Chapter 240: Yellow Haired General

If Yan Qing had said this before the battle yesterday, Lu Junyi would have scolded him, but after the lesson of last night's battle, Yu Qilin had to face his own stubbornness.

The Yongning Army that Lu Junyi took over was actually a mess with both military and political affairs in disarray. Due to the exploitation of previous officials and the rampage of the Jin people, the economy and people's livelihood had long been in a mess.

Among his brothers, there are few political masters who can reverse the downward trend in a short period of time. It is difficult for them to maintain a balance between income and expenditure. They have no spare money or people to develop people's livelihood, let alone improve armaments and enhance strength.

Meng Kang specialized in shipbuilding and was placed under the command of Lu Junyi, who had no navy. This meant that he had no place to display his expertise and was usually even less valued than the executioner.

Of course, the Cai brothers were from Daming Prefecture and were from the same hometown as Lu Junyi, so they were naturally more valued than Meng Kang.

Meng Kang's shipbuilding skills could not be used, so he usually did odd jobs in various camps, such as helping Duan Jingzhu raise horses, helping Zhu Gui arrange banquets, and helping Hou Jian with his part-time battle robes.
It is difficult to achieve one's ambitions, so it is inevitable to feel resentful, and one must walk very firmly.

It is true that Lu Junyi was stubborn and self-willed, but he also reflected on himself and comforted himself afterwards, thinking that he did not pay enough attention to Meng Kang and therefore could not stop him from leaving.

It's just that Sun Li and others surrendered to Yang Chang, while Meng Kang actually returned to Song Jiang.

Meng Kang was not valued and had few friends. Also, because of Yan Qing, Le He, or even Sun Xin, no one took the initiative to contact and win him over, which invisibly led to one less person being persuaded to leave. If the Ruan brothers had gone with him instead, the outcome would have been different.

"Forget it, everyone has his own ambitions."

Lu Junyi was very angry at first, but after adjusting himself, he quickly accepted the reality.

Looking around, apart from Li Ying and Yan Qing in front of him, as well as Cai Fu and Cai Qing who were on their way, he did not see the injured Li Yun, nor did he see Mu Chun, Du Qian, and Duan Jingzhu.

"Where are the others? Is Li Yun seriously wounded by the arrow?"

"Kind of."

Li Ying frowned and nodded: "The arrow of the Jin army penetrated the shoulder bone, and Li Yun fainted several times from the pain. Du Qian volunteered to send him back to Boye first, and Mu Chun and Duan Jingzhu accompanied him as companions."

"This is not just a little bit, it's already very serious. I don't know if the doctor in Boye can cure Li Yun. If not, he might become disabled.
"General."

Seeing Lu Junyi sighing, Yan Qing couldn't help but remind him, "Dr. An is in Weisheng right now. If Li Yun's shoulder injury is difficult to heal, it's best to send him there as soon as possible."

"It's hard to force this. Wait until Boye asks you guys."

Lu Junyi originally wanted to let the army go first, and then go to Song Jiang to ask for an explanation, and then return to Boye to inquire about Li Yun's injuries, but what happened with Meng Kang just now forced him to put it aside for the time being.

If you don't take the initiative to deal with your brother's serious injury, you will run away even if he is cured later.

I can't always suffer losses, so I will start by bribing Li Yunxin and let others see how much I, Lu Junyi, value brotherhood.

"Let's go, return!"

"Yes!"

Seeing that the 5,000 defeated soldiers were in low spirits, Lu Junyi mentioned Song Jiang's betrayal several times in order to divert the conflict and attention, hoping to empathize with everyone.

Although Lu Junyi's move temporarily suppressed the soldiers' random thoughts, it increased their negative mentality and seriously affected the army's combat effectiveness.

Two days later, the army returned to ten miles north of Boye, and the vanguard scout suddenly brought back a man.

Li Ying was leading the way at the time, and when he saw the newcomer, he couldn't help but exclaimed, "Du Xing, why are you riding your horse here when you're not in Boye helping to defend the city?"

"Master, I have something important to do."

