الفصل الخامس والستون

الفصل الخامس والستون

Here is the translation:

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It was said that in Song Jiang's army, because of that heavy snowfall, Wu Yong had devised this stratagem, and thus they captured Su Chao amidst the remainder of the enemy cavalry fled into the city and reported that Su Chao had been taken prisoner. Upon hearing this news, Liang Shizhong could not help but panic. He issued orders commanding all his generals to hold fast to the city and on no account to engage in battle outside. He had wanted to execute Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu, yet feared that doing so would only enrage Song Jiang, and since the court had no troops to send as reinforcements, disaster would come all the sooner. He had no choice but to have the two men kept under close guard and to send another report to the capital, leaving it to Grand Tutor Cai to decide.

As for Song Jiang, upon arriving at his encampment, he sat down in the central command tent. The men who had lain in ambush had already brought Su Chao before him. Song Jiang was overjoyed at the sight. He ordered the soldiers to withdraw, personally untied Su Chao's bonds, and invited him into the tent. He offered him wine and treated him with courtesy, speaking to him with kind words: "You see, the greater part of my brothers were all officers of the imperial army. It is because the court is unenlightened, allowing corrupt officials to hold power, with venal clerks exercising authority and cruelly oppressing the good people. All of them are willing to assist Song Jiang in carrying out Heaven's justice. If the general does not disdain us, join us in making loyalty and righteousness our guiding principle." Yang Zhi stepped forward and paid his respects separately, then spoke to him at length in persuasion. Su Chao was, after all, one of the stars of the Heavenly Firmament, and so naturally he came around and surrendered to Song Jiang. That night wine was set out in the tent to celebrate.

The next day they deliberated on attacking the city. They assaulted it for several days in succession but could not break through. Song Jiang was deeply troubled. That night he lay down to rest in the tent, and suddenly a dark wind rustled and a chill pressed upon him. Song Jiang raised his head and saw Chao Gai, the Heavenly King, as if about to advance yet hesitating, calling out: "Brother, if you do not return, when will you?" He stood before him. Song Jiang was startled and hastily rose to ask: "Where does my elder brother come from? Your wrongful death has not yet been avenged, and day and night my heart is uneasy. In the past I have not made offerings to you, and so you have shown your spirit—surely you must reproach me." Chao Gai said: "It is not for this. Brother, you stand too far back—the force of your living energy presses upon me and I cannot draw near. I have come specially to tell you: you, good brother, have a calamity of blood and disaster lasting a hundred days, and only the Earthly Spirit Star of Jiangnan can cure it. You must withdraw your troops soon—this is the best plan." Song Jiang wished to ask for more details and rushed forward saying: "My elder brother's spirit has come here—I beg you to speak truthfully." But Chao Gai gave him a push, and with a start he awoke—it had been nothing but a dream of Nanke. He then ordered a junior officer to summon the military adviser to interpret the dream. Wu Yong came to the central command tent, and Song Jiang told him of the strange matter. Wu Yong said: "Since the Heavenly King Chao has shown his sacred presence, we cannot disregard his words. At present the weather is bitterly cold and the ground is frozen—it is difficult for the army to remain here long. Let us temporarily return to the mountain. We will wait until winter has passed and spring begins, when the snow has melted and the ice has thawed. Then we can come back to attack the city, and it will not be too late." Song Jiang said: "What the military adviser says is most fitting. But Brother Lu and Brother Shi Xiu are imprisoned in bonds, enduring days that feel like years, looking only to us brothers to rescue them. If we do not return, I truly fear those wretches will take their lives. This matter puts us in a difficult position, whether to advance or retreat."

