Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

It was completely dark, with no stars or moon. The summer night was cool with a gentle breeze, and occasionally the roars of wild animals could be heard.

In the military camp where torches burned, occasionally people marched by in formation, their gleaming weapons flashing past the braziers in the firelight.

Soldiers clad in black armor stood silently before the central command tent, leaning on their weapons, occasionally glancing at the tent still lit by lamplight.

“Hefei has been a strategic location fought over by military strategists since ancient times. Although the Song Dynasty did not do much to repair this place before, Liu Qi, who was stationed here, was a cautious person. In the past six months, he has initiated corvée labor here and repaired the city.” Fang Xuedu looked up at the figure at the head of the table while looking at the intelligence report in his hand.

"Hmm, is it Liu Qi who is in command today? He reacted quickly and was indeed cautious in deploying troops."

Lu Bu scooped up some warm wine with a ladle and poured it into a golden wine cup: "It's just that the Song people are too nervous." He sat down with his legs spread apart, holding the wine: "If it's just his army guarding Hefei, while the rest threaten our flanks, then it might cause us trouble."

Taking a sip of wine, Lü Bu wiped the wine stains from his lips: "This situation is actually what I want to see. With a large army gathered together to confront our army, as long as they still have the courage to fight, they will have the opportunity to expose their weaknesses."

Fang Xuedu thought for a moment: "However, this would also be a constraint on our army. We are being dragged here and unable to leave, which is quite uncomfortable."

"That's because you haven't experienced enough battles." Lu Bu chuckled, then squinted at the darkness outside the tent while holding the wine cup. "Besides... who said you can't leave? The whole of Luzhou isn't just Hefei."

Fang Xuedu raised an eyebrow: "Your Majesty means..."

"Han Shizhong, along with Han Qinghe and his son Han Chang, are currently attacking Shucheng." Lü Bu narrowed his eyes. "Tomorrow I will lead 10,000 infantry and cavalry to their side, first to secure Shucheng, and then have these three men of the same surname take Wuwei Army and cut off Luzhou's rear. Can you and the other generals hold out here for half a month?"

Fang Xuedu thought for a moment and nodded: "The generals in the army are all experienced warriors, so I don't need to worry too much. If it's only a half-month period, I dare to follow the example of Ling Gongji and accept the task."

“I am not that Zhou Yu.” Lu Bu had also heard of and seen some operas and plays, and smiled upon hearing this: “Then I am relieved.”

Fang Xuedu, remembering something, looked at the person opposite him and said, "But what if the Song army becomes suspicious because they can't see His Majesty?"

Lu Bu gently stroked the golden bronze jue with his large hand, pondered for a moment, and said, "I remember there is a Lu Fang in Yang Zaixing's army who likes to dress like me. He even specially found a mount similar to Red Hare. Let him change into the clothes and impersonate me in the army."

“That kid must be ecstatic.” Fang Xuedu laughed. “If I remember correctly, this fellow used to have the nickname Little Marquis Wen. It’s his great honor to be able to stand on the front lines for His Majesty this time.”

"Stop flattering me!" Lu Bu laughed heartily, tilting his head back to drink the wine in the cup.

bang——

A three-legged bronze vessel was placed heavily on the table: "Send a message to Xi Sheng: capture Xuyi, then march south to attack Liu Guangshi of Chuzhou."

"Here!"

A rousing sound echoed through the tent.

……

Boom——

Under the azure sky, a Song scout, who was peeking out, was shot through the neck by an arrow. He swayed and fell off his horse. The remaining surviving scouts hurriedly turned and rode away.

The rapid sound of hooves followed.

"Chase--"

"Flank them, don't let a single one escape!"

"Go!"

Behind them, crossbows and powerful bows continuously fired arrows, the whooshing sound of the arrows piercing the air reaching their ears. The Song scouts in front struggled to turn around and looked around. A dark shadow whistled past overhead, and they quickly lowered their bodies even further. But then a scream came from the side, and someone fell from their horse.

The pursuing northern knights were all elite soldiers, skilled enough to take on ten men on horseback or on foot. They advanced towards the Luzhou military camp, but those who got too close were driven back by a hail of arrows.

The unwilling knight reined in his horse and lingered a while away from the Song army's position. Then, he turned around and rode back. The corpses along the way served as road signs, most of them dressed in crimson.

The few scouts who escaped returned to the camp and dared not delay. They immediately reported what they had encountered along the way to their respective commanders.

"The Qi army is trying to cut off our eyes and ears..."

Liu Qi listened to the scout's report and waved him away. Then he looked at the personal guard beside him and said, "Go to Commander Yue and Commander Li's army and tell them about this. Tell them that the Northern bandits' scouts are formidable and that they should be careful in dealing with them. They should not accidentally become blind."

The guards went out to carry out the order, but before Liu Qi could even put on his armor, he ran back, looking strange, and said, "General, there are guards from Commander Yue and Commander Li outside. They say they have news to tell you."

