Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The night was dark, with only sporadic snowflakes falling above the tent.

There were faint sounds of footsteps in the military camp. A team of patrolling soldiers holding lights walked past the roadside, casting their shadows on the silent tents.

In a lighted military tent, Yelu Yudu looked at the spread-out geomancy map and pinched his forehead with a headache. Next to him sat the ugly monk and Xie Jianu, two of the army's most trusted men.

"We still have too few troops..." Yelu Yudu leaned back in frustration, "Luckily Qi didn't come after us, otherwise this line of defense wouldn't last long. It's a blessing that it's only been a month."

The two generals looked at each other and said, "The commander-in-chief is too modest. Now that the country has no strong soldiers, it is already difficult to build a fortress and defend the vast land of Zhongjing. If someone else came here, it might be difficult to start."

The fire moved outside the tent. Yelu Yudu grabbed his cloak with both hands and stood up. "Forget it. There are not many soldiers in Zhongjing Road. We also have to guard against the Qi bandits' sneak attack from the east. When the Japanese governor comes, I will ask the emperor to transfer the soldiers from Xijing. After all, they are rare elite troops in the country.

If we don’t complete our defenses in winter, we won’t be able to resist if the Qi invaders attack us next spring.”

As they were talking, the sound of running footsteps was heard. The three people in the tent looked at each other. The ugly monk and Xie Jianu stood up and frowned.

Someone came here so late at night, I'm afraid there must be urgent military information.

Don't let the Qi thief come here at this time...

The guards outside came forward to stop them, and the sound of voices came in. Then the curtain opened, and the general on duty tonight came in and saluted: "Report to the commander-in-chief, there is a lady outside who came in alone, saying that she is someone close to Concubine Wen and has something important to tell you."

The ugly monk and Xie Jianu's bodies relaxed and their facial expressions returned to normal.

Yelu Yudu was stunned, and instinctively looked at the dark night sky outside. Then he thought about it and said, "Please ask her to come over."

"Yes."

The general kowtowed immediately and ran out.

The ugly monk and Xie Jianu knew it was inconvenient for them to stay here, so they hurriedly bowed and said, "General, it's getting late, we two will take our leave first."

Yelu Yudu did not reply, but just nodded and watched the two people walk out of the tent. The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

Not long after, two footsteps, one light and one heavy, were heard outside. When the big tent was opened, two figures appeared. They were the generals on duty who had returned.

"General, the person has been brought here. I will take my leave."

In the field of vision, the low-ranking general who was in the way walked into the darkness, and the firelight shone on the petite person who followed behind. Her warm clothes were dirty, and the cloak she was wearing was also covered in dirt.

He frowned and took a closer look at the woman's face. She was indeed someone close to Concubine Wen.

"Your servant greets the commander-in-chief." The maid stepped forward and bowed. Her legs and feet went weak and she staggered to the side. She quickly changed her posture and stood up.

Yelu Yu looked at her. When she stretched out her feet, her leather boots were very dirty. The "Chuan" character between her eyebrows was even more conspicuous. "What happened? Why did you come here alone and look so embarrassed?"

The maid said nothing, but just looked back.

Yelu Yudu immediately understood her concerns: "The people outside are all my trusted guards, so you can talk without worry."

The tall figure took two steps back and sat down: "But what did Concubine Wen tell me to do? Really, just find someone to come here, why did I let you come here and make..." He stretched out his hand to gesture: "Like this."

"Your Excellency... Your Excellency has been sentenced to death!" The maidservant seemed to have lost all her strength suddenly. She knelt on the ground with a bang, and two lines of tears flowed down her face.

bang——

The seats tipped over.

In the firelight, the armored figure suddenly stood up. Yelu Yudu looked gloomy and asked, "What did you say?"

The maid slowly raised her head, her eyes seemed to be looking at him, but also seemed to have no focus: "In the middle of the month, the emperor hosted a banquet for all the ministers, and you composed a song to persuade the emperor, which made him furious. A few days later, Xiao Fengxian even slandered Concubine Wen for colluding with you to force the emperor to abdicate and let Prince Jin ascend the throne. Therefore, the emperor..."

She choked up a few times and said, "The emperor sent people to kill Yelu Tagu and Xiao Yu, and also gave you poisoned wine. When I ran out of the camp, I saw a large group of soldiers searching for someone, but I don't know who they were looking for."

"...give wine, beat Ge...Xiao Yu..."

Yelu Yudu's head moved slowly, his pupils contracted, and he stood there for a while. Suddenly he stepped forward, grabbed the maid's body and shook her: "You..."

The distraught look on the other side made him swallow his doubts.

"Please decide as soon as possible what to do, Commander-in-Chief." He said weakly, and the maid's gaze seemed to be shaken back by him and cast on his face: "I have been in the palace for a long time, and the emperor will not let you go."