Before they could reach a decision, the next day Song Jiang felt his spirit weary and his body ached. His head felt as though it had been split with an axe, his body as though it were being steamed in a cage, and he lay down unable to rise. All the chieftains came to his side to see him. Song Jiang said: "I feel a terrible burning pain on my back." When the others looked, they saw it had swollen up red and inflamed like a griddle. Wu Yong said: "This ailment is either a carbuncle or a deep-rooted ulcer. I have read medical texts that say mung bean paste can protect the heart and prevent the poison from invading. Let us buy this and prepare it for our brother to eat." At the same time he sent for a doctor to treat him, but the condition would not improve. Then it was that Zhang Shun, the White Stripe in the Waves, said: "When I was at the Xunyang River in the past, my mother suffered from a back ailment that no medicine could cure. Later we summoned An Daoquan from Jiankang Prefecture, and he cured it with a single treatment. From then on, whenever I obtained a little silver, I would send it to him. Now seeing my elder brother with such an illness, the road to the east is long, and we cannot get there quickly. For my elder brother's sake, I must go there by night and day to respectfully invite him to come." Wu Yong said: "Our elder brother dreamed that the Heavenly King Chao said: 'A calamity of a hundred days—only the Earthly Spirit Star of Jiangnan can cure it.' Could it be that this is the very man?" Song Jiang said: "Brother, if you know this man, quickly bring him to me. Do not refuse the hardship—make righteousness your highest priority, go swiftly by night and day to invite this man, and save my life." Wu Yong had one hundred taels of gold in the shape of garlic strips fetched for the doctor, along with twenty or thirty taels of loose silver for travel expenses, and instructed Zhang Shun: "Go now without delay. Do whatever it takes to bring him back with you—do not fail in this. I will now break camp and return to the mountain, and we will meet at the mountain stronghold. Brother, make all haste." Zhang Shun took leave of the others, shouldered his pack, and set off.

Now it was said that Military Adviser Wu Yong issued orders to all the generals: "For now, let us withdraw the troops and cease fighting to return to the mountain." A cart carried Song Jiang, and they set out that night. Within the city of Daming, having previously fallen for the ambush stratagem, they suspected only that it was a ruse to lure them and dared not pursue. The next day, when Liang Shizhong received the report, he said: "What their intentions are, going off like that, we cannot know." Li Cheng and Wen Da said: "That fellow Wu Yong is full of cunning schemes. We must hold fast to the city and not pursue them."

Let the narrative divide here. As for Zhang Shun, to save Song Jiang he hastened on by night and day. It was the end of winter—if no rain fell, then snow did, and the road was exceedingly difficult. What was more, he had been in such haste that he had not brought any rain gear. After traveling for more than ten days, he drew near the bank of the Yangtze River. That day a great north wind blew, frozen clouds hung low, and flurry upon flurry, a whole sky of snow came down. Zhang Shun braved the wind and snow, desperate to cross the great river, risking his life to go forward. Though the scene was desolate, the river itself possessed its own special kind of pure beauty, as testified to by this lyric to the tune of "West River Moon":

A lone wild goose cries amid the freezing clouds,

A cold crow circles above the withered trees.

Snow falls in the air like pear blossoms—

Flakes of jade flutter and scatter in wild profusion.

White wine banners weighed down along the bridge,

Silver thatch covering the fishing boats at the ferry.

Two or three households dimly seen in the village ahead,

A scene worthy of a painting as evening falls upon the river.

Zhang Shun hastened alone to the bank of the Yangzi River and looked for a ferryboat, but there was not a single one to be seen. He could only cry out in distress. He walked along the riverbank and saw smoke rising from among the withered reeds and broken rushes. Zhang Shun called out, "Boatman, quickly bring a ferry to carry me across!" There was a rustling sound among the reeds, and a man came out wearing a bamboo-leaf hat and a straw rain cape. He asked, "Where does the passenger wish to go?"

Zhang Shun said, "I need to cross the river. I have urgent business at Jiankang Prefecture. I'll give you extra for the fare—just ferry me across."

The boatman said, "I don't mind carrying you, but it's late today. Even if we cross, there's nowhere to rest. You can sleep in my boat. When the fourth watch comes, with calm winds and a bright moon, I'll ferry you across. Just pay me a bit more."

