Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The fierce roars surrounded the Song army from all sides, and the whistling of arrows, flying axes and short spears terrified the ambushed soldiers.

On the blood-soaked ground, footsteps stepped over the screaming wounded soldiers, thrusting out spears and iron lances to stab and kill the dazed Song generals and soldiers. Some people on horseback were directing their troops, trying their best to regroup.

Among the figures rushing forward, the one wielding the golden tiger-headed spear pounced, smashing a man off his horse with one thrust and finishing him off with another. He then swept away the thrusting weapons, leaped onto his warhorse, and moved with such speed that no one could react in time.

So short...

Yang Zaixing pulled on the reins of his newly captured warhorse, his gaze sweeping around. He pursed his lips, subconsciously showing some disdain for the horse. Since the horses for the ambush of his generals hadn't been brought up the hill, he had no choice but to make do with this one.

"Kill that Qi general!"

Under the banner bearing the character "王" (Wang), Wang Xie, the commander-in-chief, turned around and charged towards Yang Zaixing, who had just mounted his horse. Yang Zaixing was dressed in fine armor and was clearly an important figure in the Qi army.

"kill--"

His personal guards roared and followed their commander as they charged toward Yang Zaixing.

Full of vigor, Yang Zaixing charged into the ambush area, heading straight for Wang Xie. Seeing this man rushing towards him, he was overjoyed. Wasn't this like a pillow meeting a sleepyhead?
The other party even prepared a bed.

"court death……"

He muttered something under his breath, then killed the Song soldier who was standing right in front of him with a single spear thrust. Yang Zaixing spurred his horse and shouted, "Follow me!"

Dozens of Yang Zaixing's personal guards, who had been charging into battle alongside him for years, galloped over. Even though they were not on horseback at this moment, they showed no fear. Upon hearing the general's order, they drew their weapons and charged toward the Song army general.

"Wang Xie, Commander of the Imperial Guard's Vanguard, is here. General... um?! Ah—"

Wang Xie, who was riding in, intended to announce his name on the battlefield. Before he could finish speaking, the opposing side pulled out throwing axes and hurled them at him. The Song soldiers who came to fight were caught off guard and were killed or wounded in a volley of flying axes. Even Wang Xie was lucky to have a quick reaction and escaped unscathed. Even so, he was grazed on the cheek by an axe, and the deep wound that saw the bone cut all the way to his ear before stopping.

"A son of a concubine!" The wound on his face made Wang Xie even more furious.

The air was thick with the stench of blood. Boots pounded the ground, and as legs lifted and fell, dust billowed into the sky. Amidst the rapid hoofbeats, Yang Zaixing, wielding a long spear, drew near. Wang Xie, on his warhorse, gripped the spear tightly and thrust it forward with a fierce thrust.

The spearhead, accompanied by a whistling sound, grazed the side of Yang Zaixing's armor, and a golden light then shot upwards towards Wang Xie's chest.

puff--

Blood spurted from the Song general's back, splattering onto the ground behind him. Yang Zaixing shouted from his horse and forcefully shoved the man into the air, sending the corpse flying higher than his head. It paused in mid-air for a moment before crashing down, kicking up dust.

"I am Yang Zaixing of the Great Qi Dynasty, who will decide my fate!"

The spear swept across, sending Wang Xie's personal guards flying several feet away. The loud sound echoed in the surrounding area. Many Song soldiers who witnessed this scene, no matter how determined they were, could not help but feel great pressure, and their hands holding their weapons trembled involuntarily.

……

Also trembling was Yang Yizhong, who was chasing at the forefront. The moment the clapper sounded, the screams and roars coming from behind startled him, who was leading the troops at the front. He then realized that they were being spared to reassure the troops in the rear and thus gain a greater victory.

I was still careless...

Yang Yizhong, mounted on his horse, turned his horse around in frustration: "Turn around! Turn around! Get the army out of the siege!"

As the shouts subsided, a deafening cry of "Kill!" rang out. Yang Yizhong, who was about to spur his horse forward, turned back to look at the Qi army soldiers who had just fled behind him. They turned around and charged back at him.

