Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

"Liaodong is a cold land, and these Qi people complain to me all day long about the lack of money and food. They say that unless the government can provide them with enough money and food, they can only send troops when they have enough money and food in the future."

Zhao Ji's eyes showed contempt, and he sneered: "I thought that this Lu Bu would change after taking the people of Liangshan to Liaodong, but it turns out that he is still a bandit, only knowing how to ask for money and food, and he is a mud-legged man who has never seen the world." He waved his sleeves and said, "Give it to them. My Song Dynasty is rich and we don't lack this little food. As long as he can contain the Liao people, it will be like a mountain of gold..." He frowned and smacked his lips, "It's okay to give him some benefits."

Ma Zheng nodded. He did not think this was a big problem. He just regarded it as hiring Qi to help fight the war. He could judge the pros and cons without asking for permission. However, this matter required real money, so he had to report it to the emperor. Otherwise, if he waited until the moment came to discuss it, it would be an act that would please the emperor.

"Also, the Qi army said they were short of weapons, arrows, medicines, and winter supplies. If the Song Dynasty is interested, they can exchange them for war horses."

Zhao Ji frowned and said, "I heard that Liaodong is the place where the Liao Kingdom produces iron ore and many medicinal herbs grow here. How can you say there is a missing word in it?"

Ma Zheng shook his head. "I'm afraid there aren't that many craftsmen. I heard that Liaodong experienced chaos, and many people fled to Zhongjing and Shangjing of Liao. I'm afraid there was a lot of population loss."

"...Well." Zhao Ji thought for a moment and shook his head: "These things are easy for the Song Dynasty to obtain, but war horses are scarce. If we exchange more of them, we will have the upper hand."

Ma Zheng nodded his head and said yes.

Zhao Ji leaned back, his face neither sad nor happy, and saw that Ma Zheng seemed to have not finished speaking: "Then what other conditions does Qi have? Tell us all at once."

"Yes." Ma Zheng thought for a moment, "As for the old Han territory, the Qi people believe that all the territory can be conquered by Qi and Song." He paused, "Li Shanqing must have brought the letter from Qi King Lu Bu. If nothing unexpected happens, it is this matter. There is nothing else. The Qi people only care about these three things."

"I understand." Zhao Ji propped his chin with his hand and leaned on the chair: "My dear minister, you are tired from the journey, go back and rest first, and come back to listen to the talk with the Qi envoy tomorrow."

"Yes."

Ma Zheng bowed and then retreated respectfully. In the flickering candlelight, Zhao Ji closed his eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.

The next day.

Bianliang was still full of vitality, and there were many more pedestrians walking on the streets than at night. Eunuchs dressed in eunuch uniforms trotted into the Zuo Yintai Gate, took a breath, and then walked into the Privy Council and the Secretariat.

Soon, Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Deng Wengao and Zhao Liangsi hurried to the Wende Hall. A voice was heard from it. After noon, a eunuch ran out in a hurry and entered the Ma government residence.

On this day, the emperor and his ministers of the Song Dynasty discussed endlessly in the Wende Hall until dusk.

……

The sun rises and the moon sets.

As the sky passed noon, Hua Rong stood in the open space with a bow and arrow in his hand, bending the bow and drawing the arrow, looking relaxed.

whoosh-

A bird spun and fell down.

"Okay..." Shan Jinglong laughed, ran over to pick up the fallen bird, weighed it and said, "I can roast it later."

"Without two taels of meat, what's the point of roasting it?" Hua Rong smiled and handed the bow to the soldier beside him: "Didn't you want to learn archery from me? Why don't you practice it?" "It's quite heavy. It's a waste if I don't eat it." Shan Jinglong shook his head first, then sighed and pointed to the arrow stack standing in the distance: "It's not that I don't want to learn, General, look, is there an arrow stuck on it?"

Hua Rong remained silent. The raft over there was clean, but there were a dozen arrows stuck in the open space next to it and the tree trunk behind. They were all the work of the deputy naval commander. To be honest, he had never thought that someone would be so stupid. Fortunately, no one was standing next to the raft just now, otherwise there would probably be rumors of infighting in the Qi delegation.

As the two were talking, a soldier came running outside and said, "General, there are eunuchs from the Song State outside. They said that their emperor wants to invite Li Langguan over. I asked them to wait in the front hall."

Hua Rong looked at Shan Jinglong and said to the soldier, "I understand. Go and get Li Langguan out." Then he turned to Shan Jinglong and sighed, "It seems that you can't eat this bird. Change your clothes and follow Li Langguan to the palace."

Shan Jinglong shrugged: "I'll go right away, if you have something to do."

He did not ask Hua Rong what he was going to do. Although he was not well-known in the army, he had been in the market for a long time and had some cleverness. Hua Rong had been out for quite a while last night and came back reeking of alcohol, obviously having gone out for a drink. Although he did not know where he had gone, he knew it was not something he could tell anyone casually.

Hua Rong did not say anything, but just nodded, watching Li Shanqing and Shan Jinglong leave, and called a few soldiers: "Come with me."

More than a dozen figures followed little Li Guang into the cold wind outside.

Hua Rong did not stop this time, and walked all the way to Zhu Gui's restaurant. After entering the door, he smelled the same aroma of food as yesterday, and heard a familiar voice in his ears: "Hey - the guests are here again."

Hua Rong turned to look at Liao Saner who was running over from the side: "Why, you remember me?"

"Look at what you said." The shop assistant smiled sincerely: "You ate and drank with our shopkeeper for a long time yesterday, how could you not remember it?"

I muttered to myself, because of your Shanliang wine, I will remember you forever.

Hua Rong didn't care whether he was telling the truth or not, and pointed to the side: "The food at your place yesterday was good. Bring more people here today and find a more spacious place for them to sit."

"Okay!" Liao Saner nodded and bowed: "Dear guests, please come this way."

The soldiers behind received Hua Rong's signal and hurriedly followed the waiter. Little Li Guang pretended to glance at the counter casually, and his eyes met Zhu Gui's. He nodded and followed the one in front.

Zhu Gui looked at the customer in front of him, turned around and walked out of the counter, lifted the curtain leading to the backyard and went through, walked to a house at the end, knocked on the door, and went in to the figure inside.

"Brother Dong, Brother Hua Rong is here."

Dong Kai raised his head: "Very good, I've been waiting for half a day."

He stood up and approached Zhu Gui: "My guys outside are all our own people. Go find Brother Hua Rong and ask him to send his confidant to change clothes with my guys. I will go out and call one in now."

"...By the way, I want someone with a well-proportioned figure, not too tall."

Zhu Gui nodded and quickly turned and left. Dong Kai waited in the house until the footsteps faded away before opening the door, looking left and right, closing the door and walking to the backyard gate.

Soon, two well-proportioned, ordinary-looking men walked into the room. After a moment of silence, they walked out one after the other. (End of this chapter)