Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The wind blew through the treetops in the courtyard, and the leaves rustled. From time to time, people ran in from outside. The Qi army generals in military uniforms trotted into the provincial government office. The small hall was crowded with burly generals, who looked at the figure sitting behind the table with solemn expressions.

"The scouts ahead have sent news that some Liao soldiers are willing to surrender to our army." Signaling the guards to hang up the geomancy map, Lu Bu stood up and pointed to the marked red line: "This is the marching route of the Liao people. The army of Zhongjing Road has now joined forces at the Daling River in the direction of Shenshui. A total of 50,000 troops are heading towards Ande Prefecture, and the food and grass of this army..." He stretched out his hand and patted the geomancy map: "It is still in the Daling River."

"No wonder I have been looking for him for many days but couldn't find him. He is over there. I wonder who came up with this idea..." Yelu Ma Wu was surprised. Then he touched his bald head thoughtfully and said, "No wonder he has to go to Yizhou. Doesn't the river flow over there?"

The generals below were silent for a while. After a while, Hu Yanzhuo, a lieutenant under Xiao Haili, clasped his fists and said, "My lord, is there a trick here? What if the other party is pretending to surrender?"

Lu Bu shook his head: "I know the situation well, don't worry."

Hu Yanzhuo bowed his head and then kept silent.

"I suggest that all cavalrymen gather together from today, march out of Haibei Prefecture, and quickly enter Zhongjing Road." Lu Bu moved his arm and pointed to the waterway: "Since the enemy's food and grass are in the river, Ruan Xiaoqi and Zhang Shun in Jinzhou can be transferred here. As long as we can rob these food and grass, we will have a better chance of winning this battle."

He turned his head and looked at the generals below: "And the generals of the infantry." He pointed to the east of Xianzhou: "Defending the city is a great achievement."

"Yes!"

The voice was loud but not very inspiring. Lu Bu laughed and scolded: "Why are you all depressed because there is no battle to fight? It's not like there will be no more battles after this battle. We still have to go southwest in the future. There will be plenty of time to attack cities and capture strongholds."

Han Qinghe thought in his mind, most of the troops under his command were infantry, and he only had his son Han Chang's 500 cavalrymen. Compared with the 2,000 cavalrymen under Xiao Haili, it was naturally less. However, it was possible for him to get two military merits at this time.

Let Han Chang follow the king, and he will stay at the front line. When the army of Zhongjing Road is defeated, the credit will be his. By then, his son will gain some military merits, and the status of both father and son in the court will be different from what it is now, and they will be promoted a little.

Thinking of this, his expression naturally improved a lot, and he quickly bowed in response.

Seeing this, Lu Bu didn't care why he suddenly felt better. He just stood up and waved his arms: "Everyone go down and prepare. We will send out the troops in two hours."

"As ordered!"

The generals who came out one after another were talking excitedly, and the light in the sky became more dazzling.

……

The mobilization of the Liao army was still ongoing, and troops from the Ugundilie Military Command in the northern border of Shangjing Road and the Northwest Road Recruiting Command entered Linhuang Prefecture one after another.

In the first month of summer, on the 23rd day of the 11th month, Yelu Dezhong, who had assembled 80,000 cavalry and infantry, announced that he was sending out 200,000 troops. The army and horses were so powerful that they raised a cloud of dust and pressed towards Longhuazhou, blocking out the sun.

However, the consequences of the imperial army's several defeats by the two rebels in Liaodong a year or two ago were still apparent at this time. Many people along the way began to flee north, especially in the densely populated Longhuazhou, Yongzhou, and Fuzhou. As for the several military states close to Tokyo Road, those who should have fled had already fled, leaving only a few who were reluctant to leave their homeland.

At the same time, Mi Xian of Liaoyang Prefecture took command, with Hua Rong as his deputy, Wang Zheng and Qiao Lie as marching military advisors, and brought the Xianzhen Camp and armored cavalry, intending to march north to Liaozhou to join forces with Han Shizhong.

In the northern Huanglongfu, Wulin Datai and Wanyan Zongbing, who was transferred to the north, led their troops into the territory of Huanglongfu. Generals such as Wanyan Loushi and Ma Ling were also ready, waiting for Du Fu's next military order.

In the central part of Liaodong, Xi Sheng led his troops in Rongzhou and advanced to the borders of Fuzhou and Weizhou. This caused the Liao army sentries, who were already on guard against sneak attacks from Liaodong, to panic. Seeing the enemy's battle flags coming straight towards them, they hurriedly retreated back into the city. Upon hearing this, the officials of the two states had no choice but to prepare to defend the city while sending fast horses to the rear for help.

The next day, Xi Sheng's troops arrived at the city.

The situation became increasingly tense under the attacks from both sides.

……

"The Liao army ahead is mostly composed of royal family generals, and their troops should be stronger than ordinary Liao troops..."