They shouldn't have come in!

Filled with regret, Yang Yizhong shouted, "Enemy attack! Engage! Defeat them first!"

The accompanying troops turned around again and quickly formed battle formations. However, the army was now ambushed and everyone was on edge, so they moved a beat slower than usual.

The sound of warhorses galloping echoed through the mountain road. A banner with the character "Han" appeared first in Yang Yizhong's eyes, followed by more than 500 soldiers running rapidly.

"Do you know General Han Shiqing of Xuancheng?!" The figure on horseback shouted, brandishing his sword, his face full of anger.

It's no wonder he reacted this way. At the start of the battle today, his troops were evenly matched with the enemy's, and he thought he could achieve some success. However, he didn't expect that his true colors would be revealed in a short while. The combined force of 5,000 men from Xuancheng and Ningguo was defeated, shattering his dream of making a name for himself. In addition, his planned feigned defeat turned into a real defeat.

This is a disgrace!

With his eyes blazing with fury, Han Shiqing gritted his teeth and shouted, "You bastard, come forward and die!" He charged forward on his warhorse, his broadsword whirling as he deflected the incoming arrows.

Yang Yizhong frowned, his gaze sweeping over the hill behind him as he watched the large banner bearing the character "Xu". He knew that most of the soldiers advancing ahead, except for those under this man's command, would turn back.

Watching the enemy soldiers rushing forward with a cold eye, Yang Yizhong snorted coldly, "Brutal bastards..." He hung up his spear, reached for his bow, and said, "Archers, prepare to take aim at that traitorous general on the other side."

Large shields were erected in front, and the spearmen behind them extended their long weapons through the gaps in the shields. Commanders kept shouting to their troops to prepare.

Seeing this, Han Shiqing gritted his teeth and shouted, "Charge!" He held his broadsword upside down and yelled, "They've been ambushed and won't last much longer. This is a golden opportunity to make a name for ourselves! Follow me and kill them!"

He charged to the front line, raised his broadsword, and slashed down at the swordsmen and shieldmen in front of him, splitting the iron-clad wooden shields in two. The leather helmet of the soldier behind him cracked open, and dark red blood gushed down his forehead before he fell to the ground.

His five hundred men were all fierce warriors in the army, which was the foundation for his ability to run rampant in Xuancheng and eventually occupy the city. Seeing their commander charge forward, they all charged forward without fear of death, instantly pushing the battle formation back again and again. With shouts of "Hold on!" and "A bunch of defeated generals, nothing to be afraid of!" they steadied themselves and began to fight back with their weapons.

Yang Yizhong stopped under the army banner and watched as Han Shiqing charged into the front line, cutting down his soldiers with almost two or three strikes. He took a deep breath, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the general on horseback.

crunch--

The archers beside him drew their bows in unison, holding their breath as they aimed intently at the rider on horseback. A powerful shout rang out: "Shoot!"

buzzing-

The bowstrings vibrated repeatedly, and the arrows flew in a small arc towards Han Shiqing.

Puff puff--

A dozen or so long arrows were immediately embedded in Han Shiqing's armor. The man holding the knife paused, then roared, "Ahhhhh—!" and slashed out with all his might, blood splattering before his eyes.

Sweat poured down Han Shiqing's forehead, and blood flowed down the arrow shafts from the gaps in his armor. The good armor saved his life, but it could not protect him completely.

"General!"

"General, retreat immediately!"

The guards beside him were shocked to see this and shouted a few times, trying to step forward.

In the distance, Yang Yizhong murmured, "Luckily..." He drew his bow to its fullest extent, released it, and with a whoosh, the arrow flew like a shooting star.

Han Shiqing was looking down at the arrows in his body, reaching out to grab the arrow that was caught in his shoulder armor and trying to pull it out. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his neck, his body trembled, and he struggled to turn his head toward the arrow. In that instant, he fell off his warhorse.

"The enemy general is dead! Rage through the Qi army!"

Yang Yizhong raised his bow and shouted, along with the cry: "Those who harm our generals, kill them!"

