[Fantasy] Water Margin Heroes (Complete) - 7-9

Chapter Forty-Nine: First Night in Tokyo

After their night at the shady inn, San Niang seemed even more certain of Zhang Yang and no longer resisted his physical contact. Zhang Yang also wanted to experience some romance with San Niang, but they only hugged and cuddled, without taking any further intimacy. San Niang was initially worried that Zhang Yang would take advantage, but seeing that he always knew when to stop, she felt more at ease with his character.

Along their journey, they encountered many people, not only in the villages and towns of various prefectures, but even outside Kaifeng city, most villagers were without food and had no provisions for the next day. This harsh reality made San Niang even more convinced of Zhang Yang's righteous cause.

A few days later, they arrived in Tokyo. Entering the city, they walked along the Imperial Street, seeing people in brocade robes and colorful hats coming and going, each with their own unique style, a world completely different from the outside. Zhang Yang led San Niang directly to a small tavern, where they found a table facing the street, ate some food and drink, and then began looking for an inn. However, several inns they visited were all full.

"I'm sorry, our inn is full. You've come at an inopportune time, sir. We're closing for the next three days. I'm afraid every inn in the city is full now."

Zhang Yang had already visited several inns and was impatient, hearing the same excuse again. He said, "I'll offer 100 strings of cash a day. See if you can squeeze out two rooms."

The innkeeper, seeing an opportunity to make some money, immediately flattered him, "Please wait a moment, sir. I'll go ask around; perhaps someone is willing to give up two rooms." He then hurried away.

Those who came to Tokyo to see the lanterns were either officials, gentry, or wealthy merchants. The ordinary people were suffering from hunger and cold, their children crying and their daughters wailing; they had no interest in appreciating the lanterns. Those who came from all directions didn't care about such money.

Adding to the innkeeper's desire to pocket some money, he inquired with each guest for a long time before finally buying a lower-class room from a merchant for fifty strings of cash per day. After settling it in, he returned to Zhang Yang and reported, "Those who come to see the lanterns are all wealthy and powerful; it's really difficult to find rooms."

Zhang Yang had seen many gentry and merchants along the way and knew the innkeeper's words were true, but he didn't want to be turned away at other inns. He was about to ask for a higher price when

the innkeeper, fearing Zhang Yang would leave, saw him frown and quickly said, "There is a guest willing to give up a lower-class room; why don't you go and take a look, young master?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yang turned to San Niang and said, "There's only one room; do you think we should go and take a look?"

San Niang had already decided she would marry no one but him and trusted his character. Besides, the two had already lived together once, so she said, "I'm afraid there won't be any vacancies at other inns either; let's go and take a look."

Zhang Yang naturally had no objection.

When the two arrived at the room with the innkeeper, Zhang Yang saw that it was a single room, quite inconvenient for washing and other things. He shook his head and was about to speak.

Third Sister said, "Although this place is small, it's quite clean."

The innkeeper also said, "What you say is true, and it's very difficult to find a room these days. If you agree, I'll have someone bring you a quilt."

Seeing that Third Sister didn't seem to want to go anywhere else, Zhang Yang immediately took out five hundred strings of cash and handed it to the innkeeper, saying, "This is for five days' rent."

The innkeeper trembled as he took the cash, glanced at it, and bowed and scraped, saying, "Please wait a moment, sir, I'll go get your luggage right away."

Zhang Yang knew the value of five hundred strings of cash and waved for the innkeeper to leave.

Before long, the innkeeper personally brought a brand new quilt, placed it down, and then asked, "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

Zhang Yang said, "Have someone bring some hot water." Upon

hearing this, the innkeeper hurriedly had a waiter bring a pot of water.

Seeing the innkeeper still waiting, Zhang Yang said, "You go too. We're going to sleep. Don't let anyone disturb us unless I tell them to."

The innkeeper had long considered Zhang Yang a spendthrift, and seeing that the two had no luggage, he assumed Zhang Yang would ask him to buy some clothes. A hint of disappointment flashed across his face, but he still said reluctantly, "If you need anything, young master, just let me know, and I'll personally take care of it." Seeing Zhang Yang's growing impatience, he took his leave.

After washing up, Zhang Yang picked up his luggage, preparing to sleep on the floor.

San Niang whispered, "It's chilly down there. You should sleep on the bed."

Zhang Yang was taken aback. While it's common for modern girls to sleep with someone soon after meeting, ancient girls weren't so open-minded, and Zhang Yang was prepared for a long battle.

Seeing this, San Niang blushed and said, "I just wanted you to sleep on the side, don't overthink it."

Zhang Yang threw the blanket back on the bed and laughed, "No, let's sleep then."

San Niang blushed and quickly got into bed, then slipped under the covers fully clothed.

Zhang Yang blew out the lamp and began to undress.

San Niang had been a little nervous when she saw the lamp go out, and hearing the sound of Zhang Yang undressing, she couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?"

Zhang Yang said, "Sleeping."

San Niang asked again, "Then why are you taking off your clothes?"

Zhang Yang laughed, "Of course you have to take off your clothes to sleep."

Hearing this, San Niang realized that she had been too nervous and blushed so much that she burrowed under the covers.

Zhang Yang took off his clothes and also lay down on the side. However, the bed wasn't very wide to begin with, and it was a bit cramped for the two of them to lie together.

San Niang felt that Zhang Yang had already gotten into bed, and thinking that they were not yet married, yet were sharing a bed, she was even more embarrassed and burrowed under the covers, refusing to come out. Just as she was straining to hear what Zhang Yang was doing, she felt a large hand slip inside and touch her back. Then, he pulled her out of bed and dragged her towards the side. Before she could scream, a large mouth was already kissing her cherry lips. It was San Niang's first kiss, and her mind went blank; she stood there stunned.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang skillfully pried open San Niang's teeth with his tongue and began to savor her sweet saliva. His large hands also expertly removed San Niang's outer garments.

When San Niang felt the coolness, she realized she was only wearing a bodice and underpants. Zhang Yang's large hands were now ravaging her breasts and buttocks, and what was even more shameful was that she was actually feeling waves of pleasure from them, unable to muster even the slightest thought of resistance.

Zhang Yang had only intended to undress San Niang so she could sleep. But touching San Niang's smooth skin, he couldn't help lingering. Having practiced martial arts since childhood, San Niang's curves were even more pronounced, and the elasticity of her skin surpassed that of the other four women. Especially her high, firm breasts, which filled him with a desire to conquer. Just as Zhang Yang was enjoying himself, he felt a tightening in his lower body. The bewildered San Niang actually grasped Zhang Yang's genitals and even began to stroke them instinctively.

Zhang Yang, aroused by San Niang's actions, also felt his desire surge. His right hand slid down San Niang's flat stomach towards her secret garden, gently teasing her beautiful clitoris.

San Niang had touched that area unintentionally before, but the feeling had never been as intense as this. Her cherry lips involuntarily emitted seductive moans, and soon the pleasure amplified infinitely, her soul seemingly soaring to the sky, light and airy. Her body trembled slightly, and she closed her eyes to savor the intoxicating pleasure. Just

as Zhang Yang was enjoying himself, he felt a thick stream of love fluid spray onto his fingers, and San Niang's small hand abandoned his penis. Zhang Yang knew San Niang had reached her climax, so he took a few deep breaths, suppressed his own desire, and embraced San Niang.

After a long while, San Niang finally came to her senses from the afterglow of her climax, immediately realizing what shameful thing she had just done. Feeling Zhang Yang's broad chest, she leaned gently against him and whispered, "Will you think I'm a bad woman?"

Zhang Yang knew that women were prone to anxiety after their first orgasm, so he hadn't fallen asleep. He replied, "Of course not, it's just that Third Sister is too alluring, which made me make a mistake. When we get back, I'll find a way to propose marriage to you at your estate." Hearing

Zhang Yang take responsibility and make a promise, Third Sister's worries vanished.

Zhang Yang then showered her with more sweet words before finally holding her as they fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This chapter makes up for yesterday's; today's will be later.

Chapter Fifty: The eve of the Lantern Festival

. Early the next morning, San Niang was awakened by something hot and hard pressing against her. Opening her eyes, she saw herself embracing Zhang Yang with her legs intertwined, and the thing pressing against her was the weapon she had been so fond of the night before. Seeing Zhang Yang looking at her awkwardly, she couldn't help but bury herself in Zhang Yang's arms in embarrassment. As soon as she moved, she felt their lower bodies pressed even closer, and she couldn't help but pull away.

Zhang Yang had already woken up, but afraid of waking San Niang, he had no choice but to continue holding her to rest. However, men are naturally more prone to arousal in the morning, and holding a beautiful woman, his lower body quickly became erect as well. Seeing that San Niang had woken up, he got up as well, dressing as he said, "It's getting late, let's go for a stroll in the streets."

San Niang glanced at Zhang Yang's strong, muscular body, and a blush immediately crept onto her cheeks. She said in a low, trembling voice, "Turn around, I'll get dressed."

Zhang Yang, who had wanted to admire San Niang's beautiful figure more closely, turned away, saying, "Looks like I'll have to marry you sooner rather than later."

San Niang ignored him, quickly dressed, and got out of bed.

After having breakfast, the two went to the streets together.

Lanterns were already hung in front of every house, truly a picture of peace and prosperity. One could only wonder how many days' worth of food the people had used to collect enough for these lanterns. The streets were filled with countless stalls of all kinds. Even some well-bred young ladies who rarely left their homes were out enjoying the fresh air, their maids' clothes far superior to those of the more modest families—their extravagance was undeniable. Some dissolute young men also took the opportunity to mingle and jostle among the crowds.

Zhang Yang and San Niang had been browsing for a while and began to select some small trinkets.

When they reached a clay figurine stall, they both stopped. Although the figurines weren't made on-site and lacked a certain lifelike quality, each one was incredibly realistic and painted in various colors, almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

San Niang, seeing the adorable figurines, picked them up and couldn't bear to put them down, soon carrying several in her arms.

Zhang Yang also wanted to buy some for the four women. After looking around for a while, he saw a cuddly bear figurine and reached out to take it. Just as he was about to touch the bear, he touched a delicate hand. Zhang Yang felt the skin was smooth and delicate, and the fingers were like scallion roots; he could tell from the appearance that the owner was a woman who didn't do manual labor.

At the same time, a delicate scolding voice rang out beside him: "You lecherous scoundrel, daring to touch my young lady's hand!"

Zhang Yang released his hand, stood up, and turned his head to see that the owner of the delicate hand was actually covered by a thin veil. He was startled, but he could also read a lot of charm in her eyes. Those were eyes that blended allure and ethereal beauty. Zhang Yang had to admit that just by looking at her eyes, this woman was exceptionally beautiful, and even through the veil, his delicate features were faintly visible.

However, Zhang Yang wasn't a lecherous man without self-control. He glanced at her and then turned away. Seeing a little maid behind him still sulking, he knew she must have been the one who had scolded him.

He immediately said, "I'm sorry, I offended you earlier, Miss."

The woman was somewhat surprised that Zhang Yang had only given her a cursory glance. She said sweetly, "It's alright, you were here first, the bear puppet should be yours."

As soon as she finished speaking, the little maid behind her said, "Miss took it first, how can you give it to him?"

The veiled woman turned her head and said, "Xiao Li

, don't talk nonsense." The little maid made a face at this and didn't say anything, only giving Zhang Yang a threatening look.

Seeing that the two women were protected by several burly men, and that the young girl had an arrogant demeanor, Zhang Yang knew they were no ordinary people and possessed a modern sense of female priority. He smiled and said, "I just wanted to look, I didn't intend to buy anything, so please don't mind."

The woman smiled and said, "Then thank you for your kindness, young master." She then picked up the bear figurine, had the young girl pay for it, and turned to leave.

San Niang was also very satisfied with Zhang Yang's behavior. The two bought some more things and continued walking. Reaching the north end of the Imperial Street, they saw a magnificent and imposing building. The building consisted of five sections: east, west, south, north, and central. Each section was three stories high, with gray tiles and blue bricks, and carved beams and painted rafters. The west section was the largest of the five, appearing opulent and magnificent.

Seeing the sign "Fanlou" on the west section, Zhang Yang realized this was the famous brothel of the Song Dynasty, the place where Li Shishi, who had an affair with Emperor Huizong, was based. Zhang Yang noticed a red paper pasted on the entrance of the brothel, where many scholars dressed as gentlemen were crowding around, disregarding decorum. He glanced at it as well. It turned out that Fanlou was holding a poetry gathering on the night of the fourteenth of the first lunar month, and several popular young women would be choosing their patrons, attracting many self-proclaimed romantic scholars. These scholars were frequent patrons of brothels; many Song dynasty poems vividly depict the allure of courtesans, and there was even Liu Yong, who wrote lyrics by imperial decree. It was clear that prostitution was rampant, requiring no secrecy, and even high-ranking officials could openly frequent brothels.

Zhang Yang, wanting to take this opportunity to meet the talented men of the capital, noted this down.

The next day, the two began to explore the historically famous Eight Scenic Spots of Bianjing.

On the night of the fourteenth, Zhang Yang, disguised as San Niang, arrived at Fanlou. Upon reaching the entrance, they learned that without an invitation, an entrance fee of five hundred strings of cash was required, and the gatekeeper seemed reluctant to let anyone in.

Fortunately, Zhang Yang had plenty of money, so he paid and entered. A pimp led the two to the South Tower. After they sat down, the tower was already quite crowded, with many beautiful maids moving about between the different sections.

Zhang Yang noticed the menacing stares between the groups in the North and East Towers, so he beckoned a servant and asked, "Who are the people in the East and North Towers?"

The servant, knowing the South Tower was frequented by wealthy patrons who had paid exorbitant prices, respectfully replied, "The East Tower houses the Third Prince and the officials and scholars who support him. The North Tower houses the Crown Prince's men. It's just that the Crown Prince dislikes brothels, which is why the Third Prince's faction has the upper hand." He then pointed out several high-ranking officials to Zhang Yang. Several treacherous officials had already arrived, including Gao Qiu, Wang Fu, and Cai You, all members of the Third Prince Zhao Kai's faction.

Zhang Yang also knew that Emperor Huizong favored Zhao Kai, even staging a farce with his son that nearly made Zhao Kai the top scholar, thus leading to the power struggle between the Crown Prince and Zhao Kai. Zhang Yang noticed that Zhao Kai was indeed quite handsome, but he didn't take him seriously or pay much attention to him. He simply glanced at the assembled treacherous officials and found that those favored by Emperor Huizong were indeed all good-looking. Even the older ones were all lean and dignified, without any hint of evil. On the surface, they would never have guessed that they were capable of committing so many harmful acts against the people. Having confirmed this interesting historical fact, Zhang Yang stopped observing and chatted idly with San Niang.

Soon, the madam announced the start of the Lantern Festival poetry gathering, with Li Shishi's performance as the first act. Since becoming involved with Emperor Huizong, Li Shishi had rarely attended various events, and everyone had long admired this courtesan of the capital. They immediately fell silent.

A woman slowly appeared on the central stage. Although her looks were not bad, they were not the kind of beauty that could topple cities and kingdoms. However, her beautiful eyes exuded a captivating and alluring charm, while her demeanor was that of a well-bred lady. She was the kind of contradictory combination that men desired.

Zhang Yang glanced at her and was greatly surprised. The person on the stage was none other than the veiled woman who sold clay figurines on the street.

Li Shishi gave a graceful curtsy and began to sing a poem. Her tone was delicate and sweet, yet the words were elegant and refreshing, displaying a delicate allure that cleverly combined two contradictory charms.

After the song, the crowd cheered wildly.

Li Shishi bowed and withdrew, and everyone knew about Huizong's feelings for her, so no one dared to stop her. Then, several other courtesans performed, and the poetry gathering was announced to begin.

Zhang Yang listened for a while, and seeing that they were all praising the emperor's benevolence and the beauty of the Lantern Festival, he and San Niang quietly left. As for Li Shishi, he considered it just a beautiful encounter, and believed that they would meet again if fate allowed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was invited out by some friends today, so I'm a little late. Sorry to keep you all waiting.

Chapter 51 Lantern Viewing on the Lantern Festival

On the fifteenth day, as the full moon rose, every household erected lantern sheds and hung lanterns in front of their doors, illuminating the city as if it were daytime. People flocked out to watch the spectacle, and the streets were packed with people. To avoid being separated, Zhang Yang and San Niang had to walk hand in hand.

Soon, music filled the air near the palace, and thousands of lanterns, as bright as stars, illuminated the Duanmen area as if it were daytime. Even the clouds near dusk were tinged with red! The bright moon hung overhead, accompanied only by a few scattered stars and drifting clouds, appearing more lonely than usual, its celestial radiance seeming far less dazzling than the fiery spectacle below. When

Zhang Yang and San Niang arrived at the Forbidden Gate, they found that everyone waiting to enter the palace was dressed in magnificent clothes and adorned with jewels. A few ragged commoners who tried to approach the gate were driven away by the guards.

Before long, the forbidden gates opened, and under the bright moonlight and lanterns, the crowd surged in like a tide.

Zhang Yang escorted San Niang into the imperial garden, where they saw golden turtles spraying snow, jade dragons hanging rainbows, and fiery trees and silver flowers, a city that never sleeps. It was truly magnificent and spectacular! It was no less impressive than modern movies. San Niang had never seen such a spectacle before, and soon she was lost in this illusory world.

Just as she was enjoying herself, she suddenly heard a commotion, and the crowd in front scattered. Then, a burst of colorful light appeared before her, and two groups of lanterns emerged from both sides of Xuande Tower. The lantern dancers were all handsome young men and beautiful women, some dressed as phoenixes, peacocks, cranes, deer, unicorns, fish, clams, and other figures, others as plum blossoms, orchids, lotuses, chrysanthemums, peonies, and peonies, and still others carrying various musical instruments. Each one was exquisitely beautiful, adorned with delicate makeup and dressed in brocade-like attire. Under the glow of lanterns and moonlight, they sang and danced, like golden boys and jade maidens, dazzling the eyes and dazzling the ears, leaving one breathless and overwhelmed.

When had Third Sister ever seen such a magnificent lantern display? Just as she was enjoying the spectacle, the lantern procession suddenly danced more rapidly, the delicate singing and dancing transforming into a rapid, rhythmic clatter! First, dozens or even hundreds of "shooting stars" shot into the sky, showering the air with a shower of sparks! Caught off guard, the crowd was startled; then chaos erupted as dozens of ferocious beasts, like tigers and leopards, suddenly leaped into the lantern procession, baring their teeth and claws, pouncing on anyone they saw. The handsome men and beautiful women dancing with the lanterns screamed and fled in all directions.

Although San Niang had practiced martial arts since childhood, she was still terrified by this sudden turn of events and burrowed into Zhang Yang's arms. The civil officials and noblewomen were even more frightened and scattered in all directions. Zhang Yang, however, realized that the wild beasts were actually people in disguise, and simply held San Niang quietly.

Sure enough, a moment later, drums and gongs sounded, and the hundred or so wild beasts in the arena shook their heads and tails, flying and pouncing in sync with the music. San Niang then realized that the wild beasts were also a kind of lantern.

Because the people dressed up were all palace warriors, skilled in leaping and chasing, and they were all wearing real animal skins, they looked almost like real animals. In addition, with the exquisite craftsmanship, some of them were even breathing fire, grinding their teeth and sucking blood, with smoke coming from their seven orifices, making them appear even more ferocious and terrifying. The two or three hundred handsome young men and beautiful women screamed for help and ran in all directions, as if a large group of wild beasts were really attacking.

The tourists all knew that the imperial garden kept many exotic birds and beasts, and those who did not see clearly mistook them for wild animals released from their cages, and were naturally frightened. When the music resumed and the beasts' hooves flew, those who realized the truth wiped away their tears, already drenched in cold sweat. Countless women and tourists had lost their hairpins and jewelry in the chaos, and many had fallen and been injured.

From the Xuande Tower, however, came a distant burst of cheers and laughter. The crowd then realized it was all just the emperor's whimsical idea—deliberately dressing up as wild animals to frighten people and amuse himself and his entourage. After

a long while, the singing and dancing stopped, and then Emperor Huizong bestowed wine upon the people from the Xuande Tower, showing his camaraderie with them. The people, eager to catch a glimpse of the emperor, surged forward.

Zhang Yang, however, didn't want to join the commotion and, with his third sister by his side, walked away.

When they reached the back of a lantern shed, several burly men in brocade robes blocked their path. One of them said to San Niang, "Why don't you have some imperial wine before you go, young lady? My master can take you to Xuande Tower to see the Emperor's face, so your trip won't be in vain."

San Niang replied, "I don't want to see the Emperor's face, please move aside."

The men said, "My master is Grand Commandant Gao of the Imperial Guard. If you like to see the Imperial Guards' martial arts demonstration, my young master can arrange it."

Seeing that these people were persistent, San Niang lost her patience and said, "We don't want to see anything, please make way."

Zhang Yang, hearing that these people were from Gao Qiu's mansion, was amused. Seeing that this was a dark place with few pedestrians, he began to pester the group.

Seeing this, the men thought Zhang Yang was afraid and became even more emboldened, sending another companion to fetch his master.

San Niang also received Zhang Yang's hint and knew he had ulterior motives, so she didn't make a move.

Before long, a group of men dressed similarly escorted a young man. The young man approached and, upon seeing San Niang, was instantly captivated. His lecherous hands reached for her cheeks, muttering, "What a beautiful woman! My son is in luck tonight."

Seeing the protagonist arrive, Zhang Yang swiftly grabbed Gao Yanei's wrist, pulled him down, and then slapped him on the Adam's apple. Gao Yanei groaned and collapsed to the ground, clearly not alive. Before anyone could react, Zhang Yang sprang into action, his figure flashing past, and everyone fell silently.

Seeing no one around, Zhang Yang turned to San Niang and said, "Let's go."

Seeing everyone fall, San Niang looked at Zhang Yang in horror and asked, "You killed them all?"

Seeing San Niang's reaction, Zhang Yang laughed, "Am I that bloodthirsty?"

San Niang, remembering Zhang Yang's usual gentleness, couldn't reconcile him with the image of an executioner and shook her head.

Zhang Yang laughed, "I only killed that wicked Gao Yanei; I just knocked the others unconscious. If we don't leave now, we might not be able to leave."

San Niang breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, knowing Zhang Yang's shady identity, and took his hand, walking outside.

The two arrived at an inn, packed their things, and left the city that very night.

It turned out that Gao Yanei had heard many young ladies would be visiting the imperial gardens to admire the lanterns on the Lantern Festival, so he led a group of hangers-on to hunt. However, they unexpectedly encountered Zhang Yang and became his prey. By the

time Gao Qiu learned of his son's death, Zhang Yang and his companion had already vanished. With so many nobles in the capital on the Lantern Festival, they dared not seal off the city for a search, only ordering a few days of investigation at inns, which ultimately came to nothing.

Chapter Fifty-Two:

Passing Through the Black Inn Several days passed with unusually bright sunshine, a rare occurrence in winter. The earth took the opportunity to dispel some of the chill, and the snow everywhere began to melt slowly, revealing the yellowish-black soil in some places, making the roads muddy and impassable. Zhang Yang and his companion had no choice but to buy two horses for transportation.

They traveled in silence, arriving early at the inn they had encountered on their journey.

San Niang, remembering that this was where they had first shared a room, gave Zhang Yang a coquettish look and said, "Let's rest here tonight."

It was still early, and Zhang Yang initially wanted to travel further, especially since some of their accomplices had escaped from the inn last time, making it unsafe. However, seeing San Niang's expectant face, knowing that women are emotional creatures and always remember places with special significance, he didn't want to disappoint her. So he agreed.

Hearing Zhang Yang's agreement, San Niang spurred her horse and galloped towards the inn. Fearing for her safety, Zhang Yang had no choice but to follow.

Upon arriving at the inn, they dismounted, and a waiter came out at their call. They tossed the reins to the waiter, and as Zhang Yang was about to untie his bundle from the horse, the waiter snatched it away, saying, "Please come in and sit down, sir. I will get your bundle."

Zhang Yang's bundle only contained some trinkets and clothes, so he wasn't worried about the waiter stealing. Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang followed San Niang into the shop, where San Niang chose the same table as before.

A short while later, the waiter brought in two packages.

Zhang Yang gestured for him to place them on the table and said, "Go and get some of the best dishes, and a dime of wine."

Upon hearing this, the waiter said, "Alright, please wait a moment, sir." He then turned and went into the inner room.

Zhang Yang cautiously followed behind. He saw the waiter enter the backyard and then go into a nearby room. Zhang Yang activated his search device and found only two people in that room. He carefully crept to the window of that room.

Inside, a burly man and a voluptuous village woman in her twenties were drinking together in an embrace. The woman's clothes had been torn open by the man, exposing a patch of her fair skin, and her large breasts were being manipulated in his hands, with large swathes of flesh constantly being squeezed out of her clothes. The two didn't seem to care about the waiter, continuing their intimate act even after he entered.

The waiter, staring at the village woman's snow-white breasts, swallowed hard and said, "Boss, another young couple has come into the shop. They don't have much money in their bags, but the woman is stunningly beautiful. What do you think we should do?"

The burly man, seeing the waiter staring at the woman in his arms, wasn't offended and laughed, "How does she compare to Feng Qiaonu, the courtesan we met at the brothel in Caozhou last time?"

The waiter, remembering the courtesan he'd met with his boss, felt a surge of heat and his gaze towards the village woman became even more lewd. But he still said, "Her looks are no less than hers, and she has a more heroic air about her. She must have practiced martial arts since childhood; she's probably a fellow traveler."

This burly man was none other than Han Bolong, the character mistakenly killed by Li Kui in *Water Margin*. He routinely robbed passersby at this inn and occasionally raided nearby villages. He was also a womanizer. Last time, he took the looted gold and silver to Caozhou for pleasure, but when he returned, two of his men had been killed. He initially worried it was revenge and hid in a nearby village for a few days. But seeing nothing amiss, they returned to their place and abducted another village woman to cook for them. This woman, however, was also a promiscuous one. After arriving, she simply prepared food and drink and served Han Bolong. Their food and clothing were much better than before, and Han Bolong, being in his prime, was full of vigor. Within a few days, the woman also fell in love with this easy and sexually fulfilling life.

Hearing this, Han Bolong tightened his grip, saying, "Who cares about these gangsters? We'll knock them out, and who will know it was us? Then kill the men, and keep the women for our enjoyment."

The woman winced as Han Bolong gripped her, giving him a coquettish glare, and said, "Be gentle, you're hurting me." Han

Bolong squeezed her large breasts hard again, put her on the ground, and said, "Go prepare the food, and remember to add plenty of sleeping potion."

