Chapter 74

Chapter 74

It is said of this Yan Qing that, though he ranked last among the thirty-six stars, yet in cunning of heart and breadth of knowledge, in understanding life and accepting fate, he surpassed the other thirty-five. That day Yan Qing reported to Song Jiang: "This humble one has learned this art of wrestling from Master Lu ever since childhood, and in all my wanderings along rivers and lakes I have never met my match. Now by good fortune this opportunity has presented itself—the twenty-eighth of the Third Month is drawing near. This humble one asks for no escort; I shall go alone to the platform and try to grapple with him. If I lose and die, I shall harbor no resentment forever; but if I win, I shall also bring some glory to you, Brother. That day there is bound to be a fine commotion—Brother, do have men ready to come to my aid." Song Jiang said, "I have heard that fellow is ten feet tall, with a face like a vajra, and possesses the strength of a thousand or several hundred pounds. You are such a slight, thin figure. Even if you have skill, how can you possibly get close to him?" Yan Qing said, "I do not fear his great size—I only fear he will not fall into the trap. As the saying goes: 'In wrestling, if you have strength you use strength; if you have no strength you use cunning.' This humble one does not presume to boast, but adapting to circumstance as it arises and reading the situation as it unfolds, I shall not lose to that dullard." Lu Junyi then said: "This humble one of mine has truly mastered a fine art of wrestling since childhood. Let him go as he wishes. When the time comes, this Lu shall go myself to meet him back." Song Jiang asked, "When shall you set out?" Yan Qing replied, "Today is the twenty-fourth of the Third Month. Tomorrow I shall take leave of you, Brother, and descend the mountain. I shall spend one night on the road and arrive at the temple on the twenty-sixth. On the twenty-seventh I shall scout the place for a day, and on the twenty-eighth I shall be ready to face that fellow." That day nothing happened.

The next day Song Jiang laid out wine to see Yan Qing off. When the others looked at Yan Qing, he was dressed in a rough, countrified fashion, wrapping his flowered embroidered tunic inside his patched jacket so that it could not be seen. He had disguised himself as a Shandong peddler, a row of tambourine sticks tucked into his waist, carrying a high-shouldered miscellaneous goods pole on his shoulder. Everyone who saw him laughed. Song Jiang said, "Since you have disguised yourself as a peddler with a pole, sing us the Shandong peddler's turning-tune song." Yan Qing twirled the tambourine sticks with one hand and beat time with clappers in the other, singing the Peddler's Song of Peace—indistinguishable from a real Shandong man. The others laughed again. When the wine was half done, Yan Qing took leave of the assembled chieftains and descended the mountain. He crossed Golden Sand Shoal and made his way toward Taian Prefecture.

That day, when evening was drawing in and he was about to seek an inn to rest, he suddenly heard someone calling from behind: "Brother Yan Xiao-yi, wait for me!" Yan Qing set down his pole and looked—it was none other than Li Kui, the Black Whirlwind. Yan Qing said, "Why have you come chasing after me?" Li Kui said, "You accompanied me to Jingmen Town twice. When I saw you coming alone, I could not rest easy. I did not tell the elder brother, but slipped away down the mountain especially to help you." Yan Qing said: "I have no need of you here. Go back quickly, and the sooner the better." Li Kui grew agitated and said: "Even if you truly are a man of great skill, I came with good intentions to help you, and you twist it into ill intent! I am going, and that is that!" Yan Qing considered the matter and feared he might damage the bond of brotherhood. So he said to Li Kui, "It is not that I refuse to let you come. But the Saint Emperor's birthday draws people from every mountain and every peak—many there will know you. If you will obey three conditions of mine, then I shall go with you." Li Kui said, "I'll obey." Yan Qing said: "From now on, on the road you and I shall travel separately, one ahead and one behind. Once we reach an inn, once you have entered the door, you must not come out—that is the first condition. The second: when we reach the temple inn, you are to pretend to be ill, wrap your head and face in a quilt, feign the snoring of deep sleep, and not make a sound. The third: on that day at the temple, when you press among the crowd to watch the wrestling match, you must not cry out in alarm or make a commotion. Big Brother, can you agree to these?" Li Kui said, "What's so difficult? I'll do all you say." That evening the two of them took lodging at an inn.

