A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 234 Rumors of the Nine Wilds

The group that came to the border army to deliver the imperial edict was led by a eunuch and accompanied by civil officials. After receiving the edict, Han Shizhong sent someone to escort them to rest.

A moment later, the young official who had accompanied him came into the tent to request an audience.

"Your humble servant is Zhao Ding."

The young man, who appeared refined and courteous, bowed to Han Shizhong and said in a low voice, "Prime Minister Li specially placed me in the procession to announce the imperial edict, in order to remind Commander Han that Chen Daozi not only wants to transfer twelve fierce generals from the border army, but also has designs on the border army's provisions."

"Li Shuxiang is trying to persuade the emperor, but he is afraid that he will not be able to convince the emperor. However, the emperor has always relied on General Han. He hopes that General Han can send a memorial to Bianliang to persuade the emperor."

Han Shizhong sat upright behind the desk, his short, black beard and thick eyebrows conveying a solemn and dignified air. He said, "The Emperor's will is difficult to defy. If His Majesty has already made up his mind, what use are my insignificant words?"

Zhao Ding was taken aback by Han Shizhong's response and said, "General Han..."

"Those people mentioned in the imperial edict are always active and dislike stillness. When the weather is fine, they often go to the river to play with bows and arrows. I was just about to send someone to call them back."

Han Shizhong said, "Now that you're here, I'll trouble you to go with my personal guards and call them back."

Zhao Ding didn't say anything more and went to accept the order.

Several guards brought him horses and asked him to mount them. Considering that he was a civil official and could not ride fast, they left the camp and rode along the edge of the boundary river, letting the horses roam freely downstream.

In recent decades, the Liao Dynasty has been plagued by internal strife. First, there was the rebellion of Yelü Chongyuan, the Grand Uncle of the Emperor, which was quelled by Yelü Yixin, the Southern King of Liao.

Yelü Yixin held power for more than a decade, wielding immense influence and influence throughout the court. He formed cliques and purged dissidents, leaving the Liao capital, the capital, depleted of its talent pool.

The current emperor of Liao had finally outlived Yelü Yixin, and a few years ago Yelü Zhangnu rebelled. It seems that the Liao royal family and nobles are addicted to rebellion and usurpation.

The people were also in turmoil, and many saw an opportunity to rise up in rebellion.

However, a few years ago, after the Jurchen Wanyan Aguda lineage was wiped out, a young man named Zonghan was fortunate enough to escape to the Liao capital and presented the ancient demonic secrets he had obtained from Tianchi.

That secret method was specifically used for prospecting mineral veins. Although it was incomplete and its accuracy was not as good as the method used by the Song Dynasty court, it was still usable.

By then, the Western Xia dynasty had been destroyed, and the Liao court finally felt the urgency. They invited eminent monks and masters from various places whom they had supported for many years to personally assist in the excavation of the mines.

They dug up the tomb of Yelü Yixin, the former Southern King, and unearthed the demonic arts he had created. They spread these arts widely among the army, causing the Liao army's demonic arts to flourish, which enabled them to maintain their crumbling rule. The Liao army then stood on the border, facing the Song army across the boundary river.

The camps and strongholds on both sides of the river were built intermittently, destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly, bearing the marks of war as well as fortified strongholds that were almost like cities.

Zhao Ding gazed at the opposite bank from his horse. He could vaguely see large and small camps stretching for dozens of miles, with banners fluttering, swords and spears gleaming coldly in the sunlight, and people and horses coming and going in an endless stream.

"We're almost there."

Several guards approached, each pulling out an iron umbrella from behind their backs and opening it up. The umbrellas were as large as mats, made of black iron bars pieced together, each bar bearing a crimson inscription.

Several large umbrellas blocked out the sunlight, their edges overlapping, firmly shrouding Zhao Ding in shadow.

Zhao Ding was puzzled and asked, "What are you doing?"

The guard explained, "Your Excellency is unaware of the fact that military life is monotonous. The daily drills have become meaningless for those generals and warriors, so they often go to the river to shoot arrows and play around."

"A firefight?!"

Before Zhao Ding could figure it out, he heard a loud bang from not far ahead.

A beam of golden light landed and blasted a small crater on the shore.

