Chapter 113

Chapter 113

At that moment, the various generals rushed to rescue Song Jiang. After quite some time, he regained consciousness and said to Wu Yong and the others: "This time we will certainly not be able to subdue Fang La! Ever since crossing the river, things have gone against us—we have lost eight of our brothers one after another..." Wu Yong tried to console him: "Commander, do not say such things, for fear of dampening the army's morale. When we conquered the Great Liao before, all returned to the capital safe and sound—such was Heaven's decree. That we have lost brothers this time is a matter of each man's allotted lifespan. Look at it this way: since crossing the river, we have captured three great prefectures in succession—Runzhou, Changzhou, and Xuanzhou. This is all due to the Son of Heaven's boundless fortune reaching to the skies, and the tiger-like might of our commanding general. How can you call this going against us? Why should the vanguard commander lose heart of his own accord?" Song Jiang said: "Although Heaven's decree is running its course, I recall that we one hundred and eight men correspond to the constellations and match the patterns recorded in the heavens. These brothers are as close to me as my own hands and feet. Hearing such grim news today, how can I not be grieved?" Wu Yong urged him once more: "Commander, please set aside your troubles and do not harm your precious person. For now, please attend to the deployment of troops and coordination of reinforcements, and the attack on Wuxi County." Song Jiang said: "Leave Chai the Great Lord here to keep me company. Draft a separate dispatch and have Director Dai deliver it, to reply to Vanguard Commander Lu, ordering him to advance his troops and attack Huzhou, so we may meet early in Hangzhou." Wu Yong had Pei Xuan draft the dispatch in reply, and sent Dai宗 to Xuanzhou. Let us speak no more of this.

Now it must be said that Lü Shichang, leading Xu Ding, fled back to Wuxi County, where they happened upon reinforcements sent by the Three Prince of Suzhou. At the vanguard was Wei Zhong, commander of the six armies, bringing a dozen or so subordinate generals and ten thousand troops to relieve Changzhou. The forces joined and held Wuxi County. Lü Shichang recounted the affair of Jin Jie surrendering the city. Wei Zhong said: "Your Excellency the Chief Minister, set your mind at rest. This junior general will certainly recover Changzhou." Just then a scout reported: "The Song army is approaching. Make preparations at once." Wei Zhong then mounted his horse and led his troops out of the north gate to meet the enemy. They soon saw that the Song army was a mighty force. At the vanguard was "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui, leading Bao Xu, Xiang Chong, and Li Gun in the forefront, charging straight at them. Wei Zhong's strength was no match; his troops had not yet formed their ranks when they were routed and fled. Hastily retreating into Wuxi County, the four pursued close behind on horseback and entered the county seat. The Chief Minister Lü fled out of the south gate. Guan Sheng had already led his troops and seized Wuxi County. Wei Zhong and Xu Ding also fled out the south gate and returned to Suzhou. After Guan Sheng and the others had taken the county seat, they sent a man to ride swiftly and report to Vanguard Commander Song Jiang. Song Jiang and the various chieftains all came to Wuxi County. They issued a proclamation to reassure the local people and restore them to their status as law-abiding citizens, then led the main body of troops and quartered them in the county. They sent a request to Zhang and Liu, the two regional commanders, to garrison Changzhou.

Now then, Chief Minister Lü joined with Wei Zhong and Xu Ding. Leading their defeated and depleted forces, they fled to the city of Suzhou to beg the Three Prince for aid. They told of the overwhelming might of the Song army, how they could not withstand the enemy, how the troops had swept upon them like a whirlwind, resulting in the loss of their cities. The Three Prince was furious. He ordered his guards to drag Chief Minister Lü Shichang out and behead him at once and report back. Wei Zhong and the others pleaded: "The Song Jiang's generals are all seasoned warriors—many are brave and formidable men of exceptional ability. What is more, their foot soldiers are all former petty bandits from Liangshan Marsh, long accustomed to battle. For this reason they are difficult to oppose." Fang Mao said: "For now I will stay the blade from your necks. I give you five thousand troops to take the lead as scouts. I myself will assign great generals and follow with support." Lü Shichang bowed in thanks, donned his full armor, took up his eighteen-foot snake-headed spear, mounted his horse, and led his troops out of the city as the vanguard.