The next day they rose at the fifth watch, paid their room charges, and went together to the front to buy a meal. Yan Qing said, "Elder Brother Li, you go on half a mile ahead—I shall follow later." Along that road they saw worshippers coming and going without end, many of them talking of Ren Yuan's abilities—that for two years he had had no equal at Mount Tai, and this year made three years now. Yan Qing heard this and took it to heart. When the hour of the late afternoon drew near, the crowd beside the temple all stood still, gazing upward. Yan Qing set down his pole, parted the throng, and pressed forward to look. He saw two red-topped posts, just like the placard boards that stand at lane entrances, and on them a whitewashed signboard, on which was written: "Taiyuan Wrestler, Pillar That Holds Up the Sky, Ren Yuan." Beside it two lines of smaller characters read: "Fists that strike the fierce tiger of the southern mountains; feet that kick the blue dragon of the northern seas." Yan Qing looked at this, then seized his carrying pole and smashed the placard to pieces. Without saying a word, he picked up his pole again and made his way up to the temple. Among the onlookers, many with a taste for excitement flew to report to Ren Yuan that this year there was one who had torn down his placard to challenge him.

Yan Qing walked ahead to meet Li Kui, then went looking for an inn to rest in. The temple fair was extraordinarily bustling—not to mention the hundred and twenty trades and businesses, there were alone some one thousand four or five hundred inns, accommodating pilgrims from all over the empire. By the Bodhisattva's sacred festival, there was no place left for anyone to stay, and many inns were completely full. Yan Qing and Li Kui had no choice but to rent an inn on the outskirts of the market, set down their loads, took out a lined quilt, and told Li Kui to sleep. The innkeeper's boy came and asked, "Elder Brother, you're a peddler from Shandong, come to the temple fair to do business—are you worried you can't pay the room charge?" Yan Qing replied in the local dialect, "You think too little of me! A small room—what does it cost? Even if it were the price of a large room, I'd find no place to stay. Whatever others pay for a room, I'll pay the same to you." The boy said, "Elder Brother, don't take offense—these are important days, and it's best to speak clearly from the start." Yan Qing said, "I've always done business, that's no trouble—I could have stayed anywhere. It's just that on the road I ran into this relative from my hometown who is now suffering from a qi ailment, so I have no choice but to ask for lodging in your inn. I'll give you five strings of copper cash first—please trouble yourself to arrange some tea and food for me in your kitchen. When we leave, I'll reward you further." The boy took the copper cash and went to prepare tea and food in front of the shop—no more of this.

Before long, there was a commotion outside the inn door, and twenty or thirty big men walked in and asked the boy, "In which room is the good fellow who split the challenge placard resting?" The boy said, "There's no such person here." The group said, "Everyone says he's in your inn." The boy said, "There are only two rooms—one is empty, the other is rented by a Shandong peddler who's nursing a sick man." That group said, "It's that peddler who split the challenge placard." The boy said, "Don't let others make fun of you! That peddler is a mere lad—what could he possibly do?" The group all said, "Just take us to take a look." The boy pointed and said, "It's that room in the corner." When the crowd looked, they saw the door tightly shut, and peering through the window opening, they saw two people on the inside bed sleeping with feet pressed against each other. The crowd couldn't figure it out, but one among them said, "Since he dared to split the challenge placard and wants to be the opponent of the world, he's no small figure. He's probably pretending to be ill, afraid someone will plot against him." The others said, "That's right—don't speculate. We'll know when the time comes." Before evening, no fewer than twenty or thirty groups came to the inn to inquire, talking until the boy's lips were worn out. That evening he brought food for the two men to eat—Li Kui poked his head out from under the quilt, and when the boy saw him, he started with a cry and said, "Ai-ya! This is the grand champion of the wrestling match!" Yan Qing said, "He's not the one competing—he's ill himself. I'm the one who came to compete." The boy said, "Don't try to fool me. I can see Ren Yuan could swallow you in one bite." Yan Qing said, "Don't laugh at me. I have my own methods. I'll make you all have a good laugh, and when we come back I'll give you plenty of prize money." The boy watched them eat their evening meal, collected the bowls, and went to wash up in the kitchen, but in his heart he didn't believe a word of it.