Liu Qi stretched out his hand, looked over upon hearing this, and after a full two breaths, sighed: "It seems they've all suffered a loss. Let them in."

The guard nodded, turned around, and went out again.

……

Luzhou, Shucheng.

As a detachment of the Qi army in the south, this battlefield also witnessed several fierce battles. The defending general on the city wall was named Wu Duan, an infantry general under Liu Qi. After several battles, he had several wounds. Of his nearly four thousand soldiers, more than six hundred infantrymen and archers were lost, and two hundred could no longer fight. After several days of fighting, he was already quite exhausted.

Leaning against the city wall, Wu Duan took a bite of his dry rations and chewed it without eating anything: "I heard that the emperor of Qi in the north has personally led his troops to the front line. General Liu's situation is probably more difficult than ours."

A general named Cao Cheng walked over and said, "We're not having an easy time either. We've lost so many men. If the Qi army continues with the intensity of their attacks from the past few days, I'm afraid my men won't be able to hold out."

"It's up to you and me now." Wu Duan chuckled, turned his head to look in the direction behind him, "There are still quite a few copper coins in the treasury. If we scatter them in large quantities, we should be able to maintain morale until the outcome of the battle in the north is decided."

Cao Cheng turned around and glanced at him upon hearing this: "I hope it's as you say."

"Try to be optimistic," Wu Duan punched his shoulder. "Otherwise, we would have collapsed long ago."

Golden light pierced through the gaps in the thin clouds and shone down. Near the Fengle River in the southwest, people were constantly moving between the military tents, and scouts' warhorses were going in and out. After a while, someone galloped in, jumped off his warhorse in front of the central army tent, and ran inside.

"His Majesty's army is only five miles away from here."

Han Shizhong suddenly stood up: "Come, follow me to the camp gate."

Han Qinghe and his son Han Chang, along with Zhang Qi, hurriedly followed him out of the tent. After waiting there for a short while, they saw troops bearing the character "Qi" rushing towards them amidst billowing dust.

On his fiery red warhorse, Lü Bu, clad in silver armor, galloped over. He waved to the four generals waiting outside, saying, "What are you all waiting here for? Come on, let's go inside and talk."

The sound of the troops marching was like muffled thunder. Generals covered in dust entered the main tent and sat down on the left and right.

"Feng Shui map".

With a brief command, someone had already hung up the prepared map. Lü Bu looked up at the generals below: "I originally intended to take Hefei first and then attack Shucheng. But now that Hefei cannot be taken in a day, I will take this place instead."

Han Shizhong's eyes flickered as he glanced at the Han family father and son on the other side. Just then, they looked over and could see the excitement in each other's eyes.

"I have brought six thousand infantrymen and four thousand cavalrymen with me this time."

His gaze swept over Lu Junyi, Yan Qing, Xu Ning, Guan Sheng, and Yelü Ma, finally settling on Han Shizhong: "Disperse your cavalry and prevent the people of Shucheng from asking Hefei for help. Meanwhile, the army will rest for half a day and attack the city in the afternoon."

"Here!"

The generals in the tent all stood up and shouted excitedly. Han Shizhong did not delay and immediately ordered Zhang Qi to lead the cavalry out of the camp to spread out scouts along the key roads around Shucheng to prevent the enemy scouts from heading north.

……

the other side.

The gyrfalcon flew swiftly through the sky, and in its sharp gaze, the blood-red flag below swayed in the dust.

The tightly packed Trapped Camp stood at the front of the battlefield, facing the Song army infantry, who were equally armed to the teeth. The steel walls were locked in a tug-of-war as they advanced and retreated, the front lines shifting constantly, and the shouts of battle echoing like a tide.

The advancing figures fell to the ground under the thrashing of shields, axes, and hammers. The lying figures struggled for a moment before being trampled on the ground by the footsteps moving back and forth. Soon, dark red, viscous blood seeped out from the gaps in the armor.

On the front line, Tang Bin, his face covered in blood, ran through the crowd, shield held high, and drew his four-sided iron mace, shouting hoarsely, "Follow me—"

The soldiers of the Trapped Camp behind him also followed, wielding iron hammers the size of infant heads, their muscles taut to the extreme. Tang Bin smashed a Song soldier to the ground, then, bracing himself against a large shield, slammed forward, shouting, "Charge—!"

Arrows flew overhead, and in that instant, large shields, along with the iron lumps behind them, crashed into the front.

Boom boom boom——

The shields pressed tightly together, their edges twisting more and more, and the shields with different patterns made creaking and groaning sounds.

Tang Bin took a deep breath and roared, "Hah—!" His calf muscles creaked as he stomped his foot, causing the figure opposite him to stagger back and create an opening.

The blood-stained four-sided iron mace slammed down on the head of the infantryman opposite him, while the soldiers of the Trapped Camp holding maces frantically raised their blunt weapons and smashed them down, creating a continuous clanging sound.

"Support the front lines!"

Behind them, Zhang Xian was also shouting hoarsely, leading his men forward. His spear whistled as it pierced the body of a soldier in the Trapped Camp, sending sparks flying. The soldier staggered backward.

