Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Fine, continuous rain fell from the sky, and the galloping warhorses emitted the unique pungent smell of livestock sweat. Softened mud clung to horseshoes as they flew into the air.

The rain slightly obscured the view into the distance. Warhorses galloped back ahead, slowing their pace to follow the banners of the central army: "General Han, no Song troops have been spotted twenty miles to the south."

"Understood." Han Shizhong nodded, wiping the rain from his face: "Continue to explore forward, gather more people together, and the Song army scouts will be withdrawn immediately."

"Here!"

Soon after, the scout cavalry began to assemble, and more than a hundred riders galloped forward at full speed. Han Shizhong looked at the sky and said, "Slow down, save your horses."

The galloping horses slowed down and trotted closer to Yingtian Prefecture.

Since leaving the capital region, they had captured two military prefectures in succession. While the generals in the army were complacent, they were also restraining their arrogant hearts. Therefore, when Han Shizhong and others rushed to Yingtian Prefecture at the fastest speed, they were also careful of the enemy's ambush.

After all, intelligence indicated that Yingtian Prefecture had already amassed nearly 300,000 troops. Although they suspected that most of the troops were weak, they did not want any unexpected incidents that would cause excessive losses to the cavalry.

With two Song Dynasty emperors captured and the capital Bianliang occupied, any negligence at this point would be tantamount to nailing one's name to the pillar of shame.

Nobody wants that kind of honor.

The thunderous sound of hooves grew softer and more frequent, and voices occasionally drifted over. Han Shizhong glanced around and saw that the soldiers in the army maintained a state of outward relaxation but inward tension.

Once the warhorses had recovered their strength, they were ordered to gallop again, the thunderous sound of their hooves rolling away like muffled thunder.

Fifty miles ahead, Yingtian Prefecture stood amidst the drizzle.

……

Rainwater fell on the roof tiles, gathered into a small stream, and then burst open on the ground, with tiny droplets splashing far away.

The once bustling Yingtian Prefecture government office is now reduced to less than 10% of its former size. The main house in the remaining courtyard is open, and the sound of opera singing can be heard coming from it.

"...Yesterday, while strolling on the street, I saw four musicians from Yingzhou, Shandong, who had come here to beg for money. I invited them to my elder sister's house today..."

Tread-tap-

The figure running through the rain entered without disrupting the rhythm of the opera. The conductor, who had taken off his straw hat, glanced at the figure resting with his eyes closed and spoke cautiously.

"Stay put, northern bandit cavalry spotted outside the city..."

"...Celebrating the birthday of this humble scholar, yet he still hasn't arrived, so I, the academy's longevity immortal, offer incense to add to his life..."

"Stay...stay behind?!"

"Ben Shang~" The melodious singing stopped, and the figure with closed eyes opened them, looking at the commander in front of him. "Hmph..." he said lazily, "I heard it, I heard it. Isn't it obvious that the Qi army is coming? Even if I jump up to answer you, does that mean the Qi army outside won't come?"

"This..." The rather burly man smiled awkwardly: "That's not what I meant. It's just that there are only eight hundred soldiers in the city. Even if there are two thousand garrison troops, I'm afraid they'll run away faster than birds once the battle starts. How can we resist the northern bandits' attack?"

The garrison commander named Wu Kai stared intently at the commander, making the man feel extremely uncomfortable. He looked around at his uniform and hesitated, asking, "Where is the problem?"

“No, it’s not that you’re inappropriate.” Wu Kai suddenly laughed: “It’s that I’ve never seen anyone as loyal and brave as you, Wang Changyuan.”

Wang Changyuan smiled wryly: "I'm almost driven mad with worry, so please don't joke around with me..."

“I’m not joking.” Wu Kai waved his hands repeatedly, leaned to the side, and unceremoniously slumped against the armrest of the wooden chair, pointing to himself with one hand: “I am the Nanjing garrison commander, a pawn to be abandoned.”

One finger pointed at the commander: "You have less than a thousand soldiers under your command; you are a man waiting to die."

She withdrew her hand and lightly patted her leg: "Nine... Oh, the Emperor heard that the Qi army was coming and fled through the canal. You keep talking about the northern bandits and defending the city. You're not a loyal and brave person..." She tilted her head and looked at him: "Who is?"

"I...that...this humble man..." Wang Changyuan was momentarily at a loss for words. After a moment of panic, he suddenly realized, "Hmm? Commander, if you say that, could it be...that you are preparing to...uh...surrender the troops from the north?"

Wu Kai stared at Wang Changyuan with the look of someone looking at an idiot for a full thirty breaths before speaking: "The Emperor left me here without any intention of letting me live, so why would I seek death myself? If you don't want to live, don't drag me down with you."

"I want to live! I desperately want to live!" Wang Changyuan slapped his thigh and almost jumped up. "Otherwise, why would I have come all the way here to find you?!"

