第118回

Chapter 118

Here follows the account of how Guan Sheng and his three fellow generals, at the head of their forces, galloped up to Wulong Ridge and directly engaged Shi Bao's army. Guan Sheng roared from horseback, "How dare you, villainous general, slay my brothers!" Shi Bao, seeing it was Guan Sheng, had no desire to fight and withdrew up the ridge, directing Bai Qin to come forward against Guan Sheng instead. The two horses crossed and their weapons clashed, but before they had fought ten rounds, urgent gonging from atop Wulong Ridge sounded a recall. Guan Sheng did not pursue, and the troops on the ridge fell into disorder. It turned out that Shi Bao had been so occupied fighting on the eastern side of the ridge that he had neglected to guard against the western side, where Vice Marshal Tong had already driven his men in force up onto the ridge. On the Song side, the great general Wang Bing engaged the Southern commander Jing De in combat. After fighting more than ten rounds, Wang Bing cut Jing De down from his horse. Thereupon Lü Fang and Guo Sheng were the first to charge up the mountain to seize the ridge, but before they reached its edge, a great boulder came flying down from the summit, killing Guo Sheng, horse and all, at the ridge's edge. On the eastern side, Guan Sheng saw the great turmoil atop the ridge and realized that Song soldiers had ascended from the west. He hastily summoned his generals and all rushed up together. Attacked from both sides, a pitched battle raged on the ridge. Lü Fang happened to encounter Bai Qin, and the two joined in combat. Before they had fought three rounds, Bai Qin thrust with his spear. Lü Fang dodged, and Bai Qin's spear pierced through empty space beneath Lü Fang's ribs. But Lü Fang's halberd was knocked askew by Bai Qin. Both generals on horseback could make no use of their weapons; they cast aside their arms and grappled with each other in the saddle. It happened that they had come upon a perilous and steep section of the mountain ridge, where the horses could find no sure footing. The two generals exerted themselves with such force that, before they knew it, both men and horses went tumbling down the ridge. The two generals fell together and were dashed to death below the ridge. Meanwhile, Guan Sheng and the other generals advanced on foot, all fighting their way up the ridge. Song soldiers now covered both sides of the summit. Shi Bao saw that there was no escape route on either side and, fearing capture and the disgrace that would follow, took his Wind-Splitting Blade and cut his own throat. Jiang Song's generals seized the Wulong Ridge pass, and Guan Sheng at once sent men to report to Song Jiang, the vanguard commander.

In the riverine naval camp, the four naval commanders, seeing that Wulong Ridge was lost and Muzhou had fallen, abandoned their boats and fled across the river. On the opposite bank, the common people captured Cheng Gui and Xie Fu alive and delivered them as prisoners to Muzhou. Qiao Zheng and Zhai Yuan escaped, but their whereabouts were unknown. The main Song army returned to Muzhou. Upon learning of their arrival, Song Jiang came out of the city to greet them. Vice Marshal Tong and Commander Liu entered the city to garrison it. Having made camp, they posted proclamations calling upon the people and soldiers to return to their livelihoods; Southern troops surrendered in countless numbers. Jiang Song distributed all the grain from the storehouses to the people, who returned to their home villages and became law-abiding subjects once more. The naval commanders Cheng Gui and Xie Fu had their bellies opened and their hearts cut out as sacrificial offerings to his sworn brothers Ruan Xiao'er and Meng Kang, as well as to all the officers who had died at Wulong Ridge—all the souls of the fallen received this tribute. He then ordered Li Jun and the other naval officers to take command of many boats and transport the captured rebel leaders and puppet officials to the camp of Recruiting Marshal Zhang. Jiang Song, learning that Lü Fang and Guo Sheng had fallen, was overcome with grief. He halted his forces and waited for the arrival of Vanguard Commander Lu's army, so that they might jointly take Qingxi.

Let us leave Jiang Song garrisoned in Muzhou for the moment and turn to the deputy vanguard commander Lu Junyi. Ever since the division of forces at Hangzhou, he had led thirty thousand troops with twenty-eight officers of various ranks under his command, advancing by mountain roads toward Hangzhou. Passing through Lin'an Town, the old capital of the King of Qian, they drew near Yuling Pass. Holding the pass was a great general of Fang La's, known by the nickname "Little Yang Youji"—Pang Wanchun, the foremost archer in all of Fang La's Southern kingdom. He had two lieutenants under him: one named Lei Jiong and the other Ji Ji. These two lieutenants could draw crossbows of seven or eight hundred pounds and each wielded a wolf-toothed mace. With five thousand troops under their command, the three of them guarded Yuling Pass. When word reached them that the Song army's deputy vanguard Lu Junyi was approaching, they had already prepared their defensive weapons and waited for the enemy to draw near. Now, as Lu Junyi's army was approaching Yuling Pass, he first sent six officers—Shi Jin, Shi Xiu, Chen Da, Yang Chun, Li Zhong, and Xue Yong—with three thousand infantry to scout ahead. The six generals, mounted on war horses while the rest were on foot, wound their way forward to reconnoiter beneath the pass. They did not encounter a single enemy soldier. Shi Jin, suspicious, consulted with his fellow generals from horseback. Before they had finished speaking, they had already reached the pass. Looking up, they saw a colored embroidered white banner erected on the pass, and beneath it stood "Little Yang Youji" Pang Wanchun. He laughed loudly at the sight of Shi Jin and his men and cursed them: "You band of grass thieves, you should have stayed in Liangshan Marsh, clinging to the Song court's amnesty decree. How dare you come into this land of ours pretending to be heroes? Have you ever heard the name of 'Little Yang Youji'? I hear that among your lot there is one called 'Little Li Guang'—Hua Rong. Let him come out and match arrows with me. But first, let me show you my divine archery." Scarcely had he finished speaking when, with a whizz, an arrow struck Shi Jin squarely, and he toppled from his horse. The five other generals rushed forward, lifted him onto his horse, and began to retreat. Then a gong sounded from above, and from the pine forests on both left and right, arrows were loosed all at once. The five generals, unable to tend to Shi Jin, each fled for their lives. Just as they rounded a bend in the hillside, they found both slopes before them occupied—Lei Jiong on one side and Ji Ji on the other—and crossbow arrows rained down upon them like a storm. Even a hero of the highest order could not escape such a volley. Pitiful were the six officers of the Water Margin—all their ambitions proved but a dream. Not one of the six, Shi Jin, Shi Xiu, and the others, escaped. Together, they were all shot dead beneath the pass.

