الفصل الحادي والأربعون

الفصل الحادي والأربعون

In the Bailong Temple outside Jiangzhou City, the heroes of Liangshan Marsh had stormed the execution grounds and rescued Song Jiang and Dai Zong. Present were Chao Gai, Hua Rong, Huang Xin, Lü Fang, Guo Sheng, Liu Tang, Yan Shun, Du Qian, Song Wan, Zhu Gui, Wang Aihu, Zheng Tianshou, Shi Yong, Ruan the Second, Ruan the Fifth, Ruan the Seventh, and Bai Sheng — seventeen heroes in all, leading some eighty or ninety fierce, robust bandits. The heroes who had come to meet them along the Xunyang River were Zhang Shun, Zhang Heng, Li Jun, Li Li, Mu Hong, Mu Chun, Tong Wei, Tong Meng, and Xue Yong — nine leaders, also bringing over forty men, all traders who ran illicit goods on the river. They had sailed three large ships to provide support. In the city, "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui led the others to fight their way to the Xunyang River bank. With the two forces united, there were in all some hundred and forty or fifty men gathered in the Bailong Temple in fellowship.

Then a scout reported: "The soldiers in Jiangzhou City are beating their drums, waving their banners, gongs sounding, shouting and pursuing us."

When "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui heard this, he let out a great roar, seized his two broad axes, and was the first to charge out the temple gate. The heroes raised a great cry, brandished their weapons, and rushed out together to meet the enemy. Liu Tang and Zhu Gui escorted Song Jiang and Dai Zong onto a boat first. Li Jun, together with Zhang Shun and the three Ruan brothers, organized the boats. Looking toward the riverbank, they saw the government troops emerging from the city — some five or seven thousand cavalry. At the front were men in helmets and armor, fully armed with bows and arrows, wielding long spears, with infantry pressing behind them, waving their banners and shouting as they charged forward. Li Kui was in the lead, whirling his axes, charging naked into the enemy ranks, with Hua Rong, Huang Xin, Lü Fang, and Guo Sheng covering his flanks. Hua Rong saw that the cavalry ahead had leveled their spears and feared Li Kui might be wounded. He quietly drew his bow, nocked an arrow, drew it to full stretch, and shot at the leading horseman. The man tumbled head over heels from his horse. The cavalry were thrown into a panic and fled for their lives, turning their horses around and trampling half the infantry underfoot. Then all the heroes charged forward together, cutting down the government troops until corpses littered the fields and the river ran red with blood. They fought all the way to the walls of Jiangzhou City, where the defending soldiers on the walls hurled down beams and cannon stones. The government troops hurriedly retreated into the city and shut the gates. For several days they dared not come out. The heroes dragged "Black Whirlwind" back, returned to the Bailong Temple, and boarded their boats. Chao GaI mustered everyone and had them board the boats separately, then they set sail.

They happened to have a favorable wind. They raised the sails, and the three large boats carrying all the men and leaders made for the estate of Squire Mu. With the wind behind them, they soon reached the shore and moored at the landing. The whole party came ashore. Mu Hong invited the heroes into the main hall of the estate, and Squire Mu came out to welcome them. Song Jiang and the others all greeted him. The Squire said, "All you leaders have been working through the night. Please rest in the guest rooms and restore yourselves." Each man went to his room to rest for the time being and to tend to his clothes and weapons. That day Mu Hong had his servants slaughter a yellow ox, along with a dozen or so pigs, sheep, chickens, geese, ducks, and fish. Rare delicacies were prepared and a feast was laid out to entertain all the heroes. As they drank, they recounted many adventures. Chao Gai said, "If not for you, Second Brother, and the others coming to our rescue by boat, we would all have been thrown into chains." Squire Mu asked, "But why did you come by that route?" Li Kui said, "I just charged wherever there were the most people. They followed me on their own — I never called them." Everyone burst out laughing.

Song Jiang rose and addressed the company: "This humble man Song Jiang, had it not been for all you heroes coming to our rescue, Director Dai and I would have met our deaths. Today's kindness is deeper than the sea — how can I ever repay all of you? My only regret is that Huang Wenbing, picking at every detail and scheming with venom, has tried again and again to destroy us. How can this grudge go unavenged? How might I ask all you heroes to do me one more great favor — to attack Wuwei Army and kill that Huang Wenbing, so that Song Jiang may wash away this endless hatred? What do you say?" Chao Gai said: "Surprise raids on camps and stockades can only be used once — how can we do it again? As it is, that villain will be on his guard. Better we return to the stronghold, gather a large force, and come back together with the Scholar and Master Gongsun, as well as Lin Chong and Qin Ming, to take our revenge. It would not be too late." Song Jiang said: "If we go back to the mountain, we will never be able to come again. For one thing, the mountain is far away; for another, Jiangzhou will certainly send official notices everywhere to strengthen their defenses. Do not dream of it. We should seize this opportunity to strike now, before he can prepare himself." Hua Rong said: "What my brother says is right. Still, no one here knows the terrain. We need someone to go into that city and find out the situation — to learn the routes in and out of Wuwei Army, and to identify where that villain Huang Wenbing lives. Only then can we act." Xue Yong stood up and said: "I have traveled much in the jianghu, and I know Wuwei Army best. How about I go and scout it out?" Song Jiang said: "If you, brother, would make this trip, it would be best." Xue Yong took his leave from the company that day and went on his way.