The battle flag bearing the character "Xu" fluttered as figures wielding giant shields and swords swarmed forward. Amidst the deafening crash of the collision, the heavily wounded soldiers in the front ranks could not withstand the onslaught and were forced to retreat.

Arrows flew and crisscrossed overhead. The golden spearman, commanding his troops in the center, shouted, "The soldiers at the front are now under my command! Avenge General Han! Kill—"

"kill!"

Just as Han Shiqing's troops were thrown into disarray, they heard Xu Ning's shout and immediately regained their composure. Instead of retreating, they advanced and joined forces with the Qi army to fight their way forward. No matter how unwilling Yang Yizhong was, he could not change the situation. He could only console himself that at least he had killed one general, which saved many of his soldiers from dying.

The sunlight shifted westward from its zenith, and shouts of battle echoed across the hills and forests, while the sound of horses' hooves once again resounded on the road below.

Blood splattered on the ground, horses' hooves trampled the earth, and knights on warhorses fired arrows that fell among the crimson figures, one after another falling.

Han Chang and Li Tianrun arrived on horseback, but the area was too small, so they could only call on the soldiers to support the infantry from the outside. Many people wanted to go around to the sides to help the infantry, but they encountered hills and trees, so they had to settle for second best and do their best to support their comrades within the area where they could move.

At one point during the fierce battle, the soldiers on the front line advanced two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) with their swords and spears, and even more intense shouts and the sounds of clashing weapons rang out.

Xu Ning glanced back, then raised his gun: "Order the vanguard to clear the way and not block the cavalry's path."

"Sound the horn! Send a message to Generals Han and Li: Charge straight into the central army and capture or kill the enemy general!"

Woohoo——

A mournful bugle call sounded, and Xu Ning pulled on the reins, leading the elite soldiers of the central army forward. The sudden influx of four hundred fresh troops instantly increased the pressure on the Song soldiers who were fighting. Before the Song generals on the front line could call for reinforcements, the sound of horses' hooves exploding could be heard, and the opponents fighting in front of them began to retreat.

In the Song army formation, Yang Yizhong's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly shouted, "Go forward and hold off those retreating Qi soldiers!"

However, it was too late. The three hundred cavalrymen had already charged through the path cleared by the infantry. With a deafening crash, flesh tore and exploded, and the blood of men and horses mingled together, soon forming small pools of blood in the low-lying areas of the ground.

Li Tianrun slashed left and right with his long sword, not seeking to kill, but only cutting down the people nearby. Han Chang followed with his troops, trampling people to death on the ground. Arrows came flying, and several warhorses buckled and fell to the ground.

"Defend! Guard the central command!"

The cavalry's sudden entry caused a moment of panic among the Song soldiers, but Yang Yizhong remained calm and issued an order. The soldiers around him instinctively obeyed the order. The general's composure gave them courage. As arrows flew through the air, spears and shields followed, and defensive lines were instantly formed in front of them once again.

Seeing this, Yang Yizhong felt somewhat relieved and quickly ordered his personal guards, "Go and see what Zhang Zigai is doing. He's being held back by the Qi army and can't retreat. Make him fight as he approaches us. Only by joining forces can we break through. Hurry!"

The guards behind him immediately turned and ran. Yang Yizhong had no time to pay attention to the situation behind him. The fighting in front continued. When the knight wielding his sword was stabbed by a spear, he reached out and grabbed the spear shaft. In an instant, his comrades rode up from the side, cut the spear shaft with their swords, and slashed the man's neck with their backhand. They charged forward amidst a spray of blood.

In the newly formed defensive line, many central army officers roared out orders. The sharp points of the large shields were driven into the ground, the wooden supports were lowered, and arrows exchanged positions in the air before piercing the bodies of men below. Screams of agony came from the mouths of soldiers on both sides.

boom--

As the warhorses charged forward, several fierce soldiers, disregarding their own lives, used their horses to forcefully break through the large shields in front of them. As they flew into the air, they gripped their weapons and stabbed the Song soldiers below them.

The deafening sounds of battle reached their peak in an instant. Soldiers, their eyes blinded by blood, roared as they clashed together. Li Tianrun and Han Chang, advancing towards the opposite side, brandished their swords and spears, killing and wounding more than ten enemies along the way.

