Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The moon was at the zenith, and the running figures were breathing heavily. Bai Yanshou, Du Wei, Qian Zhenpeng, Xu Ding and other generals and lieutenant generals in the army were still wearing leather armor. The armor that originally seemed weightless was becoming heavier and heavier, weighing down the men's legs a little.

"I can't run anymore...

Qian Zhenpeng was the most seriously injured. The white scarf on his head had loosened and hung down. His breathing was like a broken bellows. He staggered and quickly slammed the knife in his hand to the ground.

thump—

The copper-wrapped scabbard fell to the ground, preventing the unfortunate man from falling headfirst. Bai Yanshou and Xu Ding on the side quickly grabbed him, carried him up and ran.

"Hero, how far are you still..."

An elegant and graceful voice came out from Du Wei's majestic mouth. Yang Lin and Ma Lin, who were running beside him, couldn't help but turn their heads to look at him, with a not very polite look in their eyes.

Du Wei, however, didn't want to pay any attention to him. It was because he felt like he could spit out fire with every breath he took, so why would he care what others thought of him?

"……almost."

Li Zhu turned his head to look at the team behind him. His running speed remained unchanged, which was completely different from the distance that people of his age could run.

In the distance, there was a flickering fire. Mr. Jin Jian raised his hand and pointed: "That's where the fire is."

Upon hearing this, several leading figures in the Fang La army suddenly regained some strength and followed the team that rescued them to the woods over there.

rustling --

Plop--

My footsteps stepped on dead branches and leaves, and the startled night birds flew high into the sky, flapping their wings in an unknown direction.

As the night wind blew through the forest, more and more figures slowed down, and in an instant they broke out in a hot sweat. When they approached the fire, the short and thin Shi Qian walked out.

"Brother Shi."

Yang Lin and Ma Lin saw him raise his hand, then walked to where the bonfire was burning, sat down, hunched their bodies, lowered their heads, and panted continuously.

In the rear, people in the disjointed team kept looking for a place to sit down, not caring whether it was clean or warm. They lay on their backs, gasping for breath, and soon they began to hear snoring.

"If the weather wasn't so cold, and if there were insects chirping, it would be a great place for a picnic."

Adjusting his breathing, Li Zhu walked over and sat down. He looked at the Yongle soldiers who were sleeping over there and didn't care. He turned his head to see Zhang Shun talking to his men over there, and then he looked at Bai Yanshou and others who were panting around the fire.

Several leaders of the Fang La army looked at each other, looking at the figure sitting on the ground with eyes that did not agree with him. Bai Yanshou took a few deep breaths, forced himself to calm his breathing, raised his hands and clasped his fists towards Li Zhu: "Thank you all for saving me today. How should I call you a hero?"

Li Zhu raised his lips, smiling kindly: "It doesn't matter what you call me, what matters is that you are all still alive..."

The lingering words and meaningful looks made the four people feel that the other party was plotting against them, but...

The four extremely tired men looked at each other again.

What else do they have to calculate now?
"... Up and down." Du Wei was silent for a moment, then he clasped his hands and spoke in the soft tone unique to Wu: "If you have any instructions, just tell me directly. If it does not involve the Holy Lord, we will go through fire and water to repay your kindness."

"good."

"Me too."

Xu Ding spoke first, and then Qian Zhenpeng also pounded his chest hard. When Bai Yanshou nodded, a violent cough came out of the mouth of the man with a wound on the forehead.

"..."

A group of people looked at Qian Zhenpeng for a few seconds, and then Li Zhu withdrew his gaze and said, "What I am going to talk about next is related to you so-called saints."

"You... cough cough cough——" Qian Zhenpeng wanted to say something but couldn't help but burst into coughing.

Bai Yanshou patted him on the shoulder and signaled him not to speak. Then he heard his coughing sound weaken. The young man from Qixian Village looked at Li Zhu and asked, "I wonder why it is related?"

On the side, Zhang Shun came over after arranging tonight's defense and sat down cross-legged. Shi Qian squatted beside the fire, moved the fire aside, took out the water bag buried in the soil and threw it to Li Zhu, Zhang Shun and others, then he sat next to Yang and Ma with his share.

"Weapons and armor."

Li Zhu did not file a lawsuit. He unscrewed the cork with his slender fingers, drank a sip of warm water, smacked his lips, and looked at the four people with wide eyes opposite him with a playful look: "If I am not mistaken, your army is extremely short of soldiers and armor. This does not look like it can go to the battlefield and fight with others."

"Who said that?" Xu Ding puffed out his chest. "We relied on these to conquer Hangzhou, didn't we? How come you say that they are nothing?"

"What about now?" Zhang Shun interrupted him, curling his lips: "If we hadn't helped you today, you would have all been killed by the Western Army."

"That... that's the Western Army, they're different." Xu Ding's chest collapsed, then stood up again: "In this southeastern area, our army is still invincible."

"It's useless." Shi Qian laughed at the side: "The Western Army has already moved south, can you still go and tell others, 'We won't fight you, let the local garrison come out to fight'?"

