Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

crackling——

The candle flickered softly, and the figures standing before the map straightened up. The map was covered with military flags and human-shaped markers. Han Shizhong looked at the figures in front of him and slowly said, "Go and rest. The Song army is already moving towards us and will arrive soon."

Everyone in the room bowed to Han Shizhong. Xu Ning and Han Chang went out first, followed by several other figures. Wang Yin and Yang Zaixing stayed behind, watching the departing figures and softly asked, "Brother Liangchen, do you believe in that branch of your family?"

The general, who was stretching, quickly waved his hand: "Don't talk nonsense. What family ties? I was born in the Northwest, and he is from the South. We have nothing to do with each other."

Yang Zaixing chuckled: "Anyway, you two both have the surname Han and both belong to the 'Shi' generation, so maybe you even have the same ancestor."

Han Shizhong rolled his eyes: "Go away, stop teasing me." He reached up and stroked his beard: "I was just having a headache when this guy arrived just in time. When the Song army arrives, let him go first. Judging from the soldiers' actual reactions, it might have a miraculous effect."

Wang Yin suddenly spoke up: "Don't push people to the brink."

"No." Han Shizhong waved his hand: "This guy already knows what he's going to do. Even if he loses some men, he probably won't care. He might even be happier."

The other two thought for a moment and nodded. Yang Zaixing then said, "His Majesty has arrived near Xuancheng. The vanguard is led by General Xu Wen, who is on his way here, presumably to support us."

"So that means Zhao Gou might already be in His Majesty's army?" Han Shizhong smiled with interest. "Very well, let's fight a few battles with those surnamed Zhang and Zhao first, and those opportunistic Song officials will have their own choices."

Then he stretched his arms again and yawned: "Let's go, we need to get busy tomorrow."

"It should be called fighting desperately."

Wang Yin smiled, shook his head, and followed.

The night was as dark as ink. The guards carrying lanterns came forward and led their respective generals to their resting places.

……

As dawn broke, the moon, missing a piece, and the newly risen sun in the east hung in the sky at the same time.

In the dim light, the distant hills lay there silently like black monsters. Suddenly, a huge sound exploded out, followed by a series of clanging and tinkling sounds, and the withered leaves trembled in the noise.

Below it, a dozen figures were entangled together before quickly separating. Some were fleeing in front, while others were chasing with blades in their hands. Two or three corpses with missing limbs were left on the ground, their blood appearing somewhat black in the dim morning light.

Amidst the rustling sounds, there were arrows piercing the air and the clash of swords. Further away, in the azure sky, figures were engaged in battle everywhere. As the sun rose higher, corpses were continuously thrown down from the autumn mountains.

Boom boom boom——

The footsteps were heavy. Zhang Jun turned his head to look at the large banner with the character "Song" standing upright and sighed in his heart. Zhao Gou had been kind to him. It could be said that without this new emperor, he would not be the commander of the vanguard of the Imperial Guard.

However, he did not have much hope of rescuing the emperor from the Qi army. He had fought against the Mi Sheng in Yangzhou, and the enemy attacked him by land and water, defeating him completely. These events had only been going on for a little over a month, but he still remembered them.

Moreover, since the vanguard had vanished without a trace, he assumed they had all died in battle. After all, it was better for them to be dead than alive, because if they were alive, it meant they had all betrayed him. Nothing was more troublesome than an increase in the number of enemies.

Headache……

Zhang Jun rubbed his temples, hearing the sound of horses' hooves approaching. He looked up and saw a scout with arrows in his body had run to the center of the army. When he pulled his horse to a stop, he swayed and fell off. His personal guards quickly jumped down and helped him up.

The pale-faced scout managed to speak: "Reporting... Commander, there are... a large number of Qi scouts ahead, and the brothers... have suffered heavy losses."

An unpleasant expression appeared on Zhang Jun's face, but despite the sunlight shining down, a chill ran down his spine.

The bugle sounded intermittently in the mountains and forests, carrying the orders of the Song army cavalry to the distant places. These soldiers from the vicinity of Hangzhou seemed somewhat apprehensive about the hills and forests near Ningguo County. Only after the swordsmen and shieldmen went outside to form a defensive shield wall were they able to keep the entire column from falling behind.

Zhang Jun and Zhao Ding led Tian Shizhong through the central army camp, with messengers constantly relaying messages and issuing perfunctory orders based on their reports.

When it comes to military campaigns, the generals leading troops in the Song army today can all be considered seasoned veterans who have fought many battles. They don't need to make many adjustments. The only thing that needs to be done, and must be done, is to adjust the mentality of the generals under their command.

These are the things that urgently need to be done right now.

After passing a hill, there is a slightly flatter plain. Tall trees sway in the wind on the right, with withered leaves falling, while a river rushes forward on the left.