The woman knew that Han Bolong was no longer interested in her, and that he was ruthless, so she didn't dare to cause any trouble and reluctantly walked away. As she approached the waiter, seeing him still staring at her chest, she gave him a flirtatious wink.

Seeing the village woman seemed interested in him, the waiter asked, "Brother, this woman?"

Han Bolong, knowing his men had been eyeing the woman for some time, laughed, "After it's done, she's yours."

The waiter quickly replied, "Thank you, brother."

The village woman, not disappointed by Han Bolong's words, gave the waiter a few more flirtatious winks before preparing to leave the house. Just as she opened the door, Zhang Yang flashed in. Before the waiter and the village woman could react, they were gone. Seeing a figure enter, Han Bolong quickly drew his waist knife from under the table and slashed at the newcomer.

Zhang Yang didn't stop, merely dodging the knife, and then delivered a chop to Han Bolong's carotid artery.

Han Bolong felt the knife miss its mark, then felt a sharp pain in his neck and fainted.

Zhang Yang picked up the knife and delivered another blow to each of them before leaving the courtyard. San Niang had also arrived, and Zhang Yang said, "The thieves are all on their way, but we'll have to cook for ourselves again."

San Niang also longed to relive the warmth of the kitchen, and upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Okay, this time you'll teach me how to cook."

Hearing this, Zhang Yang couldn't help but secretly pray: Hopefully, San Niang has good cooking skills, otherwise they'll both get food poisoning.

Although worried, he pretended to be very willing and went to the kitchen with San Niang.

Soon, a colorful feast was laid out on the table.

Zhang Yang looked at the dishes, some burnt and some raw, and didn't know where to begin. San Niang had personally prepared so many dishes, and although they didn't look as good as what she usually ate, she was still full of a sense of accomplishment, smiling and beckoning Zhang Yang, saying, "Zhang Lang, eat."

Since their intimate encounter, San Niang had started calling Zhang Yang "Zhang Lang." Although Zhang Yang was somewhat worried that he might turn into some disgusting creature that had once ravaged the world, seeing that San Niang refused to change her address, he had no choice but to force himself to accept the title.

Seeing that he couldn't escape his fate, Zhang Yang had no choice but to say, "Alright, you eat too." He picked up his chopsticks and slowly reached for a dish that looked normal.

Third Sister, however, had no qualms. Seeing Zhang Yang pick up his chopsticks, she also started eating. She chose a dish she liked, put it in her mouth, and immediately frowned, spitting it out. Third Sister came from a wealthy family, and her meals were usually prepared by servants; spoiled dishes would never be served to her. She truly didn't know food could be so bad. Undeterred, she tried several other dishes, only to find them all inedible.

Seeing that San Niang's expression turned grim with each bite, Zhang Yang suppressed a laugh and said, "Why did you throw up?"

San Niang, seeing Zhang Yang's serious demeanor masking amusement in his eyes and his clean chopsticks, scolded him, "You knew my cooking was inedible, yet you deliberately made me taste it. How mean! You have to try it too."

Hearing that he had to taste the food again, Zhang Yang felt a pang of bitterness, but under San Niang's coercion, he had no choice but to "enjoy" each dish.

Afterwards, Zhang Yang had to cook a few more dishes. After they finished eating, night had fallen.

Zhang Yang and San Niang returned to the room, but this time Zhang Yang didn't have to sleep on the floor. They got into bed and began to be intimate again. Soon, they were naked together.

Zhang Yang savored San Niang's fragrant lips, his large hands lingering between her buttocks. San Niang also gripped Zhang Yang's genitals tightly, slowly stroking them.

Just as Zhang Yang was lost in ecstasy, he suddenly felt his brother being led to the outside of San Niang's peach garden, and then he was forced into that familiar yet strange place. The tightness of her virginity even caused him some pain.

In the past few days, San Niang had also tasted many blissful pleasures, but she didn't know what the pain of losing her virginity was like. She only felt a tearing pain in her lower body and couldn't help but scream. She lay on top of Zhang Yang, afraid to move.

Zhang Yang also resisted the urge to thrust, and touched San Niang's smooth back, saying, "What's wrong?"

San Niang endured the pain of losing her virginity, looked at Zhang Yang, and said, "I don't want to be separated from you."

Zhang Yang said, "Didn't I say that I would go back and propose marriage?"

San Niang said, "But Father will definitely not agree. Now that it's a fait accompli, let's ask Brother to help us reconcile, and then Father might agree."

Zhang Yang was a man of great strength and didn't want to ask for help. But seeing San Niang's plea, he had no choice but to say, "Then I'll do as you say."

Upon hearing this, San Niang couldn't help but offer her fragrant lips again, but her lower body was still aching, and she dared not move at all.

Zhang Yang's large hands began to roam over San Niang's body.

Soon, San Niang's breathing became heavy, and she gasped softly. Her lower body twitched slightly, sensing the pain subsiding, and she began to move slowly.

Receiving this signal, Zhang Yang rolled over and pinned San Niang beneath him, beginning to thrust vigorously.

After a long while, San Niang let out a soft cry and reached her first true orgasm. Zhang Yang had no choice but to stop, holding San Niang and enjoying the post-orgasmic spasms.

It took San Niang a long time to recover from the afterglow of her orgasm, feeling that her member was still erect. She glanced apologetically at Zhang Yang and slowly resumed her movements.

Zhang Yang pressed down on San Niang's buttocks and said, "You've just lost your virginity, let's sleep."

Seeing that Zhang Yang remained as gentle as ever after winning her heart, San Niang was completely captivated and fell into a deep sleep in his arms.

Chapter Fifty-Three: Good Things Come in Pairs

The next day, Zhang Yang and San Niang headed straight for Hu Family Village. As soon as they entered the village, they were greeted by Hu Cheng and several village servants.

Before San Niang could speak, Hu Cheng shouted, "Tie that boy up!" The village servants behind him rushed forward.

San Niang stopped the crowd, stepped forward, and shook Hu Cheng's arm, saying, "Brother, why do you scare your sister the moment we meet?"

Hu Cheng, who always doted on his sister, said, "This time you've been disrespectful, going to Tokyo without a word. What if something happens?"

San Niang said, "Didn't I tell Xiao Qing and the others to tell you?"

Hu Cheng retorted angrily, "Don't mention that, it makes me even angrier. You're so willful, and I have to lie with you. Father still doesn't know you went to Tokyo."

San Niang shook Hu Cheng's arm, saying sweetly, "Brother loves me the most. Let's go inside and talk, so the villagers won't laugh at us."

Hu Cheng couldn't resist his sister's coquettishness, so he dismissed the servants, saying, "Let's go home and discuss how to tell Father."

Hearing this, San Niang immediately let go of Hu Cheng's arm, took Zhang Yang's hand, and headed into the village.

Seeing the intimacy between San Niang and Zhang Yang, Hu Cheng knew that he had probably decided on his brother-in-law. He carefully examined Zhang Yang and nodded in satisfaction.

The three entered the study. Hu Cheng said, "Aren't you going to introduce this young master?"

San Niang replied, "He's the one who saved me last time."

Hu Cheng, who had just sat down, jumped up in surprise upon hearing this, exclaiming, "Zhang Yang of Liangshan?"

Seeing her brother's reaction, San Niang knew what he was thinking and smiled, "Yes, although brother admires Zhang Lang, there's no need to be so agitated."

Hu Cheng also greatly admired Zhang Yang's righteous deeds, and since Zhang Yang had saved his sister, he held him in high esteem. He naturally spoke highly of Zhang Yang in everyday conversation, but he had never considered becoming related to him.

He thought to himself: If Zhang Yang really became my sister's husband, I'd probably have to join the outlaws too. That wasn't what I wanted, but my sister and he had just acted as if things had already escalated to the point of no return. Even if not, given my sister's personality, it would be difficult to change her mind.

Seeing her brother deep in thought, San Niang gritted her teeth and said sweetly, "Zhang Lang and I have already consummated our marriage. Brother, are you going to separate us?"

Hu Cheng, realizing his unfortunate prediction had come true, frowned and said, "Brother, I never said I wanted to separate you. I just don't know how to tell Father."

San Niang said, "Tell the truth, but you'll need my help."

Hu Cheng didn't answer, turning to Zhang Yang and asking, "What does the chieftain see in me, little sister?"

San Niang looked at Zhang Yang as well.

Zhang Yang said, "San Niang is beautiful, pure, and kind-hearted; naturally, she attracts me. As for the manor's money, grain, and troops, in my opinion, they are insignificant. Even including the other two manors, they are far inferior to Hu Yanzhuo's forces before the New Year. Young chieftain, don't doubt my intentions."

Hearing this, San Niang felt a surge of sweetness in her heart, but fearing her brother's anger, she hugged Hu Cheng's arm and said, "Brother, please help me!"

Zhang Yang's words, though blunt, were true. Hu Cheng had initially worried that Zhang Yang was trying to sabotage the alliance between the three villages by seducing his sister. Hearing this, his doubts vanished, and he said, "Alright."

The three men then persuaded Hu Taigong, and the group began discussing their plan to join Liangshan.

Hu Cheng said, "Before the New Year, the three villages on Dulonggang were ordered to recruit and train local militia. The Zhu Family Village, in order to deal with their leader, invited Luan Tingyu, the master of the third son of the Zhu family, known as Iron Cudgel. This man is highly skilled in martial arts and also adept at training troops. In just a few months, the Zhu Family Village's forces have begun to show their strength. If they hear we are going to join Liangshan, they might try to stop us."

Zhang Yang said, "That's easy to handle. I'll go back to the mountain with a group of men and take over the other two villages, so they won't hinder the stronghold's plans later."

The Zhu Family Village, relying on its superior numbers, often bullied the people of the other two villages. Hu Cheng, also harboring resentment, said upon hearing this, "The Zhu Family Village has committed numerous evils, and the chieftain should rid the people of this scourge. However, Li Ying of the Eastern Village is upright and honest, and it's not advisable to offend him."

Zhang Yang laughed, "I've also heard of this man. I'll simply invite him to the mountain."

Hu Cheng, upon hearing this, said nothing more. After everyone agreed, Zhang Yang stayed at the Hu Family Village for another night before returning to Liangshan to request reinforcements.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Hua Yu arrived at the mountain, she saw that Zhang Yang was refined and handsome, initially assuming he was just a scholar. However, after hearing about Zhang Yang's many acts of bravery, she couldn't help but become curious. In addition, Xiao Qiao was lively and active, often visiting the female relatives of various leaders. Gradually, Hua Yu also became familiar with the four women, including Wen Lian.

At first, she only inquired about Zhang Yang's past experiences from the four women, but Zhang Yang came from the modern era and knew that lies would eventually be exposed, so he didn't dare to tell the four women much about his past. Hua Yu naturally didn't learn about Zhang Yang's apprenticeship process, but instead learned of his usual gentleness towards the four women. Hearing this so often, she secretly fell for him. Every day, she would come to chat with the four women and check on Zhang Yang.

After Zhang Yang left the mountain, he spent even more time chatting with the four women in his secluded courtyard. Seeing the four women's happy faces when they mentioned Zhang Yang, she couldn't help but feel envious. As the five were chatting, they heard a knock on the door, but no one entered; only a gust of cold wind blew in.

Xiao Qiao called out, "Come in and close the door."

After a moment, seeing no response and no one closing the door, Hua Yu said, "The wind probably blew the door open; I'll go close it."

She got up and walked towards the living room. Just as she stepped out of the living room, she felt a tightness around her waist; someone had hugged her from behind, and then a pair of large hands grabbed her breasts. Before she could resist, she felt a heat on her earlobe; it was being sucked into someone's mouth. Then, the man actually started licking his own earlobe. The strange sensation caused Hua Yu's strength, which she had just mustered, to vanish, leaving her weakly leaning against him.

Zhang Yang had originally intended to surprise the four women. After returning to his secluded courtyard, he stopped the maid from announcing their arrival and left the door open while hiding in the living room. Hearing that Hua Yu was also inside and had come out to close the door, he couldn't help but feel a surge of desire to be intimate with her. As soon as Hua Yu came out, Zhang Yang embraced her and began to kiss her intimately.

Even through her cotton clothes, Zhang Yang could still feel the amazing texture of Hua Yu's breasts, and he couldn't help but increase the intensity

of his touch. Although Hua Yu wanted to resist, all her strength was drained by the pleasure from her breasts and earlobe, and she even began to anticipate the next move from the man behind her.

Xiao Qiao, seeing that Hua Yu had gone out for a while and there was no news of her, also came out to check. When she came out of the living room, she saw her husband embracing Hua Yu intimately. She couldn't help but exclaim, "My lord, why are you holding Hua Yu?"

Seeing Xiao Qiao's exclamation, Zhang Yang reluctantly let go, feigning surprise, "Ah! I wanted to give you a surprise, but I didn't expect Hua Yu to be here too."

Hua Yu also came to her senses, and seeing that the person who had just bullied her was Zhang Yang, she secretly rejoiced. But hearing that he had mistaken her for Xiao Qiao, she felt a pang of disappointment, remembering her recent unrequited love, and began to weep.

The other three women had also come out upon hearing the commotion. Wen Lian, seeing Hua Yu crying, quickly embraced and comforted her.

Xiao Qiao made a face at Zhang Yang and said, "Husband, what are you going to do now?"

Zhang Yang said, "Let Hua Yu punish me as she pleases."

Hearing this, Xiao Qiao immediately jumped to Hua Yu's side and said, "Sister, let him take us down the mountain to play!"

Da Qiao, hearing that Xiao Qiao had come up with such an idea, quickly pulled Xiao Qiao aside.

Wen Lian had long sensed Hua Yu's interest in Zhang Yang. Seeing Hua Yu only crying and not speaking, she knew what Hua Yu was planning. But being kind-hearted, she thought for a moment and said, "Husband, since you've ruined Hua Yu's reputation, you must marry her. Is that alright?"

Seeing that Wen Lian, who rarely made decisions, had spoken up, and since it was his wish, Zhang Yang also said, "Of course I'm willing, but I'm afraid Hua Yu won't agree."

Hearing this, Wen Lian also said to Hua Yu, "Sister, say something."

Hua Yu, seeing her wish fulfilled, nodded and then shyly nestled into Wen Lian's arms.

Seeing this, Wen Lian also said, "Since Hua Yu has agreed, husband should present the betrothal gifts as soon as possible."

Zhang Yang originally wanted to marry both Hua Yu and San Niang together. After thinking for a moment, he said, "At most ten days, I will definitely marry Hua Yu."

Xiao Qiao, seeing her dream dashed, asked, "Where are our gifts?"

Zhang Yang picked up two bundles from the ground and said, "They're all here."

Hearing this, Xiao Qiao immediately snatched the bundles and ran to the inner room to look.

When Zhang Yang and the others followed, Xiao Qiao had already opened a package, revealing a bed covered with various small trinkets. The other four women were immediately drawn to Zhang Yang's possessions, rushing to the bed to admire them, and it took them quite a while to finish dividing them up.

Then Xiao Qiao opened another package, finding beautiful clothes inside. She cheered and stood up on the bed to try them on. The other four women also took out their clothes to examine them. Hua Yu noticed a piece of silk as thin as a cicada's wing underneath, picked it up, and shook it. Seeing it was a dress-like garment, she paused, then blushed and dropped the sexy tulle Zhang Yang had specially bought for her.

The other four women, seeing the tulle Zhang Yang had bought, had different expressions. Wen Lian and Da Qiao were shy, Qiao Yun was alluring, and Xiao Qiao was delighted.

To avoid making everyone feel awkward, Zhang Yang said, "It's getting late, let's eat."

Hearing this, Hua Yu got out of bed and said, "I'm going home for dinner."

Wen Lian said, "Sister, why don't you stay and eat with us?"

Hua Yu was still a little shy and said, "No, brother and sister-in-law are waiting for me."

Wen Lian said, "Then take care, sister."

Hua Yu then took her leave, not daring to glance at Zhang Yang.

After having dinner with the four women, Zhang Yang began to recount what had happened since they last met, though he described the Third Sister as a chance encounter. The woman was helpless about this, but she listened with longing for the lanterns of Tokyo.

Chapter Fifty-Four: Night Raid

The next day, Zhang Yang summoned the leaders for a meeting. After everyone was seated, Zhang Yang said, "Before the New Year, Dongping Prefecture ordered the three villages on Dulonggang to recruit soldiers and horses in preparation for fighting against the mountain stronghold. I have already persuaded the Hu Family Village to join us, and we cannot let the Zhu Family Village and Li Family Village become too powerful. I intend to go down the mountain to attack these two villages. What are your thoughts?"

Wu Yong, knowing that Zhang Yang had already decided to send troops, chimed in, "I have long heard that the Zhu Family Village is a scourge on the local people and should be eliminated. If we let them train their troops, the mountain stronghold will surely suffer more casualties if they attack. This matter should be dealt with sooner rather than later."

The others naturally had no objections, and Zhang Yang then asked, "Dai Zong, how many troops do the two villages have in total?"

Dai Zong replied, "According to reports from our spies in both villages, the Zhu Family Village has more than three thousand men, with combat strength roughly equivalent to that of a regular garrison. The Li Family Village has more than one thousand men, but only a few hundred of their veteran soldiers have any fighting ability; the rest are not yet well-trained."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang said, "In that case, we can send five thousand men. One thousand cavalry and four thousand infantry... Are you willing to accept the order?"

Everyone had been waiting on the mountain for a long time, and upon hearing this, they naturally rushed to accept the order.

Zhang Yang, intending to eliminate any internal threats to the stronghold, saw Wang Ying recklessly jump out and declare, "All men, listen to my command: Lin Chong, Lu Da, Bai Sheng, Du Qian, and Wang Ying, each lead your troops and follow me down the mountain. Mu Chun and Li Kui, accompany the

army and await orders." Seeing Zhang Yang's order,

the men dared not argue further. Zhang Yang then spoke with them about the continued peace and prosperity of Dongjing (Kaifeng), but their reactions varied. Those of military background sighed repeatedly, while those from the martial world remained noncommittal.

The next day, Zhang Yang led his troops down the mountain and set up camp at the foot of Dulong Ridge that very night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After arriving at the Zhu Family Village, Luan Tingyu, while training his troops, also deployed scouts to guard against a surprise attack from Liangshan. However, the scouts sent to Liangshan were blocked on the mountain by Zhang Yang's order and disappeared without a trace. Even so, when the Liangshan army reached within twenty li of the ridge, they were discovered by the Zhu Family Village scouts. Upon hearing the news, Luan Tingyu immediately assembled his troops while ordering others to continue scouting.

Hearing that the Liangshan army was setting up camp outside the ridge, Zhu Biao said, "The bandits are exhausted from their long journey; we can take advantage of their camping to launch a surprise attack."

Luan Tingyu shook his head, saying, "The bandits are already prepared; they've only deployed a portion of their forces to camp, while the rest remain on guard. Moreover, the troops in the village are poorly trained; there are only about a thousand men available. If we rashly attack, we risk heavy losses."

Zhu Biao had been bedridden for over a month after being beaten by Zhang Yang, but after recovering, he diligently practiced his martial arts, determined to avenge himself. Hearing this, he said unwillingly, "Then are we just going to let them set up camp so easily?"

Luan Tingyu said, "Let them set up camp first. The bandits will think we are weak and intend to defend the village to the death, so they will definitely relax their guard. We will then launch a surprise attack on their camp tonight and surely gain something. You go and let the thousand veteran soldiers in the village rest, and then assemble them again at the second watch. In addition, the village must be sealed off to prevent anyone from leaking information."

Zhu Biao knew that a night attack would be more likely to succeed. He saluted and went outside to make the arrangements.

Winter nights are always pitch black, and even if there are a few stars, they are always dim.

At the third watch, Luan Tingyu and the three sons of the Zhu family led a thousand men out of the village quietly. The horses had bells in their mouths and cotton-padded hooves, so their movements were completely silent. Even though they were used to coming and going, it took them quite a while to get out of the winding road in front of the ridge in the dark.

Along the way, the ground was covered with heavy shadows of trees, and there was no sound of anyone. The occasional barking of dogs from the village sounded particularly desolate in the quiet night.

Luan Tingyu and his men cautiously approached the camp, finding only a few torches lit at the edge, and patrolling soldiers scattered about. There were no antler-shaped moats around the camp, just simple wooden stakes connected by ropes.

Zhu Biao said, "The bandits are indeed unprepared. Let's charge!"

Luan Tingyu said, "Let's observe further."

Zhu Biao said, "With so many of our men lying in ambush here, the bandits might discover us if we stay too long."

Luan Tingyu knew Zhu Biao was right. After observing for a while and finding nothing amiss, he ordered everyone to mount their horses, light their torches, and charge into the camp.

Seeing the torches suddenly appear outside the camp, the patrolling soldiers fled.

Luan Tingyu cut the ropes, charged into the camp first, and threw his torch onto a nearby tent. Without pausing, he led his men straight towards the central camp. After galloping for several dozen paces, finding no movement from the surrounding tents, he immediately reined in his horse and shouted, "Ambush! Retreat the way we came!"

The vanguard, hearing this, hurriedly turned and charged out, but the troops behind continued their advance, causing a chaotic mass of horses to collide.

Zhang Yang, who had been leading his men to wait in the central camp, upon hearing that Luan Tingyu had discovered the trap, also ordered

a signal cannon to be fired and led his men to attack. Just as Luan Tingyu was panicking, a cannon fired from the central camp, and many torches lit up the camp. Shouts came from all directions, and it seemed there were ambushes along the original route. Ignoring the traps in the camp, he immediately spurred his horse around several tents and fled in disarray. Seeing this, Zhu Biao, without even calling out to his two brothers, led a few riders and also fled.

While Zhu Hu was trapped and unable to move in the chaos of battle, Li Kui charged forward. This fellow was fearless, wielding two broadswords and charging wherever there were many people. Li Kui was already dark-skinned and ugly, with a thick beard that spiked outwards. In the night, he looked even more frightening, and the crowd, already tricked, was terrified; no one dared to fight him.

Seeing a dark-skinned man suddenly appear behind him, and his horse unable to turn around due to the crowd, Zhu Hu quickly dismounted and brandished his sword to meet Li Kui. Li Kui, enraged by someone daring to block his path, roared and parried Zhu Hu's sword with his left axe while his right axe cleaved at Zhu Hu's waist. Zhu

Hu tried to dodge, but was jostled by the soldiers beside him, slowing his movement, and was cleaved in two at the waist by Li Kui. Seeing this, the other soldiers dared not resist.

Zhang Yang, who had come on horseback, was outnumbered by Li Kui on foot. Upon approaching, seeing the massacre had turned into a one-sided slaughter, he hurriedly shouted, "Surrender and you will not be killed!"

The soldiers of Zhu Family Village, already demoralized by Li Kui's slaughter, threw down their weapons and surrendered upon hearing this. Those who were slightly slower were cut down by Li Kui. Seeing Li Kui still killing, Zhang Yang quickly ordered his men to drag Li Kui back.

Zhu Long, however, had not anticipated any trap. Seeing that the original route was blocked, he led his men around to the outside of the camp, intending to return to the village by the same route. They had not gone far when they ran into Lin Chong leading his army. Zhu Long, seeing that there were less than a hundred men behind him, was already terrified. But Lin Chong's fierce shout made him lose his mind. Lin Chong raised his spear and knocked him off his horse.

Seeing this, the village soldiers behind him also surrendered one after another.

Luan Tingyu and Zhu Biao, on the other hand, headed towards Du Qian's ambush location. Du Qian's martial arts skills were mediocre, and he led only infantry, leaving behind only a few village men, which Luan Tingyu and Zhu Biao managed to escape. The internet connection went down

this

morning, but it's just been fixed. I kept everyone waiting.

Chapter Fifty-Five: Subduing the Three Villages.

After Luan Tingyu and Zhu Biao escaped back to their village, they ordered increased vigilance to prevent the Liangshan forces from taking advantage of the situation to attack. Zhu Biao waited until midnight, but seeing that his two brothers hadn't returned, he knew they were likely dead. Having lost all his elite troops, the thought of revenge had long been forgotten; he only hoped to defend the village.

As dawn broke, Zhu Biao breathed a sigh of relief when a servant reported, "The Liangshan bandits have arrived outside the village."

Zhu Biao quickly woke the sleeping Luan Tingyu.

Luan Tingyu opened his eyes and, seeing Zhu Biao's panicked expression, was startled and asked, "Have the Liangshan bandits begun their attack?"

Zhu Biao nodded, "Yes, and the bandits are already outside the village. What should we do?"

Luan Tingyu had thought that the winding road in front of the hill could delay the Liangshan army for a while, and even allow them to turn the tide of battle. Hearing this, he hurriedly said, "Let's go to the village wall and take a look."

The two climbed the wall and saw that the Liangshan army had already formed ranks. There were a thousand cavalrymen in the center and four thousand infantrymen on both flanks, all dressed in black armor, their gleaming weapons appearing even more menacing in the winter morning. A large banner in the center bore the words "Zhang Yang," and below it was the name Zhang Yang, which Zhu Biao found unforgettable.

The remaining guards on the manor wall were mostly refugees recruited last winter. Upon seeing the Liangshan forces, they lost all will to fight. They only stood on the wall out of fear of humiliation for their families.

Zhang Yang, seeing Zhu Biao and another man on the wall, spurred his horse forward and shouted, "Zhu Biao, dare you come out and fight me?"

Luan Tingyu, fearing Zhu Biao would fight, quickly said, "The soldiers in the manor are currently lacking training. Only by holding the manor to the death can we stop the Liangshan bandits. Third Master, don't fall for our tricks."

Zhu Biao, hearing this, glanced at Zhang Yang unwillingly and said, "So we're just going to hold out like this?"

Luan Tingyu said, "The Liangshan bandits have no siege equipment, and it's freezing cold now. If we just stay inside, they'll retreat in a few days. We can take revenge after we've trained our troops."

Seeing Zhu Biao remain silent, Zhang Yang waved his hand behind him.

Four soldiers then carried the corpses of Zhu Long and Zhu Hu to the front of the formation.

Zhang Yang shouted, "Zhu Long and Zhu Hu unfortunately died in battle last night. I've brought their bodies here. Is anyone there to receive them?"

Zhu Biao, upon hearing of his two brothers' deaths, was overcome with grief. Seeing Zhu Hu cut in two at the waist, he flew into a rage and shouted, "Men, prepare horses for me!"

Luan Tingyu, hearing this, hurriedly said, "We mustn't fall into the bandits' trap. Going out now will only lead to our deaths."

As the two argued, they saw Zhang Yang send two thousand soldiers east and west.

