Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Wheel, wheel—

The wooden cart swayed back and forth as the warhorses pulled it. Meng Bangjie stared blankly at the army formation moving around him. The black uniforms and leather armor were oppressive to behold.

As the commander of an army, after being captured, he was immediately sent to the rear of the main army. Li Cheng, who had changed the rear wing to the front, did not execute him. Instead, he ordered that he be put in a prison cart and carried forward with the army.

"I am Li Cheng, formerly the military commander of Daming Prefecture." Li Cheng, mounted on his warhorse, spoke familiarly to the figure in the prison cart: "I've heard that your official rank is only a commander-in-chief, and you look to be under thirty. May I presume to call you Brother Meng?"

Meng Bangjie's eyes flickered as he glanced over and sized up Li Cheng, who was clad in iron armor and wearing a beige cloak: "Commander... are you here to persuade him to surrender?"

Seeing his expressionless face, Li Cheng was unsure of his intentions, and after a moment's thought, said, "Let's just treat this as a chat..."

"Okay, I surrender."

Li Cheng: "..."

Is it... really that straightforward?
Looking at the incredulous expressions on their faces, Meng Bangjie shrugged in the prison cart: "Brother Li, why are you looking at me like that? I did my best. I was defeated, captured, and surrendered. Isn't that a perfectly reasonable thing?"

The sounds of foot soldiers and warhorses moving around them continued, and the soldiers guarding the area looked at Meng Bangjie with disbelief as they listened to the conversation between the two.

Li Cheng racked his brains for a moment, but still couldn't figure it out. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Brother Meng, you're thinking too fast. I can't keep up."

"Brother Li, you question my feigned surrender?" Meng Bangjie laughed heartily. "How did you even join the Qi army?"

Li Cheng hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, forcing himself to argue: "We are different. Although we also surrendered voluntarily... we just couldn't stand those big headscarves and were being oppressed by those above, so we surrendered." He paused and then added: "Besides, even the garrison commander of Daming Prefecture is surrendering, so there's no need for us to hold out any longer."

"……How about this."

Meng Bangjie blinked, roughly understanding his concerns: "I have some friends among the garrison in Yanshi. If I go to persuade them to surrender, it will prove my sincerity. If not, at most there will be one more rebel in the city."

Looking around at the advancing troops, he sighed, "In front of your army, does it matter whether I am one more or one less?"

Li Cheng remained silent, frowning as he pondered for a long time: "I cannot answer you immediately; it requires the commander's approval."

“Of course.” Meng Bangjie sat in the car, swaying with the movement of the vehicle. “I’ll do whatever Brother Li says.”

The Heavenly King Li Cheng nodded, summoned a few of his personal guards, gave them an order, and the men spurred their horses and rode back.

Soon he received a positive reply from Du Xue at the rear.

And ahead, Gongxian County was already close.

……

Flames raged across the sky, and black smoke rose and spread continuously.

Scouts rushed back and forth outside Luoyang, and troops led by generals frequently marched to the front.

The atmosphere in the city grew increasingly chaotic. Rice prices rose three times a day, and within a few days they exceeded a thousand coins. Passersby wore expressions of misery, but life had to go on, so they could only swallow their bitterness, pay for rice and flour, and leave.

The knights carrying red flags galloped into the city, shouting and driving away pedestrians on the streets, and made their way into the government office.

"Report——"

The rider, who had fallen from his saddle, staggered, then quickly ran inside and held up a battle report: "Gongxian has fallen. The enemy vanguard of 20,000 is heading towards Yanshi, and their commander has requested our assistance."

bang-

Several chairs thudded as a man in an official robe rushed out, snatched the battle report, and scanned it from top to bottom, his body trembling slightly: "We just lost Sishui, and now we've lost Gongxian..."

He raised his head and asked, "Where is the Qi army now?" Then he realized, "Yes, Yanshi. I was wrong. How far is their vanguard from Yanshi?"

"It should be less than twenty li."

"Why is it taking so long to report this?" The Henan Prefect, whose name was He Zhitong, frowned, then waved his hand and said, "Never mind, there's no point in discussing this now. Go and find General Zhai."

Someone ran out quickly, and soon Zhai Jin arrived with several guards: "Master He, you were looking for me?"

"New battle report." He Zhitong handed it to him: "Yanshi is currently under siege by the Qi army and probably won't be able to hold out for much longer."

"...I have already sent men to gather troops nearby to provide reinforcements." Zhai Jin said, then, seeing He Zhitong's furrowed brows, he sighed inwardly, "Stay put, we cannot send any more reinforcements. The army in Luoyang should not be moved lightly."

"General Zhai, please take more troops to provide support." He Zhitong pondered for a moment, but still shook his head: "Luoyang is a strong city, we can hold it without too many troops."

