Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Bustling and noisy.

The late autumn sunlight shone on the city walls of Dangtu, and the golden banner with the character "Qi" fluttered on the city wall. The refugees who came from Jiangning Prefecture had a miserable look on their faces. They carried and pulled the only food and valuables they had at home. They formed a chaotic procession with people they knew and did not know and headed towards the city.

The soles of the shoes were covered with layers of mud from the wood ash, and as people walked, the soles and uppers were coated with a dirty, earthy yellow.

Further south, there were also groups of refugees and fleeing people in Xuanzhou and Guangde Army, but more people chose to migrate to Taipingzhou and Runzhou, two military prefectures occupied by the Qi army.

There was no other reason than that the government officials he trusted burned down his own fertile fields, and he was driven from his home by the officials. Everything he had was destroyed by the imperial court. How could he continue to go under the rule of the imperial court? It was better to move to another mountain and continue to live.

Meanwhile, in Taiping Prefecture, the officials who surrendered to the Qi Kingdom welcomed all the refugees who came to seek refuge. They increased the number of soldiers patrolling the city walls and official roads, sent officials and yamen runners outside the city to organize the refugees to build shelters outside, opened the granaries to distribute food, and at the same time appeased the people in the city. Everything was under the control of the current government.

The autumn wind rustled, and withered leaves fell on the streets and alleys. A dozen or so warhorses, led by handsome knights, came to a halt with a "whoosh!" The riders dismounted, greeted the guards standing at the door, and then hurried inside.

"...General Yan, General Zhang? You're back?"

Su Yi stepped forward, and the young man in the lead and the men behind him quickly bowed: "Yan Qing (Zhang Qi) greets General Su. Is His Majesty in?"

"inside."

Su Yi gestured towards the house, then led the way: "His Majesty sent people out to search for you as soon as he crossed the river, but unfortunately we are completely in the dark here in Jiangnan. Where are you hiding?"

"It started in the mountains, and now it's in Ningguo, Xuanzhou." Yan Qing said as he walked with Su Yi. The latter didn't rush to ask any more questions after receiving the message. As they walked through the heavily guarded courtyard, they saw Xu Wen standing outside the door wrapped in a cloak. They raised their hands to greet him, and then a guard opened the door.

A warm atmosphere wafted over, and several familiar figures of civil and military officials sat inside, looking towards the door. Who else could be sitting at the head of the table but Lü Bu?

As the group stepped inside, Yan Qing and Zhang Qi were the first to kneel down, saying, "Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty."

"Get up, it's good that you've returned safely." Having already been informed by the guards, Lü Bu smiled as he watched the two enter: "Judging from your expressions, you must have good news to tell me."

"Yes, there is indeed good news." Yan Qing and the other man stood up, their faces beaming with smiles. "When we went to Lin'an from Jiangnan, we intended to break through it and relieve Your Majesty's worries. However, we did not expect that there was a rebellion within the city. We infiltrated the rebellion and rescued Zhao Gou. Now, General Han Shizhong and others have seized Ningguo and are holding it. On the way here, I met General Li Tianrun. He has now changed his route and is heading south. I hope Your Majesty will send troops to detain Zhao Gou in the army."

A moment of silence fell over the room. Wang Zheng, who had been hunched over while pouring wine, suddenly sat up straight. Fang Xuedu, Yang Zaixing, Yao Gang, and the others jumped to their feet: "Your Majesty..."

A large hand rose into the air, and the excited figure swallowed his words. Lü Bu slowly stood up and suddenly laughed loudly: "Good, I knew my general would not disappoint me."

He poured a glass of wine from the table, and walked towards the two men with a wine pot in one hand and a wine cup in the other: "This is a great achievement. I have noted it down and will reward you both when you return."

He handed the wine to Yan Qing, saying, "Drink this cup now."

Yan Qing took the drink with slightly trembling hands, drank it all in one gulp, and his face immediately turned rosy.

Lu Bu took back the empty wine cup, poured some more, and handed it to Zhang Qi: "Drink up!"

Zhang Qi took a deep breath, excitedly accepted the wine, gulped it down in a few mouthfuls, and then returned the wine cup to the emperor in front of him.

Lu Bu took it and stretched it to the side. Su Yi quickly stepped forward to catch it, and turned his gaze to the generals in the army present: "Regardless of whether the Song court will establish a new emperor, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Send a message to the troops at the front: Jiangning Prefecture will be attacked by the Mi Sheng troops, with the navy as the auxiliary force. The infantry He Zhongbao and Li Qiong will be under their command."

"Order Xi Sheng to immediately lead his troops south into Xuanzhou. Order Niu Gao, Wang Bolong, and Di Lei to bypass Guangde Army and make it appear as if they are attacking other places. The rest of the troops should go to Ningguo to join the attack."

"Yang Zaixing!"

"Your subordinate is here." The young general stepped out from behind the table, clasped his hands, and bowed his head.

Lu Bu looked at him and said, "You lead your troops and the wolf cavalry ahead, Li Ying!"

