Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Da da da--

A figure clad in armor and carrying an iron sword ran through the streets. Due to the mutiny, no one in Lin'an dared to wander outside anymore, and even the idlers in the city had obediently returned to their homes.

After running through several streets, hundreds of figures dressed in crimson armor came into the sight of Miao Fu's personal guards. These men looked at the city gate tower in the distance, hesitated for a moment, and then approached. They were relieved when they saw the white strips of cloth on their arms.

"Why are they still wearing black cloth strips?" someone asked.

"I'm afraid the Red Heart Army is trying to distinguish themselves from their own people; it's a clever method."

"Indeed, we should get some too. These days, we only look at people's arms."

After a few soft words, the guards walked over and raised their voices: "Gentlemen, where is General Zhang Kui?"

Zhang Qi was bored over there. Han Shizhong told him to act according to circumstances before leaving. However, once they entered Lin'an, the city gates were guarded by the Chixin Army, and Han Shizhong, Xu Ning, and Han Chang were in charge of the overall situation in front. Although there were reinforcements from Guan Sheng and Lu Junyi behind them, they did not know where they were.

In this situation, it was really difficult for him to act according to the circumstances. Therefore, the former Liao general, who was now the deputy commander of the vanguard camp, was somewhat at a loss. Just as he was thinking about whether to send someone to the front to take a look, he heard someone calling them.

Zhang Qi was taken aback for a moment, then his eyes lit up, thinking that his opportunity had come. He stepped forward and asked, "Who are you gentlemen?"

Someone came out and said, "We are Commander Miao's personal guards, and we have come specifically to find General Zhang Kui and the others to go to the palace."

Zhang Qi cupped his hands in greeting and smiled politely, "So you are one of Commander Miao's trusted confidants." He paused for a moment, then continued, "General Zhang has gone on an inspection tour. It would be too tiring for you all to search in this sweltering heat. I'll take over for you. But I wonder if I could satisfy your curiosity and tell you how the situation is at the front?"

He turned to the soldiers beside him and said, "Give these men some water."

It would have been better if they hadn't mentioned the heat, but Zhang Qi's words made them realize how badly they were being exposed to the sun. After a long journey, their mouths were dry, and their inner clothes were soaked with sweat. Wiping the sweat from their foreheads, the guards exchanged glances and nodded. It was the man who spoke first who said, "Then thank you very much, brother."

As they spoke, a soldier brought them water bags. The men thanked him quickly, drank the cold water, poured it over their heads, and wiped the water off their faces. "The situation at the front is very good. The old emperor is besieged in the capital. Commander Mo is using words to provoke Zhu Xiangong. I think he will come down in person soon. Therefore, my commander wants to invite General Zhang to come and observe."

Zhang Qi raised an eyebrow: "That's great! Soon our general can also be called a gentleman."

The guards over there chuckled and gave a thumbs-up: "Hahaha, there's bound to be a seat for Master Zhang." Then they thanked him for the water and swayed back.

Zhang Qi smiled behind them, and only when they were far away did he stop smiling: "Let's go find the Song soldiers at the city gate."

He led three hundred men back, and soon the city gate came into view. The place had been occupied by the Red Heart Army. As they approached, one of the Red Heart Army guards came to greet them. Zhang Qi clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Excuse me, may I ask where General Zhang Kui is? General Miao invites you."

The man said "Wait a moment" and ran back. A short while later, Zhang Kui arrived with a whole battalion of soldiers. He looked at Zhang Qi and the three hundred soldiers behind him with some confusion: "Why are so many people coming?"

Zhang Qi clasped his hands in a fist salute to him: "His Majesty is about to leave the palace to surrender, and General Miao specially invited General Zhang to come and share this moment." He paused and then added: "As for the people in front, there are too many people, and we can't see much from behind, so I led the troops back."

"The Emperor wants to surrender..." Upon hearing this, Zhang Kui ignored everything else and first laughed loudly. Then, realizing what he had said, he anxiously said, "No, we are not plotting to usurp the throne, so how can you say we are surrendering?"

