Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The sky was covered by clouds from time to time. The soldiers from afar escorted the captives into the camp and handed over the escorted Jin army to the rest of the people. Wanyan Bendu just entered the tent to surrender the order.

"It seems that the enemy reinforcements were not completely wiped out."

The furnishings in the big tent were simple. There were spears and broadswords placed on the weapon racks on both sides, and a Fang Tian Hua Ji standing upright in the middle. Lu Bu, wearing a black military uniform, sat on the commander's seat and sighed regretfully.

"I have failed in my duty." Wanyan Bendu lowered his head, his young face pale.

"That's all. They are just remnants of a defeated army." Lu Bu laughed. "Wanyan Sima, you'd better go to the military doctor as soon as possible. We can discuss your achievements after the battle."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Wanyan Ben looked down, then turned and left.

Lu Bu looked at the wooden box on the table, pointed with his hand, turned to look at Yu Cheng and said, "Take the head, the captives and the enemy's flag to Huanglongfu and let the people on the city wall see them." He leaned back and said, "Send some rumors, saying that Weizhou and Xinzhou are under siege, and now Huanglongfu is trapped."

"Yes."

Yu Cheng nodded, walked forward, picked up the wooden box, and strode out. Soon, some soldiers and horses left the camp.

……

Huanglong Mansion.

The soldiers on the city wall stood nervously on the parapets, with their large shields leaning against their bodies, ready to raise them in front of them at any time. In their sight, the large flag of the Qi army in the distance was slowly approaching.

"here we go again."

"Prepare crossbows and catapults."

On the city wall, Wanyan Zonghan was wearing armor and holding his sword hilt, with fatigue visible to the naked eye. The Qi army was besieging the city, and although they had never launched a formal siege, people came to the city every day to wave flags and shout. Occasionally, a catapult would throw stones, causing chaos on the top of the city. At night, cavalry would run past from time to time, beating gongs and drums and blowing horns, making it impossible for the soldiers defending the city to rest.

He persisted in this environment for more than five days. He was not exhausted physically or mentally, but he was exhausted.

"What does the Qi army want to do now?" Wanyan Zonghan frowned and stroked his bald scalp with his hands. In recent days, a lot of hair had fallen out of the two braids behind his head. It was really hard to imagine what he would look like now if he had grown his hair long like the Han people.

None of the guards beside him answered. They just looked at the dust and took a breath: "Notify Wanyan Poluhuo and ask him to prepare the backup team."

Although it should be of no use.

He muttered to himself, but still did not dare to be careless. The Qi army could feint attacks a thousand times, but he could not relax for a moment.

There were personal soldiers running to pass on the message.

Soon, a black figure gradually approached, and the outline of the figure enlarged in the field of vision. The general in charge of the city defense suddenly ran down the stairs, walked to the edge of the parapet and looked out.

Outside the range of an arrow, dejected Jin army soldiers in khaki uniforms walked in front, with soldiers on horseback holding swords and spears staring at the figures in front behind them. Several tattered flags were erected in the back, which were obviously their own military flags.

"Sori Yi..." A few words slipped out between Wanyan Zonghan's teeth. He couldn't continue speaking and the veins on the back of his hand holding the handle of the knife bulged.

"Meng'an." Someone beside him suddenly called out, pointing his finger and saying, "That's the head of Weizhou garrison commander Wanyan Xishi..."

Wanyan Zongpan quickly looked in the direction of the finger, and heard the Jurchen shouts from the Qi army below, "The reinforcements from Weizhou and Xinzhou have been defeated, and the city has been surrounded by us!"

"You have no way out, surrender as soon as possible to save your life!"

"Huanglongfu is already an isolated city. Why risk your life for Wuqimai? Brothers, surrender!"

"How much grain will Wu Qi buy for you in a month to bury him? If you don't surrender now, when will you surrender?"

There was a slight commotion around, but it soon died down. Wanyan Zongpan, with a livid face, clenched his fist and pounded the wall hard: "These bastards!"

……

"stop--"

"Stop!" The loud voice echoed. The captives walking in front stopped and stood still, looking around nervously, fearing that someone would give the order to kill them on the spot.

