Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

"Liao is going to send troops?"

It was a bright spring day. When Qiao Lie arrived, Lu Bu was teaching Yang Zaixing in the martial arts arena. Hearing the news, he looked over with some surprise: "Is the news accurate?"

Yang Zaixing's eyes lit up, and when he tilted his head to look over, his gun holding posture was a little crooked. Lu Bu hit him on the arm with a stick, and he quickly straightened his stance with a grimace.

"It was a spy who found out." Qiao Lie nodded and walked over, reaching out to take out a piece of paper with names written on it. "That guy went to Yelu Dezhong's mansion to apply for a servant, and when he got this letter, he rushed back. This is the list of names he recorded for the expedition."

"Oh?"

Lu Bu threw the stick on the ground and told Yang Zaixing to stab with the spear a hundred times with all his strength before taking a rest. He walked over, took the paper and walked out: "Your subordinate is quite capable. He was able to sneak into the palace of a prince."

"He's a smart one." Qiao Lie said as he followed behind Lu Bu. "He rushed to take over the night watch every night. Finally, he heard the news outside Yelu Dezhong's study and took the opportunity to write down the list, but it's not complete."

"It's good to get some. If he's a spy, how can he get all the information from the prince?" Lu Bu nodded. There were not many names on the paper: "Yelü Yuyang, Xiao Gan, Guo Yaoshi, Prince Consort Taizhen, Prince Consort Xiao Yu, Right Guard General Li Ji..." He turned to look at Qiao Lie: "Apart from Yelü Yuyang, do you have any detailed information about these people?"

Qiao Lie lowered his eyes slightly and cupped his hands: "Xiao Gan was originally the king of the six tribes of the Xi people of Liao. Because of his meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion, he was named the Grand Master of the Four Armies. He has a lot of soldiers under his command, and they are mainly Xi people and Khitan people."

"I don't know much about Pharmacist Guo. I only know that he was originally from Tiezhou, Liaodong. Last year, he broke through the Jingyuan City guarded by the Wanyan tribe. Later, he helped Xiao Gan suppress the rebellion and became a powerful new commander of the Liao Kingdom. He has about 6,000 to 8,000 soldiers under his command."

"It is rumored that Li Ji is a descendant of Li Ling, a great general during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. He was known for his bravery when he was young, and was good at archery and horse riding, and wielding a long spear. When he was young, he once had a conflict with a group of children from the royal family in Shangjing, Liao. He fought against more than 30 of them with only his bow and spear, and was victorious. Now he is the commander of the Right Guard, which has about 5,000 to 6,000 men."

"...Li Ling." There was something indescribably strange on his face. He glanced at Qiao Lie and asked, "Is he really his descendant?"

"The Liao people spread this rumor, but it is hard to verify whether it is true or not."

"I think so too..." Lu Bu snorted and laughed, then turned his head away.

"As for the Prince Consort Taizhen and the Prince Consort Xiaoyu, the two of them..." Qiao Lie scratched his head: "I know nothing about them. I will go back and find out."

"It's probably too late to go back and forth." Lu Bu put down the paper and said, "We will send troops to Longhuazhou on the day of Wuchen in the first month of summer. There are still twenty days to go..."

"Heh - it seems that they want to attack Liaodong directly." Lu Bu touched his chin and called Yu Cheng: "Send a message to Xiao Haili, tell him to be prepared for the response, send a message to Xi Sheng, and tell him to go south to attack the Liao people at any time. Send a message to Du Fu, tell him to be prepared, and allow him to have the right to send troops on his own. It is up to him to decide whether to attack the Liao Kingdom's Shangjing or go south to attack from both sides."

Yu Chengying should go out quickly.

Lü Bu then looked at Qiao Lie and said, "It's true that your spy is capable, but he has too many small ideas. You can pass this matter on to the nearest Du Fu, Xi Sheng and others. Why did he have to rush to Liaoyang Prefecture and waste so much time? He has made contributions, but also made many mistakes." He stepped onto a covered bridge and patted the wooden railing beside him. "No one in the army will swallow up his contributions. Let him do his work with peace of mind. What is his will not run away."

Qiao Lie bowed and said, "I will point him out later."

Lü Bu looked down at the fish swimming underwater, his expression somewhat helpless: "I still need to discuss the matter of food and grass with Liu Min and Li Ying later. I always feel that I will see them crying and shouting again."