Song Jiang and the other chieftains had been discussing at Mu Hong's manor the plan to attack Wuwei Army, putting in order their weapons and spears, preparing bows and crossbows and arrows, and arranging boats large and small. When all preparations were complete, Xue Yong, who had been gone for two days, returned to the manor bringing with him a man, who came to pay his respects to Song Jiang. Song Jiang asked, "Brother, who is this stalwart gentleman?" Xue Yong replied, "This man is surnamed Hou, named Jian, a native of Hongdu by family origin. He is the finest tailor, truly a marvel with needle and thread. Moreover, he is skilled with the spear and staff, and once took Xue Yong as his teacher. People see that he is dark, lean, and agile, so they call him 'Gibbon King.' He is currently working in the house of Huang Wenbing in Wuwei Army city. When I saw him, I invited him here." Song Jiang was greatly pleased and had him sit down to take part in the discussion. That man, too, was one of the Stars of Earthly Fiends, so naturally their spirits harmonized and they were drawn together by righteousness. Song Jiang then asked about the news from Jiangzhou and the route to Wuwei Army. Xue Yong said, "At present the prefect Cai Jiu has been tallying the soldiers and common folk—over five hundred have been killed, and those wounded by arrows are beyond counting. He has already dispatched a messenger to report to the court with all speed. The city gates are closed after midday, and those entering or leaving are questioned with the strictest scrutiny. As it turns out, the matter of our elder brother's persecution had nothing to do with Prefect Cai Jiu—it was all that scoundrel Huang Wenbing, time and again, prodding the prefect to harm you two. Now that the execution ground has been stormed, the city is in a great panic, on guard day and night. I also went to Wuwei Army to gather information and happened to run into Brother Hou Jian coming out for a meal, and so I learned all the details." Song Jiang said, "How did you come to know of these things, Brother Hou?"

Hou Jian said, "Since childhood I have loved only the practice of spear and staff. I received much instruction from my teacher Xue, and therefore I dare not forget his kindness. Recently the supervising official Huang specially summoned me to his home to make clothes. When I came out I met my teacher, who spoke of your great name and recounted this whole affair. I wished to make your acquaintance and have come specially to report all the details. This Huang Wenbing has a full elder brother named Huang Wenye—these two sons were born of the same mother. This Huang Wenye has spent his whole life doing good deeds, building bridges and repairing roads, casting Buddhist images and providing for monks, aiding those in peril and distress, and relieving the poor and suffering. In all of Wuwei Army city they call him 'The Buddha-like Huang.' Huang Wenbing, though he is an idle supervising official, is bent on harming others at heart and habitually does wicked deeds—the people of Wuwei Army all call him 'The Wasp's Sting.' The two brothers live separately in two different houses, but they are on the same lane. Just inside the north gate is their family compound. Huang Wenbing's house is built against the city wall, while Huang Wenye's is closer to the main street. While I was working in that household, I heard the Supervising Official Huang come home and say this: 'Prefect Cai Jiu has been fooled, but it was I who prompted him, telling him to execute them first and then report it.' When Huang Wenye heard this, he only cursed behind his brother's back, saying, 'Again you do this sort of short-lived, wicked deed. What does it concern you? Why must you harm them? If Heaven has its principles, retribution will come before your eyes—will it not bring disaster upon yourself instead?' These two days, hearing that the execution ground has been stormed, he was greatly alarmed. Last night he went to Jiangzhou to visit Prefect Cai Jiu to discuss matters with him, and has not yet returned." Song Jiang said, "How far is Huang Wenbing's house from his brother's?" Hou Jian said, "They were originally one household split apart; now they are separated only by a vegetable garden in between." Song Jiang said, "How many people are in Huang Wenbing's household? How many branches does it have?" Hou Jian said, "Men and women together, there are forty or fifty mouths." Song Jiang said, "Heaven has sent me vengeance, and has specially delivered this man to me. Even so, I rely entirely on all you brothers for support." The men all responded in unison, "We will press forward even unto death—we must drive out these corrupt, licentious, treacherous, and evil men and avenge our elder brother." Song Jiang said again, "I only hate that scoundrel Huang Wenbing—this has nothing to do with the common people of Wuwei Army. Since his elder brother is benevolent and virtuous, he must not be harmed either. We must not let the world call us unrighteous. When all you brothers go, you must not in the slightest harm the common people. Now as we go there, I have a plan—I only hope you will all assist me."

The chieftains all said in unison, "We await your instructions, elder brother."

