The Flower Monk Takes On Two Dragon Mountain Alone; The Blue-Faced Beast Seizes the Precious Pearl Temple

The Flower Monk Takes On Two Dragon Mountain Alone; The Blue-Faced Beast Seizes the Precious Pearl Temple

A poem says:

Two Dragon Mountain towers into cloud and mist;  
Pines and junipers grow thick and green, touching the sky.  
Golden-Eyed Tiger Deng Long gathered men and held the mountain;  
Yang Zhi was strong, and his martial skill even finer.  
When loyal and righteous men meet, their hearts agree;  
When trouble reaches its crisis, their will grows firmer.  
The tattooed monk Lu Zhishen,  
Together with the Blue-Faced Beast Yang Zhi,  
Seized the Precious Pearl Temple and arranged everything well.

Now Yang Zhi was on Yellow Earth Ridge when the birthday gifts were robbed. How could he face Grand Secretary Liang again? He had meant to kill himself there on the ridge. Just as he was about to jump, he suddenly came to his senses, stopped his feet, and thought: “My parents gave me life. I am a grown man, strong and martial in appearance, trained in the eighteen kinds of weapons since childhood. How can I throw my life away for nothing? Rather than die now, I will wait and see what happens when the authorities catch me.” He turned and looked at the other fourteen men. They could only stare at him, unable to move. Yang Zhi pointed at them and cursed: “It is all because you people would not listen to me that this great disaster has happened and dragged me down with you!” He picked up his broadsword from beside the tree roots, hung his waist knife at his side, looked around, and saw nothing else. Yang Zhi gave a long sigh and strode down Yellow Earth Ridge.

The fourteen men did not wake until the second watch. One by one they crawled up, groaning without end. Old Steward Xie said, “All of you refused to listen to Commandant Yang’s good advice, and today you have ruined me!” The men said, “Old Master, the thing has already happened. Let us think of a way together.” Old Steward Xie asked, “What plan do you have?” The men said, “It is our fault. The ancients said: when fire reaches your body, you must beat it out yourself; when a hornet gets into your clothes, you must strip at once. If Yang Zhi were still here, we could never explain clearly. But now he has run away, no one knows where. When we go back to see Grand Secretary Liang, we will simply put all the blame on him. We will say: along the road he beat and bullied us as he pleased, forcing us until we could not walk. He was in league with the bandits. He drugged us with knockout powder, tied our hands and feet, and stole all the gold, silver, and treasures. Old Steward Xie said, “That will work. At dawn we will first report to the local authorities and leave two aides at the office to wait for the bandits to be caught. The rest of us will hurry back to Daming Prefecture and report to Grand Secretary Liang. Let him write documents to Grand Preceptor Cai and order the Jizhou Prefecture to arrest these bandits.” At dawn the next day, Old Steward Xie took the group to the officials of Jizhou Prefecture and made the report. Of this we need not speak further.

Now Yang Zhi held his broadsword and felt deeply depressed. He left Yellow Earth Ridge and walked south for half a day. Then he walked most of the night and rested in a forest. He thought, “I have no travel money left. There is not a single acquaintance as far as I can see. What am I to do!” When day broke, he could only travel while the morning was cool. After another twenty li or so, he saw a wine shop ahead. Yang Zhi thought, “If I do not get some wine, I truly cannot go on.” He entered the wine shop, sat down by a mulberry-wood table, and leaned his broadsword beside him. A woman by the stove asked, “Guest, shall I prepare food?” Yang Zhi said, “First bring two measures of wine. Then cook some rice, and if there is meat, bring some. I will pay for it all later.” The woman called a young man to pour wine for Yang Zhi. She cooked rice and fried meat and brought it to him. Yang Zhi ate, then rose, took up his broadsword, and started out the door. The woman said, “You have not paid for the wine, meat, and rice.” Yang Zhi said, “I will pay when I come back. Put it on credit.” He walked straight out. The young man who had poured the wine ran after him and grabbed him. Yang Zhi knocked him down with one punch. The woman screamed for help. Yang Zhi went on. Suddenly someone behind him shouted, “Where do you think you are going?” Yang Zhi turned and saw a man stripped to the waist, dragging a staff-spear as he charged. Yang Zhi thought, “This fellow is truly unlucky. He has come looking for me.” He stopped and did not run. The young wine pourer also came after him with a steel fork, bringing two or three farmhands, all carrying clubs. Yang Zhi thought, “If I knock this one down, the rest will not dare chase me.” He raised his broadsword and fought the man. The man swung his staff-spear to meet him. They fought twenty or thirty bouts. The man could not withstand Yang Zhi and could only barely block and dodge. The young man and farmhands were about to rush in together when the man suddenly leaped out of the fight and shouted, “Everyone stop! Big man with the broadsword, tell us your name.”

