Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1240 Losing a General First

The afternoon sun was blocked by large clouds.

The sounds of battle roared across the plains. The black tide of people flowed into the crimson reefs like water. Countless footsteps, covered in blood and mud, began their frenzied charge. Thousands of soldiers, their faces contorted with rage, roared as they charged towards the battle formations that formed the battle arrays ahead.

Boom boom boom——

Liu Qi, riding a horse, dragged his dirty beige cloak behind him as he galloped past. Behind him were three hundred elite soldiers from the central army. With roars, their spears pierced the bodies of their opponents. Zhao Zun, who had just been rescued from the siege, wiped the sweat from his brow: "General..."

"Follow!"

Liu Qi roared and rode his horse against the tide of blackness, his spear scattering glints of light as he stabbed the charging Qi soldiers off their horses.

The elite troops following behind, along with Zhao Zun's soldiers, roared, raised their shields and spears, and suddenly charged forward. The sounds of footsteps and shouts echoed in the chaotic battle formation as they swarmed towards the warhorses and the Qi soldiers who were charging into battle.

The Song soldiers, of varying builds, moved their legs frantically, advancing rapidly along the front line. Countless dark figures were thrown from the hands of the runners, arcing through the air before landing with a clattering sound beside the entangled figures, billowing smoke and filled with coughs and shouts. Those who had the upper hand had no choice but to abandon the prey in front of them and retreat hastily.

"Head north, rescue Yan Chong!"

The sharp spear killed a centurion and he fell to the ground. Liu Qi's eyes were fixed on the banner of his general. Not far from him, a banner with the character "mountain" was fluttering.

Some of the charging Qi soldiers were also eyeing Liu Qi's banner.

As Lü Bu charged into the battle, he swung his halberd, beheading several men. His tiger-like eyes glanced at the "Liu" banner that was turning northwest. He frowned, swung his blood-stained weapon at the head of the charging figure, and then pointed at the banner: "Follow me and cut him down."

Upon hearing this, the two guards, Yu Cheng and Wei He, exchanged a glance. The fat man, who was slightly behind, turned his head and shouted to Xu Wen, who was charging not far away, "His Majesty wants the head of that Song general."

Xu Wen turned his head and saw Wei He winking at him before pointing to the banner of the Song army's main general.

"Oh, oh!" Xu Wen immediately understood, pulled on the reins, and raised his broadsword: "Men, follow me!"

Amidst the cacophony of sounds on the battlefield, a sudden shout of battle erupted from the soldiers clad in fine armor. Xu Wen, dressed in black iron armor and wielding a large sword, led the charge, while Su Yi followed behind, carrying a halberd and drawing his bow to provide cover for those in front.

Iron spears and broadswords thrust out and slashed, the muffled sounds of flesh being torn apart echoing throughout, and the Song army's battle formation blocking their way was torn apart and broken through by these fearless Wuwei soldiers.

"……eventful!"

Lu Bu glanced at Wei He with his tiger-like eyes. The fat man on the other side didn't respond, but instead showed a simple and honest smile.

The figure on Red Hare looked somewhat helpless. He shifted his horse to the side and pointed his halberd at Liu Qi: "Fine, since that's the case, blow the horn and order the wolf cavalry to chase after the Song army's commander and bring back his head."

Woo, woo—

As the horn sounded, some riders charged out, shouting as they went. Hearing the sound, more cavalrymen excitedly turned back, pulling on their reins and crashing through the almost broken battle formation ahead. They swung their iron spears and frantically slashed and stabbed with their weapons.

The banners of the Wolf Riders, Yang, and Niu followed Xu Wen forward, with arrows constantly being shot out. The black arrows fell into the fighting crowd, and the warhorses followed, knocking away the exhausted Song soldiers who had been fighting for a long time.

The advancers, led by Liu Qi, moved faster. In their line of sight, the Song army banners ahead were filled with black figures, and people were constantly slashing forward, making a series of loud thuds on the Song army's shields.

Archers and infantrymen behind them kept throwing arrows and throwing axes, which landed in the crowd.

"what!"

Shan Shiqi turned his warhorse around, holding an iron rod and gritting his teeth as he watched the fierce battle raging on the battlefield. Blood splattered into the air in his sight, and corpses piled up on the battlefield. His soldiers had not been able to gain any significant advantage against the weak Song army.

It must be because we were pushing them too hard that these cowards decided to fight back...

The thought flashed through his mind, and on the other side of the battlefield, the boiling shouts of battle rose up like a raging tide.

Shan Shiqi turned his gaze and saw the large banner with the character "Liu" coming into view, rushing towards them, with shouts of "Follow General Liu!" echoing through the sky.

Large shields swatted away the Qi soldiers blocking their way. Their burly, powerful bodies, their eyes filled with madness, charged forward, desperately attacking the figures in front of them. They thrust and slashed with long and short weapons, trying to knock down the enemies in front of them as quickly as possible.