Song Jiang said, "I would trouble the Elder Mu to prepare some eighty or ninety forked sacks, and also over a hundred bundles of reed stalks. We will use five large boats and two small boats. I ask Zhang Shun and Li Jun to man the two small boats and operate on the river's surface in this manner. On the five large boats, we will use Zhang Heng, the three Ruan brothers, Tong Wei, and those who know how to swim, to guard the boats. Only then can this plan be carried out." Mu Hong said, "Here we have reeds, oil stalks, and cloth sacks in plenty. The people on my manor can all swim and handle boats. Please, elder brother, proceed with your arrangements." Song Jiang said, "We will have the Hou brothers lead Xue Yong and Bai Sheng to hide in Wuwei Army city beforehand. On the morrow, at the second watch after the third night bell, when a turtledove with a bell is released outside the gate, Bai Sheng will go up to the city wall to coordinate, first inserting a white silk signal ribbon. Near Huang Wenbing's house is the place to go up the wall. We will also have Shi Yong and Du Qian disguise themselves as beggars and lie in ambush near the city gate. At the signal of fire, they will strike down the gate guards. Li Jun and Zhang Shun will only patrol back and forth on the river's surface, waiting to coordinate."

Song Jiang completed his deployment. Xue Yong, Bai Sheng, and Hou Jian set off first. Next came Shi Yong and Du Qian, who disguised themselves as beggars, each concealing a short knife and hidden weapons about their persons, and they departed as well. Meanwhile, sandbags and reeds and oil-soaked firewood were carried and loaded onto the boats. At the appointed time, the heroes all strapped up their gear and prepared their weapons. Soldiers were hidden in the boat holds, and the leaders took their places in their assigned boats. Chao Gai, Song Jiang, and Hua Rong were on Tong Wei's boat; Yan Shun, Wang Yinghou, and Zheng Tianshou on Zhang Heng's boat; Dai Zong, Liu Tang, and Huang Xin on Ruan Xiaoer's boat; Lü Fang, Guo Sheng, and Li Li on Ruan Xiaowu's boat; Mu Hong, Mu Chun, and Li Kui on Ruan Xiaoxi's boat. Only Zhu Gui and Song Wan were left at Mu Tai-gong's manor to watch for news from Jiangzhou. First, Tong Meng was sent ahead in a fast fishing boat to scout the way. The lesser soldiers and military men all hid in the holds, while the manor retainers and boatmen manned the oars. That night, they made their secret way toward Wuwei Commandery. It was now the end of the seventh month—the night was cool, the wind still, the moon pale and the river clear, the water reflecting the mountains, above and below all one expanse of jade. In days past, Can Liaozi had written a poem on this river scene, which read:

Surging billows, rolling waves, misty waters spread,

Pale moon, gentle wind, dawn on the Jiujiang ahead.

I would ask the boatman what he thinks—

Only the Lu Mountain seems small before my eyes.

That night, around the first watch, the boats large and small all arrived at the banks of Wuwei Commandery. They chose a spot where the reeds grew thick and moored the boats in a line. Soon Tong Meng returned in his boat and reported: "There is no disturbance in the city." Song Jiang then ordered his men to carry the sandbags and dry reeds and firewood ashore and head toward the city wall. They listened for the night watch drum—it struck the second watch. Song Jiang told the lesser soldiers to pile the sandbags and reed bundles by the city wall. The heroes all gripped their weapons. Only Zhang Heng, the three Ruans, and the two Tongs were left to guard the boats and provide support; the rest of the leaders rushed to the city wall. Looking up at the wall, they were about half a li from the North Gate. Song Jiang ordered the carrier pigeons with bells to be released. They saw a bamboo pole on the wall with a white signal ribbon tied to it, fluttering in the wind. Song Jiang then told the soldiers to pile the sandbags by the wall and instructed the men to carry loads of reeds and oil-soaked firewood up onto the wall. Bai Sheng was already there waiting to meet them, and he pointed to the soldiers and said: "That lane there is where Huang Wenbing lives." Song Jiang asked Bai Sheng, "Where are Xue Yong and Hou Jian?" Bai Sheng replied, "The two of them have already slipped into Huang Wenbing's house. They're only waiting for you to arrive." Song Jiang asked again, "Have you seen Shi Yong and Du Qian?" Bai Sheng said, "They're keeping watch near the city gate." Having heard this, Song Jiang led the heroes down from the wall and went straight to Huang Wenbing's gate. They found Hou Jian hiding beneath the eaves. Song Jiang called him over and whispered in his ear: "Go and open the garden gate, and let the soldiers pile the reeds and firewood inside. Then have Xue Yong find a way to set it on fire. After that, go knock on Huang Wenbing's door and say: 'The grand official next door has had a fire—we've brought trunks and belongings to store here.' When they open the door, I'll handle the rest."

