الفصل الحادي والستون

الفصل الحادي والستون

The monk of Longhua Temple spoke of the "Three Perfections"—the Jade Unicorn Lu Junyi—and told his name to Song Jiang. Wu Yong said, "With my three-inch tongue that never rots, I could go straight to Daming Prefecture and persuade Lu Junyi to join our mountain stronghold as easily as reaching into a bag to fetch something or plucking a thing from one's palm. I only lack a bold and rough companion to go with me." Before he had finished speaking, "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui cried out in a loud voice, "Elder Brother Strategist, I will go with you on this trip!" Song Jiang shouted, "Brother, stay where you are! When it comes to setting fires upwind, killing people downwind, robbing households, and storming cities, then we can use you. This business requires acting as a spy, and your temperament is too rough—you cannot go." Li Kui said, "You all say I am ugly and look down on me, so you don't want me to go." Song Jiang said, "It is not that we look down on you. Nowadays there are many constables in Daming Prefecture. If you are discovered, you will lose your life for nothing." Li Kui cried, "No matter! I am determined to go on this trip." Wu Yong said, "If you agree to three conditions, I will take you. If you do not agree, you will sit in the stronghold." Li Kui said, "Never mind three conditions—even thirty I will agree to!" Wu Yong said, "The first: your love of liquor is like a raging fire. From the day you leave, you must stop drinking, and you may resume only when you return. The second: on the road, you will dress as a Taoist boy and follow me. When I give you an order, you must not disobey. The third is the hardest: starting tomorrow, you must not speak at all—you will act like a mute. If you agree to these three conditions, I will take you." Li Kui said, "Not drinking and dressing as a Taoist boy—I can agree to those. But keeping this mouth shut and not speaking—it will suffocate me!" Wu Yong said, "If you open your mouth, you will bring trouble upon us." Li Kui said, "That's easy! I'll just hold a copper coin in my mouth!" Song Jiang said, "Brother, since you insist on going, if anything goes wrong, do not blame me." Li Kui said, "No matter, no matter! I'll take my two axes with me and hack off a few thousand of their damned heads before I'm done!" The chieftains all laughed, but none could persuade him to stay. That very day, a farewell feast was held in the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness. When evening came, each man went to rest. Early the next morning, Wu Yong packed a bundle of luggage and had Li Kui dress as a Taoist boy. They shouldered their loads and went down the mountain. Song Jiang and the chieftains all saw them off at Golden Sands Beach, repeatedly instructing Wu Yong to be careful and not let Li Kui come to harm. Wu Yong and Li Kui took leave of the others and descended the mountain, while Song Jiang and the rest returned to the stronghold.

Now, Wu Yong and Li Kui made their way toward Daming. After traveling for four or five days, they would put up at an inn each evening and set out again at daybreak. On the road, Wu Yong was driven to exasperation by Li Kui. After several more days of travel, they arrived at an inn outside Daming Prefecture and settled in for the night. That evening, Li Kui went to the kitchen to prepare a meal and punched the inn's waiter so hard that he spat blood. The young waiter came to Wu Yong's room and told him, "Your mute Taoist boy is too vicious. I was a little slow with the fire, and he beat me until I spit blood." Wu Yong hastily apologized to him and gave him a dozen strings of cash to recover, while he inwardly cursed Li Kui—but no more of that. After a night's rest, the next morning they rose and ate some breakfast. Wu Yong called Li Kui into the room and instructed him, "You wretched fellow, you insisted on coming and have tormented me to death along the way! Today we enter the city—this is no place for games. Do not cost me my life!" Li Kui said, "I won't, I won't." Wu Yong said, "I will give you a secret signal. When I shake my head, you must not move." Li Kui agreed.

The two then dressed to enter the city. Wu Yong wore a crepe gauze headscarf of black silk that covered his brows, a white silk Taoist robe with black borders, a multicolored sash of Lü Gong style, and square-toed shoes of blue cloth. In his hand he carried a pair of prayer bells and a copper scepter coated in gold. Li Kui combed up a few bristly strands of yellow hair, tied two topknots with bone pins, and wore a short coarse hemp robe over his tiger-like frame. Around his bear-like waist he fastened a sash of mixed colors, and on his feet he wore mountain-climbing boots that could pierce the earth. He carried a wooden staff taller than himself and bore a paper sign that read: "Fortune-teller—one tael of silver per reading." When Wu Yong and Li Kui had finished dressing, they locked the room, left the inn, and headed for the south gate of Daming. Before they had walked a mile, they caught sight of the city walls. What a magnificent city Daming was! For:

The walls stood high, the ground was fortified, the moat was wide and deep.

Stake barriers encircled it in layers, and sharpened branches bristled on all four sides.