Three thousand foot soldiers—only a little over a hundred small men had managed to escape and return. They went to report these events to Vanguard Lu. When Vanguard Lu heard this, he was greatly alarmed, stunned and dazed, and remained speechless for a long while. "Divine Strategist" Zhu Wu, having finished weeping over Chen Da and Yang Chun, remonstrated, saying: "Let not the Vanguard trouble himself so—this will cause great harm to our cause. We can devise another plan to seize the pass, slay their generals, and avenge this bitter wrong." Lu Junyi said: "Elder Brother Song Jiang assigned many officers and men to me. Now we have not won a single engagement, and have instead lost six generals to begin with, and moreover, of three thousand troops, only a hundred-odd have returned. How can I face him at Shezhou in such a state?" Zhu Wu replied: "The ancents said: 'The season is not as advantageous as the terrain; the terrain is not as advantageous as the unity of the people.' We are all men from the Central Plains, Shandong, and Hebei—we are not accustomed to fighting on water, and thus we lost the advantage of terrain. We must obtain local villagers to guide us along the paths before we can know how the mountain roads wind and turn here." Vanguard Lu said: "The Strategist's words are most fitting. Whom shall we send to scout the paths?" Zhu Wu said: "In my humble opinion, we could send 'Flea on the Drum' Shi Qian. He is a man who can scale walls and walk on rooftops—well suited to finding paths through the mountains." Lu Junyi immediately summoned Shi Qian, gave him his instructions, and Shi Qian packed some dry rations, strapped on a waist knife, and left the camp.

Now, Shi Qian headed toward the deep mountains, pressing on all day to search for a path. By half a day's journey, the sky was already growing dark, and he came to a place from which he could see, far off, a single bright point of lamplight. Shi Qian said, "Where there is lamplight, there must be a household." Under cover of darkness, he groped his way to the place where the light shone and found it was a small Buddhist hermitage, from within which the lamplight shone. Shi Qian came to the front of the hermitage and slipped inside to look. He saw an old monk sitting on the ground inside, chanting sutras. Shi Qian knocked on his door, and the old monk called a young novice to open it. Shi Qian entered and bowed to the old monk. The old monk said, "Traveler, do not bow. This is a place where ten thousand horses and a thousand soldiers are locked in battle—how have you managed to make your way here?" Shi Qian replied, "I dare not deceive you, Reverend. I am Shi Qian, a subordinate general under Song Jiang of Liangshan Marsh. We have come by imperial decree to suppress Fang La. Who would have expected that last night, the rebel generals guarding Yuling Pass shot my six leading officers dead with a shower of arrows? Having no means to cross the pass, they specially sent Shi Qian to search for a path and find out whether there is a side route over the pass. I have made my way through the deep mountains and wilderness to this place. I beg you, Reverend, to point the way—if there is a small path by which I can secretly cross the pass, I will repay you handsomely." The old monk said, "The common people here have all been cruelly harmed by Fang La—there is not one who does not hate him. This old monk too depends on the local lay supporters of this area to provide food and sustain himself. Now the villagers have all fled and scattered; this old monk has nowhere to go and can only remain here to await death. Today it is fortunate that the Heavenly troops have arrived—the people are blessed. That the general has come to suppress this rebel and rid the people of this scourge—this old monk only dared not speak too much, fearing the rebels might find out. But since you are an officer sent by the Heavenly army, it is no harm for me to speak more freely. Here there is no path over the pass, but at the edge of the Western Mountain ridge there is a small path that leads up and over the pass. I fear that recently the rebels may have blocked it off, making it impossible to cross." Shi Qian said, "Reverend, since there is this path that reaches the pass, I only wonder—does it reach the rebels' camp?" The old monk said: "This secret path leads straight to the back of Pang Wanchun's camp. Descending the ridge from there is the road that crosses the pass. I only fear the rebels may have blocked it with large boulders, making it hard to pass." Shi Qian said, "That is no matter! Since there is a path, I do not fear that it has been blocked—I have my own ways of dealing with it. Since this is so, this humble man will return to report to our commanding general, and will come back to reward you." The old monk said: "When you see outsiders, do not say that this poor monk spoke too freely." Shi Qian said: "This humble man is a careful and discreet person—I would not dare to mention you, Master."

