Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Spring.

The cold winter is finally over, but the weather remains cold. The ice and snow in the mountains and fields turned into liquid and soaked into the soil at the beginning of the month, revealing the dark land with a hint of green.

It had just rained in the southern part of Shangjing, and the air was filled with the smell of earth. The sounds of people shouting and horses neighing could be heard near Yong'an. Busy young men were building the camp, and figures digging earth and hammering wood stakes could be seen everywhere. People carrying loads on their shoulders kept walking by.

White tents stood up on the compacted ground, and soldiers in black armor passed by, inspecting everything in the camp.

On the roads surrounding the military camp, knights on war horses ran back and forth from time to time. The army's itinerary and enemy intelligence were constantly gathered to the army through command cavalry and scouts.

In the military camp, hurried scribes mounted their horses with recorded official documents and galloped out, conveying the emperor's orders to the rear.

With the southern expedition imminent, coordination between the various armies is of utmost importance. The generals of each army are unified under military orders, getting to know each other and making final preparations before the war.

In the central army tent, generals known by name as Du Fu, Xi Sheng, Wanyan Loushi, Han Shizhong, Shi Wengong and others gathered together and talked. The geomancy map of Zhongjing Road was turned into a sand table and surrounded in the middle, with fingers pointing on it.

"...According to reports from spies and scouts, the Liao people have already discovered our movements. There are now 100,000 troops gathered in Dading Prefecture."

The thin Xi Sheng placed several little figures representing soldiers and horses around Dading Prefecture, and then moved several human-shaped figures in front of him back: "Wu'an Prefecture and Gao Prefecture have lost their ability to fight. There are only a few hundred defenders left in the city, while Huizhou and Enzhou in the middle have 10,000 troops each."

"Trade these cities in exchange for time to prepare for war?" Du Fu frowned.

Xi Sheng did not stop there, and placed several figures in Xingzhong Mansion: "Here, there is a spy who sent a message that a large army is coming, but in a hurry, there is no way to find out how many people are stationed here."

He looked up at Lu Bu who was listening attentively in the middle, then glanced at the others: "All the troops of Zhongjing Road are concentrated in these places. As long as we can remove these few nails, Nanjing Road and Xijing Road will be right in front of us."

"I have ordered Xiao Haili, Mi Xian, and Yuan Lang to station their troops at the border of Liaoxi Prefecture. They have a combined force of more than 15,000 people. Xingzhong Prefecture has well-developed waterways. The five generals of the navy, Li Bao, Wei Zhaode, the Zhang brothers, and Hu Yanqing, with a total of 9,000 naval forces, will go upstream from the mouth of the Daling River."

Lu Bu spoke, and all the generals looked at him and then at the sand table. Xi Sheng stretched out his hand and placed the black human-shaped chess piece representing his side to the east side of Zhongjing Road.

"The area around Xingzhong Prefecture is rich in water, mountains, and flat land. The terrain is complex and suitable for field battles and for defending cities..."

The emperor in a bright red cloak took two steps, squinted his eyes and looked towards Xingzhong Prefecture. He tapped the table with the sand table and said, "If I were the commander of the Liao army, I would place enough troops in the Xingzhong Prefecture area to attack Liaodong, to support Zhongjing, and to defend myself in the city. So..."

He stretched out his big hand, picked up a few terracotta warriors and put them down: "I will place 50,000 to 80,000 soldiers here."

The breeze outside blew the tent, and the sound of soldiers walking came in. Several generals leading the troops seemed to be thinking about something.

"So..." Han Shizhong stroked his messy beard and said, "Generals Xiao and Mi don't have enough troops to break through Xingzhong Prefecture."

"The Liao people still have the advantage in terms of military strength."

"Compared to last year, the military strength has expanded a lot, but I don't know how the morale is."

"How much combat power can new soldiers have? As long as they defeat a group of Liao soldiers, they will be so exhausted that they will have to run away."

The surrounding figures were all talking to each other, with serious expressions on their faces, but they were not worried. The Qi army had fought several battles with the Liao army and had never suffered any losses, so they were still confident.

"It's within expectations." Lu Bu said calmly, "We are preparing to attack the Liao Kingdom. The Liao people are not waiting for us to come to them. According to my opinion, they should have reinforcements from the west and south. Unfortunately..."

With a sneer on his face, he said, "I have overestimated them. If they still don't try their best now, it will be too late to regret it in the future."

Several generals in the tent burst into laughter.

Lu Bu waved his hand and turned to walk towards the commander's seat: "Okay, most of our troops have been assembled now. In this case, let's first decide on the candidates to support Xingzhong Prefecture. Who is willing to lead the troops over there to reinforce Xiao Haili?"

Several generals looked at each other, and then Wang De and Shi Wengong stepped forward and clasped their fists, saying, "We are willing to go."

Lu Bu nodded and said, "Very good. I will order Ma Ling and Niu Gao to lead 4,000 soldiers to help us."