The drum tower was imposing, with colorful banners fluttering everywhere.

The parapet walks were level, lined densely with swords, spears, and halberds.

Its wealth was vast, its people prosperous.

In the eastern and western quarters, music filled the sky; in the northern and southern markets, goods and money covered the ground.

A thousand fierce generals guarded the layered walls; a million common folk dwelt in this great land.

At that time, bandits were rising everywhere in the land, and every prefecture and county had troops stationed for defense. But Daming was the foremost city in Hebei, and furthermore it was commanded by Grand Secretary Liang with a great army. How could it not be arrayed in such imposing order?

Wu Yong and Li Kui staggered along until they reached the city gate, where some forty or fifty soldiers clustered around an officer seated there in charge of the gate. Wu Yong stepped forward and bowed.

The soldiers asked, “From where does this scholar come?”

Wu Yong replied, “This humble scholar’s surname is Zhang, given name Yong. This boy here is surnamed Li. We make our living telling fortunes along the rivers and lakes. We have now come to this great prefecture to cast horoscopes for people.” He produced a forged travel permit from his robes and had the soldiers examine it.

The men said, “This boy’s bird-like eyes look just like a bandit’s when he stares at people!”

Li Kui heard this and was just about to lose his temper, but Wu Yong hastily shook his head, and Li Kui lowered his gaze. Wu Yong stepped forward and said apologetically to the gate soldiers, “It is hard to explain. This boy is both deaf and mute, and possesses nothing but a measure of brute strength. He is a child born in my household, and I had no choice but to bring him along. This wretch has no sense of propriety—please forgive us.”

With that they took their leave. Li Kui followed behind, his feet unsteady, as they made their way toward the marketplace. Wu Yong shook a bell-clapper in his hand and recited a four-line verse:

“Gan Luo achieved greatness early, Jiang Taigong late;

Peng Zu and Yan Hui lived to different fates.

Fan Dan was poor, Shi Chong was rich—

Each man’s eight characters decree his allotted time.”

Wu Yong went on, “It is the hour, the fortune, the fate. I know life, I know death, I know honor, I know low estate. If you wish to inquire about your future, first bestow one tael of silver.”

When he had spoken, he shook the bell-clapper again. Some fifty or sixty children in the city of Daming Prefecture followed along, laughing as they watched. They happened to pass right before the pawnshop gate of Squire Lu, where Wu Yong sang to himself and laughed, then left and came back again, the children raising a great commotion.

Squire Lu was seated in the main hall of the pawnshop, watching his managers handle the day’s business. Hearing the clamor in the street, he called to his steward, “Why is there such a commotion in the street?”

The steward reported, “Master, it is really amusing! There is a fortune-teller from somewhere else doing business on the street, asking one tael of silver for a reading—who would be willing to spend that? Behind him follows a boy who looks positively ghastly, and he walks without any proper form at all. We have been following them around laughing.”

Lu Junyi said, “One who makes such bold claims must possess great learning. Steward, go invite him here.”

The steward hurried over and called out, “Sir, the Squire requests your presence.”

Wu Yong asked, “Who is it that invites me?”

The steward said, “Squire Lu invites you.”

Wu Yong and the boy followed him back, lifting the curtain and entering the main hall. He told Li Kui to sit and wait on a goose-neck chair. Wu Yong turned forward to see Squire Lu. What manner of man was he? A *Man Ting Fang* verse bears witness:

His eyes shine with double pupils, his brows divide in eight-character lines,

His body stands nine feet tall, bright as silver.

Awe-inspiring is his mien, his bearing like a celestial being.

He wields a single staff with practiced skill,

A guardian dragon whose art has no equal.

In the capital his family is known for purity and honor,

Generations of wealth flow through his ancestral gate.

On the battlefield facing the enemy,

He charges through ten thousand horses and sweeps back a thousand troops.

Still more, a loyalty that pierces the sun,

A heroic spirit that rises above the clouds.

Generous, open-handed, and righteous,

His fame spreads across the whole world.

This Squire Lu is called by the double name Junyi,

And bears the sobriquet “Jade Qilin.”

