Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The lazy early summer sun stretched from the countryside into the city. Many people from outside the city gathered at the city gate earlier than usual this morning. When the city gate opened, they went inside and went to their familiar spots to start their day. The streets were already full of pedestrians and ordinary people, and everyone seemed a little tense and stressed.

This place is not far from the capital. The Qi army only occupied Bianliang for a few days before relaxing the city gate restrictions, allowing news from inside to spread. Traveling merchants,江湖人 (jianghu people, martial arts practitioners), and refugees had already spread the news about the situation in the capital.

Bianliang fell, and the two emperors were captured.

This major event was rumored from Yuanwu City, the easternmost part of western Beijing, close to the capital, all the way to Changshui, west of Luoyang, and even in the countryside. Although most people had guessed that the Qi army would attack Bianliang again after the fall of Hebei and Hedong, when the result was in front of them, many people's hearts were still pounding, and the word "worry" was almost on their heads.

Those who were able have already set off to visit relatives elsewhere, but many more have nowhere to go and can only stay at home, repeating the same routines of daily life.

At the same time, the level of vigilance in Luoyang reached an unprecedented level. The number of soldiers on patrol alone was several times greater than usual, and scouts were spread out for dozens of miles to keep an eye on the official road connecting the capital to the east.

Officials in Henan Prefecture even sent a message to Zhengzhou in the east, requesting the erection of more beacon towers so that they could quickly relay any alarms and allow Xijing to respond.

During such a period, Zhai Jin, as the top general in western Beijing, would inevitably have to guard the city wall. He had become so accustomed to climbing the eastern city wall every day to look into the distance that it had almost become second nature. However, whenever he stood on the passageway of the city wall filled with soldiers, he still felt as if Mount Tai was pressing down on him.

During the Northern Expedition, what he saw and heard flashed through his mind, and the pressure brought by the advancing army was still fresh in his memory. Moreover, it had been like this since last year...

Looking at the sunlight shining on the horizon and the distant green hills and yellow earth under the sunlight, Zhai Jin let out a long breath, closed his eyes briefly, opened them again, and turned around: "Let's go back."

The guards beside him naturally did not object and followed Zhai Jin as he turned around. However, before he could reach the stone steps at the bottom of the city, a shout of "Smoke signal!" startled him, and he turned around abruptly.

A winding column of black smoke rose into the air.

Zhai Jin turned around and quickly walked to the top of the city wall. He clung to the battlements and looked out for a full quarter of an hour before turning back. Without saying a word, he quickly descended the city wall.

The smoke signals had just been raised, and the people on the street were unaware of the news. They continued to go about their business noisily, and people would occasionally stop to look at the goods sold by street vendors, with the sounds of bargaining filling the air.

"Get out of the way!"

"Urgent military situation! Get out of the way!"

The shouts and the sound of horses' hooves drew closer, and many people quickly moved aside. A troop of cavalry galloped past, disappearing from the sight of the people on the street amidst countless inquiries of "What's going on?" and "Is there going to be a war?"

The warhorse soon stopped at the government office. Zhai Jin jumped off the horse and hurried inside. Soon after, Zhai Xing, Zhai Liang, Zhai Cong, Yang Wei and other generals entered one after another. Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Zhai Jin spoke softly.

"The smoke signals rise, and the Qi army advances eastward."

Those who hadn't yet settled into their seats froze, all expecting to hear these words later and mentally prepared themselves, but they were still somewhat startled when they heard them.

"From now on, the city will enter a state of war, and we should try to leave people on the city walls to guard them."

"Order the army to cancel all rest days starting today. Each battalion shall inspect its weapons and armor and move crossbows and whirlwind cannons to the city walls."

"Recruit able-bodied men from the city to prepare for war."

"Fellow soldiers, prepare for battle!"

"Big brother, Zhai Cong, you two stay here for a moment."

With a concise command, the generals in the hall became solemn, bowed to Zhai Jin, and hurriedly left. Their figures disappeared into the distance, leaving only the Zhai family members behind.

Zhai Liang consciously stayed there, got up and walked to the door, peeked outside, and then looked at the guards at the door: "You all walk out five zhang and watch out for anyone approaching."