"event?"

Seeing Du Xing's serious expression, Li Ying guessed that it was not a good thing, so he waved and asked, "What could have happened to Boye? Could it be that Li Yun's injury has worsened?"

"No."

Du Xing waved his hands to deny it, and then whispered a few words into Li Ying's ear.

Li Ying's eyes widened after hearing this, and he asked in shock, "Are you serious?"

"The owner knows me well, how dare I speak nonsense?"

"That makes sense. Come with me to see General Lu."

"it is good."

The master and servant rode their horses to the end of the team.

Lu Junyi was worried that the Jin army would pursue them on their return journey, so he personally stayed behind to protect the army.

Yan Qing followed silently, trying to find an opportunity to persuade him to go to Weisheng together. However, Lu Junyi was holding his anger in his heart and was waiting to ask Song Jiang for an explanation. He had no intention of making any other plans.

The two were walking lazily when suddenly two riders came galloping towards them.

Lu Junyi was the first to rush forward. He didn't react for a moment and wondered if Du Xing should be in the army. His eyes first fell on Li Ying and he asked, "Why are you so panicked?"

"Bo Ye is lost."

"What do you mean?"

"Zhu Gui, Du Qian and others rebelled."

At Li Ying's suggestion, Du Xing told the truth about Zhu Gui and others who had defected to Song Jiang and betrayed him to seize the city.

After hearing this, Lu Junyi just stood there. He had been shouting that he wanted to find Song Jiang for an explanation, but now the other party had directly robbed his home.

What happened to this world? Where is the brotherhood?

To be fair to Lu Junyi, he has always respected Zhu Gui and Du Qian, two Liangshan elders, more than Song Jiang. How could these two actually abandon the light and join the dark?

Where did I lose?
Seeing that Lu Junyi did not respond, Li Ying immediately added: "If Du Xing had not reacted quickly and used the excuse of leaving the city to lobby me, we might be trapped in the city now."

"No, why would they? Weren't they fine before they left?"

Lu Junyi's face was full of question marks: "Am I not good enough to Zhu Gui and Du Qian? And why wait until now? If they wanted to leave, they should have gone with Bai Sheng. Even if they wanted to join Song Jiang, they shouldn't have been so angry now. This is too unethical."

"General."

Li Ying interrupted Lu Junyi and reminded him with a frown: "We are no longer in the martial arts world. Besides, Zhu Gui and Du Qian have no opinions of their own. Their sudden rebellion at this time is actually closely related to Duan Jingzhu."

Lu Junyi was stunned and exclaimed: "Duan Jingzhu? What happened to this little yellow-haired boy?"

"It was this person who was jumping up and down, saying that my brother was only brave but not wise, and had no support in the court. The brothers had no future if they followed you, while Song Jiang was not only good at commanding troops, but also loyal to King Kang, so he had a bright future."

"What? This yellow-haired bastard, I'll kill him, ah!"

Without waiting for Du Xing to finish his words, the angry Lu Junyi yelled loudly, poured all his strength into his lower body, and bent his legs inward, clamping them together and twisting them.

"Hiss."

The horse under him couldn't bear it anymore and started to shake while letting out a mournful cry.

Yan Qing shouted hurriedly: "Be careful!"

"Get out of the way!"

Lu Junyi was indeed an unparalleled martial artist. Just when his warhorse was about to fall down due to pain, he forced the horse to run a few steps forward, and then fell to the ground with a bang. However, Yu Qilin jumped off the horse in advance and leaped to the side of the road with ease.

"Master, are you okay?"

"Can I be okay?"

This guy was so angry that he couldn't control his anger. His powerful hidden power knocked the horse down. He was struggling on the ground and couldn't get up. It looked like he was useless. Lu Junyi thought about making good use of the waste. "Brother Li, let someone take this horse on the road later. We will kill it at night and let the brothers have some meat soup."

"Oh ok, now."

Li Ying did not finish his words, but his implication was obvious. Zhu Gui and others had already surrendered to Song Jiang, and the Yongning Army's headquarters in Boye City was no longer surnamed Lu. Perhaps they didn't even have a place to rest at night.