Then Wu Yong stepped forward and bowed. Lu Junyi returned the bow with a slight inclination and asked, "Where is your honored hometown, sir? What is your noble name?" Wu Yong replied, "This humble scholar is surnamed Zhang, given name Yong, and I style myself Tantian Kou, 'Talker of Heaven.' My ancestral home is in Shandong. I am versable in the Imperial Pole Primeval Number and can fathom the life, death, nobility, and lowliness of men. One tael of silver is my fee for telling your fortune." Lu Junyi invited him into the small chamber in the inner hall. They took their seats as host and guest. After tea had been served, he ordered his steward to fetch a tael of silver and presented it as payment: "I trouble you to examine my destiny, sir." Wu Yong said, "Please tell me your year, month, day, and hour of birth." Lu Junyi said, "Sir, a gentleman asks about disaster, not about good fortune. There is no need to speak of my wealth. I only ask you to calculate my current fortunes. I am thirty-two this year. My birth year is Jiazi, the month Yichou, the day Bingyin, the hour Dingmao." Wu Yong took out an iron counting frame, arranged the rods on the table, calculated for a while, then slapped the frame on the table and cried out, "Strange indeed!" Lu Junyi, startled, asked, "What fortune or misfortune does my destiny hold?" Wu Yong said, "If you will not take offense, I shall speak plainly." Lu Junyi said, "I ask only that you point out the way for one who is lost. Speak freely, I beg you." Wu Yong said, "Your destiny, sir, holds that within a hundred days you will suffer a disaster of blood and fire. Your estate cannot be preserved, and you will die by the blade of a sword." Lu Junyi laughed and said, "You are mistaken, sir. I was born in Daming Prefecture and raised in a house of great wealth. Among my ancestors there has been no man who broke the law, and among my kin there has been no woman who remarried. Moreover, I am cautious in all I do—I commit no act contrary to principle, and I take no wealth that is not mine. How could I suffer a disaster of blood and fire?" Wu Yong changed countenance, hastily returned the silver, rose to leave, and sighed as he spoke: "So the whole world wants nothing but flattery and fawning! Enough, enough! I clearly point out the level plain road, yet he takes loyal words as slander. This humble scholar takes his leave." Lu Junyi said, "Be not angered, sir. My earlier words were meant only in jest. I am willing to hear your guidance." Wu Yong said, "I spoke plainly; I pray you take no offense!" Lu Junyi said, "I shall listen with all my attention. I pray you conceal nothing." Wu Yong said, "Your destiny, sir, has always traveled on good fortune. But this year your star offends the Year Lord, and you have crossed into a malignant limit. Within a hundred days, your corpse will lie in a strange place. This is allotted by your birth and cannot be escaped." Lu Junyi said, "Can it be averted?" Wu Yong once more worked the iron counting rods and then replied, "Only by going a thousand li to the southeast, to the Xun direction, can you avoid this great calamity. There will be some alarm and fear, but no great harm to your person." Lu Junyi said, "If this calamity can be averted, I shall reward you richly." Wu Yong said, "There are four lines of a hexagram song in your destiny. I shall speak them for you, sir, and you may write them on the wall. When they are fulfilled in days to come, you will know that this humble scholar's divination was true." Lu Junyi ordered ink and brush to be brought and went to write on the whitewashed wall. Wu Yong recited the four lines:

*"Among the reed flowers, a single small boat,*

*A hero will journey from this spot.*

*If a righteous man can grasp this truth,*

*He may turn and flee from harm without distress."*

When Lu Junyi had finished writing, Wu Yong gathered up his counting frame, bowed, and prepared to depart. Lu Junyi urged him, "Stay a little, sir. Take your midday meal before you go." Wu Yong replied, "I am most grateful for your kindness, but I have delayed my trade of fortune-telling. Another day I will come to pay my respects." With that he rose and took his leave. Lu Junyi escorted him to the gate. Li Kui took up his staff and walked out. Wu Yong, having taken leave of Lu Junyi, led Li Kui straight out of the city. They returned to their inn, paid for the room and meals, and packed their baggage. Li Kui shouldered the fortune-telling placards, they left the inn, and Wu Yong said to Li Kui, "The great matter is accomplished! We must hurry back to the stronghold by day and night, arrange our snare and prepare our devices to welcome Lu Junyi. He will come before long!"

But let us leave Wu Yong and Li Kui returning to the stronghold and speak rather of Lu Junyi. Ever since the fortune-telling, his heart had been torn as if by knives, and he could neither sit nor rest in peace. It was fated that the Stars of Heaven's Might should gather, and having heard the words of the diviner, he could not endure even a single day. He ordered his steward to summon all his managers to discuss affairs. Soon they assembled. The chief steward who managed his private affairs was surnamed Li, given name Gu. This Li Gu was originally from Dongjing. He had come to Daming Prefecture seeking an acquaintance but found none, and collapsed from the cold before Lu Junyi's door. Lu Junyi saved his life and kept him in his household. Finding him diligent and trustworthy, able to write and calculate, he had him manage the household affairs. Within five years he promoted him to chief steward. All the household affairs, inside and outside, were in his hands. Under him were forty or fifty managers of finance and business. Throughout the household he was called Manager Li. That day, all the stewards, great and small, followed Li Gu to the hall and made their obeisance.