Zhu Biao said, "It must be the Hu Family Village and Li Family Village coming to their aid. We can take this opportunity to retrieve our brothers' bodies."

Luan Tingyu said, "The bandits still have three thousand men. We are still outnumbered. Let's wait and see."

Zhu Biao knew that the Liangshan bandits couldn't defeat the other two villages quickly, so he simply ordered his men to assemble.

After observing for a moment, they saw a rider galloping from the west towards the Hu Family Village, followed by another thousand Liangshan soldiers heading west. Liangshan troops also retreated from the east.

Seeing this, Zhu Biao hurriedly said, "This is a golden opportunity! Let's charge out now!"

Luan Tingyu, however, was still somewhat worried and said, "Why don't we first form ranks under the city walls? If the Li Family Village really manages to break through one of their lines, we can attack the bandits from both sides and surely win. If the bandits are using a trick, we can retreat back to the village under the cover of archers on the walls."

Zhu Biao, also afraid of falling into a trap like yesterday, nodded in agreement.

The two led a thousand troops out into battle, each side setting up crossbows to hold their positions.

As the two armies faced each other, Zhu Biao saw the corpses of his two brothers and rushed out of the formation, shouting, "Liangshan bandits, you killed my brothers without cause! Who will die first?"

The remaining Liangshan leaders were enraged by Zhu Biao's insolence and all volunteered to fight.

Zhang Yang, who originally wanted to show off his newly forged Overlord Spear, said to Wang Ying, "Wang Ying, go and meet him. Don't let the spirit of the stronghold be diminished."

Wang Ying accepted the order and rode out into battle.

Zhu Biao, brandishing his spear, approached, but upon getting close, he secretly took the iron hammer from his saddle and struck Wang Ying squarely in the face.

Wang Ying, caught off guard, was overwhelmed by the pain and collapsed from his horse, clutching his face.

Zhu Biao caught up and delivered a final blow to Wang Ying's throat, sealing his fate.

It turned out that after being humiliated by Zhang Yang, Zhu Biao had spent a month in bed, contemplating his strength. Realizing he was no match for Zhang Yang, he had diligently practiced throwing hammers, hoping to exact revenge. Unexpectedly, Wang Ying had been sent out by Zhang Yang and become his scapegoat.

Zhang Yang, having achieved his goal, didn't want to waste any more time. Feigning grief and rage, he roared and charged at Zhu Biao with his spear.

This spear was a replica of Xiang Yu's Overlord Spear, forged by Tang Long at Zhang Yang's behest. It was entirely cast from a mixture of fine steel and gold, gleaming brightly and exuding an imposing aura. The spear was thirteen feet seven inches long, weighed eighty-one jin (approximately 49 kg), and possessed a sharp blade and immense weight. Aside from Zhang Yang, no one else in the stronghold could wield this spear with one hand.

Zhu Biao had just retrieved his flying hammer when he saw Zhang Yang enter the fray. Seeing his sworn enemy, he was filled with rage and spurred his horse to meet him. Upon reaching him, he used the same tactic again, throwing the flying hammer at Zhang Yang's face.

Zhang Yang, seeing this, deflected it with his spear, sending the hammer flying backward.

Zhu Biao had assumed that even if the hammer didn't achieve its intended purpose, it would force Zhang Yang to dodge, so he simply rushed forward to attack. However, he hadn't expected the hammer to fly back so quickly, reaching him in the blink of an eye. Zhu Biao cried out in alarm as the hammer struck him in the face, causing him to fall from his horse.

Seeing this, Luan Tingyu rushed to his aid.

Seeing Zhang Yang approaching, Luan Tingyu was also secretly fearful. Learning from Zhu Biao's experience, he dared not use the flying hammer, only wielding his staff to meet the attack.

Zhang Yang swung his spear, deflecting Luan Tingyu's iron club. As the two horses passed each other, Zhang Yang twisted his waist and stretched out his arms, lifting Luan Tingyu onto his horse.

Luan Tingyu was about to resist, but Zhang Yang gently squeezed him, and he lost his strength.

Zhang Yang rode to the front of the Zhu Family Village and shouted, "Surrender and you will not be killed; otherwise, your sword will be merciless!"

Most of the remaining soldiers in the Zhu Family Village were recruits from various disaster-stricken areas. They hadn't been trained long and had little affection for the village. Seeing their commanders dead and outnumbered, they lost their will to fight. With a Liangshan insider leading the way, they surrendered in no time.

At this time, Lu Da had also led his troops to retreat. Zhang Yang ordered Mu Chun to take Wang Ying's troops to take over the Zhu Family Village, while the rest of the troops went to meet the people from the Li Family Village.

Li Ying had received Zhu Biao's plea for help the previous night and led his men to its aid early this morning. Halfway there, they encountered Lu Da's troops, only to see Lu Da retreat without a fight. Fearing they had fallen into the same trap as the Zhu Family Village, Li Ying led his men slowly towards the village.

Upon arriving, he saw that the Zhu Family Village had fallen and the Liangshan army was waiting in full battle array, and he was greatly alarmed.

As the two armies faced each other, Li Kui rushed forward, saying, "Chief, it's my turn to fight this battle!"

Lu Da, who had retreated all the way, was even more frustrated and shouted, "We haven't decided the victor yet, Brother Li Kui, please rest a bit."

Zhang Yang laughed, "You don't need to argue, I'll go persuade him to join us." Saying this, he spurred his horse forward and shouted, "I am Zhang Yang of Liangshan, please answer me, Brother Li Ying."

Hearing Zhang Yang's call, Li Ying also stepped forward and said, "I am Li Ying, what can I do for you, Chief?"

Zhang Yang laughed, "The Zhu Family Village has been defeated, and the Hu Family Village has also submitted to the stronghold. I would like to invite you to join us as well, brother. What do you think?"

Hearing that the Hu Family Village had also joined them, and seeing the thousand cavalrymen poised to attack, Li Ying knew that his own troops couldn't withstand a single charge. He only had a few hundred soldiers left to defend his village, and if the fighting broke out, he feared his family would be lost. After a moment's consideration, Li Ying dismounted and knelt, saying, "I am willing to serve you, brother, by holding your whip and stirring rod."

Seeing this, Zhang Yang quickly dismounted and helped Li Ying up, treating him with kindness.

Seeing Zhang Yang's magnanimity, Li Ying's lingering fear vanished.

Soon after, the Hu family's troops arrived, and Zhang Yang ordered them

to return to their respective villages to gather provisions and valuables. Li Ying, grateful that Zhang Yang had allowed him to lead his troops back to his village alone, was even more moved by Zhang Yang's generosity.

Luan Tingyu, persuaded by the crowd, also surrendered to Zhang Yang.

A few days later, Zhang Yang led the villagers from the three villages who were willing to join him back to Liangshan.

Chapter Fifty-Six: Song Jiang Descends

the Mountain. Upon returning to Liangshan, Zhang Yang gave Wang Ying a proper burial and personally kept vigil for him overnight. He also postponed his marriage to San Niang and Hua Yu for three months. The charade was well-acted, and since Zhang Yang had personally avenged Wang Ying, no one suspected anything. After all, "Even a broken pot will eventually break by the well, and a general will inevitably die on the battlefield."

Only Song Jiang was truly frustrated. He had gone to great lengths to win over Wang Ying, only to have Wang Ying abandon him before he could even use him. Then came Zhang Yang's engagement to Hua Yu and Hu Sanniang, and Hua Rong's promotion to Zhang Yang's brother-in-law. The consecutive departures of two potentially useful people caused Song Jiang to age considerably in just a few days.

Amidst the people's long-awaited anticipation, spring finally slowly appeared. First, the snow on the sunlit hillsides melted, and the grasses that had hibernated under the snow awakened, sprouting tender green shoots.

Under Zhang Yang's supervision, the fighting strength of the stronghold's troops had significantly improved. That day, Zhang Yang and the other leaders selected five thousand regular soldiers from the reserve force, and Li Kui, Ou Peng, Ma Lin, Mu Hong, and Shi Yong were appointed as centurions.

The leaders also held a martial arts competition. Zhang Yang stood in the arena for a long time, but no one was willing to step down and suffer his blows, leaving him feeling frustrated. Seeing several flocks of geese flying in from the horizon, he said, "Let's have an archery contest, shoot those geese!"

Having been repeatedly humiliated by Zhang Yang, the others knew the outcome would be the same for everyone, so they didn't want to invite further shame. Hearing Zhang Yang drop the topic of the contest, those skilled in archery quickly ordered their soldiers to bring bows and arrows.

Zhang Yang had his personal guards bring his own bow, a modified version of the Divine Arm Bow. The bow was made of sturdy mulberry wood, the bowstring of solid sandalwood, and the bowstring of hemp thread, making the Divine Arm Bow both lightweight and incredibly powerful.

The Divine Arm Bow could shoot three hundred paces and penetrate heavy armor, making it arguably the most accurate long-range weapon in ancient times. However, ordinary people needed to use a mechanism to draw the bow, and even then, the Song Dynasty strictly controlled the Divine Arm Bow. Only a few elite imperial guards and important prefectures were equipped with it, and each one was numbered; losing one was punishable by death.

Zhang Yang conquered several cities but only obtained a few dozen arrows, totaling just over two hundred even with Huyan Zhuo's forces. However,

Zhang Yang possessed astonishing strength; he could easily draw his bow even without the traps, and with his exceptional eyesight, he mastered the skill of hitting a willow leaf from a hundred paces away within a few months.

Seeing everyone had arrows in hand, Zhang Yang said, "I'll shoot the lead goose in the left eye. Each of you should report your target. When I count to three, we'll all attack together."

Knowing Zhang Yang's extraordinary abilities, the others didn't doubt his amazing words. Everyone reported their targets, except for Hua Rong, who said he wanted to shoot the third goose in the head; the others didn't dare report their intended target.

Seeing the geese approaching, Zhang Yang began counting. As soon as he uttered "three," over a dozen arrows flew from the bow.

A chorus of geese cries filled the sky; the geese, which had been flying in a V-formation, scattered in panic, and over a dozen fell to the ground.

When Zhang Yang ordered his soldiers to bring the arrows, they found that Zhang Yang's arrow had pierced the goose's eye, Hua Rong's arrow had struck the goose's head, and most of the other leaders had also been hit.

The leaders praised Hua Rong's archery skills, while Zhang Yang was automatically ignored.

The three eaglets Dai Zong had contributed had grown to over five feet tall and were already capable of hunting for themselves. Zhang Yang then directed them to startle the birds around the stronghold, practiced archery for a while, and then returned to the main camp with the others.

Just as they returned, their personal guards reported that Wu Song and his wife Zhang Qing were waiting in the Hall of Righteousness. Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang hurriedly went to the Hall with the others.

He saw that Wu Song had become much thinner after a series of blows, and with a gold tattoo on his face, he had to disguise himself as a wandering monk. Zhang Yang stepped forward, grasped Wu Song's arms, and sighed deeply.

Upon reaching the mountain, Wu Song was told by his personal guards that Zhang Yang had given prior instructions. He was led directly into the Hall of Righteousness. Seeing Zhang Yang's agitated expression, and remembering how he had disregarded Zhang Yang's kindness and insisted on leaving the mountain last year, Wu Song felt a pang of shame and was about to kneel.

Zhang Yang supported Wu Song's arm, saying, "Brother, what are you doing?"

Wu Song said, "I regret not heeding your wise advice, brother, and insisting on leaving the mountain

, which has led to this predicament. Brother, you still treat me so kindly; it truly makes me ashamed." Zhang Yang said, "It's good that you've made it safely up the mountain, brother. Everyone encounters hardships in life. Just stay on the mountain. If you wish to join the brothers in building a great cause, I'll make you a leader; if you only want to live peacefully, I won't neglect your needs."

Seeing that Zhang Yang still didn't force him, Wu Song's eyes welled up with tears, and he choked out, "Brother, your great kindness..." "Even if I were to be shattered to pieces, I could not repay your kindness; I would gladly serve as your whip and stirrup bearer."

Zhang Yang, knowing Wu Song's incredible strength, said, "In that case, brother, become my personal guard captain first, so we can get to know each other better."

Wu Song replied, "I will follow your orders

, brother." Zhang Yang noticed a couple behind Wu Song and asked , "I was so busy talking to you

, brother. Who are you two?" Wu Song quickly replied, "It's Zhang Qing from the vegetable garden and Sun Erniang, the 'She-Devil.' Thanks to their help, I was able to live to see you again, brother."

Upon hearing their name, Zhang Qing and

his wife quickly bowed in respect. Zhang Yang also deeply abhorred Sun Erniang's murderous acts in the Water Margin, though he hadn't heard Lu Zhishen mention it during their casual conversations. He couldn't help but scrutinize the two women closely. Sun Erniang was quite attractive; although her looks were average, her figure was exceptionally voluptuous, and her eyes and brows exuded mature feminine charm. After bowing, her exaggerated waist and hip curves were even more evident. Zhang Qing had a angular face with a few wisps of beard, and was nearly thirty-five or thirty-six years old.

Zhang Yang didn't want to make a hasty decision, so he helped the two up and introduced all the leaders one by one.

When Wu Song recounted how he killed someone because of Pan Jinlian and was then framed by Yulan, it seemed to confirm Zhang Yang's prophecy.

Seeing Zhang Yang's extraordinary skills, the crowd had often questioned him. Zhang Yang had only jokingly claimed to be from heaven, and the crowd remained skeptical. Now, confirming Zhang Yang's ability to foresee the future, they could

n't help but believe him more. Song Jiang, however, was obsessed with power and had become single-minded, single-mindedly focused on building his own influence. He didn't quite believe Zhang Yang's words; after all, even without Yulan, Zhang Dujian's plan to frame Wu Song would surely succeed. Seeing Wu Song's unwavering devotion to Zhang Yang, he was filled with jealousy.

Zhang Yang then hosted a banquet for Wu Song, and the depressed Song Jiang became heavily drunk, his gaze towards Zhang Yang suddenly turning fierce. Zhang Yang sensed Song Jiang's murderous intent and secretly resolved to eliminate him when the opportunity arose.

Knowing his brother had been restless since coming up the mountain, Song Qing feared he might say something inappropriate while drunk, so he quickly said, "Chief, my brother is already drunk. To avoid disturbing everyone's enjoyment, perhaps I should help him back to his room."

Zhang Yang also knew that even if Song Jiang did something while drunk, he couldn't openly attack him. Hearing this, he waved for him to leave. As

Song Qing helped Song Jiang out of the Hall of Righteousness, Song Jiang muttered, "I hate it so much! Why does Zhang Yang always win?"

Seeing Zhang Yang's personal guards patrolling nearby, Song Qing quickly helped Song Jiang back to his room.

Song Jiang returned to the house and grabbed Song Qing's sleeve, saying, "What should I do? Am I supposed to stay in this stronghold with them for the rest of my life?"

Song Qing said, "Since they won't listen to you, brother, why don't you recruit some people to join you on the mountain? That way, you'll have someone to help you in the future." Song Jiang,

who had only thought about winning over the stronghold leaders since joining the mountain, was overjoyed at this suggestion, saying, "Brother, you're absolutely right. I recently heard that my two disciples, Kong Liang, the Lone Star, and Kong Ming, the Hairy Star, have joined the bandits at White Tiger Mountain in Qingzhou, and they have several hundred men under their command. Tomorrow, I'll personally go and recruit them to join the mountain."

The next day, Song Jiang asked Zhang Yang for leave, and Zhang Yang, unable to refuse, had no choice but to let him go down the mountain.

(
Chapter 57: Song Jiang Breaks Through the City)

Meanwhile, Song Jiang arrived at the foot of White Tiger Mountain and, while searching for a way up, tripped and fell to the ground. From the sound of copper bells in the woods, fourteen or fifteen henchmen emerged from their ambush. They shouted, seized Song Jiang, bound him with a hemp rope, seized his broadsword and bundle, and dragged him up the mountain. Song Jiang,

already worried about having no way to climb the mountain, remained silent, allowing them to carry him up. At the top of the mountain stronghold, he saw only wooden palisades on all sides, with a thatched hall in the center and about a hundred thatched huts behind it. The henchmen bound Song Jiang like a dumpling and quickly took him to the Hall of Righteousness. Song Jiang looked up and saw Kong Mingxing and Kong Liang sitting on two tiger-skin chairs discussing something. He asked, "Do the Kong brothers still recognize Song Jiang?"

Kong Ming and Kong Liang, who were frowning in worry, turned around upon hearing this and saw that the bound man below was their master, Song Jiang. They quickly untied their master and bowed deeply to Song Jiang.

Seeing this, Song Jiang quickly helped them up.

Seeing the panicked henchmen behind him, Kongming shouted, "The one who kidnapped my master, bring over a hand!"

The henchman, terrified, knelt on the ground begging for mercy.

Kongming, seeing this henchman dare to challenge Song Jiang's authority, grew even angrier and drew his sword to strike the henchman.

Song Jiang quickly grabbed Kongming's right hand, laughing, "These children don't recognize me, that's why they offended me. Disciple, please forgive them this time."

Seeing his master speak, Kongming had no choice but to relent, saying, "I'll forgive you this time. All of you, leave."

The henchmen thanked Song Jiang and hurried out of the hall.

After the Kong brothers invited Song Jiang to take a seat, they ordered fine wine and meat to be brought. During the meal, Song Jiang said, "I noticed you two seemed to be discussing something earlier. I wondered if Master could be of any help?"

Kong Ming replied, "A little over a month ago, my brother and I had a dispute with a wealthy man in our village. We killed his entire family, both men and women, and gathered five or seven hundred men. We occupied White Tiger Mountain and began robbing and pillaging. Unexpectedly, the prefect of Qingzhou arrested our uncle, Kong Bin, and imprisoned him. We were discussing how to attack Qingzhou. Master, with your vast experience, you must have a plan for us."

Song Jiang asked, "How many troops does Qingzhou have?"

Kong Ming replied, "After Liangshan's Zhang Yang broke through the city last year, the new prefect recruited three thousand soldiers. However, they are not well-trained, and their fighting strength is inferior to that of the boys in our stronghold."

Upon hearing this, Song Jiang thought to himself: The Kong brothers only have a few hundred men now. If they join Liangshan, their martial arts skills will be mediocre. Only by expanding to over a thousand troops can they possibly become commanders of a thousand men, and only then will they have some say.

Thinking of this, he said, "We'll break through Qingzhou City and rescue your uncle. Then we'll go to Liangshan together, and we won't be afraid of being captured by the government troops. Kongming can first take a few dozen men and sneak into the city, lying in ambush at the west gate. Kongliang and I will lead the stronghold's men disguised as a merchant caravan, and then launch a surprise attack near the city. If the government troops discover any flaws, Kongming can lead his men to seize the city gate. Then we can raise the Liangshan banner, and the government troops will surely collapse without a fight."

Upon hearing this, Kongming said, "In that case, Brother Zhang Yang won't blame us for impersonating him, will he?"

Although Song Jiang was unwilling to be subordinate to Zhang Yang, he knew that Zhang Yang was kind and generous, at least on the surface, which was why he didn't want to sow discord among the stronghold's men. He laughed and said, "Don't worry about that. We just need to gather the defeated soldiers as quickly as possible to prevent them from harming the people. Zhang Yang is very protective of his reputation and has set up a petition area at the foot of the mountain. If the people file a complaint there, we might not escape punishment."

The Kongming brothers had also heard that the Liangshan army had never committed any offenses, so they nodded in agreement. That night, they treated Song Jiang to a large feast of wine and meat.

The next day, the three of them began to reorganize the discipline of the stronghold. Fortunately, most of the stronghold's followers were former villagers from Kongjiazhuang, and they hadn't been outlaws for long, so they were easy to control. After a few days of reorganization, Kongming led thirty men in disguise down the mountain, while Song Jiang and Kong Liang led the stronghold's men disguised as a merchant caravan, following them from a distance.

After Kongming led his men into the city in batches and assembled them, he sent a messenger to Song Jiang.

Seeing that the preliminary preparations had gone smoothly, Song Jiang also led his men into the city.

As

the sun set, various birds settled in their roosts, preparing to enjoy the warmth of the night.

Li Yi originally owned a few acres of meager land, and usually rented out a few more acres. Although this year's taxes were heavy, he could barely make ends meet. Unexpectedly, last year's drought, combined with his own harvest, barely covered the rent. The imperial court showed no signs of tax reduction, and officials pressed for more, later colluding with local wealthy landowners to forcibly buy his land—barely enough to pay the taxes. Just as he was worrying about how to survive the winter, he heard that the Liangshan army had raided Qingzhou, and many government troops were also taken away.

Then the new prefect recruited soldiers, and Li Yi joined the army to earn a living. After less than a month of training, the new recruits were sent to various villages to collect this year's taxes in advance from the local people. Unlike Dongping Prefecture, Qingzhou not only plundered the gentry but also spared no ordinary people. The chaos in Qingzhou was utterly devastating, with many people either becoming outlaws or seeking refuge with Liangshan.

After ravaging the surrounding villages, the prefect turned his attention to the city's inhabitants, first seizing the taxes and provisions Liangshan had distributed, then levying protection fees.

Li Yi, being more literate than the average soldier and possessing a bit of cunning, rose to the position of captain, commanding fifty soldiers. With some power, Li Yi forgot his past and focused solely on extorting the people. Within months, he had amassed a small fortune.

Today, it was Li Yi's turn to lead the gate guards. Seeing that it was getting late, he weighed his money box and cursed, "We haven't met the master's demands yet! Dog, go check if anyone else wants to enter the city!"

A soldier muttered a few words under his breath before slowly strolling outside the city, gazing towards the distant main road. Seeing a caravan gradually appearing in the distance, seemingly a large merchant caravan, he hurriedly ran to the city gate and exclaimed happily, "Boss, there's meat to eat! A caravan of over a hundred people is coming!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yi was overjoyed and shouted, "Everyone, perk up! Let them know this protection fee wasn't paid in vain. When we get back, the commander will surely give us a good meal!"

The soldiers, hearing this, straightened their backs and picked up their weapons.

Song Jiang led his men all the way to the city gate, where Li Yi stepped forward and shouted, "Where did this merchant caravan come from?"

Seeing everyone crowding around, Song Jiang also stepped forward and said, "We're from Haozhou."

Li Yi, seeing Song Jiang bowing and scraping as he approached, was about to explain the new rules of Qingzhou when Song Jiang pulled a gleaming dagger from his sleeve and stabbed him. Li Yi tried to dodge, but Song Jiang grabbed his sleeve and stabbed him several times, knocking him to the ground. Seeing

Song Jiang attack, Kong Liang also grabbed weapons from the cart and rushed towards the gate guards.

Inside the city, Kong Ming, seeing the fighting at the city gate, also led his men to join the fray.

The poorly trained gate guards were quickly wiped out. Then, Kongming led several dozen men along the streets shouting, "Liangshan troops are entering the city! The people, close the gates!" // Jiang led his men to make a show of force at the city gate.

The newly appointed prefect of Qingzhou was a follower of Cai Jing, only ordered to plunder money, and hadn't brought his family. Hearing that Liangshan troops had stormed the city again, he grabbed his pre-prepared valuables and fled hastily through the north gate with the help of a few family members.

The newly appointed militia leader, whose position had been bought, immediately gave chase upon hearing of the prefect's escape.

Without a leader and knowing Liangshan's power, some new recruits deserted their uniforms and ran home, while others even came to join Song Jiang.

Song Jiang, learning of the situation in the camp, sent Kong Liang to rescue people from prison while simultaneously leading men to gather the remaining soldiers. To amplify their power, they imitated Zhang Yang's massacre of corrupt officials in the city, plundering a great deal of money before heading to Liangshan.

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Luring the Snake Out of its Hole

After Zhang Shuye had raised his troops, he prepared them for war and established outposts along key routes to guard against Liangshan bandits. However, in the first month of the lunar calendar, Liangshan attacked the Zhu Family Village on Dulong Ridge, and the other two villages also surrendered to Liangshan. Zhang Shuye had no choice but to report to the court while simultaneously increasing the number of outposts.

The memorial reached the capital, but Cai Jing, after reading it, secretly suppressed it and wrote a private letter to Zhang Shuye, instructing him to carefully defend the region.

Zhang Shuye received the letter and pondered Cai Jing's meaning for several days, realizing that he did not want the emperor to interfere in politics. He could only intensify his military training, and fortunately, the Liangshan troops did not invade again.

While handling official business that day, a scout reported, "Sir, more than two thousand men have arrived from the direction of Qingzhou. They seem to be Qingzhou soldiers, but their armor is incomplete, and they are escorting many carts and horses."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuye frowned and thought: The prefect of Qingzhou is a follower of Cai Jing, and he recently transported money to Dongjing (Kaifeng). Logically, he shouldn't have so much money. Moreover, the escorting force seems to be larger than usual.

Just then, a yamen runner entered and reported, "Liu Yimin, the Prefect of Qingzhou, requests an audience."

Zhang Shuye, who was puzzled by this, quickly said, "Please let him in."

Liu Yimin, the Prefect of Qingzhou, was an honest official with little wealth, which was why he escaped Song Jiang's raid. He had also seen through Song Jiang's true intentions, knowing that their forces were not large and that they had only obtained the city by borrowing the name of Liangshan. After Song Jiang's group left, he rode straight to Dongping Prefecture to report the news.

After exchanging greetings, Liu Yimin recounted the events in Qingzhou.

Zhang Shuye said, "I see. That group of people must not be Liangshan bandits, otherwise they wouldn't have escaped my spies' notice as they passed through my territory. Do you know their origins?"

Liu Yimin said, "I heard from the people that the leader seems to be Song Jiang, who committed murder and fled last year, and the rest of his men seem to be bandits from White Tiger Mountain."

Zhang Shuye said, "I've also heard of Song Jiang; he's quite famous in Shandong. I wonder how many White Tiger Mountain soldiers there were originally?"

Liu Yimin said, "Probably less than five hundred, but they've also taken over a thousand new recruits with them in the city."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuye thought for a moment and said, "In that case, this force is easily defeated. I will definitely take down these bandits. You might as well go back to Qingzhou to organize people to maintain order, lest the situation escalate."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yimin also took his leave.

Zhang Shuye then summoned his sons, Zhang Bofen and Zhang Zhongxiong, and told them about the matter. Zhang Bofen

said, "Father, we can easily wipe out this force. But judging from their movements, they seem to be heading to Liangshan. I don't know if they've made any contact. Our troops aren't fully trained yet; if this invites an attack from Liangshan, we might not be able to defend the city."