Song Jiang had the heroes divide into groups to block both ends of the street. Hou Jian went first and opened the garden gate. The soldiers carried the reed bundles and piled them inside. Hou Jian then got a fire starter and passed it to Xue Yong, who came over and lit the fire. Hou Jian slipped out and went to knock on the door, calling: "The grand official next door has had a fire! We've brought trunks to store here—open up quickly!" Those inside heard this and got up to look. When they saw the fire next door, they hurried to open the door and come out. Chao Gai, Song Jiang, and the others gave a great shout and surged in to kill. The heroes each fell upon their victims—one found, one killed; two found, a pair slain. Every last soul of Huang Wenbing's household, old and young, some forty or fifty mouths in all, were put to the sword without exception—not one was spared. Only Huang Wenbing himself was nowhere to be found. The heroes gathered up all the gold, silver, and property that Huang had accumulated through his cruel oppression of good people. At a great shout of the signal, the heroes hoisted the trunks and household goods and rushed back toward the city wall. Now, Shi Yong and Du Qian saw the fire and drew their short knives, killing the soldiers guarding the gate. Neighbors along the front street came with buckets and ladders to fight the fire. Shi Yong and Du Qian bellowed: "You people, don't come any closer! We are several thousand Liangshan Marsh heroes here, come to kill every soul in Huang Wenbing's household, high and low, to avenge Song Jiang and Dai Zong. This is none of your concern. Go back to your homes quickly and stay out of this!" Some of the neighbors did not believe them and stood watching. Then they saw "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui swing his two axes and sweep across the ground toward them. Only then did the neighbors cry out, grab their ladders and buckets, and scatter in a stampede. In the back alley, several soldiers on guard had also gathered some men with fire hooks and rush fire-fighting tools, rushing to put out the fire. But Hua Rong had already drawn his bow and shot an arrow that struck down the leader. He roared: "Come and fight the fire if you want to die!" That whole company of soldiers retreated at once. Xue Yong took a torch and set fire to the front and back of Huang Wenbing's house. Soon a chaotic blaze erupted. Behold that fire:

Black clouds pressed to the ground, red flames flew to the sky.

Crackling, ten thousand golden serpents writhed;

Blazing, a thousand fireballs scattered in the glow.

The fierce wind lent its aid—

Carved beams and painted pillars were destroyed in an instant.

The raging flames filled the air—

Great halls and lofty mansions vanished in the snap of a finger.

This was no ordinary fire, but rather:

The evil in Huang Wenbing's heart

Had provoked the Fire God of Bing and Ding.

He who harmed others with poisonous flames

Had drawn the fire upon himself—and was consumed.

At that moment Shi Yong and Du Qian had already killed the soldiers guarding the gate. Li Kui hacked through the iron lock and flung the city gate wide open. Half the men went out over the wall, and half poured through the gate. Zhang Heng, the three Ruan brothers, and the two Tong brothers all came to meet them. They joined forces, loaded the goods onto their boats, and set off. Wuweijun had already learned that Liangshan Marsh heroes had raided the execution ground in Jiangzhou and killed countless men—who would dare come out to pursue them? They could only keep out of the way. This band of heroes led by Song Jiang, their only regret being that they had not captured Huang Wenbing, all boarded the boats, pushed off, and made for Mu Hong's manor. But no more of this.

Now when the city of Jiangzhou saw the flames rising from Wuweijun, blazing red to the sky, the whole city was in an uproar, and word had to be reported to the prefecture. Huang Wenbing was at that moment in the prefectural office in conference. When he heard the report, he rushed in to report to the prefect, saying, "A fire has broken out in my hometown. I must go home at once to see to it." Prefect Cai Jiu, upon hearing this, hastily ordered the city gate opened and assigned an official boat to escort him. Huang Wenbing thanked the prefect and immediately went out, took his attendants, hurriedly boarded the boat, and rowed out onto the river toward Wuweijun. He saw the fire blazing fiercely, reflecting red across the entire river surface. The boatman said, "The fire is only inside the north gate." When Huang Wenbing heard this, his heart grew even more alarmed. They had rowed out toward the middle of the river when a small boat came drifting past on the surface. Before long, another small boat appeared, rowing toward them—but it did not pass by. Instead, it bore straight down on the official boat. The attendants shouted, "What boat is this, daring to ram us like that?" Then a big man on the small boat leaped up, a grappling hook in his hand, and called out, "A boat reporting the fire to Jiangzhou." Huang Wenbing poked his head out and asked, "Where is the fire?" The big man said, "At Registrar Huang's house inside the north gate. Liangshan Marsh heroes killed his whole family, plundered his household, and are burning it down right now!" Huang Wenbing could not help crying out in anguish, not knowing what else to do. The man heard him, hooked the boat with his grappling hook, and leaped aboard. Huang Wenbing was a shrewd man; he had already guessed eight parts of the truth. He darted to the stern and was about to leap into the river when a boat appeared on the surface. From beneath the water a man had already swum over, seized Huang Wenbing around the waist, grabbed him by the head, and hauled him onto the boat. The big man on board came to meet him and at once bound him with hemp rope. The man who had captured Huang Wenbing alive underwater was Zhang Shun, the "White Streak in the Waves." The one with the grappling hook on the boat was Junli Dragon Li Jun. The two heroes stood on the boat while the boatman of the official vessel prostrated himself in terror. Li Jun said, "I won't kill you. I only wanted to seize this scoundrel Huang Wenbing. Go back and tell that donkey Prefect Cai Jiu that we Liangshan Marsh heroes are leaving his donkey head on his neck for now—we'll come to take it sooner or later." The boatman trembled and said, "This lowly one will tell him." Li Jun and Zhang Shun took Huang Wenbing onto their own small boat and let the official boat go.