Now then, the Three Prince Fang Mao assembled his eight generals under his command, known as the Eight Swift Cavalry. Every one of them was tall and strong, with refined martial skills. The eight were:

Grand General Soaring Dragon, Liu Yun

Grand General Soaring Tiger, Zhang Wei

Grand General Soaring Bear, Xu Fang

Grand General Soaring Leopard, Guo Shiguang

Grand General Soaring Sky, Wu Fu

Grand General Soaring Cloud, Gou Zheng

Grand General Soaring Mountain, Zhen Cheng

Grand General Soaring Water, Chang Sheng

At that moment, the Three Prince Fang Mao himself donned his armor, took up his Heavenly Halberd, and rode out on horseback to supervise the central army as they advanced to engage the enemy. Before his horse were drawn up those eight great generals, and behind him stood in neat and orderly rows some twenty or thirty subordinate generals. They led fifty thousand Southern troops out through the Changhe Gate to meet the Song army. The vanguard, Lü Shichang leading Wei Zhong and Xu Ding, had already passed Hanshan Temple and were advancing toward Wuxi County. Song Jiang, having learned of this through his scouts, led out many chieftains both principal and secondary and deployed his troops outside Wuxi County, advancing more than ten *li*. The two armies met, their banners and drums facing each other, each forming battle lines. Lü Shichang, burning with resentment, spurred his mount, leveled his spear in hand, and rode out in person to challenge Song Jiang to battle. Song Jiang, watching from beneath the gate banner, turned and asked: "Who dares to seize this bandit?" Before he had finished speaking, "Golden Spearman" Xu Ning raised his golden spear, spurred his horse forward, and rode out to the front of the battle line, where he engaged the Chief Minister Lü in combat. The two generals clashed, their respective sides cheering them on. After some twenty exchanges, Lü Shichang exposed an opening, and Xu Ning thrust his spear into his flank, knocking him from his horse. Both armies roared with shouts. "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui swung his twin axes, "God of Death" Bao Xu brandished his flying-blade sword, and Xiang Chong and Li Gun each wielded spear and shield as they charged across the battlefield. The Southern troops fell into great disorder.

Song Jiang pressed forward with his troops to give chase and slaughter, when he encountered Fang Mao's main force. Both sides loosed arrows to hold their battle lines in place and drew up their formations. On the Southern army's line, eight generals were deployed in a single row. Fang Mao, in the central army, heard that Lü the Administrator had been killed, and his heart filled with rage. He rode out crosswise with his halberd and cursed Song Jiang loudly: "You lot are nothing but a band of grain-stealing bandits from Liangshan Marsh. The Song dynasty has failed, and they made you a vanguard to lead troops into our territory. I will slaughter every last one of you before I cease my campaign!" Song Jiang pointed from horseback: "You are nothing but a bunch of country bumpks from Muzhou. What fortune or blessing do you possess that you dare dream of kingly or hegemonic enterprise? You would do better to surrender at once and I may spare your life! Heaven's army has arrived, yet you still resist with clever words! If I do not kill you all, I vow not to withdraw my troops!" Fang Mao roared: "Enough of this arguing! I have eight fierce generals under my command. Dare you send out eight men to fight?" Song Jiang laughed: "If two of us took on one of you, that would hardly count as heroic. Send out your eight, and I'll send out eight of my top generals. We'll test our skills and see who wins. But whoever is knocked from his horse shall be carried back to his own formation—no hidden arrows to harm anyone, and no seizing of corpses. If no winner is decided, there shall be no general melee. We'll agree to fight again tomorrow." Fang Mao, upon hearing this, called forth his eight generals. Each took up his weapon and spurred his horse forward. Song Jiang said: "Let the generals take turns with the cavalry sortie…" Before he finished speaking, eight generals charged forth simultaneously. Those eight were: Guan Sheng, Hua Rong, Xu Ning, Qin Ming, Zhu Tong, Huang Xin, Sun Li, and郝 Siwen. From within Song Jiang's formation, where the gate-banners opened, eight top generals emerged on the left and right, spurring their horses together and riding straight to the front line. Flower-patterned drums thundered on both sides; multi-colored banners waved; each side fired a signal cannon; and with the troops shouting encouragement, sixteen horsemen rode out together, each seeking his opponent to fight in matched pairs. How did these sixteen officers find their opponents and pair off for combat! Guan Sheng fought Liu Yun, Qin Ming fought Zhang Wei, Hua Rong fought Xu Fang, Xu Ning fought Wu Fu, Zhu Tong fought Gou Zheng, Huang Xin fought Guo Shiguang, Sun Li fought Zhen Cheng, and Hao Siwen fought Chang Sheng. Truly it was beyond description or depiction, but this was what was seen:

Chaos of battle-dust rising, killing intent spreading across the field.