Zhang Shuye nodded and said, "Bofen is right, but Liangshan's influence is growing. If we don't eliminate them soon, they might become a major threat to the country. Unfortunately, the treacherous officials in the court only know how to flatter the emperor for their own pleasure, completely disregarding the situation in various regions. Fortunately, this matter involves Cai Jing's protégés. We might as well take a risk and wipe out this band of bandits first." "The Liangshan bandits are attacking. We should ask the capital for help again. Cai Jing will send troops to aid us, whether for public or private reasons. If we can wipe out the Liangshan bandits, it will be a great blessing for the country. Otherwise, my son and I will have done our duty to the country."

Zhang Zhongxiong said, "Father, I think that Zhang Yang of Liangshan only kills corrupt officials and gentry, and his army does not commit any offenses wherever it goes. If we can be granted amnesty, they will be pillars of the country. Why don't you petition the emperor to issue an edict to grant them amnesty?"

Seeing that his son was still so pedantic, Zhang Shuye shook his head and said, "Now the emperor only cares about pleasure and entrusts all political affairs to Cai Jing. Liangshan also has a long-standing grudge against him." " Recruiting them to surrender is easier said than done. Besides, even if we do, corrupt officials in the court are wielding power, and their strong personalities will inevitably lead to chaos. Only by eliminating them can we ensure peace in the region."

Zhang Zhongxiong said, "But didn't Father say that the Jin people are even more ferocious than the Liao people? If this leads to internal strife, it might not be a blessing for the country."

Zhang Shuye was somewhat relieved to see his son's foresight, but thinking of the country's current situation, he sighed and said, "Although the Jin have repeatedly won battles against the Liao, it will probably take several years to destroy them. Our country must eliminate internal troubles as soon as possible, strengthen our military, and then we can..." This deterred the Jin state from lightly invading our country. Meanwhile, Wang Qing of Huaixi and Tian Hu of Hedong, having gained some influence, began attacking cities and seizing territories. Zhang Yang of Liangshan was no pushover either. Since amnesty was not an option,

we had no choice but to eliminate them first, lest they become a major threat to the nation.” Zhang Bofen also said, “Father, what you say is very true. The country already has many internal troubles and cannot withstand any further storms. We must eliminate any hidden dangers as soon as possible.”

Zhang Shuye nodded and said, “Exactly. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Bofen, go and gather two thousand troops to accompany me to eliminate the bandits.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Bofen hurriedly went to the military camp to check the troops.

Zhang Shuye then found a place on the map that was a necessary route to Liangshan.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Zhang Bofen had assembled his troops.

Zhang Shuye then led his troops out of the city. Upon arriving at their destination, Zhang Shuye saw a mound behind the official road in the distance and led his men to ambush behind it. After waiting for over an hour, a mixed group of officials and bandits approached, led by a spirited, short, dark-skinned man.

Zhang Bofen, seeing the bandits were close enough to potentially discover the ambush behind the mound, said, "Father, the bandits are unprepared. Shouldn't we attack?"

Zhang Shuye replied, "The bandit leader seems to be Song Jiang. Let him pass, lest no one will come to Liangshan to ask for help in raising an army."

Looking at the large force and supplies behind him, Song Jiang's ambition rekindled. Just as he was considering who in the stronghold he could bribe, he heard shouts of battle from the nearby mound. A large contingent of government troops emerged from behind the mound, charging but maintaining a wedge formation. They were clearly not a rabble, and the vanguard consisted of over a hundred cavalry.

Song Jiang glanced at them and knew his ragtag group couldn't withstand them. Ignoring the Kong brothers escorting the supplies behind him, he spurred his horse and rode away.

Seeing that Song Jiang was the first to flee, Zhang Shuye ordered his men to surround and kill the bandits.

Seeing the government troops ahead, Kong Ming, worried about Song Jiang's safety, led several dozen brave henchmen forward. Just as they arrived, Zhang Shuye led his cavalry in a thunderous charge. The overwhelming force of the organized cavalry charge made everyone gasp. Zhang Shuye, seeing that Kong Ming seemed to be a leader, easily lifted him onto his horse. The other henchmen were not so lucky; they were all slaughtered in a single exchange.

Seeing the overwhelming force of the government troops, the surrendered soldiers from Qingzhou also surrendered. Only Kong Liang and a few dozen henchmen remained, holding out with a few carts. Zhang Shuye, not wanting to lose more troops, ordered Kong Ming to be brought out. Seeing this, Kong Liang had no choice but to surrender with his men.

After returning to the city, Zhang Shuye strengthened defenses and posted notices widely, announcing that the Liangshan bandits Kong Ming and Kong Liang would be executed in ten days.

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Night Battle.

Meanwhile, Song Jiang, having fled all the way, dared not stop, only breathing a sigh of relief when he reached the edge of the marshland. Sitting on the boat, Song Jiang couldn't help but think, "Why is my life so miserable? I originally hoped to recruit the Kong brothers to have more help, but who would have thought that I would run into the Dongping Prefecture troops halfway there? Losing their lives is not the worst part; it also damages Liangshan's reputation. I wonder what everyone will think of me."

Upon reaching the Liangshan stronghold, Song Jiang saw Wu Song leading his personal guards in drills and stood aside to wait.

Seeing that Song Jiang seemed preoccupied, Wu Song gestured for the others to continue their drills, then approached him, cupping his hands and saying, "Congratulations, Brother Gongming, on your victory in Qingzhou!"

Song Jiang knew that the stronghold had spies in the armies of various nearby prefectures, and his actions in Qingzhou couldn't be kept secret. He sighed and said, "We're brothers; we'll talk later. Where is the stronghold leader now?"

Wu Song replied, "A scout came up the mountain just now; it seems something happened. The stronghold leader and the two strategists have all gone to the Hall of Righteousness."

Hearing this, Song Jiang knew that news of his ambush had most likely already reached the stronghold. Given Wu Song's usual arrogant nature, he shouldn't be blamed. However, all his efforts had been in vain. But if he could seize this opportunity to lead his troops down the mountain and win over a few leaders, the Kong brothers would have died a worthy death. Thinking of this, he said, "Brother, let's train the troops first. I'll wait for the chieftain outside the hall."

Upon hearing this, Wu Song also bowed and went to train the troops. When

Song Jiang arrived at the Hall of Righteousness, he knelt down and prostrated himself on the ground.

The guards in front of the hall, unaware of the situation, had no choice but to ask Wu Song for instructions.

Upon arriving at the hall, Wu Song helped Song Jiang up, saying, "Brother Gongming, whatever the matter, the chieftain will surely resolve it. There's no need for such a grand gesture."

Song Jiang, who was also planning to kneel until Zhang Yang finished discussing the matter, cried, "This time, I went down the mountain to fetch two disciples, but who would have thought that when we reached Dongping Prefecture, we were ambushed by government troops—and most of my brothers are probably doomed. If I hadn't come back to report, I would have fought the government troops to the death. It's my fault that they've been harmed. I only want the chieftain to give me a few thousand soldiers so I can avenge them myself, and that our master-disciple relationship won't have been in vain."

Wu Song had also heard that Song Jiang had raided Qingzhou a few days ago, but he hadn't expected Dongping Prefecture to dare to send troops to attack them. Seeing Song Jiang's grief-stricken state, he quickly said, "The chieftain will definitely avenge you, brother. Please get up and speak."

Zhang Yang had only invited Wu Yong and Zong Ze to discuss this after receiving news of the troop movements in Dongping Prefecture. While discussing the purpose of the troops from Dongping Prefecture, they overheard Song Jiang and Wu Song's conversation outside and said, "Come in, you outside."

Supported by Wu Song, Song Jiang stumbled in, knelt down, and recounted the events, ending with tears, "Please, Chief, let me avenge my two disciples myself!"

Zhang Yang, however, didn't want Song Jiang to take command of the troops. He helped Song Jiang up, saying, "We don't yet know the exact whereabouts of the Kong brothers. Let's have our scouts find out first, then we can talk."

Hearing this, Song Jiang realized he had acted too hastily and covered up, saying, "I was just being impulsive. I hope they can escape."

Hearing this, Zhang Yang became even more suspicious of Song Jiang's motives. He comforted him a few more times and then had Wu Song escort him back to his room.

That evening, Zhang Yang received news that the Kong brothers would be executed in Dongping Prefecture in ten days.

The next morning, Zhang Yang first summoned Wu Yong and Zong Ze and told them about Dongping Prefecture.

Wu Yong thought for a moment and said, "Dongping Prefecture seems to want to force us to attack the city, but they should also know that the mountain stronghold has many soldiers and generals, and cannot be resisted by a single city. Things seem a bit strange."

Zong Ze also said, "I'm also a bit puzzled, but I have heard of the name of Zhang Shuye

, the prefect of Dongping Prefecture. He once defeated the Western Xia army on the northwest frontier. He can be said to be a man of both literary and military talents. He probably has a plan to deal with the mountain stronghold." Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang thought for a moment and said, "In that case, we don't need to bother. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Since he dares to challenge the mountain stronghold, I will also go down the mountain." He then ordered the golden drum in front of the Hall of Righteousness to be sounded.

Upon hearing the sound, the leaders rushed over. Jiang had been calculating all night. After entering the hall and sitting down, he looked at Zhang Yang with hope.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Zhang Yang said, "Yesterday, Dongping Prefecture attacked Brother Song Jiang, captured the Kong brothers alive, and even boasted that Liangshan was no match for them and would kill the two in ten days. This is utter arrogance! We must fight them to uphold the name of our stronghold. Who among you is willing to come down the mountain with me?"

Upon hearing this, Song Jiang rushed forward, knelt down, and said, "This whole affair was caused by me. Dongping Prefecture only has a few thousand new soldiers; how dare I trouble the chieftain to personally descend the mountain? I am willing to go down the mountain with the other leaders to attack Dongping Prefecture. If we do not wipe out Dongping Prefecture, I swear I will not return to the mountain. First, to avenge our stronghold and maintain our morale; second, to rescue the Kong brothers; and third, to obtain ample grain for our stronghold."

Zhang Yang, also wanting to take this opportunity to eliminate Song Jiang, said, "This matter is not simple; I must personally lead the troops down the mountain. If you are willing, then you should also join the army."

Hearing this, Song Jiang did not say anything more.

Zhang Yang then selected three cavalry units led by Lin Chong, Qin Ming, and Dong Ping, and seven infantry units led by Chao Gai, Lu Da, Li Kui, Song Wan, Zheng Tianshou, Mu Hong, and Ou Peng. He immediately transported the troops to the outer camp. Early the next morning, they headed towards Dongping Prefecture.

Zhang Shu, who had secretly scouted the Liangshan troops, sent a messenger to the court and simultaneously strengthened defenses.

Zhang Yang led his troops to within five li of the city, then disembarked and, together with the other leaders, inspected the city.

Upon arriving at the city walls, they saw numerous soldiers and high piles of rolling logs and stones, and were greatly troubled.

Lin Chong said, "Dongping Prefecture seems to have been prepared. If they hold the city and force us to launch a strong attack, I'm afraid the mountain stronghold's troops will suffer heavy casualties."

Zhang Yang said, "The government troops will execute the Kong brothers in eight days. We can only break through the city before then. Tomorrow, we will challenge them to battle while preparing siege equipment. If the government troops do not engage, we will have no choice but to launch a forced attack."

Zhang Yang and his men circled the city again and found that the city walls had been repaired and the defenses were without any flaws. They had no choice but to return to camp to prepare for the attack the next day.

The early spring night was no longer dark, and everything was bathed in the silvery moonlight. At midnight, when people were sleeping soundly, the sound of drums and gongs rang out simultaneously around Dongping City and the Liangshan army camp. Instantly, the troops on both sides drew their swords, and a murderous aura filled the air.

As Zhang Yang left the central camp, Chao Gai, who was on night watch, reported, "There are no signs of government troops around, only the sound of drums and gongs in the darkness."

Zhang Yang thought for a moment and said, "Great minds think alike. Dongping Prefecture is probably using a strategy of exhausting the enemy. You just take your men and strengthen the defenses."

Upon hearing this, Chao Gai also went to check around.

Zhang Yang, however, led Wu Song and a hundred personal guards out of the camp and began to attack the government troops following the sound. Zhang Shuye's forces were already small, and he hadn't sent out many harassers. Before long, they were all dead.

Zhang Yang circled the camp and saw that, under Chao Gai's control, the camp had returned to calm. He then led his personal guards towards Dongping Prefecture.

Zhang Shuye knew that defending the city with three thousand men would be difficult, so he divided them into three groups, led by himself and his two sons in rotation. Tonight, Zhang Shuye's eldest son, Zhang Bofen, was leading the group. He knew that Liangshan was exhausted from their long journey and unlikely to attack, so he only sent half of his soldiers to guard the city. However, just after midnight, the sound of drums and gongs rang out from all directions. Zhang Bofen quickly ordered all his soldiers to the city walls to defend. After waiting for a while, seeing no one attacking, he guessed that Liangshan was also using a strategy of exhaustion.

Zhang Yang arrived at the city walls and saw that there were few soldiers on the walls, realizing that the enemy had seen through his plan. He immediately gathered the soldiers who had been harassing the city and, after a while, began to beat the drums together. At the same time, Zhang Yang led his personal guards to gallop from afar.

Zhang Bofen, hearing the drums suddenly become louder and the sound of galloping cavalry, immediately sent someone to request reinforcements from the city.

Upon receiving the request, Zhang Shuye ordered Zhang Zhongxiong's troops to wait in the camp while he led his own troops to the rescue.

Seeing his father on the city wall, Zhang Bofen hurriedly greeted him, saying, "Father, just now, the sound of drums and gongs suddenly rang out all around. I thought it was a tactic to wear down the enemy, so I didn't inform you. After a while, the drums stopped. But just now, the drums started louder again, and there were sounds of troops moving. It seems the enemy has already assembled below the city and will probably attack soon."

Zhang Shuye saw some cavalry moving vaguely in the darkness below the city and wondered, "The enemy must be attacking at night to catch us off guard. Why would they use drums and gongs to warn us? Besides, the enemy has marched nearly a hundred li in a day and is exhausted. They certainly won't attack the city. It seems there are only small groups of enemy troops below the city. It seems there are strategists among the enemy. I'm afraid our city will be difficult to defend."

After waiting for a while and seeing that the Liangshan troops did not attack, Zhang Shuye ordered his troops to return to camp to sleep.

Zhang Yang saw the troops on the city wall starting to descend again and ordered his personal guards to start shooting arrows. The soldiers on the city wall reacted quickly, and more than a dozen fell instantly. Zhang Yang, in particular, began firing at the soldiers carrying torches, plunging a section of the wall into darkness.

Seeing this, Zhang Shuye quickly ordered his soldiers to retake the wall.

Zhang Yang, on horseback, continued firing at the torchbearers on the wall.

Seeing the torchbearers falling, the soldiers quickly threw down their torches.

Zhang Shuye, seeing this, ordered his men to stick the torches to the wall and simultaneously ordered his archers to return fire. After a while, seeing no screams from below, he realized the enemy's arrows far outnumbered his own. He ordered his men to take cover, but fearing a real attack from Liangshan, he dared not send his soldiers back to camp.

Zhang Yang's personal guards, however, used powerful crossbows. Despite the disadvantage of the terrain, they were not afraid of the enemy's return fire, and only after exhausting their arrows did Zhang Yang lead his troops back to camp.

Seeing the enemy stop firing, Zhang Shuye did not dare to be careless. He waited a while longer, and seeing that the enemy still did not attack, he realized they were using a strategy of attrition, and he too led his troops back to camp. But this commotion had kept everyone awake.

Chapter Sixty: The First Battle of Dongping

As dawn broke, everything gradually emerged from the darkness. Seeing no trace of the enemy outside the city, the Dongping garrison dared to straighten their backs. The early spring morning was still chilly, and the Dongping garrison was mostly composed of new recruits. Having witnessed their comrades fall one after another the previous night, they were already terrified, and the cool breeze made them shiver.

Seeing the state of his soldiers, Zhang Bofen knew they were no longer fit for combat. With the change of guard time approaching, he ordered a headcount. After hearing the soldiers' report, Zhang Bofen began to worry.

Last night, even small-scale bandit attacks had cost him nearly a hundred men, most of whom had been pierced by arrows. If the Liangshan archers were allowed to fully utilize their power during the day, the city's troops probably wouldn't hold out for long.

Just as Zhang Bofen was worrying, Zhang Shuye arrived with Zhang Zhongxiong's troops to relieve them. Seeing the same expression on the faces of the new recruits on the city walls as his own men, Zhang Shuye couldn't help but doubt whether he could hold out until reinforcements arrived.

Zhang Bofen walked up to the two men and said, "These new recruits have never been on the battlefield before, and after being passively attacked for half the night, they're starting to lose heart. Moreover, the Liangshan bandits' divine crossbows are even more effective in the daytime, and they also have a group of sharpshooters. I'm afraid we can't hold out for many more days."

Zhang Shuye had already considered this, but what was worse was that Liangshan had already won over the hearts of the people. The people knew that there would be no harm in the city falling, so they were unwilling to risk going up to help defend it. He could only rely on his three thousand new recruits . Although he was worried, seeing that his son was already exhausted, he said, "The troops from the nearby prefectures will come to our aid. Don't worry, you should take your men and rest."

Zhang Bofen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, bowed, and led his men down the city walls.

Zhang Shuye watched his son leave the city and couldn't help but smile bitterly. Which of the nearby prefectures didn't know how powerful Liangshan was? They would probably deliberately delay. He would have to hold out for at least ten days before he had any hope of victory. But facing the Liangshan army with only three thousand new recruits, Zhang Shuye wasn't really confident.

The soldiers who had just taken over the defense hadn't experienced last night's battle, and having easily defeated Song Jiang's two thousand men a few days prior, they were all eager to prove themselves again and receive rewards.

Given the threat of Liangshan's powerful crossbows, Zhang Shuye had no choice but to have all the shields in the camp transported to the city walls.

Just as preparations were complete, orderly ranks of cavalry appeared on the horizon. Their disciplined formations and gleaming armor clearly indicated a well-trained elite force. Seeing the army approaching the city with synchronized steps, the new recruits realized that the enemy they faced was far more formidable than the rabble they had defeated a few days earlier. As the Liangshan army drew near, the nervousness of their first battle became apparent.

The Liangshan army pressed close to the edge of the archers' firing range before halting their advance. Their orderly footsteps vanished, and the killing intent brought out the soldiers' natural instincts. The timid trembled, their jaws chattering; the bloodthirsty, with nowhere to vent their rage, gripped their weapons so tightly their knuckles cracked.

Zhang Shuye observed the recruits' reactions, knowing that while they were well-trained, they lacked the tempering of blood and fire and couldn't match the veterans. Maturity takes time, and he needed them to create that time; he could only hope they would grow quickly. Turning to see

no siege equipment below, he breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed they had held the city for today.

Zhang Yang, seeing the city gates closed, knew the enemy was likely planning a desperate defense. He ordered a challenge, but seeing no response from within, he ordered his troops to rest.

The leaders, though puzzled by Zhang Yang's order, strictly obeyed.

Seeing that the infantry had already sat down to rest and the cavalry had dismounted, Zhang Yang said to the leaders, "Let's have another archery contest. The target is the defenders on the city wall. Whoever hits the most will receive a third-class merit. Of course, I don't need to be considered. Also, don't shoot the prefect; the stronghold will need him in the future. What do you say?"

To facilitate future job assignments, Zhang Yang had established three levels of merit. Each person's merit would be assessed and ranked, and rewards would be given accordingly. Job changes would also take into account the number and level of merit.

Actually, Zhang Yang also wanted to promote Hua Rong, but Hua Rong's original rank was too low, and a hasty promotion might not be convincing. That's why he came up with this idea. Of course, if he could provoke the government troops and force them to come out for a decisive battle, that would be even better.

Hearing that they could easily get a chance to earn merit, the leaders all mounted their horses and lined up at the front of the formation.

Seeing the Liangshan troops suddenly stop to rest, Zhang Shuye was taken aback. Seeing Zhang Yang and his men lined up with bows drawn, he knew the generals used powerful bows, and the city wall was already within their firing range. The soldiers, however, were still curiously looking outside the city. He quickly shouted, "Everyone, crouch down!"

Before he finished speaking, several men screamed and fell to the ground below the wall, and screams followed in quick succession. By the time everyone reacted and hid behind the battlements, Zhang Yang had already emptied his quiver.

Seeing no more targets, Zhang Yang ordered his personal guards to report the results.

Zhang Yang had hit twenty men, Hua Rong had hit five, Lin Chong, Ou Peng, and Dong Ping had hit three, and Qin Ming and Huang Xin had hit two.

Having witnessed Hua Rong's archery skills during the previous goose-shooting expedition, the soldiers had no objections to the results.

Seeing that the Liangshan troops were acting as if they were on a spring outing and hunting, completely disregarding their own forces, Zhang Zhongxiong on the city wall angrily said, "Father, the bandits underestimate us and are unprepared. I am willing to lead the troops in a surprise attack to boost morale."

Zhang Shuye shook his head and said, "Although the bandits seem arrogant, their formation is not broken. The city has few troops; at most, we can send a thousand men, but they will likely entangle us. Moreover, only half of the bandits' forces have arrived. If the rest take the opportunity to attack the city from the other three gates, we will have no reserves, and it will be difficult to hold the city."

After speaking, he looked up slightly and saw more than two hundred archers emerging from the Liangshan formation. Remembering the Divine Arm Bow from the previous night, he hurriedly shouted, "Use your shields to protect your bodies!"

This time, the soldiers reacted much faster. As soon as he finished speaking, they all hid under their shields. Zhang Yang had the Divine Arm Bowmen fire a volley, and seeing that there was still no reaction from the city, he ordered the troops to retreat to camp.

Seeing this, Zhang Shuye breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ordered people to treat the soldiers who had been hit by stray arrows, while also collecting planks to carry up to the city walls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

School life begins again. Tomorrow night is also here. Sorry to keep you all waiting.

Chapter Sixty-One: The Fall of the City

After returning to camp, Zhang Yang ordered the construction of more siege towers. Since the city wall of Dongping Prefecture was only a few feet high, five siege towers were completed by the afternoon. Seeing that the weather was suitable, Zhang Yang summoned all the generals.

Everyone knew that the attack on the city was imminent and they all wanted to be the vanguard. Chao Gai, who had been on night watch the previous night, knew that he would most likely have to stay behind to guard the camp. Seeing everyone else eager to try, he was quite depressed.

Zhang Yang, observing the expressions on everyone's faces, said, "Listen to my orders: Lin Chong, Lu Da, Li Kui, and Mu Hong will attack the South Gate. Zheng Tianshou's troops will surround the East Gate, Qin Ming's troops will surround the North Gate, Ou Peng's troops will surround the West Gate, Dong Ping's troops will patrol along the city wall to ensure no one escapes, and Wan and Chao Gai's troops will guard the camp. This battle is overwhelmingly against us, so treat it as training and don't record any merits."

Everyone responded in unison and then went to deploy their troops.

In the early spring afternoon, the sun was still warm, and people with free time came out to enjoy the sun.

The soldiers guarding the city also temporarily forgot about the morning's battle and enjoyed this rare moment of leisure since enlisting. Unfortunately, good times always pass quickly. With a soldier's scream, everyone took their positions, ready for battle.

Zhang Shuye heard that Liangshan troops had appeared at the other three gates and knew that Liangshan had decided to attack the city. He ordered Zhang Bofen's troops to assemble and await orders while transferring his own troops to the West Gate.

Watching the several siege towers slowly advancing from behind the Liangshan formation, Zhang Shuye felt a chill run down his spine. While there were many ways to deal with siege towers, he believed that fire arrows would suffice, and hadn't prepared anything else. However, he hadn't anticipated that Liangshan would have so many powerful crossbows, and Cai Jing had only allocated him ordinary yellow birch bows and black lacquer bows, with vastly different ranges. The enemy could attack from outside his troops' range, rendering the fire arrows useless. The city couldn't build long-range weapons like catapults, so it seemed he was powerless against the siege towers.

If those generals from the morning stood on the siege towers, along with the many crossbowmen, they could suppress a section of the city wall. Perhaps only by letting the rebels onto the city walls and starting a chaotic battle would the enemy archers hesitate, but this would inevitably lead to heavy casualties for his own troops, and he probably wouldn't be able to hold out for more than a few days.

Zhang Bofen, having slept all morning but preoccupied with the war, had already climbed the city wall. Looking at the watchtowers outside the city and recalling the sneak attack the previous night, he pondered for a moment. Seeing his father still frowning, he resolutely said, "Father, I am willing to lead a hundred cavalry to destroy the enemy's watchtowers. Please give the order."

Zhang Shuye, seeing his son's courage, secretly praised him. However, seeing the Liangshan army's tight formation, he knew that a hundred cavalry would have difficulty approaching the watchtowers. Moreover, Dongping Prefecture had long been peaceful, and its city walls were low; even if destroyed, Liangshan could quickly rebuild. Thinking of this, he said, "I have already considered this plan, but it will only result in a loss of manpower. You take your men and wait for orders below the city. The enemy should not attack from the other three gates."

Seeing that his father had made up his mind, Zhang Bofen had no choice but to go down the city wall to gather troops.

Seeing that some men had already climbed the watchtowers, Zhang Shuye quickly ordered his soldiers to take cover.

Zhang Yang led several dozen archers onto the watchtowers and then ordered the moat to be filled.

Hearing the sounds below, Zhang Shuye, not wanting the enemy to easily fill the moat, shouted, "Archers, prepare to attack!"

The archers beside him instinctively tried to rise, but the moment they exposed themselves, they were attacked by Zhang Yang and the other archers. Zhang Yang, in particular, was capable of taking on ten men at once, and his stability far surpassed that of ordinary archers. Each arrow seemed to have eyes, aiming only for vital points.

Dozens of men instantly fell on the section of the wall facing the siege tower; those not quite dead emitted groans of pain. Seeing this, the soldiers dared not rise, cowering under their shields.

The sections of the wall on either side, about ten feet long, were also suppressed by two hundred archers, and with Zhang Yang's support, the archers managed to fire a volley before none dared to rise again.

Seeing this, Zhang Shuye had no choice but to order the archers on the wall, whom Liangshan couldn't cover, and the reserves behind the wall to attack. However, this naturally reduced their accuracy considerably, and within half an hour, the Liangshan army had filled in a section of the moat.

Seeing the moat filled, Lu Da, Li Kui, Song Wan, and Mu Hong all vied to be the vanguard in the attack.

Zhang Yang laughed, "I want Zhang Shuye alive! Who dares to take the order?"

Li Kui shook his head, "My axe doesn't recognize any Zhang Shuye. You guys go first, just remember to leave some men for me to kill."

The other three weren't very confident in capturing Zhang Shuye alive either, and carefully considered the pros and cons.

