person leave, he stared for a while, shook his head, and continued sweeping the snow.

In the distance, the sounds of light singing and dancing drifted from the palace. A slender figure was silhouetted against the window by the candlelight. The figure paused for a moment, then continued to walk a few steps forward, ascended the steps, and a eunuch bowed and pushed open the door.

The sounds of zithers, pipa, and noisy conversations mingled together, and a familiar voice rang out: "Hahaha, this is good, this is good! Spin it around a couple more times, and there'll be a reward for a good spin."

Li Gang clenched his fist tightly, then released it, and calmly stepped forward to bow: "Greetings, Your Majesty. I am late, please forgive me."

"Sigh~" The young emperor waved his hand, turned to the side, and stared past Li Gang at the dancing girls twirling behind him, saying, "Prime Minister Li has a heavy responsibility, so it's alright that you're late. The New Year is almost here, so Prime Minister Li should take a seat and relax today..."

Snapped--

He clapped his hands and said, "Good, one hundred laps. Someone, bring me one hundred taels of silver. I said there will be a reward for doing well."

Li Gang opened his mouth, but then the happy smile on Zhao Huan's young face vanished. Never mind!

We shouldn't push too hard at the end of the year; let's just keep the officials happy.

He turned and walked to an empty seat to sit down. Immediately, eunuchs and palace maids placed wine and dishes on the table in front of him. The aroma of meat wafted into his nose. Li Gang reached out and picked up the wine pot. It was warm and just the right temperature.

Behind them, Sun Fu of the Privy Council called out softly, "Prime Minister Li, you've worked hard, having to go up to the city wall in such cold weather."

Li Gang turned around and saw him holding a wine cup. He picked up his cup and clinked it with his. The two drank together before stroking his beard. "After all, the soldiers have been working hard for a long time. We should go and see them at the end of the year and give them some rewards."

"Li Xiang is good to those bastards."

"Without soldiers, Bianliang City could not be defended."

Sun Fu didn't take it seriously. Seeing Li Gang's disapproving expression, he changed the subject: "I was quite surprised when I read Qiu Jundaoyuan's 'Poems on Current Events' a couple of days ago. The various records in it are amazing. I wonder if people today can still depict the scenes of that time."

Li Gang poured more wine into his cup, then pondered for a moment: "That one from Emperor Renzong's time?"

“Yes, he once read the Book of Changes and understood the hexagrams ‘Loss’ and ‘Increase’. He was able to comprehend numbers and know the rise and fall of the future. He once told his family, ‘I will live to be ninety-nine,’ and indeed he died at the age of eighty-one in Chizhou.” Sun Bo also poured him a cup of wine and clinked glasses: “Truly a divine man.”

Li Gang also sighed: "The Book of Changes is a difficult book to understand. The fact that he could understand two hexagrams from the book proves that he was a great talent of his time. It is a pity that he was too far away to meet him."

Sun Fu nodded: "It is indeed a pity."

The two talked and drank, and soon the singing and dancing in the hall changed. Zhao Huan watched the excitement from the front and kept clapping and cheering.

Among the officials below, there were those who disliked his appearance, but considering that the end of the year was approaching, they all kept silent and only talked with their familiar colleagues.

A cold wind blew, and the accumulated snow swirled down from above the palace, covering it with a thin layer of frost.

……

same moment.

Hejian.

The not-so-large city was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. The common people walking on the streets all had rosy cheeks. They had paid less tax this year, and the Qi army had even exempted them from taxes after entering the city. With more money in their hands, they were actually enjoying the end of the year.

The sounds of drinking games echoed from the streets to the alleys. People watched as various figures dressed in court attire entered the temporary palace. Generals, rarely seen on ordinary days, were carrying wine jars and greeting each other with loud shouts.

Su Yi led the generals who had come with the guards into the main hall. The burning bronze furnace emitted an astonishing heat. According to the tradition of the Qi army, even if the commander-in-chief was not present, the soldiers had already begun to drink with each other.

Fang Xuedu, Li Zhu, Wang Zheng, and Li Ying gathered together, remarking that it was much easier this year as they didn't have to face Yang Bangyi and Zeng Nong, two drunkards. They smiled as they watched Yao Gang and Lu Zhishen carrying wine jars and shouting as they got the military officers drunk and passed out.

"Was that Li Cheng who fell? So fast?" Fang Xuedu stroked his beard and chuckled.

