Chapter 161: The War Between Song and Liao Begins (Part One)

Before joining Liangshan, their deeds were no small matter; previous government offensives against them had all ended in failure. According to Wu Yong’s reasoning, if they were willing to accept amnesty, the court would likely agree. But what was more probable was that the court would send forces to attack Liangshan, and only after Liangshan’s victory and demonstration of strength would they truly be granted amnesty.

The people on Liangshan had no objection to this; some even hoped the court would send those treacherous ministers to command the army, so that even if they couldn’t kill them, they could at least humiliate them and vent their frustrations. However, there was one crucial condition they insisted on: after accepting amnesty, they must participate together in the war between Song and Liao, and not be divided.

Meanwhile, Emperor Zhao Ji received the news that Liangshan wished to accept amnesty and smiled. He had long suspected that one of the four notorious bandit chiefs, destined to reincarnate as a star, would aid Song in defeating Liao—but he did not know which one. Now, he finally had his answer. He knew that aside from the star reincarnation, no other powerful faction would accept amnesty at the height of their strength, let alone demand participation in the Song-Liao war.

“Since this has been confirmed, the other three bandit factions need no longer exist!” Zhao Ji thought as he stepped out of the imperial library and called, “Xuan Gao Qiu!”

Liangshan’s bandits had been rampant, breaking through the prefectures of Dongping and Dongchang, killing government officials without sanction—crimes of the highest order! The court appointed Gao Qiu as the commander of the army, leading fifty thousand troops to attack Liangshan.

Song Jiang read the court’s announcement and smiled. This clearly meant the court was accepting their desire to be granted amnesty.

Besides Song Jiang and those already inclined to accept amnesty, even those initially opposed were excited. They all knew Gao Qiu was no good. Many they had crossed paths with had some connection to him. Especially Lin Chong; upon hearing of Gao Qiu’s appointment, he could no longer maintain his usual composure.

“Brother Gongming, Lin Chong hopes to serve as vanguard in this great battle. I shall capture Gao Qiu and present him to you!” Though he knew he could not kill Gao Qiu, humiliating him would at least be a small victory and a release of pent-up anger. After all, if not for Gao Qiu, his family would never have suffered so.

Song Jiang nodded; the grudges between Lin Chong and Gao Qiu were well known among the Liangshan leaders. “Then let Brother Lin Chong lead the vanguard, with Qin Ming and Suo Chao as deputies. Let Gao Qiu witness the valor of Liangshan’s troops!” This battle was meant to showcase Liangshan’s might. The court needed to recognize the strength of Liangshan’s men and commanders to take them seriously. If they were relegated to logistics and then divided for some excuse, it would betray the trust of the brothers.

Elsewhere, Gao Qiu was uneasy in camp. Who was he? A sycophant favored by Zhao Ji. Such people excel at discerning royal will. Upon receiving his orders, he knew that although he would not die on this mission, hardship was inevitable.

He had many enemies—especially Lin Chong, a formidable warrior who had only grown stronger according to court intelligence. Before departure, Zhao Ji had given him a talisman to protect his life and promised that if he succeeded, he could retire peacefully.

Truthfully, this temptation was great for Gao Qiu. He had long sought a way to secure his future, but at the time, the steward needed someone to attract enmity, so Gao Qiu could not retreat. In his position, one either succeeded and retired or was killed for the sake of the realm. The former was far less likely, so this rare chance was one he could not afford to waste.

Just then, a burly man entered. “Grand Marshal Gao, when do we announce our intention and launch the official assault?”

This was Tong Guan, another of Zhao Ji’s trusted confidants, a eunuch who had joined the palace mid-career and retained his robust vitality. Skilled in military tactics and formations, he was considered more useful than Gao Qiu in Zhao Ji’s eyes. After all, Zhao Ji knew the limitations of his civil officials; relying solely on them to command the war against Liao would be tantamount to surrender.

“Any news from the envoys?” Gao Qiu hoped for a staged battle—after all, Zhao Ji’s plan was to attack Liangshan, lose, then request assistance and grant amnesty. The details were his to control.

Tong Guan began to respond, but before he could finish, a government clerk returned with a grim expression, wearing only his undergarments. His outer robes were stained and foul-smelling—who knew what had been smeared on them!

Gao Qiu quickly covered his nose. “What happened? Did Liangshan surrender?”

“Grand Marshal, the Liangshan bandits have gone too far. They demand you come in person to negotiate peace!” The clerk wept bitterly, his sorrow genuine.

Gao Qiu rolled his eyes. Though he had expected this, the reality still angered him. He was the grand marshal, commanding fifty thousand troops alongside Tong Guan, yet Liangshan behaved as if their forces were invincible!

“Send the vanguard to challenge them; prepare the rest for battle!” He waved his hand dismissively. “And you! Clean yourself up properly! The stench is unbearable!”

Without waiting for Qin Ming or Suo Chao, Lin Chong, burning with hatred, led a hundred guards and arrived at the foot of the mountain ahead of the others.

At the same time, the court’s vanguard had just set up camp. Lin Chong immediately assessed their situation.

“Perfect. You’ll be our first taste!” He spurred his horse toward the camp. Starlight shimmered over his body, forming the image of a leopard’s head above him.

A silent beast’s roar echoed, and soldiers about to sound the alarm fainted, their eyes rolling back. Lin Chong’s spear shattered the camp gate without pause, charging straight for the main tent.

“Who goes there?” The vanguard commander, sensing Lin Chong’s overwhelming aura, rushed out to assess, unwittingly playing into Lin Chong’s plan.

With a flash of cold steel, Lin Chong lifted a severed head on his speartip and wheeled his horse away.

Thus, before the soldiers could react, the vanguard commander was slain and Lin Chong broke through the camp’s defenses.

Charging alone into the enemy camp, killing their commander, and escaping unscathed—few feats in history could rival this.

Within the camp, from deputy officers to cooks, all trembled. This place offered no security. The enemy could kill anyone at will; who would be next was a matter of bad luck. They had accepted the risk of death in battle, but not such wanton slaughter.

The deputy officer’s trembling hands faltered until a neigh startled them back to attention.

“Hurry! Send word to the grand marshal!” The deputy rushed forward. “And quickly gather the general’s body! You there, repair the camp gate, and bring those gate guards here!” With the vanguard leader dead, he was now the highest-ranking officer. If he could stabilize the camp, perhaps the punishments would be lighter.

Nearby, Lin Chong’s guards returned, shouting “Long live the general!” upon seeing the severed head.

Lin Chong casually tossed the head aside and looked toward the approaching Liangshan forces.

Back at Gao Qiu’s camp, hearing of Lin Chong’s lone raid and kill, his hand trembled as he stroked his beard. Was Lin Chong truly so formidable now? Then why bother fighting?

He glanced at Tong Guan. If Tong Guan could hold Lin Chong off, it was one thing—if not...

Tong Guan took a deep breath and faced the messenger. “Tell me exactly how Lin Chong breached the camp and killed the man. What was the state inside? No exaggeration!”

Gao Qiu was unaware of the enhanced power of the enemy’s formations, but he understood the implications. If one man could truly break the camp and kill the commander, forget amnesty—the emperor might as well name him grand general. When war broke out between the two nations, he could charge the ranks and slay the enemy’s leader himself.

Could a man really reach such heights?