Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Wang Zheng followed Sulimu into the house and sat down. A young man came over and brought in yogurt drinks and pastries and put them down. Just as he was about to leave, he saw An Renmei walk in and sit down next to him.

The young man felt his eyes brighten, and he looked at An Renmei who was sitting over there reluctantly for a few times, then left, looking back every few steps. When he got outside, several of his companions called him over from a distance, talking in low voices about the person who came into the room.

"Look at the cavalry outside. They are all wearing half-leather armor and carrying very sophisticated weapons. I heard that the cavalry under the general of the cavalry in Liaoyang Prefecture are elite. You have been in the room for so long... You must have heard which side he is on, right?"

The young man who came out of the house shook his head first, then showed an excited expression: "I don't know that, I just know what the woman in the house looks like!"

"What do you think is the relationship between that person in the room and the clan leader? Is he from Liaoyang Prefecture trying to win us over?"

"I don't know that. I just know what the woman in the room looks like!"

"I heard that Wanyan Hu Shimen has been encouraging the king to welcome the Emperor of Jin. If this succeeds, should we give these people from Liaoyang Prefecture to..." Someone stretched out his hand and made a cutting gesture.

"The king can't make the decision on this matter, right? Isn't he still discussing it with the chiefs?"

"I don't know that. I just know what the woman in the room looks like!"

"..."

The young men looked at each other, then pushed him down, punching and kicking him: "I'll let you do that!"

"That useless bastard, just beat him to death."

"Leave me some space so I can kick it a few times."

The sound of beating outside the house was not very clear inside. The three looked outside in confusion. Sulimu shook his head and smiled: "Maybe a few brats are fighting. It's a common thing. Don't bother with them."

He paused, looked up at Wang Zheng's face, and was about to get to the point when he was stunned: "Why is your face swollen, my dear brother?"

Wang Zheng raised his hand unnaturally to cover his mouth and smiled awkwardly: "Nothing, I didn't pay attention and got hurt."

The clan leader here could see that he was not sincere, but he did not ask too much. Seeing that he did not say anything, he stopped asking and drank a sip of yogurt: "Brother Wang, you are here to lobby for the General of the Cavalry in Liaoyang Prefecture, right?"

Wang Zheng smiled carefreely: "Why not the Jin people?"

"You're asking even though you already know the answer." Sulimu shook his head and snorted coldly, "The Wanyan family kid is always advocating to send troops to respond to the Jin people's southward advance. If you were a lobbyist for the Jin people, you should come with him."

Wang Zheng picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. He opened his eyelids and looked at him and said, "Then...what did the leaders decide?"

"They quarrel all day long, and there is no peace. But..." Sulimu put his hands on his knees, looked at the things on the table and sighed: "Who wants to fight when they can live a good life?"

Wang Zheng's eyes lit up: "That's right, no one wants to fight. But now the world has changed. The decline of Liao is unstoppable, and hope lies in the north and south. It's difficult for my brother to stay out of it. Even if the seven tribes of Hesuguan all want to do so, they will inevitably have to deal with the new king after Liaodong is unified."

"Instead of kneeling at the king's feet then, why not stand up now and gain a place in the new dynasty in the future?"

Sulimu frowned and kept drinking the yogurt. Wang Zheng did not urge him, but just tasted the drinks and cakes on the table. After a while, he said, "How do we know that Liaoyang Prefecture will definitely win? The Jurchens have been here for a long time. If the Wanyan tribe in the north occupies Liaodong, wouldn't I become a sinner?"

"Brother, you are wrong." Wang Zheng shook his hand at him. "You know the various tribes of the Jurchens better than I do. They are brave and good at fighting. The General of the Cavalry is not inferior to them. Not to mention that the tribes are not subordinate to each other. They just formed an alliance with Wanyan Aguda. They said they discussed things. But most of the Bogile tribes are Wanyan tribe. If they always win, it will be fine. Once there is a discord, will the tribes behind him, such as the Shiwei and Tieli, fight to the death for him? Such a loose group, how can they be compared with the Liaoyang Prefecture, where orders come from one person and policies come from one body?"

"Besides, the general is not seeking the benefit of one clan. He once said that all ethnic groups in Liaodong are as close as one family and no one enjoys special privileges. His subordinates also do the same. There are Han, Jurchen, Khitan, Bohai and other ethnic groups in his army. Everything is based on military merits and there is no intention of favoritism." Wang Zheng patted his thigh with his hand and looked at the middle-aged man opposite him: "Can the court and the people of Jin Kingdom be like this? I heard that most of the people in the court are from the Wanyan tribe, and I don't know how many of them are related to him. The emperor of Jin Kingdom is Dubojilie in a nice way, and in a bad way, isn't he the head of the family? Brother, do you want to surrender to such a person?"

"But..." Sulimu hesitated. Wang Zheng leaned forward and pointed at himself: "Brother, why are you still hesitating? You know my temper. Have I ever deceived any of my old friends?"

The person on the other side immediately sneered: "You are a liar who eats and drinks for free."

Wang Zheng looked a little embarrassed: "It's all in the past. Besides, didn't I invite you back later?"

"Hmph! You have a conscience." Sulimu said lightly, frowned and thought for a moment, and finally said: "Don't say I don't believe you, this matter is serious, I can't make up my mind for the time being. If you can convince others, I will support your general."

"It's a deal." Wang Zheng made the decision on the spot and said to the other side, "Brother, please send someone who knows the way to guide me."

"Don't you know the Tao?"

Sulimu said this, but didn't think much about it. He just went out to look for someone. After a while, he led a young man in and said, "Let Ah Hu take you. He is the best hunter in the tribe. There is no road that he can't find within a hundred miles."

"Thank you, brother. I will be away for a few days."

……

"It's time to leave Xijin Prefecture."

Yang Lin looked at the busy streets outside the window and turned back to say something. Ma Lin and Shi Qian were eating lotus cakes in the back. When they heard him talking, they rubbed their lips and said, "Don't you want me to go to Lu's house again?"

"What are we waiting for? They have already set off." Yang Lin shook his head, walked over, took a piece of cake and put it in his mouth and chewed it: "We are the messenger. Now that the letter has been delivered, we even know how they will react. That's enough. There is no point in delaying any longer."

"That's right." Shi Qian nodded: "The government office is heavily guarded, it's not easy to get in."

Ma Lin glanced at him and asked, "Brother Shi, have you visited the government office?"

"I went." Shi Qian said without even raising his head: "I originally wanted to steal the governor's seal and let my two brothers play with it, but unfortunately the dog inside didn't want to eat the buns I threw, and I was almost discovered."

Yang and Ma looked at each other, then turned around and lectured him: "Next time, don't make trouble without instructions."

Shi Qian nodded quickly: "That's alright."

Yang Lin saw him nod, and then said: "It's already past noon. If we leave now, we might miss our place to stay. It's better for us to leave early tomorrow morning and go straight back..."

"Wait!" Shi Qian rolled his eyes and suddenly raised his hand, looking at the two people beside him: "Can we go back to Jizhou again?"

Ma Lin frowned: "But did you forget to take the things?"

"No." Shi Qian shook his head and grinned, "Go find a friend who can be a brother."

……

"If it weren't for your help, I would have been almost murdered today. I am Yang Xiong, the jailer of the two courts in Jizhou."

Yang Xiong raised his wine bowl and said to the fair-skinned young man opposite him, "I haven't asked for your name yet, brother."

"My younger brother Shi Xiu greets Brother Yang." (End of this chapter)