Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

"When I went into battle, you were still in your infancy."

Amid the shouting and fighting, Wanyan Sheng took the shield from his guards and stepped forward: "I also participated in the battles with other tribes in the past. Now that the Qi army is invading, how can I be so cowardly as to abandon my soldiers to fight here and go down the city wall by myself!"

The rumbling sound of drums shook the air, and the black armor reflected the metallic light that pierced people's eyes. Wanyan Sheng took a breath and pointed the knife in his hand: "Prepare for battle!"

The guards in heavy armor stepped forward with their iron spears held high, their expressions solemn.

The defenders in front of the parapets raised stones and threw them down with all their might. The sound of banging and clanging mixed with people's roars and screams rang out on the city walls. Arrows from above and below the city kept flying in the air. In front of the blue-gray sky, a black figure climbed up, and waves of blood rolled on the city walls.

……

Arrows rose from the top of the city wall, passed through the empty air and fell into the team surging forward below. Some fell to the ground, some were nailed on the raised shields, and more were the sharp black iron arrows shot up from below and hit the shields. Some young and strong men were shot down to the ground while standing stupidly in place, rolling and wailing in the formation.

"Take the injured away." Wanyan Poluhuo, holding a sword and shield, walked slowly on the top of the city with twenty personal guards. Occasionally, he raised his shield to block the arrows shot at him, turned his head and shouted, "What are you still standing there for? Don't let these people disturb the morale of the army again!"

Someone from behind quickly came up and dragged the person away. The sticky blood left a long line on the ground. The wailing person seemed to know that he was saved, and his groans became a little lighter.

In the chaos, ladders were placed on the parapet with a bang. More wooden ladders with claws came up from both sides and grabbed into the rocks with clanging sounds. A large number of black figures climbed up.

"Meng'an, the Qi army is about to attack!"

A junior officer shouted, and Wanyan Poluhuo's eyes flashed. He glanced sideways at the three personal soldiers who were following closely behind him, shook his head slightly, and the three clenched knives shook twice, loosened, and hung to the ground. He continued to follow him with the other seventeen people.

Some defenders on the city wall raised stones and threw them down. Screams were heard from below. The Qi soldiers who were climbing up gritted their teeth and held up their shields desperately as they climbed upwards. Arrows kept shooting up from below, and in a short time, the several large shields standing in front of the parapets were filled with arrow shafts.

“Don’t be impatient…don’t be impatient…” Wanyan Poluhuo was sweating profusely, with sweat dripping down his nose. He held up his shield, not knowing whether he was comforting himself or talking to the people behind him: “Don’t be impulsive now. Without anyone coming up, we won’t be able to stand firm. Don’t be impatient…don’t be impatient…”

Arrows flew in black crows, and there was a sudden noise. The bowstrings vibrated the air. The gasps of those raising stones, the shouts of the young and strong men, and the screams of those hit by arrows came from all directions. Someone from the back brought new arrows and stones, and then they were shot to the ground by the occasional falling long arrows. The smell of blood was in the air.

"Come up, come up!"

A Jin soldier in the front roared, and the people holding iron spears and long guns in the back ran forward, stabbed the iron spears downwards with force, paused, and tore twice. With a scream of "Ah--", he was pulled off the top of the city wall in despair, and fell down the city wall dancing with joy.

"Go over there!" Wanyan Poluhuo's eyes lit up, he pointed over there and ran away, shouting: "Go over there for reinforcements, quickly--"

The soldiers around heard this and were about to step forward, but they saw their own commander and his personal guards rushing over like a whirlwind. They immediately stopped and admired in their hearts, thinking that Meng'an was indeed a man who was devoted to his country. He led the soldiers and ran on the top of the city wall at the beginning of the war. He was truly a loyal and brave man.

"Meng'an is coming up!"