Each man wished to be like Nezha, every one vied to be like Yuchi Jingde.

Thirty-two arms, weaving like brocade on a shuttle;

Sixty-four horse-hooves, like chasing wind and scudding hail.

Formation banners tangled—hard to distinguish red, white, blue, and yellow;

Weapons crossing—impossible to tell spear, saber, sword, or halberd.

Watch them swirling amidst the beacon smoke—truly like lantern horses circling at the Lantern Festival.

These sixteen fierce generals, all heroes, fought with full concentration. After battling upward of thirty exchanges, one rider fell from his horse. Who had won? "The Beautiful Bearded Lord" Zhu Tong, with a single spear, thrust Gou Zheng from his horse. Both sides beat their gongs to recall the troops. The seven pairs of generals separated and withdrew to their respective formations.

The Third Prince Fang Mao, seeing that he had lost a great general, reckoned the situation unfavorable and led his troops back behind the walls of Suzhou. That day Song Jiang urged his army forward and made camp near the Cold Mountain Temple, rewarding Zhu Tong. Pei Xuan wrote a battle report and submitted it to Investiture Envoy Zhang—no more of this for now.

Now it must be said: the Third Prince Fang Mao withdrew his troops into the city and held fast behind its walls, not venturing out. He assigned various generals to guard each gate, planted deep rows of abatis, mounted powerful crossbows and hard bows on the city walls, with rolling logs and catapult stones. In the watchtowers they melted down metal liquid for pouring, and along the parapet walls they piled up earthen jars of lime, preparing to defend the city solidly.

The following day, Song Jiang saw that the Southern troops would not come out, so he led Hua Rong, Xu Ning, Huang Xin, and Sun Li, taking over thirty cavalry, to go reconnoiter the city. He saw that Suzhou's walls and moats were surrounded all around by waterways, and the ramparts were sturdy. He thought to himself: "There's no way we can take this city quickly." He returned to camp and discussed strategy for the assault with Wu Yong. Then a report came: "The chief naval commander Jun Li has arrived from Jiangyin to see the main general." Song Jiang ordered him brought into the command tent. Seeing Jun Li, Song Jiang asked for news along the coast. Jun Li replied: "Since being placed in command of the naval forces, together with Shi Xiu and the others, we fought our way to Jiangyin, Taicang, and the coastal areas. The defending commander Yan Yong and Vice-Commander Li Yu led naval vessels and came out to engage us. Yan Yong was speared off his boat into the water by Ruan the Second on the deck, and Li Yu was killed by a volley of arrows. Thus we captured Jiangyin and Taicang. At present Shi Xiu, Zhang Heng, and Zhang Shun have gone to take Jiading; the three Ruans have gone to take Changshou. I have come specially to report this victory." Song Jiang was overjoyed at this news, rewarded Jun Li, and ordered him to proceed directly to Changzhou to visit the two Investiture Envoys Zhang and Liu and submit his report.

