Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

"Chief Ren, I admire you."

After Han Shizhong crawled out from under Erhu, he was also surprised by Ren Yuan's abilities.

Who would have thought that a village chief could be such a skilled wrestler? His agility and strength are truly impressive.

"Alright, Po Hanwu, come here."

Seeing the dissatisfaction and doubt on Han Shizhong's face, Lu Zhishen simply interrupted him.

"Yes, Commander."

Because they were all big fans of Lu Zhishen, Han Shizhong dared not disobey Lu Zhishen.

"Brother, this young man is actually a good person, he just doesn't think things through when he speaks..."

Lu Zhishen was afraid that Han Shizhong would displease Ren Yuan, so he specially asked to plead for Han Shizhong.

"Oh, what's the big deal? He's a troublemaker, young and has personality, I quite like him."

Ren Yuan put on his shirt and looked at Han Shizhong, saying:

"Kid, why didn't you continue serving in the Western Army? Instead, you came here."

"He was driven here by Tong Guan."

When this matter was mentioned, Han Shizhong became somewhat sullen, and he briefly recounted what had happened.

"You've killed the Western Xia military supervisor and son-in-law in battle, you're quite something! Fine, Tong Guan doesn't need you, huh? I will!"

After hearing this, Ren Yuan waved his hand and said domineeringly to Lu Zhishen:

"Master, aren't you short of a deputy general? What do you think of this lad? Would he be qualified to be your deputy general?"

Han Shizhong's eyes lit up when he heard that!

I'd love to serve under Lu Zhishen!

Lu Zhishen was a big celebrity in the Western Army circle!

Which young man in the Western Army doesn't admire him?

"Haha, a deputy general, that's not bad, but it's not good to be too fast. How about this, brother, this kid can bring his battalion of the Western Army to my regiment as a battalion commander first. He can be promoted to deputy commander later if he makes meritorious contributions. What do you think, brother?"

Lu Zhishen was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter. He could tell that Ren Yuan really didn't blame Han Shizhong at all; he had been overthinking it.

"Master, it's your own legion, you're in charge."

"Haha, alright, Han boy, I told you, you can come with me. Are you willing?"

"Commander! I'm sticking with you!"

Han Shizhong immediately bowed to Lu Zhishen, willing to be a common soldier even if it meant following a senior soldier in the Western Army!

The troublemakers of the Western Army behind him bowed down one after another.

"Then, Master, they are all entrusted to you."

Ren Yuan trusted Lu Zhishen completely. After all, Han Shizhong was only twenty-four or twenty-five years old and was still too young. He should follow Lu Zhishen for a while first.

"Junior brother...Chief, what do we do next?"

Wang Jin originally wanted to call him "Junior Brother" directly, but considering that they were still outside, he changed his address.

"Senior brother, just call me junior brother. You haven't been down the mountain much, and you've been involved in martial arts again, so you should rest more. Everyone else, just do what you always do: search the Gaotang Prefecture treasury and distribute grain to the people. Then we'll return to the mountain in triumph. Cai Jing said that Qingzhou and Dengzhou will be coming after the New Year, so we can't let them down!"

Ren Yuan said with a smile that this was indeed Wang Jin's first time coming down the mountain after going up, so it was normal that he didn't know the procedures.

"Junior brother, I have a request. During the siege just now, there was a general named Wen Wenbao, whom I taught in the Imperial Guard training camp. He... was quite good. Could you perhaps help him with his burial?"

"of course can!"

Ren Yuan nodded. Wen Wenbao? He had a vague recollection of this character from the original novel.

"To be chosen by your senior brother, you must be someone special. That's good."

“Brother, when I was fighting at Ximen, there was also a general who was brave and fearless. I think we can also bury him.”

Wang Jin's words reminded Wu Song of the general who had fought him to the death at the West Gate.

"Sure, Han Shizhong, do you know the name of the garrison commander at the West Gate?"

"The chieftain's name seems to be Yu Zhi."

Han Shizhong thought about it and was a little uncertain, mainly because he had only been there for a short time and was not familiar with Gao Lian's men.

