Water Margin: From a White-Robed Scholar to Donning the Yellow Robe

Zhang Shuye was very pleased with Guan Sheng's caution. A general who leads an army does not necessarily have to be brave, but he must be cautious.

He glanced at Huyan Zhuo and thought to himself that this man was not cautious enough, which led to his current predicament.

"In my opinion, it was inevitable that Yang Zhi and Chao Gai would be at odds. If I were Yang Zhi, I probably would have already fought with Chao Gai."

Hao Siwen also expressed her opinion.

He was telling the truth. Yang Zhi's birthday gifts were robbed by Chao Gai and others, which led to his inability to return home and his eventual downfall as an outlaw. Anyone in his shoes would be furious.

Guan Sheng said, "In my opinion, we can't rely solely on this close servant of Wang Lun named Zhao Si. I can lead the army into battle, capture one or two Liangshan generals, and then we can naturally find out about Yang Zhi and Chao Gai."

"it is good."

Zhang Shuye was overjoyed, "General Guan is meticulous and brave beyond compare; he is truly a blessing to the court."

While they were discussing the matter, the Liangshan Flying Tiger Army was having a feast.

Drinking was prohibited during wartime, but for some reason, Wang Lun summoned all the leaders, and apart from Qin Ming and Hua Rong's Third Route Army guarding the city, the other leaders indulged in drinking and singing.

As the wine flowed more freely, everyone noticed that Yang Zhi was drunk and his speech was somewhat slurred: "Brother...brother, you conquered Jizhou, what...what are my contributions?"

Wang Lun smiled slightly and said, "Brother Yang Zhi followed me to ambush Huang An and defeated Huang An's troops in one fell swoop. His contribution is indispensable."

"Then... what were Chao Gai's... contributions?" Yang Zhi continued to ask, and everyone fell silent.

Wang Lun raised his wine glass: "Chao Tianwang led his troops to conquer Yuncheng and is now stationed there to govern the city in an orderly manner. His contributions are truly remarkable."

"Snapped!"

Yang Zhi suddenly smashed the wine jug in his hand on the ground, stood up and swayed slightly, seemingly drunk and unsteady on his feet. Wu Song, who was standing next to him, caught him.

"The two constables of Yuncheng had already been defeated by Wu Song and his men. Shi Wenbin... Shi Wenbin was the county magistrate at the time, and he didn't organize any forces to resist either. What merit did Chao Gai have?"

Yang Zhiyi was filled with indignation, his voice was loud, and he seemed to have sobered up a bit.

Wang Lun said with a stern face, "Yang Zhi is drunk. Quickly help him down to rest."

"I'm not drunk, you're the one who's drunk."

Yang Zhi shoved Wu Song aside and shouted, "That brat Chao Gai has wronged me so badly! This hatred is as heavy as Mount Tai. How can you, Wang Lun, erase it with just a few words?"

Everyone was shocked and tried to comfort him.

Wang Lun, however, was also angered and shouted, "Let him speak!"

"I, Yang Zhi, and Chao Gai, can only have one of us survive. Wang Lun, let me fight him to the death, and the one who lives will stay."

Besides Wang Lun's anger, Wu Yong and Liu Tang, who were also present, were also furious. They had participated in the robbery of the birthday gifts and knew that Yang Zhi had been harmed because of them.

"Chief Yang, since King Chao is not here, I will exchange a few blows with you."

Liu Tang stepped forward, clenching his fist.

"Insolence!" Wang Lun roared, slamming his fist on the table. "What do you take this place for? Are the Flying Tigers' regulations just for show?"

He looked at Yang Zhi and shouted, "Chao Gai is my brother, and you, Yang Zhi, are also my brother. We work together without distinguishing between close and distant relatives. Your words today have gone too far and damaged our brotherly relationship. As the leader of Liangshan, I have no choice but to punish you."

Yang Zhi straightened his neck and said, "Liangshan? Ha, since Liangshan won't accept me, I'll leave now."

"Men, drag Yang Zhi away and give him twenty lashes to sober him up."

Wang Lun gave the order loudly.

The leaders looked at each other, bewildered. They glanced at Wang Lun, whose face was flushed with anger, and at Yang Zhi, who was staggering drunkenly. For a moment, they didn't know what to do.

"Can't you hear me? Drag him away and beat him!" Wang Lun gritted his teeth, furious.