Zhang Yang knew they weren't very confident, and laughed, "How about this, Li Kui and I will attack the city first, and then you can follow in order."

Li Kui was overjoyed and ordered his men to carry ladders, then they advanced towards the city wall.

Hearing the battle cries from below, Zhang Shuye ordered the archers behind the wall to fire twice more, and then a series of "thuds" were heard as the ladders reached the top of the wall.

Zhang Yang ran to the city wall and saw that the siege ladders were already in place. He leaped up, using a soldier's shoulder for leverage, and jumped onto the wall. He then charged towards Zhang Shuye, who was clad in armor.

Seeing that someone had already reached the top, Zhang Shuye ordered his soldiers to fight. However, Zhang Yang's Overlord Spear was powerful and heavy; a single touch was fatal, and a sweeping blow was deadly. In a moment, he reached Zhang Shuye. Zhang Bofen and Zhang Zhongxiong, seeing Zhang Yang's overwhelming force, quickly led their men to block their father's path.

Zhang Shuye was also taken aback by Zhang Yang's unstoppable momentum. He knew that with Zhang Yang present, even with his own troops having a numerical advantage on the wall, they wouldn't be able to hold out for long. He drew his sword and shouted, "All of you, charge! Those who retreat will be executed!"

Seeing that no one stood in Zhang Yang's path, the soldiers dared not advance to their deaths. Although they were bound by military orders and dared not retreat, none of them dared to move forward.

Zhang Yang wasn't in a hurry, advancing step by step. At the same time, he said to Zhang Shuye, "The defeat is inevitable

. Those who understand the times are heroes. Why don't you join me in upholding justice?" Seeing the soldiers in front of him actually being frightened and pushing back by Zhang Yang, Zhang Shuye roared, "A true man would rather die than give in to depravity! Listen to my command! Anyone who retreats again will be beheaded!"

As he spoke, Li Kui had already led a dozen men up the city wall. He had no other thoughts; seeing so many people to kill, he grinned and charged into the crowd, brandishing his axe. Li Kui's brute strength was astonishing, and for a time, the defenders were powerless to resist.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang also charged in with his spear.

Seeing the two tigers attacking together, and with no power to fight back, and knowing that Zhang Shuye was clearly more approachable than Zhang Yang and Zhang Shuye, the rest of the soldiers followed suit and retreated.

Seeing this, Zhang Shuye swung his sword and killed two men in succession, intending to stop the rout. However, this only fueled the soldiers' ferocity, and led by their inside helper from Liangshan, they charged at Zhang Shuye.

Seeing the situation had deteriorated to such an extent, Zhang Bofen knew his life hung in the balance. He shouted, "Second brother, protect Father down the city wall, then lead the men to break through through the other gates. I'll hold off the Liangshan forces!"

Zhang Shuye pushed his second son aside, shouting, "Today we may die, but you two will fight to the death on the city walls, neither of you will retreat a single step!"

As he spoke, the rioting soldiers surged forward, and Zhang Bofen could only do his best to protect his father.

Zhang Yang had overheard their conversation and was even more determined to subdue them. Seeing that the rioting soldiers had already begun fighting Zhang Shuye and his son, fearing that one of them might be injured, he leaped onto the battlement. In a single bound, he appeared before the three men and swiftly slashed their necks.

The three men fell to the ground. The remaining rioting soldiers, seeing that Zhang Yang had instantly defeated three leaders and cut off their retreat, immediately dropped their weapons and knelt down.

Seeing soldiers still surging up the right-hand passage, Zhang Yang lifted the unconscious Zhang Shuye and shouted, "Victory or defeat is decided! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

Most of the newly arrived soldiers had lost their morale the previous night, and seeing their commander in enemy hands, they all surrendered.

Zhang Yang then personally rescued the Kong brothers and ordered Song Wan's troops to guard the Dongping Prefecture soldiers within the city, while the Liangshan army maintained the posture of besieging Dongping Prefecture.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Waiting for the Rabbit to Fall into the Trap.

After Zhang Yang captured Dongping Prefecture, he sent Zong Ze with Yang Zhi, Huyan Zhuo, Zhang Qing, three thousand cavalry, and ten thousand infantry down the mountain. The army set up camp outside the city, while Zhang Yang and Zong Ze entered the city to persuade Zhang Shuye to surrender.

Spring was a time of flourishing life, but Zhang Shuye, looking at the tender buds on the flowering trees, felt utterly despondent. After the city fell, his family had been placed under house arrest in the government office but had not suffered any mistreatment. Zhang Yang had come several times, but he had always turned him away. However, after several conversations, he also greatly admired Zhang Yang. With his martial arts and strategy, if he had been willing to serve the court, he would surely have been a minister who restored the dynasty. It was a pity that he had become an outlaw.

Seeing Zhang Shuye standing under the flowering tree in a daze,

Zhang Yang said, "Master Zhang, you seem to be in a good mood." Hearing Zhang Yang's voice, Zhang Shuye did not turn around and coldly said, "Go back. This old man will not become an outlaw."

Zhang Yang laughed and said, "Today I have brought you an old friend. Why don't you turn around and take a look?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuye shook his head and said, "My old friend will not come to persuade me to become an outlaw. Don't waste your time. If you truly respect me, then kill me to avoid bringing shame to my ancestors."

Seeing that he was still unmoved, Zhang Yang had no choice but to signal Zong Ze to speak.

Zong Ze laughed, "Ji Zhong (Zhang Shuye's courtesy name), it's been years, and you're still as stubborn as ever. You've also received the news of the alliance between the court and the Jin, haven't you?"

Zhang Shuye already knew about Zong Ze's activities at Liangshan, and upon hearing this, he laughed, "I didn't expect that even after becoming an outlaw, Ru Lin (Zong Ze's courtesy name) would still care about important court affairs."

Zong Ze said, "Back then, we both opposed the alliance with the Jin to destroy the Liao. Although I temporarily became an outlaw, I've always been concerned about the court's struggles. It's a pity the alliance was still established. Ji Zhong, what do you think of our dynasty compared to the Liao dynasty?"

Zhang Shuye said, "The Liao dynasty is stronger in military strength, but our dynasty has a superior economic strength, and our ability to withstand the damage of war is also stronger than that of the Liao dynasty."

Zong Ze said, "Ji Zhong is talking about ten years ago, isn't he? The current emperor is only interested in pleasure, and there are treacherous officials like Cai Jing seizing power. Now the national treasury is empty, and there are also rebellions by Tian Hu, Wang Qing, and others." "I'm afraid our power is even less than that of the Liao Dynasty,"

Zhang Shuye said. "Tian Hu and Wang Qing are nothing more than a minor ailment, easily eradicated. Our Great Song Dynasty has fertile land and thriving commerce; within a few years, we can fill our treasury. How can the Liao Dynasty compare?"

Zong Ze shook his head and said, "Then why has the imperial army suffered repeated defeats, while Tian Hu and Wang Qing's power has only grown stronger?"

Zhang Shuye sighed inwardly, but still argued, "It's simply a matter of employing the wrong people. If a capable general were sent to lead the army, we could surely defeat the two traitors within ten days."

Zong Ze said, "It's a pity that treacherous officials are in power, and loyal officials have no way to serve their country. Moreover, the situation in the court is unlikely to change for several years. If we help the Jin Dynasty destroy the Liao Dynasty, wouldn't that be like driving away wolves and inviting tigers, bringing annihilation to our country?"

Zhang Shuye said, "Rulin, you are mistaken. Last year, our dynasty captured Hengshan City and fortresses. The Western Xia lost its shield and could no longer contend with our dynasty. We only need to transfer elite troops from the northwest..." " With our troops stationed in Hebei, how dare the Jin people lightly invade the borders of our Great Song?"

Zhang Yang had visited several times before, but Zhang Shuye hadn't said much to him. Now, hearing that he had pinned his hopes on the northwestern border troops, he couldn't help but laugh, "The northwestern border troops are indeed a battle-hardened army, but unfortunately, they will suffer heavy losses domestically and cannot be relied upon."

Zhang Shuye laughed, "Wang Qing and Tian Hu are just two bandits, their subordinates are merely a rabble, and they lack popular support. I'm afraid they can't weaken the northwestern troops. As for Liangshan, although they have many skilled soldiers and generals,

their forces number only 20,000, which is no match for the hundreds of thousands of troops in the northwest." Zhang Yang laughed, "Master Zhang, you've misunderstood. It's not us who will weaken them."

Zhang Shuye was taken aback, "I doubt there are any traitors in the country whose strength surpasses the three of you?"

Zhang Yang, not offended by Zhang Shuye's form of address, asked, "Master Zhang..." " Have you heard of the Southeast Ming Cult?"

Zhang Shuye replied, "I've heard a little about it. Its followers pursue purity, light, great power, and wisdom. Its scriptures have even been included in the latest Daoist canon compiled by the Emperor. It should be a branch of Daoism."

Zhang Yang said, "Actually, this sect is Manichaeism, which was introduced to the Central Plains during the Tang Dynasty. Later, it was suppressed by the Huichang Emperor and then took root in the Southeast under a different guise. However, a hero has emerged from this sect. In recent years, the court has been implementing harsh policies in the Southeast, causing widespread resentment. It won't be long before he rises up in rebellion. At that time, followers from all over will respond, and within a month, the entire Southeast will be swept up. Since most of the nation's wealth comes from the Southeast, the Emperor will inevitably dispatch elite troops from the Northwest to quell the rebellion. It will inevitably be a lose-lose situation."

Zhang Shuye also knew that Zhu Mian had been levying a large amount of tribute on rare stones and flowers in the Southeast in recent years, causing great resentment among the people. However, he did not believe that a rebellion sweeping across the Southeast would occur. He thought Zhang Yang was just exaggerating and simply shook his head in silence.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang laughed and said, "How about we make a gentleman's pact? If a large-scale uprising breaks out in the southeast this year, you will serve me; otherwise, I will follow your arrangements."

Zhang Shuye was deeply moved that Zhang Yang was willing to exchange his future for his loyalty, but he still shook his head and said, "No matter what, I will not become a traitor."

Zong Ze said, "Ji Zhong, you are mistaken. If the southeast is truly in chaos, and Wang Qing and Tian Hu are rampaging in the Central Plains, and the court is hampered by many treacherous officials, the internal strife will not be quelled for several years. At that time, the Jin people will have also destroyed the Liao Dynasty and will surely march south. With the Central Plains still embroiled in civil war, the disaster of national subjugation and racial extinction is not far off. The world is not one family. If it really comes to that, I will only choose someone who is beneficial to my great Han people."

Zhang Shuye was also taken aback when he heard this. He had been taught since childhood that loyalty to the emperor and patriotism were one, and after hearing Zong Ze's words, he couldn't help but consider which was more important.

Seeing that Zhang Shuye did not reply for a long time, Zhang Yang also left the city with Zong Ze.

Starting the next day, Zhang Yang had each unit take turns practicing siege drills, making it appear from outside the city that Dongping Prefecture was still holding out.

Meanwhile, after the prefect of Qingzhou fled back to Dongjing, Cai Jing was about to send someone to investigate the situation in Dongping Prefecture when he received a letter from Zhang Shuye pleading for help. He then realized his protégé's cowardice and berated him severely.

He then sent for officials from the Privy Council to discuss the matter, and Tong Guan brought in the Grand Commandant of the Three Armies. Cai Jing explained the dire situation in Dongping in detail: "What strategy do we have now, and which capable generals do we employ, to repel the enemy and protect the city?"

Everyone knew of Liangshan's two victories over the imperial army and had no confidence, so naturally no one dared to respond.

Xuan Zan was highly skilled in martial arts, but because he was not a direct descendant of Tong Guan or Gao Qiu, he had never been promoted. Seeing this rare opportunity, he stepped forward and said, "I have an acquaintance from my hometown. This man is a direct descendant of the righteous and brave King Wu'an of the Three Kingdoms period. His surname is Guan, and his given name is Sheng. He is similar in appearance to his ancestor Guan Yu and wields a Green Dragon Crescent Blade. He is known as Guan Sheng the Great Blade. He is currently the patrol inspector of Pudong, but he is in a lowly position. This man studied military books from a young age and is well-versed in martial arts. He is brave enough to be a match for ten thousand men. If we invite him with gifts and appoint him as a general, he will surely achieve great success."

Upon hearing this, Cai Jing was overjoyed and immediately dispatched Xuan Zan as an envoy with a document to invite Guan Sheng that very night.

Chapter Sixty-Three: The Divine Arrow Alarms

Guan Sheng, having received Xuan Zan's message, led his sworn brother Hao Siwen and dozens of men from Guanzhong, and they traveled to Dongjing (Kaifeng) overnight.

Xuan Zan led the group directly to the Grand Tutor's mansion, dismounted, and entered the main hall to pay their respects.

Cai Jing saw that Guan Sheng was eight feet five or six inches tall, with a fine, three-pronged mustache, eyebrows that reached his temples, and phoenix eyes that turned upwards; his face was like a red date, and his lips were like painted vermilion. He indeed resembled Guan Yu from the book, and was overjoyed, asking, "General, how old are you?"

Guan Sheng replied, "This humble general is thirty-two."

Cai Jing said, "The Liangshan bandits are besieging Dongping Prefecture. What good strategy do you have to defeat them?" Guan Sheng

said, "I have long heard that the bandits occupy the waterholes, causing a disturbance. Now they have left their lair, bringing disaster upon themselves. We should lead our troops there, coordinate with the Dongping Prefecture garrison, and decisively defeat the bandits."

(In the original book, Guan Sheng appears in winter, when the lake is frozen, making it the perfect time to strike at the heart

of the enemy. Now, his appearance has been changed to spring. If the same strategy were to be used, the navy would have to be mobilized, which would diminish the merit. This is not what he, a man of unfulfilled potential, would desire, hence the slight alteration.) Upon hearing this, Cai Jing smiled and said, "General's words are exactly what I wanted. May I ask how many troops you require?"

Guan Sheng knew that Liangshan had a large and well-trained army and replied, "Thirty thousand troops are sufficient. However, last time, Huyan Zhuo transferred three thousand warhorses, all of which surrendered to Liangshan. Five thousand of them will be needed for the task."

Cai Jing, who also wanted to control the military, smiled and said, "This is easy. General, please rest at the inn for a while. Once the troops are all assembled, I will personally escort you on your journey." Guan

Sheng was somewhat flattered by Cai Jing's high regard for him and bowed, saying, "This humble general will certainly not fail the Grand Tutor's expectations."

Immediately, Cai Jing ordered the Privy Council to allocate thirty thousand elite troops from Shandong, Hebei, and Hedong. The troops arrived by the deadline, but first came to pay their respects to the Privy Councilor, Tong Guan. Tong Guan, having seen through Cai Jing's intentions, outwardly followed Cai Jing's wishes, appointing Hao Siwen as vanguard, Xuan Zan as rear guard, and Guan Sheng as commander-in-chief, with the Grand Commandant of the Infantry, Duan Chang, responsible for supplying provisions. Secretly, however, he instructed several trusted confidants not to give Guan Sheng any special treatment.

Cai Jing then went to the imperial garden and, without the emperor's knowledge, selected a magnificent Red Hare as a gift for Guan Sheng. This horse was ten feet long and eight feet tall, its body completely free of any stray hairs, a pure, fiery red. Guan Sheng, seeing that the horse resembled his ancestor Guan Yu's Red Hare, was even more grateful to Cai Jing.

The next day, Cai Jing, along with the officials of the Imperial Guard, went outside the city to reward the troops and ordered them to set off.

Seeing Guan Sheng, after riding Red Hare, appear as if Guan Yu had been reborn, Cai Jing was filled with confidence for the battle.

Tong Guan, however, secretly sneered: "With just a patrol inspector, he thinks he can seize my military power? What a fool's dream!" I'd like to see how he manages to subdue the generals of the various prefectures.

Guan Sheng rode ahead on horseback, seemingly calm and composed, but he had unspeakable grievances. Today's troop deployment had revealed many flaws; the orders for the troops from different prefectures were inconsistent, and the generals in the army were not convinced of his authority. He had already lost three points before the battle even began. However, Cai Jing was pressing him hard, and he had finally earned a chance to rise in

the ranks, so he had no choice but to give it his all. Zhang Yang had also long since discovered Guan Sheng's army was coming to attack and had devised an impenetrable plan to deal with Guan Sheng and Song Jiang.

After Guan Sheng led his army into the territory of Dongping Prefecture, he ordered scouts to extend the perimeter ten miles. That night, they set up a stockade against the mountain. The surrounding area was densely covered with spears and swords, and deer antlers were hidden all around. Pitfalls were dug on three sides, and both visible and hidden sentries were widely deployed. Nothing happened that night.

Early the next morning, Guan Sheng was discussing with Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen how to contact Dongping Prefecture when a soldier reported: "The Liangshan army is arrayed outside the camp."

Upon hearing this, Guan Sheng hurriedly led the two to the front of the camp to see the formation.

The generals from all the prefectures were already fully armored and ready for battle. Seeing their commander emerge, they rushed forward to challenge them.

Guan Sheng, seeing the well-organized ranks and gleaming armor of the Liangshan troops outside the camp, knew they were no ordinary bandits. His own army was not yet fully organized, so he said, "We are exhausted from our long journey; let us rest for a day before fighting."

One general said, "The bandits have been besieging the city for days without success; their morale must be low. Now is the perfect time to use our troops. If we wait for them to recover, our casualties will be even greater."

Zhang Yang, having also noticed the commotion within the camp, ordered Hua Rong to challenge them.

Hua Rong rode out to the camp, drew his bow and arrow, and shot at a general in front of Guan Sheng.

Guan Sheng had already seen Hua Rong's movement. He pushed aside the general and, with a flick of his right hand, caught the arrow.

The generals from the various prefectures, whose ranks were previously higher than Guan Sheng's and who had been instructed by Tong Guan, were not afraid of him. The officer, seeing Guan Sheng's rudeness, was about to question him when he saw the arrow in Guan Sheng's hand and realized that Guan Sheng had saved him. However, the officers from various prefectures had already secretly agreed to outwardly comply with Guan Sheng's request but inwardly defy him, and did not thank him. He angrily said, "This scoundrel is rude! Allow me to lead my troops to kill him first!"

The other officers echoed him.

Guan Sheng had tried to build rapport with everyone along the way, but each time they had been met with cold indifference. Now, with a major battle imminent, seeing their continued arrogance, he too felt murderous intent and coldly said, "I grant you permission to fight. If you lose, you don't need to return to camp."

Upon hearing this, the officer said nothing more, led his men, and charged out of the camp. As soon as the troops were arrayed, he spurred his horse straight at Hua Rong.

Hua Rong wielded his spear to block him, and after less than ten rounds, he knocked the officer off his horse with a single thrust.

Guan Sheng then sent another officer who considered himself extraordinary into battle. He had just ridden out of the camp when Hua Rong shot him in the face with an arrow, killing him instantly.

Seeing Hua Rong's unparalleled skill in both spear and arrow, the officers dared not engage in battle again.

Guan Sheng, not wanting to affect morale, ordered Xuan Zan to fight while his trusted men took command of the troops from the two prefectures.

Xuan Zan left the camp and heard the sound of a bowstring, just as an arrow came flying. He parried it with his sword, and with a clang , the arrow struck the blade

. Hua Rong, seeing that his first arrow missed, took a second one, aimed at Xuan Zan's chest from a closer distance. Xuan Zan dodged it again, hiding in his stirrup.

Seeing Xuan Zan close by, Hua Rong also brandished his silver spear to meet him. After more than twenty rounds, Hua Rong, seeing Xuan Zan's superb swordsmanship, knew that haste would not win, so he feigned an opening and turned to flee.

Xuan Zan, also a skilled archer, did not pursue, but nocked an arrow and aimed at Hua Rong's back. Hearing the bowstring twang, Hua Rong quickly ducked to avoid it.

Zhang Yang saw that the approaching general had a face as dark as the bottom of a pot, upturned nose, curly hair and a red beard, and wielded a steel saber, just like Xuan Zan in the Water Margin. Knowing that he was skilled with rapid-fire arrows, Zhang Yang took a precaution. Seeing Xuan Zan rein in his horse and take out his bow, Zhang Yang also

took down his bow and shot an arrow. Xuan Zan saw Hua Rong crouching down and was about to draw his bow again when he felt a jolt in his hand; the bow had been shot in two. The arrow, still powerful after breaking the bow, pierced his breastplate an inch further. Xuan Zan could feel the coldness of the arrowhead and knew that his opponent had a skilled archer, and that they seemed to have held back. He dared not linger and spurred his horse back to camp.

Inside the stronghold, Guan Sheng only saw Xuan Zan wounded by an arrow. Approaching him, he saw an arrow still lodged in Xuan Zan's chest and hurriedly asked, "Brother, how is your injury?"

Xuan Zan replied, "The enemy didn't use much force; the arrow only pierced my breastplate."

Guan Sheng asked, "Why do you say that, brother?"

Xuan Zan handed Guan Sheng the broken bow, saying, "The arrow broke the bow first."

Guan Sheng glanced at it, said nothing more, and simply closed the stronghold. Seeing this,

Zhang Yang also withdrew his troops and returned to camp.

Chapter Sixty-Four: Three More Generals Added

After Zhang Yang returned to camp, he summoned all the leaders to his main tent for a meeting, explaining the afternoon's military arrangements in detail.

Song Jiang returned to his tent, extremely excited. Zhang Yang's plan was perfect; if Guan Sheng fell for it, he would surely suffer a crushing defeat. Guan Sheng had risen rapidly through the ranks, and this was his first time leading troops; he would undoubtedly value this battle highly. If he could expose Zhang Yang's plan and save him from defeat, Guan Sheng would be eternally grateful. If I ask him to recommend me to Grand Tutor Cai in the future, I will surely be able to enter officialdom. Given time, I might even rise to a high position.

Thinking of this, Song Jiang could no longer contain himself and got up to walk out of the camp.

He hadn't gone far when he bumped into Li Kui patrolling the camp.

Seeing Song Jiang, Li Kui asked, "Brother Gongming, where are you going?"

Knowing Li Kui's straightforwardness, Song Jiang didn't think much of it and laughed, "I want to go for a walk outside the camp

. Is Tie Niu patrolling?" Li Kui, however, didn't suspect anything and said, "Yes, Chief

, you're too cautious. Guan Sheng only has 30,000 troops; what kind of strategy does he need? If it were me, I would have stormed into the camp this morning and killed him, saving me the trouble of patrolling now." Hearing this, Song Jiang broke out in a cold sweat. He had been too naive. Even if he helped Guan Sheng escape the afternoon's ordeal, with his forces, he might not be able to defeat the Liangshan army. Moreover, with the freak Zhang Yang around, the scales of victory might tip in Liangshan's favor. Even if Guan Sheng could escape back to Dongjing, his words would carry no weight. In that case, wouldn't he have wasted his efforts?

Seeing Song Jiang's fluctuating expression, Li Kui asked curiously, "Brother, what's wrong?"

Song Jiang, realizing the situation, sighed and said, "I suddenly have a headache, so I'm going back to my tent to rest. Brother, go patrol the camp first, and I'll invite you for drinks later."

Li Kui believed him and quickly ordered two soldiers to escort Song Jiang back.

Zhang Yang, hearing that Song Jiang had bumped into Li Kui, said something, and then returned to his tent, couldn't help but sigh as well.

In the afternoon, Zhang Yang ordered his troops to act according to plan.

Soon after, sounds of fighting erupted from Dongping Prefecture. A short while later, over a hundred cavalrymen charged out from Dongping Prefecture, but were intercepted by the Liangshan army. Only one managed to break through the encirclement and head towards Guan Sheng's camp.

Liu Ren had studied martial arts with Guan Sheng for several years and, being somewhat clever, was brought along by Guan Sheng because there were no other trustworthy men in the army. After receiving the troops from the two prefectures in the morning, Guan Sheng ordered him to lead a scouting party.

Liu Ren had only scouted out for a dozen miles when he heard deafening battle cries coming from the direction of Dongping Prefecture. He immediately sent someone to report back to the main camp while he led a few scouts cautiously forward.

They had just reached a small hill a few miles outside the city when they saw a significant increase in the number of Liangshan patrol troops ahead. Liu Ren dared not probe directly. Standing on the hill, he saw that the Liangshan forces had already stormed the city walls, and tens of thousands of troops were arrayed outside in defense. As he was observing, he saw over a hundred riders charge out from Dongping Prefecture, but they were quickly intercepted by the Liangshan troops. After a fierce battle, only one rider managed to break through the enemy lines. The Liangshan troops seemed unconcerned, sending only a few riders in pursuit.

Seeing this, Liu Ren quickly led his men to follow at a distance. Once they were out of the Liangshan army's sight, Liu Ren led his men in a charge. The Liangshan pursuers, seeing government troops suddenly appear, quickly turned to fight. After a short while, Liu Ren had cut one of them down from his horse. The others, seeing this, shouted a few times and fled in disarray.

Seeing that the men from Dongping Prefecture had vanished without a trace, Liu Ren hurriedly led his men to search along the road. They hadn't gone far when they saw an empty saddled horse circling ahead. Liu Ren recognized the horse as the same color as the warhorse of the Dongping Prefecture soldiers who had escaped earlier. He led his men closer and found a soldier lying on the ground, his armor stained crimson with blood, groaning in pain.

Liu Ren quickly dismounted and picked up the soldier to check on him.

Seeing Liu Ren in his military uniform, the soldier managed to utter, "Quickly, save Dongping Prefecture," before fainting.

Liu Ren didn't dare delay and carried the soldier towards the main camp. Upon entering, he saw the troops already assembling. Liu Ren went straight to the central command tent.

Guan Sheng, who was hesitating whether to send troops, heard Liu Ren return and quickly invited him in.

Liu Ren recounted what he had seen.

Xuan Zan said, "Brother, let's send troops. If we delay, Dongping Prefecture may fall."

Guan Sheng had been wondering how Dongping Prefecture had been able to hold out for more than ten days after seeing the Liangshan army and its fierce generals that morning. Upon hearing this, he ordered someone to wake the soldier up again.

As soon as the soldier awoke, he murmured, "Quickly save Dongping Prefecture."

Guan Sheng, seeing this, believed him somewhat, but still asked, "Didn't you defend it for over ten days? How come you suddenly couldn't hold it?"

The soldier seemed to realize that Guan Sheng was in charge, and forced a reply, "A few days ago, the Liangshan bandits seemed to be just training their troops and didn't want to suffer too many casualties. Plus, the prefect was well-prepared, which is why we were able to hold it. But Liangshan has been attacking the city for days, and the defenders inside have suffered heavy casualties. Just now, the bandits started a large-scale attack, and the prefect had to send all the troops in the city to the city walls for defense. But then Liangshan spies inside the city suddenly launched an attack, and the prefect had to divide his forces to wipe out the bandits inside the city. As a result, the troops on the city walls are insufficient. Please send reinforcements quickly, otherwise Dongping Prefecture will be lost."

