Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Linhuang Prefecture of Liao Dynasty.

Since late midsummer, in this season of revival, all kinds of wild animals have come out to look for food and are running all over the mountains and plains. Yelu Yanxi, who did not want to go to court, has been hunting with his guards and hunting dogs all day long. The vast hunting grounds north of Linhuang Prefecture are bustling with people all day long, and the people who were lucky enough not to be driven out by the soldiers can even hear cheers coming from afar.

whoosh-

The arrow drew an arc and shot into the neck of a deer. The running figure suddenly lowered and disappeared behind the bushes. The hound rushed over without a sound. After a while, the sound of "woof woof" was heard where the prey disappeared. A guard rode his horse and ran away.

"Your Majesty, you are a great archer!" Xiao Fengxian praised from behind with a thumbs up: "The deer was deep in the woods, and its body was hidden by the trees in front, but Your Majesty was able to shoot through its neck with one arrow. Even if Li Guang was resurrected and Yang Youji were still alive, they would not be able to do so well."

"That's right, that's right. Prince Lanling is absolutely right. Your Majesty is worthy of being the best archer in the Liao Dynasty."

"I think you are the best archer in the world. Who can shoot a living creature in a flash like your majesty? Even the great generals in the army are no better than you."

A cacophony of voices came from the crowd, and for a moment everyone was vying to speak first, as if the more they spoke, the more money they would get.

"Hahaha, you are too kind, my dear ministers." Yelu Yanxi put away his hunting bow with a look of joy on his face. He watched the guards bring the deer back on their horses. He stroked his short beard and shook his head, "It was just a small test of my skills. I don't deserve such praise."

Turning around and handing the hunting bow to the guard behind him, Yelu Yanxi raised the corner of his mouth and said, "Let's use this deer as the main dish for lunch today. My dear ministers, you should also hunt some prey to add more dishes to lunch."

"Yes."

Several ministers who were good at riding and shooting bowed, shouted, and rode their horses towards the depths of the hunting ground. Several royal guards had already caught up with them. They were all people who had served Yelu Yanxi in hunting for many years, so they naturally did not need his orders, as they had experienced these things hundreds of times.

"The two Xiao Qings, please accompany me back."

Yelu Yanxi said this without even turning his head, and just turned his horse's head. Behind him, Xiao Fengxian and Xiao Delidi were lowering their heads to respond. The former said that he could not shoot arrows, while the latter was too short and hunched over. It was ok for him to travel on the horse he was riding, but it was really difficult for him to hunt or fight. Therefore, the two of them never left Yelu Yanxi's sight when they went hunting.

"I have been in this hunting garden for some time. What is the current situation in the court?"

The imperial horse walked slowly on the grass. Yelu Yanxi seemed to have finally remembered that he had not taken care of state affairs for many days, and looked at Xiao Fengxian with questioning eyes.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty." Xiao Fengxian looked respectful, and his eyes were full of sincerity as he looked at the Liao Emperor in front of him: "Every minister has performed his duties and has made no mistakes. I believe that the gods are protecting Your Majesty and that everything in the court is stable."

"That's good." Yelu Yanxi nodded with satisfaction: "This way I can resume the old ways of my ancestors with peace of mind." Then he looked at Xiao Delidi as if he remembered something: "Jiu (jiu) neighbor, I heard that there is military intelligence sent to you? Is this true?"

Xiao Delidi's expression remained unchanged, and he said calmly: "Your Majesty, the country is now at peace. Except for Marshal Yelu who is confronting the Qi bandits in the southeast, there are no warnings in other places."

"That's good... Is there any progress in the battle between my brother and the Qi army?"

Xiao Deli looked up at him, lowered his eyes and shook his head: "No, we have fought several battles with the Qi bandits, and we have won and lost, but it is a common thing in the army. Moreover, Marshal Yelu has been fighting for many years and has the most experience. He has fought with the Qi bandits in Liaodong before, and although he was defeated, it is precisely because of the previous lesson that he will be more cautious. Your Majesty, rest assured that the Qi bandits will not get away with it."

Yelu Yanxi was relieved, and he raised his head and laughed: "My brother has loved war since he was young. It's rare to see him being defeated. Now I think that Lu Bu is also amazing. He was able to defeat him once. Tsk tsk..."

The personal guards came forward to protect him, and the horses' hooves knocked on the ground of the hunting ground. Xiao Fengxian looked at Xiao Delidi next to him from behind, wanting to ask if it was true. There had been some rumors in the court in recent days, and they were not good news. However, he changed his mind and thought that this guy would not have the courage to lie with his eyes open, so he lowered his eyelids again.

Xiao Deli glanced at the person next to him, probably thinking of what he wanted to ask, and curled his lips, looked at the other person's appearance with some jealousy, then looked at the handsome figure, secretly cursing the bastard who relied on his sister for a living, and secretly pulled the reins to let the warhorse stay away from the person next to him.

“…What a pity!”

Yelu Yanxi sighed in front of them. They looked up at the emperor who was looking up at the sky and said almost at the same time: "Your Majesty, what's the pity?"