That day he took leave of the old monk and went straight back to the camp to report to Lu Junyi what had happened. Lu Junyi was overjoyed to hear it and immediately summoned the military adviser to discuss a strategy for taking the pass. Zhu Wu said, "If there is indeed such a path, the Yuling Pass can be taken with ease. We should send another man to go with Shi Qian and accomplish this great task." Shi Qian said, "What great task does the military adviser have in mind?" Zhu Wu said, "The most important thing is to set off fire and cannon. You will carry with you fire-starters, fire flints, and fire-stones, and go directly behind the enemy camp to set off signal fires and cannon—that will be your great task." Shi Qian said, "If all that is needed is to set off fire and cannon, and there is nothing else, there is no need to send another man with me. I will go by myself. If someone else comes along, he won't be able to scale walls and walk on rooftops the way I can, and he'll only cause delays. Besides, while I'm doing my work over there, how will you get to the pass?" Zhu Wu said, "That's easy. The enemy's ambush can only work once. Now, ambush or no ambush, wherever the road passes through dense forest along the way, we'll set fires and burn our way forward. Let them ambush all they like—it won't matter." Shi Qian said, "The military adviser's wisdom is brilliant and clear!" He then packed his fire flints, fire-starters, and tinder tubes, slung a bundle of cannon on his back, and went to take leave of Lu Junyi before setting out. Lu Junyi had Shi Qian take twenty taels of silver and a picul of grain to give to the old monk, and a soldier was ordered to carry them. That afternoon, Shi Qian led the soldier bearing the grain and retraced his old route to the hermitage. He saw the old monk and said, "The commander-in-chief sends his humble respects and offers these small tokens of gratitude." He gave the silver and grain to the monk. The old monk accepted them. Shi Qian told the soldier to return to camp on his own, then came back to ask the old monk, "I would trouble you to show me the way—could the young monk guide me there?" The old monk said, "General, please wait. You should go at night. In daylight, the garrison on the pass might discover you." He prepared supper for Shi Qian, and when night fell, he had the young monk lead the way, escorting the general to the other side. The old monk told the young monk to return at once once they arrived, and let no one know. The young monk led Shi Qian away from the hermitage and into the deep mountain paths, threading through forests and crossing ridges, pulling vines and climbing over creepers. After several *li* of mountain trails and wild slopes, the moon shone faintly, and they reached a steep mountain ridge with towering craggy cliffs. In the distance, they could see a small opening in the road. The rocky summit had been blocked with large stones piled and stacked high, built up into a wall. The young monk said, "General, the pass is in sight. Beyond that stone wall is the road. Once you cross the stone wall, there is also a main road." Shi Qian said, "Young monk, go back now. I know the way." The young monk returned, and Shi Qian put his skills of scaling walls and leaping over fences to use. He scaled the stone walls in no time. Looking east, he saw that among the trees, half the sky was ablaze red. It was Lu Junyi and Zhu Wu, who had struck camp and were advancing along the road setting fires as they came toward the pass. They had first sent three or five hundred soldiers ahead to clear corpses along the way, climbing the hills and mountains, burning fires to open the road, so that the enemy's ambush troops had nowhere to hide. On the Yuling Pass, Pang Wanchun—the "Little Yang Youji"—heard that the Song troops were burning the forests to open the road. Pang Wanchun said, "This is their method of advancing, so that our ambush troops cannot deploy. We need only hold this pass firmly—let them do what they will, how can they get through?" He saw the Song troops drawing ever nearer to the pass and brought Lei Jiong and Ji Ji with him to guard the front of the pass.

Now, Shi Qian crept step by step up to the pass. He climbed to the top of a large tree and hid himself among the dense branches and leaves. He watched as Pang Wanchun, Lei Jiong, and Ji Ji all had their bows and crossbows ready, lying in wait at the front of the pass. When they spotted the Song troops, the whole army came forward with fire blazing. In the middle, Lin Chong and Hu Yanzhuo sat on their horses below the pass, shouting, "How dare you rebel generals resist the army of Heaven?" Pang Wanchun and the others were about to fire their arrows when they did not notice that Shi Qian was already on the pass. Shi Qian quietly climbed down from the tree, made his way to the rear of the pass, and found two piles of firewood. He slipped inside them, took out his fire flint and fire-starters, produced a spark, and placed the cannon on the pile of firewood. First he used sulfur and saltpeter to set fire to the grass pile on one side, then he lit the firewood pile on the other side. Just as he finished lighting the cannon, he took the fire with him and climbed straight up onto the roof ridge of the pass to set it off. Both piles of firewood burst into flame at once, and the cannon thundered to the sky. The officers on the pass fell into chaos without a single enemy striking them. They raised shouts and the soldiers all fled for their lives—who had the heart to meet the enemy? Pang Wanchun and his two lieutenants rushed to the rear of the pass to fight the fires, but Shi Qian was on the roof ridge setting off more cannon. The cannon shook the pass buildings and terrified the Southern soldiers so much that they threw down their spears, swords, bows, and arrows, their robes and armor, and all fled toward the rear of the pass. Shi Qian shouted from the rooftop, "Ten thousand Song troops have already crossed the pass! Surrender quickly and I'll spare your lives!" When Pang Wanchun heard this, his soul nearly left his body, and he stamped his feet in despair. Lei Jiong and Ji Ji were so terrified that they were numb and could not move. Lin Chong and Hu Yanzhuo were the first to charge up the mountain and reached the top of the pass. The other generals all vied to be first, and together they crossed the pass and pursued the Southern troops for more than thirty *li*. Sun Li captured Lei Jiong alive, and Wei Dingguo took Ji Ji alive. Only Pang Wanchun himself escaped; more than half of his soldiers were captured. The Song troops reached the pass and encamped there.