Although the arrow had completely sunk into the mud on the bank, Zhao Ding's eyesight allowed him to vaguely catch a glimpse of its fletching.

Those were arrows from the Liao army, coming from the other side of the river.

The border river between the Song and Liao dynasties was not originally a particularly wide river, but since the founding of both countries, there have been few times of peace and many times of war. The two armies fought for many years, with ships and cannons coming and going, which had long since caused the riverbanks to collapse and expand.

The sorcerers of both armies frequently performed rituals, manipulating the winds and waves, influencing the climate, and causing the water to erode deeper and deeper over the years. After more than a hundred years, this boundary river has widened to the size of a great river.

The section ahead is the narrowest part of the water, with the two banks only three or four miles apart.

Skilled archers there could draw their bows and shoot arrows across the river.

Arrows kept colliding on the water's surface, exploding and breaking off, falling into the water. Only a few arrows managed to reach the shore, and even fewer were able to kill enemy soldiers.

Zhao Ding looked at the crowd and saw that among the dozens of people on this side of the river, there were a few with particularly striking features. He could recognize Guan Sheng, Hu Yanzhuo, Dong Ping, Xu Ning and others at a glance.

A young Song general stood among the group of archers. His features were still quite youthful, and he seemed to be under twenty years old. He held a large bow that was as tall as himself. The bow was large and the arrows were heavy. Every two or three arrows that flew to the other side could bring down a man.

The Song archers around cheered.

The people on the opposite bank seemed to be enraged. Suddenly, an exceptionally tall figure jumped down from the camp, came to the shore, drew his bow and nocked an arrow. Amidst the crisscrossing rain of arrows, the golden arrow shadows, like a python, swam across the sky.

The young general fired three arrows in quick succession, which struck the menacing flying python. However, he could not withstand the force of the arrows, and all three shattered.

The python flew to the shore, and the young man jumped several meters high, smashing the back of his bow onto the python's head.

The python finally broke apart, and the golden arrow fell to the ground.

"It is the Mahoraga Arrow, one of the eight divine arrows of the Liao Kingdom. The fletching of this arrow is precious and can only be used by Liao generals."

Guan Sheng was slightly angry, his jujube-colored face turning even redder. He took out his bow and arrows and fired them at the opposite bank, saying, "What a shameless Liao general! He actually dares to bully a young horse archer in my army."

Huyan Zhuo and the others gathered around, showing concern for the young general.

"I am unharmed," the young general said. "Unfortunately, the bowstring of the rare, usable bow was broken by the shock."

Huyan Zhuo laughed and said, "Pengju, although your bow is large, it is not a truly good bow. I have the Dingri Bow, which was passed down from the Huyan family ancestors. Why don't you give it a try?"

Yue Pengju was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. He took the precious bow. Although this bow was only a little over four feet tall and far smaller than the previous large bow, it was much heavier. After he took it in his hand, he couldn't even draw it fully. When his fingers gripped the bowstring, it felt like shaking an iron pillar.

Another flying python attacked from the opposite bank. Its body was long and slender. Yue Pengju shot an arrow at it. The python phantom was struck as if by lightning. It immediately dimmed and went out of control, falling into the river.

However, the bow was too stiff, and Yue Pengju could only shoot less than ten arrows before he felt he could not continue.

Huyan Zhuo laughed heartily: "You're only eighteen, yet you possess such skill. Amazing! It seems this bow, after years of being covered in dust, has finally met a wise ruler."

Yue Pengju said, "How dare I..."

"Don't refuse!"

The old general gifting a bow was a beautiful story in itself, and Guan Sheng and his men were happy to facilitate it. After exchanging a few words, they felt that they had had enough for the day, so they ordered someone to hold up an iron umbrella and slowly retreated. The other side shot a few more arrows, and then they stopped.

Zhao Ding only snapped out of his daze at this moment. He realized that he had been sitting on his horse for more than a quarter of an hour, watching the archery skills of the border generals, which was admirable. For a moment, he had forgotten the passage of time.

"In the present world, within the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, the only ones who can truly be considered to be doing the right thing are the border troops."

The thought inexplicably flashed through Zhao Ding's mind. He stepped forward, dismounted, and greeted the generals.