As evening approached, the wind softened and swept across the fields. Ripples of blood and flesh spread across the battlefield. Shan Shiqi looked down at the general's flag in front of him, then glanced at the Song army charging towards him, feeling a sense of absurdity.

"Men, go and stop those Song soldiers!"

The general, his eyes red, shouted, then ran his left hand along the surface of the iron rod and flicked his wrist: "Let's break through this battle formation together!"

A cavalryman rushed out beside him, and a short horn sounded. Shan Shiqi spurred his horse, grabbed an iron rod, and charged inside. Behind him, his personal guards and soldiers of the central army followed, charging once again towards the heavily fortified Song army position.

The jagged lines of the front, the general's actions boosted the morale of the troops, arrows rained down from above like locusts, soldiers on both sides roared, their shields bristling with countless arrows, and soldiers who were not careful could be wounded on the spot by the enemy's powerful bows and crossbows.

The charging soldiers stepped over the guards, fiercely clashing and fighting forward. Shan Shiqi took the lead, swinging and smashing left and right with an iron rod, not seeking to kill the enemy, but simply forcing aside those blocking his way, and then leading his troops to continue the advance.

At the center of the battle formation, Yan Chong looked exhausted. After a long battle to hold off the enemy, many of his soldiers had been killed or wounded. If the court hadn't changed the military system, allowing generals to have their own troops, and if Liu Qi hadn't urged them to train their soldiers and reward them, the troops from years ago would probably have already collapsed.

"General Yan, General Liu has arrived to provide support."

A personal guard pointed to one side and shouted. Yan Chong turned his head to look down, then looked at Shan Shiqi who was charging towards him. He gritted his teeth and said, "This man is always a problem here. Go and have a battalion of men welcome General Liu over. The central army and I will go and kill this Northern bandit general who is charging alone."

Then, the already tense battlefield suddenly became even more chaotic. Among the crowd, a commander led his troops to charge towards the rear of the army that was intercepting Liu Qi, while the general's flag with the character "Yan" turned in the opposite direction and charged towards the Qi army.

During the offensive, a Song soldier swung his hand blade, which struck the familiar black armor with a thud. As the soldier groaned and fell to the ground, the tip of an iron rod appeared before him, and the rod head, covered with rings of iron, slammed solidly into his face.

click-

The sound of bones cracking rang out, and a spray of hot blood flew into the air, turning into raindrops that fell on Shan Shiqi's face.

"kill--"

With a fierce roar, his blood-stained face contorted in a ferocious grimace, Shan Shiqi spurred his horse forward and swung his club down with a devastating blow, aiming it at Yan Chong, who was leading his troops.

bang——

A deafening clang of clashing weapons erupted between the two men. Yan Chong staggered; the general opposite him, surnamed Shan, was no weakling. Before he could recover, Shan Shiqi on horseback roared repeatedly, brandishing an iron rod that swirled and lashed out at him without regard for vital points. The soldiers beside and behind them roared and accelerated forward, their iron swords and spears flashing and slashing recklessly at the enemy opposite them. A fierce battle erupted in this small battleground, growing increasingly intense.

Liu Qi, who had come from afar to find his general, also shouted repeatedly, his eyes wide with rage. With a whistling sound, he wielded his long spear and instantly killed the military commander who had come to block his way.

"Charge with me!"

Before he could wipe the blood from his face, Liu Qi spurred his horse forward. Nearly 20% of his elite soldiers had been killed or wounded, yet they still followed closely behind. Zhao Zun, behind him, hurriedly ordered his men to charge forward, while simultaneously instructing the remaining Song soldiers who had followed to form a tight formation.

Woohoo——

The sound of horns echoed in the sky. In the battle formation, figures fell one after another. Crimson battle robes fluttered as the warhorses moved. The embroidered garments, torn by arrows and blades, hung like strips of cloth on them. Liu Qi was annoyed by the sound. He raised his spear and killed one of the men. Then he tore off the tattered battle robe.

The crimson robes fluttered in the air and backwards. Some people followed the gaze and saw the robes fall. In the distance, a general holding an iron rod raised the rod and struck the Song general on the head.

"Yan Chong!"

Liu Qi's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared as if he were wounded. He urged his warhorse forward even faster, leaping over the mangled corpses on the ground like lightning. The black-clad soldier who had thrust out his spear was killed with a backhand thrust. Then, he quickly shouted to the army of his fallen commander: "Hold on, I, Liu Qi, am coming!"

The Song army, dejected after losing their commander, suddenly perked up upon hearing shouts from the other side. They looked at Shan Shiqi's troops with grief and indignation, and fiercely charged forward, their blades striking the enemy's leather armor, the sound of bones breaking echoing. Their side was not faring any better; the Qi army, their morale high, swung their swords, and amidst the splattering blood, pieces of flesh fell to the ground.

"Northern thieves, prepare to die—"

Liu Qi charged forward like a whirlwind, smashing through the soldiers blocking his way. His eyes blazing as he glared at Shan Shiqi, and with a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a spear. The general from Hedong countered, and the sounds of gunfire rang out once more.

