Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The light of heaven was shining through the clouds above. Occasionally, a bird flapped its wings and flew out from the woods nearby, disappearing into the hills on the other side.

Laborers in short shirts and sweat towels cut down trees, put them on carts pulled by mules and horses, and hurried towards Liaoyang Prefecture. Along the way, some people set up awnings and put big pots on stoves. From time to time, bones with meat were exposed in the boiling white soup. Most of the laborers passing by would stop here and take out the copper coins they brought with them. The women with bright smiles took out a large coarse porcelain bowl, scooped a bowl of bone soup, sprinkled some wild vegetables on it, and served it to them with two pancakes. The boiling broth cooked the lettuce, and an aroma that whetted the appetite wafted out.

Then, those who had eaten and drunk their fill whipped the mules and horses and urged them to move forward, shouting, "Make way, make way, don't bump into us!"

"Is Liaoyang Prefecture expanding? Why are there so many civilians? How big a house are they going to build?"

Ma Zheng stepped aside and wiped the sweat off his face. His originally bright clothes had become a little dirty from the long journey. Seeing the bustling scene on the official road, he became a little curious.

"You're not quite right, buddy, but almost."

A civilian squatting on the grass behind him said something. Ma Zheng reached out to stop Pharmacist Gao who wanted to approach him, and squatted next to him. He smiled and bowed: "Excuse me, what are you doing?"

The man looked at him and said, "You're from outside? Your accent sounds strange."

Ma Zheng smiled but said nothing.

The man didn't take it seriously. He drank some meat soup and said with a red face, "The court has called back a lot of troops from outside. That guy..." He gestured with his two arms, "The boss of the military camp repair."

Ma Zheng's eyes moved, and he turned his head to look at the cars passing by: "Are these all for repairing the military camp?"

"That's not it." The man shook his head: "The barracks have been ready a long time ago. This is all built for the families of the soldiers."

The man squatted and took two steps towards Ma Zheng, and a sour smell of sweat rushed into the latter's nose: "Let me tell you, my neighbor's nephew's third uncle is working in Zhechongfu. He has news that the generals and troops transferred back now will be stationed here permanently, so we need to build houses for their families so that those soldiers can also have a home to return to."

"Oh..." Ma Zheng smelled the sweat and didn't change his expression: "But the King of Qi wants to go to war?"

"That guy, no." He shook his hand decisively, gulped down the soup, and wiped his mouth: "I didn't hear that there was going to be a war over there, it was just mobilizing the army."

"If this is true... then you are very well-informed, brother."

"Of course not. People call me Long-eared Zhang San. I am usually the first to know about anything."

“Haha…” Ma Zheng smiled but didn’t really smile and bowed: “Excuse me, I’m sorry, but I have to hurry on my way. So goodbye.”

"Well, let's go."

Ignoring the man who was grinning smugly, Ma Zheng stood up and waved to the people behind him: "Let's go, keep on going."

Pharmacist Gao and the guards behind him hurried over. Seeing that there were few people around, the former stepped forward and asked, "Brother Zhongfu, why do you look so frowned?"

"Nothing." Ma Zheng glanced at him and said, "I'm just thinking about what Qi should do next."

Pharmacist Gao tilted his head and said, "Why bother with this? Aren't we just giving an imperial edict?"

Ma Zheng glanced at him and said, "You don't understand." Then he stroked his chin and continued walking. Pharmacist Gao was completely confused. He scratched his head and muttered silently, "You know a lot, bah..."

"Go faster."

Ma Zheng's urging voice came from the front, "Coming!" Instinctively responding, Pharmacist Gao hurried forward and followed him all the way. The sound of sawing trees on both sides gradually faded away as they walked, and the silhouette of the city in front came into view.

"Liaoyang Prefecture..."

Muttering softly, Ma Zheng lowered his head and watched someone take out a pass and walk into the city. They, the Song people heading north, had no choice but to pay the city gate tax honestly before they could enter the city. The moment they walked out of the city gate and the corridor, the voices of people suddenly became louder and poured into their ears.

