Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

At the beginning of Meng Qiu, the already scorching sun became three points hotter again. The shade of the trees under the dense forest on the left side of Qingzhou Road seemed to have become a gathering place for passers-by. From time to time, traders wearing short shirts would hide in, fanning themselves with bamboo hats. , while complaining about the weather.

“It wasn’t so hot in the early years, but it’s gotten even hotter in the past two years.”

"Who says it's not the case? It's extremely cold in winter and unbearably hot in summer. God just doesn't want to let us go."

"Would it be better to take the water route?"

"It's okay. I rented a boat last month. It was sweltering in the cabin, and there was no place to hide from the light on the deck. I wouldn't go on a boat in the summer."

Several people were talking and venting their dissatisfaction. Someone raised a water bag and poured it down: "Damn it, I've finished drinking it. Does any of you have extra water?"

"I have it, drink from me." The sound of rustling footsteps sounded behind him. The man looked back and saw a dark-skinned young man wearing a rough linen shirt walking in with a simple knife in hand and handing over the water bag.

"Thank you."

The man took the water bag, poured half of it into it, and returned it to the young man: "The accent doesn't sound like it's from JD.com?"

"I'm from the north." The young man showed two rows of white teeth. It was Ma Ling who came to Qingzhou first. He took off the baggage on his shoulders and put it aside: "What important matters are these brothers talking about?"

"What's the important thing? It's hot. Let's just talk casually." Xu drank someone's water, but the man was quite polite to Ma Ling: "Where are you going, this young man?"

"I have an acquaintance in Qingfeng Town, and I am going to see him today." Ma Ling said, taking out the sweat towel to wipe his face: "But I also heard that the road is not peaceful. If you have been away for a long time, Can someone who has been here for a long time tell me what the situation is like in Qingzhou at this time?"

The people over there looked at each other: "Go to Qingfeng Town...it is indeed a bit dangerous."

Ma Ling looked at the person who was speaking, and someone might as well say: "Huh? I heard that Magistrate Murong sent Qin Tongzhi to lead troops to conquer."

Shen Juzi rolled his eyes and looked at several business travelers with smiling faces. He always felt that these people were laughing at them.

"Hey, Commander Qin has to lead troops to attack Sanshan almost every few months. When has it ever succeeded?" Someone said with disdain: "Every time, it's a waste of money and food. Let me tell you, even if I were replaced, it would be better than He is strong." He patted his chest and made a strong gesture towards the others.

"This trip seems unusual. I heard that Madam Murong's family came with their belongings and were robbed by the people from Erlongshan."

"I've heard about it too, what happened a few days ago, right? I heard that the Huazhi Village in Qingfeng Village was scolded by Magistrate Murong."

"Didn't you say you were beaten with a military stick?"

Ma Ling's expression changed, and he looked at the speaker with interest: "Huazhi Village, is this the one named Hua Rong?"

"That's the guy." The person who spoke first nodded to Ma Ling, and then retorted to the other person: "It's hard to beat him with a military stick. Let me tell you, my neighbor's distant cousin works as an errand in the Yamen, and he just got scolded. That’s all.”

"Why are you scolding?" Ma Ling looked at the man and said thoughtfully: "But the things were robbed from his side?"

"That's not so." The gossip didn't seem to feel hot anymore, his eyes lit up, and he became more energetic: "It is said that that batch of wealth is only twenty miles away from Qingfeng Village, and is being guarded by the people from Erlong Mountain. People were killed, cars were taken away, hey, Hua Rong was also unlucky, I heard that he wanted to send troops, but was rejected by Wenzhi village with the surname Liu."

He clicked his tongue, shook his head and continued: "In the end, he was the only one who got scolded, so what happened to Wen Zhizhai?"

"It's unfair." Ma Ling slapped her thigh and said, "It's not like I didn't do my best, so why did I only scold Hua Rong and not care about the Niao Zhi village named Liu?"

"Those red guys are not very good people. They are very timid in front of the officials, but they show off their power when they see us and other common people. They just grab them or scold them."

"Suppressing bandits is the duty of military personnel. The military generals of this state are really serious about waste. It has been several years and they are still unable to quell the banditry."

"It's better to ask Liangshan over there in Yunzhou to call. I passed over there and only collected a small amount of money without being harassed by bandits. It's less than the government's accommodation tax. Damn it, it's not like walking here. Don’t worry, you’ll have to pay three cents of the money.”

"Are you afraid that you are neglecting the government?"

Several people talked to each other one by one, and Ma Ling chimed in from time to time. When noon passed, the sun in the sky became calmer, and people started to get up and leave.

Seeing this, Ma Ling knew it was time to leave, and immediately stood up and left. He walked quickly, and entered Boxing County just after dark. He followed the signs along the way and entered a small house. In the B&B, several men sitting in the room quickly stood up: "I have seen the commander-in-chief."