Lu Junyi heard the hidden meaning and stroked his beard with disdain, saying: "Can a thief like Duan Jingzhu occupy Boye by force? Not to mention that the defenders in the city are on my side, even if they put up a stubborn resistance, I won't take it seriously."

"Master, there are 2,000 soldiers defending Boye City, and Duan Jingzhu is a supporter of Song Jiang. If they have colluded with each other in advance, it may be difficult for you to recapture the city, and the army's supplies cannot last long. It is better for you to go to Weisheng and join General Yang."

Yan Qing said this a little hastily. How could Lu Junyi agree to it when he was furious?
After hearing this, he waved his big hand that was stroking his beard and said in a sonorous voice: "I am the commander of the Yongning Army. How can these villains win the support of the people? Just wait and see. When we are at the gates of the city, the people will help me to capture the city. Brother Li, find me a horse."

"Use a villain."

Yan Qing hurriedly brought his horse over.

Lu Junyi took the reins without hesitation. He remembered that his attitude just now was not very good, but Yan Qing was still so attentive. He felt guilty and bowed his head.

Before holding the reins and mounting the horse, Lu Junyi said softly to Yan Qing: "Xiao Yi has good intentions, I understand in my heart, but after all, I am the commander of Yongning Army. If I go to Weisheng without a transfer order, won't it cause Yang Chang to be criticized by the censors? Besides, I don't want Song Jiang to be so proud. By the way, I have repeatedly reminded you these few days that the relationship between you and me as master and servant has ended. You can no longer call me master, and don't call yourself a villain anymore. From now on, we can call each other brothers."

"Ah this."

Seeing Lu Junyi's serious words, Yan Qing was about to organize his words to respond, but Yu Qilin followed up and said, "I will consider going to Weisheng, but now is not the time. First, the army does not have enough food and grass to support it. We have finally recruited the government troops, and we can't rob the people along the way? How is that different from bandits and the Jin people? And if Mr. Chai goes to look for Song Jiang, I can't abandon him."

"If Song Jiang wants to stay, Mr. Chai may not be able to come back. Besides, they have a deep friendship. I am afraid..."

"Don't say anything. I believe in Mr. Chai."

Lu Junyi stopped Yan Qing and asked Li Ying to take over as the rear guard, while he himself led the cavalry in front.

He was eager to wipe out the traitors, and during the march he was still thinking about how to deal with Zhu Gui and others after the war. Should he kill them directly or punish them with torture? After all, they had sworn an oath of blood in Liangshan.

It’s a ten-mile journey and we’ll arrive in a short while.

From afar, the city was deserted and the city gates were tightly closed.

Lu Junyi led his horse down to the city wall and shouted loudly to the people on the city wall: "I am Lu Junyi, open the city gate quickly!"

"There is no one in the city. I guess they are too guilty to respond to my brother."

Li Ying followed at this time and expressed his opinion after taking a quick look.

"Why don't you try knocking on the door?"

"Me? I'm not as good as five thousand soldiers."

"Pay attention to this!"

Although it was a stupid idea, Lu Junyi thought it was a good idea. He immediately asked Li Ying to give orders, and the entire army shouted in unison to the people in the city: Lu Junyi is here, open the city gate quickly!

Five thousand soldiers shouted in unison, and the volume was loud enough to be heard over the city walls and heard by the soldiers and civilians in the city.

About a cup of tea later, the yellow-haired Duan Jingzhu, once the last in Liangshan, appeared on the city wall and stood alone.

"Mr. Lu, how are you?"

"Duan Jingzhu, I think I treated you well. Why did you rebel?"

"Why ask when you already know the answer? As the saying goes, a wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. If you are willing to follow His Royal Highness Prince Kang, I will immediately open the city gates to apologize."

"I bother!"

Lu Junyi spat out a ball of saliva and cursed: "King Kang is rebellious and the court has ordered me to suppress him. You are following the enemy and rebelling. This is disloyalty and unrighteousness. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by the world?"