When Guan Sheng heard that Zhao Ding had come to the military camp with the imperial edict, his eyes lit up and he said with delight, "Has the Emperor issued an edict to wage war against the Liao Kingdom? We can finally fulfill our long-cherished wish to recover our lost lands."

Zhao Ding sighed inwardly and shook his head, saying, "General, you misunderstand."

After the generals understood the whole story, their expressions varied, and they all seemed somewhat dejected. They returned to their camp in silence to meet Han Shizhong.

The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict has been summoned back to the main tent.

"You should have already heard about the imperial edict."

Han Shizhong was always upright and serious. Although the soldiers of the border army loved him, they also feared him. When they entered the tent, all was quiet except for his voice.

"Guan Sheng, Huyan Zhuo, Luan Tingyu, Xu Ning, Sun Li, Dong Ping... you all have to go to Bianliang first before you can reorganize your troops and set off. It's a pity that you are all too fond of fighting and enjoy archery competitions. You are all still injured."

Guan Sheng and the others paused for a moment.

"We, your humble servants, were reckless and belligerent, which was extremely wrong of us. But if we go to Bianliang wounded, I fear we might jeopardize our mission on the battlefield. Our injuries..."

Huyan Zhuo looked at Han Shizhong, his eyes questioning, "The army doctor said we need to rest and recuperate from these injuries?"

Han Shizhong said, "If you want to regain your strength and make contributions in the Liangshan battle, you need to rest and recuperate for at least a year."

The eunuch who delivered the imperial decree's expression changed drastically. He was about to lash out, but then he became somewhat timid and could only try to persuade the emperor.

Zhao Ding seemed to be thinking, but when he heard the mention of a year, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "Commander Han, a year is too long. We might not be able to explain this when we go back."

Han Shizhong remained unfazed, his imposing presence sending shivers down one's spine. After much deliberation, he said with great difficulty, "Very well, for the sake of the court's affairs, even if they suffer some lingering illness or hidden injuries, we can't worry about that now. How about a month of rest and recuperation?"

The eunuch who delivered the imperial decree breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that Han Shizhong might change his mind. He hurriedly nodded in agreement, indicating that he would report back to Bianliang truthfully.

He wasn't stupid. He secretly observed the generals and noticed that they looked listless when they returned, and when they went out, they all looked pale, bloodless, and haggard.

"Those tattooed soldiers, they deserve to die, running around even when they're injured like this."

The eunuch cursed inwardly, but he wasn't surprised. It was common for soldiers to fight each other, sometimes resulting in bloodshed, in Bianliang. Since these people were stationed at the border river, it was even less surprising.

After everyone left, Han Shizhong kept Zhao Ding behind and asked, "Is a month enough time for the Grand Councilor?"

Zhao Ding was completely convinced and said, "General Han's strategic planning is truly admirable."

"Alas, they are all just serving the court with utmost dedication. You may leave."

Han Shizhong unfolded the imperial edict and looked at it again. His face was calm and his eyes were unwavering. Then he got up and returned to the Han residence, going straight to the backyard.

In the courtyard, his wife, Liang Hongyu, dressed in a light purple outfit, was sitting next to a stone table, carefully wiping her sword. On the table were a wine pot and cups, and small plates of pastries.

Han Shizhong dismissed his attendants and sat down opposite the stone table. He took a small sip of wine and casually said, "Just now, an imperial edict arrived from Bianliang, saying that a large group of bandits had gathered at Liangshan in Jizhou and were causing trouble in the surrounding prefectures. The imperial court sent troops to suppress them twice, but both times they were defeated. The prefect of Quancheng, Liu Guang, and his family were killed, and Yun Tianbiao and Liu Yongxi were also killed there. They want to transfer generals from here to launch another campaign to suppress them."

Liang Hongyu turned her head and said in surprise, "Yun Tianbiao's martial arts are extraordinary. Although Liu Yongxi is just a filler, he has already become one of the four great Dao officials and a Taixu Grand Master personally appointed by the imperial court. Who could possibly kill the two of them?"

"It wasn't mentioned in the imperial edict, but I know it."

Han Shizhong held his wine cup and recounted the names of all the leaders, big and small, currently in Liangshan.