Zhang Xian wanted to chase after him and fire another shot, but a spear came flying at him. His personal guard pulled him back, and the bent spear left a inch-long gash on his cheek, which stung painfully.

"Brother Lin!"

Tang Bin's chest heaved violently, and his hand holding the four-sided iron mace trembled slightly. The general with the leopard head and round eyes nodded to him and led another battalion of soldiers from the Trapped Camp to take over from his comrades who had been fighting for half a day.

The sounds of war drums and horns rang out incessantly.

The gaze rises above the armored infantry fighting, looking down to the battlefield stretching for miles, where soldiers are wielding swords and fighting desperately.

Warhorses galloped across the battlefield, and the riders kept shooting arrows. The arrows flew like rain, crisscrossing each other and blooming into flowers of blood.

Suo Chao led his infantry in the front lines, his large axe flashing up and down. Yan Chong and Xu Qing, two fierce generals, fought alongside him, their swords and spears working in perfect coordination, making it difficult for the enemy's vanguard to gain any advantage for a time.

Suo Chao was also impatient, and his great axe flashed as he attacked the two of them. Xu Qing created an opening and let him pass, and Yan Chong took the opportunity to slash at him with his sword.

The blade struck the iron helmet, the red tassel fluttered, and the helmet flew off.

Suo Chao cried out in alarm, swinging his axe twice with all his might, forcing the two men back for a moment before turning the reins to run away.

"Where to go?!"

"Leave your life behind!"

The two Song generals were not about to let their prize slip away, so they rushed forward to chase after Suo Chao.

"All of you, get back here!"

A white warhorse galloped closer, and a young general in silver armor thrust out his spear. Caught off guard, Xu Qing was stabbed in the throat. When the golden tiger-headed spear was pulled out, blood spurted half a meter high.

"General Yang!"

Suo Chao glanced at him gratefully, then lowered his head and galloped quickly on the saddle. With his head covered only by a topknot, if he were spotted by a sharpshooter on the battlefield, he would die on the spot.

Ahead, Yan Chong shouted and went forward to fight Yang Zaixing. After only a few shots, he was covered in sweat and quickly pulled on the reins, then slid down to the side.

Yang Zaixing wanted to pursue further, but Song army generals had already ordered their archers to advance. The young and fierce general dared not risk his life and had no choice but to retreat.

"I don't believe you're all carrying the Divine Arm Bow..."

Yang Zaixing gritted his teeth, his gaze shifting back to the battlefield. He spurred his horse and charged forward, his spear flashing like a venomous snake's tongue...

Shortly afterward, the signal for a truce was given by both sides.

……

"The Qi army is as formidable as ever..."

After a brief rest and a moment of mourning for his fallen generals, Liu Qi invited Yue Fei and Li Qiong to sit down in a slightly cleaner place. He said, “In the past few days, the morale of the northern bandits has only increased. This is not a good thing.”

“Yes…” Yue Fei nodded with a stern face: “We were able to hold our own against them a few days ago by boosting morale, but we are clearly a bit weak today.”

Li Qiong's eye twitched. He was short of medicine for wounded soldiers. Although he had sent a letter to the rear urging them to hurry up, he knew that if things continued like this, he would only suffer losses. His mind raced, and he said softly, "I've heard that the enemy emperor likes to lead his troops into battle himself. Why don't we create an opening for him and lure him over?"

Liu Qi and Yue Fei exchanged a glance, each pondering their own options. After a long while, Liu Qi shook his head: "It's not that General Li's plan is bad, but it's simply difficult to use under the current circumstances."

Yue Fei nodded, looking helplessly at the flags fluttering opposite him: "The northern bandits are fierce, and their cavalry is numerous. If we feign defeat, it could easily turn into a real defeat, and then we will hardly escape their iron hooves."

"Then it seems we'll have to find another way."

As they were speaking, the soldiers cleaning up the battlefield suddenly dropped the corpses and retreated quickly. The alert soldiers blew their whistles, and the three generals suddenly stood up: "The Qi army is coming."

"General Liu is here. We'll head back first!"

Yue Fei and Li Qiong bid farewell, then quickly ran to their warhorses, leaped onto their horses, and galloped towards their battle formation.

Liu Qi stood still, watching the dark mass of soldiers moving forward in his line of sight.

……

dong dong dong-

War drums resounded between heaven and earth. Soldiers in black armor stomped to the beat, creating booming sounds. The moment the drumsticks stopped on the drumhead, there was a loud bang, and the army halted before Shucheng.

"Form ranks—"

The assembled black-armored infantrymen formed ranks at the command, and soldiers carrying swords and shields stepped forward. Lu Junyi, dressed in iron armor with two horizontal swords hanging at his waist and a round shield in his hand, stared intently at the figure moving on Shucheng.

"His Majesty commands..."

The warhorses galloped forward from behind, and the riders took a deep breath and shouted hysterically, "Attack the city—" (End of Chapter)