The guards outside did as he was told and walked away. The young man closed the door and then came in and sat down.

Zhai Xing slowly spoke: "Tell me, did something happen? Otherwise, why did you leave only our own family members behind?"

Zhai Cong sat leaning against his cousin, glancing at him. The cousin gave him an "I don't know" look, and then the two younger men fell silent, looking at the silent number one general of Jingxi.

Zhai Jin sat quietly behind his desk, his hands folded on the table. In the still-bright daylight, his expression was somewhat serious. He slowly glanced at his family members opposite him and said, "Just listen to what I'm about to say, and then tell me your thoughts."

Zhai Xing nodded, and the two younger ones exchanged another glance before straightening up.

“Where to begin…” Zhai Jin began slowly, then paused for a moment, “Let’s start with the invasion of the Qi state last year.”

Looking at his hands, he said, "Ever since the Qi army marched south last year, something strange has happened to me. I've been having dreams for a long time."

"A dream?" Zhai Xing frowned.

Zhai Liang and Zhai Cong looked slightly taken aback.

"Dream!"

Zhai Jin nodded: "It was a very strange dream. The Qi Kingdom in the dream did not appear. Instead, the Jin Kingdom, composed of Jurchens, came. They did not take the route through Hejian and Daming Prefecture, but instead attacked Zhengding and then marched south, eventually invading Kaifeng. You and I led the soldiers and civilians in western Beijing to recapture the western capital. We fought against the Jin army in various parts of Henan Prefecture and achieved many victories, even capturing a Jin general..."

Zhai Xing, Zhai Cong, and Zhai Liang looked at him with somewhat complicated expressions. The eldest of them interrupted him, "Erlang...have you been under too much pressure lately? You even believe in your wildest dreams?"

"...I know this sounds like nonsense, but please let me finish."

Zhai Jin leaned back somewhat helplessly, rubbing his forehead with a headache: "We fought and won against the Jin army in Lingshan Village, Gaodu County, Luoyang City, and Baicaowu in Yiyang. Later, the commander-in-chief Sun Zhaoyuan came to Luoyang, and I was responsible for defending Mianchi. Then the Jin army invaded Bailang Pass and tried to cross the Yellow River. I led my troops to defeat them. Oh, and we captured Gao Shiyou. He surrendered to the Jin."

“Gao Shiyou? The one from the Gao family in the north?” Zhai Xing suddenly asked.

"It's him."

Zhai Jin nodded, lowered his hand, and stared absently at the roof beams: "Later, Luoyang fell again. We gathered a thousand defeated soldiers in Yiyang. When the Jin army attacked Xuefeng, we led three hundred elite daredevils to set fire to and destroy the Jin army camp at night. We also fought the Jin army at Ludaoyan and captured a Jin general alive..."

His gaze shifted from above to the three family members over there: "The key point is what happened next. The rebels Ji De and Han Qing gathered in Nanyang. I defeated Ji De by a side road, killed Han Qing at Aihaoping, Liang'er died in the battle to attack Luoyang again, and I died at the hands of Yang Jin, the notorious bandit recruited by Du Chong, the governor of the southeast, who was known as 'Hornless Ox'."

Zhai Xing's expression finally changed: "Ji De and Han Qing? Aren't these two the bandit leaders who were reported five days ago? Erlang, when did you dream about them?"

"It first happened last year when I dreamed about it, and it's become more and more frequent since then." Zhai Jin's expression was somewhat grim. He glanced at his son and then looked at his elder brother: "I was feeling very troubled, so I decided to send someone to Hebei to investigate..."

He twitched his lips slightly and said, "The scouts reported that after Du Yun surrendered to Qi, he actually recruited a bandit leader named Yang Jin, nicknamed 'Hornless Ox,' who is now serving in the Qi army."

"Is there such a strange thing?" Zhai Xing frowned.

Zhai Liang opened his mouth, looking at his father with a complicated expression, then lowered his head and remained silent. His cousin glanced at him, unsure how to comfort him.