His tone was casual, his expression languid, and his posture improper; he bore none of the solemn and awe-inspiring demeanor that soldiers held most in high esteem.

But Liang Hongyu was already used to him like this, and only asked in surprise, "How do you know so much about Liangshan?"

"Li Jun was originally the commander of my navy. I let him go back to recuperate and visit his family. A few months later, the prefectural government reported that he had become a wanted criminal, but the report was vague. How could I not investigate?"

Han Shizhong poured himself another glass of wine. "This investigation is truly shocking. Those so-called bandits of Liangshan are actually just ordinary people and refugees from various prefectures in the Eastern Circuit of Jingdong."

Liang Hongyu sheathed her sword with a whoosh: "Then you must have some idea now."

"How can a mere Liangshan Marsh stand against the imperial court for long? But with Chen Xizhen in the court hating Liangshan so much that I can't speak up for Liangshan in front of the emperor."

Han Shizhong raised an eyebrow. "Unless Chen Xizhen dies. In that case, I'll use some means to let Li Gang know the secrets of Liangshan, and then propose to the emperor that Liangshan be granted amnesty. That might be feasible."

Liang Hongyu pondered, "Chen Xizhen is ruthless and decisive, and his Taoist magic is highly skilled. It's already extremely difficult to kill him. Besides, he's a close advisor to the emperor. Wouldn't dying at Liangshan only further enrage the emperor?"

Han Shizhong said, "The emperor favored Taoist priests, but killed countless people in places like Longhu Mountain, Hengshan Mountain, Ningling, and Erxian Mountain. He also controlled Liu Hunkang's entire group of followers, forcing him to stay in Bianliang. The emperor relied heavily on military generals, but after the fall of Xia, those who refused to live in disgrace were scattered to various places and suffered from exclusion and suppression, which he turned a blind eye to."

"He seems to possess both literary and military talents, a keen eye for talent, and the ambition to achieve great things, but in reality..."

Han Shizhong finished the glass of wine.

Back then, he also thought that this emperor was a rare and wise ruler, a reincarnation of a celestial being, but he later realized the truth.

The emperor needs people who will not rebel, but he doesn't care much about how these people are doing. He needs civil officials to manage the government and military generals to conquer the world, but he may not care about these civil and military officials.

Liu Guang and his ilk thought they had gained power, but little did they know that their lives were not worth the current emperor's even a moment's remembrance.

"Once Chen Xizhen is dead, it doesn't matter at all."

Han Shizhong concluded, "But how he will die is indeed extremely difficult to determine. Hopefully, Liangshan will have this extra month to make proper preparations."

Liang Hongyu touched the hilt of the sword, lost in thought and remained silent.

The civil and military officials of Bianliang, the generals of the border army, and the officials of various prefectures and counties in the eastern part of Jingdong were all waiting and paying close attention to Liangshan.

However, new news soon emerged, exceeding everyone's expectations, like a thunderbolt piercing the sky, illuminating their faces.

There were many new messages, but the earliest one appeared in Daming Prefecture.

That day, in a beautiful little courtyard in Daming Prefecture, a woman of natural beauty, more radiant than a sleeping begonia, was holding a piece of paper.

"Liangshan..."

She paused, remained silent for a long time, and then chuckled softly, "Liangshan, indeed, many people want to do this kind of thing, and some have already succeeded."

A woman named Qiongying rolled up the letter, and soon a maid came to report it.

"Miss, Master and Brother Yi have arrived."

"Is the wine ready?"

"They are all top-quality wines. It is said that one of them was once a treasured possession of Erxian Mountain."

"Good, only wine like this can make Godfather thoroughly drunk."

Qiong Ying stood up and said with a smile, "Let's go and greet our godfather."

She led her people out, and saw two riders slowly strolling along the path.

Ahead on a fine horse, a middle-aged man with a majestic air was seen admiring the flowers and clouds, lingering over the scenery at every turn.

Behind them, on an old horse, sat a strikingly handsome young man in thin clothes, holding a short flute. His clear eyes were already fixed on Qiong Ying.

Lu Junyi, the Pacification Commissioner of Daming Prefecture, and Yan Qing, a Lu family attendant who declined official titles and lived alone.

(End of this chapter)