Xiao Delidi turned his head slightly and glared at Xiao Fengxian, but the people next to him were concentrating on listening to the emperor's words and did not see him.

Yelu Yanxi shook his head: "It's a pity that the thief Lu has already proclaimed himself king, otherwise I really want to issue an imperial edict to recruit him, so that my brother wouldn't have to suffer so much."

The two men surnamed Xiao at the back looked at each other and were unable to speak for a long time. Xiao Fengxian was afraid that no one would speak up for the emperor for a long time, so he quickly spoke up: "It's not a pity. Our dynasty has countless talented people, and we don't need a warrior like Lu. It would be best to kill this rebel from the north and hang his head to warn the world."

"Hahaha, that's true."

Yelu Yanxi raised his head and laughed loudly, and heard the sound of thunder and sea coming from the back. A few people turned around and saw several people carrying a wild boar and laughing.

Blood dripped from the fur.

……

tick-

Blood dripped down the top of the city wall. Guan Sheng held a horizontal sword in one hand and a shield in the other, bravely pushed back the Liao soldiers who were charging forward, and chopped them to the ground with another sword. With the blade still dripping with blood, he pointed forward and shouted loudly: "You have no external help and are already alone. Why do you want to die for a tyrant? Surrender now, and I, Guan Sheng, will guarantee your lives."

Fire arrows shot up from below, nailing into the wooden walls and fortifications at the rear. Thick smoke was rising. The figures who had fought bravely jumped off the parapet. Behind and beside them, the number of soldiers in black armor continued to increase. A general of the Liao army cried out "Ah——" and shouted, "Stop fighting! We surrender."

Someone holding a spear hesitated for a moment, and a long sword fell to the ground beside him. He then breathed a sigh of relief and threw down the weapon. The sound of fighting beside his ears became smaller. Guan Sheng's face put on a relaxed expression. He turned his head and looked around. In the distance, a flag with the word "Liao" on it was knocked down. Then he realized what had happened and hurriedly ordered his soldiers to change the flag.

The city gates were opened again, and the troops that had been waiting outside for a long time began to enter.

Changchun County, located.

……

at the same time.

The wind blew across the general's flag, and the word "Xiao" on the flag kept waving. The dust raised by the war horses gradually dissipated, and the same dust was raised in front. The fluctuating figures crossed the border of Weizhou sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly.

In the opposite direction, figures holding swords and guns were riding on war horses, rising and falling, their eyes looking at the scenery that was constantly receding on both sides. Some were breathing deeply, and cavalry messengers were running swiftly in the formation, conveying the general's orders. The rumbling sound of horse hooves echoed under the sky.

Yelu Dezhong would certainly not allow the Qi army to break into Huizhou. The news of the Qi army's expedition was reported back by scouts as soon as it was sent back. Upon receiving the news, the commander of the Liao army quickly sent a message to Yelu Yuyang in the front, asking him to lead the cavalry of the Northwest Recruiting Office and the Ugudilie Military Command to block the vanguard of the Qi army, while he would lead his troops to fight against the main force of the Qi people. However, Yelu Yuyang did not dare to say that he could definitely stop the oncoming vanguard of the Qi army.

There was no other reason. After several consecutive defeats against the Qi people, many soldiers lost their morale. This was obvious to him, a veteran fighter. "Is that Xiao Haili in front?"

A scout came over while running and passed the information to the cavalry commander. After receiving the news, Yelu Yuyang first breathed a sigh of relief, then frowned: "This old guy is still alive... Tsk, he was also a general in the army back then, really..."

He was about to say something but stopped himself. He turned around amid the roar of his warhorse: "Send a message to the Qiong demon Nayan in front, and have him lead his troops to attack the Qi bandits from the left. Tell him that the leader is the rebel general Xiao Haili, so don't be careless."

A messenger responded and rode forward on his horse.

Not long after, the flag of the Northwest Recruiting Division moved forward for a distance. Suddenly, Yelu Yuyang raised his voice and said, "Send an order. Commander Wulikan will lead the front. Speed ​​up and kill Xiao Haili. Kill part of the Qi bandits first."

The orders and the horns echoed in the air one after another. The cavalry group that was trotting slowly began to speed up. Dust was raised into the air under the horses' hooves, and the roar of horses' hooves faded away.

Just as Yelu Yuyang's troops were heading towards Xiao Haili, this former Liao general was constantly urging the cavalry to speed up.

The sunlight poured down wantonly from the blue sky, the sound of horses' hooves was like thunder, rumbling on the dry ground. There had been northwest winds blowing for several days in a row recently, causing the knights from Weizhou to close their mouths and noses tightly. If they relaxed for a moment, they would spit out dirt.

The running cavalry did not attract the attention of bystanders. The people here had moved away in a hurry at the beginning of the war. Now all that was left here were barren fields and empty houses. Any place with people had long been razed to the ground by the soldiers.

It was not surprising that Xiao Haili had encountered such a situation along the way. Some noble generals in the Liao army did not regard the people under their rule as human beings. Moreover, most of the people in the border areas of Weizhou were regarded as Qi people by them, and it was common for them to be slaughtered.

"Be careful."