After saying this, the soldier fainted again.

Xuan Zan said, "It must be that the Liangshan bandits, seeing that our army has arrived, want to take Dongping Prefecture first, and then concentrate their forces to deal with us. Brother, don't hesitate."

Guan Sheng, upon hearing this, knew that if the Dongping Prefecture troops were lost, he would have to face the Liangshan army alone. He dared not hesitate, leaving Hao Siwen to guard the camp, and led 25,000 troops to attack Dongping.

Upon arriving outside Dongping, they were blocked by more than 10,000 Liangshan troops. Guan Sheng saw that the fighting on the city walls had stopped, and thick smoke was rising from many places inside the city. He knew that Liangshan had already entered the city, and without bothering to reorganize his formation, he led his army to attack.

Tens of thousands of troops charged across the field, especially the 5,000 cavalry in the middle, whose momentum was astonishing. The ground began to tremble under the gallop of the 5,000 warhorses.

Although most of the Liangshan troops were imperial guards under Huyan Zhuo, they had only ever suppressed bandits and peasant uprisings. They had never seen such a large army charging into battle, and for a moment they were overwhelmed by the momentum of the government troops. The other recruits trembled even more, and a slight commotion arose within the ranks.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang quickly ordered the warning drums to be sounded; the familiar sound of the war drums made the soldiers reflexively alert.

Seeing that the government troops were almost within the archers' range, Zhang Yang ordered the signal flag to be waved. Nearly ten thousand archers drew their bows simultaneously. The rangefinder officer fired a test arrow, confirming the troops were within range. The signal flag moved again, and a chorus of bowstrings rang out.

Ten thousand arrows were unleashed, soaring to their highest point before raining down like a storm, darkening the sky considerably. The dense barrage of arrows instantly felled many, mingling the shouts of battle with screams and groans. Fallen cavalrymen had no time to dodge and were trampled into a bloody pulp by their comrades' horses.

At the same time, the ground on the left flank began to tremble violently, and a cloud of dust swept in from afar.

The archers' target was the large contingent behind them, but Guan Sheng, leading the charge, was unaffected by the archers. Just as they were about to charge into the enemy ranks, the ground suddenly sank, revealing a trench ten feet wide.

Guan Sheng was terrified, knowing that the large contingent of cavalry behind him couldn't turn back, and even if he reined in his horse, he would be knocked off. He had no choice but to struggle to lift his horse. Fortunately, his Red Hare was incredibly agile, leaping across the trench with great force. The cavalry behind him, however, were not as quick as Guan Sheng, and their horses were also in disarray. Those in front immediately fell into the trench, while those behind were crushed into a heap. The central army was thrown into chaos.

In fact, Zhang Yang had already ordered the trench dug, waiting for the imperial reinforcements to fall into its trap. He hadn't expected that the ground would be shaken down by the stampede of horses, thus saving Guan Sheng's life. Otherwise, if he had fallen into the trench, he would have been crushed to death, if not killed.

Seeing that he had fallen into the trap, Guan Sheng knew defeat was inevitable, and he spurred his horse to attack Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang, who had been itching for a fight for a long time, stopped the surrounding leaders and charged at Guan Sheng with his Overlord Spear. Although Zhang Yang tried to hold back, the surrounding environment affected him, and he still managed to knock Guan Sheng's broadsword away in less than three exchanges. Seeing that there was no point in playing, Zhang Yang also captured Guan Sheng.

At this moment, the three thousand heavily armored cavalry led by Huyan Zhuo, Dong Ping, and Zhang Qing appeared on the horizon.

Seeing the chaos in the central army and the heavy cavalry charging from the flank, the left-wing commander of Hedong dared not fight any longer and rode away. Seeing their commander flee first, the soldiers also began to scatter. After fleeing for several miles, they were surrounded by Lin Chong's troops, and after a short battle, they surrendered under their commander's leadership.

A portion of the cavalry on the right side of the central army and the right-wing infantry, however, did not reach the trenches and began to fight the Liangshan troops.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang simply ordered the right-wing cavalry to maintain a tight formation and not engage the government troops in melee.

Before long, the heavily armored cavalry charged past the scattered left flank and center of the government forces, then swept through the right-wing infantry with unstoppable momentum, breaking through their lines. Large numbers of soldiers died under the hooves of horses and the gleaming steel blades, their flesh and bones trampled into a pulp.

Seeing the right-wing troops in disarray, Zhang Yang also ordered a full-scale attack. With the leaders charging ahead, the right-wing troops soon began to rout.

Xuan Zan, leading the charge on the right flank, also escaped the heavy cavalry's onslaught. Seeing that the situation was hopeless and knowing the heavy cavalry lacked the strength to fight further, he spurred his horse and fled to the flank.

The Song Dynasty had lost its fertile pastures, and its warhorses were far inferior in physique to those of previous dynasties; clad in heavy armor, they lacked the ability to fight continuously.

Huyan Zhuo's three heavily armored cavalry units, having marched from their ambush to break through the enemy lines, had only covered a dozen or so li before their horses were exhausted and unable to fight any longer. Only Huyan Zhuo's warhorse, a gift from the emperor, possessed exceptional stamina—and hadn't achieved any significant merit after going up the mountain—so he rode back alone. He ran into Xuan Zan, recognizing him as the man who had fought Hua Rong that morning, and knowing he was a big fish, Huyan Zhuo brandished his double whips to

engage Xuan Zan. Xuan Zan's martial arts were inherently inferior to Huyan Zhuo's, and having just suffered a major defeat, he feigned an attack after only a few exchanges, turning his horse to flee. However, Huyan Zhuo had already seen through Xuan Zan's intentions. As Xuan Zan turned, Huyan Zhuo spurred his horse, and with a swift movement, pulled Xuan Zan onto the back of his horse.

Not long after Guan Sheng's army left the camp, Qin Ming and Yang Zhi appeared outside with their cavalry. Hao Siwen merely ordered increased vigilance and did not engage in battle. Just as the stalemate was at hand, a few scattered fleeing soldiers appeared from the direction of Dongping. Yang Zhi then sent five hundred cavalry to subdue them.

Hao Siwen, however, did not believe that Guan Sheng's army had been defeated so quickly, thinking it was merely a Liangshan stratagem, and ignored the troops outside the camp. Gradually, the number of fleeing soldiers began to increase, and Hao Siwen realized that things were not going well. However, most of the remaining troops in the camp were infantry, and he dared not leave the camp easily.

The soldiers in the camp, seeing their army suffer a crushing defeat in a short time, were even more demoralized.

Hao Siwen saw that the main force of Liangshan pursuers had already gathered outside the camp, and knew that the situation was hopeless. Zhang Yang then offered some kind words of reassurance, and Hao Siwen also surrendered

with his troops. Guan Sheng and Xuan Zan also surrendered under the persuasion of the crowd.

Zhang Yang then sent people to move the three families and distributed the money and grain that Zhang Shuye had extorted from the gentry in various places to the people before leading his troops back to the mountain.

Chapter
Sixty-Five (May 9th): A Series of Joyful Events.

After Zhang Yang led his troops back to the mountain, he learned that Yang Xiong (Sick Guan Suo), Shi Xiu (Desperate Saburo), Shi Qian (Drum-like Flea), Sun Li (Sick Yuchi), Xie Zhen (Two-Headed Snake), Xie Bao (Double-Tailed Scorpion), Zou Yuan (Forest Dragon), Zou Run (One-Horned Dragon), Sun Xin (Little Yuchi), Gu Dasao (Mother Tiger), and Le He (Iron-Called Boy) had also joined the Liangshan bandits.

A few days later, Lei Heng (Winged Tiger), the head constable of Yuncheng County, killed the county magistrate's mistress. Zhu Tong (Beautiful-Bearded Gentleman) was ordered to escort Lei Heng to Jizhou, but unexpectedly lost his life. Remembering that he had met Zhang Yang once before, he decided to take a few constables and join the Liangshan bandits as well.

Zhang Yang then reorganized the mountain stronghold's forces again, selecting elite soldiers from various armies to expand his personal guard to a thousand men, with Wu Song as the commander of a thousand. He also selected He Zhen, Xie Bao, Zou Yuan, Zou Run, Mu Chun, Li Li, Shi Xiu, Yang Xiong, Lei Heng, and Yue He as centurions. At the same time, he formed five ten-thousand-man units, each consisting of nine thousand infantry and one thousand cavalry, with Yang Zhi, Lin Chong, Guan Sheng, Huyan Zhuo, and Qin Ming serving as commanders of ten thousand men respectively. Each unit had two deputy commanders: Gong Wang and Ding Desun, Lü Fang and Guo Sheng, Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen, Han Tao and Peng Qi, and Huang Xin and Luan Tingyu. The cavalry commanders under his command were Mu Hong, Ou Peng, Zong Ying, Deng Fei, and Yan Shun. He also formed a five-thousand-man independent cavalry force, with Hua Rong, Zhang Qing, Dong Ping, Sun Li, and Chao Gai serving as commanders of a thousand men, each with a deputy commander: Zhu Tong, Ma Lin, Li Zhong, Sun Xin, and Zhou Tong.

In the warm spring of March, the remaining ice on the lake melted into clear water, concealing its form. Zhang Yang and the six women, including Wen Lian

, cruised on the lake in a specially made boat, enjoying the magnificent scenery. Seeing that it was nearly noon, Zhang Yang and the women began fishing to prepare lunch.

A gentle breeze rippled the calm surface of the lake. Fish, dormant all winter, occasionally leaped out of the water, seemingly anticipating the new year.

Although Wen Lian and the others also had fishing rods, their attention was mostly on Zhang Yang. Zhang

Yang also enjoyed this cozy atmosphere, his eyes filled with affection.

Xiao Qiao, after fishing for a while, seeing the fish leaping from beside the line but not biting, lost patience. She threw down her rod and sat on the edge of the boat to play in the water. After splashing around for a while, still not satisfied, she took off her shoes and socks, stretching her slender, white feet into the water. Foot

binding had just begun in the Song Dynasty, but it was limited to a small number of upper-class people and dancers, and was not widespread. Moreover, the requirement was only for feet to be slender and straight, not the later requirement for smallness, which led to deformities.

Xiao Qiao, having grown up in a brothel, also had her feet bound, but Zhang Yang later stopped her. However, her feet were still more slender and straight than those of ordinary women, which Zhang Yang greatly admired. He deeply abhorred this feudal custom and therefore stopped the two Qiaos from continuing to bind their feet.

Seeing that Xiao Qiao was still bending over to play in the water from time to time, Zhang Yang, fearing she might fall in, sat down beside her and embraced her, enjoying the scenery and playing in the water together.

The other five women, seeing this, secretly envied Xiao Qiao's innocence.

After having lunch on the boat, the group went boating to various lakes for sightseeing.

As the sun set, the water surface was tinged with gold. From time to time, flocks of wild ducks landed on the water, causing it to ripple.

Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Yang ordered the sailors at the stern to row towards the main stronghold. Noticing Xiao Qiao gazing longingly at the harbor, he said, "How about we come to the harbor every five days?"

The women were naturally delighted by Zhang Yang's thoughtfulness.

A few days later, Zhang Yang married Hu Sanniang and Hua Yu as planned, though without a formal wedding ceremony, but still hosting a banquet for the leaders. After being forced to drink several kilograms of wine by the leaders, Zhang Yang feigned drunkenness and escaped.

Due to Zhang Yang's special constitution and the fact that the women were already familiar with him, he only arranged for them to share a single bridal chamber. Hu Sanniang and Hua Yu sat side-by-side on the bed, their feelings quite different.

Although Sanniang had already tasted the forbidden fruit with Zhang Yang, after moving up the mountain and living with her father, she hadn't had the chance to do so again. Having experienced the pleasure, she was naturally eager now.

Hua Yu, on the other hand, was extremely nervous, her body trembling slightly.

The bridal chamber, illuminated by the dragon and phoenix candles, exuded a captivating allure. Zhang Yang, who hadn't tasted meat for months, entered and pulled Hua Yu, who was near the door, to his feet. He lifted her veil and kissed her tender red lips, his large hands simultaneously caressing her firm buttocks.

Hua Yu, caught off guard, struggled briefly before recognizing Zhang Yang. She immediately closed her eyes in shame, surrendering to his advances.

Zhang Yang greedily sucked on her fragrant saliva, feeling her breathing quicken. He then released her, taking her small earlobe into his mouth, and swiftly removed her clothes, his hands kneading her high breasts through her bodice.

Hua Yu, sensitive to repeated assaults, breathed even more rapidly, her cherry lips emitting soft moans.

San Niang, hearing the sounds outside the veil, was also aroused.

Sensing that Hua Yu was ready, Zhang Yang picked her up and carried her to the bed. With a soft gasp from Hua Yu, the enchanting night began.

The flower path has never been swept for guests, but this humble gate is opened for you today. Zhang Yang, of course, dared not be hasty, patiently completing the deflowering process, waiting for Hua Yu to adjust before beginning his actions.

Before long, Hua Yu also experienced her first climax. Zhang Yang held her tenderly for a few more moments, then began to pound her again. Under Zhang Yang's vigorous thrusting, Hua Yu soon fainted.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang impatiently pulled San Niang over, tore off her clothes, and seeing that San Niang's lower body was already overflowing, he teased, "I've kept you waiting, your husband will serve you now."

San Niang endured the itching in her lower body, glared at Zhang Yang, and said, "Why did you make Yu'er faint?"

Zhang Yang didn't answer. He grabbed San Niang's round, jade-like buttocks, thrusting his hips forward and entering her smoothly.

San Niang's eyes rolled back from Zhang Yang's violent thrusts, and the itching in her lower body lessened considerably. She let out a long breath. Before she could react, Zhang Yang began thrusting rapidly again. The intense pleasure made her sway her buttocks in response, completely forgetting her earlier question.

Seeing San Niang lost in lust, a sly smile flashed across Zhang Yang's face. In truth, he was just like most men, enjoying his woman's wantonness in bed. But Hua Yu was a virgin, and asking her to be wanton was obviously out of the question. He also worried that

San Niang might be too shy in front of Hua Yu, so he had made Hua Yu unconscious. This reason, of course, was difficult to say aloud. Zhang Yang was thrilled by San Niang's hysterical cries, while his hands also enjoyed the delicate skin of her breasts. Zhang Yang tried every position he knew before finally ejaculating amidst San Niang's cries.

Meanwhile, Cai Jing, upon learning of Guan Sheng's complete annihilation, hastily summoned his treacherous ministers for a consultation.

Liang Shicheng said, "Grand Tutor, why worry? As long as you and I don't report this, who in the court would dare to speak out?"

Cai Jing replied, "I'm not worried about the Emperor finding out, but the Liangshan bandits have repeatedly committed heinous crimes. If we allow them to grow stronger, they will be difficult to eliminate later. Does anyone have a plan to defeat them?" Tong Guan said

, "The Liangshan bandits have already gained considerable strength. With fewer troops, it will be difficult to defeat them. However, if the court sends a large army, they will surely lie in wait. The bandits have also plundered a great deal of money and grain, so they are not afraid of being besieged. If we launch a direct attack, the bandits have the natural barrier of eight hundred li of waterways, so we will need to send a naval force to assist them."

Gao Qiu was... He was vying for military power with Tong Guan, but unfortunately, Tong Guan had won a great victory over Western Xia last year, gaining the upper hand.

Upon hearing this, Gao Qiu said, "I have a plan to lure the bandits down the mountain." Cai Jing said, "Grand Commandant

, please tell me." Gao Qiu said, "The bandits are only bound by brotherhood. If we capture one of them, we can lure them down the mountain. Dongping Prefecture is proof of this. Then, we can face them with a large army and surely defeat the bandits."

Tong Guan laughed and said, "Grand Commandant, you make it sound so easy. I wonder how you plan to capture the bandits?"

Gao Qiu, however, had grown up in the marketplace and had spent some time wandering the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), so he was quite familiar with the affairs of various prefectures. He laughed and said, "On the 28th of March, the birthday of the Heavenly Emperor, a sumo wrestling competition will be held in Tai'an Prefecture as usual. If we just have someone claim that we are invincible throughout Shandong, the Liangshan bandits will certainly not allow us to lose face in front of their own backyard. This year's champion is a master who has won for two consecutive years, so there won't be many who dare to challenge. We just need to ambush and capture those who will challenge."

Cai Jing nodded upon hearing this and said, "This plan is excellent, but we still need to send a capable person to carry it out."

Gao Qiu said, "I have several retainers who are familiar with the affairs of the martial world, so I will entrust it to them." "It's all taken care of, but we still need to prepare a large army first."

Tong Guan had just defeated the Western Xia and didn't take a bandit seriously. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "As long as the Grand Commandant can lure the bandits out of the city, I will personally lead troops to wipe out the Liangshan bandits. Grand Commandant, please don't let the bandits cause trouble in Tai'an Prefecture again."

Cai Jing was already over seventy years old. Although he was obsessed with power, he was too lazy to watch them argue. Seeing that things were settled, he said, "Then let's wait for the Grand Commandant's good news."

Seeing that Cai Jing looked exhausted, everyone took their leave.

Chapter Sixty-Six: Tai'an Tournament

A few days later, Ren Yuan, the Taiyuan sumo wrestler known as "Pillar of Heaven," set up a tournament in Tai'an Prefecture and boasted that he would "punch the fierce tiger of Shandong and kick the azure dragon of Jiangnan."

Dai Zong knew that he had won the championship twice and defeated many heroes, so he didn't dare to send anyone recklessly and had to report to Zhang Yang and the two strategists.

Upon hearing the report, Zhang Yang asked, "Did he say something like this in previous years?"

Dai Zong replied, "Last year, he did hang two wooden signs that read 'Punching the tiger of the Southern Mountain, kicking the azure dragon of the Northern Sea.'"

Zhang Yang said, "It seems there's something fishy about this. I'll go down the mountain myself to investigate."

Wu Yong said, "Sending one leader is enough; why trouble the chieftain to go personally?"

Zhang Yang, having finally found some nighttime entertainment, naturally didn't want to go down the mountain. However, while there were many incredibly strong individuals among the mountain stronghold's leaders, none of them knew wrestling or sumo wrestling. Moreover, Li Kui and Lu Da were rough and crude, easily seen through by the officials, and Wu Song had a golden mark on his face, making them unsuitable for traveling through the streets and government offices. The other leaders were only proficient in the eighteen weapons; when it came to wrestling, there wasn't a single one who could be used.

Hearing this, he laughed and said, "I've also heard that the temple fair in Tai'an Prefecture is quite lively, and I'm just about to go take a look. Ren Yuan is arrogant and boastful, I'll just take care of him easily. Also, have spies in various parts of Shandong gather more information on bandits, and then send them invitations to join our gang. For those who don't want to join, spread the word that they are not allowed to rob the people, otherwise they will all be wiped out."

Dai Zong said, "This might cause controversy among our fellow martial arts practitioners."

Zhang Yang, however, had a deeper understanding and shook his head, saying, "Although this is a bit domineering, it's for the sake of the people. We still have to eliminate some scoundrels in the martial arts world, and I believe our fellow practitioners can understand."

Zong Ze also said, "What the chieftain says is absolutely right, and now the chieftain has more influence in Shandong than the imperial court. This should be easy."

Zhang Yang instructed the three of them to discuss the details, and then went to the backyard to say goodbye to the six women.

Hearing that Zhang Yang was going down the mountain again, Xiao Qiao immediately said, "This time, my husband must take me with him!"

Zhang Yang touched Xiao Qiao's slightly protruding belly and laughed, "There will be too many people at the temple fair. What will happen to our baby if it gets crowded? At the beginning of next year, I will definitely take you to a place you would never expect."

Xiao Qiao said, "It must be some famous mountain or river, right?"

Zhang Yang laughed, "No, I won't tell you in advance. You just stay on the mountain with a few sisters and wait for me to come back. Then I will take you to go boating on the lake."

Xiao Qiao made a face when she heard this and said, "Fine, I won't tell you. But you must buy me some cute little things again."

Zhang Yang laughed, "I won't forget."

Hu Sanniang really wanted to relive the romance of the Lantern Festival, but since the four women, Wen Lian and the others, could not go down the mountain, and she had just married into the family, she couldn't say anything. She just looked at Zhang Yang with burning eyes.

Although Zhang Yang understood San Niang's meaning, to maintain harmony among the women, he could only hug her and whisper, "Next time we go into battle, I'll take you with me, so they won't be jealous."

San Niang nodded, though she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

Seeing the other five women looking at the two of them, Zhang Yang's hands climbed onto San Niang's breasts and began to knead them.

Wen Lian and the other four women, seeing this, gave Zhang Yang a shy, glaring look before leaving the house.

Zhang Yang, Hua Yu, and San Niang then embarked on their campaign once more.

The next day, Zhang Yang descended the mountain towards Tai'an Prefecture. Sure enough, there were many more men carrying spears and clubs along the way, and many devout men and women going to burn incense. Zhang Yang rode away on horseback and arrived outside Tai'an Prefecture that evening. Having experienced the situation in Dongjing (Kaifeng), Zhang Yang wasn't in a hurry to enter the city and found an inn outside the city to stay.

Nothing more was said that night. The next morning, they went into the city to scout ahead. At the temple they arrived at, they saw two red pillars, similar to the signs on the alleyways, with a flour plaque on top that read: "Ren Yuan, the Pillar of Taiyuan Sumo Wrestling." To the left and right were two lines of text: "Punches that beat the fierce tigers of Shandong, kicks that kick the azure dragons of Jiangnan."

Ren Yuan sat in a pavilion beside the platform. He was indeed very tall, with a square face and a wide mouth, possessing a certain imposing presence. Behind him stood dozens of sumo disciples, all strong men.

Although there were many onlookers, no one went up to the platform. After a long while, a man jumped onto the platform to challenge, but in one exchange, Ren Yuan grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him off the platform. Several others followed suit, falling off the platform after only a few rounds. Seeing Ren Yuan's prowess, no one dared to easily go up again, and for a moment, the atmosphere became tense.

Seeing that it was almost noon, Zhang Yang first found a restaurant to have lunch. Although Zhang Yang arrived early, there were already quite a few customers upstairs. Zhang Yang found a seat and ordered a few specialty dishes.

As Zhang Yang was drinking alone, two middle-aged men approached and said, "Young master, there are no empty tables upstairs. May we borrow a corner of the room?"

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "It's fate that we meet. Please, have a seat."

The two men thanked Zhang Yang and sat down with him, ordering several local specialties.

One of them said, "Defu, let's go up Mount Tai later. This city is far too noisy."

The other said, "Yes, I'm just here to draw a fortune stick for my wife. This city is really not suitable for studying."

The first man said again, "I knew Defu and his wife were very loving. I wonder what poem Li Qingzhao wrote for this farewell? Would Defu be willing to share it?"

The man smiled and said, "It's just a poem called 'A Spray of Plum Blossoms.' Since Ziliang is interested, I'll recite it as well. Please give me your opinion. " "

The fragrance of lotus fades, the jade mat is cool in autumn.

I lightly loosen my silk robe,

alone in the orchid boat.

Who sends a brocade letter from the clouds?

When the wild geese return , the moon

is full over the western tower.

Flowers drift and water flows.

One kind of longing,

two places of idle sorrow.

This feeling cannot be dispelled;

it just moves from my brow

to my heart."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang was startled. Connecting the dots from their conversation, he realized the man before him was Li Qingzhao's husband, Zhao Mingcheng. Although Zhao Mingcheng had little to show for himself, his father, Zhao Tingzhi, had served as prime minister and had many officials and students. Zhang Shuye and Zong Ze's historical achievements were primarily in resisting the Jin dynasty, and they didn't yet have the same influence among scholars as Zhao Mingcheng.

Zhang Yang also wanted to meet the renowned female poet and was determined to win her over. However, seeing the crowd upstairs, he hesitated to act immediately and rose, saying, "I will take my leave now. Until we meet again."

Zhao Mingcheng and Liu Ba, though puzzled, also rose and bowed.

Before leaving, Zhang Yang settled the bill for the two men as well. Zhao Mingcheng and his companion, having heard that Zhang Yang had already paid their bill, were quite curious and naturally remembered him.

Zhang Yang then bought some small trinkets in the city and left them at an inn outside the city before heading to the arena in front of the temple fair.

Ren Yuan, however, was acting on orders from Gao Qiu's retainers, determined to force the Liangshan heroes to come out. Seeing no one step forward, he shouted, "I've always heard people say that there are many heroes from Qi and Lu, but I've set up this arena for three years and haven't seen a single true hero." The

crowd below was mostly from Shandong, and hearing Ren Yuan's arrogant words, they were all enraged. However, seeing that those who had previously stepped forward were either injured or had broken bones, they dared not go up themselves, only shouting insults from below.

Zhang Yang, not wanting to wait any longer, leaped up, stepped on the shoulder of the person in front of him, and jumped onto the arena.

A constable beside him said, "Young man, your life is hanging by a thread, do you understand? Do you have a guarantor?"

Zhang Yang replied, "Life and death are left to fate, why would I need a guarantor?"

Ren Yuan, seeing Zhang Yang's skill earlier, was somewhat frightened and shouted, "Young man, state your name! I don't wrestle nameless nobodies."

Zhang Yang laughed, "You're not worthy to know my name. I'm on stage today only to wrestle you a few times, so that no one will dare to underestimate Shandong."

Hearing this, the constable ordered the start.

Upon hearing this, Ren Yuan immediately lunged at Zhang Yang in a bear hug.

Zhang Yang, however, didn't meet him head-on. He slipped under Ren Yuan's arm, then kicked him in the buttocks, knocking him to the ground.

The crowd below cheered.

Gao Qiu's retainers, seeing this, ordered the constables mingling below to rush to the front of the stage, ready to arrest him. At the same time, Ren Yuan's disciples were also eager to prove themselves.

Seeing Zhang Yang's incredible speed, Ren Yuan scrambled to his feet, too afraid to move. He immediately spread his arms wide, crouched slightly, and assumed a defensive stance.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang leaped behind Ren Yuan and kicked him off the stage.

Gao Qiu's retainers, seeing this, quickly ordered their men to seize Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang didn't linger; he leaped up, stepping over the shoulders of the crowd, and vanished around the street corner in an instant. He then went outside the city to retrieve his horse and returned straight to Liangshan.