In the hall, light streamed in through the window lattices, and tiny dust particles drifted and shifted within the beams of light. Zhai Jin remained silent for a few moments before speaking.

"These dreams didn't happen in one day; they seemed to be continuous, appearing over several nights, each one different, but all depicting us fighting against the Jin army. At first, I thought it was just from overwork, and I even consulted a doctor to take my pulse, but he couldn't find anything."

His gaze shifted to the three people in front of him, and he straightened up slightly: "These things are as vivid in my mind as dealing with things during the day. I have thought about it. If I were really in that situation, I... would act as if I were in a dream."

The room fell silent for a moment, and the four men from the Zhai family remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, Zhai Xing frowned so deeply that his brows were almost knitted together and asked, "Erlang, what are you trying to say?"

“…I don’t know.” Zhai Jin shook his head, a bitter smile on his face. “I just suddenly wanted to talk to someone.” He took a slow breath. “I know it’s absurd, but things in dreams are indeed too realistic, often making it hard for me to distinguish between reality and dreams.”

He paused, his expression somewhat complicated, and then said, "And another thing is... the Jin and Qi kingdoms are different."

Zhai Cong's eyes flickered: "Uncle, how is it different?"

"The Jin Kingdom in my dream was tyrannical. After entering my Great Song Dynasty, it often committed acts of slaughter, and there were many bloody incidents along the way. You all know about the Qi Kingdom, but there were no such bloody incidents."

Zhai Xing glanced at his brother, a thoughtful look on his face: "So, Erlang, you have no hostility towards Qi?"

Zhai Jin thought for a moment, then slowly nodded with a solemn expression.

Zhai Liang suddenly stood up, but before he could say anything, Zhai Jin yelled at him, "Shut up and sit down."

“…Oh.” Zhai Liang immediately slumped back into his seat, looking at the person next to him who was sulking.

I died once in your dream, and I couldn't even say a word... Zhai Cong looked at him, but didn't say anything. He just patted his shoulder to comfort him.

Zhai Xing, however, somewhat understood his brother. Having spent most of his life in the military, when faced with foreign invasion, a general should have been filled with righteous indignation and resistance. Yet, in the end, he showed no anger whatsoever. He must have felt terrible, which was why he came to them to confide his frustrations. But...

This is too bizarre!
I don't know how to comfort her either!

The elder brother scratched his head awkwardly, feeling a lot to say but unable to get it out. In the end, he managed to say, "With war approaching, don't think about these ridiculous things. Focus on preparing for war."

"That's the only way." Zhai Jin nodded helplessly, forcing a smile. "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, brother. I won't bother you any longer."

Zhai Xing nodded, stood up, and took his leave with his son. The father and son returned to the military camp in silence.

"Father," Zhai Cong said, looking around to make sure no one was watching, as he entered his father's tent. "Do you think what Uncle said today is true?"

“Whether it’s true or not.” Zhai Xing looked outside with a complicated expression, then sighed with his hands behind his back, “It’s a fact that your uncle’s resolve to resist the enemy is not firm.” He reached out and patted Zhai Cong on the shoulder, “Remember, this matter must never be known to outsiders.”

"I know, child."

Zhai Xing nodded in satisfaction. The father and son talked for a while, then summoned the generals in the army to arrange military affairs. As darkness fell, they had their dinner early and went to bed.

dong dong dong-

In a hazy state, he heard the sound of war drums. Zhai Xing suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, and walked out of the tent.

Twenty guards galloped over, pulling their warhorses. Zhai Xing leaped onto his horse, raised his spear, and pointed it forward: "The traitor Wang Jun is at Umbrella Mountain. His soldiers have lost their morale. I will charge ahead, and you will follow behind me to kill the enemy and serve our country!"

"Kill the enemy and serve the country—"

"Kill the enemy and serve the country—"

Countless roars rang out around them, and a forest of guns stood high, reflecting the sunlight.

Zhai Xing pointed his spear forward: "Kill—"

Thousands of Song soldiers shouted themselves hoarse as they followed behind Zhai Xing.

The general on horseback took the lead, galloping across the plains, gripping his spear tightly, and forcefully knocking away those who blocked his way. His roar, "I am General Zhai, those who block my way shall die!" echoed across the battlefield along with screams of agony.