The next day, Yan Qing and Li Kui ate some breakfast. Yan Qing instructed him, "Brother, lock your room door and sleep soundly." Yan Qing then followed the crowd to Mount Tai's temple to take a look—and indeed it was the finest under heaven. He saw:

The temple dwells on Mount Tai, the mountain that stabilizes heaven and earth.

It is the most revered among mountains and the leader of all spirits.

At the mountain's edge, leaning on the railing, one can gaze all the way to the weak waters of Penglai;

At the summit, grasping the pines, all around are dense clouds and thin mist.

The towers rise thickly, as if the golden crow had spread its wings and flown here;

The palace halls are layered with sharp angles, as though the jade hare had leapt and arrived.

Carved beams and painted rafters, green tiles and crimson eaves.

Phoenix-carved doors shine against yellow silk gauze, tortoise-back embroidered curtains hang with brocade sashes.

From afar, viewing the sacred image—a nine-pendant crown, Shun's eyes and Yao's brows;

Up close, beholding the divine countenance—a dragon-embroidered robe, Tang's shoulders and Yu's back.

The Heavenly Director of Fate, his hibiscus crown half-concealing his crimson gauze robe;

The illustrious Spirit Duke, his ochre-yellow robe well-suited to his Lantian jade belt.

To his left attend jade hairpins and pearl-encrusted shoes; to his right attend purple sashes and golden seals.

The entire palace hall is majestic, guarded by three thousand golden-armored generals;

The two corridors are fierce and brave, ten thousand iron-clad soldiers serving the king.

The Five Peaks Tower joins the Eastern Palace; the Ren'an Palace connects closely to the Northern Gate.

Beneath Haoli Mountain, the Judge is divided into seventy-two bureaus;

In the White Mule Temple, the earth gods follow the twenty-four solar terms.

The Iron-faced Grand Marshal who manages the fire pool communicates with spirits each month;

The Five Paths General who controls life and death manifests his holiness each year.

Imperial incense unceasing—heavenly gods on flying horses deliver cinnabar writings;

Sacrifices performed in season—old and young who turn their faces to the wind all receive blessings.

Over the Jiaming Hall auspicious clouds drift dimly; at the Zhengyang Gate auspicious vapors coil and revolve.

Ten thousand people pay homage to the Biya Sovereign; from all four directions they turn in devotion to the Benevolent Sagely Emperor.

After Yan Qing had strolled about for a while, he went out to the Grass-Viewing Pavilion and bowed four times. He asked one of the incense-burners, "Where is the wrestling instructor Ren Yuan staying?" A busybody answered, "He's at the great inn by the Bridge of Gratitude. He teaches over two or three hundred accomplished disciples." When Yan Qing heard this, he went straight to the Bridge of Gratitude to have a look. By the bridge railing sat some twenty or thirty wrestling students, with gold-lettered banners and brocade pennants planted all around, and tall screens behind them. Yan Qing slipped into the inn and saw Ren Yuan seated in the pavilion—truly he had the bearing of a bodhisattva and the fierce looks of a guardian deity. His bare chest displayed the might of Li Cunxiao tarrying the tiger; seated sideways on his folding stool, he had the air of the Hegemon-King uprooting a mountain. There he sat watching his disciples wrestle. Among the onlookers, someone recognized Yan Qing as the one who had torn down Ren Yuan's placard before, and secretly reported this to him. Ren Yuan leaped to his feet, flapping his arms, and cried, "Whichever one's had his luck run out this year, come meet his death at my hands!" Yan Qing lowered his head and hurried out of the inn, hearing laughter from inside. He quickly returned to his own lodgings and prepared some food and wine, and he and Li Kui ate together. Li Kui grumbled, "This sleeping around is boring me to death!" Yan Qing said, "Only tonight remains. Tomorrow we shall see who is the stronger." Of their other talk there is no need to speak.