Looking at Zhang Qi with a serious expression, he said, "It must be that His Majesty is willing to listen to the grievances of us Han soldiers who fought so hard, and to leave the palace to discuss with us how to deal with the treacherous eunuchs for the sake of the people and the army."

Why is this person so long-winded? I don't care about all that...

Zhang Qi's forehead throbbed with urgency. He thought to himself, "Why is this person wasting time talking to me instead of hurrying to the palace?" He glanced at the man's serious expression, suppressed his urge to draw his sword, and put on a humble expression, saying, "It was my fault for speaking out of turn."

"Hmm, a promising young man." Zhang Kui laughed heartily. "Someone, inform General Wang and General Ma that we will all go to the palace together."

A messenger from the Red Heart Army rushed out. Zhang Kui, feeling that he had the situation under control, gathered most of the guards at the gate, ignored Zhang Qi, spurred his horse, and sped towards the palace.

Zhang Qi watched him leave in silence, then turned back to look at the city gate guarded only by two captains, a strange smile on his face.

……

The sunlight seemed to have dimmed somewhat.

Patches of clouds drifted by, obscuring the rather scorching sun.

Zhao Gou clenched his fists and slowly walked towards Miao Fu and Liu Zhengyan, who were standing there. Behind him, Zhu Shengfei and others looked solemn. When they came down, these court officials did not think they could live. They all had the mentality of certain death.

Miao and Liu exchanged a glance. Their faces were solemn as they looked at Zhao Gou, but their eyes held a hint of arrogance. Only when Zhao Gou stopped three feet in front of them did the two men bow down: "Your subject Miao Fu (Liu Zhengyan) greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live a long and healthy life."

Slightly——

Zhao Gou's hands cracked, and he desperately wanted to shout for the two traitors who had mocked him to his face to be dragged away and beheaded, but alas...

Glancing at the neatly arranged rebel army behind him, the young emperor took a deep breath and put on a fake smile: "Rise, my lords."

Miao Fu and Liu Zhengyan stood up, and Zhao Gou, seeing the smugness in their eyes, felt his anger flare up.

Han Shizhong then turned around and waved to those behind him, and a square formation of soldiers walked forward.

Zhao Gou was startled, but quickly put on a smiling face: "I am aware of your loyalty to the emperor and the country, my two ministers..." As he watched the soldiers approaching in neat steps, his face twitched: "It is hot, why don't you let the soldiers go down and rest?"

The sound of footsteps reached his ears. Miao Fu looked back, frowned, and wanted to tell the soldiers of the Loyal Army to go back. But then he heard Zhao Gou's words and changed his mind. He turned to the emperor and said, "The rise and fall of the country is the responsibility of every citizen. The soldiers are also concerned about the safety of Your Majesty. It is fine to let them stay by your side."

Zhu Shengfei stepped forward: "Commander Miao, you are mistaken. This is a time to discuss national affairs. How can these boorish fellows listen to us?"

Liu Zhengyan waved his hand and said, "Master Zhu, don't be too harsh. You were able to come here safely thanks to us roughnecks escorting you. Why can't we listen in from the side?"

Zhu Shengfei's face immediately turned red with anger. Zhao Gou, fearing that he would suffer a loss, took a breath and said, "Alright, let's not talk about that for now. You two can tell me what you want now."

“Our demands are simple.” Miao Fu smiled smugly: “Wang Boyan and Huang Qian are treacherous and mislead the country. We request Your Majesty to exile them to Lingnan. In addition, the corrupt eunuchs in the court are selling official positions and titles. We request Your Majesty to announce their crimes and behead them to stabilize the morale of the army. Finally, you are no longer suitable to rule the court. We request that you abdicate in favor of the prince, and we will assist the new emperor.”

Zhang Cheng, Li Bing, and the other ministers who were with him, even though they were mentally prepared, were still shocked and angry when they heard these words, and they all spoke up to rebuke them.

"How dare you! How can the matter of deposing and installing emperors be treated so lightly?"

