Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Zhao Huan did not expect to meet Guo Jing so soon.

She had fair skin, looked somewhat haggard, and had bloodshot eyes, yet when she stood there, she gave off an indescribable feeling, as if she were somewhat approachable.

"Where are the other two?" Zhao Huan asked, looking at Sun Fu who had led the man into the hall. "Wasn't it said that three people were mentioned in the 'Poems of Feelings'?"

"I have also found the other two." Sun Fu bowed. "But those two are commoners."

Guo Jing's ears twitched, but his smile remained unchanged. He silently tried to figure out what books the Emperor and high-ranking officials were reading, but after pondering for a long time, he couldn't come up with a solution.

Never mind, from what they're saying, there are three people mentioned in the poem, one of whom is Laozi. This kind of prediction is either from Taoism or Buddhism, or it's related to the I Ching and the Eight Trigrams. In this dynasty, Taoism is revered over Buddhism, and there are no Taoist priests here waiting to expose me, so...

Bet!

Guo Jing's eyes flickered, and he touched the two small mustaches on his lips, saying in a calm tone, "I wonder who could have foreseen my existence. I thought to myself that I was hidden in the Dragon Guard and protected by the aura of the Emperor, so no one should have been able to foresee it."

Zhao Huan and Sun Fu exchanged a glance and laughed at the same time. The young emperor clapped his hands and said, "It is good to let the Taoist priest know that he is Qiu Jun, the Palace Attendant during the reign of Emperor Renzong."

Guo Jing suppressed the corners of his mouth that were turning up, and pretended to extend his right hand, pressing his thumb on the other knuckles a few times: "So that's how it is. He is a court official, but he is also protected by the emperor's aura. The emperor against the emperor, the court official against the imperial guards, it is only natural that he could foresee this."

Zhao Huan was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Daoist Master is truly a divine being. I wonder what kind of magic you possess that could possibly stop the Qi army outside?"

"What I have learned was something that Minister Sun had also heard of before." Guo Jing slowly paced around, looking directly at Zhao Huan, then glancing at Sun Fu: "It is a secret of the Daoist school—the Six Jia Method. I wonder if Your Majesty has heard of it?"

"This..." Zhao Huan smiled awkwardly, "Unlike the Emperor Emeritus, I have not read through all the Taoist scriptures and secret texts, so..." He blushed and lowered his head.

Guo Jing looked at Sun Fu again, and the Minister of War slowly shook his head: "I don't know either."

That would be easy!
Guo Jing clenched his fist tightly behind his back: "This method of mine requires 7,777 people. It is based on the seven souls, seven stars, seven treasures, and seven truths. When it is used, heavenly soldiers and generals possess the people of the earth, making them invulnerable to swords and spears and possessing immense strength. No matter how many troops are outside the city, they are all like ants in front of the heavenly soldiers."

He turned his body, faced outwards, and waved his hand: "When the time comes, capturing the emperor and generals of the Northern Dynasty and bringing them before His Majesty will be as easy as turning one's hand."

The emperor and his minister listened with shining eyes, shaking their heads as if they could already see the scene from his words. It was Sun Fu, being older, who was the first to come to his senses, swallowing hard: "Then... how many days does Master Guo need to prepare for the ritual?"

Is this what it means to become a real person?

These two are really...

Why didn't I meet you sooner!

Guo Jing was overjoyed. Behind their backs, his eyes darted around rapidly from side to side. Turning back, he spoke calmly, "It will take at least ten days, and at most a hundred days."

Zhao Huan was startled and took two steps forward: "This... why is the difference between the real person and the real person so great?"

Sun Fu frowned: "Ten days is still manageable, but in a hundred days, I'm afraid the Qi army will already be..."

He hadn't finished speaking, yet everyone in the hall understood the meaning behind his words.

Guo Jing sighed dramatically, "The hundred-day method is to invite heavenly soldiers and generals to descend to the mortal realm through normal means. Although it takes a long time, the heavenly soldiers are the strongest. However, now we have to use a quick method. Although there will be some losses, it will allow the heavenly soldiers to descend to the mortal realm within ten days. Alas!"