Zhang Shun said, "That makes sense." He then followed the boatman into the reeds. At the edge of the shoal, he saw a small boat tied up. Beneath the mat awning, a thin young lad was warming himself by a fire. The boatman helped Zhang Shun down into the boat. They went into the cabin, and Zhang Shun took off his wet clothes and had the young lad dry them by the fire. Zhang Shun opened his clothes bundle, took out a cotton quilt, and curled up in the cabin. He said to the boatman, "Is there wine to be had here? I'd like to buy some to drink."

The boatman said, "There's nowhere to buy wine, but if you want rice, you can have a bowl."

Zhang Shun ate a bowl of rice, lay down his head, and fell asleep. Partly from exhaustion over many days, and partly from overconfidence, he was sound asleep by the early part of the first watch. The thin young lad, drying his padded jacket by the charcoal fire, saw that Zhang Shun was asleep and said to the boatman, "Elder brother, do you see?"

The boatman came over and felt at Zhang Shun's head. His hand touched something of gold or silk. He shook his hand and said, "You push off the boat. We'll do it at the river's center—no need to hurry."

The lad pushed open the awning, jumped ashore, untied the mooring rope, climbed back into the boat, and poled off. He fitted the scull and began to creakily row out toward the center of the river. In the cabin, the boatman took a mooring rope and lightly bound Zhang Shun tight. Then he went beneath the stern planks and drew out a board knife.

Zhang Shun happened to wake just then. His hands were bound and he could not struggle free. The boatman held the great knife and pressed it against him.

Zhang Shun said, "Good fellow, spare my life and I'll give you all this gold."

The boatman said, "I want the gold, and I want your life too."

Zhang Shun cried out repeatedly, "At least let me die whole, so my ghost won't come to haunt you."

The boatman set down the board knife and threw Zhang Shun with a splash into the water below.

Then the boatman opened the bundle and saw a great deal of gold and silver. He had no intention of sharing any of it with the thin young lad. He called out, "Fifth Brother, I have something to say to you."

The lad came into the cabin. The boatman seized him with one hand, and as the knife fell, chopped him to pieces, then pushed him into the river. The boatman washed away the bloodstains in the boat and sailed off by himself.

Now Zhang Shun was a man who could stay underwater for three or five nights at a time. The moment he was pushed in, he bit through the ropes underwater and swam across to the south bank, where he saw a faint light glowing among the trees. Zhang Shun crawled ashore, dripping wet, and made his way into the grove. It turned out to be a village wine shop—the owner had risen in the middle of the night to press wine, and the light showed through a crack in the wall. When Zhang Shun knocked at the door, an old man appeared, and Zhang Shun bowed at once.

The old man said, "Have you not been robbed on the river and jumped into the water to escape with your life?"

Zhang Shun replied, "I will not deceive you, sir. I came to Jiankang on business. When it grew late, I was looking for a boat to cross the river when I ran into two villains. They robbed me of all my clothes and gold and silver and threw me into the river. But I can swim, and I escaped with my life. I beg you to help me."

The old man, hearing this, led Zhang Shun into the back room and gave him a cloth cap to replace his wet clothes, which were put to dry. He also warmed some wine for him to drink.

The old man asked, "Fellow, what is your surname? A man from Shandong—what business brings you here?"

Zhang Shun said, "My surname is Zhang. Physician An of Jiankang Prefecture is a brother of mine. I have come specially to visit him."

The old man said, "Coming from Shandong, you must have passed by Mount Liangshanpo?"

Zhang Shun said, "I came directly from there."

The old man said: "Their leader Song does not rob traveling guests, nor does he take human lives. He only acts on Heaven's behalf."

Zhang Shun said: "Leader Song is devoted solely to loyalty and righteousness. He does not harm good people—he only opposes corrupt and oppressive officials."