"With the northern bandits pressing in, wouldn't establishing a young emperor disrupt the morale of the troops at the front?"

"What you two are doing is no different from treason!"

Miao Fu and Liu Zhengyan's expressions changed as they chattered on, and they said forcefully, "This matter is not up to you. We are issuing this notice, not discussing it with you bookish pedants!"

The ministers then suddenly realized what was happening and looked around to see that the surrounding area was full of soldiers carrying swords and shields and holding long spears.

Miao Fu looked up and asked, "Your Majesty, how is it?"

Zhao Gou's face was ashen, his fists clenched and his teeth clenched. Zhu Shengfei stepped forward and forced a smile: "Wait, we can still discuss this..."

"Brother Miao, you should have said earlier that this wasn't a discussion!" Liu Zhengyan stepped forward, interrupting him.

Zhu Shengfei hesitated.

Just as Zhao Gou and the others were looking rather awkward, a faint voice came over: "Gentlemen, I have a suggestion, what do you think?"

Everyone turned to look.

……

The afternoon sun was obscured by clouds, and the Song army flags on the city wall of Lin'an were gently unfurled halfway before drooping limply again.

The Red Heart Army soldiers standing on the city wall had no intention of defending the city; they chatted and laughed in twos and threes.

Zhang Qi didn't wait around. He led three hundred elite soldiers forward and dispersed. He found the two captains on this side. The two men were curious about what was happening at the palace. When they saw him coming, they hurriedly pulled him over and asked him with great interest.

Zhang Qi also had something to hide. When questioned by the two men, he embellished the story of the emperor descending the city wall, making the two constables excited. They rubbed their hands together and looked at each other with smiles, as if wealth and glory were already within their grasp.

All around, the Qi soldiers dispersed, with a few people talking to one or two Chixin soldiers, while two centurions led a dozen or so fierce soldiers to approach the stone steps leading up to the city wall, intentionally or unintentionally.

Suddenly, someone shouted from the city wall. Some of the soldiers below, who were talking animatedly, looked up in surprise, but the buzzing voices made it impossible to understand what was being said. *Clang clang clang—*

"……Condition!"

"Something's happening outside!"

The gong rang out, and the sound echoed as people ran down the city wall. The two constables who were stationed there were immediately alarmed and grabbed the hilts of their swords, running towards the city wall.

The two centurions standing by the stone steps looked at Zhang Qi. The man thought for a moment, shook his head, and made a gesture. The two men quickly made way for him.

The two Song army captains had no suspicions and ran wildly towards the top of the city wall. Zhang Qi quickly led two centurions behind them, and dozens of Qi soldiers followed silently.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. There are only a handful of us in the capital's army. Why would they sound an alarm at this time?"

"Could it be that an army from outside has come?"

The Song soldiers below looked at each other, wondering what was going on, and various speculations arose from the crowd.

The last centurion of the Qi army roared, "Don't panic! Pick up your weapons and aim them at the city gate!"

Some of the Song soldiers acted as instructed, while others hesitated, unsure whether to listen to this man, who was not their own commander.

"What are you standing there for? We're all in the same boat, would we possibly harm you?!"

The centurion shouted again, which prompted several lieutenants and officers to shout, "That's right, we're all allies, let's listen to him."

These Song soldiers then quickly assumed defensive postures towards the city gate.

Behind them, the hundred generals smiled faintly and waved their hands gently, and the Qi soldiers pointed their swords and spears at the people in front of them.

"What's wrong? What happened?" the two constables who ran up to the city wall shouted.

The two deputy captains guarding the city wall came over, not even bothering to wipe their sweat, and pointed outside: "An army is approaching, but we don't know where it is from."

The two captains looked at each other in bewilderment, then quickly stepped forward and stood behind the parapet to look out. They saw dust billowing in the distance, and cavalry and infantry armies carrying Song army flags were approaching. The flags blotted out the sky, and the long spears in the soldiers' hands reflected the light.

"Wow...how many people are there! Where did they come from?"