After Lu Junyi captured Yuling Pass, he richly rewarded Shi Qiao. Lei Jiong and Ji Ji were taken to the pass, where their bellies were cut open and their hearts removed to offer as sacrifices to Shi Jin, Shi Xiu, and the other four fallen heroes. Their remains were gathered and buried at the pass. The remaining corpses were all cremated. The next day, Lu Junyi and his fellow generals donned their armor and mounted their horses. At the same time, he dispatched a written report to Recruitment Commissioner Zhang, sending swift word that Yuling Pass had been taken. Then he led his army forward in pursuit, advancing past the pass until they reached the outskirts of Shezhou, where they made camp.

The defense of Shezhou was entrusted to Prince Fang Hou, the uncle of Fang La. He commanded alongside two great generals, both holding civil posts: Minister of State Wang Yin and Palace Library Director Gao Yu, who together led more than ten subordinate commanders and a garrison of twenty thousand troops to hold the walls of Shezhou. Wang Yin had originally been a stonemason from the mountains of this prefecture. He wielded a steel spear with skill and rode a fine warhorse named "Mountain Turner," a steed that could scale peaks and ford rivers as easily as crossing flat ground. Gao Yu was a native of the prefecture, scion of an old family, who wielded a whip-spear. Because both men had some learning, Fang La had granted them civil titles and placed them in charge of military affairs. When "Little Yang Youji" Pang Wanchun retreated in defeat to Shezhou and came before the prince at the palace, he reported: "The native inhabitants lured and guided the Song soldiers, allowing them to cross the pass by secret paths. That is why our forces scattered and could no longer resist." Prince Fang Hou flew into a rage and berated Pang Wanchun: "Yuling Pass is the foremost bulwark of Shezhou! Now that the Song troops have already crossed the pass, they will reach Shezhou before long. How are we to meet them in battle?" Minister Wang Yin interjected: "Your Highness, let your thunderous anger subside. As the ancients said, 'Victory and defeat are the common lot of soldiers; to lose a battle is no crime.' I humbly suggest that Your Highness pardon General Pang's offense for now, have him sign a pledge of certain victory, and send him with an army to ride out first and engage the enemy, driving back the Song forces. If he fails again, punish him for both crimes." Fang Hou approved his counsel and assigned five thousand troops to Pang Wanchun to ride out and meet the enemy, with orders to report back upon victory.

Now after Lu Junyi crossed Yuling Pass, he urged his army forward until they reached the walls of Shezhou. That day, he and his generals advanced to assault the city. The gates opened, and Pang Wanchun led his troops out to give battle. Both armies formed their battle lines. Pang Wanchun rode to the front to challenge the Song forces. From the Song ranks, Ou Peng rode forth, wielding an iron spear, and engaged Pang Wanchun in combat. After no more than five exchanges, Pang Wanchun feigned retreat. Ou Peng, eager to claim the foremost glory, gave chase on horseback. Pang Wanchun twisted around and loosed a backward arrow. Ou Peng was highly skilled and caught the arrow in his hand. But what Ou Peng had not guarded against was Pang Wanchun's ability to fire arrows in rapid succession. Having caught the first arrow, Ou Peng felt reassured and continued his pursuit in earnest. At the twang of the bowstring, Pang Wanchun loosed a second arrow. Ou Peng was struck and fell from his horse. From atop the city walls, Minister Wang Yin and Director Gao Yu saw that Ou Peng had been hit and unhorsed, and that Pang Wanchun had prevailed. They led the garrison troops out of the city in a full-scale pursuit. The Song army was utterly routed and withdrew thirty li before making camp, where they secured their forces and pitched their tents. When the troops and commanders were counted, they found that in the chaos of battle they had also lost Zhang Green—known as "Garden Zhang"—Zhang Qing. Seeing that her husband had been killed, Sun Erniang ordered his soldiers to find his body, cremated it, and wept bitterly. Lu Junyi observed all this and was troubled in his heart, thinking this was no sound strategy. He conferred with Zhu Wu: "Today we advanced and lost two more commanders. If things continue like this, what are we to do?" Zhu Wu replied: "Winning and losing, triumph and defeat—these are the constant matters of warfare. Today, seeing our forces withdraw, the bandits will grow overconfident. They will surely confer among themselves and attempt to raid our camp tonight under cover of darkness. We can disperse our troops and generals and set ambushes on all four sides. In the center camp, we will tie up several sheep and arrange things thus and thus. Have Huo Yanzuo lead a force in ambush on the left, Lin Chong lead a force in ambush on the right, and Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo lead a force in ambush to our rear. The remaining subordinate commanders will each lie in wait along the scattered paths. When the bandits come at night, the signal will be fire raised in the center camp. On all four sides, each force will seize the enemy." Lu Junyi issued all the orders, and each commander went to take up his position.

