Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1232 The Burning World

Sunlight streams down from the blue sky, the temperature warms up, and as farmers toil in the fields, their backs to the sky, they straighten their backs and massage their waists. Meanwhile, on the distant road, banners have already begun to flutter in from afar.

In early spring, Lü Bu led Han Shizhong's vanguard camp, Yang Zaixing's vanguard army, Wang Yin, Shi Bao, and Li Tianrun, along with the wolf cavalry, Yao Gang's armored cavalry, Lin Chong, Tang Bin's elite troops, Niu Gao, Guan Sheng, Shangguan Yi, Han Chang, and Han Qing, totaling 38,000 northern troops, plus 30,000 surrendered generals and soldiers from the Song Dynasty, including Suo Chao, and they took the route through Chenzhou, where they joined forces with 20,000 troops from Jingxi, including Zhai Jin, Zhai Xing, and Yang Jin.

Meanwhile, Xi Sheng, leading the central army, with Ma Ling as the vanguard and He Zhongbao, Wang Bolong, Jing Chao, and Pang Wanchun leading the troops, marched south from Qiao County. The northern troops and surrendered soldiers, totaling 70,000, attacked Huainan East Road.

Meanwhile, in the east, the commanders Hua Rong, Qin Ming, Lu Zhishen, Ma Qiang, and Ma Jin, along with the naval generals Wei Zhaode, Ruan Xiaoer, and Li Jun, arrived in the waters east of Xuzhou and led a total of 50,000 troops by land and sea to Taizhou.

In early summer, Zhai Jin, Zhai Xing, and Yang Jin left Henan Prefecture, passed through Lin Ying and entered Yancheng, and arrived in Chenzhou. Before they reached their meeting place, they were greeted by the vanguard troops led by Yang Zaixing and Niu Gao. Together they sailed down the Ying River to prepare for their journey to Yingzhou.

In the same month, Xi Sheng, Ma Ling, Wang Bolong and other central army troops passed through Linhuan and directly entered Fuli, the capital of Suzhou. They besieged the city for three days and surrendered without attacking.

The Eastern Route Army defeated 30,000 troops defending Taizhou twenty miles northeast of Xinghua. When troops from Gaoyou came to their aid, they were ambushed by Hua Rong and the Ma brothers and were defeated. They retreated to Yangzhou to join forces with Commander Zhang Jun.

At the end of early summer, Lü Bu's main army entered Yingchuan, eyeing the various military prefectures and states of Huainan West Road. He sent messengers with letters to the officials of Shouzhou. On the day of Gengwu in midsummer, the messengers returned. Cities near the north, such as Xiacai, Shouchun, Huoqiu, and Anfeng, were willing to surrender, while towns in the south, such as Liu'an, refused the messengers. At the same time, he informed Liu Qi of Luzhou, hoping that he would send troops to help him.

Five days later, Niu Gao, Yang Zaixing, Zhai Jin, and Zhai Xing led their troops to attack Liu'an. The Anfeng garrison commander attempted to ambush the four generals, but Niu Gao and Zhai Jin saw through their plan. The Anfeng garrison commander was killed by Zhai Liang, and his troops surrendered on the spot.

Wang Zheng suggested stationing troops in Liuan City to intimidate Hefei and Shucheng. Lü Bu readily agreed and ordered four generals, Niu Gao, Yang Zaixing, Zhai Jin, and Zhai Xing, to approach Hefei, while simultaneously ordering Han Shizhong, Han Chang, and Han Qinghe to press on Shucheng.

Liu Qi urgently needs help.

In the same month, the eastern route army of the Mi Sheng naval force arrived in Taizhou. The newly appointed Taizhou garrison commander, Tian Shizhong, built a water fortress and constructed defensive works east of Tai'an Town, and built ships. Wei Zhaode and Li Jun led their troops to sink several ships, causing the Taizhou navy to cower in the water fortress camp and not dare to take a step forward.

Similarly, Tian Shizhong also holed up in Hailing City, relying on numerous defensive weapons and powerful bows and crossbows to keep the Mi Sheng army out of the city. On the one hand, he sent people to Yangzhou to ask Zhang Jun for help, and on the other hand, he spent money to boost the morale of the soldiers at the front. It was a tough job.