Around the third watch, they heard a burst of drums and music—the temple officials offering birthday greetings to the Sacred Deity. Around the fourth watch, Yan Qing and Li Kui rose and asked the inn-boy first for hot water to wash their faces. They combed their hair smooth, took off their padded inner garments, bound their leggings and knee-guards tightly below, wrapped their short trousers of glazed silk, put on their many-ringed hemp shoes, and tied their vests and sashes at the waist. After they had eaten breakfast, they called the boy and told him, "Watch over the luggage in our room." The inn-boy replied, "Nothing will go missing. Come back early with the victory." In that small inn itself were some twenty or thirty pilgrims, who all said to Yan Qing, "Young man, think carefully for yourself. Don't throw your life away for nothing." Yan Qing said, "When your humble servant wins the day and you all cheer, you can help him claim some of the prizes." Most of the crowd had already gone ahead. Li Kui said, "Let me bring along these two axes." Yan Qing said, "That won't do at all. If someone sees through us, it will spoil the whole affair." The two of them then mingled with the crowd and went first to the gallery below the temple, where they crouched together in one spot.

That day the pilgrims were packed shoulder to shoulder. The great Temple of the Eastern Peak was filled in one rush, and even the roof-ridge was covered with spectators. Facing the Hall of Auspicious Tranquility, they had erected a grand scaffolding hung with gold and silver vessels and bolts of brocade. Outside the gate five fine horses stood tethered, fully saddled and bridled. The prefect kept the pilgrims back and watched the wrestling ceremony offered to the Sacred Deity. An old wrestling marshal, carrying a bamboo baton, mounted the offering platform. After paying respects to the deity, he invited this year's wrestling opponents to come forward and contend.

Before he had finished speaking, the crowd surged like a wave. Soon a dozen pairs of staves came through, preceded by four embroidered banners. Ren Yuan arrived in his sedan chair, with some twenty or thirty pairs of fellows with tattooed arms before and after, escorting him on all sides to the offering platform. The marshal asked him to alight from the sedan, and exchanged a few warm pleasantries. Ren Yuan said, "For two years I have come to the Temple of the Eastern Peak and carried off the prize, pocketing a fine haul of goods for nothing. This year I must wrestle bare-chested." As he spoke, a man carrying a water bucket came up. Ren Yuan's disciples stood all around the offering platform in a dense ring. Now Ren Yuan first bared his arms, removed his headscarf, and loosely covered himself with a Sichuan brocade jacket. He gave a respectful salute to the deity, received two mouthfuls of holy water, then took off the brocade jacket. A hundred thousand people let out a great cheer. See how Ren Yuan was dressed:

On his head, a coil of crimson knotted hair; around his waist, a sash of crimson silk and green sleeves with three cords, fastened with twelve jade butterfly tooth-clasps. On his chest, several pairs of golden mandarin-ducks on his folded undersuit. His knee-guards were lined with copper, his leggings with iron plates and iron rings. His wrists were tightly bound, his kicking shoes securely tied. A pillar that upholds the sea, a man sent down from the mountain to vanquish demons and slay generals.

The marshal said, "For two years the master has had no rival at the temple. This is the third year now. What words does the master have to address the assembled pilgrims?" Ren Yuan said, "Four hundred prefectures, over seven thousand counties—devout pilgrims who honor the Sacred Deity have all contributed their goods. For two years Ren Yuan has taken them for nothing. This year I take my leave of the Sacred Deity and return home. I shall never climb this mountain again. From where the sun rises in the east to where it sets in the west, the two wheels of sun and moon, the single embrace of heaven and earth, south to the Southern Barbarians, north to Youyan and the north—is there anyone who dares come forth and contend with me for the prize?"