Among the excited civil officials nearby, Soaring Eagle, hearing his name called, quickly slid out to the side and said, "Your subject is here!"

"You assist the cavalry in preparing all necessary provisions and supplies, and set off immediately once they are ready!"

"Yes, sir!" Yang Zaixing and Li Ying excitedly clasped their hands together and turned to leave in a hurry.

Lu Bu looked at Fang Xuedu and said, "Order the troops in Taiping Prefecture to leave only 1,000 troops in Wuhu and Dangtu, and the rest of the troops to enter Xuanzhou and meet at Shuiyang Town."

"Here!"

Fang Xuedu grinned and agreed, then turned and ran out quickly, looking extremely anxious, almost tripping over the threshold at the door.

"Guards, take my meritorious officials to rest." The emperor waved his hand at the two excited generals.

"This humble general takes his leave!" Yan Qing and Zhang Qi, seeing that everything was alright, quickly bowed and followed Su Yi out.

Letting out a long sigh of relief, Lü Bu finally grinned excitedly and sat down behind the table: "This is truly exciting news. I just wonder how quickly the Song court will react and whether they can seize the man before their new emperor ascends the throne."

The king below rolled his eyes and said, "There shouldn't be a new emperor yet."

"Oh?"

“If the Song court were to establish a new emperor, it would announce it to the world, and perhaps they would send people to seek peace as Zhao Gou did before. Since there has been no response, I guess…” His gleaming eyes narrowed: “Either they are still arguing about who should succeed to the throne, or they still harbor the illusion that they can take back Zhao Gou.”

“Heh, indecisive…” After saying this, the emperor at the head of the table stopped talking. His excited expression gradually faded, and he sighed: “It’s no wonder they are like this. If there were one person who could overpower the rest, it might make the decision faster. However, as things stand, the Song court seems to lack such a person who can make the final decision.”

"Or perhaps there are too many people like this."

Li Zhu narrowed his eyes slightly, and Lü Bu was taken aback, looking at him: "I have heard that the Song court did not value Li Gang, which led to his death from depression. Now there are several prime ministers in the court who are vying for power. If Zhao Gou were still alive, the snake would have its head and the bird would have its wings. Unfortunately, Zhao Gou was captured by our army. Even if those high-ranking officials in the court know that they should make a decision quickly, it is difficult to compromise with others when everyone has their own selfish interests."

“Perhaps so…” Lu Bu thought for a moment, nodded, and then stood up: “Regardless of what has become of the Song court, this time we will arrest Zhao Gou and wipe out the Southern Dynasty!”

"May the Great Qi be victorious!"

Everyone in the hall bowed and clasped their hands in greeting, and the guards outside couldn't help but cast their gazes inward.

Fast horses galloped back and forth in the town, and nearly 10,000 cavalrymen set out from Dangtu ahead of others, speeding along the official road and hurrying to Xuanzhou in the south.

Meanwhile, on the official road in the state, there were also messengers on horseback who went to deliver orders. The news was sent to Wuhu and Fanchang one after another. The generals guarding the city were Sun Li and Dong Xiaochou. They did not dare to delay after receiving the order and immediately issued a summons for the troops in the city to gather.

The sounding war drums shook the military camp, and the soldiers, mostly former surrendered soldiers of the Song army, were immediately excited. Many of them had made meritorious contributions and received rewards during this southward march. Even if they died in battle, these rewards could be left to their families. Therefore, they acted quickly, hoping to gain more merit in this grand feast of the southward march.

"Hurry up, hurry up, be quick."

Wearing black mountain-patterned armor, Chen Xizhen shouted loudly, his somewhat shrill voice causing those listening to frown: "Keep your voice down, you scoundrel! Don't you know how grating your voice is?" Chen Xizhen whirled around, looking at the burly general with a sneer: "Gao Chonghan, if you don't want to hear this, cover your ears. If we're late, I'll be the one who suffers, not you." He then sneered: "I'm a captain in the army now, my rank is higher than yours, so listen up."

"You call yourself a father? You're talking like a woman!" Gao Chonghan blushed and angrily flung his hand away, "I'll be a higher official than you sooner or later."

Chen Xizhen glanced at him sideways, a hint of hostility appearing on his face. Just as he was about to speak again, he suddenly heard a drumbeat. His expression changed drastically: "I'm going to the central army first. Tell them to hurry up. I'll set off as soon as I get back. Don't think you can still act like a tyrant in the Imperial Guard. Be smarter."

Gao Chonghan rolled his eyes and said, "Damn it, shut up and get lost!" Seeing the former run away, he turned around and shouted loudly to urge him on.

Chen Xizhen rode his warhorse through the army. When he was almost at the central camp, he saw two generals named Chen Cui and Quan Bangyan. They nodded to each other and then lifted the tent flap to enter.

Just as many people were heading to the central army, before long, a group of officers and soldiers who had received their orders came out of the army and rushed into their respective units.

One after another, the generals' flags emerged from the camp, held high by their flag bearers.

Smoke and dust billowed and shot into the sky.

