Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

While it was drizzling in the eastern part of Beijing, the western part of the city was bathed in sunshine.

Beyond the city walls of Sishui, black smoke billowed from many places within the city. Soldiers in black uniforms were directing soldiers in red to fight the fires. Soldiers carried the dead and wounded across the streets, taking them to where they needed to go.

Faint cries could be heard in the small city. The government office was in a mess, and officials knelt on the ground, looking sadly at the corpses of their former colleagues. In the main hall, a corpse dressed in court robes hung from the roof beam.

Upon entering Wanyan Lou's room, he glanced upwards, sighed, and bowed to the corpse, saying, "Take it down and give it a proper burial."

He strode inside and said, "Send word to Huo Nu and Wulin Dataiyu, instructing them to lead their troops forward."

"Here!"

A guard responded and ran out. Wanyan Loushi stopped, thought for a moment, and turned back to look at the young Tudan Hexi: "You should also set off with Huo Nu and the others."

"General?!" Tudan Hexi exclaimed in surprise, and quickly lowered his head: "Have I done something wrong lately?"

"Not so." Wanyan Loushi stretched out his arm and patted his guard leader: "The merits you have accumulated are enough to be promoted to the position of a separate commander. It is because I have been reluctant to let you go that I have kept you by my side. Now it is time."

Tudanhexi looked up at him and said, "I am willing to follow the general forever."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Wanyan Loushi kicked him lightly. "If you have the ability, you should take responsibility. Go outside and select three hundred cavalrymen to go with you to General Wulinda's place to receive orders."

The young general, knowing he was determined, could only clasp his hands in a salute and say, "Yes, sir!"

He glanced reluctantly at the guards beside him, then took one last look at Wanyan Loushi before turning and leaving the government office. Soon after, the sound of cavalry hooves could be heard as they headed out of the city.

Inside, Wanyan Loushi had no time to savor the sadness and relief of his men's departure. Du Xue, Yuan Lang, Shi Wengong, Li Cheng, and others entered the yamen with their respective personal guards.

Two soldiers put the table together and laid out a long, wide geomantic map on it.

“Xingyang.” Du Xue pointed with his finger: “It’s too close to Sishui and Zhengzhou. I just ordered General Sun An and Feng Tai to move their troops westward and remove this thorn in our side.”

He moved his finger along the geomantic map and pointed to a certain spot: "General Li Bao's fleet is currently fifteen miles west of Sishui. It can cooperate with us at any time to take Gongxian, Yong'an and Yanshi. The problem is the Luoyang and Mengzhou area."

The commander, who was over forty, looked at the others and said, "If I were the commander of Henan Prefecture, I would definitely ask Mengzhou to send troops to help us. At that time, the Mangshan area would be a good place for them to ambush us. Whether they ambushed us halfway or harassed our rear, it would be very convenient."

Shi Wengong looked at him: "Commander Du means..."

Wanyan Loushi stared at the map, lost in thought.

Du Xue looked at him and said, "Liaodong is full of mountains and forests, and the Jurchen soldiers are also good at fighting in the forests and fields. Would it be feasible to hand over Mangshan to General Wanyan?"

The figure being questioned remained silent for a moment before speaking softly: "Aside from the cavalry, my unit only has three thousand infantrymen that I can mobilize. If you give me another unit of soldiers skilled in mountain warfare, it shouldn't be a problem."

Without hesitation, Du Xue said, "Aliqi once trained troops in Bingzhou. His more than four thousand men are all capable of climbing mountains and crossing rivers. Let him be under your command."

“No problem.” Wanyan Loushi nodded immediately upon hearing this: “Leave the Mangshan area to me.”

"Very good." Du Xue nodded: "Order the entire army to continue the march and attack Gong County."

Li Cheng was taken aback: "General, aren't we going to take a break?"

"This time, only the vanguard and right-wing soldiers worked hard to capture the stronghold; the rest of the troops were just on their way." Du Xue patiently explained to Li Cheng, "Since most of the troops have not suffered any losses or fatigue, why should we rest again?"

"Indeed." Wanyan Loushi nodded: "I have ordered Huo Nu to lead a thousand cavalry as the vanguard to continue the advance."

Without further ado, Du Xue turned and ordered, "Send orders to Dong Ping and Hu Yanzhuo, instructing them to lead their cavalry to join forces with the Changshui Colonel as the vanguard."

"Here!"

Under the light of day, the sound of horns rang out outside the city, and the sound of horses' hooves gradually rose. Five thousand cavalrymen charged out of the black sea of ​​people, and a muffled thunderous roar echoed across the plains.

In the sweltering heat, armored figures rose and fell on horseback, while soldiers on horseback galloped effortlessly forward all around.

Dong Ping, clad in gleaming silver armor with two flamboyant flags tucked behind him, twirled his silver short spears from time to time, his face beaming with smugness... no, excitement as he galloped at the head of the column, occasionally shouting to urge the cavalry behind him to advance faster. This infuriated Huyan Zhuo, who was positioned between the two cavalry units, who frequently sent his messenger forward to relay orders to Dong Ping's troops to slow down and prevent them from falling behind.