The soldiers following Liu Qi charged into the battlefield, and the previously entangled situation suddenly changed. The black figure, attacked from the side, screamed and fell to the ground. Then, more troops rushed in to provide support, and the tug-of-war began again.

Sticks go, guns come.

The two figures fighting in the center of the battle had only exchanged a few blows when Shan Shiqi's staff had already retreated to his side. The burly Song general in front of him had his eyes blazing with fire as he silently fought, searching for the opponent's general's weakness.

Before long, a soldier was suddenly sent flying from the fighting. With a fierce roar, Zhao Zun, covered in blood, rushed in and slashed at Shan Shiqi with his knife.

The sturdy Shan Shiqi waved his hand to block, and with a clanging sound, the main attack shifted from Liu Qi to Zhao Zun.

Liu Qi, on horseback, suddenly narrowed his eyes. Seizing an opening, he shouted and thrust his spear into Shan Shiqi's chest. The figure on the other side gasped twice and died instantly. Liu Qi swung his spear aside the corpse: "Let's go, let's kill our way back to Hefei!"

The Qi soldiers around them were immediately startled, and many rushed forward with bloodshot eyes. Liu Qi and Zhao Zun quickly directed the troops around them to meet them.

Not far away, the sound of a horn rang out. The rhythmic sound made the two Song army leaders frown. They were each wielding their spears to kill the attacking Qi soldiers when they suddenly turned around.

Behind them, the sound of galloping hooves thundered, and fluttering banners came into view. A general wielding a large sword charged forward, smashing into Song soldiers in his path. The sharp blade sliced ​​through necks, bloodied limbs flying through the air. Simultaneously, arrows flew from the banner bearing the character "Xu," felling the advancing commander to the ground.

"Now that you've come out, don't go back!"

On the galloping warhorse, Xu Wen's voice was fierce. Liu Qi took a breath, shook off the blood on his spear, and roared, "Come on!"

He pulled on the reins, thrusting his spear at the charging warhorse, his expression one of magnanimity, the spear whistling through the air with a sharp sound.

On the other side, a large sword slashed horizontally.

bang——

The galloping warhorses suddenly jolted, and the clashing of swords and spears produced a metallic clang. The warhorses passed each other, and the gleam of the halberd drew near.

Bang!

Weapons clashed and clashed, and countless warhorses galloped past on both sides, attacking the already chaotic battle formation.

The sound of approaching hooves drew near, and several fierce generals followed closely behind, shouting their battle cries.

Liu Qi dodged and blocked, and in his line of sight, several flags bearing the characters "Shi," "Li," "Yang," and "Niu" flew towards him.

As the view rises, soldiers dressed in black devour crimson figures. The battlefield, stretching for miles, slowly shrinks, and a single color fills the land.

……

Thick clouds filled the sky, with golden rays framing their edges. Crows perched on branches, their heads tilted, their fiery red eyes glaring, emitting terrifying cries.

"A considerable number of Song soldiers surrendered, but most of them were ordinary soldiers; many generals never surrendered until their deaths."

"Song army commander Liu Qi was besieged and killed by Shi Bao, Yang Zaixing and Niu Gao, and his subordinate Zhao Zun was killed by Xu Wen."

“Song soldiers broke through the encirclement, and Generals Wang Bolong and Ma Ling have already led their troops to pursue them. General Li Tianrun also led his troops to follow after learning of this.”

The battlefield reeked of blood. Lu Bu, riding on Red Hare, looked at the dejected prisoners. The guards around him watched the passing figures warily. Scouts running back and forth reported the situation on the battlefield. The emperor on horseback pondered for a moment, then turned and ordered: "We can prepare to attack Hefei. Who among the infantry is still here?"

Yu Cheng looked around and thought for a moment: "He Zhongbao and Di Lei's banners are still up."

"Order the two of them to change into Song army uniforms, find a group of people willing to surrender, and go with them to open the gates of Hefei."

"Here!"

As they spoke, Xu Wen and Su Yi, covered in blood from the battle, returned with the cavalry of the Imperial Guard. Two figures lay across their horses behind them, dismounted, and bowed with their hands clasped: "Your Majesty, the bodies of Liu Qi and Zhao Zun have been brought here..."

"Give them a proper burial." Lu Bu waved his hand, his expression calm in the dim light of the day. "Hefei doesn't need them anymore."

In early mid-autumn, Liu Qi, a general of the Song army in Luzhou, was killed in battle, and Hefei fell. After a period of rest, the Qi army merged with the western and central armies, crossed Chaohu Lake, and marched towards Wuwei Army and Hezhou.

With their main forces gone and no orders in place, the two cities surrendered one after another. Within three to five days, half of the land in both cities fell into the hands of the Qi army, and most of the officials surrendered.

In mid-autumn, Liu Menglong led dozens of warships to Wuwei Army and south of Hezhou.

(End of this chapter)