Now let us tell of Shang Shu, the Royal Secretary of the Southern Kingdom, and Gao Shi Lang, the Vice Minister—both men of considerable cunning—who consulted with Pang Wan Chun and others, then submitted a memorial to the Imperial Uncle Fang Hou: "Today the Song troops have been defeated and retreated thirty li to encamp. Their camp is empty and their soldiers must surely be exhausted. Why not take advantage of this and raid their camp? Complete victory is assured." Fang Hou said, "You officials deliberate together and act as you see fit." Gao Shi Lang said, "I and General Pang will lead the troops to raid the camp. The Royal Secretary and Your Highness must hold the city firmly." That night the two generals donned their armor, mounted their horses, and led their soldiers forward. The horses' bells were removed and the soldiers marched with gags in their mouths. They advanced to the Song army's camp. They saw that the camp gates were shut and the Southern troops dared not enter rashly. At first they heard the night watches clearly struck, but afterward the watch drums fell into disorder. Gao Shi Lang reined in his horse and said, "We must not go in!" Pang Wan Chun said, "Why does my lord not advance?" Gao Shi Lang replied, "Their night watches in the camp are being struck irregularly. They must have a scheme." Pang Wan Chun said, "My lord is mistaken! Today they were defeated and are cowed with fear; they must be exhausted. When men beat the watch in their sleep, how could it be orderly? That is why it is irregular. Why should my lord doubt? Let us simply charge in!" Gao Shi Lang said, "That may well be true." Thereupon he urged the army to raid the camp. With great swords and axes they charged in. The two generals passed through the camp gate and advanced all the way to the central command, but not a single officer or soldier was to be found. Instead, several sheep had been tied to willows, with drumsticks fastened to their hooves beating drums—that was why the night watches were irregular. Finding they had raided an empty camp, the two generals grew anxious within themselves. "We've fallen into a trap!" they cried, and turned to flee. But fires had already been lit in the central camp. Then they heard cannon fire from the hilltops and more fires were set. Ambush troops rose on all sides and closed in from every direction. The two generals fought their way out of the camp gate and ran straight into Hu Yan Zhuo, who roared: "Rebel general, quickly dismount and surrender, and I will spare your life!" Gao Shi Lang was panic-stricken, only wanting to escape, with no will to fight. Hu Yan Zhuo drove in after him, raised his twin whips, and brought them down together, smashing half of Gao Shi Lang's skull to pieces. Pang Wan Chun fought desperately, broke through the encirclement, and escaped with his life. As he fled, he failed to guard against Tang Lun, who lay in ambush by the roadside. Tang Lun struck with his hooked spear and brought down Pang Wan Chun's horse. He was captured alive and brought in. The other generals had been pursuing and slaughtering the Southern troops in the mountain passes. By dawn they all arrived at the camp. The vanguard commander Lu had already reached the central command and taken his seat. He immediately ordered a roll call of his officers. It was found that Ding De Sun had been bitten by a venomous snake in the mountain grass, and the poison had entered his belly and killed him. Pang Wan Chun was cut open, his heart gouged out, and he was sacrificed to Ou Peng and Shi Jin. His head was sent to Zhang Zhao Tao's army headquarters.

The following day, the vanguard commander Lu and his generals again advanced their troops to the walls of Shezhou. They saw that the city gates were open, no banners flew on the walls, and no soldiers manned the towers. Shan Ting Gui and Wei Ding Guo, eager to claim the glory of first entry, led their troops straight into the city. The vanguard commander Lu, arriving with the central army behind them, could only cry out in anguish—the two generals were already inside the city gates. It turned out that Royal Secretary Wang, having lost the raiding force, had feigned abandoning the city and fleeing, but had dug a concealed pit inside the city gate. The two generals, brave but reckless, had taken no precautions and charged in first, only to fall—men and horses alike—into the pit. On either side of the pit were hidden spearmen and archers, who thrust and shot forward together, and both generals perished in the pit. Alas, the Sacred Water and the Divine Fire—today they lie buried in a pit of earth! The vanguard commander Lu, seeing that two more generals had been lost, was filled with fury. He immediately ordered the forward troops to carry clods of earth into the city, filling the pit while fighting fiercely, slaughtering the Southern troops and horses and filling the pit with them. Lu himself led the charge, spurring his horse into the city, where he met the Imperial Uncle Fang Hou. They crossed horses and in a single exchange, Lu Jun Yi, his heart burning with rage and displaying his lifelong prowess, struck with a single broad saber and cut Fang Hou down beneath his horse. The city's troops broke out through the western gate and fled. The Song generals each exerted their strength to pursue and destroy the Southern forces.

Now, Wang Shangshu was just passing through when he ran into Li Yun, who intercepted him and engaged him in combat. Wang Shanghu thrust his spear forward on horseback, while Li Wu fought on foot. Wang Shanghu's spear rose and his horse charged, and he soon trampled Li Yun underfoot. Shi Yong, seeing Li Yun knocked down, charged forward in a desperate attempt to rescue him, but Wang Shanghu wielded his spear with such ghostly unpredictability that Shi Yong could not withstand him. After a few exchanges, Wang Shanghu found an opening and drove his spear through Shi Yong, taking his life then and there. From the city came Sun Li, Huang Xin, Zou Yuan, and Zou Run, four generals who rushed out and intercepted Wang Shanghu in combat. Wang Yin fought valiantly against all four, showing no fear or hesitation. But then Lin Chong arrived on the scene—another who truly knew how to fight. Even if Wang Yin had three heads and six arms, he could not have withstood five generals. They all rushed forward together and struck Wang Yin down where he stood. Pitiful was the Southern Kingdom's minister and general—only today did he learn that ambition has its limits. The five generals took his severed head and rode swiftly to present it to Vanguard Commander Lu. Lu Junyi had already taken up residence in the temporary palace inside She Prefecture, restored order among the people, and posted proclamations to pacify the populace. He stationed his troops within the city and at the same time dispatched messengers with dispatches to report victory to Recruitment Commissioner Zhang, and sent letters to Song Vanguard Commander informing him and requesting an advance of troops. As for Song Jiang and his officers, they were stationed in Mu Prefecture, awaiting the arrival of all forces before jointly attacking the bandit stronghold. Upon receiving Lu Junyi's letter reporting the recovery of She Prefecture and that his troops were already stationed in the city awaiting orders to advance and take the enemy's lair together, Song Jiang also learned of the loss of Shi Jin, Shi Xiu, Chen Da, Yang Chun, Li Zhong, Xue Yong, Ou Peng, Zhang Qing, Ding Desun, Shan Tinggui, Wei Dingguo, Li Yun, and Shi Yong—thirteen men in all. Many officers had fallen, and Song Jiang was overwhelmed with grief, weeping in sorrow. Military Adviser Wu Yong counseled him: "Life and death are allotted to all by fate. Why must the commander-in-chief injure his own precious body? Please attend to the great affairs of the state." Song Jiang replied: "Even so, how can one help but grieve? I recall the stone tablet's celestial inscription that spoke of one hundred and eight of us. Who could have known that by this point, we would gradually wither away, losing one limb after another?" Wu Yong consoled Song Jiang in his distress, then sent a reply letter to Vanguard Commander Lu, agreeing upon a date to raise troops and attack Qingxi County.

