Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The bright sunlight shone down, and a gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness.

Birds flew up from the waist-high grass and disappeared into the distant woods. Soon after, the ground began to tremble slightly, and the thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed in the sky, kicking up clouds of dust as they trampled the grass and gravel.

The distinctive crimson armor of the Song army swayed up and down with their mounts amidst the smoke and dust, while the banner bearing the character "Yue" was billowing in the air currents.

"Faster, faster!"

Yue Fei roared anxiously on his warhorse, urging it on repeatedly. Wang Gui and Zhang Xian, knowing his impatience, could only urge the soldiers on. The Song cavalry behind them shouted and gritted their teeth to keep up.

After an unknown amount of time, a dark shadow appeared in the eyes of the group as they turned through the woods. Yue Fei was overjoyed: "Wuhu is just ahead! Quick, it seems that the Qi army has not yet attacked the city."

Five thousand Song cavalrymen shouted "Giddy up!" and accelerated forward. But when they could see the city clearly, Yue Fei, Wang Gui, and Zhang Xian felt a sudden sinking feeling in their hearts and involuntarily tightened the reins.

In sight, the crimson Song army flags on the city wall had been replaced by black and red Qi army banners.

"This..." Zhang Xian was somewhat surprised, pulling on the reins and letting the warhorse circle in place: "How did you manage to hang the Qi army's battle flag so quickly!"

"Pengju!" Wang Gui called out, looking at him, "What should we do?"

For a moment, Yue Fei's eyes were filled with confusion as he scanned the area around the city: "There are no signs of an attack..." He clenched his fist, a suspicion forming in his mind.

The cavalrymen around them held their reins, the atmosphere was somewhat somber, but no one urged them on. They were all waiting for the general in front to give new orders. It was during this time that a horn sounded from the distant city.

Yue Fei, Wang Gui, and Zhang Xian were startled as they saw the city gate open and the thunderous sound of horses' hooves reached their ears.

Yue Fei's expression shifted, and he pulled on the reins: "Go! This is not the time to entangle with the Qi army. Retreat to Dangtu! Retreat to Dangtu!"

Wang Gui and Zhang Xian also did not want to fight the Qi army at the landing site. Hearing his order, they breathed a sigh of relief and shouted "Retreat!" "Retreat!" The Song cavalry began to change direction and head towards the prefecture capital.

Behind them, the Qi army's cavalry charged fiercely for three miles. Yang Zaixing, wearing silver armor, raised his arm and shouted, "Stop!" The cavalry behind him slowly halted their charge.

"They ran fast." Yang Zaixing snorted a few times. "Someone, quickly go and send a message to General Niu Gao, tell him that the Song army has withdrawn, and that he doesn't need to encircle them anymore."

"Here!"

Soon after, the Qi cavalry retreated to Wuhu, and the city gates were temporarily closed again.

"So, all that's left of Taiping Prefecture is its prefectural capital?"

Lu Bu looked at Yang Zaixing and Niu Gao who had returned, and tapped the table lightly with his finger: "First, gather the prisoners in the city, recruit them into our army, leave 500 infantrymen to guard the city, and send an order to Shangguan Yi to lead 30,000 infantrymen north to attack Dangtu."

"The other two of you set off immediately and order Wang Yin and Shi Bao to detour to the northeast and outflank Dangtu's rear."

"Order the navy to inform Xi Sheng's troops to cross the river quickly, and send them to Yangzhou to inform Mi Sheng that the army has already crossed south."

After the messenger left, Wang Zheng and Li Zhu put away the recently sent battle report. The latter stood up and said, "Your Majesty, when I traveled in the past, I knew that the Jiangnan region is rainy in autumn. If a flash flood occurs, it will cause natural disasters and man-made calamities. Therefore, military commanders should be prohibited from setting up camps in low-lying areas to prevent them from being taken advantage of."

"As you say, send a message to the generals in the army, instructing them to pay attention to the terrain when setting up camp."