Wu Kai sat down on the wooden chair, stood up, pointed outside and raised his voice: "Then why don't you hurry up and open the city gates, and wait for the Qi army to come and surrender the city, you idiot!"

"Oh, oh, oh!" Wang Changyuan immediately realized what was happening and scrambled towards the door, shouting, "I understand, I'm going right now!"

Wu Kai watched the figure run away and spat on the ground: "No wonder you were demoted from the position of Commander-in-Chief to Commander. You stupid idiot, why didn't you choke to death when your mother was feeding you!"

He plopped down in the chair, closed his eyes again, clapped his legs to keep time, and started singing a raucous, off-key tune: "That young lady is fifteen, with a beautiful face, just look at her eyebrows and eyes..."

The rain gradually intensified, and the sound of the pouring rain drowned out his singing. Looking from the outside into the garrison, he remained as dignified and imposing as ever.

Wang Changyuan, who had been running outside, almost ran back to the city tower in one breath. The five constables were waiting there with worried expressions. When the gate slammed open, they all looked at the figure that appeared at the door and stood up.

"General, how is it?"

"What did the gentleman who stayed behind say?"

How much weaponry can be provided?

Tread-tap-

Wang Changyuan walked in panting, without saying a word. He ran to the table, grabbed the kettle, and gulped down a large amount of water from the spout.

bang——

The kettle was placed heavily on the table. Wang Changyuan wiped his mouth, his heavy breathing like a broken bellows. After a long while, under the expectant gazes of the five captains, he caught his breath and said, "The garrison commander is preparing to surrender the city. I support his decision. Who among you is against it?"

There was a moment of silence inside the city gate tower. The five captains looked at each other, and after a long while, they all shouted in unison, "We are willing to follow the general."

"You should have said so earlier. With so few people trying to hunt birds, I would have surrendered a long time ago."

"Absolutely, absolutely, only Sun Tzu would be willing to fight such a battle where certain death is certain."

The cacophony of voices brought a satisfied smile to Wang Changyuan's face. He waved to his subordinates, "Alright, enough nonsense. Go and open the city gates. Put down your weapons and wait for the Qi army's generals to arrive."

"Okay, we'll go right away."

"I was terrified! I thought you were going to resist to the bitter end, General."

"I've been wanting to open the city gates for ages, hahaha—"

The five constables walked out laughing and joking. Wang Changyuan's smiling face turned puzzled the moment they were about to leave. Then, as if realizing something, he blinked and looked at their backs: "Wait, you've been wanting to surrender all along? If I don't surrender, are you going to tie me up again?!"

"Uh……"

"what……"

The five captains froze on the spot, exchanged glances, and then suddenly took off running: "Let's go open the city gate!"

Wang Changyuan watched in astonishment as the people ran away, then jumped up and down, cursing, "A bunch of bastards!! I'll come back and deal with you!"

……

The sunlight dimmed, and the sunshine on a rainy day was not as long and bright as usual. Fortunately, the drizzle stopped at this time, and a few dark clouds drifted in the sky, occasionally obscuring the sun. The sky changed from cloudy to sunny.

Boom boom boom——

The horses' hooves kicked up the wet soil, splashing mud onto the horses' legs, the riders' boots, and trousers, leaving yellow stains that covered both the men and horses from bottom to top.

Han Shizhong, who was at the very front, raised one arm.

"Stop!" "Stop!"

The shouts echoed through the cavalry ranks, and the warhorses slowed down, stopping a hundred feet away from the city gate of Yingtian Prefecture. Han Shizhong tilted his head and squinted: "The city gate has been open all this time?"

A scout approached and whispered, "The four gates here were opened wide an hour ago. My men have been keeping an eye on the gates, but we haven't seen anyone go in or out."

Han Shizhong looked up at the Song army's flags on the city wall, stroked his chin, and looked on with a look of surprise and uncertainty: "Is there a conspiracy or...?" Then he waved his hand: "Please invite the generals over to discuss the military situation."

Five warhorses galloped out in different directions.

"Contact the scouts in the other three cities and inquire about the situation there!"

Some cavalrymen spurred their horses and galloped away.

……

On the city wall.

Wang Changyuan scratched his head, looking at the tens of thousands of cavalry below with some confusion: "Why isn't the Qi army coming in? What are they worried about?"

"I'm worried about you, you idiot!"

The voice from behind made Wang Changyuan's face darken, but when he turned around, he put on a smile again: "The man who stayed behind has arrived."

"Hmph—I came as soon as I received the news, and it's good that I came."

Wu Kai, his face dark, climbed to the top of the city wall. Seeing the cavalrymen parked below and their horses galloping away, his displeasure deepened. He pointed at the flags on the wall: "Couldn't you have brought these eyesores with you when you opened the city gates?! Are you trying to test whether the Qi army has the courage to attack the city?"

"Ah..." Wang Changyuan suddenly realized: "I'll send someone to change the flag to white immediately."

Having said that, he immediately ordered his captains to change the flag.