But let us speak no more of Song Jiang's reply to Lu Junyi and their agreed date for the advance. Let us speak instead of Fang La, who was holding court in the great palace within the Bangyuan Cave in Qingxi, deliberating with his civil and military officials on Song Jiang's military campaign. Suddenly, defeated and remnant troops from the western prefecture returned and reported that She Prefecture had fallen, and that the Imperial Uncle, the Minister, and the Vice Minister had all died in battle. Now the Song forces were advancing from two routes toward Qingxi. When Fang La received this report, he was greatly alarmed. He immediately assembled both ranks of ministers for deliberation. Fang La said: "You, my ministers, have each received titles of office and fiefs, sharing the cities and prefectures, enjoying wealth and honor together. Who could have expected that now Song Jiang's armies would sweep in like a whirlwind, all the prefectural cities having fallen, leaving only the great palace at Qingxi? Now I hear the Song forces are advancing from two directions. How shall we meet the enemy?" Then Left Prime Minister Lou Minzhong stepped forward from the ranks and submitted: "This time, Song forces have already drawn near the sacred precincts—even the inner palace gardens will be hard to defend. Given our few soldiers and meager generals, if Your Majesty does not personally lead the campaign, I truly fear the officers and men will not fight with all their hearts." Fang La said: "Your words are most fitting!" He thereupon issued an imperial decree commanding the Three Departments and Six Ministries, the Censorate, the Bureau of Military Affairs, and the Chief Military Commission to escort the Imperial carriage. The Golden Guard and Dragon-Tiger Guard of the two camps, and officials great and small, were all to follow His Majesty on the imperial expedition to decide the outcome in this single battle. Prime Minister Lou further memorialized: "Which generals shall be appointed as vanguard commanders?" Fang La said: "Let the Palace Golden Guard Supreme Commander and General Who Commands All Forces Within and Without, Imperial Nephew Fang Jie, serve as chief vanguard. Let the Grand Commandant of Cavalry and Infantry Imperial Troops and Supreme Cavalry General Du Wei serve as his deputy. They shall lead the thirteen thousand imperial guard troops from the Bangyuan Cave palace, along with over three thousand battle generals, in the advance." Now this Fang Jie was Fang La's own nephew, the eldest grandson of the Imperial Uncle Fang Hou of She Prefecture. Upon learning that the Song commander Lu, Vanguard Commander, had killed his grandfather, he wished to avenge him and volunteered to serve as vanguard. Since youth, Fang Jie had studied and trained, and was accustomed to wielding a great halberd, possessing the courage of ten thousand men. As for Du Wei, he had originally been an ironworker in She Prefecture city, skilled in forging weapons. He was also a trusted confidant of Fang La, able to wield six flying knives, though he fought only on foot. Fang La issued a separate imperial decree, dispatching Imperial Guard Commanding Instructor He Conglong, giving him ten thousand imperial guard troops, to command the forces and oppose Lu Junyi's army from She Prefecture.

Let me translate this passage from *Water Margin* (Chapter 118) into English, paragraph by paragraph.