"Scouts report that the enemy is almost at Xingzhong Prefecture, and the local troops are gathering, and they may be planning to send troops to accompany us."

"The enemy also has a lot of cavalry. Now there are 43,000 soldiers and horses, more than half of which are cavalry, guarding the two wings of the Liao army's center. The rear of the marching formation are all infantry. We can send a cavalry to ambush behind and attack the enemy at the critical moment."

"And the surrendered troops, if used well, can be as powerful as an army of tens of thousands of people..."

"You can't always put your hopes on others. You still have to be prepared to face the tough times."

Under the bright sky, there was a cavalry team of nearly 8,000 people, winding into a long dragon and moving slowly on the road. The horses were breathing heavily, obviously having just been galloping at high speed.

On the way, several important generals in the army gathered together, and voices kept coming out, making some pre-war preparations. This battle with Liao was different from the previous ones. At that time, they were all barefoot men without any territory, but now they have vast lands. It can be said that they have concerns in their hearts. Although they are not afraid, they are more or less worried.

If we say to rush forward regardless of the consequences, I'm afraid no one would agree.

The horses' hooves crushed the green grass, and the black mud was rolled up into the air. Then they slowly stopped. Under the flags of the same color but different patterns, the cavalry got off their horses to rest.

Lu Bu reached out to take the information handed over by the scout, walked over and sat down to look through it, then drew the sword from his waist and drew a few lines on the ground, discussing with Xiao Haili, Wang De, Wanyan Zonghan and others who gathered around him.

"…There are many places beside the Daling River where the army can deploy, but there is only one suitable place for an ambush, which is on the Helong Mountain. Since the Liao army's food and supplies all go by water, they must pass through the middle of the mountains and rivers. If we miss this place, when they reach an open area and can run, even if I am confident that I can win, it will cost me a lot."

"I don't agree with what General Xiao said." Wanyan Zonghan shook his head. "Ambush is one way, but if the place is too dangerous and not conducive to cavalry charge, once there is no distance, all the warriors under my command will be in danger. Even if the Liao people are pigs, they can still kill two people when facing horses that can't run. It is better to directly defeat the enemy's troops in an open area, so that they will avoid us when they see our flags in the future."

Dong Ping squatted on the ground and stroked his smooth chin: "I think we should make good use of the man named He. As long as he can cooperate, there is a way to keep him here."

Lü Bu listened to them talking but didn't join in. He was thinking about the nobleman who had claimed the throne. Back then, it was just like now. The enemy had tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry attacking in seven directions, while he only had 3,000 soldiers and 400 war horses. In the end, he still relied on internal support to defeat them. Moreover, this time...

Looking at those generals who were not willing to submit to each other, he felt like laughing for some reason. Now the cavalry under his command alone was more than twice as many as in the past.

I have never been so rich in my life.

"It's natural for General Wanyan to have concerns, but don't forget that we have to go north to Shangjing Road after the battle here. We can't delay here. If we fight with the enemy in the field, once we deploy the formation, if there is a mistake, there will be many casualties. How can we rush to the north to participate in the battle?" Hu Yanzhuo's voice came over, the light in his eyes was scorching: "I think... it's better to attack at night. The vision is not clear at night. Once there is chaos, it is easy to cause camp whistles. By then, even at dawn, they will not be able to compete with our army."

The generals around him frowned, thinking about the possibility of a sneak attack at night. Before he could speak, a rider came galloping from the east with smoke and dust. The cavalryman who delivered the message came close, jumped off his horse and walked quickly towards Yu Cheng who was guarding the periphery. Yu Cheng took a look at the information handed to him, and hurriedly ran towards Lu Bu: "My king, General Zhang Shun sent a message that he and General Ruan Xiaoqi have entered the Daling River and are now in the Qianzhou area."

"It's still faster to go by water." Lu Bu took the message and sighed, "We still need to rest and sleep, but they split into two groups and sailed day and night, and they caught up with us."

Xiao Haili, Wanyan Zonghan and others looked over and curled their lips in dissatisfaction: "No matter how fast you run, you still have to watch us cavalrymen fight on the battlefield."

"Hahahaha..." Lu Bu suddenly laughed: "Whether on land or on water, we must fight the Liao people to a decisive victory. Generals, please don't be slower than those who defeat the enemy on water."

Several generals looked at each other and said through gritted teeth: "Don't worry, my king. We are all fierce tigers on land. How can we lose to those fish and shrimps in the water?"

"That's right, we will live up to the king's expectations."

A noisy sound was heard. Han Chang put down his armor and looked up in astonishment. He muttered, "I was just taking a break and they've already discussed this?"

The walking figure quickened its pace.

……

In the tenth year of Tianqing in Liao Dynasty, on the Jiazi day of the first lunar month, the army marched by land on the road to Shangjing.

The news that Qi troops had invaded Shangjing first reached Yelu Dezhong. When he received the news, he was discussing with Li Ji, the commander of the Right Guard, and Xiao Gan, the grand master of the Fourth Army, how to attack Liaodong.