Someone shouted, and looked out of the city with an excited look. Just as he raised his spear to poke down, a strong force came from his back, and the whole person flew out. In the reversed vision, the Qi general on the wooden ladder looked back at him with a strange look, and then his eyes moved quickly, and his head hurt. With a bang, his consciousness returned to silence. Behind the city, the soldiers who had just praised in their hearts were stunned to see a personal soldier jump up and kick someone off the city. Before they shouted out, Wanyan Polu swung his sword and chopped a soldier holding a spear to death on the spot. The bloody and sticky smell came to their faces. The soldiers around were still shouting and yelling at the people below. The 19 personal soldiers who followed up with swords and spears killed the Jin army guarding this battlement like chopping melons and vegetables.

Wanyan Polu shouted loudly: "Wuqimai ruled the country without justice. How many of our Jurchen brothers died under his sword, and how many men of the Jin Kingdom sacrificed their lives for his ambition. Today I am rebelling. Those who are willing to join me, turn around -" He pointed the sword in his hand at the stairs: "Kill down to the city!"

The man holding the bow and arrow dropped his arms in dumbfounded amazement, for a moment unable to believe what he heard.

"Hey--"

The pressure from above disappeared, and Di Lei, holding a horizontal sword, instantly jumped up from the wooden ladder. In front of him, there were more than 20 figures with their backs to him. He heard Wanyan Poluhuo's shouting just now, but he didn't understand the Jurchen language. He instinctively wanted to pick up the sword and chop people, but he felt something was wrong.

While he was hesitating, someone knelt down beside him and spoke in fluent Chinese: "I greet the general. We are under the command of the Western Army General. We have been ordered to meet you here. The commander guarding this gate has been persuaded to rebel."

Di Lei then breathed a sigh of relief. Behind him, an endless stream of Qi soldiers jumped onto the parapet. Di Lei pointed to both sides and immediately swung his sword to kill them.

Wanyan Poluhuo looked back, nodded to Di Lei, then turned and took two steps forward: "Do you want to sacrifice your life for Wu Qimai and die here in vain, or follow me to open the city gate and then go back to reunite with your family..." His moving eyes swept across the face of the person in front of him, and his voice rose: "It's your choice!"

The archer holding the bow and arrow had an expression of fear on his face, but before he could speak, the deputy general who had led his men behind him ran over in shock and anger: "Poluhuo, you dare to betray the Jin Kingdom!" He pointed his long sword at the Jurchen general standing in front of the Qi army and said: "Hurry up and kill this traitor, otherwise you will all be sentenced to death for treason!"

The Jin soldiers were surprised when they heard this. One of the young and strong men picked up a stone at his feet and threw it over: "I am not a soldier. Why do you want me to fight with others on the top of the city?"

"I was doing my job well in the government office, but you guys made me come to this city!"

"Kill this lackey!"

Roars rang out in the crowd. In an instant, more than a dozen people who were driven up to the city to transport stones and arrows threw stones. Shouts of "Ouch!" rang out from the Jin soldiers. Di Lei was overjoyed when he saw this. He stretched out his foot and kicked the spear up into the air. He stretched out his hand, took it in his palm, stepped forward, pushed away the soldiers blocking the way in front of him, and threw it forward with all his might.

A sound broke through the air.

The deputy general was looking around in shock and anger, but he didn't expect Di Lei to suddenly attack him. He was caught off guard and pierced through the chest by a spear. The Jin army, who was still hesitating, suddenly shouted: "Rebellion, kill Wuqimai and go home!"

The crowd was in turmoil, and they were fighting with swords and lunging at the reinforcements who had just arrived. Many soldiers still on the front line heard the noise from behind, and immediately stopped fighting, turning around to look at the scene of the slaughter in disbelief.

The Qi soldiers climbed up and looked at the Jin soldiers who were like stupid birds in front of them. They hacked them to death with one sword. Amid the blood splattering, many Jin soldiers shouted "Run!" and "Surrender!", dropped their weapons and retreated, and were then caught up in the chaos.

Seeing this, Wanyan Poluhuo shouted: "Warriors who want to go home, go down, open the city gates, let in the Qi army, and attack the palace!"

Shouts shook the sky, and a torrent of yellow and black rushed toward the city. (End of this chapter)