Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The bright red light shone through the trees and across the fields. The frightened hares jumped out nimbly, and the unattended grass shook a few times before returning to calm.

In the distance, the stones on the road were shaking slightly, and the horses' hooves were shaking up tiny gravel. Running on the flat ground, black figures gradually came into view, and they were connected into a black mass. In the flying dust that covered the sky, more cavalrymen were also advancing towards the city. At a certain moment, most of the people dismounted and stood in place holding the reins. The roaring footsteps gradually became clearer, and flags fluttered in the air, obscuring the faces of the people behind.

On the city wall, people were running without stopping. Bundles of arrows were placed under the rear parapet. The young and strong men endured the nausea and carried the manure to pour it into the urn. The burning firewood wafted over with a nauseating smell.

"The thief Lu is here as expected." Yelu Dezhong looked solemnly at the black line moving forward in the distance. The city wall of Shenzhou gave him the last bit of confidence. If the Bohai people had not been defeated here before, he would have to retreat to Shangjing Road overnight with the remaining 7,000 troops.

"Marshal, leave this to me. You'd better stay in the city to make arrangements." Bao Misheng held the iron spear and tried to straighten his chest, but he was injured after all, and his pale face made him seem a little lacking in confidence.

A cool breeze blew over, and the Liao character flag on the top of the city fluttered backwards. The prince, holding the hilt of the sword, was silent for a moment, then patted the arm of the burly man beside him and said, "Be careful."

Bao Misheng lowered his head and replied, "Don't worry, Marshal."

Yelu De nodded, turned around and led a few guards to the city wall. The warrior holding the iron spear took a deep breath and looked around at the soldiers guarding the city: "Everyone cheer up!"

A loud voice echoed on the top of the city: "We still have the city wall as a barrier. At the beginning, you had fewer soldiers and were able to defeat Gao Yongchang. Now Lu's soldiers are tired and lack siege equipment, while there are more soldiers in the city than before. We will definitely win!"

"We will win!" someone shouted.

"We must win!" More people opened their mouths.

"Must win!"

The shouts were hysterical, and the soldiers on the city walls raised their swords to vent the tension and fear in their hearts.

……

War horses galloped around the city, and a thin trail of dust was chasing the creatures as they moved on four hooves.

The army stopped. Soldiers who were used to fighting, holding swords and shields, walked to the front row with the flags of the messengers waving behind them. They looked calmly at the tall and wide city walls in the distance. War horses rushed in with a gust of wind from the road vacated by the army.

Under the central army's banner, Lü Bu, wearing a scarlet cape, did not dismount. Red Hare lowered his head, and the horse's hooves stomped twice with a loud snort. The evening wind blew, and the cape fluttered. After listening to Yu Cheng's report on the army's situation, Lü Bu nodded and said, "Order the rear army to make wooden ladders as soon as possible. The army should not relax. The city will be broken today."

He ordered the cavalry to gallop away, and they passed by the scouts who were rushing towards them.

"Reporting to the General of the Cavalry, a general flag with the Korean character is hung in the west of the city."

"It seems that the father and son of the Han family have not aroused suspicion from the Liao people." Lu Bu was shocked and straightened his body on the horse's back. Red Hare exhaled and shook twice.

"Order Xiao Haili and Shi Wengong to bypass the west gate immediately and rush in when the Han family father and son open the city gate." Lu Bu smiled as he looked at the city in front of him, "Order Xi Sheng to split half of his troops and cooperate with the cavalry to go forward together. After entering the city, they will immediately control the city gate."

When he ordered his cavalry to gallop away, Lu Bu patted Red Hare twice, looked up at the setting sun, and murmured, "What a good day!"

Under the city wall, the army that was preparing started to move. Some soldiers in black armor were taking action. The knights who had dismounted were remounting. Amid the rumbling of hooves, Xiao and Shi stood forward and galloped to the side, and two flags with the word "horse" written on them also left the formation at the same time.

There was a commotion on the top of the city wall. Bao Misheng looked at it and thought for a while but couldn't figure it out, so he sent someone to report to Yelu Dezhong. Seeing that the enemy army below did not seem to want to retreat to rest, he quickly ordered people to find torches and prepare for a night battle.

Seeing that their number is only over 10,000, why are they so anxious? Does Lu the thief think that we are vulnerable and can be defeated by a night battle?
arrogant!

Amid the chaotic footsteps around him, Bao Misheng's face looked a little ugly, and the knuckles of his fingers holding the gun turned white.

……

The troops at the west gate of Shenzhou were being mobilized, figures were swaying and gathering, generals were roaring and assembling the troops, and then they were walking towards the top of the city wall in waves. In Weng City, Liu Yun was standing on the edge with two hundred men under his command, holding the hilt of the sword in his right hand. He twisted his body somewhat uncomfortably and suddenly smelled a scent of healing medicine. He turned around and saw Han Chang, dressed in iron armor, walking towards him with a spear held upside down. Behind him were a hundred bodyguards, half of whom were surrendered Liao soldiers and half were Lu Bu's soldiers.

"Are you used to wearing this?" The young man came over and looked him up, making small talk.

"I'm used to it." He held up the leather armor on his chest with his hands, glanced at the Liao soldiers around him, and lowered his voice: "Is the commander ready?"

The guards at the rear walked up to the two men and surrounded them.

Han Chang glanced at him and whispered, "I will take your group to guard the city gate, and the rest of you will follow father." He paused and said, "The battle will start soon, and you will follow my instructions."

"nature."

After a simple agreement, neither of them said anything else.

Soon, the sound of war drums was heard outside.

……

"Light up the fire arrows! Keep the sword and shield soldiers in front of you on guard. When the battle starts, don't stop using rolling stones and battering rams!"