On the back of the warhorse, he looked at the paper in his hand, his face turned red and white, and he was unable to speak for a while.

On both sides, Xiao Gan and Li Ji looked at each other and asked quickly: "Marshal, is there something big happening?"

Yelu Dezhong slowly raised his head, looked at the two men, handed the intelligence in his hand to Xiao Gan, and said dryly: "Qi State Xi Sheng sent troops from Rongzhou and has entered the territory of Fuzhou and Weizhou. The soldiers at the two sentries did not dare to stay and have retreated back to the city. I don't know what the situation is now."

Xiao Gan took it, glanced at it quickly, and handed it to Li Ji, smacking his lips twice: "Liaoyang Prefecture has also sent troops to Liaozhou. It seems that this is not a decision made by Rongzhou alone."

Li Ji raised his head, and the three of them said almost in unison: "Someone in the court leaked the news."

Yelu Dezhong smiled bitterly: "I never thought of launching a surprise attack on Qi. Judging from their deployment, they must have known that we were going to send troops. I don't know which idiot leaked the news."

"It's too late to pursue this now." Xiao Gan's face was livid: "General, you should quickly make some arrangements and decide how to deal with it. Should we attack Liaoyang Prefecture or go to Fuzhou?"

Li Ji also looked over. The original intention of gathering the army to march south was to rest for a while in Longhua Prefecture, and then join forces with the army in Zhongjing Road to attack Liaoxi Prefecture and break through Dongjing Liaoyang Prefecture. Now the intention has been exposed...

He suddenly raised his head and looked at the two people: "Oh no, Zhongjing is over there!"

Yelu Dezhong and Xiao Gan's faces twitched. The chief of the royal family nodded and sighed, "We can't worry about Zhongjing now. If I'm right, Huanglongfu will also take action, but I don't know where they will attack."

"Let's send someone to inform them." Xiao Gan thought for a moment and said with a wry smile: "If everything is fine, let him wait for Li Shi to attack Jinzhou, and also inform Shangjing."

Yelu Dezhong thought about it and nodded: "Someone come!"

Not long after, more than ten riders rushed out from the army and split into two groups, one heading towards Zhongjing Road, and the other running back to Linhuang Prefecture.

Just when the three of them were about to make a decision, Yelu Zongyun, Zongdian and the other two looked at each other in bewilderment. After a long while, the fourth brother Zonglin spoke up: "What do you think... is Lu Bu the nemesis of our father? Otherwise, why is it that every time we run into each other, nothing good happens?"

"When two countries are at war, it is normal to learn about each other's intelligence. It can only be said that someone in the court is in collusion with Qi." The second elder Zong Dian glanced at him and said angrily, "Don't let me know who it is, otherwise I will use a gun to pierce ten holes in his body to vent my anger."

"Second brother is right." Yelu Zongyun also frowned, "The court has been very kind to these ministers and generals, but there are still some people who are ungrateful. These villains should be killed."

The third brother didn't say anything, just snorted coldly and nodded to indicate that he agreed with what his two brothers said.

Yelu Zonglin looked at his three brothers and slapped his thigh: "You are right, traitors always make people angry. When I find out who they are, I will stab them a few times."

The other three nodded in unison, and the four brothers rode forward for a distance. The three older brothers were talking, and only the fourth brother was looking at the sky with a pale face. Yelu Zongyun was the eldest brother after all, and seeing this, he thought that his brothers were still very angry about the leak, so he comforted them: "Brother, don't be so angry. The person who leaked the secret will definitely show his true colors, and then it won't be too late for you and me to deal with him. Now you think about it over and over again, and you are just making yourself sad."

"Oh..." Yelu Zongli looked at him and nodded.

Zong Yun felt that his eyes did not match his expectations, so he quickly asked him, "What's the matter? What important things are you thinking about? Tell us so that we can help you think about it."

"Nothing..." Yelu Zonglin hesitated for a moment and shook his head.

"Go ahead. After all, we are older than you and have seen more. We may be able to help you solve your problem."

Yelu Zonglin was moved when he heard this. He looked at his three brothers hesitantly. Seeing that they were all looking at him with concern, he couldn't help but feel touched: "It's nothing serious. I was just wondering which temple in Shangjing is more effective. I'll ask for a lucky charm for Dad to save him from such bad luck..."

Yelu Zongyun and the other two: "..."

"Hmm? Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, why are you looking at me like this?"

"Wait! Why did you go get a gun? You said you could give me some advice!"

"Help!"

Four royal family members on horseback ran out of the army one after the other. The noisy sound made several generals in front look back. Yelu Dezhong's face turned pale and his hands suddenly clenched into fists: "Four rebellious sons..."

Then he continued to move forward angrily, but his hands kept loosening and tightening, as if he was trying to grab something.

Soon after, a bigger shock was heard. (End of this chapter)