While the Song army was resting, Zhang Jun had not received any news from Zhang Jun's vanguard. He stood under the banner, his hand on the long sword at his waist, his face extremely gloomy.

"Could they have been ambushed by the Qi army?" Zhao Ding, looking tired and thin, walked over and asked hesitantly. Then he dismissed his own thoughts: "That's not right either. His troops are only three miles away from the central army, and he has eight thousand elite soldiers under his command. If anything had happened, they should have been able to send back the news."

Zhou Wang walked over, stepping on the slightly damp ground, and sneered: "There are always those who complain under Commander Zhang, or perhaps they have become disloyal now."

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Zhang Jun interrupted him: “Zhang Boying was promoted by the Emperor, and his loyalty is no less than yours or mine.”

Just then, a messenger came running up, bringing back the same message they were waiting for.

"Commander Zhang spotted the Qi army fifteen miles ahead, but his scouts suffered heavy losses and he was unable to ascertain the number of troops or the identity of the generals."

Zhang Jun, Zhou Wang, and Zhao Ding exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Jun smiled and said, "I told you he wouldn't have any problems." Then, he rallied his spirits and ordered Wang Xie, Wang Min, and Yang Yizhong to lead their troops forward. He also ordered Liu Guangshi of the rear army to quickly bring his troops to provide support. The entire army was to advance ten miles at full speed and recapture the capital!

The sound of horns rang out on the left side of the forest road.

The 50,000 Song soldiers immediately obeyed their general's orders, adopted a conservative posture, formed battle formations, and marched in a mighty procession through the densely wooded area. From the sky, their crimson-clad figures resembled blooming flowers, forming an irregular shape that stretched forward.

Soon after, the surging army began to connect as they marched. Zhang Jun rode his horse to the front, where he saw a dark mass of battle formations in the distance. It looked somewhat incongruous, with crimson banners covered with irregular patches of black cloth, clearly hastily sewn together. Only the black banners with red borders fluttered among the cavalry on both sides, with the flags of a few generals billowing among them. Everyone's eyes were fixed on this side with fervor.

"Qi Jun... Han, Li, Xu, Han, um... that should be the main character."

Previously, when he was by the river, Zhang Jun had only heard some rumors. Later, before he could support the battle in Jiangbei, the Emperor was captured. Therefore, this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes. Although the army opposite was wearing Song army armor, he could still see some differences.

He had his own guesses about the general's identity. The surname Han was not common among Qi army generals. Considering the news from Lin'an, it should be the audacious Han Shizhong.

Whoosh— At that moment, the sound of horns rang out from the opposite side. An army in crimson and black armor marched forward from the rear, left, and right. Groups of soldiers dressed in crimson uniforms and draped in black cloth stood at the front. Han Shiqing, riding his horse and wielding a long-handled broadsword, raised his sword high and shouted, "Form ranks—!"

Shields stretched out and fell in that direction, crashing to the ground with a series of booming sounds. Behind them, soldiers wielding spears came forward, shouting "Hah!" as they pressed down in unison, their spears passing over the shields, creating a dense and chilling forest of spears.

The archer holding the crossbow stood behind the shield bearer, bent down to inspect the crossbow mechanism, and looked excited.

On the other side, an army was also deploying its forces. A shield as tall as a man was slammed into the ground, and burly soldiers wielding iron spears silently stepped forward, forming the same hedgehog formation without a sound.

In late autumn, a cold wind blows and large swaths of dark clouds drift across the sky.

The silent figures brought an even greater sense of oppression. The crowd surged like waves, countless footsteps treading in unison. Amidst the tremors, the advancing figures were the first to launch an attack on the formation ahead.

Boom boom boom——

"For the sake of their future, for the title—"

Han Shiqing, dragging his white cloak, ran at the front of the battle line, raising his broadsword high: "You are now soldiers of Qi, entitled to military merit and the privilege of marrying and having your children rewarded. Soldiers, fight for yourselves!"

"kill--"

"Fight them!"

The newly surrendered Song army from Xuancheng roared, and the figures carrying shields and spears felt a surge of strength within them. Footsteps and shouts echoed across the plain as they charged forward, spearheading the attack on the Song army ahead.

Soldiers, still wearing the standard Song army uniforms and armor, with simple black cloth sewn onto their bodies for identification, moved in dense formations, their pace shifting from steady to jogging. Dust rose from their feet, swirling in the wind, while cavalry advanced on both sides.

"Damn it, I knew we'd run into the Qi army here." Zhang Jun, gripping his sword hilt tightly amidst the Song army's battle formation, muttered to himself.