In the latter half of early summer, the central army captured Lingbi and Hongxian, and advanced to the fourth axis of Linhuai. Three days later, the Linhuai garrison commander fought desperately in the city. The city fell two days later, and the garrison commander died in battle. He was given a proper burial outside the city by Xi Sheng.

At the end of early summer, Zhang Jun, the garrison commander of Yangzhou, led 30,000 troops to relieve Taizhou. Ma Qiang and Ma Jin ambushed him halfway, but Ma Qiang saw through their plan. The two sides fought fiercely, but the Ma brothers, with fewer troops, retreated first, allowing Zhang Jun to enter the western part of Taizhou.

In early summer, Liu Qi of Luzhou fought a fierce battle against Niu Gao, Yang Zaixing, Zhai Jin, Zhai Xing, and Yang Jin's troops in Hefei. Liu Qi's general Han Zhi killed Yang Jin in the northwest suburbs of Hefei. On the way back, Niu Gao led cavalry into the formation and Han Zhi was stabbed three times and almost killed in battle. Fortunately, his personal guards were brave and risked their lives to escort him to safety.

Early summer...

Mid summer...

The flames of war finally spread from the north to the south, and all sorts of battles filled the air from west to east in Huainan. The sweltering summer weather felt even more oppressive, as if standing there made one feel as if they were enveloped in blood and blood, unable to breathe, with a nauseating stench of blood.

Liu Guangshi walked out of the government office, mounted a warhorse, and galloped back to the military camp. Many people from Chuzhou looked at him with hope, and some were praying that he would keep the northern army out of the city and that he could return to the north.

Liu Guangshi scoffed at such words and told them to hurry back to the north. They seemed to have forgotten that they themselves had been driven from the north to the south by the other side.

But he couldn't say that. Spreading discouraging remarks on the eve of battle would cause serious trouble if caught by the censor. His father, Liu Yanqing, had disappeared in Bianliang and had not been found since. Although he didn't believe that his father, a slippery man, could die, the fact that there was no news of him now meant that he was probably in grave danger.

As he rode back with his personal guards, he silently calculated in his heart that the situation was different now. The emperor had delegated a lot of power, and with his methods, he could raise the army to more than 100,000 within half a year.

Of course, whether he was good at fighting or not was not important. What was important was that the imperial court was very pleased to hear that he had recruited 100,000 men, and it was said that the emperor looked at him with new respect.

Under such circumstances, he must not go to the battlefield. If he does go... no, he will definitely lose. If he loses, something terrible will happen. Not only will he lose all the emperor's favor, but he will also lose two or three layers of his official position. This is worse than killing him.

As for surrendering to the Qi army...

Liu Guangshi's eyes flickered. Putting aside the fact that his father and brothers had died at the hands of the enemy, the answer to whether he could still be a superior person after surrendering was a no.

Speaking of...

The man's eyes gleamed as he thought to himself that following the Great Song Dynasty would at least make him a general, and he himself came from a prestigious family, so the court had a lot to rely on, and he had plenty of money and provisions. As long as he wasn't annexed by the Qi Kingdom, he would be much more comfortable here.

Hopefully, this ship from the Song Dynasty won't sink.

Ok……

perhaps.

As the warhorse entered the military camp, Li Qiong, a fierce general under his command and the current military commander of Huainan East Road, hurried over, saluted him, and went into the military tent to take out a document: "General, the imperial court has issued an order requiring us to do our best to stop the northern bandits in Huainan and prevent them from advancing south."

Liu Guangshi paused for a moment, took the document, read it once, and then slammed it hard on the table.

bang——

"General...?" Li Qiong looked anxious. "What should we do? Please give me an answer."

"Do it? The more you do now, the more mistakes you make."

Liu Guangshi rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit of a headache: "You people haven't seen how ruthless the Qi army is in battle. I've seen it for over a decade. Look at Hebei and Hedong, where there are hundreds of thousands of soldiers, yet they were still routed by the enemy."

Li Qiong opened her mouth and softly advised, "Well... we can't just not fight."