Qiao Lie laughed at the back: "After all, we have some grain stored after last year's autumn harvest, and with the surplus from the Jin Kingdom, we are still well off."

Lu Bu just shook his head. As the place got bigger, the expenses also increased. Fortunately, the tax revenue levels in several trading posts were good, otherwise the Ministry of Revenue and its subordinate officials would probably keep asking him for money.

He turned around and left: "Later, go and call Li Zhu, Fang Xuedu, Wu Jiao, and Wang Zheng to discuss the next steps."

The image of the geomancy map flashed through his mind, and he had a new idea about how to deal with this situation. Since he couldn't conserve his energy, he could only fight to support the war. The remaining four regions of the Liao Kingdom had more population and more money and food than Liaodong, especially Shangjing. It would be better to connect with Liaodong first.

"You go ahead and do your work. I have some things to deal with as well."

The doctor from the Ministry of Rites in the back bowed and retreated.

At this moment, many people are busy. In the spring breeze, a young man thrusts out his iron spear with all his strength, and sweat drips into the ground. Some are in the warehouse, counting the taxes collected, and planning their future use with great ambition. Occasionally, they talk to others about their prospects for people's livelihood and mineral resources. Someone wrote a private letter to a clerk to bring to a girl named Hua Baoyan. The girl took the letter back to the house while her brother was away and read it with a smile on her face.

To the west, a gentle breeze brought a solemn atmosphere. A letter from Nanjing Road was placed on Xiao Haili's desk. The middle-aged Khitan man narrowed his eyes and said, "Another Eastern Expedition... My dear Yelu Yanxi, if you lose again this time, how can you still sit on the dragon throne?"

Not long after, someone took the letter he wrote and secretly left Xiliaozhou under the cover of night, riding at full speed all the way towards the southwest.

On the next day, a fast horse rushed to Liaoyang Prefecture with the memorial he wrote.

……

Fine spring rain enveloped the sky and earth of Zhongjing Road. Inside the Liao army camp, soldiers who had been traveling all day set up their tents and hid inside to wipe their wet faces and heads. Pieces of wet clothes were drying next to the covered fire.

The tall and strong-armed general opened the tent of the central army and took off his rain-soaked helmet: "This rain is so annoying, it keeps falling, but it's not heavy."

The man in the commanding position looked somewhat similar to him. He raised his head and said, "What's wrong? Are you tired just from walking?"

"That's not what I meant." The big man named He Chai was his brother. He quickly smiled and came over to sit down. He took a sip of the hot soup in front of him and said, "Even if the rain gets heavier, we can stop. Anyway, there is no news from the people in the east. Why are we rushing so fast?"

"Shut up." The eldest brother was He Zhongbao, who was ordered to lead the army north. He glared at him and looked outside the tent: "Where's that kid He Yun?"

"Third brother has gone to the rear camp, come over right away." He Chai hesitated and said, "Brother, there is no need to be so careful. The soldiers outside the tent are all from you and me. If someone comes, it will be a warning."

"You also know how to worry?" He Zhongbao snorted, "There are two royal family members in the rear camp. If the conspiracy between you and me is leaked, we won't know how to die."

The man remained silent. Not long after, another figure came in. He took off his helmet and put it aside, then walked over and sat down: "Big brother, second brother."

"What happened next?"

"Those two are fine. They just said we were too slow and kept urging us to move forward."

He Zhongbao stroked his beard, looking a little irritated: "They've been urging us all day. If they were really in a hurry, they wouldn't have led the troops ahead."

He Chai nodded: "We Han people still need to help him..."

"Shut up!" He Zhongbao scolded in a low voice: "Why are you talking so carelessly now? Can you say such things?"

"Don't be angry, big brother." He Yun quickly persuaded: "Aren't we brothers also looking for a way out?"

He Chai beside him scratched his head and said nothing.

He Zhongbao looked at the two of them, leaned over and whispered, "Brother, I am not scolding you, but even if the Lu family promised something, it was not said by the man in the east. You and I are in the army now, and we can complain, but it is better to know such confidential matters."

The two brothers over there looked at each other and nodded vigorously.

……

Further south is Xijin Prefecture.

Someone stroked his beard and looked up at the sky. He paused for a moment and flicked his sleeves: "Come here, prepare the carriage and go to the Han family." (End of this chapter)