Now this Li Jun went straight to Changzhou, where he had an audience with Zhang Zhaotao and Liu Dudu. He fully reported the recovery of the island strongholds of Jiangyin and Taicang, and the slaying of the rebel generals Yan Yong and Li Yu. Zhang Zhaotao bestowed rewards upon him and ordered him to return to Song Jiang's vanguard to await further orders. Li Jun returned to the Hanshan Temple encampment and came to see Vanguard Commander Song Jiang. Because Song Jiang had observed that the waters outside Suzhou were vast and open, and that naval vessels would certainly be required for battle, he therefore kept Li Jun with him. He instructed him to assemble and ready boats for the operation. Li Jun said, "Allow me to go and survey the breadth of the waters and how best to deploy our forces, and then we can make our plans." Song Jiang agreed. Li Jun was gone for two days, and upon his return he reported, "Due south of this city lies Lake Tai. Your younger brother wishes to take a single boat, enter a small harbor at Yixing, and secretly make his way into Lake Tai, then emerge at Wujiang to gather intelligence on conditions to the south. Only then can we advance our forces and attack from all four sides to break the city." Song Jiang said, "Your counsel is most sound. But I have no deputy to accompany you." He then promptly ordered Li Ying, the "Great Lord," to take Kong Ming, Kong Liang, Shi En, and Du Xing and proceed to Jiangyin, Taicang, Kunshan, Changshu, Jiading, and other coastal locations to assist the navy in recovering the coastal county seats. Once that was accomplished, Tong Wei and Tong Meng could be relieved to come and aid Li Jun in his undertaking. Li Ying received the military orders, took leave of Song Jiang, and led the four subordinate officers toward Jiangyin. Within two days, Tong Wei and Tong Meng returned and reported to Vanguard Commander Song Jiang. Song Jiang commended them and had them accompany Li Jun in a small boat to scout intelligence to the south.

Now Li Jun took Tong Wei and Tong Meng and set out in a tiny skiff, with two boatmen at the oars. The five men made straight for the small harbor at Yixing and wound their way directly into Lake Tai. When they beheld Lake Tai, it was indeed a vast expanse of water and sky, ten thousand acres of unbroken jade-green. They saw:

Heaven joined the distant water; water met the far sky. Above and below, the water's reflection held no dust; high and low, the light of heaven was of a single hue. Pairs of wild egrets came flying, dappling the emerald glass; couples of light gulls startled upward, cleaving through the blue-green kingfisher feathers. In the languid spring light, the dissolving ripples wrinkled like fish scales; in the torrential summer rain, the surging waves tumbled like silver roofs. In the clear autumn, the golden serpent wound through the billows; in the flying winter snow, the jade butterflies filled heaven and earth. The primal chaos had been cleft open—a cavern of original qi—and Feng Yi alone held the Crystal Palace. A poem bears witness:

Dissolving, rippling, the white gulls fly,

The pure green deepens, perfect for dyeing robes.

Southward, northward, men grow old on their way,

The evening sun ever sends the fishing boats home.