Escaping disaster and hardship, suffering every trial,  
He met Cao Zheng, and only then did his sorrow ease.  
By chance he met Lu Zhishen, and their hearts joined as one;  
The three made a plan to seize Two Dragon Mountain.

Yang Zhi struck his chest and said, “I never change my name whether walking or sitting. I am Yang Zhi, the Blue-Faced Beast.” The man asked, “Are you Commissioner Yang of the Palace Command in the Eastern Capital?” Yang Zhi said, “How do you know me?” The man threw down his staff-spear and bowed at once. “I had eyes but did not recognize Mount Tai.” Yang Zhi helped him up and asked, “Who are you?” The man said, “I am from Kaifeng Prefecture. I am the disciple of Lin Chong, chief instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards. My name is Cao Zheng. My family have been butchers for generations. I am very good at slaughtering animals, boning and skinning them, so people call me Cao Zheng, the Cleaver Demon. A local rich man once gave me five thousand strings to do business in Shandong. I lost the money and could not go home, so I married into a local family here. The woman by the stove is my wife. The one with the steel fork is my wife’s brother. Just now I fought you and saw that your martial skill is like my teacher Lin Chong’s, so I could not hold out.” Yang Zhi said, “So you are Instructor Lin’s disciple. Your teacher was framed by Marshal Gao, became an outlaw, and is now at Liangshan Marsh.” Cao Zheng said, “I heard that too, but did not know if it was true. Please come to my house and rest.” Yang Zhi followed Cao Zheng back to the wine shop. Cao Zheng invited him into the inner room, called his wife and brother-in-law to bow to Yang Zhi, and prepared wine and food again.

While drinking, Cao Zheng asked, “How did you come here, Commissioner?” Yang Zhi told him everything from beginning to end: how he had lost the flower-and-stone tribute as a commissioner, and how this time he had lost Grand Secretary Liang’s birthday gifts. Cao Zheng said, “Since that is so, stay at my house for a while, and we will think of a way out.” Yang Zhi said, “Thank you for your kindness. But the authorities will hunt me. I dare not stay long.” Cao Zheng said, “Then where do you plan to go?” Yang Zhi said, “I want to go to Liangshan Marsh to find your teacher Lin Chong. I once passed there and happened to meet him when he came down the mountain and fought me. Wang Lun saw that our skill was equal and kept us at the stronghold to meet. So I know Lin Chong. At first Wang Lun begged me to join, but I did not want to be a bandit. Now I have a criminal’s gold tattoo on my face. If I go there again, I will have no pride left. So I hesitate, caught between two choices.” Cao Zheng said, “You are right, Commissioner. I have heard that Wang Lun is narrow-minded and cannot tolerate able men. After my teacher Lin Chong went up the mountain, he suffered much from him. Not far from here, in Qingzhou, there is Two Dragon Mountain. On the mountain is the Precious Pearl Temple. The mountain naturally protects the temple, and only one road leads up. The old abbot of the temple has returned to lay life and let his hair grow. The other monks all follow him. I hear he has gathered four or five hundred men and robs everywhere. The chief is called Golden-Eyed Tiger Deng Long. If you want to become an outlaw, you could go there and join them. You could find shelter.” Yang Zhi said, “Since there is such a place, why not simply seize it and settle there?” That day Yang Zhi stayed one night at Cao Zheng’s house, borrowed some travel money, took his broadsword, said farewell to Cao Zheng, and strode toward Two Dragon Mountain.

He walked for a day. As evening came, he saw a high mountain far off. Yang Zhi thought, “I will rest in the forest tonight and go up the mountain tomorrow.” He entered the forest and was startled. He saw a big, fat monk, stripped naked, with tattoos all over his back, sitting at the root of a pine tree cooling off. The monk saw Yang Zhi, picked up his monk’s staff from the tree root, jumped up, and shouted, “You fellow, where are you from?” Yang Zhi thought, “So he is a monk from Guanxi, a fellow countryman. I will ask him.” Yang Zhi called, “Monk, where are you from?” The monk did not answer. He swung his staff and struck at Yang Zhi. Yang Zhi thought, “This monk is too rude. This is a good chance to fight him and vent my anger.” He raised his broadsword to meet him. The two fought back and forth in the forest. It was like two dragons fighting for a treasure, or a pair of tigers fighting for food. The broadsword rose like a half-length golden snake; the monk’s staff danced like a jade python. Two dragons fought for treasure, stirring rivers and seas and frightening fish and shrimp; two tigers fought for food, rushing over ridges and scattering beasts. With a great roar, it seemed heaven would fall and earth collapse, claws flashing in black clouds. Killing intent rose, roars were like thunder, fierce eyes flashed. The Flower Monk would not let Yang Zhi go and fought desperately. Yang Zhi wanted to take the Flower Monk down and struggled hard.

