الفصل الأربعون

الفصل الأربعون

Now, at that time, Chao Gai and the others listened, and asked the military advisor, "How is there a flaw in this letter?" Wu Yong said, "The reply letter that Director Dai took earlier—it was my carelessness, a place I failed to notice. The seal I used was not the one with the four characters 'Hanlin Cai Jing' in jade chopstick seal script. It was this very seal that will get Director Dai into trouble with the law." Jin Dajian then said, "I have often seen the Grand Tutor Cai's letters and his writings—they all bear this seal. This time I carved it without the slightest error. How could there be a flaw?" Wu the Scholar said, "You all do not understand. The present prefect of Jiangzhou, Cai Jiu, is the son of Grand Tutor Cai. How could a father writing a letter to his son use a seal bearing a name that should be tabooed? That is where the mistake lies. It was my oversight. When this man arrives in Jiangzhou, he will certainly be interrogated, the truth will be extracted, and the consequences will be dire." Chao Gai said, "Quickly send someone to recall him—rewrite it, how about that?" Wu the Scholar said, "How can we catch up with him? He has employed his magic traveling technique. By now he has already covered five hundred li. But the matter brooks no delay. We can only do thus and so to rescue the two of them." Chao Gai said, "How shall we rescue them? What good plan is there?" Wu Yong then stepped forward and whispered into Chao Gai's ear: "Thus and thus, so and so. You, Commander, may secretly pass down orders to the men. Only act thus, and do not miss the date." The many heroes received their orders, each packed their gear, and descended the mountain that very night, heading for Jiangzhou. No more of that.

Now, let us speak of Dai Zong. Keeping to the appointed date, he returned to Jiangzhou and presented the reply letter at the hall. Prefect Cai Jiu, seeing that Dai Zong had returned on schedule, was overjoyed. He first had wine brought and rewarded him with three cups, then personally received the reply letter and said, "Did you see my father, the Grand Tutor?" Dai Zong reported, "This humble one stayed only one night before returning. I did not have the honor of seeing the benefactor." The prefect opened the envelope and saw that the front part said the many items in the letter case had all been received; the back part said the demonic man Song Jiang—the Emperor himself wished to see him—and that he should be placed securely in a prisoner's cart, loaded carefully, with reliable personnel escorting him by night to the capital, taking care that he not escape along the way; the postscript said Huang Wenbing would sooner or later report to the Emperor, and there would certainly be an official appointment. Prefect Cai Jiu, upon reading this, was beside himself with joy. He had a twenty-five-tael flower-silver ingot fetched and rewarded Dai Zong. At the same time, he gave orders to have the prisoner's cart assembled and discussed dispatching men to set out with the prisoner. Dai Zong thanked him and returned to his quarters, where he bought some wine and meat to visit Song Jiang in the prison. No more of that.