Lu Junyi looked them over and said, "How is it that I do not see that certain person?" Scarcely had he finished speaking when a man walked across the front of the steps. Observe:

*Above six chi in height, some twenty-four or twenty-five years of age,*

*Fine whiskers covering the mouth, a very narrow waist and broad shoulders.*

*He wore a melon-heart gathered-top cap, a white robe of silver-thread gauze with a round collar,*

*A spider-red silk sash at the waist, and a pair of yellowish leather padded boots.*

*Behind his head a pair of gold rings with beast-head ornaments, a scented silk kerchief protecting his neck,*

*A famous scholar's fan thrust at his waist, and four-season flowers always tucked beside his temples.*

This man was a native of Beijing. Both his parents had died when he was young, and he had been raised in the household of Squire Lu. Because his skin was as white as snow-tested silk, Lu Junyi had commissioned a master craftsman to tattoo his entire body with flowers, so that he looked like a jade pavilion pillar draped with soft emerald. If one were to compete in exposing fine skin, no matter who it was, they would lose to him. Not only was his tattooed body magnificent, but he could also play musical instruments, sing, dance, crack word puzzles, compose chain-verse, and perform linked-rhyme poetry—there was nothing he could not do, nothing he did not know. He could also speak the dialects of every region and understood the jargon of every trade and craft. Moreover, his martial skills were unmatched by anyone: carrying a bow from Sichuan and using just three short arrows, he would shoot small game in the countryside and never miss—wherever an arrow flew, its target fell. When he entered the city at night, he would have killed no fewer than a hundred or so insects and ants. If there were an archery competition or a shooting contest, the prize would certainly be his. Furthermore, he was utterly clever and sharp-witted, grasping the beginning from the end. His surname was Yan, and he was the eldest son, his given name being Qing. The people of Beijing, by common consent, called him "The Rake" Yan Qing. There was once a lyric to the tune "Qin Yuan Chun" that described Yan Qing's fine qualities, which read:

His lips were rouged like vermilion, his eyes lacquered like dots of ink, his face piled with jade-like beauty.

He had an extraordinary martial bearing, aspirations reaching beyond the clouds, and a naturally gifted intelligence.

His bearing was naturally open and aboveboard—on Mount Liang, he was truly esteemed for his abilities.

He could sing the ancient melodies of Yizhou, his voice echoing and lingering around the rafters.

Indeed he was a master of the arts, the foremost figure amid the pleasures of the world.

Listen to the clappers and drums rising like clouds, the sheng pipes sounding bright and clear, freely expressing deep sentiments.

His staves and cudgels were formidable, his fists flying and feet darting, striking fear through the four hundred prefectures.

All admired this heroic leader—"The Rake" Yan Qing.

Now this Yan Qing was a trusted servant in Lu Junyi's household. He too had been announced in the main hall and now stood in two rows. Li Gu stood on the left, and Yan Qing stood on the right.

Lu Junyi spoke, saying, "Last night I had my fortune told, and I was told that I would suffer a hundred days of bloodshed and disaster. The only remedy is to travel over a thousand li to the southeast to hide from it. I recall that in the southeast there is a place called Tai'an Prefecture, where stands the Golden Hall of the Saintly Emperor of the Eastern Peak, who governs the life, death, and calamities of all the people under heaven. First, I wish to go there and burn incense to avert disaster and purge my sins; second, to escape this calamity; and third, to conduct some business and see the sights of distant lands. Li Gu, arrange for ten covered wagons and load them with ten cartloads of Shandong goods. Then pack your luggage and accompany me on this journey. Yan Qing, my little Yi, you will look after the household. Hand over the keys to the storehouses to Li Gu today. I shall set out within three days."

Li Gu said, "Master, you are mistaken. As the saying goes: 'Fortune-tellers and diviners twist their words around.' Do not listen to the wild talk of that fortune-teller. Stay at home—what is there to fear?"

Lu Junyi said, "It is already written in my fate. You must not go against me. If disaster comes, it will be too late for regrets."

Yan Qing said, "Master, if you would hear this servant's foolish words: the road to Tai'an Prefecture in Shandong passes right by the edge of Liangshan Marsh. In recent years, that marsh has been the stronghold of a band of robbers led by Song Jiang, who plunder and loot there, and the government troops cannot catch them. If the Master wishes to burn incense, wait until things are peaceful before going. Do not believe the wild talk of that fortune-teller from last night. He may well be one of the villains from Liangshan Marsh, disguised as a yin-yang master to deceive the Master. What a pity that I was not at home last night. Had I been there, I would have cross-examined that gentleman with a few words and turned his lies inside out—that would have been a good laugh."

Lu Junyi said, "None of you speak nonsense. Who would dare try to swindle me? Those bandit men and women of Liangshan Marsh—what do I care about them? I regard them as mere weeds. I am determined to go there on purpose to capture them, to display the martial skills I have acquired these days and make my name known throughout the land—that would be a true man!"