Seeing the hesitation on Zhai Jin's face, he smiled slightly and said, "I know what the general is worried about, but we cannot let the Qi army attack and seize the land. If we do, Luoyang will become an isolated city and will not be able to be defended. It is better to take a gamble. If the Qi army is caught off guard, they may be defeated by us."

Zhai Jin looked at the scholar in front of him with a somewhat peculiar expression.

He Zhitong pointed outside: "I hope General Zhai will lead troops to Yanshi. If you can hold it, then Luoyang will be as secure as Mount Tai. If not, with you outside and me inside, it will be easier to defend." He looked intently at Zhai Jin: "I have decided to stay behind. I hope you will go quickly."

“...Very well.” Zhai Jin cupped his hands in a somewhat disheartened gesture: “Since the magistrate says so, I will lead the troops there.”

Immediately, Zhai Jin summoned his brothers and nephews to discuss the matter. They dared not draw all the troops from the city, but instead selected five thousand elite soldiers, one thousand brave warriors, and five hundred cavalrymen, and marched swiftly toward Yanshi in a grand procession.

……

The soldiers marched into the city with thunderous footsteps. Soldiers in crimson uniforms stood aside, unarmed. Two figures at the city gate met the imposing figure riding a warhorse. The one in the lead looked up with a smile.

"Well? I told you I could persuade Yan Shi to surrender."

Meng Bangjie smiled at Li Cheng as he entered the city gate, and pointed to the general standing next to him: "This is my brother Yue Zhen."

Yue Zhen looked somewhat uneasy and stepped forward to bow to Li Cheng: "Yue Zhen, Commander of the Henan Prefecture Imperial Guards and Infantry, greets General Li."

Li Cheng dismounted and returned the salute: "General Yue's willingness to surrender is a blessing for me and the soldiers. Thank you again for your consideration of the overall situation. Commander Du said that if you are willing, you can continue to lead the troops in the city to garrison here."

Yue Zhen's expression immediately softened, and he smiled sincerely: "Thank you, General Li. I have long admired your army and am willing to serve you with all my heart."

Li Cheng chuckled, but before he could speak, several cavalrymen galloped over from afar and stopped: "Report—Song troops are approaching from fifteen li ahead. Judging from their banners, they are from Zhai."

Li Cheng raised an eyebrow, his face showing a thoughtful expression.

"Zhai? Zhai Jin or Zhai Xing?"

Meng Bangjie said something, then glanced at Yue Zhen, who looked somewhat bewildered. Yue Zhen looked anxious and quickly said, "General Li, I haven't received any news of reinforcements arriving."

“Heh, General Yue, don’t be hasty.” Li Cheng looked at him with a gentle smile: “I believe that you have no other intentions, but…”, with a hint of cunning on his face: “We can take this opportunity to leave all of these behind.”

Meng Bangjie and Yue Zhen exchanged a glance and nodded in unison: "We will follow General Li's orders." Li Cheng nodded and turned around to call out: "Order half of the soldiers to enter the city and wear the uniforms of the Song army inside the city. The rest of the soldiers should assume an attack posture. The cavalry should retreat five miles and enter the forest to ambush."

"Send a message to General Du Xue in the rear: Song reinforcements are approaching. Request that he send troops here immediately."

Then he looked at Yue Zhen and said, "Are there any criminals in the city? Bring them all out and kill them under the city walls."

"Yes." Yue Zhen nodded, beckoned a personal guard to look at Li Cheng, who immediately called over a military officer: "Take men and follow this brother, bring him over here and kill him."

"Here!"

A voice responded, knowing that time was of the essence, "Brother, please hurry, time waits for no one," urging the Song soldiers to move forward.

Li Cheng was relieved: "Please come with me to the city wall, General, and we will make a show of resistance."

Yue Zhen naturally wouldn't refuse, and regardless of the fact that he was surrounded by Li Cheng's personal guards, he followed the man inside with a natural expression, and Meng Bangjie also followed beside him.

The riders were ordered to gallop away, and the three men on this side hurriedly entered the city. Behind them, soldiers in black military uniforms quickened their pace and entered at the command of their officers.

Some cavalrymen ran in the opposite direction and hid in the woods.

Soon after, many prisoners dressed in black and red military uniforms cried out for mercy on the city wall. In the afternoon sunlight, they were stabbed in vital areas by spears and pushed off the city wall.

Below, the sound of war drums rang out, wooden ladders were placed on the city wall, and arrows and stones were piled up haphazardly below the city wall.

……

The troops from Luoyang were marching under the daylight. Pairs of shoes with brown silk soles traversed the grass up to their calves. Fan Yang's face, hidden under his hat, was covered in sweat. Although they were wearing leather armor and carrying weapons, the road to Yanshi was not far. However, the generals in the army were urging them on today, so they had no choice but to march as fast as they could, and they were all complaining about how hard it was to get there.