Now, let us speak of how Prefect Cai Jiu hastened the assembly of the prisoner's cart. After a day or two, just as they were about to set out, a gate attendant reported, "The Tongpan of Wuwei Army, Huang Wenbing, has come specially to pay a visit." Prefect Cai Jiu had him invited to the rear hall for an audience. He also presented some gifts—seasonal wine and fruit. The prefect thanked him, "I am unworthy of such generous regard." Huang Wenbing said, "These are rustic trifles, not worth mentioning." The prefect said, "Congratulations—sooner or later there will surely be cause for celebration of a promotion." Huang Wenbing said, "How does the honorable sir know this?" The prefect said, "Yesterday the man who took the letter returned. The demonic man Song Jiang is to be sent to the capital. The Tongpan need only report this to His Majesty sooner or later, and you will be elevated to a high position. My father's reply letter spoke of this in full." Huang Wenbing said, "Since it is so, I am deeply grateful for the honorable sir's patronage. That man who delivered the letter is truly a divine traveler." The prefect said, "If the Tongpan does not believe it, I shall have you read the family letter, to show that I do not speak falsely." Huang Wenbing said, "This humble one only fears it would be presumptuous to read a family letter without permission. But if you entrust me, I beg to borrow it for a look." The prefect said, "The Tongpan is a trusted confidant—what harm is there in reading it?" He ordered a servant to bring the family letter and hand it to Huang Wenbing. Huang Wenbing took the letter in hand and read it from beginning to end. He turned it over, examined the envelope, and seeing the seal was fresh, Huang Wenbing shook his head and said, "This letter is not genuine." The prefect said, "The Tongpan is mistaken. This is my father's own handwriting, his true calligraphy. How could it not be genuine?" Huang Wenbing said, "May the honorable sir forgive me. When family letters came in the past, did they ever bear this seal?" The prefect said, "Family letters that came in the past never bore this seal—they were simply written by hand. This time, the seal box must have been at hand, so he conveniently stamped this seal on the envelope." Huang Wenbing said, "I hope the honorable sir will not take offense at my many words! This letter has deceived the honorable sir. In the world today, the calligraphy of the four schools—Su, Huang, Mi, and Cai—is widely practiced; who has not studied them? Moreover, this seal is one that your honorable father, the benefactor, used when he was a Hanlin Academician. Many people have seen it in copybooks of calligraphy. Now that he has been elevated to Grand Tutor and Prime Minister, how would he use a Hanlin seal? Furthermore, when a father writes to his son, he should not use a seal bearing a tabooed name. Your father, the Grand Tutor, is a man of vast knowledge and far-sighted wisdom. How could he have made such a careless mistake? If the honorable sir does not believe my words, you may carefully question the man who delivered the letter—whom did he see in the residence? If his answers do not match, then it is a forgery. Forgive my presumption, but because I have been shown such deep favor and affection, I dare to speak beyond my station." Prefect Cai Jiu, upon hearing this, said, "This matter is not difficult. This man has never been to Tokyo. A single interrogation will reveal the truth or falsehood."

The prefect kept Huang Wenbing seated behind a screen, then ascended the hall and summoned Dai Zong on official business. The officers received the order and dispersed in all directions to search for him. There is a poem as proof:

A forged poem and a false letter draw one into peril,

For joining with the bandits of Liangshan Marsh.

Had it not been for the wasp's stinging point,

The great Cai tortoise would have been all for nothing.

Now, when Dai Zong returned to Jiangzhou, he first went to the prison to see Song Jiang, whispered in his ear, and told him what had happened before. Song Jiang was secretly delighted. The next day, someone invited him for a drink. While Dai Zong was drinking at a wine shop, constables came looking for him from all directions. They summoned him before the hall, and Prefect Cai Jiu said, "The other day I put you to the trouble of making a journey, and you did indeed carry things out—though I did not reward you handsomely." Dai Zong replied, "This petty fellow is but one who serves Your Honor's commands—how dare he be remiss?" The prefect said, "I have been busy these past days and have not had the chance to question you in detail. When you went with me to the capital the other day, which gate did you enter?" Dai Zong said, "When this petty fellow arrived in Dongjing, it was already late in the day, and he does not know what the gate was called." The prefect then asked, "At my yamen gate, who received you? Where did they have you stay?" Dai Zong said, "This petty fellow went to the gate of the yamen and found a gatekeeper, who took the letter inside. Shortly after, the gatekeeper came out, received the letter box, and told this petty fellow to go find an inn to stay at. The next morning, at the fifth watch before dawn, this petty fellow waited at the yamen gate, and only saw the gatekeeper come out with the reply. This petty fellow feared delaying the date, so he dared not ask further details and hurried straight back." The prefect asked again, "What did that gatekeeper in my yamen look like? How old was he? Was he dark and thin, or fair and fat? Was he tall or short? Did he have a beard or not?" Dai Zong said, "When this petty fellow arrived at the yamen, it was already dark; when he returned the next morning, it was again the fifth watch and the sky was dim. He did not see very clearly—he only felt the man was not particularly tall, of medium build, and probably had some whiskers."

The prefect flew into a rage and shouted, "Take him down from the hall!" A dozen jailers and prison guards came forward and threw Dai Zong down before him. Dai Zong pleaded, "This petty fellow is innocent."