At the beginning of winter, the Qi army received news from Zhao Gou, and the troops that had been resting for a period of time were successively transferred south and headed towards Xuanzhou.

……

The autumn rain fell incessantly on the streets and alleys of Lin'an.

A group of figures wielding sharp blades stood outside the council hall. The noise inside had almost reached its peak. In the instant it subsided, someone flung open the door with a "whoosh," and several spears rushed out. The person walking out paused, then his face turned bright red: "Zhang Deyuan, you uncivilized scoundrel, what are you doing having these bastards outside here!"

As the figures walked out, they all turned to look back, only to see Zhang Jun staring at them with a cold expression: "What are you doing..."

bang——

The courtier slammed his hand on the table and stepped forward, saying, "It's been two days since the Emperor's message arrived, and you're still arguing and making a fuss without reaching a conclusion. Today, either you all reach a consensus and act accordingly, or you'll all starve to death here."

"you……"

"You're not a human being!"

Amid the commotion, Zhao Ding walked over to Zhang Jun's side and stood there with him: "We really can't keep dragging this out. I support Deyuan on this point. Even if we all starve to death here today, we must get a result."

The court officials fell silent. Huang Qianshan and Wang Boyan, who had not yet been exiled, returned to their seats without saying a word.

Taking advantage of the situation, Zhang Jun waved his hand and said, "Guards, close the door! Do not open it again without my permission!"

"Yes!" General Tian Shizhong, who had fled south, responded from outside. He then ordered his soldiers to close the gate and bolt it shut. He stood outside with his spear, remaining unmoved by the commotion inside.

Time passed slowly, and eunuchs and imperial guards brought torches and lanterns and hung them in the courtyard, the light illuminating the faces of the somewhat tired soldiers.

It was unclear how much time had passed, but just as Tian Shizhong was checking the sky and calculating the time to make the handover, the noise inside the house subsided. Then Zhang Jun's voice came out: "I am Zhang Jun, open the door!"

The soldiers guarding outside quickly stepped forward and bolted the door. The flickering torches illuminated the weary faces of the court officials inside. Zhang Jun, who had stepped out, glanced at the soldiers in the courtyard and said, "Issue the order to send troops to Xuanzhou in two days."

He glanced back at Zhao Ding and said, "Brother Yuanzhen, please come with me to the prison."

Zhao Ding looked up at the sky, nodded, and then rubbed his stomach: "But I need to eat something first. I've only been drinking cold water since noon today, and I really can't take it anymore."

Gu~~
Their stomachs rumbled simultaneously. They glanced at each other, then gave a wry smile. Zhang Jun shook his head: "Let's go, let's eat as we go."

The soldiers brought them dry rations, which the two old ministers did not mind. They boarded the prepared mule cart and ate inside. When they were half full, the cart stopped, and the two men got off with the help of the soldiers and went inside.

"Did Deyuan come here because of Liu Guangshi?"

Zhao Ding looked up at the prison gate, his expression puzzled: "This person... is he still usable?"

“Many of those who retreated from the Western Army spoke up for him.” Zhang Jun watched as several jailers came to greet him, signaling them to go forward, and followed behind with his hands behind his back: “Releasing this man is also to reassure the generals. At this time, we should seek stability.”

Zhao Ding remained silent for a while before nodding: "...It's a pity about Uncle Xin. It would have been better if it had been Liu Guangshi who died in battle."

Zhang Jun did not speak, but simply nodded.

Ahead, the prison gate came into view, and with a sound of the door hinges turning, the two figures were swallowed up inside.

Night lights shone through the cracks in the doors and windows. As the moon shone high in the sky, three figures walked out of the prison, got into a vehicle outside, and slowly drove away.

In the winter of the year Ji Hai, the Song army assembled 50,000 troops and marched towards Xuanzhou.

……

South of Guangde City, as the sun rises, the withered yellow of the fields has overshadowed the green, and a cavalryman dressed in crimson armor winds his way along the road.

Soon, they stopped.

The neighing of warhorses reached the ears of the soldiers, who gathered in twos and threes, first feeding their horses and then eating themselves.

On a nearby rock about waist-high, a burly figure sat, munching on military rations while watching the falling dead leaves in the distance.

"Pengju, should we go to Xuanzhou to rescue His Majesty?"

A breeze blew by, carrying some of Wang Gui's voice, but the figure on the rock still heard him clearly. Hearing this, the figure looked over and nodded after a long pause: "...We still have to go once."

Wang Gui frowned, somewhat troubled: "This...the enemy is holed up inside the city, what are we supposed to do? What if their reinforcements come from the north? Wouldn't we be even more helpless then?"

Yue Fei did not speak, but simply raised his head, the wind blowing the strands of hair hanging down his temples, and gazed in the direction of Xuanzhou: "As subjects, we must take a look."

"Sigh!" Wang Gui stamped his foot: "Fine, I'll go with you. We're brothers, after all."

With heavy steps, he moved towards the other side.

"The Emperor has treated me well; I must know his safety," Yue Fei said softly, watching his retreating figure. (End of Chapter)