Xiao Haili looked up at the sky and narrowed his eyes: "The Liao army should have known that we are sending troops and will attack at any time."

"What?"

Hu Yanzhuo and Dong Ping, who didn't hear clearly, leaned towards him.

Xiao Haili immediately repeated, "They have a large number of troops. If they come to stop us, they will have twice as many people as us."

The two generals approaching from behind looked at each other. Dong Ping laughed loudly, then he didn't know what he had eaten, and quickly tilted his head to spit out the sand in his mouth, "Puh, Puh, Puh--" The two flags behind him fluttered in the wind: "I was worried that the killing in Zhongjing Road was not satisfying, this time I must have a good fight..., Huh--Puh--"

Xiao Haili turned around and saw his miserable state, and suddenly laughed. He quickly covered his mouth and turned his head away, fearing that he would get a mouthful of sand like him.

As he was speaking, he saw dust rising in the distance. Xiao Haili had just straightened his face when a horn sounded ahead, indicating an attack.

Snapped--

"Damn this broken mouth of mine." Xiao Haili slapped his cheek, then raised his bronze knife: "Liao cavalry in front, prepare for battle!"

Woo, woo—

The personal soldiers beside him took out ox horns and blew them. Hu Yanzhuo and Dong Ping also pulled the reins, shouted and rode away. The cavalry gradually changed their formation. The generals holding double guns ran forward, and hundreds of people around them took out their weapons.

The horse's hooves kicked up mud spots. The pale-faced Dong Ping was spinning his guns with both hands. A pair of silver pistols were reflecting the light in the sky. The long black line in front had come into view, and it gradually enlarged with the rise and fall of the warhorse. The horse's breathing was clearly visible.

"Prepare to charge——"

The war horses were flying to the ground and galloping wildly in the wilderness. The figures wearing silver armor and carrying two flags raised their guns in both hands and shot at each other. As the clanging metal sounds rang out, they rushed directly into the cavalry in the front without hesitation.

"General Dong Ping is here!"

Two pistols were waving, and dots of cold light flashed in the eyes of the Liao cavalry. The soldier close to him had no chance to react, and was shot in the throat and fell off his horse. The man behind him who was preparing to fight was shocked and could not react in time, so Dong Ping made a hole in his chest, and blood splashed onto his fair face as the spear tip shrank.

“A bunch of chickens and dogs, hahahaha——”

The blood stimulated the two spearmen, and they shouted loudly. The knights behind them crashed into the battle with a loud bang. The wailing of horses, the shouting of people, and the sound of metallic weapons clashing suddenly exploded on the plain.

The enemies and our own side on the backs of their war horses were pierced through the bodies by spears and iron lances, and fell off their horses one after another. In a moment, corpses piled up at the place of collision.

Under the banner of the Recruiting Division, Ulikan looked grimly at the double-spear general who was charging straight towards him. Ever since he left the northern side of Shangjing Road and came to the southernmost end to fight the rebels, he initially thought that the generals in the court were all useless. He had never expected that they had failed to conquer the opposite infantry line for several times in a row, and now the cavalry they encountered were no worse than the warriors under his command who had been fighting against the yellow-haired barbarians in the north for many years.

Figures fell off their war horses one after another in front of him, and the exposed double-gun generals were even more clearly visible. The words "Heroic double-gun general, elegant marquis" on the two sides made his eyes twitch: "Follow me and kill the Qi thieves on the opposite side!"

Wulikan gritted his teeth, raised the pure steel silver date spear in his hand, kicked the snow-white warhorse under his crotch, and suddenly leaped forward, and stabbed Dong Ping, who was alone and charging forward.

when--

Dong Ping reacted quickly as well, and blocked it with the pistol in his hand. Both of them were shocked at the same time. The general with two spears looked at the man opposite him, who was wearing a phoenix-wing helmet, a silver-colored double-hooked armor, a horse under his crotch, and the spear in his hand was all snow-white, which was more eye-catching than his own outfit. His face drooped immediately.

"You Liao dogs (Qi thieves), die!"

With double guns and silver date spears raised at the same time, they exchanged blows several times in succession, causing the two horses to cross each other. Dong Ping gritted his teeth, looked at the Liao cavalry that kept charging towards him, and did not dare to turn around to chase Wulikan as before. He could only curse inwardly and charge forward bravely.

The white figures that were crossing each other, with dense cavalry behind them, were also gritting their teeth, and using the spears in their hands to continuously knock away the rushing figures. Among the galloping war horses, a black iron whip suddenly appeared right in front of the long spear and hit it with a bang.

Wulikan's hands shook, and before he could withdraw his hands, he was struck by several powerful and heavy blows on the spear, which made him lose control and dropped it involuntarily.

In front of him, horse hooves were tumbling and a blade of light suddenly flashed at his side. Ulikan opened his mouth and just uttered the word "ah".

puff--

The copper knife suddenly chopped across the neck, and the head flew up into the sky. Xiao Haili wiped the blood off his face and swung the knife to kill the figure rushing towards him: "The enemy general is dead, bravely move forward!"

The sound of killing shook the heavens! (End of this chapter)