Before he had finished speaking, Yan Qing pressed down on the shoulders and arms of the men on both sides, calling out, "I'm here! I'm here!" He flew straight over the heads of the crowd and leaped up onto the platform. The spectators all shouted in unison. The match marshal who received him asked, "Fellow, what is your name and where are you from? Where have you come from?" Yan Qing said, "I'm a peddler from Shandong, and I've come specially to compete with him for the prize." The marshal said, "Fellow, your life hangs by a thread. Do you understand that? Do you have a guarantor?" Yan Qing said, "I am my own guarantor. If I die, who would there be to pay with his life?" The marshal said, "Take off your arms and let me have a look." Yan Qing removed his headcloth, showing his hair combed smoothly into two buns, took off his straw shoes, bared both feet, and squatted to one side of the platform. He unwound the leg bindings and knee guards, jumped up, and pulled off his shirt, striking a pose. The spectators in the temple surged like a boiling sea, shouting praise one after another, and everyone was stunned. When Ren Yuan saw his flower tattoos and his agile, powerful build, his heart was filled with a five-part fear of him.

Outside the main hall, on the moon terrace, the prefect of the subprefecture sat holding the line, with some seventy or eighty pairs of black-clad clerks and runners standing in a circle before and behind him. He immediately sent men to call Yan Qing down from the platform and brought him forward. When the prefect saw his body covered with flower tattoos, like soft green jade spread over a jade pillar, he was overjoyed in his heart and asked, "Fellow, where are you from? Why have you come here?" Yan Qing said, "This humble person is surnamed Zhang, the eldest in my family, a native of Laizhou in Shandong. I heard that Ren Yuan was challenging the whole world to wrestling, so I came specially to compete with him." The prefect said, "That fully saddled and bridled horse is my prize, offered to Ren Yuan. Whatever objects are on the mountain pavilion, I propose to split them half and half between you two. Divide them between yourselves. I myself will promote you to a position at my side." Yan Qing said, "Sir, the prize is not what matters. I just want to throw him, to make the crowd laugh and win a shout of praise." The prefect said, "He is a huge fellow, built like a diamond. You won't be able to get near him!" Yan Qing said, "I'll die without complaint." He went back up onto the platform to face Ren Yuan. The marshal asked him for documents first, then took out the wrestling society's rules from his bosom and read them aloud. He said to Yan Qing, "Do you understand? No foul play allowed." Yan Qing said with a cold sneer, "He's prepared all over his body. I've only got this single water staff. What foul play could I pull on him?" The prefect again summoned the marshal and gave him instructions: "This is such a handsome young fellow—it would be a pity if anything happened to him! Go and split the match between them." The marshal immediately went up onto the platform and said to Yan Qing, "Fellow, save your life and go back home. I'll split the match between you two." Yan Qing said, "You don't understand anything at all—how do you know whether I'll win or lose?" The crowd all joined in shouting. Tens of thousands of incense-bearing spectators spread out, lined up on both sides like fish scales, and the corridors and rooftops were also packed, for fear they might miss seeing this wrestling match. Ren Yuan, burning with impatience, wished he could hurl Yan Qing beyond the ninth heaven and dash him to death. The marshal said, "Since you two insist on wrestling, this year you'll compete in this sacred offering match. Both of you be careful and stay on your guard." The platform was now completely bare except for the three of them. By now the night dew had all evaporated and the morning sun had just risen. The marshal took up his bamboo baton, gave his instructions to both sides, and cried, "Watch the match!"