Countless Song soldiers followed behind him, while the enemy troops in front of him were retreating in disarray. Before anyone knew it, the countless enemy flags that had been fluttering fell to the ground, and panic spread throughout the army. The large "King" flag that had been held high fled in haste.

"You cowardly scoundrel!" Zhai Xing, mounted on his warhorse, pointed his spear at the departing banner: "Wang Jun, you are unworthy to be a subject of the Song Dynasty!"

He turned his warhorse around: "Let's go back."

"Wan Sheng!"

The soldiers' shouts faded into the distance.

Zhai Xingzhi walked triumphantly into the ancient city of Yiyang. He entered under the plaque of the garrison commander. Whenever intelligence of the Jin army's invasion arrived, he would send letters to Xiang Mi, Wang Jian, Wang Ying, and others. He seemed to trust these names very much and was certain that they would fight against the Jin together.

In the fourth year of the Jianyan era, a messenger came from the State of Qi, saying that there was an imperial edict for him. Zhai Xing was greatly surprised. He took the edict and saw that it was a letter conferring him the title of king. The man, who had just been filled with joy, glanced at the signature: Emperor Liu Yu of the Great Qi.

"How dare you deceive me, you dog!"

He reached out and threw the imperial edict with all his might, knocking the messenger to the ground with a thud. Zhai Xing's hatred did not diminish. He drew his long sword from his waist and stabbed the messenger to death.

"This filthy scoundrel, who dares to call himself the Emperor of Qi, truly doesn't know the meaning of death!"

He glanced at the imperial edict on the ground, bent down to pick it up, and threw it into the bronze furnace. Flames leaped up and it instantly turned to ashes.

Zhai Xing glanced coldly at the burning flames and turned away.

A cold glint shot out from below.

puff--

"Uh...uh..."

A sharp pain shot through his chest, and Zhai Xing stared intently at the face before him: "Yang... Yang Wei, you..."

The short sword rotates.

"Uh!"

"The Emperor of Great Qi bestowed upon you the title of King, yet you refused. You are truly a fool."

The dagger left his chest; Zhai Xing's last image was of the blade slashing towards his neck.

Chi!
"what!!"

Zhai Xing sat up on the bed, his hands constantly touching his chest and neck, cold sweat and hot sweat pouring out from every pore of his body.

"Huff... I... I still have my head?!"

After breathing heavily for an unknown period of time, the seasoned general finally calmed down and then realized that it was already bright outside, and he could hear the sounds of morning exercises.

"It's...a dream?!"

A murmured sound came from Zhai Xing's mouth.

"Why is it true..."

……

"Father! Your son is incompetent, unable to avenge you!!"

Zhai Cong opened his eyes wide, raised his hands and shouted, then paused for a moment before lowering them. He slowly looked around, his expression shifting, touched his still relatively smooth face, and murmured, "Didn't I lose to Liu Yu? How come I'm still here... Dong Xian... Yang Wei..."

His face, which had been shifting between emotions, gradually calmed down. Zhai Cong wiped the cold sweat from his brow and looked outside thoughtfully: "A dream?"

The sound of students running during morning exercises could be heard.

……

"Father, did I really die in your dream?"

Zhai Liang looked at his father with a sullen face: "Couldn't I have lived a few more years to be there for you in your final days?"

"You bastard thing!"

Zhai Jin's face twitched: "Can't you speak properly! I'm still alive!" He looked around, grabbed a bamboo stick from the table, and pointed it at Zhai Liang: "Today I'll show you what it means to raise a filial son under the rod."

"No, Dad! That's a bamboo stick! That thing... Ah!!"

……

at the same time.

As Wanyan Loushi rode his warhorse, watching the arrows and stones falling in the distance, he slowly raised his arm: "Pass down the order: whoever first scales the city wall will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold and two hundred cattle and sheep."

The riders spurred their horses forward, their shouts echoing across the battlefield, followed by joyous cheers. Sunlight shone through the ancient, simple characters on the city gate—

Sishui. (End of Chapter)