The light from the sky shone on the armor, and the figure in black armor broke out in sweat. When the clouds floated over, he felt a cool feeling on his body. Luo Qinghan nervously looked at the city wall in the distance: "Brother Dong, we won't be shot here, right?"

"What are you afraid of?" Dong the Clown, who had two blue spots on his forehead, snorted, "There are those prisoners standing in front of us. Besides, you and I are just junior officers. Who would deliberately make things difficult for us?"

"...That's true." Luo Qinghan turned to look at the fluttering Feng flag and took a breath: "I don't know when the city will be attacked. I patrol outside every day. Although the city is stable, I have no achievements."

"We are not yet capable of making decisions on matters concerning war." Dong Zhongsun said lightly, "Besides, it is not our turn to attack the city."

"Okay, stop talking and watch quietly." Dong the Clown gave an order, and the two brothers next to him shut up, rode their horses to guard Dong the Clown and watched from a distance.

The shouting continued for a while, and then someone on horseback came galloping over from the rear and delivered an order: "The general has ordered us to go to the south gate!"

"The general has ordered, turn..."

The war horses galloped past and the sound was heard again.

Dong the Clown immediately issued an order: "Take the prisoners and go!"

The dark crowd set off again, heading towards the South Gate along the outskirts of the city.

The guard on the city wall looked depressed, finally stomped his feet and ran to the south.

……

On the night of Renwu in the first lunar month, a bonfire was lit in the Qi army camp outside the city, and patrolling soldiers with spears, swords and shields walked through the military road.

There were only a few generals in the central army tent. They all had their own tasks during the siege and did not need to report every moment. Only Du Fu and Xi Sheng were left sitting in the tent with Lu Bu, slowly drinking warm wine and chatting casually, occasionally talking about the current situation.

They are now surrounding the city on all sides, and the surrounding villages have been controlled. As long as you don't travel with weapons, the Qi army will not interfere. Thanks to the patrols of the Military and Political Department, the discipline in the army is still good. Although there are occasional people bullying the weak, it is not a large-scale situation and no military disaster has occurred.

However, there was not much military ration left, and even if a few cities in the rear squeezed out some supplies, it could only delay the war for a little longer.

"Your Highness." Xi Sheng took a sip of wine. "I don't know if those people in the city can help. The quartermaster reported that if the army continues to besiege the city, the army's food and grass may only be enough for forty days. If it attacks the city, I'm afraid the consumption will increase and the time may be reduced by half."

Lu Bu nodded. In fact, he also had such concerns. "Let the quartermaster take more responsibility and keep his mouth shut on weekdays." He reached out and picked up the wine bowl on the table. "Today, a certain Feng Tai led the surrendered soldiers to walk around. I think the defenders in the city will be under greater pressure. I hope those people in the city can seize this opportunity."

"What if the people in the city fail to instigate a rebellion?" Du Fu frowned, with a few glittering hairs on his mustache, which he wiped away casually with his hand. "The defenses on the city walls are so tight right now, it doesn't look like there's any movement in the city."

"But there is no bad news." Lu Bu laughed: "There are no heads hanging on the city walls, which means that everyone who went in is safe. Let's wait for a while. If that doesn't work..."

He smacked his lips and said, "The worst that can happen is that we retreat and fight again when we have enough food and grass."

……

Under the same night sky.

In Huanglong Mansion, someone walked down from the top of the city wall, stretched his arms, and went to a house near the city gate to rest. As the guard of the South Gate, Wanyan Poluhuo had a much harder job than Wanyan Zonghan. The latter was Wanyan Sheng's eldest son after all, and sometimes he could go down to rest. But he had been guarding the city wall for several days in a row. Today he was so tired that he asked his deputy general to take his place. He went downstairs to sleep for a night before going back.

The door creaked open and a scent of alcohol wafted into my nose. This was originally a place that sold alcohol, but now that war had broken out, the shop owner and the house had been requisitioned by the army, and this place had temporarily become a resting place for the defenders on the city wall.

A patrol team passed by, and a figure among them said something, ran over and called softly: "Meng'an."

"Ok?"

Wanyan Poluhuo turned around and saw a man he didn't recognize. Just as he was wondering, the soldier whispered, "Marshal Nianhan is looking for you."

Then he turned and ran.

The figure standing at the door had a gloomy expression. (End of this chapter)