The prefect roared, "You scoundrel deserve to die! The old gatekeeper Wang in my yamen died years ago. Now it is only the young Wang who keeps the gate—how could you say he was old and had whiskers? Moreover, the young gatekeeper Wang cannot enter the inner hall of the yamen. Whenever letters or sealed notes arrive from various places, they must first pass through the clerk Zhang, then be shown to Steward Li, and only after that reach the inside, where gifts are received. Even to send a reply, one must wait three days. Now, with these two boxes of things, why did no trusted man come out to question you in full detail, and instead they carelessly accepted them? Yesterday, in my haste, I was fooled by you. Now you had better confess properly—where did this letter come from?"

Dai Zong said, "This petty fellow was flustered at the time and eager to make haste on the journey, so he did not look carefully." Prefect Cai Jiu shouted, "Nonsense! This rascal—if we don't beat him, how will he ever confess? Give him a good beating, all of you!" The jailers and prison guards knew things were not going well; they could not spare his face. They bound Dai Zong, beat him until his skin split open and blood flowed freely. Unable to endure the torture, Dai Zong had no choice but to confess, "Indeed, this letter is a forgery." The prefect said, "How did you get this forged letter?"

Dai Zong pleaded, "This petty fellow was passing by Liangshan Marsh when a band of outlaws came out, seized him, bound him, and took him up the mountain, threatening to cut open his belly and tear out his heart. They searched him, found the letter, read it, and took the letter box. But they spared his life. Knowing he could not return home, he only wished to beg for death in the mountains. It was they who wrote this letter and gave it to him so he could return and clear himself. Fearing punishment at the time, this petty fellow deceived Your Honor." The prefect said, "Even if that is so, there is still some nonsense in it. It is plain to see that you conspired with the Liangshan bandits, plotted together to steal my letter box and goods—how can you say such things? Beat him again!" Dai Zong endured the interrogation but refused to confess any collusion with Liangshan Marsh. Prefect Cai Jiu interrogated Dai Zong once more under torture, but his story remained consistent from beginning to end. The prefect said, "There is no need to question him further. Put the large cangue on him and throw him in prison." He then withdrew from the hall to thank Huang Wenbing, saying, "Had it not been for your keen insight, I nearly made a grave mistake." Huang Wenbing said, "It is plain to see that this man is connected with Liangshan Marsh, conspired with them, and joined their rebel clique. If he is not eliminated, he will surely cause trouble later." The prefect said, "I will have these two brought to a full confession, establish the case file, and have them paraded to the execution ground for beheading, then write a memorial to the court." Huang Wenbing said, "Your Honor's wisdom is most excellent. By doing this, first, the court will be pleased to know that Your Honor has accomplished this great deed; and second, it will prevent the Liangshan bandits from raiding the prison." The prefaced said, "Your insight is far-reaching. I will prepare the official documents and personally recommend you." That day he entertained Huang Wenbing, escorted him out of the yamen, and Huang returned to Wuwei Army.

The next day, Prefect Cai Jiu ascended the hall and summoned the responsible clerk, saying, "Quickly prepare the case file and attach the confessions and depositions of Song Jiang and Dai Zong to it. Also prepare the criminal charge placard, and have them paraded to the execution ground for beheading the following day. Since ancient times, those guilty of rebellion have never been granted delay. Behead Song Jiang and Dai Zong, and prevent future trouble." The responsible clerk was Huang Kongmu, who was on good terms with Dai Zong but had no way to save him; he could only lament his plight. That day he reported, "Tomorrow is a national day of mourning, and the day after is the fifteenth of the seventh month—the Zhongyuan Festival—neither of which is suitable for execution. The day after that is also a national memorial day. It will not be until five days from now that it can be carried out." In the first instance, heaven's fortune saved Song Jiang; in the second, the Liangshan heroes had not yet arrived.

