Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

In winter, the sun appears smaller, the clouds are thinner, and birds flying across the sky return to their nests as quickly as possible, not daring to linger outside.

On the plains, the sound of horses' hooves stretched into the distance, accompanied by fierce roars and shouts.

The dust kicked up on the ground was stirred up by the galloping warhorses and then dispersed in the cold wind. A cavalryman, leaning halfway out of his horse, brandished his scimitar. A flash of cold light appeared on the face of a civilian running ahead who looked back. Blood splattered from his neck as he fell into a pool of blood.

A steppe cavalryman wearing a fur coat and a felt hat set fire to a thatched house. The next moment, screams of women and children came from inside the house. Two figures, one tall and one short, ran out, and the steppe cavalrymen who surrounded them grabbed the taller one and put him on a horse.

The screams echoed through the sky as the warhorses galloped by, leaving two corpses in front of the burning house.

Hundreds and thousands of light cavalrymen weaved through a village in the north of Western Xia, their massive flames illuminating the galloping warhorses as they slaughtered the civilians driven from their homes. Flesh and heads were torn apart by the sharp metal blades. The strongest men fell first, followed by the elderly and children. Women with pale, white bodies were seized on horseback, their faces ashen as they stared at the pile of corpses on the ground. Then the cavalrymen burned down the houses, reducing everything to ashes.

Another village fell into the hands of the steppe people. Soon after, these cavalrymen, led by centurions, continued to advance in other directions, gradually gathering together and following the commanders at the chiliarch level towards the rear of the army.

In the dead of winter, after receiving the mobilization order from the State of Qi, many tribal chiefs on the grasslands, after careful consideration, responded to the demands of this empire, which was even larger than the original State of Liao.

After all, there's not much to do in winter. Although supplies are a bit difficult, this time the troops are not entirely on their own. The Qi court will provide some food and fodder, and most of the spoils obtained in Western Xia can be kept. What better conditions could there be?

Thus, on this cold day, more than 50,000 cavalrymen were assembled, and the Qi court also transferred 15,000 cavalrymen from Bingzhou and Youzhou, bringing a total of about 70,000 troops to invade from the north of Western Xia, making the Western Xia people relive the nightmare of a few years ago.

Shi Gugong, wrapped in a fur cloak, held the hand warmer near his dantian with both hands, gazing at the hanging geomantic map. An official acting as an interpreter was waiting beside him, while Xuan Zan and Zeng Suo, who had been transferred to the Bingzhou army, and Tuo Zhao, who had come from the Northern Frontier Protectorate, watched him quietly below.

Now the army doesn't need to conquer cities and strongholds. They come in from the grasslands and head straight for Yanjunsi in Heishui Town. The villages and strongholds they encounter along the way become spoils of war for the grassland people.

"Generals Sun and Du are moving slower in the south due to the resistance of the Song army. What we need to do is to draw the attention of the Western Xia people to this side."

The brazier inside the tent was burning. A somewhat thin figure squinted his eyes and exhaled a breath of white air: "Try to let these steppe people kill and wound the Western Xia's forces. We should avoid engaging in open field battles. Concentrate our forces to attack their two military towns and tell those steppe people that if they capture them, they can offer a 30% discount on next year's market trade."

"Would these steppe people fight desperately against the Western Xia army?" Xuan Zanchou hesitated for a moment. "Perhaps I should lead the troops to attack..."

“Yes, they will.” Shi Gugong interrupted him, smiling as he spoke: “Not to mention that there are enough benefits, they had a war with the Western Xia before, and these grassland people will not hold back if war breaks out again. Besides, the lives of ordinary herders are not necessarily important in the eyes of those chieftains.”

He glanced at Tuozhao, his expression thoughtful: "General Tuozhao, please have more contact with the grassland tribes later. I've heard that grassland warriors greatly admire those who are accurate archers..."

His gaze swept over Zeng Suo beside him, then settled on the other two: "General Tuozhao and General Xuan are both skilled archers; we can befriend them."

"Here!"

Inside the tent, a deep, resonant sound vibrated.

……

Goryeo, the banks of the Taedong River.

A cold wind swept across the hills, and the thin branches of the withered trees swayed in the wind.

In the cold wind, a warhorse charged into the military camp. A pair of deerskin boots swiftly galloped across the ground, past the guards, into the main tent. The rider reached out and picked up an earthenware pot placed by the stove, poured out the steaming wine, took a small sip, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Hiss... Hah—"

The thick eyebrows that had been joined together relaxed, and the icy-looking young man took off his cloak and threw it to the soldier next to him. He plopped down on a stool and said, "Father, I'm back. I've dealt with all those people who came from the deep mountains and forests, and none of them could withstand three of my blows."

Wanyan Zonghan glanced at his eldest son, his eyes filled with joy, and he couldn't help but smile: "My son has the courage to withstand ten thousand men, but you must also remember that there are many capable people in this world, so don't think about solving everything with force."

