Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The summer season is Jiayin.

On this day, Lu Bu dealt with a lot of official documents. The scroll thrown on the table was wide open. It had a red background, black edges and black belts, a big "Qi" character in the middle, and a golden five-clawed dragon surrounding it.

The word "阅" is written in red next to it, and the circle representing passing indicates that the birth of the new flag is not far away.

Gengxu.

Lu Yanlun, the acting governor of Shangjing, and other officials from the garrison office wrote a letter to the emperor, saying, "Now that two of the five capitals have been taken, the imperial capital Shangjing has returned to Qi. The whole world is delighted. Your Majesty's achievements are unparalleled, and you should ascend the throne to ensure the safety of the country." They requested that Lu Bu be promoted to the throne and be crowned emperor.

Lü Bu replied, "I am just a military man, rising from the grassroots, and have never received the mandate of heaven. I am afraid that my virtue is not worthy of the position. Besides, the military and political affairs have just been established, so how can I talk about the title of emperor lightly?"

Bingchen.

The court meeting was resumed. Military advisor Wang Zheng, General Du Fu of Anbei, General Xi Sheng of Annan, and General Bian Xiang of Andong, along with the officers and soldiers of the army, bowed again and held the imperial edict, saying: "The people of all quarters have given their allegiance to you. Your Majesty has made great contributions and has great virtues. This is truly the will of heaven and what all the people hope for."

Lu Bu shook his head in court: "I am not talented enough to take on heavy responsibilities, and I am not capable of bringing peace to the four directions. Moreover, the ancient sages have taught that those in high positions must be concerned, and I am afraid that I may not be able to fully meet the will of heaven."

Second time not allowed.

Wuwu.

More than 200 horsemen rushed into the city from the south gate, covered in dust. The people on horseback did not dare to run freely in the city, but the people and soldiers of Linhuang Prefecture were shocked, thinking that something big had happened.

There were also people who were concerned about the political situation and looked thoughtfully at the few people in long robes whispering with the people next to them.

"This must be a high-ranking official from the State of Qi."

“How come you see?”

"Have you ever seen a civilian who needed a cavalry escort? Besides, I think those people look more like scholars."

The war horses galloped slowly on the dirt road, and amid the sound of horse hooves, the knights leading the way in front kept shouting at the people in front to get out of the way, saying there was urgent military business. In this way, they entered the Dashun Gate and into the imperial city.

There were already several figures waiting at the government office in the imperial city. Seeing the visitors coming forward one after another, they bowed and said, "Finally, we have waited for you gentlemen. If you don't come, Zheng will be in trouble this time."

"Please forgive me, Military Advisor. I am late." Li Zhufei got off the warhorse. His slightly tired face was full of excitement. He stroked his beard and smiled, "I have been rushing here day and night since I received your letter. At least I can come here before the dust settles."

"Haha..." Wang Zheng laughed: "Of course it's not too late. I wonder if the generals of the navy have arrived? Generals Xiao Haili and Niu Wenzhong..."

"They went to the military camp outside the city." Qiao Lie landed steadily. "But they all came in a hurry, and they were all shaken hard on horseback. Xiao Haili and General Niu Wenzhong took a carriage. They were both injured, so they arrived at the military camp at night. And Brother Deng Fei also came here in a carriage."

"It was still a bit hasty." Yang Pu, who had dressed meticulously, came over and looked at Wang Zheng and sighed, "You... didn't even discuss this with me before you did it."

"Uncle, please forgive me." Wang Zheng did not argue, but smiled and bowed to the other party and apologized: "Some things are just the right time, and Zheng just goes with the flow."

Yang Pu just sighed and shook his head.

From the rear, Liu Min, Li Ying, Jiang Jing, Fang Xuedu, Wu Jiao and other civil officials came over to greet them. Hu Cheng and Su Liang in the crowd had complicated expressions on their faces. They were happy that their status had been improved, but they were sad to hear that Lu Bu had taken another concubine.

During the noisy conversation, Wang Zheng saw that everyone looked tired, so he quickly held out his hand and said, "Let's go in and talk first. There should be a result after the court meeting in two days."

"please!"

"please!"

……

The sound of cicadas filled the air around the military camp at some point, and as the sunlight shone down, the spacious military tents seemed a bit crowded and stuffy.

The general without armor sat casually with a smile on his face. Ruan Xiaoqi stretched out his legs and half-lay on the chair: "Your Majesty is finally going to become the emperor. Earlier, he said that he would go to Tokyo to ask the old Emperor Song to give up the throne. I didn't expect it to be realized in the Liao Kingdom."

Huyan Qing looked at him without saying anything, but there was a hint of smile on his face. He glanced at Huyan Zhuo who was in the tent, looking quite complacent.

Li Bao rubbed his face and said, "It's a pity that General Wei Zhaode and brothers Zhang Heng and Zhang Shun are on duty in the outer sea and can't come. It's a pity that they can't make it to such a grand event."

"No regrets." Du Fu's tall figure stood up: "If they all come, who will guard the military states? Wouldn't it be a mess? The king has seen their contributions to our Qi State."