The two heroes rowed two fast boats straight for Mu Hong's manor. Soon they reached the shore and saw the other chieftains all waiting on the bank, hauling chests and boxes ashore. When they learned that Huang Wenbing had been captured, Song Jiang was overjoyed. All the heroes were elated in their hearts and said, "We were just wanting to get our hands on this man." Li Jun and Zhang Shun quickly brought Huang Wenbing ashore. The others looked him over, put him under guard, left the riverbank, and went to Mu Tai Gong's manor. Zhu Gui and Song Wan received them, and they all went into the thatched hall of the manor and sat down. Song Jiang had Huang Wenbing's wet clothes stripped off and had him tied to a willow tree. He invited all the chieftains to sit in a circle. Song Jiang called for a jug of wine to be brought and drank with everyone, passing the cup around. From Chao Gai down to Bai Sheng, there were thirty heroes in all, and each had his turn. Song Jiang cursed Huang Wenbing: "You scoundrel! I had no old grudge against you, no recent enmity—why did you insist on destroying me? Three times, five times you incited Prefect Cai Jiu to kill us two. Since you have read the books of the sages, how could you do such a poisonous and harmful thing? I never killed your father—why were you so determined to plot against me? Your brother Huang Wenye, born of the same mother as you, has cultivated goodness for so long that the whole city has long called him the 'Yellow Buddha.' Last night I did not harm him in the slightest. You, on the other hand, only harmed people in your hometown, curried favor with the powerful, ingratiated yourself with officials, and oppressed the good. I know the people of Wuweijun all call you the 'Yellow Wasp Sting.' Today I will pluck that sting for you." Huang Wenbing pleaded, "This lowly one knows his fault. I only ask for a quick death." Chao Gai roared, "You donkey! Afraid you won't die? You scoundrel—if you had known today, you would have repented long ago." Song Jiang then asked, "Which brother will do the deed for me?" Then Li Kui, the "Black Whirlwind," leaped to his feet and said, "Let me do the cutting for my brother. I see he's fat—he'll be good roasted to eat." Chao Gai said, "Well said. Bring a sharp knife and a basin of burning coals. Cut this scoundrel into thin slices and roast them to go with the wine—let my worthy brother vent his wrath." Li Jun picked up the sharp knife, looked at Huang Wenbing, and laughed. "You scoundrel, back in Prefect Cai Jiu's rear hall you were always talking black and white, stirring things up out of nothing and urging him to do harm. Today you want a quick death, but your lord wants you to die slowly." He began cutting from the legs, choosing the best pieces, and roasting them right there over the coals to eat with the wine. Cut a piece, roast a piece. In no time at all, Huang Wenbing had been completely carved up. Then Li Kui cut open his chest, took out his heart and liver, and served them to all the chieftains as a soup to clear the wine. The many heroes, having watched Huang Wenbing carved up, all came to the thatched hall to congratulate Song Jiang. There is a poem that bears witness:

Wen Bing, with his cunning flattery and crafty schemes,

Sought to crush loyalty and righteousness with extreme dreams.

His treacherous plot failed—he died before it came to pass,

And could not escape the disaster of having his heart cut out and flesh roasted.

Jiang Song knelt on the ground first. The chieftains hastily knelt as well and said in unison: "Elder brother, whatever you have to say, please speak freely—how could your brothers not obey?"

Then Song Jiang said: "This humble man, though lacking in talent, has studied clerical work since youth. From the moment I entered this world, I have desired to befriend all the brave men of the land. Yet, alas, my strength is thin and my talents meager—I have been unable to receive and entertain them, thus fulfilling my lifelong wish. Since my exile to Jiangzhou, I have been deeply moved by Chief Chao and all the valiant heroes who earnestly urged me to stay. But because of my father's stern admonitions, I could not bear to remain. Then heaven-sent opportunity brought me all the way to the Xunyang River, where I encountered many more heroes. I never imagined that this unworthy man, in a moment of drunken madness, would nearly cost Dai Chief his life. I am grateful to all you brave heroes who did not shrink from peril, who came to this tiger's lair and dragon's pool to save my wretched life with all your might; and who then assisted me in avenging my wrongs. Having committed such grave crimes and raised havoc in two prefectures, reports will certainly have been sent to the court. Today, Jiang Song has no choice but to go to Liangshan Marsh to seek refuge with you, elder brother. I do not know what you all think. Those who wish to follow, let us pack and set out now. Those who do not wish to go, I leave to your own judgment. I only fear that once this matter comes to light, those who stay behind may suffer for it—please consider this carefully."

Before he had finished speaking, Kui leaped up and shouted: "Everyone goes, everyone goes! Anyone who doesn't—let me have at them with my axe and chop them in two!"