Under the banner, Yang Yizhong raised his longbow again, aiming at the general charging ahead. Just as Li Tianrun's gaze met his, he quickly moved his arm away and aimed the arrow at Han Chang, who was striking a commander on the head with a spear. Just as he was about to let go, an arrow shot from the cavalry and pierced his arm with a thud.

"Ah!" Yang Yizhong screamed and let go, the arrow went astray and landed somewhere unknown.

Han Chang turned his gaze and saw Xu Ning on his warhorse not far behind him, putting down his bow and switching to a golden spear. Xu Ning nodded to him and then thrust his spear in another direction. Infantrymen carrying banners with the character "Xu" swarmed along the path cleared by the cavalry, roaring and brandishing their weapons as they clashed with the enemy. Severed arms and heads flew into the air.

"General!"

Under the banner bearing the character "Yang," several personal guards nervously surrounded Yang Yizhong. Yang Yizhong, covered in cold sweat and clutching his wound, hadn't even spoken when he suddenly heard shouts of battle coming from behind. Turning around, he saw his personal guards running into the rear battle formation, shouting, "...Not good...Surround...General!" Their voices faintly echoed through the noisy battlefield.

Yang Yizhong's expression changed, a bad premonition rising in his heart. He spurred his horse back a few steps, wanting to avoid the Qi army's sharp edge and listen to the message from his personal guards.

The moment the banner moved, Han Chang, from within the Qi army formation at the rear, suddenly shouted, "The Song army has been defeated!"

The surrounding Qi soldiers immediately shouted in unison, "The Song army has been defeated! The Song army has been defeated!"

Those still resisting at the front couldn't help but turn back and see their general's flag retreating. The fighting spirit in their hearts vanished instantly, and the experienced Qi soldiers seized the opportunity to charge forward, breaking through the temporary defensive line amidst shouts and battle.

As Yang Yizhong ran, he was filled with regret. He had forgotten to instruct his troops to leave the flag in place after being wounded. Now that the Qi army had broken through their defenses, he feared it would be difficult to stop the enemy's advance again. He hurriedly ordered, "Have the rear guard retreat and rendezvous with Zhang Zigai, quickly!"

Amidst the sound of hooves and shouts of "General! General!", several personal guards who had just gone to Zhang Zigai's army returned, anxiously speaking from their horses: "The army behind us was ambushed. General Zhang Zigai was killed in battle by a Qi general named Fang Qifo. Now the Qi army has broken through his forces and surrounded him. Please, General, make a decision!"

Yang Yizhong's expression changed drastically.

In the distance, a wolf-head flag fluttered, and soldiers carrying banners bearing the character "Shi" (stone) galloped towards them. A general, half-covered in blood, held a long spear with Zhang Zigai's head embedded in its tip, and roared at Yang Yizhong's forces: "I am Fang Qifo, the Wolf Cavalry Commandant! Your allied generals are dead, and your men are all kneeling. Why don't you surrender now?!"

The sound was loud and deafening.

A cheer suddenly erupted from the Qi army amidst the fighting. The remaining Song soldiers were cut down and killed. When Yang Yizhong looked back, Han Chang, Li Tianrun, and Xu Ning had already charged close. Soldiers carrying wolf-head banners slowly surrounded them from behind. A general stepped over Fang Qifo and shouted, "I, Shi Bao, will give you ten breaths. If you don't surrender, you'll all die here!"

A soldier stepped forward: "One...two...three..."

"General... General..."

"What do we do?!"

A wave of panic swept through the Song army ranks, all eyes turning to Yang Yizhong. The generals' expressions shifted rapidly, and as they heard "seven...eight..." they suddenly gritted their teeth and shouted, "Surrender!"

Dang clang——

Dang clang——

The Song soldiers, as if their weapons were burning their hands, threw them on the ground with a sigh of relief. Many of them lowered their heads in disappointment, while the Qi soldiers began to advance.

Yang Yizhong dismounted, sighed, and looked at the several generals who approached. He slowly knelt down and touched his head to the ground. (End of Chapter)