At the South Gate, Bao Mi Sheng watched as a black figure below began to slowly move toward the city wall, constantly and loudly conveying military orders. Soldiers were running around, archers in the rear pulled out arrows soaked in oil, and soldiers with lit torches stood in front.

……

Boom boom boom——

Two black lines came slowly and gradually accelerated. The torrent of horses' hooves flew between heaven and earth. Along with the mighty military front was the dull roar of countless footsteps. The raised weapons reflected the red sunset and pressed towards the western city wall with a bloody color.

"Enemy cavalry is approaching the city!" The deputy general guarding the city gate walked up to Han Qinghe and clasped his hands together: "Please give the order, commander."

"Here they come..." The Han commander who was temporarily appointed as the garrison commander looked at the other side: "Do you think... we can win?"

The deputy general lowered his head, thinking that the enemy was defeated and returned, and looked at the legs and feet covered with iron armor with some contempt: "The last time the Bohai people gathered a large army to attack our Shenzhou, I also participated in that battle. With 5,000 people, we defended it. Now the thief Lu is trying to attack the city with cavalry. It's foolish. We will definitely win this time!"

"Yes, cavalry can't attack the city." Han Qinghe nodded, stretched out his hand to grasp the scabbard at his waist and pressed it forward: "What if someone opens the city gate?" "Ah?"

The deputy general raised his head suddenly, a white light flashed in his eyes, and his throat suddenly felt a burning pain. The man couldn't help but cover the wound with his hands, and uttered "haha..." twice. He fell to the ground, and blood gathered into a pool.

"what happened?"

"General...general?"

The guards watching nearby were suddenly in a commotion, and they didn't know whether to point their weapons at the rapidly approaching cavalry outside, or at Han Qinghe, the defending general.

……

"Wait...someone open the door!"

"stop it now!"

A roar suddenly erupted from the city gate below. Han Chang and Liu Yun were standing at the entrance of the city gate, with a dozen soldiers behind them opening the gate. The Liao soldiers who were serving as reserve in the rear were suddenly startled, and the two generals leading the troops pointed their weapons at them.

"What are you doing?"

"Someone is rebelling!"

The gathered soldiers turned around, glanced at Han Chang who was holding a gun and Liu Yun who had drawn a scimitar, and then looked at the Liao army generals who were walking out.

"kill--"

Countless shouts rang out in Wengcheng, and figures ran out one after another, like two sharp knives piercing straight into the standing Liao soldiers.

……

The setting sun shone obliquely, and Han Qinghe's face was flushed.

"Listen to me!" A powerful voice sounded from the top of the city. The panicked soldiers instinctively looked at the general holding the bloody sword. Some soldiers of Lu Bu's army who drew their swords hesitated and did not attack the people next to them.

"We serve as soldiers and eat food just to reduce the burden on our families. However, the current court is incompetent and the emperor goes hunting every year, and the expenses are extremely extravagant. Isn't this money taken from you and me?"

The sound of hooves roared as they approached the city gate, and the shouting and screaming in Wengcheng was getting smaller.

"If he can treat us all equally, I won't say anything, but why can the Khitans live by oppressing the Han, Bohai, and Jurchen people?"

There was a commotion on the top of the city wall, and the sound of horse hooves hitting the city gate could be heard below.

"So Ben will rebel."

Han Qinghe glanced at the soldiers in front of him and walked forward. The personal soldiers around him followed nervously, the veins on their hands holding swords bulging. There was a brief shout of killing from below, and then the sound of horse hooves faded away into the city.

"I don't ask you to join the rebellion, I just hope you don't move. The General of the Cavalry is not a cruel person and will not massacre people. As long as you put down your weapons and stand still, I will ensure that you are safe."

The soldiers looked at each other and hesitated for a moment, not knowing whether to obey or to restore order. Tian Ba, who was leading his soldiers among the Liao soldiers, blinked and suddenly threw the sword in his hand to the ground.

Dang clang——

Everyone looked back and a flash of approval appeared in Han Qinghe's eyes. Several Lu Bu's soldiers nearby had already reacted and threw away their swords. Then more and more people gave up their weapons.

Two battle flags with the word "horse" on them appeared at the foot of the city wall and entered the city in order. Soon, the large flag with the word "Liao" on it on the west gate was cut off and the flag with the word "Lu" on it with a black border was inserted in its place. The double horse flags were then raised and flew towards the south.

……

"kill--"

At the South Gate, countless footsteps shook the ground, a roaring tide swept across the sky, and layers of black shadows carried wooden ladders and rushed towards the city wall.

Just as Bao Mi Sheng was about to issue an order while waving his iron spear, a huge sound of fighting suddenly broke out at the end of the west. He couldn't help but curse and shouted, "Shoot!" Then he turned around and ordered his personal soldiers, "Go and see what's going on?"

However, before the man could take the order and run, a shout rang out from a distance: "Han Qinghe has rebelled! Han Qinghe has rebelled!"

His pupils suddenly shrank as a pair of high-raised horse-shaped flags appeared in his field of vision, rushing towards him quickly.

"Xiangwen..." The deputy general beside him suddenly took a breath and looked at the burly man holding the iron spear.

Torches whirred beside him, and in the flickering light, Bao Misheng raised his spear coldly: "Quickly inform the commander-in-chief that Han Qinghe is rebelling, and Lu the thief has entered the city. The city has fallen, tell him to evacuate quickly."

The burly figure walked towards the oncoming Lu Bu army.

"Where is Xiang Wen going?"

He paused for a moment, then continued to move forward. A powerful voice came from the air: "I will buy some time for the Marshal."

The figures shouting and fighting approached, and the crowd surged, swinging their swords and hacking down fiercely.

"Thief! General Bao Mi Sheng is here! Come and die!"

The sound was like thunder, rushing upward. (End of this chapter)