Song Jiang said: "You speak so coarsely and rashly. This can only work if every brother here is truly willing in heart and mind."

The men discussed among themselves: "We have killed so many government soldiers and horses, and raised such havoc in two prefectures—how could they not report this to the court? They will certainly dispatch troops to capture us. If we don't follow elder brother and live and die together, where else can we go?"

Song Jiang was overjoyed and thanked them all.

That day, he first sent Zhu Gui and Song Wan ahead to the mountain stronghold to report. Then they were divided into five groups to proceed. The first group consisted of Chao Gai, Song Jiang, Hua Rong, Dai Zong, and Li Kui. The second group was Liu Tang, Du Qian, Shi Yong, Xue Yong, and Hou Jian. The third group was Li Jun, Li Li, Lü Fang, Guo Sheng, Tong Wei, and Tong Meng. The fourth group was Huang Xin, Zhang Shun, Zhang Heng, and the three Ruan brothers. The fifth group was Yan Shun, Short Wang, Mu Hong, Mu Chun, Zheng Tianshou, and Bai Sheng. Twenty-eight chieftains in five groups, leading a retinue of men, divided up the wealth seized from Huang Wenbing's household, loaded it onto carts, and set out. Mu Hong brought his father and family, loading all their valuable gold and jewels onto the carts. Among those servants in the estate who did not wish to go, each was given some silver to seek employment elsewhere; those who wished to go accompanied them. The first four groups departed one after another and were already on their way. When Mu Hong had finished settling affairs at the estate, he set over a dozen torches, burned the manor, abandoned the fields, and set out for Liangshan Marsh.

Now, let us not speak of the five groups of men setting out on their journey, advancing stage by stage, keeping about twenty li apart. First, let us tell of the first group—Chao Gai, Song Jiang, Hua Rong, Dai Zong, and Li Kui, five horsemen with their baggage and attendants. They had traveled for three days when they came to a place called Huangmen Mountain. Song Jiang said to Chao Gai from horseback: "This mountain has a strange and sinister formation—could there be a large band within? We should send someone to hasten the rear groups forward so we can pass through together."

He had hardly finished speaking when drums and gongs sounded from the mountain pass ahead. Song Jiang said: "Didn't I say so? Don't move—wait for the rear groups to arrive so we can fight them."

Hua Rong nocked an arrow to his bow. Chao Gai and Dai Zong each gripped their broad-bladed swords. Li Kui brandished his twin axes. They surrounded and protected Song Jiang, and all spurred their horses forward. From the hillside emerged three or four hundred little louts, and at their head rode four bandit chieftains, each holding a weapon. They shouted loudly: "You have raised havoc in Jiangzhou, plundered Wuwei Army, and killed many soldiers and citizens of the government. You're on your way back to Liangshan Marsh—we four have been waiting for you for a long time. If you have any sense, leave Song Jiang behind and we'll spare all your lives."

Hearing this, Song Jiang stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and said: "This humble Jiang Song was wronged and had no means to clear my name. Now that brave heroes from all quarters have saved my life, I do not know where I have offended you four valiant men. I beg you to show mercy and spare my wretched life."

When the four chieftains saw Song Jiang kneeling before them, they hastily dismounted, cast aside their weapons, rushed forward, and prostrated themselves on the ground. They said: "We four brothers have long heard of the great name of 'Timely Rain' Song Gongming of Shandong—we wished to meet you but never had the chance. We heard that elder brother was in trouble with the law in Jiangzhou. We four discussed it and decided to storm the prison to rescue you, but we could not confirm the truth of it. The other day we sent our little men all the way to Jiangzhou to investigate. They returned and said: 'Many brave men have already raised havoc in Jiangzhou, stormed the execution ground, and rescued him. They went to Jieyang Town, and later burned Wuwei Army and plundered the house of Prefect Huang.' We reckoned that elder brother must pass this way. We sent men to watch along the road time and again, but still feared the news was not reliable, so we staged this little confrontation. We have been rude to elder brother—please do not hold it against us. Today we are blessed to meet you, benevolent elder brother. Our humble stockade has prepared some coarse wine and simple food to welcome you. Please, all you brave heroes, come to our humble encampment and rest for a while."

Song Jiang was overjoyed. He raised the four good men to their feet and asked each of their names in turn. The leader of the group was a man by the name of Ou Peng, a native of Huangzhou. He had been a garrison officer guarding the Great River, but he had offended his superior and fled to the rivers and lakes and the green forests, where he had earned his reputation. He was called "Golden-Winged Roc Piercing the Clouds." The second man was Jiang Jing, a native of Tanzhou in Hunan. He had originally been a scholar who sat for the imperial examinations, but having failed to pass, he abandoned the pen for the sword. He was a man of considerable strategy, well versed in writing and reckoning, able to tally thousands and tens of thousands without the slightest error. He was also skilled with the spear and the cudgel, and knew how to deploy troops and arrange battle formations. For these reasons, everyone called him "The Divine Calculator." The third man was Ma Lin, a native of Jiankang in Nanjing. He had originally been a minor military man of the frontier tribes. He could blow a pair of iron flutes and wield a great rolling blade with such skill that no hundred men could get near him. For this reason, everyone called him "The Iron Flute Immortal." The fourth man was Tao Zongwang, a native of Guangzhou. He had been born into a farming family. He was accustomed to wielding an iron spade, possessed tremendous strength, and was also skilled with the spear and the saber. For these reasons, everyone called him "The Nine-Tailed Tortoise." How do we know that these four good men were heroes? There is a "West River Moon" that bears witness:

Strong of body, mighty of limb, without peer;

In movement swift as if they flew through the air.