"It's time to call me Your Majesty!" Ruan Xiaoqi stood up abruptly, then rubbed the inside of his legs with a grin: "Damn it, next time I ride a horse, I'll become a landlubber!"

"Then you can't go in the water or on land!" Ruan Xiaowu said quietly from the side.

Everyone in the tent burst into laughter.

"Everyone, take out your best armor tomorrow and clean it." Du Fu smiled and waved his hand, "Wear it during the court meeting!"

There was a burst of ghostly howling and the whole place was in chaos.

That evening, two horse-drawn carriages drove into the military camp. Xiao Haili, who was blind in one eye, and Niu Wenzhong, whose arm was in a sling, got out of the carriages. They were both still a little weak. The former had some blood on his wound wrapped in white cloth. He looked left and right with his one eye, with a look of joy and excitement on his face. Although the latter had recovered a lot, his injury was in his arm, so he needed to rest for some time.

At the Central Army, Du Fu smiled at the two people who came over.

Everyone is here.

……

Xinyou.

As the sun rises, the earth gradually wakes up in the anticipation of countless people. The birds that had taken off early in the sky chirp. Generals wearing exquisite armor and with swords hanging from their waists ride their war horses on the road leading to the palace, and gradually merge with the civil officials wearing wide robes with large sleeves and wearing Jinxian crowns.

The golden morning light shines on the golden glazed tiles, reflecting dazzling golden light.

Yelu Dalibo, who had gotten up early, gently smoothed the wrinkles on Lü Bu's clothes, picked up the jade belt beside him and gently tied it for him, hung the dragon-shaped jade pendant on the belt, took two steps back to take a look, and then smiled: "Your Majesty, you look very energetic."

"You seem..." Lu Bu looked at her strangely and raised his eyebrows: "You are in a good mood."

"It's pretty good, but not that great." Nodding and shaking her head, Yelu Daribo said openly: "Your Majesty has been promoted to the emperor. As a close relative, I would naturally like to congratulate you. However, as a princess of the Liao Kingdom, I also have my own ideas."

"It's human nature." Lu Bu stretched out his hands and looked down. His black clothes with red edges were embroidered with cloud patterns, and the jade belt around his waist was a circle of bat patterns. He looked at his short beard in the bronze mirror, then turned and walked out: "Today's court meeting may be a big banquet for all the ministers, so I will be back late."

The bedroom was not big and he took big steps. As soon as he finished speaking, he had his hands on the door, ready to open it.

"…Your Majesty, you should call yourself 'I'."

A faint voice came from behind.

Lu Bu paused as he pulled the door open. He turned around and said, "Whether you believe it or not, being alone was not my original wish. Compared to the dragon throne... I actually prefer to sit on Red Hare's back."

call--

The two doors opened with the force of their arms.

Outside, Yu Cheng, wearing black armor, and his bodyguards stood on both sides. When they saw the figure crossing the threshold, they all paused with their weapons.

boom--

"I've met the king."

"Let's go."

The armored guards turned around and walked towards the court meeting place with clanging footsteps.

The light from the sky continued to shine in, and the hall with the door open was filled with civil and military officials, gathered in groups of three or four. The middle-aged Liaoyang magistrate was holding the young general and saying, "Don't be arrogant because of your favor," "Be humble," "It's not easy for the King of Qi to train you," "In the future, you should do your best for His Majesty..." and so on.

Yang Zaixing nodded helplessly while pretending to listen, but in his heart he was amazed at his decision not to go home often. Otherwise, if he was reminded like this every day, he would become rebellious sooner or later.

Not far away, old friends such as Tang Bin and Guan Sheng were chatting and laughing. A former Western Army officer named Lu Zhishen was having a lively conversation with two northwestern men, Han Shizhong and Wang De. Xu Wen stood beside Hua Rong, talking in a low voice, but his face showed a relaxed expression with a hint of pride.

Several Khitan men surrounded Xiao Haili, asking about his injuries and talking about the war that happened when he was away. The Jurchens in the hall also gathered together, looking at the brothers surnamed Zeng scattered in the crowd with some envy.

Among the officials, some were talking like them, while others were standing alone and watching everyone. Lin Chong, wearing the black armor of the commander of the Xianzhen Camp, stood there expressionlessly, looking at the dragon throne on the steps that had not yet been removed, wondering what he was thinking.

"His Royal Highness Prince Qi has arrived—"

The whole hall fell silent as the shrill and loud singing voice was heard. The civil and military officials in the hall stood on both sides, looking at the door beside the imperial steps. The moment it opened, they straightened their backs.

Tread-tap-

The sleeves of the clothes embroidered with cloud patterns swayed as he walked forward. Lu Bu had a strange feeling in his heart. He always felt that this scene was inexplicably unreal, as if he was a dream, but also as if it was real.

He could feel the heat in the eyes of the people around him, and even Deng Fei's trembling hands were clearly visible.

I'm going to be the emperor...

The figure standing on the top of the imperial steps turned around, and at this moment seemed to have some real feeling about the words in his mind.