Before he had finished speaking, his wife came out from behind the screen. She was Madam Lu, surnamed Jia, twenty-five years of age, who had been married to Lu Junyi for just five years. Madam Jia said, "Husband, I have been listening to you for some time. As the saying goes: 'A li beyond the door is not worth a foot within it.' Do not listen to the fortune-teller's wild talk, abandon this vast household property, and risk danger and fear to do business in a tiger's den or a dragon's pool. You should stay at home, purify your heart and reduce your desires, sit quietly in peace, and naturally nothing will happen."

Lu Junyi said, "What does a woman understand? Better to believe that it exists than to believe it does not. Since ancient times, disasters have come from the mouths of teachers and prophets, and they invariably foretell good or ill fortune. I have made my decision—none of you may say another word!"

Yan Qing spoke again: "This servant has enjoyed the Master's blessing and learned some staff techniques. Not to boast, but if I accompanied the Master on this journey, and some bandits should appear along the road, I could send thirty or fifty of them packing. Let Manager Li stay to watch the house, and this servant will attend the Master on the journey."

Lu Junyi said: "It is precisely because I do not understand business that I must take Li Gu with me. He understands it well and lends me the greater part of my strength in that regard. That is why I am leaving you at home to keep watch. There are others to manage the accounts—I only ask you to act as overseer."

Li Gu said again: "This servant have recently been suffering from an ailment of the feet and cannot walk very far."

When Lu Junyi heard this, he flew into a rage. "Maintain an army for a thousand days, and use it for a single morning! I want you to accompany me on this journey, and you come up with all these excuses. If anyone else tries to stop me, let him taste the flavor of my fists."

Li Gu turned pale with fright. None of the others dared say another word, and they all dispersed.

Li Gu could only swallow his anger and make arrangements for the luggage himself. He procured ten large covered wagons, hired ten porters, and some forty or fifty draft animals to pull the carts. The luggage was loaded and securely lashed in place. Lu Junyi himself saw to his own preparations. On the third day, he offered sacrifices to the gods of fortune and distributed parting gifts to all the men and women of the household, giving each of them their instructions. That evening he had Li Gu lead two of the household servants to go ahead and make all the necessary preparations before leaving the city. After Li Gu had gone, his wife watched the wagons depart and left with tears streaming down her face.

At the fifth watch the next morning, Lu Junyi rose, bathed, and put on a fresh set of clothes. After breakfast, he gathered his weapons and went to the rear hall to take his leave of the ancestral spirits. Just before setting out, he said to his wife: "Take good care of the house. At most I shall be gone three months; at the least, forty or fifty days, and then I'll return." Lady Jia said: "Husband, take care on your journey, and send letters home often." When she had finished speaking, Yan Qing knelt before him. Lu Junyi instructed him: "Xiao Yi, while I am away, be diligent in all matters, and do not go gallivanting about the pleasure quarters and gambling dens." Yan Qing replied: "Since my lord is making this journey, how dare I be negligent?"

Lu Junyi took up his staff and made his way outside the city walls. There is a poem that speaks of Lu Junyi's fine staff:

Hung upon the wall, it puts the snow on the cliff to shame;

Propping up heaven and earth, it makes the wild gale tremble.

Though it bears no fangs or claws upon its frame,

It is the tailless dragon that rises from the Ba River's bed.

Li Gu came to meet him, and Lu Junyi said: "You may take two attendants ahead with you. Whenever you find a clean inn, have a meal prepared and waiting. When the wagons and porters arrive, they can eat straightaway, so as not to delay our journey." Li Gu also took up a staff and departed with the two attendants. Lu Junyi followed with several household servants, escorting the wagons. He saw that along the road the mountains were bright and the waters lovely, the paths broad and the slopes gentle, and his heart rejoiced. "If I had stayed at home," he thought, "how could I have witnessed such scenery!" After traveling some forty li, Li Gu came to meet his master again. They ate a midday meal, and then Li Gu went on ahead once more. They proceeded another forty or fifty li and arrived at an inn, where Li Gu had already arranged lodging and provisions for the wagons and men. Lu Junyi went to his room, leaned his staff against the wall, hung up his felt hat, unbuckled his waist sash, and changed his socks and shoes. The lodging and meals need not be described. At dawn the next morning they lit the fire and cooked breakfast. After the meal, they loaded the wagons and draft animals and set out on the road again.