Zhao Huan looked at Sun Fu, gritted his teeth, and asked, "Master, may I ask how the accelerated method is performed? And what losses are involved?"

Seeing his anxiety, Guo Jing didn't speak immediately, but instead frowned and touched his mustache.

Zhao Huan grew increasingly anxious and couldn't help but urge, "Master?" He bowed deeply to the ground, "Please tell me... no, please tell me, save the Song Dynasty."

Sun Fu, who was listening nearby, also bowed and said, "Please have mercy, Master."

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you then." Guo Jing stamped his foot: "The quick-fix technique requires ten years of my lifespan, and I must make incense burners and altars out of gold to offer to the heavens. Only then will the gods descend. However, the heavenly soldiers and generals at the critical point are not strong enough, and I may lose 30% of my divine power."

"So there's still a 70% chance?" Zhao Huan's expression was uncertain, his eyes flickering. "It might work, after all, they are gods, not mortals."

Sun Fu said, "We beg the True Man to use his magic to save the people of this city. We are willing to compensate the Taoist Master."

“Ten years of life…” Guo Jing sighed to the sky, and after a long while looked at the two of them with amusement: “It is not so easy to make up for, but it is not impossible, unless… there is the aura of an emperor that can cover up my fate, or perhaps it can obscure the secrets of heaven.”

Inside the room, the emperor and his minister looked at each other, both having realized something. At this moment, Zhao Huan had a sudden inspiration and turned to Guo Jing: "How about this? Please invite the True Man to enter the court and serve as an official, appointing him as the Associate Privy Councilor, Academician of the Baowen Pavilion, and Grand Master of Ceremonies. In addition, I will give the True Man 20,000 taels of gold and 10,000 bolts of fine silk."

Sun Fu chimed in from the side, "Such a true man possesses the aura of an emperor, which should allow him to avoid the shortening of his lifespan."

Guo Jing pondered for a long time, then stamped his foot and said, "Fine, I'll give it my all. But let's make it clear first, the choice of who sets up the formation is entirely up to me."

Zhao Huan and Sun Fu were overjoyed: "Of course, we will follow the Master's advice in everything."

All three laughed with satisfaction. That day, Zhao Huan held a banquet in the palace, inviting Li Bangyan, Bai Shizhong, Zhang Bangchang, Geng Nanzhong and others. He invited Guo Jing to sit in the main seat and ordered palace maids and dancers to perform. It was quite a lively occasion.

Although Guo Jing had never seen such a scene before, he knew exactly what was important at this moment. He pretended to be indifferent, which made Zhao Huan appreciate him even more.

Seeing the young emperor's behavior, Li Bangyan, Bai Shizhong, and the others immediately showered Guo Jing with praise, which only made Zhao Huan trust the fake Taoist priest even more.

Everyone got very drunk that day.

The next morning, Sun Fu, accompanied by the eunuch who read the imperial edict, went to Guo Jing's residence and presented him with court robes, gold, and silk, which drew envious glances from many people.

Guo Jing immediately recruited all the people who usually hung out with him, and also recruited several of the Dragon Guards who had long held prestige into the ranks of those who set up the formation. He spent a lot of money on them and quickly made them work for him. Afterwards, he recruited all the scoundrels in the city.

The days passed quickly amidst the hustle and bustle.

On the day of Jiaxu, past noon, the sky was bright and clear, and the smoke of war was about to rise.

……

Mid-to-late summer.

After resting, the Qi army of 200,000 men led one army under the command of Xi Sheng, Bian Xiang, and Han Shizhong, while Lü Bu led another army with Ma Ling as the vanguard. They approached Bianliang from the west and north, while opening up the south and west of the city. However, officers on both sides reported seeing cavalry patrolling in the distance, which made the people and gentry even more fearful.

However, before the rumors had subsided, warships were everywhere on the Yongji River to the east. Under the banner with the character "Qi" flying high, there were flags with the characters "Wei" and "Ruan". To the west, there were also ships with the characters "Li" and "Zhang" flying everywhere. All the ships leaving the city were stopped. Many boatmen beat their chests and lamented that they had left too late.