Ma Ling smiled and waved her hand to sit down: "Why did you find this place?"

"Brothers from Youshi Mansion found it for me. They said that the owner of this family has lived in the capital all year round. This house is only managed by one person. No matter who it is, you can move in if you pay money."

"It turns out that you are on the ground." Shenjuzi found a place to sit and looked around at the people: "Where are Tang Erhu and Du Lisan?"

"The two commanders have gone to Qingzhou Mansion. It is said that there are troops being mobilized there."

Ma Ling nodded: "I know that. It is said that Erlongshan robbed the things of the prefect here, and the dog officer sent troops to attack." He pondered for a moment and said, "Most of the brothers in Youshifu are inquiring about news in the city. You have to rely on me to wait and see. It's getting late today, so let's rest for now. Tomorrow we will divide into three teams and go to Sanshan to explore the road. In five days, we will come back here and copy the news and report it to my brother."

The few men didn't have any objections and nodded repeatedly. That night, everyone washed their feet with cold water, heated their feet with hot soup, and then rested here.

Early the next morning, while the sun was not so fierce, everyone was divided into three teams. Ma Ling took a few men and headed towards Erlong Mountain.

……

Under the sun, the sergeants lined up in several rows and walked forward dullly. As the people and horses moved, their footsteps shook the ground. The gradually flying dust formed a line of smoke above the team. The flag with a yellow background and red edges drooped on the flagpole. As I walked around, I gradually got lost in the rising yellow dragon.

At the front of the team, a man wearing leather armor and a crimson military robe sat straight on his horse. A phoenix-winged helmet hung beside the saddle, and a mace embedded with copper nails was hung on the victory hook. The horses swayed slightly as they moved. Even though this man was not wearing his usual armor, he was still sweating profusely from the heat. Beads of sweat as big as soybeans rolled down his forehead and dripped down his beard from time to time. It was this time the officers and soldiers were suppressing the army. The bandit leader is Qin Ming.

"Master, it's too hot. I'm afraid it won't be a good idea to go to Erlong Mountain at this time." The soldier named Huang Xin said, wiping his sweat from behind.

"I also know that there are advantages to difficulties." The thunderbolt wiped the sweat on his head and looked at the decent-looking disciple beside him: "But if Mr. Murong issues a military order, there is no room for bargaining." Huang Xin smiled bitterly: "That's right. Send more siege weapons. The dangerous Erlongshan Pass can be conquered with more than a dozen ladders. We don’t even have a rocket. We just rely on human lives to fill it. This way we have a good chance of winning."

"Don't complain." Qin Ming was also helpless: "Mr. Murong is also in trouble. He emptied his treasury for the Liangshan Campaign, but now it has not been replenished. Where are the firearms for us to use?"

"Master, please don't help Shangguan cover..." The apprentice suddenly realized in the middle of the sentence and stopped suddenly. Looking back and seeing no one approaching the two of them, he sighed: "It's just that it's not worth it to see Master working so hard. If it's Manager Yun, When I was alive, my master and my apprentice led the troops to annihilate these three mountains, which was nothing like today. However, this man is so focused on the camp that he can only talk and talk to please my husband, and cannot listen to what is said from the bottom of his heart."

"That's all, everyone is dead. No matter what he did, he didn't bother himself." Qin Ming looked up at the cloudless sky and cheered up: "This weather... I'm so hot, and so are the thieves, but It’s a matter of who can endure it more.”

"It's strange. In the past, Deng Long only robbed single travelers and small businessmen. How did he become so bold that he even dared to rob the property of the prefect's prime minister?"

"Perhaps Tianre is confused, or maybe he is too courageous, no matter what that stupid thief thinks." Qin Ming followed the horse jolting, his expression unconcerned: "As long as he dares to go down the mountain to fight today, I will give him a blow." Kill him."

"Then he will never come down." Huang Xin laughed loudly: "That day, the thief was frightened by Master's three sticks. From now on, when he hears Master leading his troops, he will stick to the pass and not come out. What a shame. timid."

Qin Ming also laughed: "I can't believe I am so bold now."

The master and the apprentice laughed heartily. The sergeant following behind didn't know why the general in front was laughing. But seeing the two of them looking like this, he felt a little more relaxed and moved faster for a while.

……

On Erlong Mountain.

Yang Zhi was wearing a sapphire blue singlet with sweat on his chest and back. He and Lu Zhishen were sitting and drinking in the shade of a tree. However, he saw that Monk Nahua had taken off his monk's robe at this time and was covered in oily sweat. The peony patterns on the arms are spread out in all directions, and with the shiny color, they are actually two points more vivid than usual.

"Hello, senior brother, have you been to Peach Blossom Mountain in the past? Why not invite the brothers over there to come here for a reunion, which can also make you stronger." Yang Zhi held the wine glass and straightened his body. If it weren't for the blue birthmark on his face, He really feels like a solemn gentleman.