The captain on the city wall murmured something, he was just expressing his feelings and didn't expect anyone to answer, but then a voice came from behind him: "More than seven thousand men, all from the north."

The constable unconsciously repeated, "Seven thousand...", then suddenly realized something was wrong and abruptly turned around: "You... how did you know!"

Zhang Qi expressionlessly drew his hand knife from his waist, casually twirled it, and pointed the tip at the ground: "I had a very pleasant conversation with you two gentlemen just now. Now, I, Zhang, ask you two a question: do you want to live or die?"

Clang, clang, clang—

While the two captains were stunned, dozens of fierce Qi soldiers drew their swords and maces from their waists, pulled out arrows, and formed a formation with an archer in front of the sword and a mace behind, slowly closing in on them.

"Gudu——"

The two deputy captains, who had been sunbathing with a dozen or so soldiers above, were completely unaware of what was happening below. When they saw this behavior from the other side, they were quite bewildered.

Seeing the stunned expressions on the faces of those ahead, Zhang Qi smiled and said, "Gentlemen, I have a suggestion..."

……

"How about we have everyone here in front of the palace walls come and visit me today?"

Clang…

The sound of metal rubbing against metal came from the blade and the scabbard, a soft clang, as Han Shizhong raised the knife in his hand.

All around, the Qi soldiers who had come forward suddenly ran up and surrounded Zhao Gou, Miao Fu, Liu Zhengyan and others who were facing each other.

bang——

The large shield slammed into the ground, and spears and hand blades emerged from the gaps in the shield. Dozens of archers behind Han Shizhong raised their crossbows and aimed them at the dozen or so people in the circle.

"you……"

Zhu Shengfei quickly stepped in front of Zhao Gou, pointing at Han Shizhong: "Commander Mo, you swore an oath!" Zhang Cheng and Li Bing looked around nervously, unsure of how to respond.

Han Shizhong glanced at the emperor and his minister.

Miao Fu and Liu Zhengyan looked at him with panic in their eyes, forcing themselves to remain calm: "Brother Mo, what is this? Didn't I discuss this with General Zhang about..."

sand--

He stepped forward in his combat boots.

call--

The blade flashed downwards in a mock slash, and the general who stepped forward spoke coldly: "I, Han Shizhong, General Who Guards the West of the Great Qi, hereby request the Emperor of the Song Kingdom to go north to reunite with his father and brothers!"

"Ah?!" Zhao Gou was already quite frightened by this sudden turn of events. Upon hearing the words from the other side, his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

"You, you're not from the Red Heart Army!" Liu Zhengyan exclaimed in horror, pointing at Han Shizhong: "How did you sneak in here, you scoundrel!"

Miao Fu was also greatly alarmed: "You dare? My army is still behind you!"

Han Shizhong ignored all that and simply waved his hand: "Shut up! Take them all!"

The swordsmen and shieldmen swarmed forward. Miao and Liu's personal guards instinctively tried to resist, but were first bumped by the swordsmen and shieldmen. As they lost their balance, the spearmen behind them followed closely.

puff--

It pierces a person's chest and abdomen, causing thick, fresh blood to flow from the mouth and nose, and the person dies instantly.

Zhao Gou, Zhu Shengfei, Miao Fu, Liu Zhengyan and others did not resist, allowing the Qi soldiers who came up to subdue them, and then took the swords and spears from their waists and led them to the army camp.

Han Shizhong waved his hand: "The rear guard becomes the vanguard, charge out!"

woo-

As the bugle sounded, the Qi soldiers in their ranks immediately turned and charged towards the bewildered Song army with a roar of "Kill!"

……

creak-

"Hurry, hurry, the city gates are open, keep up!"

Lu Junyi held a gun in one hand and swung it forward. Three thousand cavalrymen spurred their horses behind him, and a series of elite figures quickly passed through the city gate, with a booming sound coming from below the city wall.

Zhang Qi put his arm around the shoulders of the two constables and shook them vigorously: "A smart choice."

The two Song army captains looked at him with obsequious smiles and said, "From now on, we will obey your every command, General." (End of Chapter)