Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The sky gradually rose higher.

The birds gradually flew back to their nests that had not yet been engulfed by the flames. They circled for a while before making sure there was no trace of burning nearby. They stood on the treetops, tilted their heads and looked curiously at the busy bipeds below. The moment they saw someone walking into the woods, they flapped their wings and flew away again.

A large number of dead bodies were carried out of the camp by Qi soldiers, pulled into the forest and buried in pits. The charred corpses and the stripped dead bodies were stacked on the cart boards, black and white mixed together, and blood flowed all over the ground through the cracks in the wooden boards. When they reached the forest, they were thrown into the pits at random, and then sand was shoveled onto them, and the pit was gradually filled up.

The wounded were carried aside for treatment. A large number of soldiers in black armor drew their swords and walked in the camp. They kicked the dead Liao soldiers away with their feet and carefully dragged the bodies of their comrades aside. Naturally, someone came forward to help clean the blood on their faces with wet wipes, took off their leather armor and put them aside in their military uniforms, waiting for someone to come forward and take them away for burial.

Occasionally, screams could be heard here, as the Liao soldiers pretending to be dead were stabbed into the body by sharp blades. At the edge of the battlefield, the Liao soldiers who were lucky enough to be alive were disarmed and taken aside, tied together with hemp ropes, and knelt dejectedly on the ground. Someone drew a circle on the outside with branches. Once someone stepped out, arrows would be shot by nearby archers.

Lu Bu was sitting in the central army tent. Someone had come to inform him of the battle situation ahead. He and Wang Zheng closed their eyes and waited in the tent. Outside, war horses were galloping back and forth. As the golden sun rose over the east, there were noises. For the soldiers who did not participate in the ambush at night, defeating 6,000 troops was still very exciting in their hearts.

The sound of galloping horses could be heard outside, and then they stopped at the door of the tent. Yu Cheng walked in quickly and clasped his fists: "Your Majesty, Generals Han Shizhong, Hua Rong, Xu Wen, Liu Yun, Zhao Li, and Ma Xi are here to report." He paused and said: "The Liao army's main general is also here."

"Let the Liao general wait." Lu Bu opened his eyes and waved his hand: "Let Han Shizhong and the others come in first."

Yu Cheng turned around and went out. Not long after, several generals with blood on their bodies walked into the tent, bowed and clasped their fists: "Your Majesty, the enemies who attacked us last night have been defeated. I am here to surrender your order!" Then they took off their helmets and stood there holding them in their hands.

"Thank you for your hard work, generals." Lu Bu smiled and asked, "Are there many injured men?"

"Thanks to the great king's good fortune, only more than fifty people died in the battle last night, but there were more than three hundred wounded, and most of them were lightly wounded." Han Shizhong clasped his fists and suddenly laughed: "But the harvest is good, there are more than seven hundred surviving war horses that can be driven."

"There is some good news... We are trying to send the seriously injured back to the rear so that those who fought last night can have a good rest."

Lu Bu gave Yu Cheng an order, and amid the grateful looks of several generals in front, the guard nodded and left. Then the sound of horse hooves was heard not far away, gradually fading away.

Han Shizhong and the others withdrew their gazes. Liu Yun in the back clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, there are about 2,700 to 2,800 Liao soldiers who surrendered. Most of them are wounded but not dead. Some of them are seriously injured and may not survive for more than two days. Moreover, these prisoners still need to be guarded. We have fewer people than the Liao soldiers..."

He smacked his lips and then stopped talking as if he hadn't made up his mind.

Lu Bu looked at him, raised his eyebrows, and glanced at the generals below: "What do you think?"

Liu Yun was originally from a religious sect, so he had a weak sense of affection for people outside the sect. Although he accepted his current status and situation after being sold out by Fang La and integrated into the sect, he was still the same as before. So he looked up at Lu Bu, lowered his head and said, "I think we should just deal with it. It's not worth wasting manpower on these people and horses."

"Killing prisoners is unclear." Zhao Li, who was standing quietly at the side, suddenly spoke up, stepped forward and clasped his fists, saying, "Your Majesty, we are now fighting the Liao people on the battlefield. If we kill the prisoners, wouldn't it make the Liao people on the opposite side more determined to fight to the death with our army? I think it is inappropriate."

"What do you think, General Zhao?" Liu Yun shrugged, looking indifferent.

Zhao Li frowned: "Maybe it can be used for other purposes, such as sending it to other places to build city walls."

Xu Wen at the side glanced at him, curled his lips in disdain, then withdrew his gaze and saw Hua Rong on the side who was looking at him, and quickly put on a flattering smile. Little Li Guang on the other side frowned, too lazy to pay attention to him and turned his eyes away.

Ma Xian kept his mouth shut the whole time. He had the same idea as Liu Yun, that these people should just be killed. However, he was used to listening to Li Zu, and now that he had a lord, so unless Lu Bu asked him, he would not take the initiative.

Lu Bu looked at the few people with an expressionless face. No one knew what he was thinking in his mind. Wang Zheng looked at him, then sat aside, pouring wine and drinking by himself in silence.