Yelu Yudu's mouth twitched and he slowly stood up. How could he not know about this?

The maid looked at him and suddenly smiled: "I have already informed the commander-in-chief of the matter. I will repay Concubine Wen's kindness for many years."

He reached into his bosom and pulled out a sharp knife.

Yelu Yu saw his expression change, and moved his hands and feet slightly, but the woman over there had already stabbed him in the chest with a knife: "Go slowly, my dear, I will still serve you in the next life..."

A faint voice was uttered, and the corpse suddenly tilted to one side and fell to the ground. Bright red blood slowly flowed out, forming a pool of blood.

"...Someone come."

A low and hoarse voice was uttered and there was a noise outside. The guards who came in through the curtain were stunned when they saw the standing commander and the dead body on the ground.

"Give her a proper burial." The voice gave the order, and the lips trembled. Yelu Yudu looked outside and said, "Go call the ugly monk and Xie Jianu and tell them that the situation is extremely urgent."

"Yes." The guard responded.

He went out and gave an order, and then heard footsteps fading away.

Then the curtain moved and two people came in and carried the dead body out. Not long after, the two people who had just returned to the tent ran back. When they entered the tent, they saw the guards who were cleaning up the bloodstains. After hesitating for a moment, they looked up at Yelu Yudu who was standing with his back to them, and walked over.

"General, this is..."

"It was Concubine Wen's personal maid who just committed suicide."

The voice coming from the front was a little hoarse. The two careless people didn't pay attention for a while. When Yelu Yudu turned around, he was shocked: "General, what's wrong with you? You look so pale."

"… Concubine Wen is dead."

The two of them widened their eyes at the words they heard.

"They died because of the emperor's suspicion, and also died with my wife's brother-in-law's husband, Yelu Tagu, and Xiao Yu."

The two confidants looked at each other, seemingly unable to believe their ears.

Yelu Yudu looked at the two of them and said, "I won't say anything more. The current situation is probably caused by Xiao Fengxian's plot to establish the King of Qin. With this man's character, he will definitely not let me go. You two can tie me up first and claim the reward."

"What are you talking about?" The two men were furious and quickly knelt on one knee: "We two were chosen from humble backgrounds, how could we be willing to do such a treacherous thing."

The ugly monk drew the knife from his waist and stabbed it into the wooden board: "If the governor suspects us, please cut open my stomach and see if I am innocent!"

"I do the same." Seeing this, Xie Jianu also drew his sword and stuck it into the ground.

"Please stand up, both of you. How could I doubt your loyalty?" Yelu Yudu breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly stepped forward to help the two men up. He patted their shoulders and smiled bitterly: "But what I said is also true. I have no place to stand in the court. Your Majesty will send someone here soon. My death is approaching."

Xie Jianu gnashed his teeth and said, "General, why don't we rebel? Take the army back and kill Xiao Fengxian in the name of clearing the court. Then force the emperor to abdicate and push the Prince of Jin to the throne. This will not only be safe, but we may even have a leader to revive the Liao Kingdom." Yelu Yu was very excited. He held his elbow with one hand and pinched his chin with the other. He walked a few steps and then stopped and shook his head, "Although many of these border troops were recruited by me, the food and grass are in the hands of the court.

Not to mention that there are Zhongjing Dao Yelu Dezhong, Dexin and other royal family members leading troops nearby. If we try to purge the emperor now, I'm afraid we will have to start a civil war with them first. If we win by chance, the food and fodder will drag us down. "

The two looked at each other, and the ugly monk hesitated for a moment and said, "General, why don't we... join Qi?"

The standing figure raised a brow.

"The ugly monk's idea is good." Xie Jianu looked at him, thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "General, if we stay here any longer, we will die. If you serve the country, I am not afraid, but if you die under the knife of a treacherous villain like Xiao Fengxian, I will die with regret!"

The ugly monk bowed and said, "Please make a quick decision, General."

"Hiss..." Yelu Yudu gritted his teeth and took a breath, holding it for a few breaths. His expression changed as he slowly exhaled: "You two go gather the old soldiers in the army and take away all the baggage and food that can be taken away. Move gently and don't alarm those bastards in Zhongjing Road."

The ugly monk and Xie Jianu were overjoyed and clasped their fists at the same time: "I will obey your command."

Then he stood up and walked outside.

Yelu Yudu looked at the two men's backs, suddenly clenched his fist and pounded the table next to him. The "bang" sound echoed in the night. Then he walked to the side, put on his cloak, picked up the knife and hung it around his waist, took the iron spear from the weapon rack, and turned to leave.

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The icy breath entered his nostrils and lungs, calming his somewhat anxious heart a little. The personal soldiers who were still outside saw him come out and quickly turned around and stepped forward.

"Go and call all the guards, and follow me later."

These guards had followed him for at least several years, and after hearing the order, they quickly turned around and left.