“I know that, I’m not stupid.” Jin Danzi patted his chest, then raised his hands and counted: “Even if His Majesty doesn’t talk about him, that guy Yang Zaixing… General Du Xue, General Han Shizhong, and Uncle Lou, I probably can’t beat them, huh?!”

Wanyan Zonghan was taken aback, thinking he had remembered something, and bowed forward: "What's wrong?"

In his line of sight, Wanyan Jindanzi raised his other hand, looking smug: "You can count the number of people who can beat me on one hand. Father, can't I just walk around the army like a madman?"

"...I thought it was something important." Several veins bulged on Wanyan Zonghan's forehead; he felt something throbbing inside his head. He glared at his eldest son, reaching for the sword beside him. "I just told you to be more humble. Looks like you've gotten itchy again after three days without a beating—"

Jin Danzi's expression changed.

Wanyan Zonghan jumped three feet high, raising his sword sheath as he shouted, "Today I'll make sure you walk out of this tent sideways!"

"Father, don't hit me! You can count on me." Wanyan Jindanzi wasn't about to stand there and let him hit him for nothing. He turned and ran, shouting back, "How about six? Six!"

"Six...you unfilial son, come here!!"

Wanyan Zonghan was furious, but his son was not only strong but also fast. He had only taken two steps when Jin Danzi had already run out of the tent like a whirlwind.

Just as someone outside was about to enter, they saw the tent flap being lifted and ducked back. "Hey!" someone cried out, and a dark figure rushed past them. They also heard a shout about six people.

"Wha...what happened?"

Qiao Lie looked at the calf-like figure running away, still somewhat shaken, glanced at the soldiers outside the tent trying to suppress their laughter, and then exchanged a glance with Gao Qingyi, who had almost been bumped into behind him.

"...You unfilial son, come here!"

call--

The tent flap was opened again, and Wanyan Zonghan, his face flushed, raised his scabbard and met the gazes of the two men who had looked over upon hearing the commotion.

sand--

The army commander, who had been frozen in place for a couple of breaths, lowered his raised hand, clenched his fist and coughed, trying to make his expression look natural: "Minister Qiao, Counselor Gao, it's cold outside, come in and talk."

Qiao Lie gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to laugh: "Thank you for welcoming me, General."

Gao Qingyi had already buried his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, struggling to suppress his laughter.

Wanyan Zonghan blushed, but since he had already put on an act, he could only turn around and go inside as if nothing had happened.

Qiao Lie and Gao Qingyi followed into the tent with grins on their faces. When the figure in front put down his knife and turned around, the two of them sat down at the same time with expressionless faces.

"General, the personnel count is complete. There are 20,000 tribal soldiers from various regions, plus 12,000 troops from Liaodong, totaling a little over 30,000." Gao Qingyi said, looking at the figures over there. "In addition, there are 3,000 local soldiers who have surrendered to Goryeo. With these people, isn't it a bit too few to attack Goryeo's Xijing?"

Wanyan Zonghan reached out and picked up the warmed wine, handing it to the two men. He shook his head slightly and said, "This is probably enough. After all, those two powerful ministers from Goryeo are still here with us. Goryeo is not a monolithic entity anymore. When the war starts, we can recruit more Goryeo auxiliary troops."

Qiao Lie nodded in agreement: "General Wanyan is right. Besides, we have more than 30,000 men. Generals Hu Yanqing, Ruan Xiaowu, and Ruan Xiaoqi of the navy can also sail in from the Daedong River to threaten the south of Xijing. At that time, we can try to attack from the water and land at the same time and see how the Goryeo people respond."

"In that case, let's invite that old Goryeo man surnamed Li and General Tuojun over first." Wanyan Zonghan smiled: "Tuojun has fought against us before and is a skilled fighter. He should be able to provide some assistance." "Very well."

On what would have been an ordinary day for everyone, the factors that would determine the outcome of the war were discussed and decided by a few people in the central tent. Soon after, a messenger carrying the military order rushed along the winter road.

The armies on both land and sea agreed on a time and began their war to seize the Goryeo city.

The war escalated.

……

The world was cold. The war in the north had not affected the army in the south. However, the Song soldiers were somewhat uneasy when facing the Qi army troops from Jingdong, Huainan Road, and even the Qi army that originally belonged to their own capital region.

Patrolling soldiers, dressed in thick military uniforms, passed by from all directions. Wang Gui, shivering with cold, rode his horse across the camp, untied the rabbits and roe deer from his horse, and carried them into the central command tent.

An orange-red flame flickered in the brazier inside the tent. Sensing someone enter, the person inside turned around and saw Tang Huai's eyes light up: "Not bad, where did you get this?"

"I ran into him while on patrol." Wang Gui chuckled. "Anyway, my mouth's been pretty bland lately, so I brought him back for a treat."