Prefect Cai Jiu, having listened, followed the advice of Huang Kungchu. They waited until the morning of the sixth day, first sending men to sweep the execution ground at the crossroads. After the meal, they mustered common soldiers and sword-bearing executioners—some five hundred men in all—who waited before the gate of the great jail. By the hour of *si* (9–11 a.m.), the prison warden reported to the prefect, who came in person to act as the supervising executioner. Huang Kungchu had no choice but to present the crime placard to the hall, where two characters for "execution" were pronounced upon it, and then it was pasted upon a reed mat with strips of paper. Though the many jailers and prison wardens of Jiangzhou Prefecture were on good terms with Dai Zong and Song Jiang, they could find no way to rescue them, and could only lament their fate for them. When the preparations were complete, Song Jiang and Dai Zong were bound tight within the jail. Their hair was lacquered with glue and coiled into the shape of a goose-egg horn, and on each was placed a paper flower of red silk. They were led before the shrine of the Blue-Faced Holy One, and each was given a bowl of the "long farewell rice" and a cup of the "eternal parting wine." When they had eaten and drunk, they bade the shrine farewell, turned their backs, and had the cangues placed upon them. Sixty or seventy jailers pushed Song Jiang in front and Dai Zong behind, and hustled them out of the prison gate. Song Jiang and Dai Zong gazed at each other face to face, unable to make a sound. Song Jiang could only stamp his feet. Dai Zong lowered his head and sighed. The people of Jiangzhou Prefecture who had come to watch were packed shoulder to shoulder and back to back—more than a thousand or two. Behold:

Gloomy clouds drifted on; resentful vapors swirled and coiled.

The sun above shed no light; mournful winds howled on every side.

Spears in pairs—a few rolls of the drum struck terror into the souls;

Clubs and staves in a grim forest—several clangs of the gong hastened the departure of the spirits.

The crime placard hung high on display—people said, "Will they ever return from this journey?"

The white paper flowers swayed in pairs—all declared, "This time they shall surely die."

The long farewell rice—how hard to swallow!

The eternal parting wine—how could it pass the lips!

The hideous executioners gripped their steel swords; the ugly jailers held their instruments of law.

Beneath the black banner, how many demons and goblins followed;

At the crossroads, countless fierce spirits awaited.

The supervising executioner busily issued his orders; the corpse-bearer prepared to carry the dead.

The executioners cried out "Kill!" and, pushing Song Jiang and Dai Zong forward and pressing upon them from behind, escorted them to the crossroads at the market square. They were surrounded on all sides by a forest of spears and staves. Song Jiang was made to face south with his back to the north; Dai Zong was made to face north with his back to the south. Each was made to kneel, and all awaited the hour of noon, when the supervising executioner would arrive to begin the cutting. The crowd looked up at the crime placard, which read: "Criminal of Jiangzhou Prefecture, Song Jiang, who composed rebellious poetry and fabricated seditious words, who joined with the bandits of Liangshan Marsh and conspired together in rebellion—to be executed by law. Criminal, Dai Zong, who secretly delivered private letters to Song Jiang, colluded with the bandits of Liangshan Marsh, and conspired together in treason—to be executed by law. Supervising Executioner: Prefect Cai of Jiangzhou Prefecture." The prefect reined in his horse and waited for the report.