"Fight? Ha, that guy surnamed Lü is there, with countless fierce generals under his command. Unless my 100,000 troops are all transformed into battle-hardened elites overnight and can fight him fearlessly on the battlefield, don't even think about it."

Liu Guangshi slammed his fist on the table: "Weren't Liu Qi and Yue Fei both very good fighters? Let them fight."

“This…” A helpless look appeared on Li Qiong’s rugged face: “If you do this, I’m afraid you will be impeached by the censor in a few days. It would be better to go and support General Liu. That way, you can explain it to the court.”

"You scoundrel... Northern cavalry have limitations in the south, but look at Luzhou, it's a flat plain from Liuan to there, are you just offering up your kills to the enemy cavalry!"

Liu Guangshi glared at the man with annoyance. This fellow was obsessed with fame and fortune, willing to do anything to climb the ranks. He had initially thought the man was quite like himself, but seeing his reckless behavior, it was best to distance himself from him as soon as possible. Li Qiong's expression froze, her lips moved twice, but she lowered her head without speaking.

Liu Guangshi could tell from his expression that he was unconvinced. He thought to himself that he had never directly clashed with the Qi army. With a hardened heart, he softened his expression and said, "I have been in a bad mood these past few days. Please forgive me, Brother Guobao. Now that I think about it, what you said makes sense. Being afraid to fight and not advancing will easily lead to punishment from the court. Besides, as a soldier, it is my duty to protect my country. So be it."

Li Qiong looked up at him with delight, listening to the general's words: "You will lead your 30,000 troops to provide support, and I will give you another 10,000, for a total of 40,000, to assist General Liu Qi. I will also write a letter to General Yue, asking him to join the expedition. The combined forces of the three prefectures will amount to 120,000 to 130,000, which should be enough to hold off the Qi army."

"Yes, I will certainly live up to your expectations, General!" The words came out in a strong and clear voice. Li Qiong had not spent much time with him and thought he was all bark and no bite. But now he was back to normal, his face full of excitement. He clasped his hands and said, "This humble general will go right away."

He turned and hurriedly left the main tent.

After Liu Guangshi left, he waved to his personal guards and said, "Go and arrange for the disobedient soldiers in the army to serve under that fellow. Also, write to the court and say that our army consumes a lot of food and fodder, and many of our soldiers are poor and can hardly bear the burden. Please ask the court to allocate more money and food."

The guards nodded in acceptance and ran off.

Liu Guangshi walked to the entrance of the military tent with his hands behind his back. He watched the soldiers, disheveled and carrying their swords and spears, walk away without paying any attention. He looked up at the sky and said, "This world is full of wars. Who knows when we'll die? We might as well enjoy ourselves and live a life of luxury."

Birds flapped their wings and flew across the sky, while the soldiers inside the camp shouted in a noisy commotion. Liu Guangshi turned around and staggered back in: "Someone, bring me some wine!"

……

The sky was bright and clear, and white clouds drifted by.

Following the direction the clouds drifted, looking down from the sky, flames and black smoke rose outside Luzhou. Even with the southward-bound army exercising restraint, many villages and hamlets still suffered in the war. People who lost their homes were terrified, carrying whatever they could, and their wives and children fled the war in a panic. Countless displaced people walked aimlessly on roads that seemed to have no end.

While Liu Guangshi decided to indulge in pleasure, the Song army rested for a few days on the north bank of the Yangtze River and set off northwards.

Wuwei Army.

This place, which should have been a great renown as a lower state, was now just like other military states, serving only as a forward position to resist the northern army.

Wealthy families in Wuwei City, along with their wives and children, rode mule carts to other military prefectures. On the city wall, Yue Fei, clad in fine iron armor and covered by a crimson embroidered robe, closed his eyes and sensed the restlessness in the air. Not long after, Wang Gui walked over with a large sword and whispered beside him, "The navy is coming."

The person who had been keeping their eyes closed suddenly opened them, and said in a deep voice, "They've finally arrived. General Liu Qi at the front has been waiting anxiously."

Snapped--

He slapped his palm on the stone in front of him, his face solemn.