"The Sa family can't stand those two vulgar people. They are not the same as each other. If the two of them go to Erlong Mountain, the Sa family will sooner or later not be able to stand the stingy and flattering manners of those two people." The flower monk sitting next to him took a drink from the wine jar and drank a sip of wine. He shook his head and said, "It's better to find some brothers who can see you through and live happily in the mountains."

"Senior brother has an open-minded temperament and is different from the rest of the world." Yang Zhi's expression remained unchanged and he remained silent for a while: "It's just that it's not easy to find someone who has seen him. Most of the heroes from Jingdong and Dongfang have joined Liangshan."

Lu Zhishen nodded: "That's true. A brother from the Sa family is also there."

"Then why doesn't Senior Brother go to Liangshan? But he has a grudge against him?" Yang Zhi's expression changed, and he looked at Lu Zhishen with some doubts.

"The Sa family has never seen anyone from Liangshan, so how can we make enemies." Lu Zhishen stretched out his hand and pulled out a chicken leg, stuffed his mouth with work for a while, pulled out the bones and threw them away: "I just don't want people to say that the Sa family went up the mountain to rely on their brothers, and they all have tricks. A man with legs, it’s not too late to look for my brother after he has made a name for himself.”

Yang Zhi nodded and was about to speak when he suddenly heard someone shouting "Report——" in the distance. The two of them put down their wine glasses and jars and looked aside. They saw a minion running over quickly: "Report to Dazhai. Lord, the Lord of the second village, Qin Ming from the bottom of the mountain led his troops and was insulting him outside the pass... uh..."

Yang Zhi saw the way the guy stopped talking mid-sentence, frowned and said, "But the scolding was unpleasant?"

The gangster opened his mouth to speak, but Lu Zhishen already slapped the table: "You are a straight mother-in-law, and the Sa family has not offended him. Although it is a right thing for officials to suppress bandits, why do you scold him when you come up?"

The guy shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, Village Leader, he didn't curse."

Lu Zhishen pointed at him: "You just said he was insulting."

The subordinate smiled bitterly: "That guy is scolding Deng Long, but it has nothing to do with the two village leaders."

Lu Zhishen glared at him, and Yang Zhi slapped the table with his halberd and cursed: "You idiot, you'll be honest next time."

"This... little one... is..." I wanted to explain, but when I saw the cannibalistic eyes of the two village masters in front of me, I swallowed my words in fear.

Yang Zhi looked at Lu Zhishen, and there was some movement on his calm face: "Brother, do you want to go down the mountain to fight?"

"No matter what he scolds, it's true that this guy is blocking us now." Lu Zhishen was already walking towards the house: "If we don't go down to fight, the officers and soldiers will think that we are afraid."

At that moment, the two men took their weapons. Yang Zhi mounted his horse and put on his leather armor. Lu Zhishen thought it was troublesome, so he walked down the mountain with his Zen staff bare-chested.

Not long after, the two of them got off the mountain stronghold and went up to the wall. They saw a group of sergeants under the pass shouting curses. Behind them, two generals were sitting on their horses. However, there was no wind today, and the flags raised behind them were hanging down. There, I don’t know what word was typed.

"Two village leaders, the one on the left with the mace on his horse is Qingzhou Commander, Thunderbolt Fire Qin Ming, and the other one is Sanshan Huang Xin, the commander of the army and horses in this state, who is good at using a Sangmen sword."

The organic spirit saw the confused expressions of the two of them and knew that they had arrived in Qingzhou not long ago, so he stepped forward and pointed it out to them.

"Suppressing Sanshan? What a big statement." Yang Zhi looked at the general in the distance and raised his eyebrows: "Senior brother, go meet him at home."

"Okay, I'll give the thunderbolt to the Sa family." Lu Zhishen didn't refuse, and went down to the pass as soon as he picked up the Zen staff.

Qin Ming was sitting upright on his horse when he heard a creak and someone shouted "Close the door!" He was refreshed and opened his eyes. He grinned and saw a monk covered in peony patterns running out of the horse. An ugly man wearing an officer's armor couldn't help but be puzzled. He stepped forward and shouted, "Where is Deng Long? Let that guy come out."

Huang Xin, who was behind, was afraid that he would make a mistake, so he urged his horse forward to follow him.

"I'm afraid I have to ask you personally!" Yang Zhi pointed his gun in front and shouted.

Huang Xinyi frowned: "What do you mean?"

"That guy was sent down to the underworld by the Sa family with a stick. If you two want to see him, the Sa family can send you to wait for a while!"

Qin Ming couldn't help but became furious when he saw the monk shouting. He beat his horse and charged forward: "You arrogant thief, I'll beat you to death with one strike!" (End of Chapter)