"Gongxian is a small city, not as fortified as Sishui. Tell Brother Huyan to hurry up, lest we miss out on the credit."

After dismissing the cavalry, Dong Ping urged his warhorse forward repeatedly, spear in hand. Behind the saddle, a shield flew up and down with each step of the horse.

……

The stone lay quietly on the ground, its sunlight blocked by the surrounding trees.

A muffled sound came from afar, the pebbles on the ground shook slightly, and the dust particles in the soil trembled slightly, more and more frequently. The palms supporting the ground could even feel the force.

"The Qi army is coming."

"Commander-in-Chief, shall we fight or not?"

The figure lying in the woods spoke up, asking the imposing figure in the middle. The soldiers listening all looked over, their faces showing tension.

"Don't fight them, let them pass."

A deep voice came from a robust body, and a calculating look appeared on the face of a man not yet thirty: "Judging from the low volume, he should be the vanguard of the Northern bandits. Let's wait."

As they spoke, the banners bearing the characters Wanyan and Wulinda became visible below. The ambushers, having received the message, lowered their heads and concealed themselves, only raising their heads when they heard the thunderous sound of horses galloping past.

"A number of 1,200 or 1,300, they are indeed the vanguard of the Qi army."

Someone looked at the young man and said, "The Commander-in-Chief is indeed wise."

"Stop flattering me." The man laughed and scolded, "It's just some common sense for leaders."

The people around him smiled, their expressions relaxed, and they hid in place, closing their eyes to rest without saying a word.

Not long after, another muffled thunderous sound rang out. The general instinctively gripped the powerful bow on the ground, turned around to look at his surroundings, and saw that although the soldiers looked tense, they were no longer panicked. He took a deep breath and said, "Order them to prepare to keep this cavalry here."

Strange sounds echoed through the woods, and the large "Dong" flag fluttered rapidly toward them, with another flag faintly visible behind it.

The powerful bow was raised, the arrow was nocked, and the ambush soldiers, holding their breath, watched as the first warhorse galloped into the ambush circle, and the general on horseback was dressed in gleaming silver armor.

The general's heart skipped a beat: "Kill that Qi general!"

The arrow was aimed at Dong Ping.

……

Boom boom boom——

The galloping warhorses followed the general ahead, their thunderous roar echoing through the forest.

state--

A clapper sounded.

Dong Ping's arrogant smile froze the moment the voice rang out. He reacted swiftly, shifting his body on his warhorse and reaching behind him.

whoosh-

An arrow flew past its eye socket an inch away, and it could even see the patterns on the shaft.

"Enemy attack——"

A loud shout rang out, and arrows rained down from both sides.

The warhorse, struck by an arrow, neighed in agony and collapsed to its knees in the midst of its gallop. The rider on its back was thrown into the air and crashed heavily to the ground, the sound of bones breaking mixed with screams echoing through the forest.

"Retreat, retreat, retreat—"

Dong Ping held a round shield in one hand to protect his warhorse's vitals. Arrows kept piercing his armor, but even when they did hit him, they failed to penetrate his flesh thanks to the protection of his gleaming silver armor.

"Damn it!"

Seeing that they had failed to kill Dong Ping, the Song generals who were lying in ambush became anxious and immediately drew their arrows and shot them at him, but they were all blocked by the double-spear general with his shield and short spear.

……

Seeing the commotion in the woods ahead, Hu Yanzhuo, who was slightly behind, was startled and drew his bow, shouting, "There's an ambush! Support General Dong!"

The knights beside him were all veterans of the battlefield, skilled in charging and archery. Upon hearing this, one of them spurred his horse toward the woods on either side, while another pulled out a bow and arrow, galloped closer, and fired an arrow.

As Huyan Zhuo drew his bow and released an arrow, he shouted loudly, "Sound the horn! Sound the horn! Inform General Wanyan that we are under attack!"

A dozen or so guards behind him brought out bull horns. Whoosh—

Deafening.

……

"Commander, those behind them are coming up."

"The Qi army is sounding their horns, calling for reinforcements!"

Several guards around him pointed behind them and shouted in fear.

"Don't panic!" The imposing figure stood up, holding a pair of iron-wheeled axes in his hands. The Song general shouted loudly, "Notify the troops on both sides to retreat deeper into the territory. The Qi army is unfamiliar with the terrain."

Once the order was given, the messenger blew the pre-arranged signal, and the commander leading the troops hurriedly led his men into the depths of the woods on both sides.

However, by this time, the Qi army's cavalry had recovered from the ambush and were galloping off into the woods to pursue them.

Dong Ping was furious when he saw that his beloved horse had been hit by two arrows. He looked around and saw that more than two hundred people had been killed or wounded in the volley of arrows just now.

"Chase after them—" Dong Ping roared through gritted teeth, drew his long sword from his waist, and with a flash of cold light, severed the arrow shaft that had pierced the horse's body. He then pulled on the reins and charged into the dense forest.