At that time, Li Jun, Tong Wei, Tong Meng, and two boatmen were steering a small boat straight toward Lake Tai, gradually approaching Wujiang. In the distance, they spotted a fleet of fishing boats—about forty or fifty of them. Li Jun said, "We'll pretend we're just buying fish. Let's go over there and make some inquiries." The five men rowed straight up to the fishing boats, and Li Jun called out, "Old fisherman, do you have any big carp?" The fisherman replied, "If you want big carp, come with me to my home and I'll sell them to you." Li Jun followed the fishing boats with his oars. Before long, they gradually arrived at a certain place. When he looked around, it was a circular grove of weeping willows, and within the hedged enclosure there were some twenty households. The fisherman first moored his boat, then led Li Jun, Tong Wei, and Tong Meng ashore and into a courtyard. The moment they stepped through the manor gate, the man coughed once, and from both sides rushed out eight or seven big men, all carrying grappling hooks. They seized Li Jun and the other three together and hauled them straight into the manor. Without asking any questions, they bound all three of them to wooden posts. Li Jun looked around and saw four heroes seated on the grass hall. The leader had a red beard and yellow hair, wearing a blue silk padded jacket. The second was short and lean with a thin beard, wearing a black-green collared cotton shirt. The third had a dark face and a long beard. The fourth had bony cheeks, a broad jaw, and a curly whiskered beard. These two both wore blue padded jackets. All wore black felt hats, and weapons leaned beside them. The leader barked at Li Jun, "Where are you people from? What are you doing in our lake?" Li Jun replied, "We're from Yangzhou. We came here as guests to buy fish." The fourth one with the bony face said, "Brother, don't bother asking them. They're clearly spies. Just cut out their hearts and livers for us to eat with wine." When Li Jun heard this, he thought to himself, "I was a smuggler on the Xunyang River for many years, and I played the hero at Mount Liangmarsh for several more. Who would have thought I'd meet my end here today! So be it, so be it, so be it!" He sighed and looked at Tong Wei and Tong Meng. "Today I've dragged you two brothers down with me. Even as ghosts, we'll go to the same place!" Tong Wei and Tong Meng said, "Brother, don't talk like that. We've lived enough to die content. It's just that dying here would bury your great name." The three of them looked at one another, thrusting out their chests to meet their fate. The four heroes, however, watched them for a while, then looked at each other and said, "This leader among them is certainly no ordinary man." The leading hero asked again, "What manner of men are you three? Give us your names so we may know them." Li Jun replied again, "If you want to kill us, then kill us. Our names we will not tell you even in death—it would only bring laughter from true heroes!" When the leader heard this, he leaped up, cut through their ropes with a knife, and released the three men. The four fishermen helped them into the house and invited them to sit. The leader bowed his head and kowtowed, saying, "We've been outlaws all our lives, but never have we seen men of such noble spirit! Good heroes, where exactly are you three from? We would be honored to know your names and surnames." Li Jun said, "I can see that you four elder brothers must be true heroes. I'll tell you, and then you can take us wherever you like. We three are lieutenant commanders under Song Gongqing of Mount Liangmarsh. I am 'Dragon in the Yangtze' Li Jun. These two brothers are 'Dragon Emerging from the Cave' Tong Wei and 'Sea-Monster Stirring the River' Tong Meng. We've recently accepted amnesty from the court, destroyed the Liao Kingdom, and returned with our troops to the capital. Now we've been ordered by imperial decree to subdue Fang La. If you serve under Fang La, then take us three of us away for your reward—don't think we'll struggle!" The four of them, upon hearing this, all bowed their heads and kowtowed, kneeling together. "We had no eyes to recognize Mount Tai! We were extremely rude just now—forgive us, forgive us! We four brothers are not under Fang La. We've all made our living in the greenwood since old times. We've found this place recently—it's called Elm-Willow Manor. The waters all around are deep channels; no one can enter except by boat. We four use the fishermen as our eyes and find our living within Lake Tai. Recently, over the course of one winter, we've all learned something about the waters here, so no one dares to encroach on us. We've long heard that your Song Gongqing at Mount Liangmarsh has gathered heroes from all under heaven, and we knew your great name as well. We'd also heard of 'White Streak in the Waves' Zhang Shun—we never imagined we'd meet you today!" Li Jun said, "Zhang Shun is my brother. He's also a naval commander of the same rank, currently at Jiangyin suppressing bandits. Another day I'll bring him here and we can all meet. I'd be glad to learn your four great names." The leader said, "We brothers all have nicknames from our time in the greenwood—I hope you won't laugh! I am 'Red-Bearded Dragon' Fei Bao. This is 'Curly-Bristled Tiger' Ni Yun, this is 'Dragon of Lake Tai' Bu Qing, and this is 'Thin-Faced Bear' Di Cheng." When Li Jun heard the four names, he was overjoyed. "From this moment on, let there be no more suspicion among us—what a joy that we are all one family! My brother Song Gongqing is now the vanguard commander for the campaign against Fang La. He is about to take Suzhou but hasn't yet found the way, so he specially sent the three of us to scout the route. Now that we've met you four heroes, you can come with me to see our vanguard commander. I'll guarantee you all official posts. Once Fang La is subdued, the court will promote you." Fei Bao said, "Allow us to explain: if the four of us had wanted official posts, we could have been made commanders under Fang La long ago. That's why we have no desire for office—we only seek to live freely. If you need the four of us to help, into the water we'll go into the water, into the fire we'll go into the fire. But if you're talking about guaranteeing us official posts—we truly don't want them." Li Jun said, "Since that's how it is, then let us swear brotherhood right here—"

"How about becoming sworn brothers?" The four heroes were overjoyed at this proposal and had a pig and a sheep slaughtered, then set out wine and a feast, and they took Li Jun as their elder brother in a blood oath. Li Jun had Tong Wei and Tong Meng join in the brotherhood as well.