The old man said: "This old man has heard that Song Jiang and his band are truly benevolent and righteous. They only rescue the poor and aid the elderly. How can they be called bandits as we are here? If they came here, the common people would all be happy, and they would not have to suffer the harassment of these corrupt officials!"

Zhang Shun, hearing this, said: "Good sir, do not be alarmed. I am the one they call 'Streak of White in the Waves,' Zhang Shun. My elder brother Song Jiang has developed a malignant back sore, and he sent me with a hundred taels of gold to invite Physician An Daquan. But I was careless—I fell asleep on the boat, and these two villainous people tied my hands and threw me into the river. I bit through the ropes and made it here."

The old man said: "Since you are one of those heroes, I will call my son out to meet you."

Before long, a young man came out from the back. Seeing Zhang Shun, he bowed and said: "I have long heard of your great name, brother, but I had never had the honor of meeting you. My surname is Wang, and I am the sixth in my family. Because I can move swiftly, people call me 'Living Lightning Bolt' Wang Dingliu. All my life I have loved swimming and practicing with staves. I have sought many teachers, but never received a proper transmission. For now I sell wine by the river to get by. Those two who just robbed you—I know them both. One is 'River-Blocking Ghost' Zhang Wang. The other, the thin young man, is from Huating County and is called 'Loach in the Oil' Sun Wu. These two constantly rob people on this river. Rest easy, brother. Stay here a few days. When these scoundrels come to drink wine, I will help you take your revenge."

Zhang Shun said: "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, brother. But for the sake of my elder brother Song Jiang, I wish I could fly back to the stronghold in a single day. I will wait for daybreak and enter the city to fetch Physician An, then come back to meet you."

Wang Dingliu gave Zhang Shun his own clothes to change into and quickly prepared wine to entertain him—but no more of this.

The next day, the sky cleared and the snow melted. Wang Dingliu gave Zhang Shun several taels of silver and told him to go into Jiankang Prefecture.

Zhang Shun entered the city and went straight to the locust bridge, where he saw An Daquan selling medicines at his door. Zhang Shun walked in, and seeing An Daquan, bowed at once. A poem extolling An Daquan's virtues reads:

Behind his arm, a hundred precious recipes,

Golden needles and jade blades, passed down from his master.

Even Bianque reborn could not surpass him—

His fame spreads ten thousand li: An Daquan.

This An Daquan had inherited knowledge of both internal and external medicine and was skilled in treating all ailments. For this reason he was renowned far and wide. When he saw Zhang Daquan, he asked, "Brother, we have not seen each other for many years. What wind has blown you here?"

Zhang Shun followed him inside and told him everything—about the troubles at Jiangzhou and his following Song Jiang up the mountain. Then he explained that Song Jiang was suffering from a back sore and had sent him specially to invite the divine physician. He recounted how he had nearly lost his life in the Yangtze River and had come empty-handed, laying all the facts bare.

An Daquan said: "Speaking of Song Jiang, he is a righteous man throughout the land. It would be best to make this journey. But my wife has passed away, and I have no other family at home. I cannot go far from here, and so it is difficult for me to leave."

Zhang Shun pleaded earnestly: "If you refuse to go, brother, then I too cannot return to the mountain."

An Daquan said: "Let us discuss it further."

Zhang Shun begged with every manner of entreaty, and at last An Daquan agreed.

Now it happened that An Daquan had a liaison with a courtesan of Jiankang Prefecture named Li Qiaonu. This Li Qiaonu was exceedingly beautiful, and for this reason An Daquan was devoted to her. A poem testifies to this:

Gentle and mature, her orchid nature,

A jade flask and bright moon, clear and compelling.

With swaying hair-jewels she seeks the spring,

Her damp silk stockings tread the waves beneath the moon.

Her rosy face smiles back, lovely as flower calyx,

Her red strings fall silent, the colored clouds still.

May her heart remember always—

Do not imitate the willow gifts of Zhang Terrace.