The orders from the generals in the city were relayed out by the messengers, and the assembled troops rushed out of the city at noon, heading north.

……

Meanwhile, Yue Fei led his cavalry to Dangtu, rushing as fast as he could. By the time they arrived, it was already dusk two days later. By then, both men and horses were exhausted. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the "Song" banner still fluttering on the city wall.

The warhorse slowly slowed down. On horseback, Wang Gui frowned as he looked at the tightly closed city gate: "Why close the gate in broad daylight? It's not time yet."

"Huh?" Yue Fei was thinking about the upcoming battle when he heard him speak. He immediately looked up and yanked the reins: "Stop! Stop right now!"

The cavalry behind, unaware of the reason, still obeyed the general's order and stopped their horses.

"Pengju, what's wrong?" Zhang Xian stepped forward from behind, looking at the city wall: "Dangtu is so close, what's going on..."

"Something's not right." Yue Fei gently stroked his uneasy warhorse, his gaze fixed on the city walls ahead: "Where are the guards on the city walls?"

All the cavalrymen looked over and saw a figure carrying a large sword standing on the city wall, pointing at him: "Yue Fei, Dangtu has been united. If you surrender now, I can still put in a good word for you."

The man standing next to him was Zhang Yong. The two of them had seized the infantry and headed to Dangtu under the pretense of helping to defend the city. Once inside, they killed the garrison commander and the prefect, and then seized control of the four gates. The officials in the city had long lost their backbone because their emperor had been kidnapped. Now that they saw someone rebelling, they did not resist and let the two men tie them up, waiting for the Qi army to arrive.

"Commander Yue, you never expected to be standing on the city wall of Dangtu now, did you?" Wang Shan smiled smugly at Yue Fei below. "You seized my troops back then, and today I seize your city. How do you feel? Tell me about it."

"Shameless scoundrel!" Wang Gui roared from below the city wall, pointing a finger at him: "You filthy bastard, I should have chopped your head off and stuffed it into your swallow skin back then."

Wang Shan's face immediately darkened. He pointed down and said, "Wang Gui, you son of a bitch! You used to treat me horribly, and now you dare to act tough!" He waved his hand and said, "I'll make sure none of you leave here!"

"go!"

Yue Fei brandished his spear and spurred his horse into a gallop. Suddenly, shouts of "Kill!" erupted all around as thousands of ambushers surged in from all directions.

In the distance, the Qi army's cavalry, ordered to attack Dangtu, also pushed forward from the direction of Wuhu, making a rumbling, dull sound.

"Wang Shan! Zhang Yong! What you have given me today, I will repay tomorrow!"

In the twilight, a figure wielding the Li Quan Divine Spear rode on his warhorse, leading his cavalry out towards a place free of ambush.

The thunderous sound of hooves echoed as soldiers carrying signs reading "Yang" and "Niu" gave chase.

The ambushing troops raised white flags toward the approaching army.

……

In early autumn, the Qi army captured Taiping Prefecture. Many cities in the area surrendered without the will to fight. Lü Bu led his troops to Dangtu, waiting for Xi Sheng's troops to arrive so he could immediately conquer Jiangnan.

As the shadow of war loomed over the Jiangnan region, changes were also taking place in the naval warfare on the Yangtze River.

Niu Bangxi, who was west of Jiangning Prefecture, learned a day late that the Qi army had crossed the river. He was so frightened that he tightened the reins of his warships and they all headed back to Jiangning Prefecture.

Liu Menglong's battle with Wei Zhaode in the east was not going well. His warships were sunk by the Haiqiu ships one after another. Wei Zhaode and Li Jun found an opportunity to lure him into attacking by using small boats to carry fierce oil.

Once the oil had spread on the water's surface, rockets were launched and ignited the water, burning over thirty of Liu Menglong's warships. The Song army, suffering this defeat, retreated to their naval stronghold in Jiangning Prefecture. Meanwhile, Mi Sheng, in Yangzhou, led his large army across the river and besieged Dantu, attacking it day and night.