Yang Zhi and the monk fought forty or fifty bouts without victory. The monk deliberately showed a flaw, suddenly leaped out of the circle, and shouted, “Stop!” Both stopped. Yang Zhi secretly praised him: “Where did this monk come from? His skill is so high. I can barely hold him off.” The monk asked, “Blue-faced fellow, who are you?” Yang Zhi said, “I am Yang Zhi, commissioner of the Eastern Capital.” The monk said, “Are you the man who sold a sword in the streets of the Eastern Capital and killed the rogue Niu Er?” Yang Zhi said, “Do you not see the gold tattoo on my face?” The monk laughed. “So I have met you here.” Yang Zhi asked, “May I ask, brother, who are you? How do you know about my selling the sword?” The monk said, “I am none other than Lu Da, formerly a commandant under the Old General Zhong, Military Commissioner of Yan’an. After I killed the Lord of the Pass with three punches, I went to Mount Wutai and became a monk. Because people see the tattoos on my back, they call me the Flower Monk Lu Zhishen.” Yang Zhi laughed. “So we are fellow countrymen. I have long heard your great name in the rivers and lakes. I heard you were staying at the Grand Xiangguo Monastery. How did you come here?” Lu Zhishen said, “It is a long story. I was watching the vegetable garden at the Grand Xiangguo Monastery when I saw Panther Head Lin Chong being persecuted by Marshal Gao. I could not stand injustice, so I escorted him all the way to Cangzhou and saved his life. I never expected the two guards escorting Lin Chong to go back and tell Gao Qiu: they had meant to kill Lin Chong in Wild Boar Forest, but Lu Zhishen of the Grand Xiangguo Monastery saved him and escorted him to Cangzhou, so they had no chance. Gao Qiu hated me to death. He told the monastery elders not to keep me and sent men to arrest me. Thanks to a group of ruffians who warned me, I was not caught. I burned down the vegetable garden house and fled into the rivers and lakes. I wandered east and west with no place to stay. I passed Crossroads Slope in Mengzhou and almost died at the hands of the wine shop mistress, knocked out by her drugged wine. Luckily her husband came back early, saw my appearance and my monk’s staff and knife, was startled, and quickly gave me an antidote. When he learned my name, he kept me several days and we became sworn brothers. That couple are famous heroes of the rivers and lakes: Zhang Qing, the Vegetable Gardener, and his wife Sun the Second, the Ogress. They are very loyal. After four or five days, I heard that Two Dragon Mountain and the Precious Pearl Temple were a place to settle, so I came specially to join Deng Long. But the wretch would not take me in. Deng Long fought me and could not beat me, so he tightly barred the three passes at the foot of the mountain. There is no other road up. No matter how I cursed him below the mountain, he would not come down to fight. He angered me so much, and I was trapped here. I never expected you, brother, to come.”

Yang Zhi was very pleased. The two bowed to each other in the forest and sat there for the night. Yang Zhi told him in detail how he had sold his sword and killed Niu Er, and how he had been robbed while escorting the birthday gifts. He also told how Cao Zheng had directed him to Two Dragon Mountain. Yang Zhi said, “Since the passes are tightly closed, there is no use waiting here. He will not come down. Better to go to Cao Zheng’s house and plan.” The two left the forest together and came to Cao Zheng’s wine shop. Yang Zhi introduced Lu Zhishen and Cao Zheng. Cao Zheng quickly set out wine and entertained them, and they discussed attacking Two Dragon Mountain. Cao Zheng said, “If the passes are firmly shut, then even you two, let alone ten thousand troops, could not force your way up. This can only be done by trickery, not by force.” Lu Zhishen said, “I hate that fellow. He lost to me twice. Last time I kicked him in the belly and was about to finish him, but his men were many and dragged him up the mountain, then barred the pass. No matter how I cursed below the mountain, he would not come down to fight.” Yang Zhi said, “Since it is a good place, how can we not think of a way up?” Lu Zhishen said, “There is no way up. We cannot do anything with him.” Cao Zheng said, “I have a plan. I do not know if you two will agree.” Yang Zhi said, “We would like to hear it.” Cao Zheng said, “Commissioner, change into ordinary country clothes. I will hide my teacher’s monk’s staff and knife. My brother-in-law and six helpers will tie up my teacher with ropes, but I will use slipknots. We will go to the foot of the mountain and shout: We are villagers who keep a wine shop nearby. This monk came to our shop, drank, and would not pay. He even said he would bring men to attack the stronghold. We got him drunk and tied him up, and now we present him to the chief. Deng Long will certainly let us go up. When we reach the stronghold and see Deng Long, we pull the slipknots and release the ropes. I will hand the monk’s staff to my teacher. You two heroes strike together, and Deng Long will have no way to escape. Kill Deng Long, and the rest will surrender. What do you think?” Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi cried together, “Excellent plan, excellent plan!”