This wrestling match, with its give and take, needs to be described clearly. What seems slow happens fast—just like stars shifting and lightning flashing in the sky, not the slightest delay allowed. At this moment, Yan Qing crouched in a heap on the right side. Ren Yuan stood on the left in a ready stance. Yan Qing simply did not stir. At first the two of them each occupied half of the platform, their intentions meeting in the middle. When Ren Yuan saw that Yan Qing did not stir, he pressed forward toward the right side. Yan Qing watched only his lower three sides. Ren Yuan thought to himself, "This man is sure to come at me from below. Watch—without even using my hands, I'll kick this fellow off the platform with one foot." As Ren Yuan pressed closer, he feinted with his left foot, showing a gap. Yan Qing called out, "Don't come!" But when Ren Yuan rushed at him, Yan Qing slipped past him under his left armpit. Enraged, Ren Yuan spun around quickly to seize Yan Qing again, but Yan Qing made a feinting leap and slipped through again under his right armpit. A big man is never nimble when turning around. Three turns and his footing was in disarray. Yan Qing seized the moment and rushed in, seizing Ren Yuan with his right hand, thrusting his left hand into Ren Yuan's crotch, bracing his shoulder against Ren Yuan's chest, and lifting him straight up. With head heavy and feet light, he used the momentum to spin him four or five times, spinning him right to the edge of the platform. He shouted, "Down you go!" and flung Ren Yuan off the platform headfirst, feet in the air. This throw was called the "Pigeon Spin." The tens of thousands of incense-bearing spectators all shouted their praise in unison!

Ren Yuan's disciples, seeing their master thrown, first pulled down the mountain pavilion and scrambled to grab the prizes. When the crowd shouted at them to stop, the twenty or thirty disciples rushed onto the platform, and the prefect could not control them.

But they did not expect that beside them they had provoked this "Grand Duke"—it was "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui, who had been watching. He opened his wild eyes wide and bristled his tiger-like whiskers. There were no weapons before him, so he tore up the fir saplings like scallions and held two fir trunks in his hands, charging straight at them.

Among the temple officials, there were some who recognized Li Kui and spoke his name. The officers outside rushed into the hall together, shouting: "Don't let the 'Black Whirlwind' of Liangshan Marsh escape!" When the prefect heard these words, his three souls fled from the top of his head and his seven spirits scattered from his feet. He made for the rear hall. People from all sides surged forward and surrounded the temple. The temple officials each fled in their own direction. Li Kui looked at Ren Yuan—he had fallen unconscious from his beating, collapsed beside the offering platform, with only a faint breath left in his mouth. Li Kui tore up a stone slab and smashed Ren Yuan's head to pieces. The two fought their way out of the temple. Outside the gate, arrows and bolts came flying in wildly. Yan Qing and Li Kui had no choice but to climb onto the roof and throw tiles down at random.

Before long, a great shouting was heard before the temple gate, and someone came killing their way in. At the lead was a man wearing a white felt hat of Fanyang style, dressed in a white silk jacket, a waist saber at his side and a broad club-sword in his hand. This man was Lu Junyi of Beijing, the "Jade Unicorn." Behind him followed the seven heroes Shi Jin, Mu Hong, Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, Xie Zhen, and Xie Bao, leading over a thousand men. They cut through the temple gate and came in as reinforcements. When Yan Qing and Li Kui saw them, they jumped down from the roof and joined the main force to withdraw. Li Kui went to the inn to fetch his pair of axes, then hurried back to join the fighting. By the time the prefecture had mustered its government troops, that band of heroes had already departed far away. The soldiers knew full well that the men of Liangshan Marsh were too numerous and formidable to face, so they dared not pursue.

Lu Junyi gave orders to gather Li Kui and head back. They had traveled half a day when Li Kui was nowhere to be found. Lu Junyi laughed again and said: "This fellow is nothing but a source of trouble. Someone must be sent to find him and bring him up the mountain." Mu Hong said: "I'll go find him and bring him back to camp." Lu Jun义 said: "That would be best."