More cavalrymen entered the forest, their horses trotting as they fired arrows from their bows, dodging the haphazard branches. Some accidentally bumped into a branch, their vision went black, and they tumbled to their feet, shakily regaining their balance, touching their heads, and then continued their pursuit on foot.

The retreating Song soldiers began to panic, and many turned and ran away, leaving those who still had the will to fight standing there in a daze. Soon after, they were killed on the spot by the charging knights.

Screams echoed throughout the woods.

The smell of rust began to spread in the wind.

Dong Ping threw away his hedgehog-like shield, grabbed two guns, and charged toward the area with the most Song soldiers. His horse was not seriously injured, and he was quite fast at running. He quickly crashed into the crowd and, relying on the speed of his two guns, killed his bright silver armor, which was splattered with blood on half of his body.

Knights from the north were in hot pursuit, trying to protect their commander. The corpses along the way served as guideposts for the group.

……

"Speed ​​up!" Hu Yanzhuo ran through the forest, ducking to avoid the branches that stretched out, and heard a scream from behind him, feeling somewhat helpless.

Cavalry entering the forest was inherently risky, and if he hadn't known the Song army's character well, he would never have allowed his troops to enter. Even so, hearing about the cavalrymen who had fallen from their horses due to accidents made him furious. Although these men wouldn't die, they were bound to be injured.

I'll definitely give that guy surnamed Dong a good beating when I get back; he's always so reckless.

He cursed inwardly, but then a look of delight appeared on his face as he heard the distant sound of a bull's horn.

"It's General Wanyan, and they're on their way."

……

"The Qi troops who were released earlier are responding with horns."

"Damn it, these northern bandits reacted too quickly!"

Among the runners, many complained aloud. The figure carrying two iron wheel axes looked back and saw the Qi army general in silver robes approaching. He gritted his teeth and said, "Kill the one behind first, otherwise no one will escape."

He stopped, and two tracks appeared on the forest floor.

Dozens of people around him stopped, but many more pretended not to hear and continued running.

"Commander, they..."

"Let them run!" the general gritted his teeth and clashed his two axes together.

Clang——

"Kill him with me!"

He strode towards Dong Ping, saying, "I am from Henan Prefecture—"

Archers behind them were drawing their bows and nocking arrows.

……

Okay, okay, okay—

The sound of horses' hooves came from below, and the elegant flag fluttered behind them.

Dong Ping narrowed his eyes in surprise as he watched the general turn back and charge into the distance. Hearing the general shout, he grinned menacingly and said, "You've got guts. You're a real man."

"Meng Bangjie, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards Infantry!"

"General Dong Ping, the Valiant Warrior of the Great Qi!"

Dong Ping swung his short spear to deflect the incoming arrows, his eyes fixed on the figure carrying a pair of large iron axes.

The warhorse neighed loudly and charged forward relentlessly. Meng Bangjie leaped forward to meet it, ducked low, and swung his iron axe at the horse's legs.

Dong Ping cursed under his breath, spurred his horse forward, and thrust his silver short spear downwards through the gap, causing a sharp metallic scraping sound to erupt from the opponent's iron armor.

Chi-

Half a horse's leg, dripping with blood, flew into the sky.

The charging warhorse let out a mournful cry, lost its balance and fell forward. Dong Ping, who was on the warhorse, sensed something was wrong. He abandoned his spear, leaned to the side, drew his long sword from his waist and threw it in that direction. The moment he landed, he grabbed the remaining short spear and rushed over.

bang——

The axe blade slammed into the single spear, and Meng Bangjie roared "Ah—!" as he swung his two large iron axes at Dong Ping. The two spearmen, who only had one spear left, quickly swung their spears to block.

Dangdangdang——

Sparks flew from the metal striking metal, scattering between the two men under the shade of the tree.

"Attack together, hurry up!"

Meng Bangjie roared and ordered the people around him to step forward, but Dong Ping was the best at fighting in the middle of a crowd. He blocked the pair of axes with his silver spear and dodged among the Song soldiers. When someone rushed over to grab his legs, he jumped up and stomped hard on his back.

"Ouch—"

A scream erupted below. Dong Ping thrust his spear into a man's abdomen, spun around, and flung his arm, sending the corpse flying to block Meng Bangjie's view. The burly man pushed the corpse aside, then sprinted two steps before swinging his axe at him.

Dong Ping roared, "Surrender now!" He swung his arm, caught an axe with the barrel of his spear, and raised his foot to kick, but the other side kicked first.

bang——

Dong Ping was struck hard in the abdomen and stumbled back several steps.

Meng Bangjie was overjoyed and was about to give chase when he heard the sound of horses' hooves.

whoosh-

whoosh-

Two arrows flew from his sides, one from the left and one from the right.

puff--

puff--

With a series of soft thuds, it plunged into the ground, its brown and white tail feathers trembling slightly.

"Commander... Commander..."

In his line of sight, the soldiers behind him had already laid down their weapons and raised their hands, smiling awkwardly at him.

"We were just thinking that his reinforcements have arrived."

Meng Bangjie: "..."

The banners of Huyan and Wanyan flanked them from the left and right. (End of Chapter)