Li Zhu nodded, squinted, and shook his head: "It's him. I didn't expect him to be so weak at drinking. The cold dishes haven't even been served yet. Tsk, I've never seen someone with such a low alcohol tolerance."

"Tsk tsk tsk, guess how many of these people will be able to see the hot dishes today? How many will be able to see the river delicacies and beef and mutton that will be served later?" Li Ying chuckled and took out a handful of copper coins and put them on the table: "I bet five of them will see the hot dishes and two of them will see the meat."

Wang Zheng's eyes lit up as he looked at the money on the table. His lazy expression brightened considerably. It wasn't that he was greedy for the few copper coins; betting on Guanpu was something he enjoyed. Looking at the people in the room, he said, "Excluding Li Cheng, there are also Cao Rong, Li Shixiong, Suo Chao, Yang Jin, Wang Zaixing, Li Gui, and Hu Yi, who are quite famous." He pointed and said, "Those over there seem to be generals who have surrendered as well."

Fang Xuedu looked in the direction he was pointing and said, "Yes, I've forgotten their names too. They are mostly generals who surrendered from Hebei. There are seven of them in total. There is also a guy named Zhang Rong, who was sent by Wei Zhaode. He said he was a rising star who grew up in the marshland and was sent here to meet His Majesty."

"Is there still this matter?"

The other three looked over curiously. Li Ying thought for a moment, then took out a few more coins and threw them on the table: "Including this kid, there are three of us who have seen the meat."

Fang Xuedu and Assistant Li stroked their beards without saying a word.

Wang Zheng scanned the faces of the people in the room, pondered for a moment, and took out a wad of cash: "I've heard that there are many righteous men in Shandong and Hebei in the Southern Dynasty. I imagine there are quite a few who can drink. I bet seven of them will be hot and four will have meat on them."

“Alright, I’ll join in too.” Fang Xuedu also pulled out a wad of cash: “Eight will be hot, three will be meaty.”

The three then looked at Li Zhu, their slightly narrowed eyes widening as Mr. Jin Jian pulled out his money: "Seven hot dishes and four meat dishes."

"Alright." Li Ying laughed heartily, first piling up the money baskets, then picking up his wine and smiling at the pile of military officers: "Let's just watch the show."

The four unscrupulous men laughed, amusing themselves at the banquet, watching others drink and waiting with glee for the outcome.

None of the generals drinking over there knew that they had become the object of a bet among the civil officials on this side in an instant. They continued to drink and make their own pair of drinks. Only Lin Chong silently lowered his head, drinking wine and eating meat, while his eyes blazed as he stared at the table.

Back hall.

Lu Wen ran around the yard with her younger siblings, occasionally making a snowball and throwing it at the little ones chasing after them. Then, as more snowballs and snowflakes came flying at them, she laughed and ran away.

"Be careful, don't fall."

Inside the room, Yelü Dalibo's shouts were met only with "I know" and "Okay," followed by laughter and playful banter.

"A bunch of mischievous monkeys, they all need to be disciplined when they get back." Wu Qing shook her head with a smile, and bent down to tie Lu Bu's clothes.

Lu Bu stretched out his hands, letting her, Hu Sanniang, and Su Jinniang busy themselves. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "I think it's quite good. Kids, what child isn't playful? I'm even wilder than them at my age."

"My husband is out all day and doesn't supervise them at all."

“In this freezing weather, typhoid fever is no small matter.”

The voices of Yi Zhangqing and Tao Hua Nu, who were helping him put on his outer garment, reached his ears. Lu Bu quickly interrupted, "Alright, alright, forget I said anything."

Wu Qing smiled and brought him a cloak to tie on: "My lord, you've been scolded again, haven't you?"

Lü Bu shrugged helplessly. After Dalibo came over and hung the Han sword on his arm, he stepped outside and said, "You guys eat first, don't save any for me."

"My lord, you should hurry on your way. We also need to meet the ladies who have come to visit us soon."

"That's right, with you here, it's not appropriate for the women to come in."

"My lord, you should leave quickly. There are always drunk people around this time of year. I don't want to come here for the New Year and not even get to see you."

"I'm leaving now, I'm leaving now." Lu Bu looked around and smiled, then turned back at the door: "Without Zeng and Yang Bangyi, those two old geezers, how could they have gotten people drunk so easily? Really."

He shook his head and walked out the door.

Before long, an even louder commotion came from the front, and more women entered the backyard.

The curtain fell in the twelfth month of the eighth year of Jianwu. (End of Chapter)