Golden-Winged Roc Piercing the Clouds is Ou Peng,

First among the ranks, assigned by Huangshan's lair.

In youth he resented the brush's defeat,

In manhood he mastered the art of war complete.

With divine reckoning and skill in deploying troops,

Jiang Jing is a man of both civil and martial feat.

One blast of the iron flutes and the mountains would crack,

Two copper blades and even the gods would start back.

Ma Lin's countenance is yet more fierce and grim,

In the field of battle he excels them all on every track.

Zongwang's strength is that of a ravening tiger,

Where his iron spade falls, it shows no mercy or shirker.

The divine tortoise with nine tails bespeaks his many arts—

All four are chieftains of heroes, none other.

The four bandits received Song Jiang, and the small outlaws soon brought forward a fruit platter, a large pot of wine, two great platters of meat, and came forward to pour the cups. They offered first to Chao Gai and Song Jiang, then to Hua Rong, Dai Zong, and Li Kui, and when all had been presented to one another, they passed the wine around. Before two hours had passed, the second contingent of chieftains arrived, and one by one they were all presented. After the wine had been poured to everyone, they were all invited up the mountain. The first two contingents, ten chieftains in all, entered the stronghold on Yellow Gate Mountain. The four bandits then ordered that cattle and horses be slaughtered to entertain them. They instructed the small outlaws to go down the mountain in succession to invite the remaining contingents of eighteen chieftains up the mountain for the banquet. Before half a day had passed, all three contingents of good men had arrived, and they feasted and met together in the Hall of Righteousness. In the midst of drinking, Song Jiang opened the conversation at the table and said, "This time Song Jiang has come to seek refuge with elder brother Chao, the Heavenly King, to go up to Liangshan Marsh and join in brotherhood together. I do not know whether you four good men would be willing to abandon this place and go together to the great camp at Liangshan Marsh to assemble?" The four good men answered in unison, "If the two righteous men would not scorn our lowliness, we would gladly hold your whip and tend your stirrups." Song Jiang and Chao Gai were overjoyed and said, "Since you four are willing to follow the great cause of righteousness, please prepare to set out." All the chieftains were delighted. They stayed at the stronghold for one day and passed one night. The next day, Song Jiang and Chao Gai still formed the first contingent and set out down the mountain to go ahead; thereafter they proceeded in order, keeping only about twenty li apart. The four bandits gathered up their gold, silver, and other valuables, led three or five hundred small outlaws, burned down the stockade, and set out as the sixth contingent. Song Jiang was greatly pleased to have gained these four good men. Along the road, he said to Chao Gai from horseback, "Younger brother has traveled these several times on the rivers and lakes. Although I have suffered some frights, I have also come to know so many good men. Today I go up the mountain with you, elder brother. This time I shall set my heart firmly and live and die together with you." As they chatted along the way, before they knew it they had arrived at Zhu Gui's inn.

Now the four chieftains guarding the stronghold—Wu Yong, Gongsun Sheng, Lin Chong, and Qin Ming—together with the newly arrived Xiao Rang and Jin Dajian, had already received advance word from Zhu Gui and Song Wan. Every day they sent small skiffs out to the inn to welcome the arriving parties. One contingent after another came ashore at Golden Sands Beach, with drums and flutes playing. The good men all rode in sedan chairs or on horseback and were welcomed up to the camp. When they arrived below the pass, the six men led by Military Advisor Wu Xuejiu served the wine of welcome. They all proceeded to the Hall of Righteousness, where a fine censer of incense was lit. Chao Gai then invited Song Jiang to be the master of the stronghold and take the first seat of honor, but Song Jiang absolutely refused. He said, "Elder brother, you are mistaken. I am grateful to all of you for not avoiding swords and axes to save my life. Elder brother was originally the master of this stronghold—how could you yield it to an unworthy man like me? If you insist on pressing this offer, Song Jiang would rather die." Chao Gai said, "Why do you talk like this, worthy younger brother? If it had not been for you, bearing that blood-sea of responsibility and saving the lives of the seven of us to bring us up the mountain, how could we have this great company today? You are truly the benefactor of this stronghold. If you do not take the seat, who will?" Song Jiang said, "Elder brother, in terms of age, you are also ten years older. If I took the seat, would I not be ashamed of myself?" After pressing him repeatedly, Chao Gai was seated in the first position, Song Jiang in the second, Wu Xuejiu in the third, and Gongsun Sheng in the fourth. Song Jiang said, "Let us not distinguish between greater and lesser merit. Let the old chieftains of Liangshan Marsh sit on the principal seats on the left, and let the newly arrived chieftains sit on the guest seats on the right. Afterward, depending on each man's contributions, we shall determine their positions at that time." Everyone said, "What the elder brother says is most fitting." On the left side sat Lin Chong, Liu Tang, Ruan the Second, Ruan the Fifth, Ruan the Seventh, Du Qian, Song Wan, Zhu Gui, and Bai Sheng. On the right side, arranged by age and yielding to one another in order, sat Hua Rong, Qin Ming, Huang Xin, Dai Zong, Li Kui, Li Jun, Mu Hong, Zhang Heng, Zhang Shun, Yan Shun, Lü Fang, Guo Sheng, Xiao Rang, Wang the Short Tiger, Xue Yong, Jin Dajian, Mu Chun, Li Li, Ou Peng, Jiang Jing, Tong Wei, Tong Ma, Ma Lin, Shi Yong, Hou Jian, Zheng Tianshou, and Tao Zongwang—in all, forty chieftains were seated. With great blowing of horns and beating of drums, they feasted at the celebration banquet.