The seven men gathered at the Elm and Willow Manor to discuss Song Jiang's plan to take Suzhou. "Fang Mao refuses to come out and fight," they said. "The city is surrounded by water on all sides with no way to assault it. The boats and harbors are too narrow to engage the enemy effectively. How can we take a city like this under such circumstances?" Fei Bao said, "Brother, rest easy for a couple of days. From time to time, people sent by Fang La come from Hangzhou to Suzhou on official business. We can seize the opportunity to take the city by cunning. I'll send some fishermen to gather intelligence. When more people arrive, we'll devise a plan." Li Jun said, "An excellent idea!" Fei Bao then called in several fishermen and sent them off ahead of time. He himself stayed at the manor with Li Jun, drinking wine every day. They had been there two or three days when the fishermen returned and reported: "At Pingwang Town, there are over ten transport boats. Yellow flags are stuck at the stern of each vessel, with the words 'Armor Commissioned for the Royal Palace' written on them. They're clearly coming from Hangzhou. There are only five or seven men on each boat." Li Jun said, "Since this opportunity has presented itself, I earnestly hope you brothers will lend your strength." Fei Bao said, "We'll go right now." Li Jun said, "But if even one man on those boats escapes, our plan will fail." Fei Bao said, "Brother, rest assured—leave it all to me." He immediately gathered some sixty or seventy small fishing boats. The seven sworn heroes each took one boat, while the rest were fishermen who concealed weapons on their persons. They all slipped through a small inlet into the great river and scattered to converge on their targets.

That night the sky was bright with stars and moon. The ten official boats were all moored in front of the Dragon King Temple on the east bank of the river. Fei Bao's boat arrived first. Suddenly a signal whistle sounded, and all sixty or seventy fishing boats closed in at once, each latching onto a large vessel. The men aboard the official boats scrambled out in haste but were immediately caught by grappling hooks, bound together in groups of three or five. Those who jumped into the water were hauled back up by grappling hooks onto the boats. The small boats towed the official boats to the depths of Lake Tai. By the time they reached the Elm and Willow Manor, it was already the fourth watch of the night. The miscellaneous personnel were all bound together in a chain, weighted down with large stones, and thrown into Lake Tai to drown. When the two leaders were captured and questioned, it turned out they were warehouse officers under Fang Tianding, the Grand Prince of Nan'an and eldest son of Fang La in Hangzhou. They had been acting on a special imperial order to escort three thousand sets of newly forged armor to Fang Mao, the Third Prince, in Suzhou for handover. Li Jun asked their names, took all the official passes and documents, and had the two warehouse officers killed as well. Li Jun said, "I must go in person to discuss this matter with our brother before we can carry out this plan." Fei Bao said, "I'll have men ferry you across. Taking the small inlet to the front lines is the shortest route." He ordered two fishermen in a swift boat to escort Li Jun out. Li Jun instructed Tong Wei, Tong Meng, and Fei Bao to quietly hide the armor and boats in the inlet behind the manor, taking care that no one would notice. Fei Bao said, "No problem," and went off to arrange the boats himself.