At this time, Lü Yihao of Jiangning Prefecture was busy searching for Zhao Gou and comforting the defeated Liu Menglong. Several of his commanders had not yet returned with their troops, and he was in a state of great distress. When news came from the east, he was processing official documents in the prefectural office when he saw a man who had run away from Runzhou. The bloodstains on his body had dried, and large patches of blood had congealed on his armor, making him look quite miserable.

"Lord Lü, Dantu is besieged, and my general is having a very difficult time dealing with it. I beg you to send troops to help us."

The messenger was a brave and strong military commander from Runzhou. He originally had several men with him, but they were chased and killed by scouts and cavalry from the Northern Army on their way, leaving him all alone. When he saw Lü Yihao sitting behind his desk with a pen in hand, he burst into tears.

"...My general guards Dantu day and night. Suddenly, the army of the northern bandits crossed the river and attacked the city. Many people and villages suffered. General Fan wanted to go out of the city to meet the enemy, but he was afraid that the northern bandits' army would attack from the other side. Therefore, he could only fight in the city. My lord, the Mi Sheng surrounded us from three sides and only left the north gate facing the Yangtze River open. Our army... our army has no way to retreat!"

The prefectural government office was completely silent. Lü Yihao squinted at the weeping figure in front of him, then put down his brush after a moment: "Dantu... isn't Fan Qiong guarding there? I remember there were plenty of supplies for the city's defense, how could they not hold out?"

The commander looked up at him: "...The emperor has fallen, everyone..."

“…Understood.” Lü Yihao rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. “You go and rest first. I will send troops out immediately…”

The words had barely finished when they were abruptly interrupted by footsteps, followed by the sound of a door being pushed open with a loud bang. A dusty knight came in and reported: "Reporting, Lord Lü, Taiping Prefecture has been occupied by the Qi army. The Qi emperor has personally moved into Dangtu, and a large army has gathered. It seems they are about to attack."

creak-

"What did you say!"

Lu Yihao, who had just stood up, pushed the chair behind him back half a foot away and hurriedly came out from behind the desk: "Is Lu Bu in Dangtu?"

“Absolutely true.” The knight nodded. “Our commander Yue Fei originally intended to lead troops to resist the Qi army’s entry into Taiping Prefecture. Unexpectedly, the cities and fortresses of Taiping Prefecture surrendered one after another. He finally managed to lead five thousand cavalrymen out of the Qi army’s patrol range. In order to let you know, sir, I have specially ordered you to come and inform you.”

"Oh no..." Lü Yihao's expression changed drastically: "I sent reinforcements to Dangtu the day before yesterday, did you see them?"

The knight looked somewhat embarrassed: "We took a long detour to avoid being pursued by the Qi army cavalry, and we don't know what the situation is like there now."

Lu Yihao took a deep breath and hurriedly ran to the door: "Someone, immediately send scouts to Taiping Prefecture to find out the military situation there. If Commander Zhang has not yet engaged the Qi army, tell him to come back quickly."

Under the daylight, soldiers rushed out quickly. Only then did Lü Yihao turn around and tell the two messengers to go down. He then ordered a fast horse to go towards Lin'an to request reinforcements.

……

Northwest of Baizhang Mountain, on the east bank of a stream, someone gazes at the sky, lost in thought.

After Han Shizhong led his men out of Lin'an, he sent scouts to investigate the surrounding area. Although they heard that the people in the city were panicked about Zhao Gou being abducted, they had not yet found out about the situation north of the Yangtze River.

He could only send cavalry to the riverbank to cross and inform the Jiangbei army that Zhao Gou had been captured. However, there must be patrols along the Yangtze River now, and he didn't know if the cavalry would find a safe route to cross.

"General, general."

The sound of rustling footsteps came from afar, and Zhang Qi, running over, wiped the sweat from his face: "Good news."