That evening, Zhang Shun was brought along to his house, where a feast was arranged for them. Li Qiaonu bowed to Zhang Shun as her uncle. After three cups and five goblets, when the wine had brought them halfway to mirth, An Daoquan said to Qiaonu, "I'll stay the night here with you. Early tomorrow I'll go with this brother on a trip to the Shandong region—at most a month, at least twenty-odd days—and then I'll come back to see you." Li Qiaonu said, "I won't have you go. If you don't listen to me, don't you ever darken my door again!" An Daoquan said, "My medicine bag is already packed, I only need to set out, and I'll go tomorrow. Set your mind at rest—I'm going, but it won't be a long delay." Li Qiaonu pouted and clung to him, falling into An Daoquan's arms. "If you still won't listen to me and go," she said, "I'll curse you until your flesh flies off in pieces!" When Zhang Shun heard these words, he could have swallowed the woman whole with one gulp of water. As the sky grew late, An Daoquan collapsed in a drunken stupor. He was helped to Qiaonu's room and laid on the bed. Qiaonu then came to dismiss Zhang Shun: "You go home—we have no place for you to sleep here." Zhang Shun said, "I'll wait for my brother to sober up and go with him." Since she couldn't get rid of him this way, she had to settle him in a small room by the gate.

Zhang Shun's heart burned with anxiety—how could he sleep? At the first watch, someone knocked on the door. Zhang Shun peered through a crack in the wall and saw a man slip inside and speak with the procuress. The old woman asked, "Where have you been all this time? The physician is dead drunk in his room—what are we going to do?" The man said, "I have ten taels of gold to give the sister for making some hairpins and rings. Can the old mother arrange some convenience and let me have a tryst with her?" The procuress said, "You stay in my room—I'll call my daughter over." Zhang Shun watched in the shadow of the lamp and recognized the man as Zhang Wang, the River-Cutting Demon. It turned out that whenever this scoundrel came across some money on the river, he would spend it at this house. When Zhang Shun saw him, he could not contain his fury. Listening more closely, he heard the procuress arrange food and drink in her room and call Qiaonu to keep Zhang Wang company. Zhang Shun was about to burst in, but he feared he might ruin things and let the villain get away. Around the third watch, the two servants in the kitchen had also gotten drunk. The procuress was reeling and swaying, dozing off in front of the lamp. Zhang Shun quietly opened the door and crept to the kitchen, where he saw a kitchen knife gleaming bright on the stove. He looked at the procuress—she had collapsed on a bench to one side. Zhang Shun walked in, seized the kitchen knife, and killed the procuress first. When he went to kill the servants, the kitchen knife turned out to be rather dull—after one man was hacked, the blade was already nicked and curled. The two were just about to cry out when, as luck would have it, a firewood-chopping axe was right at hand. He grabbed it and with one swing each, hacked them both to death. The woman in the room heard the commotion and in a flurry opened the door, running straight into Zhang Shun. His hand rose and the axe fell—he split her chest open and she collapsed to the ground. Zhang Wang, seeing from the lamp's shadow that the woman had been cut down, pushed open the back window and jumped over the wall to escape. Zhang Zhang was consumed with regret. He tore a strip from his garment, dipped it in blood, and wrote on the whitewashed wall: "The killer is An Daoquan!" He wrote it dozens of times.

He waited until the fifth watch, when dawn was near. Then he heard An Daoquan wake from his drunkenness in the room and call for Qiaonu. Zhang Shun said, "Brother, don't make a sound—let me show you two people." An Daoquan got up and saw four corpses. He was so frightened his whole body went numb and he trembled all over. Zhang Shun said, "Brother, do you see what's written on the wall?" An Daoquan said, "You've ruined me!" Zhang Shun said, "There are only two roads before you. If you raise a clamor, I'll leave on my own, and you'll have to pay with your life. If you want to come out of this unscathed, go home, get your medicine bag, and head straight to Liangshan Marsh tonight to save my brother. Choose whichever of these two you will." An Daoquan said, "Brother, how can you be so short-sighted and reckless!" There is a testifying poem:

The painted powder cares only for money—why linger

when it's time to go?