This time, he is ready to fight the northern army.

In the late summer of the year Ji-You, the Wuwei Army dispatched 35,000 troops, along with dozens of warships and 10,000 sailors, to enter Chaohu Lake along the Ruxu River, and then head north to the Fei River to support Luzhou.

Shortly afterward, Yang Zaixing, Zhai Jin, and Zhai Xing relayed a message to the central army that nearly 100,000 Song reinforcements were coming to support Hefei.

Lü Bu immediately ordered Wang Zheng, Li Zhu and others to lead 5,000 troops to defend the city, while he led the main army from Liuan all the way to the west of Hefei, where the two armies faced each other 20 miles apart.

……

The sky was bright and clear, without a single cloud. The early summer sun made everyone break out in a sweat.

The air was filled with the dull thud of hooves and footsteps, accompanied by the rhythmic beat of war drums that echoed from afar, thundering as they advanced forward.

The dust kicked up by horses' hooves and boots filled the air, obscuring the view of both people and horses.

The messenger cavalry, carrying orders and information from their respective officers, galloped back and forth between the various formations, shouting as they relayed the messages. Moments later, the shield-bearing soldiers at the front slammed their shields to the ground with a thud, and large shields formed a shield wall that extended to the left and right.

Banners fluttered in the wind, and a figure sat on a black horse, looking back at the slowly advancing central army. A young general rode a warhorse to his side and behind.

Zhai Jin turned his gaze to his son's face. His hands, gripping the reins, were dry and strong, and his eyes were half-closed, as if he were thinking about something.

Time can change many things. The top general in western Beijing, who had worked so hard to achieve this position, now had to rely on scheming to keep it. Since enlisting, all I've heard is admiration for scholars and contempt for soldiers. It seems that the sharing of power between the scholar-officials and the imperial family is an ironclad rule that no one can break. Half a lifetime has passed in the blink of an eye, but the world has changed completely.

Woo, woo—

A bugle call sounded from the central command, and Zhai Jin twisted his neck.

"Liang'er, do you think a person's life is predetermined?"

Zhai Liang, standing to the side and slightly behind, was excitedly watching the army arrayed in the distance, his thoughts already wandering elsewhere: "Huh? What did you say, Father?"

Zhai Jin glared at him, then suddenly stopped talking. He looked back at the fluttering banner with the character "Qi" on it, and glanced at the golden-armored figure riding a fiery red warhorse as it slowly approached. He couldn't help but reach out and slap his son's helmet: "You brat, hurry up and give me a grandson. I've suffered half my life, but my grandsons will be blessed. While I can still move, I'll build him a fortune."

Even though Zhai Liang was wearing an iron helmet, he was still hurt by the blow. He grimaced and looked at his father, saying, "Dad, we're at war, why are you bringing this up? It's so unlucky!"

"Pooh!"

Zhai Jin turned his head and looked at the Song army flag in the distance, where the words were still not visible, and grinned ferociously: "From now on, your father will not believe in fate. Fame and fortune will be earned on horseback. From now on, we will no longer have to wear those inferior scarlet embroidered clothes outside."

The sounds of bugles and war drums faded into the distance, and then sunlight refracted down. At the edge of the sky and the earth, a red figure swept in like a wave in a river. The silent sand between the two armies trembled and swayed slightly, and then leaped up.

Wearing heavy armor boots, they trod across the clumps of mud. The rising dust obscured half their bodies. Thousands of figures were arrayed into battle formations under command. Messengers with small red triangular flags flew swiftly through the army. Zhao Zun, the commander of the Divine Arm Archer, followed Liu Qi's orders and constantly adjusted the direction of his troops.

In the rear, the banner bearing the character "Liu" fluttered in the wind. Liu Qi, the Pacification Commissioner of Luzhou and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Lianghuai Road Cavalry and Infantry, sat upright on a warhorse, wearing black armor. Listening to the war drums and horns ahead, and watching the rising dust, he turned to his personal guards beside him and said: "Order Commander Yue and Commander Li to retreat towards the center of the army. Do not extend your forces outwards. Beware of a sneak attack by the northern bandits."

(End of this chapter)