From then on they traveled by day and rested at night, and several days passed. They arrived at an inn to spend the night. When morning came and they were about to depart, the innkeeper said to Lu Junyi: "I must inform you, sir: within twenty li of my inn, the road passes right by the entrance to Liangshan Marsh. The chieftain Song Jiang on the mountain, though he does not harm passing travelers, you must slip by quietly and make no great commotion." Lu Junyi replied: "So that is the situation." He ordered his servants to bring down the trunks, unlock them, and take out a package from inside. From the package he produced four white silk flags. He asked the innkeeper for four bamboo poles, and tied one flag to each pole. On each flag, written in characters the size of a large basket, were these lines:

I am the generous Lu Junji of Daliang,

Bearing goods far from my native land.

My sole desire is to seize these bandits,

And thus prove the ambition of a true man.

When Li Gu and the others saw this, they all cried out in distress. The innkeeper asked: "Sir, are you perhaps related to Chieftain Song on the mountain?" Lu Junyi said: "I am a wealthy man from Daliang—what relation could I have with these thieves? I have come specifically to seize that scoundrel Song Jiang!" The innkeeper said: "Sir, speak more softly! Do not involve me in this—it is no joking matter! Even if you had ten thousand men, you could not get near him." Lu Junyi shouted: "Nonsense! You people are all in league with those bandits!" The innkeeper cried out in misery, and the wagon drivers stood dumbfounded. Li Gu knelt on the ground and pleaded: "Master, take pity on us and spare our lives so we may return home—that would be better than performing the greatest of rituals!" Lu Junyi roared: "What do you understand! These are mere sparrows—how dare they rank with swans? All my life I have mastered my skills, but never found a worthy buyer. Now fortune has granted me this opportunity—if I do not seize it here, when shall I? In the sacks on my wagon, I have already prepared a bag of hemp ropes. If these bandits, destined for death, fall into my hands, I will cut them down one by one with my saber, and you men will bind them and load them onto the wagons. Never mind the goods—we will abandon the cargo and take the men instead. I will bring this bandit chief to the capital to claim my reward, and thus fulfill the ambition of my life. If any one of you refuses to go, I will kill you here and now." Four wagons were placed in front, each bearing one of the silk flags, and the six remaining wagons followed behind. Li Gu and the others wept and sobbed, but they had no choice but to obey him. Lu Junyi took out his saber and fitted it to the end of his staff, securing it firmly with three prongs, and drove the wagons toward the road to Liangshan Marsh. When Li Gu and the others saw the rugged mountain path, they grew more frightened with every step, but Lu Junyi urged them onward without pause. They had set out at dawn and by the hour of the si (around ten in the morning) they could see in the distance a vast forest with thousands of enormous trees, their trunks too thick for a man's arms to encircle. Just as they reached the edge of the woods, a whistle sounded, and Li Gu and his two attendants were thrown into a panic, not knowing where to hide. Lu Junyi ordered the wagons to be drawn to one side. The drivers all cowered beneath the wagons, crying out in fear. Lu Junyi shouted: "When I have cut them down, you men will bind them for me!" Before he had finished speaking, some five hundred little bandits emerged from the woods. Then, at the sound of gongs behind them, another five hundred blocked the rear. A cannon burst from the earth within the forest, and out leaped a band of fine heroes. What did they look like? But listen:

A crimson headband with gold flowers trailing at a slant;

An iron helmet with phoenix crest, a brocade robe embroidered fine.

Blood-stained whiskers, a tiger's ferocity, savage and fierce;

A pair of great axes—all who saw them were struck dumb.