Let us leave Lu Junyi leading his men back to the mountain for now. Li Kui, wielding his pair of axes, went straight to Shouzhang County. That day the noon session of the court had just ended when Li Kui arrived at the county yamen gate and shouted: "The 'Black Whirlwind' of Liangshan Marsh, your father, is here!" He terrified the people of the county so badly that their hands and feet went numb and they could not move. Now this Shouzhang County lay closest to Liangshan Marsh, and if the mere mention of the five words "Black Whirlwind Li Kui" could stop a child from crying at night, how much more so now that he had come in person—how could they not be terrified!

Li Kui went straight to the magistrate's chair and sat down, calling out: "Send two people out to speak with me, or I'll set a fire!" The people in the corridors and side rooms conferred among themselves: "We must send a few out to respond to him, or how else will we get rid of him?" Two clerks among them came out into the hall, bowed four times, and knelt, saying: "Since Your Honor has arrived here, you must have some instructions." Li Kui said: "I haven't come to trouble your county people. I'm just passing through here and wanted to have some fun. Bring out your magistrate—I want to meet him." The two went and came back with a reply: "The magistrate, having just seen Your Honor arrive, opened the back gate and fled—no one knows where he went." Li Kui did not believe them. He went himself into the rear hall and side rooms to search. "Look, Your Honor, that cap case is over there." Li Kui broke the lock, took out the official headgear with its wings spread, put it on, donned the green robe and official garments, tied his belt; then he looked for the black boots, changed into hemp shoes, took up the catalpa-wood tablet, and walked out into the hall, calling loudly: "All clerks and officials, come pay your respects!" The people had no choice but to come forward and respond. Li Kui said: "How do I look in this outfit?" They said: "It suits you perfectly." Li Kui said: "All you clerks and functionaries will come with me to the court, and then you may go. If you don't do as I say, I'll turn this whole county into a white wasteland." Fearing him, they had no choice but to gather some government clerks and functionaries, bearing ivory rods and metal clubs, beating the drums three times, and advancing with a shout of homage. Li Kui laughed loudly, then said: "Among you people, send two of them in to file a complaint." The clerks said: "With Your Honor sitting here, who would dare come to file a complaint?" Li Kui said: "I see no one is coming to file a complaint. Then you must dress two of your own up as plaintiffs and have them come to file a complaint. I won't hurt them—I just want a bit of amusement." The clerks and officials conferred for a while and had to order two jailers to dress up as men who had been fighting and come to file a complaint. The commoners outside the county gate all came to watch. The two knelt before the hall. One of them pleaded: "Your Honor, have pity—he beat me." The other pleaded: "He cursed me, and that's why I hit him." Li Kui said: "Which one was the one who got hit?" The plaintiff said: "This humble one was the one who got hit." He asked again: "Which one was the one who hit him?" the defendant said: "He cursed me first—this humble one hit him." Li Kui said: "This one who hit the other is a true man—let him go first. This worthless fellow, how could he let himself be beaten? Put him in the cangue and display him before the county gate as a warning." Li Kui stood up, hitched up his green robe, tucked the tablet into his waist, drew out his great axe, and personally saw to it that the plaintiff was cangued and paraded before the county gate. Only then did he stride away, without even removing his official robes and boots. The commoners watching before the county gate could barely keep from laughing.

Li Kui was walking back and forth in front of Shouzhang County when he suddenly heard the sound of reading coming from a school. He lifted the curtain and walked in, frightening the teacher so badly he jumped out the window and fled. The students cried, wailed, ran, and hid in every direction. Li Kui laughed loudly and walked out—and ran straight into Mu Hong. Mu Hong shouted: "Everyone has been worried sick about you, and here you are having fun! Hurry up the mountain!" He gave Li Kui no choice, but dragged him away by force. Li Kui had no choice but to leave Shouzhang County and make straight for Liangshan Marsh. A poem bears witness:

County magistrates who oppress the people run amiss,

From their youth their teachers gave them lessons no better than this.

Iron Ox had been sent on his rounds of inspection—

The music hall was thrown into uproar, the study hall thrown into uproar.