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Without recounting how Fang La divided his forces to meet the enemy on two fronts, let us first relate how Song Jiang's great army set out, advancing by both land and water, leaving Muzhou and heading toward Qingxi County. The naval chieftains, led by Li Jun, guided their warships up through the shallows. Now Wu Yong rode alongside Song Jiang on horseback, and they conferred together as they rode. Wu Yong said, "This expedition to take Qingxi and Bangyuan—I fear that if the rebel chief Fang La gets wind of it, he will flee into the deep mountains and vast wilderness, making him impossible to capture. If we are to take Fang La alive and send him to the capital to be presented before the Son of Heaven, we must have agents on the inside working with forces on the outside. We must be able to identify the man himself, so he can be seized. We must also know where Fang La is heading, so he cannot escape." Song Jiang said, "If that is so, we must use a feigned surrender—turning his own scheme against him—before we can achieve a coordinated attack from within and without. Previously Chai Jin and Yan Qing were sent as spies, but we have had no word from them at all. Whom shall we send this time? It must be someone capable of feigning surrender." Wu Yong said, "In my humble opinion, we should send the naval chieftain Li Jun and his men. Let them use the grain on their ships to present a false offering of surrender, so that the enemy will have no suspicions. That fellow Fang La is a petty man from the backwoods—when he sees so much grain and so many boats, how could he refuse to accept them?" Song Jiang said, "The Strategist's wisdom is most brilliant!" He then summoned Dai Zong and issued orders to go by water directly to Li Jun, instructing him on the plan and telling him and his officers to carry it out. Li Jun and the others received the strategy. Dai Zong returned to the central army. Li Jun then ordered Ruan Xiaowu and Ruan Xiaoqi to disguise themselves as boatmen, Tong Wei and Tong Meng to pose as ordinary sailors, and they set sail in sixty grain boats, each flying newly made banners indicating a grain offering. They proceeded up the great inlet. As they approached Qingxi County, they saw enemy warships of the southern kingdom coming to meet them from upstream, and the soldiers all loosed arrows. Li Jun called out from his boat, "Do not shoot! I have something to say. We have all come to surrender, and we bring this grain as an offering to your great kingdom to supply your troops. We beg you to accept us." The officers on the opposite boats, seeing that Li Jun's vessels carried no weapons, ceased firing. They sent men across to inquire into the details and inspected the grain on the boats. Then they went to report to Prime Minister Lou Minzhong, telling him that Li Jun had come with grain to surrender. Lou Minzhong, upon hearing this, ordered the men who had come to surrender to be brought ashore. Li Jun went ashore and, seeing the Prime Minister, bowed. Lou Minzhong asked, "Who are you under Song Jiang's command? What is your position? Why have you come this time to offer grain and surrender?" Li Jun replied, "This humble one is surnamed Li, given name Jun. I was originally a hero from the Xunyang River. I helped rescue Song Jiang's life when we stormed the execution ground at Jiangzhou. But now that he has accepted the court's amnesty and been made a vanguard commander, he has forgotten our former kindness and repeatedly humiliated me. Although Song Jiang has seized many of your cities and prefectures, his brothers have gradually fallen one by one. Yet he still knows no restraint and has been forcing me and the other naval commanders to advance. Because I could bear the indignity no longer, I have brought his grain and boats here on my own initiative to offer and surrender to your great kingdom." When Prime Minister Lou heard Li Jun's speech, he believed him at once. He then brought Li Jun to the palace to have an audience with Fang La, reporting the matter of the grain offering and surrender. Li Jun saw Fang La, bowed again, and recounted the whole affair. Fang La received him without the slightest suspicion. He told Li Jun, Ruan Xiaowu, Ruan Xiaoqi, Tong Wei, and Tong Meng to remain at Qingxi to command the naval camp and guard the boats, saying that after his Majesty had driven back Song Jiang's army and returned to court, he would bestow further rewards upon them. Li Jun bowed in thanks, left the palace, and went ashore to unload the grain and deliver it to the granary—but of this, no more.

Now then, Song Jiang and Wu Yong divided their forces. They sent four principal generals—Guan Sheng, Hua Rong, Qin Ming, and Zhu Tong—to lead the vanguard straight into the territory of Qingxi County, where they encountered the southern kingdom's imperial nephew, Fang Jie. The two armies drew up their battle lines. On the southern army's side, Fang Jie rode out with his halberd across his saddle, while Du Wei followed on foot. Du Wei wore armor across his body, with five flying daggers hidden on his back, and in his hand he carried a Seven-Star Precious Sword as he followed behind. The two commanders advanced to the front of the battle line. On Song Jiang's side, Qin Ming rode out first, brandishing his wolf-tooth mace and charging straight at Fang Jie. Fang Jie was young but full of vigor, and he wielded his halberd with great skill. He and Qin Ming fought for over thirty exchanges without either gaining the advantage. Fang Jie, seeing that Qin Ming was a formidable fighter, put forth all his abilities, leaving no opening. The two were locked in a critical struggle, and Qin Ming too exerted all his skill, giving Fang Jie no room to breathe. But he did not guard against that scoundrel Du Wei, who from behind his horse saw that Fang Jie could not defeat Qin Ming. Du Wei darted out from behind the horse, drew a flying dagger, and hurled it straight at Qin Ming's face. Qin Ming hastily tried to dodge the flying dagger, but in that moment Fang Jie thrust his halberd down and struck him from his horse—dead. Pitiful was the "Thunderclap Fire," extinguished without a sound. Fang Jie had pierced Qin Ming to death with his halberd, but he dared not pursue across to the opposing side. Song's junior officers quickly hooked the body and dragged it back. When the Song army learned that Qin Ming had fallen, they were all stricken with alarm. Song Jiang ordered a coffin prepared to receive the body, and at the same time summoned other generals to take the field.

Now this Fang Jie, elated by his victory, shouted arrogantly from the front of the line, "If the Song army has any more brave men, come out and fight!" Song Jiang, hearing the report from the central army, hurried out to the front and saw that directly behind Fang Jie on the opposing side was Fang La's imperial chariot, which had come right up to the front of the army and was drawn up in formation. He saw:

Dense clusters of golden melon hammers, iron battle-axes ranked in rows.

Row upon row of square-patterned painted halberds, phoenix and dragon embroidered banners in formation.

Banners, pennants, and ceremonial staffs—a mass of green and red fluttering in the wind;

Jade stirrups and carved saddles—a gathering of pearls and kingfisher feathers encircling them.

The Dragon Canopy scattered azure clouds and purple mists;

The Tiger Banner coiled auspicious mist and prophetic haze.

On the left stood a generation of civil officials in attendance;

On the right stood a full array of military generals.

Though falsely claiming the throne of Son of Heaven,

They still must pretentiously array a court of ministers.

In the Southern Kingdom's ranks, beneath a nine-curved yellow canopy, sat upon a jade-harnessed, easy-paced horse the Grass-Head Prince Fang La. How was he attired? Observe:

On his head, a bright gold futou cap with soaring upturned corners; upon his body, a dragon-embroidered robe with sun-and-moon cloud-shouldered collar and nine dragons; at his waist, a gold-inlaid, jewel-studded, exquisitely wrought jade belt; on his feet, a pair of cloud-soled court boots with double-gold seams.