"The emperor of this day is weak to the outside world and abuses his father. Is this what a monarch does? Don't forget who recruited us. It depends on who you are disloyal to."

"Strong words!"

Duan Jingzhu, who had no sense of existence, actually spoke nonsense in front of the army. How could Lu Junyi tolerate this?

He shouted angrily: "Whose will is it that we can come to Yongning Army to serve as officials? I have never seen you so eloquent before. Did Song Jiang teach you this? This guy is obsessed with becoming a high-ranking official. He even claimed to be acting on behalf of heaven before, but now he has even lost his face in order to continue to climb up? What official position did King Kang promise him? What official position did he promise you?"

"Haha." Duan Jingzhu smiled softly and said calmly: "Mr. Lu scolded Brother Gongming for being greedy for official positions, but what you did was deceiving yourself and others. You are the one who only wants to be a high-ranking official."

"How dare you talk nonsense, you bastard? Be careful, we will break into your city and beat you to death!"

"Your spear and stick are unmatched in the world. I know I am no match for you. You don't have to scare me. I didn't say anything wrong just now. Why are you so angry?"

"Asshole! Can I be so angry?"

Lu Junyi was so excited that he pointed at Duan Jingzhu and shouted, "Tell me, if what you say makes sense, I promise to spare your life!"

"Be an official? From the beginning to the end, weren't you and Brother Gongming the only ones who held official positions? We have all been commoners until now. Brother Gongming was willing to give up his post as the Commander of Shun'an Army and follow His Royal Highness Prince Kang to rectify the past, while Mr. Yuan was staying with the unfilial king. Who is greedy for a high position?"

"you"

"General."

Seeing Duan Jingzhu being so talkative, Yan Qing immediately went up to interrupt the excited Lu Junyi and whispered to him, "General, this guy is so sharp-tongued all of a sudden. There must be someone behind him who is giving him advice. Don't argue with him anymore!"

"Hmm? What can I do?"

"So and so."

After listening to Yan Qing's plan, Lu Junyi immediately raised his head and responded coldly to the top of the city wall, "Duan Jingzhu, I didn't realize before that you are so sharp-tongued. It doesn't matter if you want to follow Song Jiang and King Kang, but you can't threaten his brothers in the city. I'm here to rescue them today, so let them go if you know what's good for you!"

"Coercion?"

Duan Jingzhu suddenly laughed: "Zhu Gui, Zhu Fu, Mu Chun, Du Qian, and Li Yun in the city have all decided to follow King Kang to do things, so how can there be any coercion?"

"I don't believe you. Unless you call me to confront you face to face, I will lead my army to attack the city!"

"This"

Seeing Lu Junyi's tough attitude, Duan Jingzhu couldn't help but look back.

Wu Yong, who secretly rushed to Boye last night, was now hiding in the rear and directing the entire process. Otherwise, with Duan Jingzhu's eloquence and reaction, he might not be able to defeat Lu Junyi.

"Okay, wait a moment, I'll go get him."

"Hurry up."

Not long after Duan Jingzhu left, Zhu Gui, Zhu Fu, Mu Chun and Du Qian all arrived at the city wall, except Li Yun who was injured and had not yet returned from recuperation.

Everyone looked at Lu Junyi with different eyes. Finally, Du Qian was stepped down as a representative to speak. He was seen holding his fists with a guilty look on his face.

"Sir, what Brother Duan said just now is correct. We have all chosen to follow King Kang, so the Yongning Army will naturally belong to King Kang as well."

"I am the envoy of Yongning Army!"

"If you follow Prince Kang, you will still be the commander of Yongning Army, and it will only be a starting point."

"Interesting, what's wrong with this world? How can you be so talkative?"

When Lu Junyi was puzzled, Yan Qing suddenly came out from behind, pointed at Zhu Fu and reminded him loudly: "Zhu Fu, your master's arrow wound is very serious, and it can't be cured by following King Kang. I have news to tell you, the genius doctor An Daoquan is in Weisheng."

(End of this chapter)