Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The flames crackled and sparks flew in front of everyone.

Song Jiang slowly turned his head and looked at the faces covered in blood and sweat, which were changing moods in the firelight. He was silent for a moment: "I am panicking now and have no idea how to deal with it. Professor, can you teach me?"

In silence, Wu Song, Duan Sanniang, Dai Zong and others looked at the scholar over there. Wu Yong did not speak, but put away the medicine for wounds, wrapped a white towel around Li Kui, and then spoke: "Brother, the word 'teach' is too heavy. After thinking about it, I think it is not appropriate for you to stay in Jingdong Road any longer."

Li Kui was grimacing as he moved his arms, which were wrapped in pain. He stood up immediately after hearing this: "Why can't we do it here on Jingdong Road? We just had a small defeat, and no one has died. Let's find a mountaintop and build a stronghold. When we get some troops, I'll come back and chop off that old man Zong Ze!"

Mrs. Gu and Sun Xin were feeling distressed about the injuries of the Jie brothers and sad about the death of the Zou uncle and nephew. When they heard what he said, they couldn't help but glare at him fiercely.

Li Kui didn't watch either, he was staring at Wu Yong with dissatisfaction and indignation.

"Tie Niu!" Song Jiang called him and pointed at him: "Sit down! Listen to the professor quietly."

Li Kui sat down with his arms crossed, mumbling, "You don't let me talk, I'll be suffocated to death."

No one paid any attention to him, so Wu Yong said to Song Jiang, "I used to think that the Jingdong Road passing through Liangshan had great potential, but now I understand that Jingdong is no longer a place for green forest heroes."

Song Jiang frowned. Wu Song sat by the fire with a gloomy face, looking at the wise man over there: "What does Mr. Jialiang mean? How does this have anything to do with Liangshan?"

The three Duan siblings all frowned, as some memories that they didn't want to recall were resurrected.

"Brother, Liangshan was at its peak in Jingdong in the past two years. All the surrounding military states bowed to its shadow. Even the imperial court's encirclement and suppression efforts failed several times." Wu Yong lowered his eyelids and said carefully, "However, this also drained away the heroes in Jingdong and the surrounding areas. Moreover, after the incident at Liangshan, even if we are famous, I am afraid that not many people can be pulled up the mountain."

Li Kui straightened his neck and said, "I am also a hero, why didn't I go to that Liangshan?"

"tractor!"

Song Jiang pointed at him with a sullen face and said, "If you keep talking, go copy the book for me."

Li Kui was a tough guy with thick skin and flesh. He was not afraid of beatings or whips, but he was afraid of those words that looked like curses. When he heard that Song Jiang wanted to punish him to write and copy books, he quickly covered his mouth with both hands and shook his head desperately, meaning that he would not speak anymore.

Wu Yong then continued, "When water is too clear, there are no fish. Brother, Dengyun Mountain is quite conspicuous in Dengzhou and even in the entire Jingdong Road. Even if Zong Ze didn't come this time, there is no guarantee that Li Ze and Wang Ze wouldn't come to encircle and suppress us."

The air was filled with the smell of herbs.

Sun Li, who was sitting in the back, moved his hands and feet. Sun Xin next to him looked over with a pale face, and turned his head away when he saw that he was fine. Mrs. Gu boiled some herbs in water and gave them to her injured brother to drink.

Song Jiang hesitated: "Professor means..."

"If we leave Jingdong, no matter where we set up camp, we will be at risk of being targeted by the government." Wu Yong stood up, his clean scholar robe wrinkled and full of stains, and spread his hands: "Let's go to Jingxi together. The officials there are more corrupt and ruthless. There are many civilians who are forced to live. There are men everywhere who want to make a living by becoming bandits. Why do we have to hang ourselves in this place?"

"That's right!" Qiu Xiang jumped up. He was let go by Zong Ze before in the front army, so he didn't get hurt again. Hearing this, he shouted, "Brother Tianwang has made a big scene on the mountain. The mountain stronghold is thriving. With Brother Song Jiang and all the brothers, who can compete with us? By then, it won't be a problem to break into the state city and occupy a military state. Isn't it better than having no place to stay here?"