The wronged souls will not join you in dream on the cloud-terrace—

laughable, this lovesick fool An Daoquan.

By daybreak, Zhang Shun rolled up his traveling money and returned home with An Daoquan. He knocked on the door, collected his medicine satchel, and went out of the city straight to Wang Dingliu's inn. Wang Dingliu received him and said, "Zhang Wang passed by here yesterday. A pity you didn't meet, brother." Zhang Shun said, "I have important business of my own. I'll settle that small grudge some other time." Before he had finished speaking, Wang Dingliu reported, "That scoundrel Zhang Wang is here!" Zhang Shun said, "Don't startle him yet. Watch where he goes." They saw Zhang Wang head down to the riverbank to look at boats. Wang Dingliu called out, "Elder Brother Zhang, hold your boat here and ferry two of my relatives across." Zhang Wang said, "Come quickly if you want passage!" Wang Dingliu reported this to Zhang Shun. Zhang Shun said, "Brother An, lend me your clothes to wear, and I'll trade my clothes with you. Then we can board the boat." An Daoquan said, "What is the meaning of this?" Zhang Shun said, "I have my own plan. Don't ask, brother." An Daoquan took off his clothes and traded them with Zhang Shun. Zhang Shun put on a headcloth and used a dust-covered warm hat to conceal his features. Wang Dingliu shouldered the medicine satchel and walked to the boat. Zhang Wang brought the boat alongside the bank, and the three men boarded. Zhang Shun crawled into the stern, lifted the deck plank, and saw that the board-blade knife was still there. He took it and went back into the cabin. Zhang Wang pushed off and the boat creaked and groaned until they were in the middle of the river. Zhang Shun threw off his upper garment and called out, "Boatman, come quickly! Water is leaking into the cabin!" Zhang Wang, not knowing it was a ruse, poked his head into the cabin. Zhang Shun seized him with a grunt and shouted, "Robber! Do you recognize the passenger you tried to rob on that snowy day?" When Zhang Wang saw him, he could not utter a sound. Zhang Shun roared, "You scoundrel stole a hundred taels of gold from me and tried to kill me! Where is that skinny young man you had with you?" Zhang Wang said, "Good sir, I kept the money for myself and didn't want to share it with him. Afraid he'd argue, I killed him and threw him into the river." Zhang Shun said, "Do you know who I am?" Zhang Wang said, "I don't know you, good sir. I only beg you to spare my life." Zhang Shun shouted, "I was born on the banks of the Xunyang River, raised at the foot of Little Orphan Mountain, a fish broker—who doesn't know me? Because of the trouble in Jiangzhou, I went up to Liangshan Marsh and followed Song Jiang, sweeping across the world—who doesn't fear me! You lured me onto your boat, tied my hands, and threw me into the river. If I hadn't known how to swim, I'd have lost my life! Today our fates have crossed, and I cannot spare you!" With one motion he dragged him into the cabin, bound his hands and feet together like a hog-tied horse, and hurled him straight down into the great Yangtze River! "That saves you a blade!" Zhang Wang's life was done—he would be a ghost by dusk. Wang Dingliu watched and sighed deeply. Zhang Shun searched the boat and recovered the gold from that day along with the loose silver, packing it all away. The three men rowed to shore. Zhang Shun said to Wang Dingliu, "Your brotherly kindness, I'll never forget it in life or death. If you're willing, gather your father, close up your inn, and come up to Liangshan Marsh to join us in righteous cause. What do you say?" Wang Dingliu said, "What you say is exactly what I've wanted." With that they parted. Zhang Shun and An Daoquan set off on the road along the northern bank. Wang Dingliu took his leave of the two men, returned to his small boat, went home, packed his belongings, and set off to follow them.