Han Shizhong was listening to the two talking, stroking his short beard. This appearance naturally attracted Lu Bu's attention. When their eyes met, the ruffian general was startled. Seeing that the other party was looking at him silently, he hesitated and said, "My king, I have something on my mind."

"explain."

"I think..." Han Shizhong scratched his head, "Why not just let these Liao troops go back?"

Wang Zheng looked up at Han Shizhong in surprise. Lu Bu above him also smiled with interest: "Why do you think so?"

Putting down his hands, the Northern Army General looked serious for the first time: "The reason is roughly the same as Zhao Wuya's. I just think that the Liao army's fighting spirit is not strong, and the morale of the soldiers is not very high. If they know that they will not lose their lives if they lose the battle, their morale will surely be further weakened. By then, maybe we can defeat them with just a charge. Isn't that great? Besides, there are not many Liao soldiers, and most of them are injured. If we keep them here, we will have to waste time and medicine to treat them. If we throw them back to the Liao army, whether they live or die is the Liao people's business, and it has nothing to do with us."

He paused for a moment and scratched his cheek. "Besides, we can also release the two captured idiots. If the king is interested, he can also host a banquet for them and let his soldiers watch over them. If someone spreads the news that these two have surrendered to the king, it will be even better!"

Lu Bu laughed and looked at Wang Zheng first: "What do you think, military advisor?"

Wang Zheng put down the wine pot in his hand and slapped the table: "I didn't expect that General Han is not only brave in battle, but also very smart in strategy." He bowed to the leader and said: "I second the motion."

"Okay!" Lu Bu smiled and looked at Han Shizhong, nodding his head in approval. "Let's do as you say. If you can undermine the Liao army's morale, I'll give you another great achievement."

Han Shizhong's old face turned slightly red and he bowed quickly to express his gratitude.

Lu Bu looked at the dirt on everyone's armor and clothing and said, "Generals, go back and rest first. The army will move out in an hour."

Han Shizhong and the others all bowed their hands and said, "Yes."

Then they filed out. Outside, Li Ji and Zhier Fulang were tied up and held there. The people who came out looked at them strangely. The former closed his eyes and looked at the sky, unmoved, while the latter thought of something and his legs began to sway and his face turned pale.

After a few breaths, Yu Cheng walked out from the back and waved to the guards over there: "Bring them in."

When a guard wanted to capture Li Ji, the Liao army's right guard general turned around and said, "Don't touch me, I will leave."

After saying that, he walked forward with his head tilted back while tied up, but the red and swollen spot on his forehead made him look a little funny.

Zhier Fulang at the back was not as tough as him. He was pushed and fell to the ground with a thud. The guard who pushed him was stunned for a moment with his hand raised. He looked at his colleague and twitched his mouth: "I didn't use much strength..."

"... Stop talking nonsense and lend a hand."

There was no other choice but to go forward and pick up this "weakling" and drag him into the tent.

Not far away, the generals who had not left yet were watching everything in front of them.

"Coward..." Ma Xian curled his lips and muttered.

"He probably thought we were going to chop him up." Liu Yun glanced sideways and walked towards his warhorse: "He's just afraid of death, it's human nature. If he didn't shout out, he's considered brave."

Zhao Li looked silently at the two people who entered the tent from behind, then stopped looking and walked to his warhorse and climbed on.

"Or maybe he's too frightened to speak." Xu Wen laughed and got on the warhorse. There was a hint of teasing on his face as he held the reins, and the smile at the corners of his mouth was as wide as it could be.

Before he could turn the reins, a figure in white walked past him and said something softly along with the morning sun: "Come with me. I have something to tell you in my camp."

Xu Wen's smile froze, he looked down at Hua Rong who was walking on a white horse, his lips moved twice, not knowing what to say. Han Shizhong climbed onto the warhorse, looked at him and suddenly laughed, kicked him on the leg from the horse: "What are you standing there for, follow General Hua."

"I..." Xu Wen looked at Han Shizhong, then at the other people who were watching the show, straightened his back, and patted his breastplate: "Damn it, I'll go, General Hua won't eat me."

Over there, Hua Rong got on his warhorse, turned around, clasped his fists to the men, pulled the reins and ran towards his own camp. Xu Wen shouted to Han Shizhong, "I'll be back in a while."

He quickly rode his horse and followed.

The remaining few people saw that there was nothing exciting to watch, so they bowed and clasped their hands, then dispersed.

……

The warm morning light shines into the big tent.

Li Ji walked into the big tent, stood in the center and looked at Lu Bu sitting in the commander's seat. He snorted and closed his eyes again.

Two guards came in from behind, threw the limp Zhier Fulang to the ground, clasped their fists towards Lu Bu, and then left the tent.

Time seemed to have stopped at this moment. No one in the tent moved. Zhierfulang, who was lying on the ground, had recovered a little after being ignored for a long time. Feeling strange, he looked up and the first person he saw was Wang Zheng lying on the table. When he saw the Liao general on the ground looking at him and winking at him, Zhierfulang didn't know how to respond. He could only turn around, push the ground with his shoulder, and struggled to get up. He met Lu Bu's eyes without any fluctuations. He immediately shrank his neck and lowered his head again.