Then, on the east side of the execution ground, a troupe of snake-handling beggars forced their way in, wanting to watch. The common soldiers beat them and drove them back, but they would not retreat. While the commotion was at its height, on the west side of the execution ground, a troupe of spear-wielding medicine sellers also forced their way in. The soldiers shouted, "You lot—have you no sense? Do you know what place this is, that you force your way in to watch?" The spear-wielding troupe replied, "You bumpkins! We have dashed through prefectures and stormed into cities—where have we not been? Everywhere we have watched executions. Even when the Son of Heaven in the capital puts men to death, he lets people watch. This little place of yours, where you are going to chop off a couple of heads—you've stirred up the whole world! We've come to take a look. What's the bloody rush!" They were just quarrelling with the soldiers when the supervising executioner shouted, "Drive them back! Don't let them through." The disturbance had not yet subsided when, on the south side of the execution ground, a troupe of porters carrying loads tried to force their way in. The soldiers shouted, "They are executing men here—where are you carrying those loads?" The porters said, "We are delivering goods to the prefect. How dare you block us?" The soldiers said, "Even if you belong to the prefect's yamén, you'll have to go around another way." The porters set down their loads, snatched up their carrying poles, and stood among the crowd to watch. Then, on the north side of the execution ground, a group of merchants pushing two carts came forward and insisted on forcing their way into the execution ground. The soldiers shouted, "Where are you people going?" The merchants replied, "We are in a hurry to continue our journey—let us through." The soldiers said, "They are executing men here—how can we let you pass? If you are in a hurry, go around by another road." The merchants laughed and said, "You speak well enough! We are men from the capital—we don't know your wretched roads here. We are simply going by this main road." The soldiers would not let them pass, and the merchants stood their ground as one, refusing to move. The clamor rose on all four sides, and Prefect Cai Jiu found he could not restrain them. He also noticed that these merchants had all stationed themselves upon their carts to watch.

Before long, as the crowd parted in the center of the execution ground, a voice called out, "The hour of noon!" The supervising executioner said, "When the execution is done, report back." The executioners under both cangues moved to remove the shackles, and the men carrying out the sentence gripped their law swords in hand. It seemed slow—each moment they wanted to see clearly; it was swift—in a great clamor, they all acted at once. The merchants in the carts heard the word "Execute," and one of the merchants drew a small gong from his bosom, stood upon the cart, and struck it two or three times with a *clang-clang*. At this signal, all sides acted together. There is a poem to prove it:

In idle delight I once ascended the river tower,

Where vast misty waves met the pale autumn sky.

I called for wine to drown a thousand ages of regret,

And composed poems to pour forth a hundred layers of sorrow.

The wild-goose letter failed the hero's ambition,

And a misstep turned him into a prisoner behind bars.

It stirred the righteous warriors of Liangshan,

Who gathered as one in clouds and descended upon Jiangzhou in uproar.

Then from the upper floor of a teahouse at the crossroads, a burly black大汉 in the shape of a tiger came leaping down—stark naked, two battle-axes gripped in his two hands. He gave a great roar like a thunderclap from the sky and dropped from midair. His axes fell, and he had already cut down two of the executioners. Then he rushed to hack the supervising officer in front of his horses. The guards hastened to thrust with their spears, but how could they hold him back? The crowd pushed Prefect Cai Jiu onward and fled for their lives.

On the east, the gang of beggars who kept snakes pulled out sharp knives wherever they saw soldiers and began killing. On the west, the gang wielding spears and staves raised a great battle cry, killing and slaying in wild disorder—one whole side of soldiers and jailers was cut down. On the south, the gang of porters carrying loads swung their carrying-poles, this way and that, and struck down both soldiers and onlookers. On the north, the gang of merchants jumped from their carts, pushed the wagons aside to block the road, and held everyone back. Two of the merchants slipped inside—one carried Song Jiang on his back, the other carried Dai Zong. The rest of the men either drew their bows and shot arrows, or picked up stones and threw them, or hurled javelins. In fact, the gang disguised as merchants was Chao Gai, Hua Rong, Huang Xin, Lü Fang, and Guo Sheng; the gang disguised as spear-and-staff fighters was Yan Shun, Liu Tang, Du Qian, and Song Wan; the gang disguised as load-carrying porters was Zhu Gui, Wang the Short Tiger, Zheng Tianshi, and Shi Yong; the gang disguised as beggars was Ruan the Second, Ruan the Fifth, Ruan the Seventh, and Bai Sheng—a total of seventeen chieftains of Liangshan Marsh had arrived, leading over a hundred foot soldiers, and they began killing on all sides.