He shook his sleeves with both hands, and the burly figure sat down, and a sound like a tsunami reached his ears.

"My lord, please pay homage to your Majesty!"

"No gift."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The armor made a slight rustling sound as the figure straightened up. The hall was silent for a moment, and the sunlight coming in from outside revealed the dust particles in the air.

The next moment, a figure walked into the light, stirring up the dust with the wind. Li Zhu, Qiao Lie, Yang Pu, Fang Xuedu, and Wu Jiao, who were wearing black court robes, bowed in the center of the hall and said, "In the name of all officials and the wishes of the people of Liaodong, we now ask Your Majesty to ascend the throne. If you decline again, it will not hurt the hearts of the people."

boom--

The figures on both sides suddenly became shorter. Deng Fei fell to the ground from the wheelchair with a thud. The sound of armor rubbing against each other resounded through the hall again. The voices shouted in unison: "Your Majesty, I beg you to take the throne!"

"Please, Your Majesty, take the throne!"

"Please, Your Majesty, take the throne!"

Outside the palace, the guards who were kneeling on the ground shouted loudly, and then the shouts came from farther away.

On the imperial steps, Lu Bu stood up and sighed: "Since everyone is looking forward to my success, how dare I go against the will of heaven with my own selfish desires? If so, I can rectify the name of my Qi State and accept the will of heaven."

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!"

The sound shook the hall and the noise filled the world.

……

In the streets of South City, the noise from the imperial city did not reach this side. The common people were still busy with their own affairs. Patrolling constables and runners walked on the streets. Some people looked at the fresh fruits, picked up one, wiped it and bit it, and continued walking forward, leaving the vendors behind with helpless and respectful smiles.

The child holding a small wooden stick was running wildly, and his playmates were chasing him from behind, happily singing the prophecies they had learned two days ago.

Under the eaves, several women were sitting together mending shoe soles and jokingly talking about the Zhang and Li families. When they saw their own naughty monkey running too fast and falling, they looked up and cursed, then lowered their heads to continue their work. They just inadvertently glanced and noticed that the shadow of the flag on the ground had been removed. When they looked up at the city wall, they saw a flag with a golden dragon on a black background and red characters rising up.

"Hey? The flag on the city wall has been changed."

"We're not going to fight again, are we?"

The other women raised their heads quickly and took a closer look. "Hey! I was shocked. How could it have been changed? Isn't it still the same flag?"

“No…” The woman who spoke first shook her head and pointed with her hand: “There was no dragon before.”

"real!"

"What an extra dragon."

"What do you mean?"

A few women chattered, just watching it as a new sight, but no one took it seriously.

Not long after, officials dispatched by the Liaison Office went through the streets and alleys, shouting to people to go to the bulletin board, officially announcing to the entire city that the King of Qi would be promoted to the emperor.

For a time, there was an uproar in the capital.

The last day of summer is Guihai.

All the Qi soldiers in Linhuang Prefecture, from sergeants to garrison commanders, from captains to generals, put on their military uniforms, walked out of their tents at dawn, and marched into the parade ground in a line.

In the imperial city, all the officials, big and small, who had risen to prominence with Lu Bu, went out at four o'clock in the morning and waited at the Gongchen Gate. The wide city gate looked solemn in the night, and the road leading to the city gate was filled with soldiers in black leather armor.

There is a guard post every five steps and a sentry every three steps.

"Is the altar ready?"

"Let Du Fu and the others do it early. Your Majesty is different from others. He always pays tribute to the deceased soldiers when there is an important event. How dare you neglect it?"

"Your Majesty, it's time to call me Your Majesty."

"I'm used to it."

Groups of three or four people gathered in a small circle, chattering away. Someone yawned, having been too excited these past two days and slept late.

Deng Fei was also sitting in a wheelchair, with his personal soldiers pushing him from behind. He glanced at Qiao Lie beside him and smiled. He felt quite satisfied that the brothers who had fled from Nanjing Road to Song were still alive, especially since the brother he recognized that day had reached the pinnacle of the world, which made him even more delighted.

The most beautiful time in the world is just these few days.

he thinks.

"Why are you smiling at me? What's wrong with me?" Qiao Lie was sensitive to gazes. He turned around and saw Deng Fei smiling at him. He opened his hands in confusion and touched the Jinxian crown on his head with a puzzled look.

"Nothing." Deng Fei shook his head: "I was just thinking that if you hadn't followed us that day, I don't know where you would be standing today."

"Why are you talking so much nonsense!" Qiao Lie rolled his eyes and raised his hand to shake his fist: "Don't tell me this, it will make me lose my mind. I'll treat you to this."

The two looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

"My Lords, His Majesty has arrived!"

A soldier standing on a high place interrupted the conversation of the people below.

Here, dozens of civil and military officials shut their mouths and turned around to look. A cavalry team of unknown size was slowly approaching. As the shadows swayed, a figure riding a fiery red horse from behind, wearing armor with a beast mask and a golden crown on his head, gradually approached.

"Your Majesty... not wearing a dragon robe?!" (End of this chapter)