Xu Ding's face turned red under the light of the campfire, and he just bent down again.

Bai Yanshou and Du Wei's faces also darkened. They both had higher positions in the army and knew that items like swords and guns were not a big deal, but armor and bows and crossbows were less than 20% popular in the army.

The number of people from the six states who joined the Yongle Army reached hundreds of thousands, but they were almost nonexistent among the various commanders.

The cold wind blew the bonfire. Bai Yanshou stared at the figure opposite him: "Hero, are you saying this... to help us with our weapons?"

Yang Lin, Ma Lin, and Shi Qian all laughed strangely. Ma Lin squinted at him and said, "Assistance? This is the first time we met, and we saved your life. How can you take it for nothing..."

He leaned back and said, "I'm afraid it's not good, right?"

Bai Yanshou's face turned red and he moved his lips but couldn't say anything.

"That's good." Du Wei saw that he looked embarrassed, and immediately took over the conversation: "It would be best if it could be settled with silver. I believe the Holy Lord would not want to owe anyone a favor."

Li Zhu chuckled and put the cork back into the water bag. "That's right. We have weapons and armor, but we want you to pay for them. But we don't really want you to pay for them."

Bai Yanshou and Du Wei frowned.

Assistant Li paused, stretched out his hand, and raised his fingers one by one: "In the deep mountains and old forests in the southeast, there are countless tea plantations and farmlands. It is also a place for mulberry silkworms and cloth weaving. Therefore, you can exchange them for food, medicinal herbs, silk, and tea."

He waved three fingers: "Do you understand?"

The people over there were stunned for a moment, and Xu Ding's eyes widened: "Isn't this just barter?"

"It's different." Assistant Li shook his head: "Although we won't give it away for free, we won't be unscrupulous enough to make money from you. Maybe we can even give it a lot cheaper."

"Then..." Xu Ding was about to speak, but Bai Yanshou blocked Xu Ding's way with one hand: "What does a hero need these for?"

Trying to slow down his breathing, the young man pondered and said, "Besides, how do we know whether you have weapons and armor there, and whether you are here to deceive our army?"

"What to do is not for you to ask."

Li Zhu shook his head and patted his hands on his legs: "We brought some things with us this time. We can give you a hundred sets of leather armor and swords, and two crossbows as a token of our sincerity. How do you think?"

Qian Zhenpeng immediately perked up: "Where are your firearms that can make a loud noise?" "We have used up all of them." Assistant Li stroked his beard, narrowed his eyes slightly, and shrugged: "I can't help you with this."

The straight back over there collapsed again.

"This is a serious matter." Du Wei considered for a moment: "We have to report this matter to the Holy Lord as well. However, since you saved our lives today, I believe the Holy Lord will not doubt you..."

After a slight pause, he was still curious: "How do we trade? Where do we trade? There must be some rules for this."

Assistant Li nodded: "That's right, I wonder if the Yongle Army has control over the seaport?"

The four people on the opposite side froze in their expressions. Xiuzhou had a seaport, but unfortunately the attempt to seize it failed this time. After thinking for a while, Du Wei said, "We can go to Hangzhou by sea. There is a river and the sea there, and large ships can dock there."

Zhang Shun shook his head slightly. Li Zhu took a glance and rejected it directly: "No, Hangzhou is not a good place to trade. Is there any other place?"

Du Wei scratched his head, and Bai Yanshou thought for a moment before speaking: "How about Yuezhou? It is by the sea, and although there is no port, it can be built. Besides, our army has another unit in Yuezhou, and has already conquered Yuyao."

Li Zhu glanced at Zhang Shun, and the naval commander nodded. Then he turned around and said, "Then Yuyao is fine."

His narrow eyes narrowed. "Starting from today, in about two and a half months, we will be able to transport a batch of armor and crossbows to equip 5,000 people..."

Read more latest popular novels at 6.9*shuba!

"So fast?" Bai Yanshou and Du Wei were stunned at first, then they frowned and looked at each other suspiciously. After a moment of silence, they said, "This... we haven't told the Holy Lord yet..."

Li Zhu waved his hand, and Yang Lin and Shi Qian stood up and came over: "I will go back with you with these two brothers, and they will explain the details to your Emperor Yongle."

Jin Baozi and Gu Shang Zao, who were walking over, were both startled. They looked at Li Zu subconsciously, and then nodded to the four people over there.

"...That's fine too." Du Wei and Bai Yanshou looked at each other and nodded slowly.

The commanders of the Yongle Army were also extremely exhausted. After talking for a while, they could no longer bear it and walked to the side. A few of them gathered together to keep warm and closed their eyes to rest.

The night was quiet and there were sounds of deep sleep all around. Qian Zhenpeng was breathing evenly with his head drooped, while Xu Ding was leaning against his head and moving his body in and out.

"Brother Bai, are you asleep?"

"No."

A sudden voice sounded quietly. Du Wei turned his head slightly and curled up involuntarily: "Where do you think these people are from? Why are they willing to help us? How can they come up with 5,000 soldiers and armor?"