At that moment, Li Kui gripped his twin axes and cried out in a stern, loud voice: "Master Lu, do you recognize the mute boy acolyte?" Lu Junyi started, then roared, "I have long had it in my heart to come and seize you bandits! Today I have come here specially. Quickly tell that knave Song Jiang to come down the mountain and submit! If he persists in his folly, in a moment's time I will see every one of you dead—not a single soul spared!" Li Kui laughed broadly and said, "Sir, today you have fallen into the clever scheme of our military advisor. Come quickly and take a seat in the armchair of honor!" Lu Junyi flew into a rage, raised his broad-blade saber, and came at Li Kui. Li Kui swung up his twin axes to meet him. The two fought no more than three bouts before Li Kui leaped clean out of the fray, turned, and ran toward the woods. Lu Junyi leveled his broad-blade saber and gave chase. Li Kui darted east and west among the thick trees and brush. He lured Lu Junyi into such a frenzy that the master took a great stride and plunged into the woods. Li Kui fled swiftly into a tangle of wild pines. Lu Junyi chased through to the other side of the woods, but not a single person was in sight. He was just about to turn back when he heard a group of men emerge from beside the pine grove. One of them shouted at the top of his lungs: "Sir, do not run off! Do you know me?" Lu Junyi looked and saw it was a stout, burly monk wearing a black straight-cut robe, an iron staff carried reversed in his hand. Lu Junyi roared, "Where are you from, monk!" Lu Zhishen laughed loudly and said, "This monk is Lu Zhishen, the 'Flowery Monk.' By order of the military advisor, I have been sent to welcome you up the mountain." Lu Junxi, vexed beyond measure, cursed: "Bald ass, how dare you be so insolent!" He seized his precious saber and went straight for the monk. Lu Zhishen swung up his iron staff to meet him. The two fought no more than three bouts before Lu Zhishen parried the broad-blade saber and turned to flee. Lu Junxi went after him; but even as he pursued, from among the bandits there stepped out the Pilgrim Wu Song, brandishing two broad-blade monk's knives, and came charging straight at him. Lu Junyi abandoned the monk and came to fight Wu Song. Again no more than three bouts passed before Wu Song picked up his feet and fled. Lu Junyi laughed loudly: "I shall not chase you. Such rabble as you are beneath contempt!" He had barely finished speaking when he saw a man on the slope below calling out: "Master Lu, how can you not understand? Have you never heard the saying, 'Men fear a fall into a trap, iron fears a fall into the furnace'? The plan was laid by our elder brother. Where do you think you can flee?" Lu Junyi roared, "Who are you, knave?" The man laughed and said: "Your humble servant is Liu Tang, the 'Red-Haired Devil.'" Lu Junyi cursed: "Weedy bandit, don't you run!" He leveled his broad-blade saber and went straight at Liu Tang. They had fought barely three bouts when someone from a diagonal direction bellowed: "The hero Mu Hong, the 'Nothing Can Hold Him,' is here!" At once Liu Tang and Mu Hong, each with a broad-blade saber, attacked Lu Junyi together. Even as they fought—no more than three bouts—Lu Junyi heard footsteps behind him. He shouted "Take that!" and Liu Tang and Mu Hong leaped back several paces. Lu Junyi turned to fight the hero behind him, who turned out to be Li Ying, the 'Wood Pecking Hawk.' The three chieftains surrounded him in the shape of the character 丁, yet Lu Junxi was not in the least flustered—the more he fought, the stronger he became. They were fighting on foot when a single clash of a gong sounded from the mountaintop. The three chieftains each feigned a weakness, then together picked up their feet and departed. Lu Junyi had fought up a foul sweat and did not pursue them. He returned to the edge of the woods to look for his wagons and companions, but the ten carts, his men, and the horses and oxen—all had vanished. Lu Junyi climbed to a high mound and gazed out in every direction. Far off, on a hillside below, a band of small bandits was driving the wagons and livestock ahead, while Li Gu and his men were bound together in a long string behind them, gongs beating and drums pounding, being escorted toward the pine trees.

Lu Junyi saw them, his heart burning with fury and his rage rising like smoke. He gripped his broad knife and gave chase straight away. When he had gone not far from the hillside, he saw two good men cry out: "Where do you think you're going!" One was the Beautiful Beard Zhu Tong, the other the Winged Tiger Lei Heng. Seeing them, Lu Junyi shouted at the top of his voice: "You band of grass thieves, return my carts, goods, and servants at once!" Zhu Tong stroked his long beard and laughed loudly. "Master Lu, are you still so blind to the situation? You've fallen for our marshal's clever scheme. Even if you grew wings on your ribs, you couldn't fly your way out. Come quickly to the great stronghold and take a seat of honor."

Lu Junyi flew into a rage, raised his broad knife, and charged straight at the two. Zhu Tong and Lei Heng each met him with their weapons. After no more than three exchanges, the two turned and fled. Lu Junyi thought to himself: "I must overtake and overthrow one of them before I can recover my carts." He risked his life and chased them around the hillside, but the two good men had vanished. He heard only drums and pipes and flutes from the mountaintop. Looking up, he saw the wind unfurl that apricot-yellow banner, embroidered with the four characters "Act in Heaven's Name." Turning to look in another direction, he saw beneath a red silk canopy with gold-threaded trim, Song Jiang seated, with Wu Yong on his left and Gongsun Sheng on his right. His retinue of over two hundred men all bowed and said in unison: "Master Lu, we trust you have been well since we last met!" Seeing this, Lu Junyi grew even more furious and shouted abuse up at the mountain. Wu Yong tried to calm him: "Master Lu, please contain your anger. Song Gongqi has long admired your illustrious name. He specially sent me, Wu Yong, to come in person to your gate and invite you to join us on the mountain, so that together we may act in Heaven's name. I beg you not to take offense."