Song Jiang spoke of how Governor Cai Jiu of Jiangzhou had fabricated rumors, and told the whole company: "That scoundrel Huang Wenbing—this affair had nothing to do with him at all—yet he babbled wild nonsense before the governor, interpreting the lines: 'Draining the state through Jia-mu'—one who drains the nation's wealth must have the character 'mu' (wood) atop 'jia' (family), which makes 'Song.' 'Soldiers and arms beside Shui-gong'—one who stirs up war must have the three drops of 'shui' (water) beside 'gong' (work), which makes 'Jiang.' These corresponded precisely to Song Jiang himself. The latter two lines read: 'Roving and sweeping across thirty-six, sowing chaos in Shandong.' Together they foretold that Song Jiang would rebel in Shandong. On this basis they arrested me. I did not expect that Director Dai would also deliver a forged letter, and so that scoundrel Huang Wenbing urged the governor to execute me first and report afterward. Had it not been for all you good brothers rescuing me, how could I have arrived here?"

Li Kui leaped to his feet and said: "Brother, you truly match the words from heaven! Though I suffered some hardship, I had the pleasure of carving that thief Huang Wenbing most delightfully. With all the troops we have at hand, why not rebel? What's there to fear? Elder Brother Chao Gai could be the Great Emperor, Brother Song Jiang the Little Elder Brother, Master Wu could be the prime minister, and Priest Gongsun could be the imperial preceptor. We could all become generals, march on the Eastern Capital, seize that wretched throne, and live in bliss there—wouldn't that be better? Isn't that far superior to this wretched watery marsh?"

Director Dai quickly shouted: "You iron-ox fool, what nonsense are you spouting! Now that you've come here, you must not carry on with your Jiangzhou ways. You must obey the words and orders of the two elder brothers, and you are not permitted to babble recklessly or flap your tongue. If you ever speak out of turn again, I'll have your head cut off as a warning to others."

Li Kui said: "Aiya! If you cut off my head, when will another one grow back? I'll just drink wine then."

All the heroes laughed.

Song Jiang then raised the matter of repelling the government troops. He said: "When I first heard this news, I was filled with dread. I never expected that today it would be Song Jiang's turn." Wu Yong said: "Elder Brother, if you had heeded your brothers' words back then and remained on the mountain living in ease, never going to Jiangzhou, how much trouble you would have avoided. All of this was destined by Heaven's decree." Song Jiang said: "Where is that scoundrel Huang An now?" Chao Gai said: "That wretch fell ill and died not two or three months after staying here." Song Jiang sighed deeply. That day they drank and everyone enjoyed themselves to the fullest. Chao Gai first had Mu the Elder and his whole family settled. He ordered Huang Wenbing's household wealth to be brought out and distributed as rewards to the many men who had rendered service. He retrieved the original document satchel and returned it to Director Dai for his use. Director Dai absolutely refused to accept it and insisted it be stored in the treasury for common expenditure. Chao Chao had the many junior bandits pay respects to the new leaders Li Jun and the others, and all were presented. For days on end, the mountain stronghold slaughtered cattle and horses in celebration, but no more of that.

Furthermore, Chao Gai had houses assigned to the heroes on the front and back slopes of the mountain. The stronghold began constructing new dwellings and repairing the walls and fortifications. On the third day, Song Jiang rose from the banquet and said to all the leaders: "Song Jiang has one more important matter to report to all my brothers. I wish to go down the mountain on a journey and request leave for a few days. I do not know whether you will grant it." Chao Gai asked: "Brother, where do you wish to go, and what important business do you have?" Song Jiang, unhurried and composed, named this destination. And so it came to pass that amid forests of spears and blades, he would once more escape with his life; upon mountain ridges and passes, he would bequeath deeds of merit for a thousand years. For it was because of the three volumes of the Dark Maiden's book that these pages of pure fame were preserved. As for where Song Jiang wished to go on this journey, listen to the next chapter.