The bow is put away after the bird is dead, a sad song of loyalty and righteousness

The spring of the fourth year of Xuanhe was a bit colder than in previous years.

The overseas fleet quietly went eastward carrying hope and huge wealth, but the "Spark" members who stayed on the shore truly felt the increasingly biting chill from the court.

The separated Liangshan garrisons, like clawed tigers, were scattered across the northern provinces. The imperial court's food and salary supplies became increasingly harsh and delayed, while the surveillance and harassment from military supervisors and local officials intensified. Brothers who once shared life and death on the battlefield were now separated by invisible barriers, leaving them without information and causing unrest.

A real storm begins with a glass of imperial wine.

Song Jiang, stationed west of Beijing, suddenly received an imperial decree summoning him to the capital to meet the emperor and accept his reward. Upon hearing this news, Lu Junyi, Zhang Qing, and the others felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. They recalled Qiongying's prophecy and the past events of Han Xin and Peng Yue.

Zhang Qing immediately sent a secret letter to Qiongying, which contained only a few words: "The summons from the capital may not be a good omen."

When Qiongying received the letter, she was secretly inspecting the second batch of newly arrived ships in Dengzhou. Her heart sank as she gazed at the familiar handwriting. What was bound to come had finally come. It was pointless for her to reply. She could only ask Yan Qing to mobilize all his forces to closely monitor Tokyo's movements. She also urged Lu Junyi and Zhang Qing to remain vigilant, restrain their troops, and prepare for the worst.

However, some destinies seem to have been predetermined.

With his last remaining faith in loyalty and his desire to have his wife and son ennobled, Song Jiang set out on the road to Tokyo. Perhaps he was hoping for a lucky break, or perhaps he was powerless to change the situation.

A few days later, a suffocating piece of news spread secretly among the surviving Liangshan leaders like a plague: Brother Song Gongming died of poisoning in Tokyo!

The official report was vague, stating only that he had died of a sudden illness. But privately, news from various channels pointed to one fact: the cup of imperial wine served to celebrate his victory had become a farewell poison!

"elder brother--!"

The moment the news was confirmed, Li Kui beat his chest and stamped his feet in the camp, wailing uncontrollably, nearly mad. Wu Song remained silent, crushing the wine bowl in his hand, the fragments cutting his palm and dripping with blood. Lu Junyi closed his eyes and sighed, tears welling in his eyes. Zhang Qing stood outside the tent, gazing at the gloomy sky, his fists clenched, his nails digging deep into his flesh. An indescribable grief and anger, a chilling chill, washed over him.

The prophecy came true! After the rabbit is dead, the dog is abandoned! The imperial court finally raised the butcher knife to these "surrendered bandits"!

Song Jiang's death served as a catalyst, igniting the imperial court's desire for reckoning. Soon after, Lu Junyi was summoned to the capital. Despite his utmost caution, he slipped and fell into the Huai River on his way home from a banquet, drowning that night.

The "accidental" deaths of Liangshan's two highest leaders made all the remaining Liangshan leaders realize their own situation. This is not the end, but the beginning!

Panic, anger, despair... As all kinds of emotions spread, Zhang Qing received an urgent secret letter from Qiongying, which was delivered by Yan Qing himself at the risk of his life.

There was no comfort in the letter, only the most sober analysis and the most resolute instructions:

"The imperial court is murderous, there's no chance of survival. Disperse and you'll die, unite and perhaps survive. Quickly, under the pretext of 'commemorating', gather your trusted brothers and travel east by water to Dengzhou! This is your last chance of survival; delaying will only make it too late!"

At the same time, the imperial court, under the pretext of "rectifying military discipline and preventing rebellion," mobilized a large number of imperial troops and began to advance on the various Liangshan garrisons, forming a subtle encirclement. The butcher's knife was already hanging over their heads!

Zhang Qing no longer hesitated. He immediately contacted the troops closest to him, including Hu Sanniang and Wang Ying, as well as Zhu Wu, Sun Erniang, and others he had contacted through secret channels, who also sensed the impending disaster. Using the public pretext of "going to Beijing to seek justice for the two leaders, Song and Lu," and "communicating in memory," they quickly assembled their forces, breaking free from their stationed positions and moving toward the agreed-upon canal dock.

This move completely touched the sensitive nerves of the court.

"The remnants of Liangshan are planning a rebellion!"

Reports like these instantly flooded Tokyo. How could Tong Guan, Gao Qiu, and the others let the cooked duck fly away? They immediately ordered all government troops to intercept and encircle the rebels!

In the plain, the smoke of war rises again!

But this time, the two sides fighting are no longer Liangshan and Fang La, but the former "heroes" and the current "imperial army"!

The troops led by Zhang Qing, Hu Sanniang, and others became the primary targets of government troops. Fighting and retreating, they relied on their exceptional fighting prowess and will to survive, breaking through each blockade, but casualties mounted. Along the way, they encountered several other small Liangshan bands, similarly forced to rise up and attempting to join forces. They also witnessed more of their former brothers being routed and slaughtered by government troops...

Blood and fire once again dyed the northern land red. But this time, there was no longer the banner of "doing justice for the heavens," only the instinctive struggle for survival, and the endless sadness and anger after the word "loyalty" was shattered.

A road back to the east, paved with blood, stretches tragically in the heart of the empire.

At the end of the road is Dengzhou, the vast ocean, and the faint spark of light that Qiongying lit for them.