Soon, his personal guards gathered together first, and then there were rustling sounds in the military camp. People kept coming out of the tents and war horses were led out of the trough.

Around the dim campfire, a team of more than a thousand people gathered, and they packed up the money and food in the camp and loaded them onto the carts.

Then the gate of the military camp creaked open in silence, and the soldiers on horseback lit torches and ran hard in the snow. Soon they disappeared into the night.

When someone found them the next day, they had no idea where their commander had gone. They were just staring in confusion at the horse hooves and wheel tracks that led to nowhere.

Several officers in Zhongjing Road discussed and selected one person to temporarily control the army while reporting to the court.

By the time Xiao Fengxian asked for troops, the opportunity had already passed.

……

The rolling mountains and hills stretch from west to east, and the mountains and fields are covered with white snow. Snowy days are frequent this winter, with snow falling for several days in a row every few days. The entire north is covered in white, covering up the myriad colors on the earth.

Occasionally, a figure would stop between the flat hills covered in silver. Goats and elks that were digging for grass seeds under the snow would raise their heads alertly, twitching their ears and looking into the distance with their dark eyes. Several horses would gallop past in the snow.

These were the elite scouts in Wang De's army. When they detected the strange behavior of the Liao people ahead, they naturally did not dare to delay and rushed back at full speed.

"Are there Liao troops? In this weather?"

Wang De looked outside in surprise. The snow reflected the light from the sky, which made the eyes uncomfortable for those who stared at it for too long. "Pass my order. The defenders go up to the wall and the cavalry prepare to attack."

He stood up and walked out: "I want to see what Liao Gou is up to. Why does he suddenly have such courage?"

Amid the muttering sounds, the messenger soldier had already run out. The alarm of the striking of bronze bells rang out in the city, and teams of infantrymen rushed out and climbed up the city walls amid the shouts of officers.

Wang De was wearing armor and a cloak, standing in front of the parapet with a puzzled look on his ugly face. In his field of vision, a black line appeared where the white sky and earth met, and gradually moved forward. Everyone could see clearly that it was three hundred cavalrymen and a dozen carriages.

"General." A military officer nearby looked at Wang De and asked, "Should we order the cavalry to attack?"

"Wait..." Wang De narrowed his eyes and leaned forward: "Something seems wrong. Wait and see what color the Liao army's flag is?"

Someone nearby looked over quickly and said in astonishment: "It's a white flag, a white flag raised by Liao dogs!"

There was a commotion on the city wall for a moment, but then it quieted down under the rebuke of the officers.

Wang De scratched his chin and watched the cavalry approaching from afar quietly. From time to time, he looked into the distance and saw that it was indeed only this team coming at a steady speed. He became even more confused.

"…Are you really here to surrender?"

Amid the murmurs, the cavalry was getting closer and closer.

At the range of two arrows, Wang De had good eyesight and could already see the faces of the Liao army in the front row below. While he was observing, he saw a cavalryman rushing out from the opposite side, holding a white flag and running quickly into the range.

"I am the ugly monk under the command of Yelu Yudu, the governor of Liao. I have come to surrender under the order of the governor."

The voice was so loud that everyone on the city wall could hear it.

"...General."

The officers and generals around all looked at Wang De, not knowing how to react.

Wang De scratched his chin and asked, "What evidence do you have?"

The man below took out a piece of cloth and said, "This is a book written by the governor."

Pointing to the back, he said: "These ten or so carts are loaded with copper coins and cloth, all of which are sent to the general to express our sincerity."

Wang De frowned and waved his hand: "Put down the hanging basket."

Soldiers on both sides came forward to lower ropes. When the ugly monk below saw the basket coming down, he quickly jumped off his horse, hung the knife at his waist on the horse, and went forward to put the cloth into the basket.

When the Qi soldiers pulled up the hanging basket, Wang De grabbed the cloth and looked at it carefully. He scratched his chin and said, "Damn, it really looks like this."

"Someone, go outside to pick up those vehicles."

Then he shouted to the people below: "I want to talk to you face to face, do you dare?"

"Why don't you dare!"

"Okay!" Wang De nodded and looked at Zuo Jin: "Put down a basket that can pull people down."

Soon, a Liao army general named Ugly Monk staggered onto the city wall.

At the end of the fourth year of Tianshun, the Liao general Yelu Yudu sent money to Pingnan General Wang De and led his troops to surrender. Wang De ordered his generals to separate from the army, and Yelu Yudu presented the Liao imperial edict, weapons, armor and flags that he had received before.

He also ordered his cavalry to stop ten miles outside the city, and personally led his trusted generals to surrender at the foot of Fengzhou City.

Wang De accepted it.

Not long after, Lu Bu, who was preparing to spend the new year in the imperial city, received urgent news from the border.

"Tell Wang De to send troops to escort Yelu Yudu here quickly."

The Emperor's decree says so. (End of this chapter)