In the ranks, Zhai Jin sat up straight on his horse and looked into the distance. A scout galloped up from the edge of the marching column: "Has Yanshi fallen? Has the Qi army besieged the city?"

"It has not fallen; we can see Qi troops attacking the city from afar."

"Send word to speed things up!" Zhai Jin roared. "Attack the Qi army below the city from the rear!"

As the bugle sounded, the marching army suddenly quickened its pace again, its thunderous footsteps propelling it forward rapidly.

The sound of war drums came from ahead, and the faint sounds of fighting and shouting could be heard. Zhai Jin, Zhai Xing and other generals looked at the black smoke rising from the city wall and suppressed their anxiety: "Let the brave warriors charge ahead, let the cavalry guard the flanks, and let the rest of the troops come from behind to help the defenders in the city as soon as possible!"

"Blow the bugle! Blow the bugle!"

Woohoo——

The sound of horns rang out outside Yanshi City, and the ground beneath their feet trembled violently as the infantry and cavalry marched on.

On the city wall, Li Cheng put on a crimson embroidered robe over his armor, donned a Fanyang hat, and squinted at the distance. In the northwest direction, as far as his gaze could see, a black line was spreading towards them.

"Order the troops outside the city to make it appear as if they are withdrawing."

Raising his voice, he said something, and a soldier shouted a few words from the city wall. The Qi soldiers below looked back, and those near the city wall began to retreat, abandoning the wooden ladders propped up on the wall, and retreated like a tide.

With each stride, sand and grass crunched up from his shoes as he rode his galloping warhorse. Seeing the Qi army begin to retreat, Zhai Jin was overjoyed: "The Qi army isn't many. Let's take advantage of their retreat and charge forward! Quickly!"

Their running figures began to gradually break apart, and the brave warriors and cavalry recruited in front shook off the Song army behind them.

The Qi army running ahead was momentarily thrown into chaos, then let out a shout and ran even faster.

On horseback, Zhai Xing, who had been keeping a close eye on the front, called out, "Erlang, tell them to come back. Don't pursue a desperate enemy."

The commanding general waved his hand to the side, and the personal guards sounded the horn. Zhai Jin pulled on the reins and looked back at his brother: "What's wrong?"

“Something’s not right.” Zhai Xing hesitated for a moment and shook his head: “Although the enemy’s troops behind them are in disarray, the flags in front are not scattered. I suspect there is an ambush ahead.”

Zhai Jin paused for a moment, then nodded, "Brother is right." He then instructed the person beside him, "Send out scouts to find out where the Qi army has retreated to."

The guard responded and rushed out.

As they discussed the matter, the two directed their troops to turn back. Before long, a scout reported that cavalry had appeared five miles behind them. The two exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhai Jin tugged on the reins: "Let's go, let's go into Yanshi to rest first, the Qi army's central army will probably arrive tonight."

Zhai Xing looked up at the sky and said, "That's about it for today. Let's get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow might be a tough battle."

Soldiers gathered around, and Zhai Cong and Zhai Liang ran over to report to the two men. Then, the two elders led their troops forward, their eyes scanning the battlefield traces below the city. Seeing many corpses lying there, they sighed inwardly.

Before anyone could get a good look, a general on the city wall called down from above, leaning on the battlements: "Which general is here? This humble general is Yue Zhen. Thank you for coming to our aid!"

Zhai Liang rode forward and said, "We are under the command of General Zhai Jin, and we have come to reinforce you on the orders of Commander He. Please open the gate."

Yue Zhen took a breath and was about to shout again when Li Cheng quickly spoke up from behind, "Don't say any more."

Yue Zhen held her breath, then shouted loudly, "Please wait a moment, I'll open the door right away."

He then stepped back a few paces and asked softly, "Don't you want to verify my identity?"

Li Cheng had already sent someone down to relay the order. Hearing this, he glanced at him and shook his head: "You're too nervous. If it were any other time, would you have thought of verifying your identity when you saw the flags below?"

Yue Zhen pondered for a moment, then nodded and sighed, "General Li is right."

As the two were talking, the city gate below creaked open, and Zhai Jin and Zhai Xing watched as the gate opened and spurred their horses forward.

Li Cheng pulled Yue Zhen: "Come on, let's go greet them quickly."

Yue Zhen's heart was pounding, and he was at a loss for what to do. He listened to him and quickly went down, followed by a dozen or so Qi soldiers.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed through the city gate. Under the daylight, Zhai Jin and Zhai Xing, clad in iron armor, entered the city. Soldiers and horses passed by the two men. In their sweeping gazes, a general stood by the city wall, looking at the two men, and said with his hands clasped, "Greetings, Generals Zhai."

Zhai Jin and Zhai Xing smiled, dismounted, and walked closer: "General, you've been working hard defending the city..."

"Do it!"

call--

He took out a crossbow from behind his back and aimed it at the two men.

Her smile froze. (End of Chapter)