Ningguo County is mostly hilly and forested, with a relatively undulating terrain. However, this relatively flat area is also one of the few fertile lands in the area, which has always been the best choice for growing grain. Now, it has become a battlefield...

Perhaps next year will bring a bountiful harvest here...

With inappropriate thoughts swirling in his mind, Zhang Jun abruptly shook his head, seemingly trying to shake off the distractions: "Contract the defense, send the archers forward, and try to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy cavalry." Then, seeing that the enemy cavalry had not moved, he frowned: "Be careful of a surprise attack by the Qi cavalry."

"Yes."

The messenger responded and waved his small flag. A cavalryman relayed his order, and Zhang Jun, who was watching him approach, also made arrangements with his men and brought his personal guards over: "Prime Minister Zhang, the front line is dangerous. Please retreat."

Zhang Jun turned back, stared into his eyes for a few moments, and nodded: "Okay."

Zhang Jun smiled and quickly ordered his personal guards to protect them. The two retreated under the cover of shields. Zhang Jun suddenly spoke up: "The Qi army is charging, and the pressure here is not small. We should retreat and guard the front with Wang Xie and Wang Min."

Zhang Jun remained expressionless, cupped his hands in agreement, while Zhang Jun, on the other hand, said nothing more and rode away.

The sound of war drums rang out between the two armies, and scattered arrows crisscrossed the air. The troops, connected in battle formation, raised their shields to cover the archers behind them, and the sound of bowstrings vibrating constantly rang out. Crossbow bolts, whistling through the air, shot far away and struck the shields of the charging soldiers.

As the Qi army advanced, their pace quickened, and the Song army's figures became clearer in their sight. At a distance where even their faces could be seen clearly, arrows rained down like raindrops. Crossbow bolts and arrows clattered against shields, and occasionally a scream would be heard as those hit by arrows fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

As the distance drew closer, the soldiers, gritting their teeth and charging forward, tightened their grip on their shields and let out hysterical roars.

The combat boots on his feet were creased from the pressure, and he kicked off with a thud, sending a layer of mud flying into the air.

"Hold on—"

"Enemy attack—"

"kill--"

Countless roars exploded in an instant, and the large shields in front of them blocked the Qi soldiers who rushed forward with sharp blades. The iron swords in their hands and the long spears behind them were swung and thrusting incessantly.

puff-

The dull sound of flesh being torn apart rang out. Some of the densely packed Qi infantrymen in the front row were hanging from the forest of spears. More people roared and brandished their swords, rushing forward one after another, pushing and shoving their comrades who were locked in a stalemate in front. Long spears and iron lances protruded from behind, ignoring the corpses still hanging on the spear shafts, and clashed and thrust with the spears on the opposite side.

The air was filled with the sounds of clashing swords and shields. Several iron shields shattered in the hands of the swordsmen, unable to withstand the attack. Weapons followed up with frantic slashing and thrusting, and the sounds of flesh tearing and bones exploding filled the air.

Behind them, soldiers carrying bows and crossbows continuously fired arrows and crossbow bolts, which landed among the crowd on the opposite side.

"Charge forward! Break into the enemy's center! Kill!"

Han Shiqing spun his warhorse around, gripping his broadsword and gritting his teeth as he roared at the front line ahead. Blood flowed from the front line piled with corpses. At this moment, his soldiers fought a fierce battle with the soldiers who came from Hangzhou, resulting in a stalemate.

Maybe we won't need to make that move...

The thought flashed through his mind. On the other side of the battlefield, the Qi soldiers who had been silently advancing roared even louder than those on the other side. Han Shiqing turned his head and saw the sound of banging echoing along the front line. Xu Ning, whom he had met once and thought was somewhat gentle and refined, was now fighting fiercely on the front line, wielding a golden spear. One after another, figures were stabbed to the ground by the spear in his hand, their fair and round faces splattered with blood.

Large shields were slammed into the enemy's hands by the Qi soldiers. The burly infantrymen, their eyes filled with fervor, charged forward in unison as they retracted their shields. One after another, they thrust out thick iron spears, piercing through the enemy's body. Then, in one fluid motion, they pulled out their spears and raised their shields, concealing themselves behind the wooden shields.

"Damn it..." Zhang Jun frowned as he looked under the banner, then suddenly shouted, "Where's Liu Bao? Tell him to lead his men forward and chop that Han fellow back! Notify Zhang Zigai and tell him to hold them off!"

As the autumn wind swept across the plains, the blood and flesh spreading across the battlefield seemed to create ripples. Upon receiving the order, Liu Bao reached for his great axe, roared, and pointed at Han Shiqing's banner: "Follow me! Drive those over there back!"

The Song soldiers around him suddenly shouted, and the general in front of him roared and rushed forward.

The front lines were interlocked, and troops launched a surprise attack. (End of Chapter)