Yue Fei shook his head and chuckled, then turned to his personal guards and said, "Take this to the rear; it'll be an extra meal today."

"Hurry up." Wang Gui plopped down on a stool and patted his protruding belly: "This general's belly is getting thinner."

Yue Fei glanced at him, then couldn't help but pick up a brush from the side and throw it at him: "You spend all day hunting and eating, and you think you've gotten thinner?"

Wang Gui dodged it with a grin, then frowned and looked at Yue Fei: "By the way, Brother Yue, they're recruiting sailors on the Yangtze River. They're paying more for it than we are. A lot of young men from the area are not coming to join our army and are going to the Yangtze River in the south."

“Who told us we have no money…” Zhang Xian sighed. “We joined the army to get food, just to fill our stomachs and support our families. We’re barely making ends meet right now.”

Several people sighed in unison.

Yue Fei frowned as he looked at the group, then thought for a moment and said, "The Emperor has ordered the military generals to sell their ordination certificates. I have already sent people to find wealthy people nearby, so we won't have to worry about military expenses for long."

"I'll say it again..." Wang Gui looked at him: "Hurry up, or deserters will start appearing in the army."

In a smaller tent, Wang Shan was sharpening his knife, occasionally picking it up to feel the sharpness of the blade with his fingers before bending down to sharpen it again.

In the tent next to him, Zhang Yong was opening a wooden box, swallowing hard as he looked at the dried meat inside. Then, he secretly took out a wine jar from under the bed, sat down behind the table, took a sip of wine and a bite of meat, and squinted his eyes contentedly.

……

A damp, cold wind blew against their faces, causing their messy beards to flutter. Fang Qifo, Lü Shinang, and Chen Gutong walked to a table. A soldier stepped forward to measure their height, pinch their shoulders and arms, and examine their faces, which were no longer recognizable. Seeing the fishermen's distinctive marks on them, he gestured towards the wooden table and said, "Go over there and register the names."

The three of them, along with many other selected people, went to line up.

"Name, place of origin".

Wan Shangdian was a native of Pingyang, Wenzhou.

"next."

"Shi Erkou is also from Pingyang, Wenzhou."

The soldiers on the roster looked up at them, then glanced behind them. Chen Gutong stepped forward.

“Gu Yitong, the three of us are from the same place.”

"Ha—you guys have some good names." The person recording the names grinned. "Light the lamps at night, have a bucket, eat a couple of bites, so it seems like the three of you are treating us to dinner."

Fang Qifo's eyes widened, and Lü Shinang suddenly grabbed his wrist. Chen Gutong, standing in front, chuckled and said, "What a coincidence! We used to run a restaurant, but unfortunately, things weren't doing well, and the shop went out of business. As soon as we heard they were hiring here, the three of us rushed over..."

"Alright, alright, I didn't ask you what you were doing. I was just listening for fun." The person taking notes waved his hand impatiently, took another piece of paper, and wrote down their names: "Go wait over there."

The three of them glanced at the paper, took it, and turned to leave.

……

Bianliang.

The sky was dark. What used to be Yuntao Temple had long been converted into a royal ancestral hall, with candlelight illuminating the ancestors of the Yanyun Lü family.

Lu Bu stood behind the ancestral hall, where a few lonely wooden plaques sat on a simple wooden table, none of which bore a single name.

A breeze blew in through the cracks in the door and window, causing the candlelight in front of him to flicker. Lü Bu's gaze softened, and he slowly raised his hand to grasp the wine bowl beside him. The wine swayed slightly, and the bowl tilted down, spilling onto the ground.

"Another year is coming to an end..."

He spoke softly.

"Drink Sheng!"

The clear liquid splashed on the ground, water droplets splattering onto the leather boots embroidered with cloud patterns. After pouring the wine, Lü Bu looked at the wine stains on the ground, put down the bowl, cupped his hands, and fell silent.

The wind howled outside, and Yu Cheng, Wei He, Cao Ning, and other guards stood under the eaves, not daring to approach and disturb them.

A solitary figure cast its shadow on the wall beside it, illuminated by the flickering candlelight.

"...A hundred years from now, I will come to find you, as the victor."

He turned and waved his hand to extinguish the candle flame.

Darkness descended, and the figure who had walked through the darkness entered the bright candlelight ahead, without even glancing at the memorial tablets, opened the door and went out.

As the daylight sank in the west, the lights of Bianliang city spread out in patches. Fleets carrying supplies entered the city from the canal, and laborers stepped forward to take sacks and pile them onto carts.

The soldiers waiting nearby waited until the sacks on the cart were tied tightly before they drove the cart to the treasury.

The wheels rolled over the dirt road, leaving tracks in the city.

Soon, the treasury was overflowing with grain and fodder transported from all over the country. (End of Chapter)