Pointing at the sand table, he said, "Go south to Xingzhong Prefecture, don't engage in battle right away. You can send someone to contact Xiao Haili and the others first, and we can discuss how to fight then."

"Here!"

The two generals bowed and accepted. Lu Bu laughed and said, "Then we will wait for the vanguard battle in three days. Who knows who will come out on top."

He looked at Wang De and the other two and said, "If you two are eager to show off your skills, you can join us and then go to Xingzhong Prefecture as the vanguard."

Wang De and Shi Wengong looked at each other and laughed. The ugly one stepped forward and said, "We two are already important generals in the army, so we won't join in the fun."

Shi Wengong nodded silently.

The others smiled, but before they could speak, Wanyan Loushi shook his head and said, "I don't care about this reputation. I lead the troops just to fight the Liao dogs."

He bowed to Lu Bu and said: "I will participate in the competition for the vanguard position. I wonder if I will win the first place..."

"Then you lead the troops and charge ahead." Lu Bu waved his hand and glanced at the generals with a smile in his eyes: "Whoever wants to attack can do so."

Du Fu, Sun An, Bian Xiang and other more mature and prudent people shook their heads, but Han Shizhong smiled and clapped his hands: "My hands are itching, I want to compete with everyone."

Di Lei's eyes also lit up, and he couldn't help but look at Han Shizhong. Wanyan Loushi also looked over there, and then looked at the seated monarch.

"It's okay. We can start when Wulindatai and his troops from the north arrive." Lu Bu said with a smile, then said a few more words, stood up and left the central military tent.

……

Xinmao.

The sky brightened from the east, and the blue sky faded under the golden light.

In the huge military camp, the soldiers began to move. The usually calm faces showed a little excitement. Han Tao put on his armor with a sad face, and heavy footsteps were heard outside.

"Brother Han, I'm coming in." The voice came, causing General Baisheng's legs to tremble. When the curtain opened, Peng Qi's smiling face appeared.

"...Brother Peng." Han Tao twitched his lips and said, "Why are you here so early today?"

After saying this, I wanted to slap myself. Why was I so eager to pass on the topic to my talkative brother?

Today is not quiet again...

“Hey! Isn’t this the competition today? It’s a bit exciting. Even if I don’t go up, it’s fun to see the others.

It's a pity that Brother Huyan didn't come. I thought all the generals in the army would gather here, but I didn't expect that His Majesty had the idea of ​​splitting the troops into two groups. Speaking of which, this is normal. It would be strange to leave the east and only go to Jiangshengzhou.

Hey, did you expect that? Among the three of us, only you and Brother Huyan have ideas..."

"Brother Peng!" Han Tao interrupted Peng Qi loudly with a wooden face, exhaling: "Have you had breakfast? If not, have some here."

Peng Qi nodded when he heard this: "Of course I came here after eating. My goodness, the firemen in my army got some live fish from somewhere, but they don't know how to cook them, so they made them fishy and..."

"Brother Peng!" Another loud shout came from Han Tao. Han Tao stared at him with wide eyes. "You haven't eaten yet, right? Let's eat something together."

“No, I’ve eaten it…” BOOM, Boom, Boom—

Heavy footsteps sounded as Han Tao moved forward.

Snapped--

Putting his hands on Peng Qi's shoulder armor, Han Tao tilted his head slightly and said, "You didn't have breakfast, did you? Let's eat together, brothers."

A huge force pressed down Han Tao's palms. Peng Qi looked at the two trembling arms and held up his hands with difficulty. He nodded wisely: "I'm a little hungry. Please prepare breakfast for me, Brother Han."

"No problem!" Han Tao's face immediately showed joy, and he quickly went out and ordered his personal soldiers to bring food.

Peng Qi was left standing in the tent with his head tilted, muttering, "Brother Han is too polite. I wanted to go back and reorganize the army after I finished talking, but... I guess he is also lonely, so it doesn't matter if I accompany him to finish breakfast before leaving."

This is just a corner of the army. As the sky brightens, countless people are putting on armor. In the Jurchen camp, many generals wearing heavy armor are walking around.

The soldiers put on their armor, picked up their spears and gathered at the shouts of the hundred-man general. The Jurchen general holding a big axe was grabbed by someone while walking.

"Wuzhu, this is an opportunity." Wanyan Chanchun was sweating profusely while running in his standard armor. He panted slightly and whispered, "Mr. Wen said that we should try our best to gain military merits when we go south this time."

Wanyan Zongbing walked towards the horse without stopping: "Does he need to say that? When have I never failed to do what I promised?"

She paused and turned to look at him: "Wait... are you guys in close contact?"

"Of course not." Wanyan Chanchun shook his head: "I don't go to see him often, that would give people something to talk about. I only go there when he is giving lectures."

Wanyan Zongbi hesitated for a moment and nodded: "It's better to reduce the chances of meeting as much as possible."

Wanyan Chanchun frowned: "Wushu, you are too cautious."