Lu Junyi cursed loudly: "Wretched grass thieves, how dare you trick me!" From behind Song Jiang stepped Hua Rong, the "Little Li Guang," who nocked an arrow to his bow, fixed his gaze on Lu Junyi, and shouted: "Master Lu, don't try to show off your prowess! Let me first show you the divine archery of Hua Rong!" The words were still on his lips when *whoosh*—an arrow struck the red tassel on Lu Junyi's felt hat right on his head. Startled, he turned and fled. The drums on the mountain shook the earth. He saw Qin Ming, the "Thunderbolt," and Lin Cui, the "Panther Head," leading a detachment of troops, waving banners and shouting, charging out from the east side of the mountain. Then he saw Huyan Zhuo, the General of the Twin Whips, and Xu Ning, the Golden Spear Hand, also leading a detachment of troops, waving banners and shouting, charging out from the west side of the mountain. Lu Junyi was so terrified that he had nowhere to turn. The sky was growing dark, his feet ached, and his stomach was empty. In his panic, he chose any road at all and followed only a narrow mountain path. It was around dusk. Smoke veiled the distant waters, mist locked the deep mountains, and the stars and moon shone dimly—he could not distinguish the thickets. As he pressed on, just when he thought there could be no further road and no further land, he found himself at the head of Duck's Beak Shore. When he looked, all he could see before him was boundless reed flowers and vast, misty water. Lu Junyi gazed up at the sky and sighed: "I would not listen to good counsel, and today I have indeed met with disaster."

Even as he was consumed with distress, he saw a fisherman among the reed beds, rowing out in a small boat. The fisherman leaned on his oar and called out: "Sir, you have a lot of nerve! This is a place where the Liangshan Marsh outlaws appear and vanish. How have you come here in the middle of the night?" Lu Junyi said: "I have lost my way and cannot find lodging for the night. Please save me!" The fisherman said: "There is a market town a great distance from here—it would take more than thirty *li* by land, and the roads are tangled and hard to follow. But by water it is only three or five *li* away. If you will give me ten strings of cash, I will ferry you across in my boat." Lu Junyi said: "If you can ferry me across and I find an inn in the market town, I will give you extra silver." The fisherman rowed his boat to the shore, helped Lu Junyi aboard, and pushed off with his iron pole. After they had traveled about three or five *li* across the water, they heard the sound of oars from the reed beds ahead, and a small boat came flying toward them. There were two men in it. The one in front, stark naked, held a water pole. The one in the stern worked the oars. The man in front leveled his pole and sang a mountain song:

*Born never to read the classics,*

*I'll just make my home in Liangshan Marsh.*

*I'll set spring bows to shoot fierce tigers,*

*I'll lay sweet bait to hook the giant turtle.*

Hearing this, Lu Junyi was alarmed and dared not make a sound. Then he heard two more men in the reed beds to his right, also rowing out a small boat. The one in the stern worked the oars with a creaking sound. The man in front leveled his pole and also sang a mountain song:

*Heaven and Earth gave me a rascal's body,*

*My nature has always been to toy with killing men.*

*Ten thousand taels of gold I hold no love for—*

*My sole desire is to capture the Jade Qilin.*

Hearing this, Lu Junyi could only cry out in despair. Then he saw a small boat from the middle of the water, rowing toward them as fast as flying. A man stood at the bow, holding an iron-tipped wooden pole upside down, and he too sang a mountain song:

*A small boat among the reed flowers,*

*A man of talent has come by chance to these waters.*

*If a righteous man can understand this principle,*

*Turning back, he may escape disaster without sorrow.*

The song concluded, and all three boats cried out in unison. In the middle was Ruan Xiao'er, to the left Ruan Xiao'wu, and to the right Ruan Xiao'qi. The three small boats bore down together. Lu Junyi heard them and alarm rose within his heart. Reflecting that he himself could not swim, he called out repeatedly to the fisherman: "Quickly bring my boat to shore!" The fisherman burst into loud laughter and said to Lu Junyi, "Above is the blue sky; below is the green water. I was born on the Xunyang River and have come up to Liangshan Marsh. I do not change my name at the third watch, nor my surname at the fourth watch. I am the man known by the nickname 'Dragon Who Muddles the Rivers,' Li Jun! If the Honorable Sir still refuses to surrender, I will be sending you to your death in vain!" Lu Junyi was greatly startled and cried out with a shout: "Either you die, or I do!" Grasping his saber, he thrust it toward Li Jun's heart. Li Jun, seeing the saber coming, held fast to his sculling board, turned a back somersault, and plunged into the water with a splash. The boat spun round and round on the surface of the water, and the saber was thrust down into the water as well. Then a figure emerged from beneath the water at the stern of the boat and cried out—it was "White Streak in the Waves" Zhang Shun. He seized the stern of the boat with his hands, trod the churning waves with his feet, and capsized the vessel. The boat turned bottom-up, and the hero was cast into the water. Indeed it was a plot to trap the phoenix and chain the dragon, a snare laid for a man who shook heaven and earth. What would become of Lu Junyi's life? Listen to the next chapter for the explanation.