"Yu Zhi, Wen Wenbao, and there should also be Xue Yuanhui, right?"

Ren Yuan thought about it and realized that Gao Lian did indeed have these three people under his command in the original story.

“Junior brother, put the three of them together for burial. They were all taught by me, from the same batch in the second year of Chongning.”

Wang Jin sighed softly; he did indeed have some recollection of this trio.

"Yes, the Song court is incompetent, but the soldiers of the Great Song are excellent. Since they are good soldiers, they deserve respect even if they are enemies."

Ren Yuan nodded, then dismissed his generals to handle the aftermath, and personally went to the Gaotang Prefecture Treasury to search for and confiscate supplies.

……

Qingzhou.

The main hall of the state government building.

"What? Send troops immediately? Why?"

Hu Yanzhuo looked puzzled. They had agreed to wait until after the New Year, so why the rush now?

"General Huyan, don't ask me. This is an order directly from Grand Tutor Cai to the Emperor. He said that the previous news was spread to confuse the Liangshan bandits, and now he wants you to set off ahead of time so that he can catch them off guard."

Murong Yanda shrugged. This time, Cai Jing told him to send troops as soon as possible, and then Cai Jing promised that he owed Murong Yanda a favor.

Alright then, since we're not the ones fighting the war, letting Huyan Zhuo go ahead and gain a favor from Cai Jing seems like a good deal.

"When will we leave?"

"Let's do it tomorrow. The Liangshan bandits have been to Gaotang Prefecture these past few days, so let's catch them off guard."

It's no secret that the Liangshan troops went to Gaotang Prefecture. Although it may not have been reported to the imperial court yet, those nearby already knew.

"Tomorrow? My lord, is it...?"

"Oh, Chief Steward Huyan, just go! Look, Grand Tutor Cai asked the Emperor if he had brought you a gift!"

Murong Yanda clapped his hands, and his men led in a very handsome steed!

What does this horse look like? Its entire body is as black as ink, without a single stray hair; its four hooves are as white as snow, treading mountains as if walking on flat ground! From head to tail, it is ten feet long; from hoof to neck, it is eight feet tall! Its muscles and bones are strong, and it has the momentum to soar into the clouds and enter the sea!

"See this, Chief Steward Huyan? This is the precious horse that Grand Tutor Cai asked the Emperor to bestow upon you. It is named Snow-Treading Black Steed. You must cherish it!"

Murong Yanda said somewhat sourly, "Because this is such a good horse, I want one too!"

But Cai Jing said directly that the horse was given to Huyan Zhuo so that he could send troops ahead of schedule. He was indebted to him, and with the emperor's decree, he figured Huyan Zhuo wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

"Yes... Your humble servant obeys."

What could Huyan Zhuo say? He could only accept the order.

"General, this time we only need your two thousand linked cavalry to attack. Anyway, you can make preparations today, and I will personally send you off to the expedition tomorrow at the Great Parade Ground. Each person will have a pound of meat, two bowls of wine, and three steamed buns."

Murong Yanda didn't give Huyan Zhuo a chance to refuse and made the decision for him directly. Helpless, Huyan Zhuo could only return to his own camp to muster his troops.

"Uncle, why the sudden decision to send troops?"

Two young generals arrived together: one was Huyan Sheng, and the other was Huyan Tong, who had recently come from the Pinghai Army and was the son of Huyan Qipeng, the elder brother of Huyan Zhuo. (Note: Huyan Tong was a historical figure who later served under Han Shizhong. Some say he was one of the prototypes for Huyan Zhuo. Here, the author has changed the identity, making Huyan Tong Huyan Zhuo's nephew.)

"Sheng'er, Tong'er, this is a direct order from the Emperor. We have no choice but to send troops. Write to your great-grandfather immediately. Also, inform all our cavalry to prepare their equipment tonight and depart tomorrow."

"Uncle, can't we delay any longer?" Hu Yantong asked.

"It can't be delayed any longer. This Murong Yanda has already decided on the location and scale of tomorrow's army reward ceremony."

Huyan Zhuo shook his head.

"Go and prepare. This time, we have to go, whether we want to or not!"