Wu Kai looked at the retreating figure, sighed heavily, and felt a bellyful of curses that he didn't know how to vent.

……

Okay, okay, okay—

A dozen or so warhorses gathered around.

Han Shizhong looked at Wang De, Yang Zaixing, Han Chang, and the others, then gestured forward: "What do you generals think?"

"The Song army flags are still hanging on the city wall..." Wang Bolong touched the scar on his face: "Could there be some kind of scheme involved?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Let me charge in and see." Wang De was getting restless: "The main force of the Song army isn't outside the city, and the city can't hold that many people."

"It's better to be cautious." The warhorse was restless, and Han Chang reached out to pull on the reins: "How about we have some cavalry dismount and try attacking their city walls?"

"Then I'll go!" Yang Zaixing pointed his thick, long spear forward: "Generals, please wait here..."

Before he could finish speaking, a figure moved on the city wall, and one after another, the fluttering red banners were taken down, immediately silencing the young general.

"Looks like we don't need to fight anymore..." Han Shizhong murmured.

Under the daylight, a white flag was erected on the city gate tower and was being vigorously waved around.

A moment later, someone came out of the city waving a white flag. The first scholar waved a white cloth and smiled obsequiously: "Sir, come... Bah, don't be impulsive, we surrender."

The knights in front of him exchanged glances, and Han Chang pulled on the reins: "I'll go take a look."

Han Shizhong pondered for a moment and nodded.

"go!"

Amidst the thunderous roar of hooves, five hundred cavalrymen swept past the people leaving the city, disappearing into the heart of the city.

On that day, Yingtian Prefecture surrendered without firing a single arrow.

……

The sky was cloudless, and the land was blue and green.

Bianliang.

Laughter echoed from the garden within the palace. Lu Wen, dressed in red, was running around with her younger siblings. The children's innocent laughter brought a faint smile to her parents' faces as they sat in the pavilion.

Little Lü Tuo seemed to lose his balance and fell to the ground with a thud.

Lu Wen turned around, looked at her underlings, and said, "Get up quickly, it's nothing to hurt yourself."

The little child struggled to his feet and smiled at his older sister.

"Be careful," Wu Qing called from behind, without getting up. She looked at her daughter and nodded in agreement, then shook her head helplessly.

"Don't worry, boys don't have to suffer from falls. When I was little, I was injured all the time, but I still grew up to be as strong as an ox."

Lu Bu didn't even look up, teasing the baby girl in Dalibo's arms. This was the princess born to Dalibo in the seventh year of Jianwu, and she was named Yun.

This was because the child had a faint scent of herbs about her, which Lu Bu particularly liked, and he couldn't help but dote on her more.

Wu Qing rolled her eyes: "Does my lord think everyone is as thick-skinned as you?"

Lu Bu shrugged, looking as if he had been praised, which earned him a glare from his wife.

The Empress of Daqi glanced at her husband, then at the three women—Hu Sanniang, Su Jinniang, and Dalibo—who were covering their mouths and laughing, and then at Zhao Duofu, whose smile had faded after a brief laugh. She sighed inwardly.

She knew all too well that the young woman was not feeling well, but now that the two countries were at war, her father and brothers had been captured and sent to the harsh land of Liaodong. This was the will of the court, or rather, the emperor.

As a woman, she couldn't say much, so she could only keep the young woman in check to prevent her from overthinking things on her own.

rustling --

Footsteps came from outside. The women looked in the direction of the sound and saw Yu Cheng, dressed in military uniform, stride in and hand Lü Bu two sheets of paper covered with writing: "Your Majesty, battle reports from General Xi Sheng and General Du Xue."

"Oh?" Lu Bu withdrew the finger that had been teasing his daughter's giggles, and took it to look at it.

Seeing that he was reading the battle report, Hu Sanniang asked, "Your Majesty, would you like us to leave for a moment?"

"No need, it's good news." Lu Bu smiled and put down the battle report in his hand: "I'll tell you sooner or later."

With a sigh of some emotion, he said, "Du Xue has captured Zhengzhou, and Wanyan Loushi is leading his troops in a fierce attack on Sishui. It seems that the road to Luoyang will be opened soon."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Xi Sheng's combined land and naval forces captured Xingren Prefecture and Guangji Army. Upon receiving news from Zhao Gou in Yingtian Prefecture, they changed course and headed south."

Zhao Duofu's body trembled slightly, and he clasped his hands together on his chest, biting his delicate red lips.

"Han Shizhong led his cavalry in a surprise attack, and Yingtian Prefecture was already deserted. Zhao Gou had already fled south via the Grand Canal when his troops turned around. He was quite a decisive fellow."

Zhao Duofu relaxed and slowly let out a long breath.

Seeing this out of the corner of his eye, Lü Bu did not reprimand him, but instead looked at Yu Cheng: "Send a message to Xi Sheng, since Zhao Gou has disappeared, take Jingdong first, connect the north into one, and then crush it with overwhelming force..."

"Go south!" (End of chapter)