The city guards had already rung the alarm bells. The golden sound rang in the air, and the people in the city ran home cursing as they went. The city streets were soon empty. The spring breeze blew by, and yellow sand swept over a few shoes. A stray dog, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, hid under a table, holding a trampled snack on its head.

The army stretched as far as the eye could see, the thunderous footsteps and hooves filling the Song soldiers on the city walls with tension. Veterans who had fought the previous year ran along the ramparts, while officers shouted encouragement to their troops. Sun Fu climbed the city wall and found the man described in the poem "Feelings on Current Events." In Zhao Huan's eyes, Sun Fu was a meritorious official. Now, apart from Guo Jing, whom he considered a divine being who could save the Song Dynasty, Sun Fu was the most trusted by Zhao Huan. Even Li Bangyan and Bai Shizhong had to step back and yield their positions as favored ministers.

"What's going on now?"

The deep voice made the soldiers supporting the Japanese army turn around. Chen Xizhen, with his fair complexion, quickly ran over, looked around, and whispered, "Minister Sun, the situation is not good. There are many Qi troops outside the city." He gestured to several huge black shadows in the distance, "The enemy is launching a large-scale siege, and the soldiers' morale is low due to... uh, some miscellaneous matters. If we can't boost the morale of the generals, I'm afraid..."

"Low morale?" Sun Fu repeated, glancing at the surrounding guards. Many looked at him with distrust. He immediately realized that this was because of Li Gang's demotion, and perhaps also because of the tax collection in the city these past few days.

This is troublesome. I wonder if Master Guo is ready.

He thought to himself, "This is troublesome." He could vaguely hear the sound of war drums and saw the black formations shifting in his vision. He gritted his teeth and said, "Go and tell the soldiers that a large sum of money will be sent over soon. Everyone who fights today will be richly rewarded. I, the Minister, will stand here and fight alongside them against Qi."

Turning back to the palace guards who had followed him, he said, "Go back to the palace immediately and tell the Emperor that the soldiers on the city walls urgently need encouragement. Ask him to bring money and cloth over right now. Go quickly!"

The guards turned and went downstairs, and Chen Xizhen also ran to convey Sun Fu's promise. The Minister of War then ordered people to shout and make promises on several other city walls.

The soldiers on the city wall calmed down when they saw him standing there, their lazy expressions perked up considerably by the promise of money.

……

Woohoo——

The war horns echoed in the sky. The soldiers on the city wall, who had just mustered their strength, had not yet calmed down when, at the end of their line of sight, a long, dark shadow, like a swarm of ants, poured towards them.

Boom boom boom——

Several deafening sounds rang out, and flames flickered in front of the Qi army's formation. Then, a series of tremors came from the soles of their feet, accompanied by the sound of violent impacts.

The thunderous sound of hooves rolled in, shaking the earth beneath their iron hooves.

"……here we go."

Sun Fu took a breath: "Defend the city, and today's reward will be doubled! I guarantee it with my official rank, and it will be distributed to you!"

"Oh!"

The cheers were thunderous.

"Whirlwind cannons, fire!"

The wooden pole sprang up, and the dark shadow traced an arc as it disappeared into the distance.

The stones fell towards the galloping figures below. The high-speed warhorses split into two lines. The stones hit the cleared ground, bounced high at an angle, flew over the head of a cavalryman, and in the shadow of the stone, smashed his comrade behind him and his horse into a bloody pulp.

Arrows streaked across the sky, and the defenders on the city wall skillfully raised their large shields. Amidst the crackling sounds, the cannons roared again. Some soldiers, caught off guard, were violently shaken and fell off the city wall with screams. Immediately, others stepped up to fill their positions.

The massive siege engines moved forward, and dozens of catapults and ballistae on the city walls roared. The stones that were fired at them often did not cause much damage, but they made the ladders, siege towers and other equipment shake violently. Eventually, they fell apart and collapsed during transport, and the soldiers inside hurriedly ran out and went back.

"It seems the soldiers in Bianliang still have the will to fight."

Lu Bu stood in the center of the army, gazing thoughtfully at the figures moving on the city wall.