Wu Song had no choice but to wave his hand, and several soldiers came in and dragged Yang Zhi away. Then came the sounds of "crackling" and "slapping," and Yang Zhi occasionally let out a scream and cursed Wang Lun.

The leaders looked at each other, not daring to plead for them.

Wang Lun glanced at everyone and said, "Disperse, everyone. Anyone who says anything that is detrimental to the unity of the brothers will be severely punished."

The crowd then gradually dispersed.

Once outside, Yang Zhi was lying face down on a bench, his buttocks covered in blood, having already received twenty lashes.

Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong stepped forward and helped Yang Zhi leave.

Wu Yong and Liu Tang exchanged glances, both looking smug. They had come up the mountain with Chao Gai, so they were naturally of one mind. However, they did not expect Wang Lun to protect Chao Gai so much that he did not hesitate to beat Yang Zhi, whom Chao Gai relied on.

The next day, Guan Sheng and Hao Siwen led two thousand soldiers to challenge the enemy outside Jizhou City.

At this time, the Second Route Army was defending the city of Jeju. The left and right vanguards were Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen, the deputy vanguards were Liu Tang, Cao Zheng, and Zheng Tianshou, and the strategist was Gongsun Sheng.

The leaders initially didn't think much of Gongsun Sheng, but once they learned that he could use magic to summon strong winds, stir up the snow, and create a snow-covered valley that blotted out the sun, his status immediately rose.

Lin Chong saw Guan Sheng and Hao Siwen riding imposingly on their tall horses in the distance and asked, "Strategist Gongsun, who should we send down to fight them?"

Lu Zhishen was skilled in foot combat. He was tall and heavy, making it almost impossible for him to fight on horseback. So he stood to the side and said, "I've heard that Guan Sheng is highly skilled in martial arts. It would be best to inform my brother first."

Lin Chong nodded: "Alright, go and inform my brother quickly. First, ask Liu Tang to test Guan Sheng's martial arts. If he is no match for him, he should return as soon as possible, and then I will take his place."

Liu Tang was taken aback. He was not good at mounted combat, but he was good at using a broadsword. He was originally assigned to a division of labor within the Second Route Army, and he and Lu Zhishen were infantry leaders. Why would he be sent to the battlefield?

He hesitated for a moment, but did not refuse, and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Okay."

He changed to a long spear, spurred his horse, and rode out of the city.

On the city wall, Lu Zhishen anxiously looked down: "Will Liu Tang have been beheaded by Guan Sheng?"

Lin Chong nodded: "That's exactly what I was worried about. Liu Tang is not good at mounted combat, and his horsemanship may not be up to par."

Gongsun Sheng laughed and said, "It is my brother's will to send Liu Tang into battle; we just need to obey."

Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen nodded.

It turned out that when Wang Lun convened a military conference with the left and right vanguards and various military advisors, he arranged the order in which the leaders of each army would engage in battle should Guan Sheng come to challenge them.

In his plan, Liu Tang was the first to lead the Second Route Army into battle.

Although the crowd was puzzled, they did not ask any further questions.

Only Gongsun Sheng seemed to see through Wang Lun's schemes, but he said nothing.

Just then, Wang Lun led Wu Song to the top of the city wall. At this time, Liu Tang had only fought Guan Sheng for five or six rounds when he was knocked off his horse by Guan Sheng.

Guan Sheng captured Liu Tang and stopped challenging him. He took the prisoner back to his own camp and led his troops back to their camp.

Lu Zhishen frowned and asked, "Will Brother Liu Tang be in trouble?"

Wang Lun laughed and said, "Zhishen, don't worry, Liu Tang will definitely be fine. The key to capturing Huyan Zhuo and Guan Sheng in this battle lies with Liu Tang."

The generals were all puzzled.

Guan Sheng captured Liu Tang and brought him back to camp. Zhang Shuye and the others were overjoyed. This was the first victory for the government troops since they came to fight the Liangshan bandits. Guan Sheng captured a leader in one fell swoop, which was a cause for celebration.

"General Guan is exceptionally brave and valiant. He deserves the credit for this first. Once we capture Liangshan, I will personally write to the court to request credit for you all."

Zhang Shuye was well-versed in the ways of officialdom; he would start by making empty promises.

Guan Sheng laughed and said, "Let's interrogate this person first."

Zhang Shuye held court to question Liu Tang, who was forced to kneel in the middle, flanked by court generals.

"I ask you, what is your name, and what position do you hold in Liangshan? Tell me the truth, and you will be spared physical punishment."