Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

"Giddy up! Giddy up!..."

Somewhere on the official road leading to Bianjing, a rather thin and emaciated horse was struggling to run.

Tong Guan, riding on the back of his warhorse, kept patting the horse's rump, urging it to move forward!

He needs to get back to the capital as soon as possible!

This crushing defeat can't be kept secret for long, especially since there's been absolutely no news from Zhang Shuye's side. Something's definitely wrong; Zhang Shuye might have already sent the battle report back to the capital.

Therefore, Tong Guan endured wind and rain, rushing towards the capital as fast as he could! He was afraid of falling too far behind Zhang Shuye's military reports!

After buying this inferior horse with his meager silver, Tong Guan longed to return to the capital as soon as possible, but this inferior horse... seemed a bit too inferior.

Not only was he slow, but he would often give up halfway through a run, which worried Tong Guan greatly!

But there was nothing he could do. This poor horse was a stubborn little thing by nature. When it didn't want to run, no matter how much Tong Guan beat it, it was useless. He could only wait until it wanted to run!

As a result, the journey was delayed for several days, but fortunately, the horse finally started running smoothly, and Tong Guan could already see the outline of the capital in the distance.

……

"Come on, everyone, line up properly and take out your way permits."

At one of the city's entrances, soldiers guarding the gates are checking the travel permits of people entering the city.

Of course, while they were inspecting, they could also sneak in a break and chat.

"Have you heard? Privy Councilor Tong has also led a large army to attack Liangshan this time!"

A soldier said this while inspecting the items.

"Your news is outdated. How long has it been since Privy Councilor Tong left? How come you only just found out? The latest news is that Privy Councilor Tong lost the battle!"

One soldier responded dismissively.

"What? They lost? That's impossible! The imperial court mobilized 400,000 troops, and Privy Councilor Tong has actually fought in the Western Army! How could they have lost?"

Some soldiers raised questions, not because they wanted to argue, but because the news was just too surprising!

"You guys don't know this, do you? First of all, the claim of 400,000 men is just a bluff. You have to understand that they selected the best soldiers from the Imperial Guard. Where are you going to find 400,000 good soldiers? The accurate information is that this time there are only 200,000 men, and that includes the Western Army and the naval forces of Bashu and Jingzhou!"

The soldier who knew the inside story spoke eloquently, while the surrounding soldiers listened attentively.

Some of the people in line even slowed down and strained their ears, wanting to hear more about the war.

"And then? And then what? Tell me!"

Seeing that the soldier who seemed to know the inside story had stopped explaining, everyone became a little anxious and urged him to continue.

"Ugh, oh dear, being on duty all day, my legs are aching, and talking so much has made my throat really dry..."

But the soldier didn't continue immediately; instead, he took the opportunity to start putting on airs.

Fortunately, there were enough onlookers around, and they were patient enough to watch the drama unfold. They immediately brought the soldier a chair, offered him tea, and arranged for another soldier to take over his work.

"Come on, continue."

"Secondly, although Tong Shumi is a veteran general of the Western Army, the generals under his command this time are not up to par, especially compared with Liangshan, they are not good enough."

After getting what he wanted, the soldier stopped teasing him and continued talking.

"How could that be? This time, Privy Councilor Tong brought generals who had just returned from the Hebei battlefield, as well as those valiant Hebei surrendered generals. How could they be inferior to Liangshan?"

Some people have questioned this, saying it's unreasonable!

"Look, you think so too, right? Privy Councilor Tong thinks so too, they all think Liangshan is weak and easy to bully."

"But do you know that the Song Dynasty's List of Outlaw Warriors has recently been updated, listing eighteen of the best outlaws in the land! Although it doesn't specify the factions they belong to, there are quite a few people from Liangshan on the list!"

"The number one Lu Yuanwai in the world, the number three Sun Tulong in the world, the number four Lin Jiaotou in the world, and the number eight Lu Zhishen in the world—these are all clearly from Liangshan!"

"Moreover, Ren Yuan, the leader of Liangshan, is also ranked ninth in the world!"

"Tell me, with so many masters at Liangshan, what can Tong Shumi compare to? He only has one number fourteen in the land, and that person is a surrendered general!"

This soldier, who knew the inside story, talked on and on, leaving everyone around him stunned!

"According to you, then it is true that Tong Shumi cannot defeat Liangshan."

"It's not just that Privy Councilor Tong can't win; if you hear that, it's questionable whether our imperial court's elite troops can even win."

"No wonder they were able to defeat Grand Commandant Gao first, and then Privy Councilor Tong. Liangshan really has something special!"

"Wait a minute, how do you know so much?"

……

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, saying all sorts of things. The soldier sat in his chair, head down, sipping his tea, a sly glint in his eyes that went unnoticed.

Very good, then you can continue your discussion! It would be best if the discussion became even more heated, so that the entire capital city would know about it!

"Wait a minute, there's another question. If, as you say, Privy Councilor Tong has already been defeated, then why hasn't news come from Liangshan yet?"

Some people have raised questions again.

"Yes, yes, last time they defeated Grand Commandant Gao, they announced it to the whole world, so why is there no news about it this time?"

"Of course not, because Privy Councilor Tong was only defeated, not killed like Grand Commandant Gao. He escaped and might return to the capital soon!"

Just as the soldier who knew the inside story continued speaking, a commotion suddenly broke out at the city gate.

"Halt! What are you doing? Don't you know that riding horses is prohibited near the city gate? Get down here!"

"Where's your travel permit? You don't have one?! You dare to charge through the city gates without it? Who gave you the guts?"

"What? You're Tong Shumi? Who are you trying to fool? Everyone knows that Tong Shumi is leading 400,000 troops to Liangshan to suppress the bandits. You're dressed in rags, like a beggar, and you're impersonating Tong Shumi? You're really asking for death!"

……

At the city gate, Tong Guan stood covered in dust, his clothes were tattered, and his inferior horse was panting heavily. He certainly looked... pathetic!

But he was very unhappy. In such a large capital city, among the gatekeepers, there wasn't a single one who recognized him, Tong Guan.

He's the Privy Councilor! The Privy Councilor!

"Oh dear! Oh dear! The flood has washed away the Dragon King's temple! This is Privy Councilor Tong! This is Privy Councilor Tong!"

"Brothers! Privy Councilor Tong is back from Liangshan! Privy Councilor Tong is back from Liangshan! Brothers, hurry and welcome him! Hey you! Go to the palace gate and announce his return!"

The soldier who knew the inside story rushed forward faster than anyone else and arrived in front of Tong Guan immediately, saying with great emotion.

Only then did everyone realize that this beggar-like man was indeed Tong Guan!

So, does that mean he really lost?

Tong Guan looked at the soldier who rushed in front of him and didn't know what to say for a moment.

To my delight, he recognized me.

Unfortunately, he not only recognized me, but also said a bunch of things he shouldn't have!

Damn it! Whose subordinate is this?!