"Just leaving like that? Zou Yuan, Zou Run..." Sun Xin spoke unwillingly, but Mrs. Gu held his hand, shook her head, and then shut up.

Mu Hong had recovered by now, and leaning against his brother Mu Chun, he spoke weakly: "Wherever my brother goes, we two brothers will go too."

"That's right, we go wherever our brother goes." Jie Zhen and Jie Bao were sitting there and shouting. Tong Wei and Tong Meng looked at Li Jun and saw that Hunjianglong didn't say a word, just remained silent.

Wu Song looked at Zhang Qing and his wife, and seeing how excited they were, he fell silent. His brother was dead, and he was a fugitive from public office, so it would be the same wherever he went.

Song Jiang didn't say anything, staring into Wu Yong's eyes. The wise man nodded vigorously as if he knew what he was thinking, then slapped his thigh and stood up: "Okay! Song Jiang's life was saved by the help of Brother Tianwang. I have always wanted to repay him but couldn't find a way. Now I will go to Fangshan in the west of Beijing to work for him and repay his kindness."

Around, some people laughed excitedly, while others were silent.

The night wind blew, and people shivered with cold.

……

With the reward of money, the officers and soldiers acted quickly. When the moon was at its zenith, the troops with torches returned to the military camp outside Dengzhou City. Zong Ze entered the central army tent, took off his armor, soaked his feet in the hot soup brought by Zong Ying, exhaled comfortably, and tapped the armrests rhythmically with his fingers.

"It's a pity that the body of the bandit leader Song Jiang is not available." Zong Ying brought something for wiping feet and stood guard by the side.

"It's not a big deal." Zong Ze raised his head and closed his eyes, thinking for a while: "The bandit camp on Dengyun Mountain has been destroyed. If the bandits know what's good for them, they can just leave here. If they still want to cause trouble, it's just a matter of sending troops again."

Zong Ying was still unwilling to give in: "If it weren't for the soldiers in Dengzhou who were unable to bear the burden, my father would have been able to win the battle in one go."

Zong Ze didn't say anything, but the sound of his fingers tapping stopped abruptly.

After a while, Zong Ze raised his feet, and Zong Ying quickly squatted down to wipe them for his old father. When his feet were dry, he put on his shoes and stood up: "There are still some money and food donated by the gentry in the treasury. Take them out and distribute them to the soldiers who will follow the battle this time."

"Yes."

The young man who accepted the offer stood up and smiled bitterly, "Dengzhou has been through a lot of hardships. First, the royal family passed on more than 10,000 strings of taxes to the common people, and then they imposed corvée labor to repair the Yellow River. If it weren't for my father, I really don't know how many people would have died."

"The court is not aware of the local situation, and there are idiots causing trouble. As long as we report the situation to the emperor, such unreasonable things can be solved. Isn't it all forgiven?" Zong Ze walked to the table and drank a sip of warm water: "Besides, this is not all my credit. I just said a few words at the right time. You are causing trouble for me by saying this."

Zong Ying knew he had said something wrong, so he just chuckled twice, then hesitated and said, "I heard that the court intends to send an envoy to the north to contact Qi State. Is that true?"

Zong Ze shook his head: "Don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask."

Zong Ying said "Oh." After a moment of silence, he still couldn't help but speak: "I have seen the navy of Qi State. It is incomparable to the navy of Dengzhou. I heard that their cavalry and infantry are stronger..."

Zong Ze didn't answer, but just waved his hand to interrupt him: "It's late, go to bed."

"Yes, father, go to bed early." Zong Ying pursed his lips, took the basin of water out, and went to rest in the tent.

Zong Ze stared outside in a trance for a while, then stood up and walked behind the screen with the oil lamp. The moment the light went out, an audible sigh was heard in the darkness.

"From now on, the world will be in turmoil." (End of this chapter)