"...I hope so." Wanyan Zongbing walked to the wooden stake where the warhorse was tied, untied the reins, grabbed the saddle with one hand, stepped on the stirrup, and sat on it with one leg. He looked down at Wanyan Chanchun and said, "I haven't fought in a war this year, so I can calm down and think about things. I'm afraid I've said and done too much. You'd better be careful and don't let others see through me. Also, don't come to me if you have nothing to do."

The people below suddenly changed their expressions. Wanyan Chanchun looked around and stepped forward to grab Wanyan Zongbi's hand and said, "Wushu, what do you mean? Are you going to regret it?"

Wanyan Zongbing struggled to break free from him and rolled his eyes: "You are so sensitive. I just want you to be careful."

He glanced at the guards in the distance, his wild face showing a look of vigilance: "They are all here, and you can't stop talking."

"...Aren't these the tribesmen you're looking for?"

"I found them..." Wanyan Zongbing glared at him fiercely and said helplessly, "But I have thought about it for a long time and now I dare not trust them. You can do whatever you want."

After saying that, he pulled the reins and turned around, leaving Wanyan Chanchun, whose face turned pale, behind him. Then the sound of running footsteps faded away. Turning back, Wanyan Zongbing gritted his teeth.

The revenge for the destruction of the family must be taken, but...

not now!

On the warhorse, the Jurchen youth with long hair narrowed his eyes, adjusted his facial muscles and smiled.

The flags fluttered in the air with the daytime wind. Under the daylight, black figures gathered. At the parade ground, a high platform with a large flag with the word "齐" hung on it was neatly built. There were a total of sixteen big drums lined up on both sides. The burly drummers swung their arms vigorously.

Boom boom boom——

Countless boots and iron hooves landed on this land, and the army of tens of thousands stretched out and advanced like a black wall to the sound of passionate drums. The blades of the armor made friction sounds as their bodies moved, and the rising dust filled the space between the army formations.

"stop!"

The shouts of the officers pierced through the smoke and dust, and a knight carrying a banner ran through the middle of the army: "All troops stop and line up to watch the battle—"

Xu Wen raised his arm and swung it vigorously. The right guards beside him held the large square shields silently and smashed the tips into the ground. They opened the brackets and set up shield walls near the platform. The spears and iron lances were pounded hard on the ground, making a "bang" sound.

The sound of war drums slowed down, and a fiery red war horse appeared at the side of the army of ten thousand people, shaking its head and snorting loudly. A figure with a purple gold crown on his hair and a scarlet cloak on his head sat on the horse and walked slowly towards them, holding a long weapon upside down.

dong dong dong-

At this time, the sound of war drums intensified again, and more generals and armies marched over in a mighty manner. The piercing skylight was refracted by the dense iron armor. Wearing the same standard helmets and with long hair, it was impossible to tell who was a foreigner and who was a Han.

The red figure gradually approached the platform. The big flag representing the State of Qi fluttered in the air, and the scarlet cloak also fluttered in the air. The figure who led everyone to establish a foothold in the State of Liao stood on the platform, raised his arm, and clenched it hard.

"Wan Sheng——"

"Wan Sheng——"

"Wan Sheng——"

Under the sky, the endless crowd let out hysterical roars, and weapons hit shields and smashed on the ground, making endless clanging sounds.

The next moment, Lu Bu swung his cloak back and sat on the platform.

Boom!
The war drum struck its final heavy note.

Dozens of horses galloped out with banners: "Your Majesty has said that the vanguard of the three armies shall be the one with the best skills--"

The shouting sound came from near and then faded away, and then ran back from both sides of the army to the back of the platform.

The wind blows.

Right below the platform, large and small military formations formed a semicircle to protect this place. In the formation close to the outside, Su Yi, holding a Fang Tian Hua Ji, licked his dry lips and glanced at Xu Wen: "General, why don't you go and fight?"

"No." Xu Wen rubbed his nose: "Your Majesty didn't let me lead the Right Guard to be a vanguard."

"Then I'll go." Su Yi opened his legs slightly, and before he kicked the horse's belly, Xu Wen looked at him with wide eyes: "Wait, I'm not going to fight, why are you going?"

The stirrups hit the horse's belly, and the warhorse moved forward. Su Yi's words reached Xu Wen's ears: "I'm going to see the world, not to be a pioneer."

The horse's hooves churned and it rushed out in an instant.

"...Is it possible?" Xu Wen was stunned for a long time, then slapped his thigh and said, "Damn it, you should have said it earlier!"

In front, a young man rushed into the circle surrounded by soldiers and raised his Fang Tian Hua Ji high. "Generals, please be cautious. I don't have such concerns. I will just throw out a brick to attract jade for you generals. Who dares to come forward and fight me?"

Many generals below frowned. This boy is the brother of the imperial concubine. Although his martial arts are good, they are not top-notch. Does Your Majesty want him to make achievements or...

In the silence, a figure suddenly ran out from somewhere, and the general holding a gun said loudly: "Captain Hao Siwen, come here to learn from you."

On the other side, Su Yi smiled and shook the reins: "Come——" (End of this chapter)