"Your name is Li Ji, a descendant of Li Ling? Is that true?"

After a while, Lu Bu's voice rang out in the tent. Li Ji opened his eyes suddenly and looked at the person who spoke. Since the matter involved his ancestors, he had no choice but to say something. He snorted, "Of course it's true. I'm not the emperor, so I won't go to my ancestors to pretend to be him just for a reputation."

"It's a pity for General Li Ling..." Lu Bu nodded, not bothering to question his opinion: "The general has been captured now, are you willing to surrender to me?"

Li Ji raised his head and said, "I knew you would ask this question. My ancestors rebelled because the Han emperor was unkind. Now my emperor treats me very well, and I am not a fickle person. You can kill me quickly and save my reputation."

Lu Bu nodded, tapped his fingers on the table twice, and suddenly looked at Zhier Fulang: "What about you? Are you willing to surrender?"

Zhier Fulang swallowed his saliva, first raised his head to look at Li Ji, and saw that he was standing straight and looking at Lu Bu, then he lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice after a while: "I am the same, I just want to die quickly."

As he spoke, he closed his eyes tightly, as if he would regret it if he opened them.

Li Ji raised his eyebrows, looked down at his general in surprise, then curled his lips slightly, raised his head, closed his eyes and waited for death.

"Hahaha, the two generals are so heroic."

Lu Bu smiled, stood up and personally untied the two men. The two Liao generals stroked their wrists, circulated their qi and blood, and looked at the King of Qi in front of them with some strangeness.

Lu Bu stood there and looked at the two men: "I like people with integrity the most in my life. The loyalty and bravery of the two generals are admirable." He called to Yu Cheng beside him: "Bring some wine. I want to drink a few glasses with the two generals."

Yu Cheng nodded and left.

Lu Bu looked at the two of them again and extended his hand, "Generals, why don't you take a seat? I will have someone bring them over in a moment. You can leave as you please and I will not stop you."

Zhier Fulang stood up in a daze and was about to take a step, but seeing that the commander did not move, he retracted his foot and stood aside.

"What?" Lu Bu raised his eyebrows. "General Li, are you afraid that I might poison your wine and kill you?"

Although Li Ji didn't understand, he had no choice since he was captured. He was in the enemy camp and didn't want to lose face as a general of the Liao Kingdom. He was so angry that he said, "Who is afraid of you poisoning me?" He walked to a seat nearby and sat down. He slapped the table and said, "Bring the wine!"

Seeing this, Zhier Fulang hurriedly walked over and sat down.

Lu Bu looked at the two of them with a smile, turned around and looked at Wang Zheng, then walked over and sat down.

Soon, guards came in with drinks and filled the four people's glasses.

Lü Bu grabbed the wine cup and gestured to him: "This cup is for General Li Ling first."

Li Ji had no choice but to pick up the wine bowl.

"Drink victory!"

……

at the same time.

In Taizhou, a solemn and murderous atmosphere was brewing. Wanyan Loushi looked at the Liao flag flying on the top of the city wall and sneered. He raised his hand and waved it forward: "Attack the city——"

Wuwuwu——

"We are the first to reach the summit! Kill——"

The moment the young Wanyan Huonu heard the horn, her eyes suddenly turned red, and she rushed forward with a howl. Behind her, Wanyan Shitumen and Wanyan Xishi ran forward together. A large number of soldiers in black armor were running, and catapults roared in the back. The round stone bullets drew an arc in the air and hit the city.

The ladders approached the city wall under the cover of soldiers.

The roars of fighting and shouting resounded through the sky of Lekang County, Taizhou in the early morning of that day, and countless lives were lost.

……

The sound of horses, footsteps and groans came from outside the tent.

Lü Bu and Wang Zheng raised their glasses and drank with Li Ji. Yu Cheng came in to report that the remnants of the Liao army had been brought in. He then put down his cup with a sigh and said, "It was a pleasant conversation with the two generals. Unfortunately, you and I are still enemies. I'm afraid you will have to fight again on the battlefield tomorrow."

Li Ji and Zhier Fulang's faces were red with wine, and they looked at Lu Bu with a somewhat straight look in their eyes. The former burped and covered his mouth fiercely. After a long while, he said: "Soldiers are destined to be like this... But the king is really generous, and I admire him."

"Hahaha, I can only be called a hero for my drinking ability." Lu Bu stood up, walked over and pulled Li Ji out of the camp. The Liao soldiers who were being held in custody made a commotion, but Lu Bu pretended not to see it and just patted Li Ji's hand and said, "Take care, General. We'll fight again tomorrow."

"We'll fight again tomorrow!" Li Ji clasped his fists, staggered down the steps, mounted his horses with Zhier Fulang, clasped his fists again towards that side, and walked out of the military camp with the remaining soldiers under the alert of Qi army.

The sun slowly climbed up to the sky. (End of this chapter)