Fang La rode a silver-maned white horse to the front of the ranks to oversee the battle personally. Seeing Song Jiang himself mounted, he sent Fang Jie forth to capture him. On the Song side, the generals likewise prepared to meet the enemy, intent on seizing Fang La. As Fang Jie of the Southern army was about to ride out, a horseman came galloping with a report: "Imperial Guard Commander-in-Chief He Conglong, who led troops to relieve Shezhou, has been taken alive across the lines by the Song vanguard commander Lu Junyi. The army has scattered in all directions, and Song soldiers have already attacked from behind the hills." Fang La was greatly alarmed. He hastily issued an imperial edict ordering the troops to withdraw and defend the inner palace. Fang Jie then entrusted Du Wei to hold the rear guard, while Fang La's imperial carriage withdrew first, followed by Fang Jie and Du Wei. When Fang La's carriage reached the boundary of Qingxi Prefecture, they heard cries shaking the heavens from within the inner city, fires blazing everywhere, and soldiers clashing—it was Li Jun, Ruan Xiaowu, Ruan Xiaoqi, Tong Wei, and Tong Meng, who had set fires inside Qingxi city. Fang La, seeing this, drove the imperial guard cavalry in great force to rescue the city, entering it for a pitched battle. When Song Jiang's army saw the Southern troops retreating, they pursued and gave chase. Reaching Qingxi, they saw the city in flames and knew that Li Jun and the others were carrying out their plan there. Song Jiang hastily ordered his generals to rally their troops and charge in from all directions. By this time, Vanguard Commander Lu Junyi's army had crossed the hills as well, and the two forces joined up—a perfect convergence. Song soldiers on all four sides attacked the Qingxi inner palace. Song Jiang and his generals charged in from every direction, each searching out and capturing Southern troops, smashing through Qingxi's walls. Fang La, with Fang Jie leading troops to protect his carriage, was escorted to safety into the Bangyuan Cave. Song Jiang's great army all entered Qingxi County. The generals stormed Fang La's palace, gathering up forbidden weapons, gold, silver, and precious treasures, and searching the inner storehouses. They set fire to the palace halls, burning down all of Fang La's inner and outer palaces completely and emptying the treasury of every coin and grain. Song Jiang joined forces with Lu Junyi's army and encamped in Qingxi County, assembling all the generals to receive rewards and honors. When the officers and men of both armies were tallied, the tall man Yan Baosi and the woman general Sun Erniang had both been killed by Du Wei's flying daggers; Zou Yuan and Du Qian were trampled to death among the cavalry; Li Li, Tang Long, and Cai Fu, each severely wounded, died despite medical treatment. Ruan Xiaowu had earlier been killed in Qingxi County by Prime Minister Lou. The generals had captured ninety-two of the Southern Kingdom's puppet officials and presented them for merit; rewards had already been bestowed, but there was still no trace of Prime Minister Lou or Du Wei. A public notice was posted to reassure the people, and the captured puppet officials were sent to the army of Investigating Envoy Zhang for public execution. Later, local people reported that Prime Minister Lou, after killing Ruan Xiaowu, seeing the great army smash Qingxi County, had hanged himself in the pine woods. As for that scoundrel Du Wei, he had hidden in the house of the courtesan Wang Jiaojiao, whom he had previously kept, but her brothel keeper betrayed him and delivered him up. Song Jiang rewarded the brothel keeper, then ordered someone to first retrieve Prime Minister Lou's head. He had Cai Qing cut open Du Wei's belly and tear out his heart, using the blood to offer sacrifice to Qin Ming, Ruan Xiaowu, Yan Baosi, and Sun Erniang, along with all the generals who had died in the attack on Qingxi. Song Jiang personally lit incense and performed the rites. The following day, he and Lu Junyi set out with their army and marched straight to the mouth of the Bangyuan Cave, where they surrounded it.

Now Fang La, with only Fang Jie protecting his carriage, reached the inner palace at the mouth of the Bangyuan Cave, stationed his troops, and held fast to the cave entrance, refusing to come out and meet the enemy. Song Jiang and Lu Junyi surrounded the Bangyuan Cave with their army on all sides, but could find no way to enter. Fang La sat in the Bangyuan Cave as if upon a bed of needles. The two armies had been locked in a standoff for several days. As Fang La sat in melancholy, he suddenly saw a great minister in brocade robes and embroidered garments prostrate on the golden steps below the throne, addressing him: "Your Majesty, though your minister lacks great talent, he has deeply received the sacred and generous favor of his sovereign, and has nothing with which to repay it. Relying on the military strategy he has long studied and the martial skills he has long cultivated—he has heard of the Six Secret Teachings and the Three Strategies, he has practiced the art of seven captures and seven releases—he begs Your Majesty to grant him a contingent of troops to drive back the Song soldiers and restore the fortunes of the kingdom. I do not know what Your Majesty thinks." Fang La was overjoyed. He issued an imperial order mobilizing all the troops within the cave and palace, and commanded this general to lead them out to confront Song Jiang. Whether victory or defeat would result, first observe his commanding presence. It was not that another figure emerged from within Fang La's kingdom to lead troops—but now it was ordained that heads would roll beneath the golden steps, and hot blood would spatter upon the jade palace gates. And so the lair would be swept clean and Fang La captured, and merit established and Song Jiang glorified. Who, after all, was this man who emerged from Fang La's kingdom to lead troops? Listen to the explanation in the next chapter.