Now Zhang Shun and An Daoquan crossed to the northern bank, shouldered the medicine satchel, and set off on foot. An Daoquan was a man of letters and not used to walking. After barely thirty li he could go no farther. Zhang Shun asked him into a village inn and bought wine to serve him. As they were eating, a traveler walked in and called out, "Brother, what's kept you so long?" When Zhang Shun looked, it was Dai Zong, the "Marvelous Traveler," disguised as a merchant hurrying to catch up. Zhang Shun hastily introduced him to An Daoquan, then asked for news of Brother Song Jiang. Dai Zong said, "Lord Song is now delirious in his mind, taking neither water or food—he's close to death." When Zhang Shun heard this, tears poured down his face. An Daoquan asked, "What is the color of his skin and blood?" Dai Zong replied, "His flesh is wasted, he cries out all night, the pain won't stop, and his life may not last another day." An Daoquan said, "If his flesh and body still feel pain, he can be cured. I'm only afraid the time has been missed." Dai Zong said, "That's easily managed." He took two charm horses and tied them to An Daoquan's legs. Dai Zong shouldered the medicine satchel himself and told Zhang Shun, "Take your time. I'll go ahead with the physician." The two left the village inn and set off first using the magic traveling technique.

As for Zhang Shun, he rested at the village inn for two or three days when Wang Dingliu arrived, pack on his back, together with his father, just as promised. Zhang Shun received them with great joy and said, "I've been waiting here for you." Wang Dingliu asked, "Where is Physician An?" Zhang Shun said, "Dai Zong, the 'Marvelous Traveler,' came to meet him and they've already gone on ahead." Wang Dingliu then set out together with Zhang Shun and his father, heading for Liangshan Marsh.

Dai Zong led An Daoquan to the camp by means of his magic travelling power, and they arrived at Mount Liang in the course of a single night. The chieftains of the band, high and low, met them and crowded into Song Jiang's sick chamber. When they looked at him on the bed, he was breathing with only one thread of air left. An Daoquan first felt his pulse and said, "Have no fear, my lords. The pulse is not in disorder. Though the body appears to be gravely ill, in the main there is no danger. If An Daoquan may be so bold as to say so, within ten days he will be himself again." When they heard this, they all bowed to him. An Daoquan first used moxa to draw out the poison, and then applied medicine. Externally he used plasters and salves, internally strengthening and restorative draughts. Within five days the skin gradually regained its colour, the flesh became supple, and the appetite improved. Before ten days had passed, though the wound was not yet fully healed, he was eating and drinking as before. Then Zhang Shun brought the father and son Wang Dingliu, who came to pay their respects to Song Jiang and the chieftains and told how they had been robbed on the river and how vengeance had been exacted on the water. All of them sighed and marvelled, saying, "We nearly failed to save our brother!" No sooner had Song Jiang recovered from his illness than he began to discuss with Wu Yong the plan to attack the Northern Capital and rescue Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu. An Daoquan protested, saying, "Your wound is not yet fully healed, general. You must not lightly undertake any exertion, for exertion will make it difficult to cure." Wu Yong said, "Do not let my lord give this a thought. Attend only to your own recovery and restore the primal and vital essence within you. Wu Yong, though a man of no great ability, intends, in this very season of the year, to break through the walls of the Northern Capital and rescue the lives of Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu, and to seize the adulterer and his paramour. I wonder what my lord thinks of this?" Song Jiang said, "If the army counsellor will support me to this extent, Song Jiang will die content!" Wu Yong then issued his orders from the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness. It came to pass that within the Northern Capital city, there became a forest of fire and a thicket of spears; and in the heart of the city of Daming, corpses piled into mountains and blood flowed into the sea. Truly it might be said that at their laughter even ghosts and spirits lost their courage, and at their command all brave men gave their hearts. We shall now relate what plan the army counsellor Wu Yong proposed, but listen to the next chapter for the explanation.