Looking up from here, from south to north and from east to west, busy figures can be seen everywhere. Compared to the cavalry and infantry on the west and north sides, the navy on the southeast sides also puts considerable pressure on Bianliang City.

Wei Zhaode, Hu Yanqing, and the three Ruan brothers in the west were all experienced in water sports and boating. With the boats made by Ye Chun, they were even more powerful. With the outer wheels open, the catapults on the boats would raise their arms from time to time as they moved forward and backward, engaging in long-range battles with the guards on the city walls.

Under the daylight, large quantities of stones, poison smoke balls, and fireballs were thrown from the ships onto the city walls. The exploding firearms caused the Song soldiers great distress. Fortunately, they also had these things, and someone brought clean water and wet cloths, which relieved the people on the city walls a little.

Li Bao and Zhang Shun, leading two rising stars, Li Jun and Zhang Rong, on the east side, were using the same tactics. The only difference was that Zhang Rong and Li Jun were on the front lines and were full of energy, frequently moving forward to shoot rockets with crossbows and bows.

Black smoke rose into the sky in a winding arc, stretching in all directions, forming a battlefield that stretched for dozens of miles. The sounds of weapons and shouts shook the sky.

Cao Rong, Li Cheng, Li Shixiong, Suo Chao, Yang Jin, Li Gui and other fierce generals who were ordered to attack the city wall led the surrendered soldiers in a fearless charge. Their ruthless appearance made the people on the city wall think that the elite Qi army was on the battlefield. However, the city of Bianliang was high and strong, and with the incentive of money, these men were ultimately unable to hold the city wall.

On the heated battlefield, those carrying banners bearing the character "Li" retreated. Arrows were constantly being hurled down from the city walls, and Han Chang and Hua Rong below directed their men to fire them back. A swarm of arrows flew into the sky like locusts, obscuring people's vision and piercing their leather armor and flesh, causing damage to both sides.

As Lü Bu listened to the reports from the cavalry from all directions, he kept issuing orders to adjust the offensive. When the dawn began to set in the west, he looked out over the city walls again before finally speaking: "Order the front to retreat."

The hand holding the reins twitched, and Red Hare snorted, lifted its leg, and shook its head restlessly: "The probing so far has yielded some results. This brat surnamed Zhao cannot hold out. Sound the retreat and wait for tomorrow to fight again."

The horse turned around, and a dozen messengers struck their gongs. The sound of the gongs startled the attacking troops, who then reluctantly retreated.

"It's...it's over?!" Sun Fu, who was hiding behind four large shields, heard the sound of the retreat signal, peeked out, and saw that there were no huge rocks lying in the air. He immediately sat down with a thud. On both sides of him, there were several corpses, all of them guards who had stood up the shields to protect him from the Qi army archers.

He glanced at the half-collapsed city gate and muttered, "They'll have to repair it again. It's all money..."

"My lord, please get up, the ground is dirty."

A guard stepped forward and pulled him up. The Minister of War readily complied, got up with the help of the guard, turned his head to look at the bottom of his robe, and slapped it twice.

As he was tidying his clothes, a soldier suddenly spoke up from afar: "Minister, where is our reward money?"

"Yes, where's the money?"

"My husband promised to double the amount today."

Several soldiers around him echoed his sentiments. Sun Fu stopped patting his clothes, tilted his body to look at the soldiers who were slowly closing in, and quickly raised both hands: "Wait a moment, everyone. I will keep my word. The reward money is all here. It's just that the emperor has approved the opening of the national treasury and it will take time to transport it over. I will go to the palace now to urge you on it."

"Would the Minister renege on his promise?"

"What nonsense!" Sun Fu roared, pounding his chest. "If I wanted to renege on my debt, why would I have stayed here on the city wall, living in fear with you all? Just believe me."

The soldiers around looked at each other, and many of them showed expressions of agreement. "That makes sense... We trust you, sir." They parted to make way for each other.

After watching Sun Fu and his entourage descend the stairs, the soldiers, who had just experienced a fierce battle, finally had time to tend to their wounds and carry away the bodies of their fallen comrades from the city walls. The city walls were bustling with activity once again. (End of Chapter)