The two men crossed Golden Sand Shoal and came back into the stronghold. When the others saw Li Kui's outfit, they all burst out laughing. In the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, Song Jiang was just congratulating himself and Yan Qing. Li Kui now laid aside his green scholar's robe, set down his twin axes, and swaggered unsteadily right up to the front of the hall. He took up a huai-wood tablet and came to bow before Song Jiang. Before he had bowed twice, he trod on his green robe, tore it, and tripped, falling to the ground. Everyone laughed. Song Jiang cursed him, "You rascal, far too brazen! Without my knowledge you sneaked down the mountain—that's a crime worthy of death! And wherever you go you stir up trouble. Today I've told all the brothers: I will not spare you again!" Li Kui answered meekly, "Yes, yes," and withdrew.

From this time on, the men and horses of Liangshan Marsh were at peace. Nothing of note happened. Every day in the stronghold they practiced martial arts and drilled the troops; those who could swim were sent onto the boats for training. In each stockade they manufactured additional weapons, uniforms, armor, spears, swords, bows and arrows, shields, crossbows, and banners—but this goes without saying.

Now, the garrison commander of Taian Prefecture memorialized the Eastern Capital regarding these events. In the Memorial Presentation Bureau, memorials had also been received from various prefectures and counties, all reporting that Song Jiang and his band were in rebellion and harassing the localities. At this time the Emperor of the Daoist Sovereign had not held court for a full month. On the day of the early court session, the three signal whips cracked in the imperial precincts, and the two ranks of civil and military officials lined up on the golden steps. The Palace Head Eunuch intoned, "Let those with business come forward and memorialize early; if there is no business, roll up the rain and adjourn the court." The Director of the Memorial Presentation Bureau stepped forward and memorialized, "Your servant's bureau has received repeated memorials from various prefectures and counties, all reporting that Song Jiang and his band lead a force of bandits who openly march into prefectural capitals, plunder the treasuries, loot the granaries, kill soldiers and civilians, and are insatiable in their greed. Wherever they go, no one can withstand them. If they are not suppressed soon, they will become a great menace in days to come." The Son of Heaven said, "On the night of the Lantern Festival this bandit harassed the capital, and now they go about disturbing the various regions as well—and those are prefectures near at hand! I have repeatedly dispatched troops through the Bureau of Military Affairs, yet to this day I have received no report of their return." At his side, the Censor-in-Chief Cui Jing stepped forward and memorialized, "Your servant has heard that at Liangshan Marsh they have raised a great banner inscribed with four characters: 'Act in Heaven's behalf on the Road.' This is a technique to dazzle the people. The people's hearts having been won over, it is no longer possible to use force against them. At present, Liao troops are invading our borders, and the military forces in various regions are hard-pressed to defend themselves. If we were to raise an army for an expedition, it would be deeply inconvenient. In your servant's humble view, these are fugitives from the mountains, all guilty of criminal offenses, who had no road to flee by and so gathered in the hills and acted without restraint. If we were to issue an imperial rescript in vermilion, and the Court of Imperial Supplies were to present imperial wine and delicacies, and dispatch a senior official all the way to Liangshan Marsh with kind words to soothe and instruct them, summoning them to surrender—by this means we could turn them against the Liao troops, serving both public and private interests. I humbly beg Your Sacred Majesty's consideration." The Son of Heaven said, "Your words are most fitting and accord precisely with my own wishes." He then commissioned Grand Marshal Chen Zongshan of the Palace Command to serve as envoy, bearing the vermilion rescript and the imperial wine, to proceed to Liangshan Marsh and summon the entire population to surrender.

That day, Grand Marshal Chen received the rescript and edict at court and went home to make preparations. Not for nothing did Grand Marshal Chen receive the edict to summon them to surrender—it was destined that the fragrant wine would become a potion to burn the body, and the vermilion rescript would serve as a letter of provocation to war. How Grand Marshal Chen went to summon Song Jiang to surrender—let us listen to the explanation in the next chapter.