Now Li Jun and the two fishermen, having launched a small, swift boat, made for a smaller harbor and rowed to the front lines, landing at Hanshan Temple. Arriving at the camp, they met with Song Jiang, the vanguard commander, and gave a full account of what had happened. Wu Yong was overjoyed and said, "If this is so, Suzhou will be ours with the greatest ease! I ask the commander to issue orders at once: send Kui, Bao Xu, Xiang Chong, and Li Gun to lead two hundred charge-breaking shield-bearing soldiers, follow Li Jun back to the manor on Lake Tai, and join the four heroes led by Fei Bao in carrying out this plan. They are to set out on the second day." Li Jun received the orders and led the group all the way to the shore of Lake Tai. The three of them crossed the lake first, then sent the boats back to fetch Kui and the others, and they all arrived at the Elm and Willow Manor. Li Jun introduced Kui, Bao Xu, Xiang Chong, and Li Gun to Fei Bao and his men. When Fei Bao saw Kui's fearsome appearance, they were all greatly startled. They invited the two hundred or so men to the manor, where wine and food were prepared for them. On the third day, after the group had settled on their plan, Fei Bao disguised himself as an official in charge of the armor and uniform depot, and Ni Yun as his deputy. They both put on the uniforms of Southern officials and carried all the necessary official seals and documents. The fishermen all disguised themselves as boatmen and sailors on an official vessel, while Kui and the two hundred or more officers and soldiers were hidden in the hold. Qing and Di Cheng brought up the rear on another ship, carrying incendiary equipment. Just as they were about to set out, a fisherman came to report: "There is a boat on the lake, drifting back and forth." Li Jun said, "More trouble!" and hurried to look for himself. Standing at the bow were two men—it turned out to be Dai Zong, the "Marvelous Traveler," and Ling Zhen, the "Thundercrash." Li Jun gave a signal whistle, and the boat sped to the manor like a bird in flight. When it reached the shore and they had all disembarked, they greeted one another. Li Jun asked, "Why have you two come? What news do you bring?" Dai Zong said, "Our brother hastily sent Kui here, but he forgot a crucial matter. He has sent me and Ling Zhen with a hundred signal cannons on the boat. We couldn't catch up on the lake, and here we didn't dare come alongside the shore. He instructs you to enter the city at the hour of the fifth watch tomorrow morning, and once inside, fire these hundred cannons as the signal." Li Jun said, "Excellent!" They then moved the cannon racks and frames from the boat and hid them among the armor and uniforms on the vessel. When Fei Bao and the others learned it was Dai Zong, they again prepared wine and a feast to entertain him. Ling Zhen had brought ten gunners, who were all concealed on the third boat. That night, in the fourth watch, they left the manor and headed for Suzhou. By the fifth watch, they had reached the city walls. The soldiers guarding the gate saw the banners of the Southern army from the walls and hastily reported this to the gate commander, who was the Flying Leopard General Guo Shiguang. Guo Shiguang personally ascended the wall, questioned the soldiers in detail, received the official documents, and had them hoisted up for inspection. Guo Shiguang sent the documents to the palace of the Three Princes, where they were examined. He also sent men to watch over the operation before finally ordering the city gates opened. Guo Shiguang sat by the water gate and sent men to inspect the boats, which were packed full with armor and uniforms. One by one, the boats were allowed into the city. After ten boats had passed through, the water gate was closed. The supervisory officials sent by the Three Princes, leading five hundred soldiers, followed along the shore and moored the boats in a bend. Kui, Bao Xu, Xiang Chong, and Li Gun crawled out from the hold. When the four men—rough and hideous in appearance—were spotted by the supervisory official, and he was about to question who they were, Xiang Chong and Li Gun sprang up with their round shields and flew a blade, cutting the official from his horse. The five hundred soldiers tried to board the boats, but Kui leaped ashore with his twin axes and cut down more than ten of them in one stroke. The five hundred soldiers all fled. The heroes and the two hundred shield-bearing soldiers on the boats all came ashore at once and set fires. Ling Zhen set up the cannon frames on the shore, brought out the signal cannons, and fired more than ten in a row. The cannon blasts shook the watchtowers, and the shots struck into the city from all sides. The Three Princes, Fang Mao, was in his residence deliberating when he heard the cannons firing in succession and was frightened out of his wits. The garrison commanders at each gate, hearing the ceaseless cannon fire within the city, led their troops toward the city center. Reports came flying in from every gate: the Southern soldiers had all been killed by surprise arrows, and Song troops had already mounted the walls. The city of Suzhou was in an uproar—no one knew how many Song soldiers had entered. Kui and Bao Xu, leading two shield-bearers, rampaged through the city, pursuing and killing Southern soldiers. Li Jun and Dai Zong, with Fei Bao and his four men, protected Ling Zhen and kept firing the cannons. Song Jiang had already dispatched three columns of troops to take the city. The Song soldiers poured into the city, and the Southern army scattered, each man fleeing for his life. Now, the Three Princes Fang Mao hastily donned his armor, mounted his horse, and led five or seven hundred armored soldiers, fighting to break out of the south gate. But they ran straight into Kui and his men, who cut through the armored soldiers, sending them fleeing in all directions. From a narrow alley burst out Lu Zhishen, swinging his iron staff and charging forward. Fang Mao could not withstand the assault and, mounting his horse alone, turned back toward his residence. From under the Magpie Bridge appeared Wu Song, who caught up with a single stroke and severed the horse's legs. Fang Mao tumbled from the saddle, and Wu Song struck again, cutting him down. He took Fang Mao's head and went straight to the central army camp to report to the vanguard commander and claim his merit. By this time, Song Jiang had already entered the city and taken his seat in the princely residence, ordering the generals to search out and kill the Southern soldiers throughout the city. They were all captured, with only one man, Liu Yun, escaping with a remnant of defeated troops to Xiu Zhou. There is a poem that bears witness to this:

Sacred authority must never be usurped—

How could a presumptuous king's title bring peace?