Gao Qiu's men, hearing of the failed plan, coupled with Cai Jing's renewed dismissal as prime minister and the new prime minister Wang Fu's attempt to create a facade of peace to lure Emperor Huizong into a life of pleasure and relinquish power, thus halted the campaign to suppress Liangshan.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Chai Jin's Misfortune

. A few days after Zhang Yang returned to the mountain, the urine of Guan Sheng and his two families was also brought up. Zhang Yang prepared a feast to celebrate the reunion of the three families.

As everyone was drinking, Gongsun Sheng rose and said, "I am deeply grateful to all the heroes for your kindness and support over this long period of time; your kindness is like that of blood relatives. However, since I came to the mountain, I have not been able to return home to see my elderly mother. I wish to return home to visit her, and bid farewell to the leaders for a month or two before returning to see her, so that she will not worry about me."

Gongsun Sheng did not possess the power to summon wind and rain, nor did he have a master like Luo Zhenren.

Zhang Yang was not worried that he would not return, and upon hearing this, he said, "Of all virtues, filial piety is paramount. Your mother is in the north with no one to care for her. Since you say so, brother, why don't you bring her to the mountain, so that mother and son will not be separated?"

Gongsun Sheng thanked him.

Li Kui also said, "I also have an old mother at home. My brother is working as a farmhand for someone else, how can he support my mother? I want to go and fetch her here so we can be happy for a while."

Zhang Yang, however, was afraid that Li Kui would act rashly and cause trouble, and also worried that his mother would be fed to the tiger again, so he laughed and said, "Alright, but you can't drink on the way."

Li Kui thought to himself: I'll agree to him verbally first, but who will know when I get down the mountain? Thinking of this, he also said, "I'll do as my brother says."

Zhang Yang then said to Zhu Gui, "You also have a brother in your hometown, right? Why don't you invite him too, and we can all do something together. You and Tie Niu are from the same hometown, so you can travel together. Just remember not to let Tie Niu go to fetch his mother alone."

Zhu Gui thanked Zhang Yang upon hearing this.

They parted ways that day, all drunk, and went to their rooms to rest.

The next morning, a banquet was set up outside the moor for Gongsun Sheng, Li Kui, and Zhu Gui to see them off. Perhaps due to Zhu Gui's protection, or perhaps due to the wrong time and space, Li Kui's mother did not encounter a tiger. Zhu Gui also took his brother, Smiling Tiger Zhu Fu, and his master, Blue-Eyed Tiger Li Yun. Gongsun Sheng also brought Brocade Leopard Yang Lin up the mountain.

Meanwhile, Chai Jin received a letter that day informing him of his uncle Chai Huangcheng's critical illness. He immediately packed his bags, selected a dozen fine horses, and, with several servants, left the manor, heading towards Gaotang Prefecture.

A few days later, he arrived at Gaotang Prefecture, entered the city, and dismounted in front of Chai Huangcheng's residence, leaving his servants in the outer hall. When Chai Jin went directly into the bedroom to see his uncle Chai Huangcheng, he found him with a face ashen and unable to speak.

Upon seeing his nephew, Chai Huangcheng's lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately, he could not resist the vengeful spirit, his legs stretched out, and he breathed his last.

Chai Jin wept for a while, thinking back to when he visited his uncle in the first month of the lunar year, he was still in good health; how could he have died in just two months? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but be suspicious and asked Chai Huangcheng's second wife, "What caused my uncle's illness?"

The second wife replied, "Huangcheng isn't ill; he was beaten and injured by Yin Tianxi, and he couldn't swallow his anger, so he fell ill and can't get over it."

Chai Jin said, "Whose power does this Yin Tianxi rely on to dare to provoke our Chai family?"

The second wife said, "He is the brother-in-law of Gao Lian, the prefect of this prefecture. He usually acts like a tyrant in the prefecture, relying on his brother-in-law's power. A month ago, he took a fancy to our garden and demanded that we move out within ten days. Tomorrow is the deadline, and we still need your help, sir."

Chai Jin said, "Don't worry, Aunt, I will take care of everything. Our family are descendants of the emperor; we have the imperial edict from the previous dynasty. Who would dare to disrespect us? We will make him pay for this in the future."

The second wife said, "I have no children in the capital, and I am just a woman. I leave it to you, sir."

Chai Jin then ordered the preparation of an inner coffin and an outer coffin, and arranged the memorial tablet according to custom. The whole family wore heavy mourning clothes and mourned.

Early the next morning, Yin Tianxi led thirty or twenty idlers to the front of Chai Jin's residence and asked the steward inside to come out and speak with him.

Upon hearing this, Chai Jin, dressed in mourning clothes, hurriedly came out to answer.

Yin Tianxi asked, "Who are you to his family?"

Chai Jin replied, "I am Chai Jin, the nephew of Chai Huangcheng."

Yin Tianxi said, "Today is the final deadline I gave them. They are telling you to move out of the house. Why are they not obeying me? Do you expect me to do it myself?"

Chai Jin, who had been holding back for a long time, finally snapped, "Whose power are you relying on to dare to forcibly seize a private residence? My family are also descendants of the emperor. We have the imperial edict from the previous dynasty. Who would dare to disrespect us?"

Yin Tianxi laughed, "Show it to me!"

Chai Jin said, "I have already sent someone to fetch it from my home in Cangzhou."

Yin Tianxi was furious, "This scoundrel is talking nonsense! Even with the edict, I am not afraid. Guards, take this scoundrel to jail and tell them to treat him well!"

Before Chai Jin could speak, he was knocked to the ground, bound, and taken to prison.

Yin Tianxi led his men into the courtyard and saw white cloth everywhere. He was greatly disappointed. He ordered his men to drive away the Chai family members and headed towards the main hall.

Upon entering the hall, seeing Chai Huangcheng's coffin placed in the center, he shouted, "Throw that old coffin out onto the street, so it won't be an eyesore here!"

Chai Huangcheng's second wife, who had been kneeling nearby, hurriedly rose to stop the crowd.

Seeing his second wife's youthful allure, Yin Tianxi's heart stirred, and he picked her up, carrying her towards the inner room.

His family members tried to stop him, but were all beaten out by the idlers.

Chaos erupted in the Chai residence.

The nearby residents, already aware of Yin Tianxi's arrogance, could only whisper amongst themselves, not daring to report him to the authorities or speak out for justice.

After being bound and imprisoned, Chai Jin was beaten half to death and hung in the cell.

That night, one of Chai Jin's family members bribed the jailer and entered the cell. Seeing his master's head ripped open and his legs mangled, he wailed loudly.

Hearing the crying, Chai Jin barely opened his eyes. Seeing it was his family member, he hurriedly asked, "How is the family?"

The family member cried, "After our master was arrested, they drove us out and seized all our property. Our master's aunt was also violated by Yin Tianxi. We sold all our valuables to pay the jailers so we could come and see our master. The others are still waiting in the street; we need our master to make a decision."

Upon hearing this, Chai Jin was furious. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Even if I bring them the imperial edict, they probably won't acknowledge it. If I go to the capital to appeal to the emperor, they probably won't let me live that long. Come closer, and I'll tell you how to get out of this mess."

The family member came closer, and Chai Jin whispered a few words, then said, "You must hurry and ask them to come and save me; if you delay, you might not see me again."

Seeing his master's miserable state, the family member dared not delay. He kowtowed and left.

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Shi Xiu Rescues a

Man While Zhang Yang was busy farming, he heard that Chai Jin had sent someone to ask for help. He immediately summoned Shi Xiu and said, "Chai Jin is currently imprisoned in Gaotang Prefecture. His personal guards have been training for a long time, and I want you to lead ten men to rescue him. Are you confident?"

Shi Xiu replied, "Don't worry, Chief, I will definitely rescue Master Chai."

Zhang Yang continued, "The brave fight with strength, the wise fight with strategy. This time, you can use a plan to rescue Master Chai when you go down the mountain. It's best not to alert a single soldier in Gaotang Prefecture."

While training his personal guards in combat effectiveness and dealing with various emergencies, Zhang Yang also frequently explained various military strategies and tactics to them through classic battle examples. Zhang Yang's goal was to train them into a highly effective iron army, capable of carrying out special missions separately, and also serving as lower-level commanders in critical situations.

Although Shi Xiu hadn't been on the mountain for long, he had gained a lot. Hearing this, he said, "The chieftain's teachings are invaluable; we will certainly complete our mission."

Zhang Yang then gave Shi Xiu the contact information for the spies in Gaotang Prefecture, and immediately ordered him to lead his men down the mountain.

Upon arriving in Gaotang Prefecture, Shi Xiu first sent two men to take Chai Jin's family back to Liangshan, while the others dispersed to different inns. Shi Xiu then consulted with the spies to learn about the events and Yin Tianxi's situation, and then assigned men to monitor Yin Tianxi.

That day, Yin Tianxi had forcibly taken advantage of Chai Huangcheng's second wife, a woman of strong character who, taking advantage of Yin Tianxi's inattention, committed suicide by swallowing gold. Yin Tianxi didn't take it to heart, simply having his body thrown into a mass grave outside the city. After enjoying himself at Chai Huangcheng's residence for two more days, he grew tired of it.

He had long forgotten about Chai Jin, whom he had imprisoned. Only a few jailers dared not neglect the orders of the prefect's brother-in-law and continued to "serve" Chai Jin on time.

Shi Xiu, disguised as Chai Jin's servant, went to the prison and bribed the jailer with five taels of silver before being allowed entry to visit Chai Jin.

Following the jailer into the damp cell, he saw a man lying on the straw, his clothes torn to shreds and covered in blood.

Shi Xiu quickly touched him and, finding a heartbeat, breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Chai Jin had some martial arts training, his wealthy background meant he had only practiced the forms and hadn't developed any physical strength. After days of brutal beatings, he was on the verge of death.

Shi Xiu, a man of strong will, saw Chai Jin's numerous wounds and gritted his teeth in anger.

Seeing Shi Xiu's clenched fists and cracking bones, the jailer, fearing a prison break, stepped back and said, "Time's up, you'd better leave."

Shi Xiu, startled, realized he had been too agitated. Shi Xiu got up, took out two silver ingots, and handed them to the jailer, saying, "Thank you for your leniency in visiting my master in prison. This money is for you all to have some tea. I hope you will take care of my master in the future; I will repay you handsomely."

The jailer took the silver and tucked it into his sleeve, then said with a troubled expression, "Visiting your master is easy, but 'taking care of' your master is an order from the prefect's brother-in-law, and we dare not neglect it."

Shi Xiu then took out two more silver ingots and handed them to the jailer, saying, "Don't worry, brother. My master is asking someone to apologize to Master Yin. In a few days..." "The master will then be released from prison. Even if Master Yin finds out, he won't make things difficult for you."

Upon hearing this, the jailer laughed and said, "That's good. Your master is a worldly man. How could he have dared to contradict Master Yin back then and suffered this injustice? Don't worry, I will take good care of your master. But you'd better hurry up, the prison food isn't to your master's liking."

Shi Xiu hurriedly said, "Certainly, certainly. Thank you for your care, brother. I'll take my leave now."

The jailer, having received many benefits, escorted Shi Xiu to the door before returning to divide the money with the other jailers.

For several days, Yin Tianxi only frequented the brothel and didn't come out. Just as Shi Xiu was about to go to the brothel to arrest him, Yin Tianxi took the initiative to leave the brothel, leading a dozen or so idle men, armed with slingshots, crossbows, blowpipes, balloons, tugs, and musical instruments, and left the city.

One of the guards who was watching went back to report, while the other followed Yin Tianxi from a distance.

Shi Xiu gathered his other personal guards and, following the marks left by them, chased them out of the city. They found the guards waiting at the edge of the woods outside the city.

Shi Xiu approached and asked, "Are they all in the woods?"

The guard replied, "Yes, thirteen in total."

Shi Xiu entered the woods, checked the men's positions, and then assigned them to his guards. The guards then stealthily moved towards their respective targets, and soon all the idlers were silently taken down by the guards.

Yin Tianxi had just become infatuated with a popular courtesan at a brothel, and his recent string of encounters had taken a toll on his health. He woke up today with a sore back and aching genitals, and fearing he would lose face in front of the beauty, he made an excuse to go out of town to rest and recharge, preparing to return later that evening. After dismissing the idlers, he leaned against a tree and began to nap.

Shi Xiu and his men, having cleared away the surrounding thugs, found Yin Tianxi still fast asleep. Shi Xiu then sent someone to buy carriages and horses in town. Once everything was ready, Shi Xiu kicked Yin Tianxi awake.

Yin Tianxi opened his eyes to find several burly men surrounding him, and his men lying on the ground, their fates unknown. Terrified, he immediately kowtowed, pleading, "Heroes, spare my life! I'm willing to offer a thousand taels of silver as a token of my respect. Please, heroes, show mercy!"

Seeing Yin Tianxi's cowardice, Shi Xiu became even more disdainful. He kicked Yin Tianxi to the ground, saying, "We only want you to release Chai Jin, is that alright?"

Yin Tianxi struggled to his feet, kowtowing, "I truly don't know Chai Jin, and I certainly didn't arrest him. Have you arrested the wrong person, heroes?"

Hearing this, Shi Xiu grew even angrier, kicking Yin Tianxi to the ground again, saying, "The other day you..." "You just seized someone's house and threw them into jail. Have you forgotten already?"

Only then did Yin Tianxi realize who Chai Jin was. Enduring the sharp pain in his waist, he got up and kowtowed, saying, "It was because I didn't remember for a moment. If you, sir, will let me into the city, I will personally escort Lord Chai Jin out."

Shi Xiu said, "You don't need to go. Send one of your men. You must choose the right person, otherwise, if he dares to play any tricks, I will tear you to pieces."

Hearing this, Yin Tianxi dared not say anything more and could only choose a trusted confidant. Shi Xiu had someone wake the man up and then sent two personal guards to accompany him to retrieve the man.

Before long, Chai Jin was rescued.

The jailer, having received money from Shi Xiu, no longer tortured Chai Jin. After these few days of rest, Chai Jin was able to walk with difficulty. When he entered the woods and saw Yin Tianxi, it was like enemies meeting again, their eyes filled with hatred, but after this incident, he had also learned a lot of lessons. He cupped his hands and said, "Brother, could you hand this scoundrel over to me for disposal?"

Yin Tianxi, upon hearing this, was terrified and kowtowed, saying, "I have done everything you commanded, please spare my life."

Shi Xiu glanced at Yin Tianxi disdainfully and said, "I will spare you, but I'm afraid Master Chai will not." He then turned to Chai Jin and said, "Master Chai can do as he pleases."

Chai Jin thanked Shi Xiu and borrowed a knife from a nearby guard. Before Yin Tianxi could beg for mercy, Shi Xiu swiftly cleaved him in two.

Shi Xiu then had Yin Tianxi's henchmen knocked unconscious and hid them deep in the forest before the rest of the group headed towards Liangshan.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Two Generals of Water and Fire.

Zhang Yang, hearing of Shi Xiu and Chai Jin's return, led the other leaders to Jinshatan to welcome them.

This time, Chai Jin's status was different. Seeing Zhang Yang personally greeting him on the beach, he hurriedly jumped off the boat and knelt down, saying, "I haven't even thanked the chieftain for saving my life, and now you've come down the mountain to greet me. I deserve to die."

Zhang Yang helped Chai Jin up, saying, "Brother, your injuries haven't healed yet

, how can you perform such a grand ceremony? The stronghold has been busy with many battles and affairs, and I couldn't come to rescue you personally. Please forgive me." Chai Jin said, "I am already extremely grateful that the chieftain sent someone to rescue me. How could I dare trouble the chieftain to come in person?"

Zhang Yang helped Chai Jin up, saying, "There's no need for formalities. Brother, your injuries haven't healed yet, and you shouldn't stand for long. Let's go up the mountain first."

Chai Jin was deeply moved by Zhang Yang's consideration for him.

Zhang Yang personally helped Chai Jin up the mountain and escorted him to Chai Huangcheng's small courtyard. He then asked Chai Jin to write a letter and send someone to Cangzhou to move his family before bidding farewell to the others.

A few days later, Chai Jin felt better.

Zhang Yang then hosted a banquet for Chai Jin in the Hall of Righteousness. During the feast, Chai Jin suddenly burst into tears.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang quickly asked, "Brother, why are you weeping?"

Chai Jin rose from his seat, knelt down, and said, "Every time I think of my uncle's tragic death, my heart aches terribly. Although the main culprit has been beheaded, the ringleader remains. Gao Lian, the prefect of Gaotang Prefecture, is corrupt and oppressive. I beg you, brother, to raise an army to eliminate the ringleader and act on behalf of Heaven."

Zhang Yang was also planning to expand his army again. Gao Lian was Gao Qiu's brother, and if he killed him, it would surely attract a large army to suppress him, allowing him to train and expand his forces. Hearing this, Zhang Yang said, "I have also heard that Gao Lian has committed many evils and is the very target of our stronghold. Let's discuss the matter of sending troops tomorrow."

Chai Jin knew that Zhang Yang's decision to send troops was not to act on behalf of Heaven; otherwise, he would have done so long ago. He thought it was all for his own sake and was deeply grateful.

The next day, all the leaders gathered in the Hall of Righteousness to discuss matters.

Zhang Yang said, "Dai Zong, first tell us

about the situation in Gaotang Prefecture." Dai Zong stood up and said, "Gao Lian, the prefect of Gaotang Prefecture, is the uncle of the treacherous minister Gao Qiu. Therefore, Gao Qiu assigned two generals, Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo, to help him defend the city. Shan Tinggui is skilled in the method of flooding troops with water, and everyone calls him the Holy Water General. Wei Dingguo is proficient in the art of fire attack, and he is skilled in using firearms to kill people on the battlefield, so he is called the Divine Fire General. Although these two have some military talent, Gao Lian embezzles most of their military pay every year, so they only have a little over a thousand soldiers under their command." Zhang

Yang said, "In that case, Gaotang Prefecture is easily defeated. Who is willing to lead troops there?"

Upon hearing that it was Gao Qiu and his brothers, Lin Chong, already seething with rage, stepped forward and said, "I am willing to lead the troops into battle."

Guan Sheng, who had just arrived on the mountain and also wanted to gain merit, stepped forward and said, "I have met the two of them once before. I am willing to lead troops down the mountain to persuade them to surrender. If they surrender, bring them up the mountain; if they refuse, capture them and present them to my brother. This way, there will be no need for the other leaders to draw their bows and arrows, which would be too much trouble."

Zhang Yang, not wanting to cause a conflict between the two, laughed and said, "In that case, you two will take your own cavalry with you. If they do not surrender, you will break through the city together."

Lin Chong's aim was Gao Lian, while Guan Sheng's aim was to gain merit. There was no conflict between them, and they both agreed.

Zhang Yang then said, "Shi Xiu, lead another hundred personal guards to infiltrate the city. When the fighting starts, you will seize the gates to support the cavalry."

Shi Xiu accepted the order and immediately led a hundred personal guards down the mountain.

The next day, Lin Chong and Guan Sheng also led their troops down the mountain. That evening, they arrived at the city of Gaotang Prefecture but did not attack the city.

Upon hearing that the Liangshan troops had arrived at the city walls, Gao Lian hurriedly summoned Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo to discuss the matter.

Shan Tinggui said, "The Liangshan bandits have repeatedly breached cities and have a large and numerous army. We don't know how many troops they have yet to arrive. Our best course of action now is to send a message to the Grand Commandant requesting reinforcements before they besiege the city. Once reinforcements arrive, we can then launch a coordinated attack from within and without."

Gao Lian said, "I fear the bandits will breach the city before reinforcements arrive. If you two generals can ensure my safe passage to Dongjing, I will certainly recommend you both to my brother."

Shan Tinggui said, "The bandits are attacking in the dead of night. We haven't yet ascertained their strength. Rushing out of the city might lead to an ambush. It would be better to wait until dawn and then discuss the matter further."

Gao Lian's life now rested entirely on their shoulders, so he dared not say more and had gold and silk brought to reward them. The two men thanked him, bid farewell to Gao Lian, and returned to their camp to rest.

The next morning, Guan Sheng and Lin Chong led their troops to challenge the Liangshan forces to battle.

Wei Dingguo, seeing from the city walls that the Liangshan army was small and that only this one force had come down the mountain, said to Gao Lian, "Liangshan's forces are few; this is a good opportunity for us to achieve merit."

Gao Lian was tempted.

His elder brother had failed in his attempt to capture people in Tai'an Prefecture; if he could capture one or two bandits and send them to Dongjing, with his brother's help, he would surely be promoted.

Seeing Gao Lian's interest, Shan Tinggui quickly said, "Many of the bandits are skilled warriors; we must not underestimate them. It's better to hold our ground and wait for reinforcements. We can engage in battle once they arrive."

Thinking of the bright future, Gao Lian had long since forgotten his fear from the previous night and said firmly, "My brother told me that you two are both incredibly brave. The enemy has only two thousand men. As long as you two go out, they will surely be captured easily. I'll prepare a celebratory feast here for you."

Upon hearing this, Shan Tinggui had no choice but to go with Wei Dingguo to gather their troops and go out of the city to meet the enemy.

As the two armies faced each other, Guan Sheng spurred his horse forward and said, "Generals, it has been a long time."

Shan Tinggui pointed at Guan Sheng and cursed, "You incompetent brat, treacherous madman! You have betrayed the court's grace and disgraced your ancestors! You have no sense of life or death! What are you talking about with your troops here?"

Guan Sheng suppressed his anger and said, "You two generals are mistaken. The current emperor is foolish, and treacherous officials are in power. They only employ relatives and punish enemies. My brother Zhang Yang is benevolent and virtuous, acting on behalf of Heaven. Hearing that Gao Lian, the prefect of Gaotang Prefecture, is corrupt and abusive, he specially ordered us to come and eliminate him. Why should you two generals risk your lives for a corrupt official? Why not join us in returning to our stronghold and acting on behalf of Heaven?"

Shan Tinggui was somewhat tempted, but Wei Dingguo interrupted, "You ungrateful traitor, you ungrateful fool, how dare you speak on my behalf? Watch me

make my mark with my great sword!" With that, he spurred his horse and charged at Guan Sheng.

Seeing this, Guan Sheng's deputy general Xuan Zan rushed out to meet Wei Dingguo.

Both were skilled swordsmen, and for a time, they were evenly matched.

After about twenty rounds, Wei Dingguo's strength began to wane, and seeing Xuan Zan growing stronger, he became somewhat fearful. He forced Xuan Zan aside, turned his horse, and fled back to his own lines.

Xuan Zan did not pursue, but took a bow and arrow from his saddle and aimed at Wei Dingguo's back before shooting.

Shan Tinggui, seeing this from the front lines, hurriedly shouted, "Watch out for a hidden arrow!"

Hearing this, Wei Dingguo quickly ducked onto his saddle, barely avoiding the arrow. Watching the arrow fly close to his horse's head, he dared not fight any longer. Guan

Sheng stopped Xuan Zan, who was about to fire another arrow, and shouted, "I have often recommended you to my brother Zhang Yang. I have come to invite you two generals to join me in this righteous cause. Please consider this carefully."

Just then, a fierce battle broke out at the city gate. Upon hearing the commotion, Shan Tinggui looked over and saw that the city gate was blocked by several carts piled high with firewood, and soldiers on the city walls were being continuously cut down.

It turned out that Shi Xiu, seeing that all the elite troops in the city had been mobilized, leaving only a few dozen old and weak men on the walls, had also blocked the gate.

Seeing that Gao Lian, dressed in a bright red official robe, had already been captured, Shan Tinggui knew that even if he escaped, Gao Qiu would not let him go, so he persuaded Wei Dingguo to surrender as well.

The group entered the city, seized the money and grain of Gaotang Prefecture, and slaughtered all the corrupt officials in the city before leading their troops back to Liangshan.

Chapter Seventy: Tong Guan's Attack

. The once-favored minister Gao Qiu was originally from a poor family, but rose to power by flattering Emperor Huizong, and he was quite secretive about his origins. On the one hand, he attacked officials who knew his background, and on the other hand, he vigorously glorified his family. Unfortunately, his family was small, and even fewer had capable members, so Gao Qiu valued his few relatives highly, securing official positions for them all. Within a few years, the Gao family had begun to resemble an official family.

However, on the Lantern Festival, their son, Gao Yanei, was murdered in the imperial garden. Due to the circumstances, the investigation was not pursued further. The vengeful Gao Qiu harbored deep resentment. Upon hearing of his brother Gao Lian's death at the hands of Liangshan, he was overcome with grief and decided to petition the emperor to lead troops to annihilate Liangshan. However, Prime Minister Wang Fu, focused on maintaining a facade of peace, was unwilling to mobilize a large army. After a power struggle, Tong Guan led the main force to suppress Liangshan.

Tong Guan, having received imperial favor, ordered the Privy Council to allocate 10,000 troops from each of the eight routes under the jurisdiction of Tokyo. These troops were commanded by the prefectural governors: Duan Pengju of Suizhou, Chen Zhu of Zhengzhou, Wu Bingyi of Chenzhou, Han Tianlin of Tangzhou, Li Ming of Xuzhou, Wang Yi of Dengzhou, Ma Wanli of Ruzhou, and Zhou Xin of Songzhou.

Tong Guan knew the Imperial Guards of the capital were of average fighting strength, so he didn't deploy them. Instead, he selected General Feng Mei, the Flying Dragon General, and General Bi Sheng, the Flying Tiger General, from the Imperial Camp, intending to use his own 20,000 Victorious Soldiers as the central army.

This army consisted of strong, able-bodied men from Guanzhong whom Tong Guan had recruited during his campaigns in the Northwest, and they had always served as his personal guard. Later, after Tong Guan's great victory over the Western Xia and his promotion back to the capital, they sought to be transferred back to Dongjing (Kaifeng). They were utterly loyal to Tong Guan and possessed considerable fighting prowess.

Within ten days, all the armies had arrived, and the various commanders had also paid their respects to Tong Guan. Only then did Tong Guan allocate weapons from the armory and select an auspicious day for the expedition.

Although Gao Qiu feared that Tong Guan's suppression of Liangshan would greatly increase his power, he shared a common hatred with Tong Guan and held a farewell banquet for him at the Five-Mile Pavilion.

When Tong Guan led his troops to the Five-Mile Pavilion, he saw Wang Fu and Gao Qiu leading their officials, already waiting there. Tong Guan dismounted, and Wang Fu, holding a cup, said to him, "Prime Minister, you are well-versed in military strategy and tactics. Last year, you decisively defeated the Western Xia, a rare victory for our Great Song Dynasty. Liangshan is nothing but bandits; it will be easy for you to capture them."