In the crowd, the black大汉 swung his two battle-axes and hacked his way forward relentlessly. Chao Gai and the others did not recognize him, but they saw that he was the first to exert himself and had killed the most men. Chao Gai suddenly remembered: Dai Zong had once spoken of a "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui, who was the closest to Brother Song and was a reckless fellow. Chao Gai shouted, "Hero in front—could you be the 'Black Whirlwind'?" The man would not answer at all. He swung his great axes in a furious frenzy and kept hacking away at people. Chao Gai then ordered the two foot soldiers carrying Song Jiang and Dai Zong to follow the black大汉 wherever he went. They went straight to the crossroads, and without asking whether they were soldiers or common folk, they cut down so many that corpses lay everywhere, blood flowed in channels, and those knocked over and trampled were beyond counting. The chieftains abandoned their carts and loads, and the whole party followed the black大汉, fighting their way straight out of the city. Behind them, Hua Rong, Huang Xin, Lü Fang, and Guo Sheng sent four bows' worth of arrows flying backward like a swarm of locusts. The soldiers, civilians, and people of Jiangzhou—who dared come near? This black大汉 fought his way all the way to the riverbank. His body was drenched in blood, and he kept on killing by the river. Chao Gai leveled his broad saber and shouted, "This has nothing to do with the common people—stop harming them!" But the man paid no heed to the call. With one axe-stroke apiece, he cut them down in a row. They had followed the river for about five or seven li from the city when ahead they saw nothing but the vast, surging expanse of the great river—there was no dry road left. Chao Gai saw this and could only cry out in despair. Then the black大汉 finally spoke: "Don't panic—carry my elder brother into the temple first."

Everyone looked. By the river stood a large temple, its two doors tightly shut. The black漢 split them open with two axe-bursts and rushed inside. Chao Gai and his men looked around: on both sides were ancient cypresses and green pines, their branches screening the light. On the front plaque, four characters of gold read: "Temple of the White Dragon God." The foot soldiers carried Song Jiang and Dai Zong into the temple and set them down to rest. Song Jiang then dared to open his eyes and, seeing Chao Gai and the others, wept, "Brother—is this a dream meeting?" Chao Gai exhorted him, "My honored brother refused to stay on the mountain, and that has brought you this suffering today. Who is this black大汉 who has exerted himself so much in the killing?" Song Jiang said, "This is the one called 'Black Whirlwind' Li Kui. Several times he wanted to set me free right in the prison, but I was afraid I couldn't escape and wouldn't agree to it." Chao Gao said, "It is rare indeed—this man has exerted himself the most and fears neither swords, axes, arrows, nor spears." Hua Rong called out, "Quickly, give our two elder brothers some clothes to wear." As they were gathered together, Li Kui came walking out from under the corridor, his two axes in hand. Song Jiang called to him, "Where are you going, brother?" Li Kui answered, "To find the temple keeper—I'll kill him too. Damn that bastard for not coming to receive us—instead he shut the damned temple doors. I meant to take him and use him to consecrate the gate, but I can't find the bastard anywhere." Song Jiang said, "Come here first and meet my brother and the other chieftains." Li Kui obeyed, dropped his two axes, knelt once toward Chao Gai, and said, "Elder brother, don't blame Tie Niu for his coarseness." He met all the others and recognized Zhu Gui as a fellow townsman; the two were delighted. Hua Rong then said, "Brother, you told everyone to follow Brother Li wherever he led, and now we've come here. Ahead the great river blocks us—it's a dead end—and there's not a single boat to meet us. If the government troops come out of the city in pursuit, how will we fight them off? How will we get across?" Li Kui said, "Don't panic—I'll go back into the city with you, and we'll kill that damned Prefect Cai Jui along with everyone else, then leave." Dai Zong had just then come to, and he cried out, "Brother, you must not act so recklessly. There are five or seven thousand troops in the city. If we go back in, we will surely be defeated." Ruan the Seventh said, "Far off across the river, I can see several boats at the shore. What if my three brothers swim over, seize those boats, and bring them back to carry everyone across?" Chao Gai said, "This plan is the best one."