"I don't know either." Bai Yanshou closed his eyes and lowered his voice to an inaudible level. "I just know that this person has bad intentions, but I can't figure out the reason."

Du Wei was unable to respond for a moment. He listened to the other party's voice and sighed, then whispered, "Go to sleep. This is not something you and I can figure out."

As the cold wind blew, people huddled even tighter.

……

As the night deepened, the Qi soldiers, wrapped tightly in felt, lay down where the bonfire had burned. Li Zhu, Zhang Shun and others gathered together, looking at the Fang La soldiers who were sleeping in the distance, and the sound of whispers could be heard.

"Fang La is a cold-hearted person. If you go there, what if he does something bad to you?"

In the darkness, Zhang Shun turned over and looked at the figure in the dark: "That guy gave up even when he told Liu Yun and other brothers who fought for him to give up. If he attacks you..."

"No, he should know by now that he needs weapons and equipment, and we have what he lacks." Li Zhu's voice sounded faintly: "That's why he won't attack me."

"So..." Yang Lin's voice was filled with doubt: "Why do you have to help Fang La?"

"It's not to help him." Assistant Li turned over and sat up: "It's to help us."

In the dark night, there was a rustling sound. Several men sat up one after another and listened quietly to the people talking opposite them.

"In the past few years, we have been fighting, and the Liao Kingdom has also been fighting. Both sides have consumed a lot of resources. Although we have occupied a lot of territory, the money and food have been barely balanced. At this time, the Song Kingdom has been recuperating. Even if the Song army is weak, it still has more soldiers and more food. Not to mention that the Song court has always been obsessed with the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun."

The other people also nodded repeatedly. These things were no secret between Qi and Song. At that time, Hua Rong and Li Bao had even been sent as envoys for this matter, but the Song people went back on their word and ruined the alliance.

"I didn't know the situation here when I went south. Now that someone has rebelled, we naturally have to help him and let him hold the Song Kingdom back. Otherwise, we will fight to the death in the north. If he finds an opportunity to attack us, it will be a big trouble."

"Besides, there are many damaged armors of the Liao army in the warehouse, and countless captured spears and swords. These things are not our army's equipment, and most of them are sealed there. Instead of waiting for them to gather dust, we might as well take out a batch and exchange them for what we need. If we can use the excess items to exchange for food and grass, so that the court does not have to worry about military food, why not do it?"

Li Zhu opened his eyes and looked at the stars in the sky: "Besides, the chaos in the southeast is also weakening the Song State itself. Half of the annual tribute comes from here. I really want to know how the Central Plains will react if there is chaos here."

Zhang Shun wrapped the felt tighter around himself and hesitated for a moment: "...What if Fang La is a hopeless case and is eventually wiped out?"

"Then let him be wiped out." Li Zhu said nonchalantly: "We are not Fang La's father, why would we care about his life or death? As long as he can stir up trouble in the southeast and attract the attention of the Song Dynasty court, no matter he is called Fang La or Yuan La, we can help him."

Several people looked at Li Zhu and nodded slowly.

Mr. Jin Jian then lay on his back and slowly closed his eyes. He said to the others, "I will write a memorial tomorrow. Zhang Shun, you send someone back to the ship to Liaodong. Although I believe that His Majesty will definitely agree to this, it is still up to His Majesty to make the final decision."

Zhang Shun nodded first, then sat up again the moment he lay down: "What if your Majesty disagrees..."

Li Zhu opened his eyes, and the sky full of stars reflected in his pupils: "That's fine, we have to give him some weapons and equipment, and then we can find a way to get out of this."

Zhang Shun heard this and then lay down hesitantly.

……

at the same time.

The Western Army's camp was brightly lit. After a day of fierce attack, they defeated the enemy troops besieging the city and beheaded 9,000 of them. It was a great victory.

But at this moment, a series of burly figures stood in a circle under the firelight. In the middle, Wang Xunyuan was lying on his back on the flatbed cart with his eyes open. A penetrating wound on his throat was very conspicuous. The blood that flowed out had stained his armor with patches of dark red color, and a layer of blood stains had been blown out by the night wind.

His iron spear was placed next to the corpse.

Wang Bing stood at the front, pursing his lips tightly.

The bonfire in the camp reflected the faces of every general standing there. Xin Xingzong, Yang Weizhong, Wang Huan, Yao Pingzhong, Wang Yuan, each of them who was well-known in the Western Army had a grim face and clenched fists.

"...Zhengchen." Wang Huan looked at Wang Bin standing there motionless and couldn't help but stepped forward and called out.

call--

Wang Bing took off his cloak and covered his son's body and face with it. His lips trembled twice, but he said nothing in the end. He just bent down, picked up the iron spear, then turned around and walked to the back.

"Tomorrow morning, we will continue to head south."

The silent back spoke the first words of the night.

The wind blew over, and the sleeves of the generals who bowed to respond to orders rustled.

A soldier came forward and stood beside Wang Huan, saying something. (End of this chapter)