Tong Guan knew that he could outmaneuver Gao Qiu and lead the army to victory, thanks to Wang Fu. He replied, "Thank you for your kind words, Prime Minister. I'll drink first as a sign of respect." After

they finished drinking, Gao Qiu also came to hold a cup and said to Tong Guan, "Prime Minister, this expedition will surely bring great merit to the court, and you will soon achieve victory. You will definitely capture the Liangshan bandits alive, one by one, so as not to fail the court's trust."

Tong Guan was also determined to win this expedition. Thinking that he would be able to hold military power upon his return, he laughed and said, "Grand Commandant, rest assured, I will definitely avenge you."

The officials then raised their cups in celebration, saying, "Outside the capital, we eagerly await your triumphant return."

Tong Guan drank a few more cups of wine before mounting his horse and setting off. The three armies, large and small, advanced together, each following its own formation, remarkably well-organized. The vanguard consisted of four units, led by the vanguard commander; the rearguard consisted of four units, supervised by the rear general; the eight armies on the left and right were urged on by banners and flags; Tong Guan commanded the central army, leading 20,000 infantry and cavalry, all of them robust men.

The army marched in a long, winding path, and in less than a day, reached the territory of Jizhou.

Zhang Yang, having learned of the court's movements, summoned the leaders and asked, "Now Tong Guan is leading an army of 100,000 to attack. What good strategies do you have to defeat them?"

Upon hearing of the approaching 100,000-strong army, most of the leaders paled.

Wu Yong said, "Tong Guan decisively defeated the Western Xia last year, so he must have some strategies, and he commands 100,000 elite troops. The enemy is strong and we are weak; it's better to defend our strongholds. With the natural barrier of the waterways, Tong Guan's army will be useless. Our strongholds are not short of money and supplies; within a few months, the imperial court will surely withdraw its troops."

Zhang Yang, however, wanted to expand his forces. Hearing this, he shook his head and said, "Tong Guan is nothing but a sycophantic eunuch. His achievements in the Northwest are entirely due to the influence of a few powerful families. Besides, our stronghold is now also well-equipped." "We have the advantage of terrain, and can easily defeat the government troops to enhance the prestige of our stronghold. How can we show weakness?"

Li Kui shouted, "The chieftain is right! What are we afraid of? I'm willing to lead my men to cut off Tong Guan's donkey head!"

Zong Ze added, "The chieftain is absolutely right. Moreover, the emperor is indulging in sensual pleasures, and we should give him a wake-up call. Even if we are outmatched, we can retreat to the outer camp and then wait for an opportunity to return to the stronghold."

Zhang Yang knew that Zong Ze still wanted to awaken Emperor Huizong, but this was all wishful thinking on his part. Even if the imperial army suffered several more defeats, the treacherous officials would probably keep it from the emperor, downplaying the seriousness of the matter. Emperor Huizong would still be engrossed in calligraphy and painting, especially with a peerless enchantress like Li Shishi around. It would be more difficult for him to strive for self-improvement than to establish a new dynasty.

He laughed and said, "Then let's decide to send troops. What good strategies do you all have to defeat the enemy?"

Wu Yong said, "Since we've decided to use troops, we can first disperse the government troops and soldiers so we can defeat them one by one. When the imperial army comes to conquer, their supplies will surely be stored in Jizhou. We can use our navy to patrol around Jizhou, and Tong Guan will surely send a force to garrison Jizhou."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang knew that Wu Yong still harbored fear, and laughed, "The strategist is still too cautious. If Tong Guan's army doesn't leave troops to defend Jizhou, the navy can launch a surprise attack on Jizhou and burn its supplies. Tong Guan's army must not have much food, and the granaries of the nearby prefectures have long been emptied by the mountain strongholds. Once Jizhou's supplies are attacked, and they cannot achieve a great victory over our army, Tong Guan will certainly not dare to fight again due to insufficient supplies. We can take advantage of his defeat and pursue him all the way, at which time we will surely be able to defeat the government army. If he sends troops to guard the city, then our purpose of dividing our forces has been achieved, and there is no need to waste troops. Let's see how Tong Guan uses his troops in the future. All troops should first be mobilized to the military camp outside the port, and the navy should also be ready at any time."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Tong Guan's army arrived outside Jizhou, they saw the Jizhou prefect leading a group of officials and gentry to greet them. Tong Guan ordered the army to camp outside the city and only brought light cavalry into the city. The group headed straight to a restaurant in the city, where they feasted before settling down at the government office.

The next day, Tong Guan finally summoned his generals to discuss military matters.

Tong Guan said, "The Liangshan bandits have robbed and plundered prefectures and cities, murdered innocent civilians, and committed countless atrocities. Since we are paid by the state, we must serve our country loyally. What good plans do you have to defeat them?"

His advisor, Dong Yun, had followed Tong Guan in the Western Xia campaigns for several years and had only seen the elite troops of the Northwest. He was rather dismissive of the domestic forces and said, "Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? The Liangshan bandits are nothing but a rabble. We can easily wipe them out by marching straight in. Why waste our energy?"

Another advisor, Ma Kuo, had grown up in Shandong. His father, Ma Zheng, had served as the commander of the Dengzhou militia before being replaced by Sun Li as an envoy to the Jin Dynasty. He was also familiar with the situation in Shandong. Tong Guan, eager to be ennobled, promoted Ma Kuo to be his advisor to encourage Ma Zheng. At that time, Tong Guan held immense power, and his advisors held highly promising positions.

Ma Kuo said, "Although Liangshan is a band of outlaws, it also has many wise and courageous men. Grand Councilor, do not let anger provoke you. Leading the army on a long march requires sound strategy to achieve success." Dong

Yun had previously been Tong Guan's chief strategist, but after returning to the capital, Tong Guan was focused on forging an alliance between the Song and Jin dynasties, and therefore highly valued Ma Kuo, who had accompanied his father on a diplomatic mission to the Jin. Dong Yun, fearing his position was threatened, frequently sought opportunities to slander Ma Kuo.

Hearing this, he said, "In the past, our suppression efforts were hampered by the lack of capable men, allowing the bandits to flourish

. How can we compare them to the Grand Councilor?" Tong Guan nodded in agreement, saying, "Liangshan is nothing but a rabble. There's no need for you to exert yourselves. Tomorrow, the entire army will rise up and wipe out the bandits in one fell swoop,

bringing peace to the people." Seeing that Tong Guan's mind was made up, Ma Kuo had no choice but to compromise, saying, "The army's provisions are all in Jizhou. The Grand Councilor should leave a contingent of troops to garrison Jizhou to prevent the bandits from plundering the provisions."

The governors of the various prefectures all believed that the army would surely crush Liangshan with overwhelming force and were eager to seize the credit. Hearing this, they feared that Tong Guan would spare them and vehemently criticized Ma Kuo for being cowardly.

Tong Guan had already received bribes from everyone and naturally couldn't spare anyone, so Ma Kuo's suggestion was not adopted.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I have something to do tomorrow, so I'm leaving early.

Chapter Seventy-One: Night Raid on the Three Camps.

The following day, Tong Guan, based on the amount of tribute each soldier had given, allocated troops, appointing Duan Pengju, the military commander of Suizhou, as the vanguard; Chen Zhu, the military commander of Zhengzhou, as the deputy vanguard; Wu Bingyi, the military commander of Chenzhou, as the rearguard; Li Ming, the military commander of Xuzhou, as the deputy rearguard; Han Tianlin, the military commander of Tangzhou, and Wang Yi, the military commander of Dengzhou, as the left flanks; Ma Wanli, the military commander of Ruzhou, and Zhou Xin, the military commander of Songzhou, as the right flanks; and the two generals, Feng Mei and Bi Sheng, as the central wings. Tong Guan, as the marshal, commanded the entire army, fully armored, and personally supervised the operation. Three war drums sounded, and all the troops rose up.

After the army left Jizhou, Ma Kuo said to Tong Guan, "The Liangshan bandits are adept at surprise attacks and ambushes. The area ahead is mountainous. Your Excellency should send out many scouts to avoid an ambush."

Dong Yun replied, "The bandits will be terrified upon hearing that Your Excellency is personally leading the campaign; they would never dare to attack our army." Tong Guan,

having led troops for over a decade, though he didn't take the Liangshan forces seriously, still ordered Duan Pengju to carefully scout ahead.

The twenty-odd miles of mountain road, with the scouts constantly startling them, took the army half a day to traverse before they emerged from the mountains.

Seeing that the land ahead was flat, Tong Guan ordered his troops to deploy in battle formation.

Ma Kuo said, "The road ahead to Liangshan is all flat, not easy to set up camp. It's already late, so we should set up camp here and attack Liangshan tomorrow."

Dong Yun scoffed, "Sir, you're too cautious. The bandits must be terrified and ready to defend the marsh. We can easily approach the marsh and set up camp there; why waste time here?"

With Cai Jing dismissed as prime minister and Wang Fu newly appointed, and Tong Guan, who was extremely power-hungry, wanting to seize the opportunity to gather followers, he didn't want to waste time here. Hearing this, he said, "Order the army to march another twenty li and set up camp."

The generals of the various prefectures weren't worried about an attack from the Liangshan army, and no one dared to speak out against it.

The army marched another twenty li before setting up camp on the flat plain.

When the Liangshan scouts reported that the imperial army had set up camp on the plain, the leaders were taken aback, their expressions changing.

Lin Chong said, "The government troops have set up camp on the plains without digging trenches, leaving no natural defenses. We can easily raid their camp at night."

Wu Yong said, "Although the plains offer no natural defenses, they are also easy to spot."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang laughed and said, "My personal guards can eliminate hidden sentries, so there's no need to worry about that."

Everyone already knew that Zhang Yang's personal guards were rigorously trained and selected from among the best, so they had no doubts.

Zong Ze said, "Tong Guan's central army is a strong force from the Northwest, and their camp is in the middle, so it may not be easy to attack."

Guan Sheng said, "We can attack their front camp and the left and right camps first, and then drive the disorderly soldiers to attack Tong Guan's main camp. If the central camp is in chaos, we can rush into the central camp from three sides. If Tong Guan's central army is not in chaos, we can retreat."

Huyan Zhuo said, "Even if Tong Guan's central army is not in chaos, they will certainly not dare to come out of the camp to fight. We can easily annex their three camps first."

Zhang Yang thought for a moment and then said, "All generals, listen to my order: at midnight tonight, Yang Zhi will lead his troops to attack the left camp, Guan Sheng's troops will attack the right camp, and Huyan Zhuo's troops will follow me to attack the front camp. Order the entire camp to be on high alert. No one is allowed to leave the camp without my order."

Everyone received the order and went back to prepare.

At midnight, the moon also hid itself, and the starlight was particularly dim.

Zhang Yang came out of the house and saw that his personal guards were ready, so he led his men up the city wall. He turned on the search device and made sure that no one was around before having several ropes lowered down.

Zhang Yang leaped off the city wall, gently tugging at the rope just before landing, making no sound. His personal guards followed suit, sliding down one by one.

Zhang Yang then activated his search device, quickly circling the camp but finding no hidden sentries. Only then did he order the entire army to move out, with his personal guards divided into three teams to eliminate the hidden sentries.

With Zhang Yang's search device, Hu Yanzhuo's team quickly infiltrated the outer perimeter of the government troops' camp.

Soon after, the other two teams also signaled, and Zhang Yang ordered the operation to begin.

Because the government troops were encamped on the plains, timber was scarce; they only drove stakes into the ground at intervals, connecting them with ropes, as a precaution against enemy cavalry attacks. Sentry posts were few, and the few hidden sentries were silently eliminated by Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang and a few personal guards observed the camp for a while, figuring out the patrol times, before each of them infiltrated towards the stationary sentries. Approaching a sentry about ten feet to the side, Zhang Yang counted to three and then blew a poisoned needle into the sentry's neck.

This needle was a replica of a blowgun used by South American indigenous people, coated with Zhang Yang's own poison; it was said to kill instantly upon contact, hence Zhang Yang's strict control over it. Although every member of his personal guard practiced blowing needles, they weren't usually equipped with them; Zhang Yang only distributed them when on missions.

The sentry felt something sting his neck, and just as he was about to check, everything went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

Zhang Yang quickly leaped up and caught the sentry. Seeing that his personal guards had also succeeded, they cut the ropes together, signaling the troops behind to begin their attack. Then, they swiftly fled towards the central tent. Huyan

Zhuo, receiving the signal, led a thousand cavalrymen in the vanguard.

The dull thud of hooves pierced the night, and the patrolling soldiers felt the ground tremble and began to shout. However, before many soldiers had even emerged from their tents, Huyan Zhuo had already led his army into the camp. Countless torches arced through the air, landing on the tents, instantly igniting numerous fires throughout the camp.

Anyone attempting to organize the soldiers was either scattered by the cavalry or killed by Zhang Yang's personal guards. The black armor of the Liangshan warriors added to their eeriness in the night. Seeing the fires everywhere and the constant attacks from the elusive black-clad men, coupled with the Liangshan infantry charging from behind, the government troops soon crumbled. Huyan Zhuo then directed his troops to drive the remnants towards the central camp.

Duan Pengju was awakened by the deafening battle cries from the camp. He beckoned his personal guards outside the tent to come in and put on their armor, while simultaneously ordering someone to fetch their warhorses. Just as he finished dressing, a ghostly figure darted into the tent.

Duan Pengju was about to question him when he felt a sharp pain in his neck and collapsed to the ground.

Zhang Yang, carrying Duan Pengju, emerged from the tent, bumping into Duan Pengju's personal guards bringing in their warhorses. Zhang Yang seized the horse and, seeing the front camp completely routed, followed the others towards the central camp.

The central army, as expected of battle-hardened veterans, quickly regrouped and strengthened their defenses upon hearing of the attack on the three camps.

Tong Guan, awakened by the commotion, emerged from his tent to see the front camp and the two flanks engulfed in flames, and cursed the Liangshan bandits for their audacity. Upon seeing Dong Yun and Ma Kuo arrive, Tong Guan hurriedly asked, "What should we do now?"

Ma Kuo, who was somewhat prepared, was not flustered and replied, "The central army consists of elite troops from the Northwest. As long as we hold the camp, we have nothing to fear from the bandits' attack."

Just then, Bi Sheng reported, "The defeated soldiers of the three battalions are rushing towards the central camp. Should we let them into the camp, Grand Councilor?"

Tong Guan was also somewhat at a loss and turned to look at his two advisors.

Dong Yun said, "If we let them into the camp, the Liangshan bandits might take advantage of the situation to attack, causing the central camp to collapse."

Although Ma Kuo was reluctant to see the soldiers of the three battalions slaughtered, he knew that Dong Yun's words were true, so he could only nod silently.

Seeing that his two advisors had expressed the same opinion, Tong Guan did not hesitate and said, "Forbid the soldiers of the three battalions from approaching the central camp. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without exception."

Upon receiving the order, Bi Sheng saw that some defeated soldiers had already entered the archers' firing range. Without warning, he gave the order, and tens of thousands of arrows rained down on three sides of the camp.

After a series of twangs, soldiers who had just seen hope fell to their own men.

Chen Zhu, seeing the tight formation of the central army ahead, was overjoyed; once inside the camp, he would no longer fear the pursuit of the Liangshan troops. Just as he was about to spur his horse forward, he saw the central army begin an indiscriminate attack, and seeing the Liangshan troops charging from behind, he dared not fight any longer and could only rein in his horse and flee into the darkness.

Seeing that Tong Guan's merciless shooting gave the fleeing soldiers a chance to turn and fight back, Zhang Yang quickly ordered his men to shout, "Drop your weapons and you will not be killed!"

Hearing that there was a way to survive, the chaotic soldiers lost all will to fight and surrendered en masse.

Zhang Yang then ordered his troops to escort the surrendered soldiers back.

Tong Guan, seeing the Liangshan bandits actually accepting the surrender of his own men, was furious, but fearing further ambushes, he dared not leave the camp to stop them.

Chapter Seventy-Two: The Divine Arrow Reappears At

the fourth watch, Zhang Yang led his troops back to camp. He immediately summoned Wu Yong, Zong Ze, Lin Chong, Qin Ming, Li Jun, and Hua Rong. Zhang Yang said, "The government troops are doomed. Tong Guan will surely retreat with his troops after dawn. What good strategies do you have to leave the government troops' central and rear armies intact?"

Lin Chong said, "We can send one army to ambush on the road to Jizhou, and then send the navy to take Jizhou and cease hostilities. Even if Tong Guan breaks through the first ambush, he won't be able to escape Jizhou."

Zong Ze shook his head and said, "A treacherous minister wields power and is not afraid of the emperor's reprimand. I'm afraid Tong Guan will return directly to the capital. In that case, both routes... " The ambush was of no use.

Wu Yong said: "If we set up more suspicious troops in the direction of Jeju, if Tong Guan is defeated, we will definitely not dare to go to Jeju again." We just need to intercept it in the direction of Tokyo. "

Zhang Yang saw that everyone had come up with a plan in just a few words, so he also said: "Li Jun listens to the order. "

After Li Jun went up the mountain, although he had many soldiers and horses, he had not been dispatched. Hearing this, he couldn't help being very excited, and said loudly: "Here we are. "

Zhang Yang said: "The navy set off immediately to capture Jeju, and then stopped. If Tong Guan leads the army and escapes back, he will be forced to enter the city. Otherwise, stay where you are. "

Li Jun sang, then he took the troop mobilizing talisman and left the house.

Zhang Yang said again: "Lin Chong takes the order.

Lin Chong stood up and said, "Yes." "

Zhang Yang said: "Your troops took advantage of the darkness to quickly ambush in the direction of Yuncheng County. If Tong Guan's army escapes from there, you can let the front army go and intercept and kill the rear army. "

Although Lin Chong was confused as to why Zhang Yang let Pioneer go, he accepted the order and left.

Zhang Yang's orders were well-considered. Firstly, Tong Guan's central army was an elite force, and Lin Chong's troops might not be able to be completely eliminated. Secondly, Tong Guan was already considered a capable general by Emperor Huizong's side, and Zhang Yang planned to have him lead the elite troops from the northwest to suppress Fang La, thus reducing his workload in unifying the country later.

Qin Ming, seeing that only he and Hua Rong were left in the room, and Hua Rong's troops were cavalry, thought he would have to guard the camp again, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Just as he was feeling disappointed, he heard Zhang Yang say, "Qin Ming, Hua Rong, receive the order."

Qin Ming forced himself to stand up and said, "Yes."

Seeing Qin Ming's expression, Zhang Yang guessed his thoughts and said, "Qin Ming's cavalry will go towards Jizhou to collect the remaining soldiers and make sure to clear that direction. The infantry and Hua Rong's troops will follow me to the government troops' camp to challenge them to battle."

Qin Ming was overjoyed to hear that he could go into battle, and took the token to muster his troops.

Zong Ze said, "The other troops have been fighting all night; it's probably not advisable for them to continue defending the camp."

Zhang Yang replied, "It's alright, the government troops won't attack again. Order Yang Zhi's and Huyan Zhuo's troops to take turns defending the camp."

Zong Ze nodded in agreement.

Zhang Yang then led five thousand cavalry from Hua Rong's troops and nine thousand infantry from Qin Ming's troops to challenge the government troops at their camp.

As dawn approached and only a few scattered soldiers remained, Tong Guan was about to order his troops to gather the defeated soldiers when a large army appeared on the horizon.

Seeing that Tong Guan's central army was still in a tight circular formation, Zhang Yang, not wanting to suffer heavy losses, established his own formation two miles away and ordered Zhang Qing to challenge them.

Zhang Qing stepped forward and shouted, "Who dares to fight? Come out and talk!"

Tong Guan was extremely frustrated with the previous night's battle. Before even engaging in direct combat, he had already lost most of his troops. If he were to attack Liangshan again, he would have to rely on his personal guards.

Seeing Zhang Qing challenging them outside the camp, Tong Guan was furious and shouted, "Who is willing to fight?"

The soldiers of the central army had been fighting in the Northwest for years and looked down on the other imperial guards. Although the three battalions had suffered a great defeat last night, they did not believe that Liangshan could defeat them.

A deputy general from the Northwest stepped forward and said, "This humble general requests the order."

Tong Guan saw that he was a fierce general from the Northwest and nodded, saying, "Do not disgrace the prestige of our army."

The deputy general cupped his hands and said, "Prime Minister, rest assured, this humble general will certainly not disgrace the name of our victorious army."

Tong Guan nodded, and the deputy general then rode out of the camp and engaged Zhang Qing in battle.

The two fought for more than ten rounds, and Zhang Qing began to tire, and his spear technique began to falter.

Seeing this, Tong Guan stroked his sparse beard (historical records describe Tong Guan as tall and imposing, with strong bones like iron, piercing eyes, a dark complexion, and a beard on his chin, likely related to his castration in his twenties), and said, "The Liangshan bandits are indeed easily defeated. Tomorrow, I will surely annihilate them all to avenge last night's ambush." Before

he finished speaking, Zhang Qing had already turned his horse and fled back to his own lines. The lieutenant, eager to achieve merit, was not about to let him escape.

Hearing the general pursuing, Zhang Qing took a pebble from the brocade pouch on his saddle, slowed his horse, turned around, and, seeing the general's face close, shot it, hitting the general squarely in the nose, causing him to fall from his horse.

Two personal guards quickly arrived and captured the general.

Tong Guan, enraged that Zhang Qing had disgraced him, sent several more fierce generals out, but they were all wounded by Zhang Qing's pebbles, and two more were captured alive.

Seeing the power of Zhang Qing's stones, none of the generals dared to fight again.

Zhang Yang, noticing this, recalled Zhang Qing and sent Sun Li into battle.

Tong Guan, already furious at his generals' repeated defeats, said upon seeing the replacement, "Whoever goes to take his head will be promoted three ranks if victorious, and will not return if defeated."

Ma Kuo said, "The bandits have won many battles and still dare to send men out; they must have a way to win. If our army suffers another defeat, our morale will be completely destroyed."

Dong Yun, however, said, "If our army avoids battle, it will further damage morale. Besides, we have a hundred generals; it would be better to send many generals to kill a few Liangshan leaders to demonstrate our might." Tong Guan,

confident in his elite troops from the Northwest and not believing Liangshan had many capable generals, said, "If we don't intimidate the Liangshan bandits, they will relentlessly fight us. How can our army retreat to our camp at the foot of the mountain? The reward remains unchanged; who among the generals dares to fight?"

Although the consequences of defeat were severe, the reward for success was far more enticing.

As soon as the words were spoken, General Feng Mei of the Flying Dragon Army said, "This humble general is willing to fight."

Tong Guan, who knew a bit about his martial arts, nodded and signaled him to fight.

Feng Mei received the order and drew his sword to fight Sun Li.

This was Sun Li's first battle after arriving at the mountain, and he didn't want to lose face, so he also rode out to meet him.

The two fought evenly, sword and whip.

Seeing that Feng Mei was unable to gain the upper hand, Tong Guan sent two more generals to fight.

Zhang Yang also sent Dong Ping and Chao Gai to meet him. Dong Ping's spear technique was fast, and Chao Gai had superhuman strength. After a few exchanges, the two gained the upper hand.

Seeing this, Tong Guan simply sent out five more generals, intending to win by numbers.

Zhang Yang also sent five deputy generals, Zhu Tong, Ma Lin, Li Zhong, Zhou Tong, and Sun Xin, to fight.

Seeing this, Tong Guan waved his hand and sent out ten more valiant generals.

Seeing that only Hua Rong, Qin Ming, and Zhang Qing remained by his side, Zhang Yang said to Hua Rong, "Let's show the soldiers our archery skills. I'll take seven on the left, and you take three on the right."

Hua Rong nodded, took down her bow and arrows, and the two spurred their horses into battle. When they were about two hundred paces away, they both drew their bows simultaneously. The bowstrings twanged, and

two generals were struck by arrows and fell from their horses. Before the others could dodge, Zhang Yang fired his divine crossbow in quick succession, shooting down three more generals in the blink of an eye. Hua Rong also

hit another general. The remaining four generals, though fearful of the two archers, could not return to camp and had no choice but to lie prone and attack the two remaining generals.

Zhang Yang, with his superhuman eyesight, fired two arrows in quick succession. One arrow struck a general squarely in the shin; the general, in pain, staggered and collided with an arrow from behind, falling from his horse instantly. Zhang Yang repeated the process, quickly dispatching the remaining two generals.

Hua Rong, however, didn't flaunt her abnormal eyesight and precise technique. Her first arrow struck the general's warhorse squarely in the neck. The horse, in pain, slowed considerably, but the general, a skilled horseman, wasn't thrown off. He simply lurched forward a short distance. Hua Rong fired another arrow, unhorsing the general.

Seeing ten generals fall instantly to the arrows of the two opponents, Tong Guan dared not send any more to their deaths.

Seeing no one coming forward, Zhang Yang ordered his men to bring the nine fine horses and began circling the eight pairs of generals fighting in the arena.

The other generals, fearing Zhang Yang might launch a sneak attack, were forced to be distracted. Taking advantage of this distraction, Dong Ping and Chao Gai knocked two generals off their horses. The other generals panicked, unable to return to their camp. One of them, finding himself trapped, gritted his teeth and, without dodging Ma Lin's rolling blade, thrust his spear towards Ma Lin's throat, intending to take him down with him.

Zhang Yang, intending to distract the five men while keeping a close watch on the others in case anyone fought desperately, drew his bow and shot an arrow, unhorsing the general. Then he shouted, "Stop, everyone!"

Upon hearing this, the Liangshan generals all sheathed their weapons.

The remaining government troops, seeing Zhang Yang watching them menacingly, dared not take advantage of the situation to attack, and unable to return to their camp, could only rein in their horses and remain on guard.

Zhang Yang said, "The current emperor is incompetent, and treacherous officials are in power. Why should we all help the wicked? Our Liangshan is acting on behalf of Heaven and pleading for the people. Why don't you generals join me in this righteous cause, and when we have

a legitimate reason to surrender, we can go to the frontier and fight our way to a high position and secure a prosperous future for our families? Wouldn't that be better than this internal strife?" Feng Mei asked, "Can the chieftain guarantee that we will have a legitimate reason to surrender?"

Zhang Yang knew he meant surrendering to the court, but since he could also establish his own dynasty, he smiled and said, "Of course."

Feng Mei didn't want to die for nothing, but he was caught in a dilemma. Hearing this, he readily agreed and surrendered to Zhang Yang after a moment's hesitation. Seeing that Feng Mei, who was of higher rank than them, had surrendered, the other generals followed suit.

URL 1:http://localhost:909/htmlBlog/6473.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=6473&aspx=1

Previous Page : [Wuxia] The Legend of the Heavenly Soul (Complete) - 22-24

Next Page : [Fantasy] Water Margin Heroes (Complete) - 1-3

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

[Fantasy] Water Margin Heroes (Complete) - 7-9

comment Open a new window to view comments