At that time, the three Ruan brothers stripped off their clothes, each tucked a sharp knife into his belt, and plunged into the water. After they had swum perhaps half a li, they saw three sculling boats drifting down the current, their crews whistling shrilly and rowing furiously toward them. When the men looked more closely, they saw that each boat held some ten or more men, all armed with weapons. The group grew alarmed. When Jiang Jiang heard what was happening, he said, "It seems my fate is to suffer after all." He rushed out in front of the temple to look and saw a large fellow sitting in the bow of the lead boat. The man carried a gleaming five-pronged trident upside down, his hair bound up in a hollow red topknot with a wisp hanging loose, his lower body wrapped in white cotton water-shorts, whistling shrilly as he came. Jiang Jiang looked and recognized him—it was none other than:

Eastward the Long River flows ten thousand li, and within it dwells a hero.

His face is like powdered paste, his body like treading mud;

He walks upon the water as though it were level ground.

His boldness could explore the caves of Yu, his fierce heart would pluck the black dragon's pearl.

He churns the waves and leaps the tides with the nature of a fish—

Zhang Shun's name shall be known for all eternity.

At that moment, Zhang Shun, standing in the bow, shouted: "What manner of men are you, daring to gather a crowd at the White Dragon Temple?" Jiang Jiang stepped out from before the temple and said, "Brother, save me!" Zhang Shun and the others saw that it was Jiang Jiang and shouted with joy: "Wonderful!" The three sculling boats flew to the shore like the wind. When the three Ruans saw this, they too swam over. The entire party came ashore and made their way to the temple. Jiang Jiang saw that Zhang Shun had brought some ten or more stalwart men on his boat. Zhang Heng had brought Mu Hong, Mu Chun, and Xue Yong, along with some ten or more manor retainers on his boat. On the third boat, Li Jun had brought Li Li, Tong Wei, and Tong Meng, together with some ten or more salt-selling workers, all carrying spears and staves as they came ashore. When Zhang Shun saw Jiang Jiang, joy seemed to pour down from heaven upon him. He bowed and said, "Ever since you were caught up in legal trouble, brother, I have been unable to sit or stand at ease, yet I had no way to save you. Recently I also heard that Director Dai had been arrested. Big Brother Li would not show himself. I had no choice but to seek out my elder brother and bring him to the Mu family manor, where I gathered many acquaintances. Today we were about to storm Jiangzhou and break into the prison to rescue you—who would have thought that you, brother, had already been rescued by these valiant men and had come here? May I be so bold as to ask—are these heroic gentlemen from Mount Liang under the leadership of Chao Gai, the Righteous Lord?" Jiang Jiang pointed to the man standing at the head of the group and said, "This is Brother Chao Gai. Let all of you come into the temple and exchange greetings." The nine men led by Zhang Shun, the seventeen men led by Chao Gai, together with Jiang Jiang, Director Dai, and Li Kui—twenty-nine in all—gathered together in the White Dragon Temple. This came to be known as the "Small Gathering at the White Dragon Temple."

When the twenty-nine heroes had finished exchanging courtesies, a scout rushed frantically into the temple and reported: "The city of Jiangzhou is beating drums and gongs, marshaling its troops, and marching out of the city in pursuit. In the distance, their banners and pennants block out the sun, and their swords and blades are thick as hemp. In front are armored cavalry; behind, soldiers carrying spears. With great swords and broad axes, they are bearing down upon the road to the White Dragon Temple."

When Li Kui heard this, he let out a great cry: "Let's go kill them!" He hefted his twin axes and charged out through the temple gate. Chao Gai called out: "We've already started—we might as well finish! All you valiant men, help me, Chao Gai, wipe out every last soldier of Jiangzhou before we return to Mount Liang." The heroes answered with one voice: "We will obey your command." A hundred and forty or fifty men raised a great roar and charged toward the Jiangzhou shore. It came to pass that the waves were dyed red with blood and corpses piled like mountains. Truly, the leaping azure dragon spewed its venomous fire, and the mountain-climbing fierce tiger roared with the wind of heaven. How Chao Gai and the other heroes managed to escape—that will be told in the next chapter.

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Water Margin (120-Chapter Edition)