"Ok?"

Han Shizhong looked up at him and joked, "What's making you so happy? Did you find some silver?"

"No, General, you're joking." Zhang Qi shook his head repeatedly and pointed ahead: "Ningguo City is to the north. We've already entered Xuanzhou. There are some towns there. Should we go to the villages below and get some grain?"

"Get grain..." Han Shizhong's eyes lit up, and he stood up abruptly: "What are we going to the village for? How much grain can those farmers store in a year? Of course, we're going to Ningguo City."

"what?"

Zhang Qi was taken aback: "But General, we don't have enough men to attack Ningguo City, and the Song army might find out our location."

Han Qinghe and his son Han Chang, who were not far away, came over upon hearing the noise: "What's wrong?"

"We're going to Ningguo to borrow grain." Han Shizhong chuckled, then looked at Zhang Qi: "No need to worry. I've thought it through. We can rest for a while after we enter Ningguo. If we find any trace of the enemy, we'll go to Yashan. If there are Song troops following us, we'll fight them there, and then we'll move to Guangde Army and enter Huzhou."

Looking at the few who were listening attentively, he said, "The Song army must think that we are eager to cross the river after capturing Zhao Gou. They certainly don't expect that we will turn around and wander around somewhere else. When His Majesty's army crosses the river, we will take Zhao Gou to find His Majesty, and the land of Jiangnan will change hands."

As the autumn wind blew by, the cool breeze carrying moisture brushed against people's faces. Han Qinghe and Han Chang exchanged a glance: "I think it might be feasible. Our navy is not weak, and it shouldn't be difficult for His Majesty's army to cross the river."

Han Shizhong clapped his hands: "Alright, since everyone agrees, let's march on Ningguo now."

At night, a dull thud echoed from the earth.

The cold moonlight shone on the plains of Jiangnan, and silver frost fell. Horses galloped by, their hooves and boots making a rumbling sound as they followed the river toward the city to the north. Torches lit up the sky, and officers urged their troops on.

"Quick! Quick!"

"We ran a bit too fast. There's plenty of food in Ningguo. We'll have to eat our fill when we get there."

Among the crowd, several figures followed a carriage in a disheveled state. Zhao Gou, with a sallow complexion, sat on the carriage floor, gripping the loose wooden railing with both hands. He looked at the figures following him and gave a bitter smile: "These northern bandits seem to want to use us as bargaining chips."

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please don't... worry, huff..." Zhu Shengfei gasped for breath, feeling a sweet taste in his throat and a burning pain in his lungs: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I will fight to the death... fight to the death to prevent them... huff..."

"Alright, alright, I understand what Zangyi is thinking. You'd better not say anything more and save your energy for running."

Zhao Gou felt a little sorry for him, so the Qi soldiers gave him a horse to pull a small cart for him to sit on.

Forget about him trying to escape by stealing a horse. All five hundred cavalrymen around him were equipped with crossbows and powerful bows. If there were any unusual movements, he estimated that either he would become a pincushion or his horse would be riddled with arrows. Judging from how wary the Qi army was of him, the latter possibility was indeed much higher.

As for the rest of the prisoners, regardless of their rank, they could only follow along. Zhao Gou saw that his prime minister was old and frail, yet he still had to rush along. Even though he was in a bad mood, he felt a little sorry for him.

Zhu Shengfei glanced at him gratefully from behind the car and ran off, panting heavily.

Soon after, an order to stop came, and the army commanded Liu Zhengyan to step forward.

Zhao Gou glanced at the somewhat dazed general with ill intent, then looked at Miao Fu with some regret, thinking to himself why only one person was called over; these two bastards should have been killed by the barbarians of the north together.

As the night breeze stirred, Liu Zhengyan followed the soldiers at the front with difficulty to the central command post.

Han Shizhong, mounted on his horse, turned his gaze to him and asked the question he had longed to hear for some time: "Are you all willing to surrender to Qi?" (End of Chapter)