Wu Song, astride his horse, slew Fang Mao,

Leaving a warning for all who would follow in his wicked ways.

Song Jiang sat down in the princely mansion and immediately issued orders that no good civilians were to be harmed. He had the fires in all directions extinguished and posted a proclamation of reassurance to the people. Afterward, he gathered his officers at the mansion to record their merits. It was learned that Wu Song had slain Fang Mao; Zhu Tong had taken Xu Fang alive; Shi Jin had taken Zhen Cheng alive; Sun Li had flogged Zhang Wei to death; Li Jun had speared Chang Sheng to death; Fan Rui had killed Wu Fu; and Xuan Zan and Guo Shiwang, locked in fierce combat, had wounded each other and both died beneath the Horse-Washing Bridge. The rest had all captured subordinate commanders and brought them to report their achievements. Song Jiang was deeply grieved to have lost "Ugly Imperial Son-in-Law" Xuan Zan. He arranged a decorated coffin and painted burial chest and had Xuan Zan's body taken to the foot of Tiger Hill for interment. The head of Fang Mao, along with Xu Fang and Zhen Cheng, were sent under escort to the front of Investigating Commissioner Zhang in Changzhou for disposal. Commissioner Zhang had Xu Fang and Zhen Cheng dismembered in the marketplace, while Fang Mao's head was forwarded to the capital. He then sent generous rewards to Suzhou to be distributed among the officers. Commissioner Zhang submitted a memorial requesting that Liu Guangshi be appointed to garrison Suzhou and ordered the Vanguard Commander Song to advance his troops along the way to capture the remaining bandits. At this point a scout reported: "Commander Liu and Military Advisor Geng have come to garrison Suzhou." That day all the officers followed Vanguard Commander Song to welcome Liu Guangshi and his officials into the city, where they were settled in the princely mansion. After the congratulatory ceremonies were concluded, Song Jiang and his officers went to the prefectural offices to discuss affairs. He sent men to inquire about the situation of the naval commanders along the coast. A report soon arrived: the county administrations along the coast, hearing that Suzhou had fallen, saw the bandits scatter in all directions. The remote coastal counties were now entirely at peace. Song Jiang was greatly pleased. He dispatched a document to the main army headquarters reporting the victory and requested that Commissioner Zhang notify the former officials to resume their posts. He also assigned commanders from the central army to proceed to each locality to garrison the areas and pacify the people, while recalling the naval commanders and their subordinate officers to Suzhou for deployment.

Within a few days, the various commanders had departed to their respective posts. The naval commanders returned to Suzhou and reported that the three Ruan brothers, while attacking Changshu, had lost Shi En, and that in the subsequent assault on Kunshan, Kong Liang had been lost too. Shi Xiu, Li Ying, and the others had all returned. Shi En and Kong Liang, being unable to swim, had fallen into the water and drowned. Song Jiang was greatly distressed to have lost two more officers and sighed heavily. Wu Song, remembering old bonds of kindness, also wept bitterly.

Now Fei Bao and his three companions came to take leave of Vanguard Commander Song, wishing to return home. Song Jiang was determined to keep them but they would not stay. He richly rewarded the four men and again sent Li Jun to escort Fei Bao and the others back to Yuliu Village. Li Jun, along with Tong Wei and Tong Meng, accompanied Fei Bao and his four companions to Yuliu Village, where Fei Bao and the others prepared a feast in their honor. In the midst of the drinking, Fei Bao rose and toasted Li Jun with a cup of wine and spoke a few words that would, as fate decreed, lead Li Jun to leave the lands of the Central Plains and establish a sovereign realm beyond the pale of civilization. Truly, it was the moment when the shed-skin toad emerged into the world and the name-making carp transformed into a dragon.

What words did Fei Bao speak to Li Jun? Listen to the next chapter for the answer.