Ma Zheng put his hands on his hips and took a breath: "Now we can go to the Qi government."

"I've only been here a few years ago." Pharmacist Gao stood behind him with an embarrassed look on his face: "I'm afraid the Liaoyang Prefecture is different now..."

call--

Ma Zheng raised his hand, making a sound of wind, and interrupted the other party: "Go and ask, and then say that the Wuyi doctor of the Song Dynasty and the military commander of Dengzhou came with a secret order." "...Yes."

Pharmacist Gao swallowed his words, looked around, quickly walked forward to find someone to ask questions, then returned and led the group to the Ministry of Rites.

At the back, the man who was being questioned by Pharmacist Gao waited until the other person walked away, then he stopped smiling, walked quickly and turned into an alley.

Soon, someone followed.

……

"Someone asked you about the Ministry of Rites? The State of Song..."

Qiao Lie's hand holding the brush stopped in mid-air, and he frowned as he looked at the person kneeling on one knee below him: "Where is the person?"

"I have arranged for someone to follow."

Qiao Lie's eyes moved, and he put the pen on the pen stand. "They are probably envoys from the Song Dynasty. Just have someone keep an eye on them. Go and notify the people below to find the whereabouts of this group of people. I want to know how many people are here in total, where they are, and whether they are trying to get information about my Qi State."

"Yes."

The man responded and quickly retreated.

Qiao Lie took off his Taoist robe, changed into a black official uniform, put on the Jinxian crown, walked out of the room, and hurried towards the palace.

……

at the same time.

"Envoy from Song Dynasty?"

Yang Pu looked at the surprised look on the face of the person who came in to report the news, and quickly stood up and walked around the table: "Take me there quickly."

He followed his clerks and walked out of the room quickly, down the steps, and strode to the front hall. When he entered the door, he saw more than 20 people sitting there. He couldn't help but bow and said, "I am Yang Pu, the doctor of the Ministry of Rites of Qi State. I wonder which one of you is the envoy from Song State?"

Ma Zheng stood up quickly and bowed, saying, "I am Ma Zheng, the military commander of Dengzhou and the doctor of Wuyi. I am honored to meet Doctor Yang."

Yang Pu took two steps forward and smiled: "Ma Qinxia came in a hurry."

Ma Zheng looked at his dusty clothes and smiled calmly, "I was in a hurry to get on with my journey. I'm sorry that Doctor Yang laughed at my indecent behavior."

He turned around and gestured, and a guard came forward and handed all the identification documents to Yang Pu. The doctor of the Ministry of Rites did not avoid him and checked them one by one. Then he looked up in surprise and said, "Ma Qinxia has been quite secretive all the way here. I wonder what you are here for?"

"I came here for state affairs." The standing figure folded his hands in front of him and said, "I hope Doctor Yang can report to your country's King Qi that the Emperor of the Great Song has an imperial edict for him."

Yang Pu's smile suddenly disappeared, and he looked at Ma Zheng for a long while before speaking: "Everyone is tired from the journey, I will arrange for you to stay first. As for when the king will see you, I will know after I report to you."

Ma Zheng frowned, not knowing why the other party's attitude suddenly turned cold, but he was indeed tired from waiting for the journey: "That's fine, I will see the King of Qi after I have packed up, so as not to lose courtesy in front of the King."

Yang Pu's expression eased after hearing this: "In that case, please ask all the distinguished guests from the Song Dynasty to go to the posthouse to rest for a while."

He then called the clerk from the Ministry of Rites to take everyone away. Yang Pu watched these people disappear into the distance, pondered for a moment, then left the government office and rode his horse to the palace.

……

Prince Qi's Mansion.

Lü Bu was talking to Tao Zongwang and Jiang Jing while pointing at the geomancy map of Liaoyang Prefecture. Suddenly, they heard footsteps. Yu Cheng strode in and said, "Your Majesty, Doctor Qiao wants to see you." (End of this chapter)