That night they ate and drank and prepared dry provisions for the road. The next day they rose at the fifth watch and ate their fill. Lu Zhishen’s luggage was left at Cao Zheng’s house. Yang Zhi, Lu Zhishen, Cao Zheng, Cao Zheng’s brother-in-law, and five or six farmhands set out for Two Dragon Mountain. After noon, they reached the forest, changed clothes, and tied Lu Zhishen with slipknots, with two farmhands holding the ends of the ropes. Yang Zhi put on a sun hat, wore a torn cloth shirt, and carried his broadsword upside down. Cao Zheng carried Lu Zhishen’s monk’s staff. All the others carried clubs and surrounded them front and back. They came to the pass at the foot of the mountain. On the pass were strong bows, crossbows, rolling logs, and stone bottles. The underlings on the pass saw a monk tied up and quickly ran up the mountain to report.

After a while, two small leaders came to the pass and asked, “Who are you? What are you doing here? Where did you catch this monk?” Cao Zheng answered, “We are villagers from near the mountain. We keep a small wine shop. This fat monk often comes to our shop to drink. When drunk, he refuses to pay. He also said he would go to Liangshan Marsh and bring a thousand men to attack Two Dragon Mountain and raid all the nearby villages. So we coaxed him with good wine until he was drunk, tied him up, and now present him to the chief to show that our village submits, so that we may avoid future trouble.” The two small leaders were delighted. “Good! Wait here, all of you.” The two went up the mountain and reported to Deng Long that the fat monk had been caught. Deng Long was overjoyed and ordered, “Bring him up the mountain! I will take this monk’s heart and liver to go with wine and wipe away my old hatred.” The underlings received the order, opened the pass gate, and told the group to come up. Yang Zhi and Cao Zheng escorted Lu Zhishen up the mountain. The three passes were indeed steep. The mountains surrounded and enclosed the Precious Pearl Temple. The peaks were majestic, and only one road led through. Above the three passes were piles of rolling logs, stone missiles, bows, arrows, and bamboo spears. They passed the three passes and came to the gate of the Precious Pearl Temple. Before the three great halls was a level open space, surrounded by a wooden palisade as a wall. Seven or eight underlings stood at the temple gate. Seeing Lu Zhishen tied up, they pointed and cursed, “You bald donkey! You wounded the chief. Now that you are caught, you will be cut to pieces slowly!” Lu Zhishen said nothing. They were brought to the Buddha hall. The Buddha images had all been moved away. In the center was a tiger-skin chair. Many underlings stood on both sides with spears and clubs.

Before long, two underlings helped Deng Long out and seated him on the tiger-skin chair. Cao Zheng and Yang Zhi tightly escorted Lu Zhishen to the steps. Deng Long said, “You bald donkey! Last time you kicked my belly and bruised it. It is still black and blue. Today you have finally fallen into my hands.” Lu Zhishen glared, opened his eyes wide, and shouted, “Villain, do not run!” The two farmhands pulled the ropes, the slipknots came loose, and the ropes fell away. Lu Zhishen took the monk’s staff from Cao Zheng’s hand and swung it. Yang Zhi threw off his hat and raised his broadsword. Cao Zheng swung his staff, and the farmhands all rushed forward. Deng Long tried to struggle, but Lu Zhishen brought his staff down on his head and split it in two, smashing even the tiger-skin chair. Of the underlings, Yang Zhi stabbed four or five.

Cao Zheng shouted, “All of you surrender! Those who do not submit will be killed!” The five or six hundred underlings and several small leaders in the temple were frozen with fear and could only surrender. Then they had Deng Long’s and the others’ bodies carried to the back mountain and burned. They counted the grain stores, put the rooms in order, and inspected the temple’s goods. Wine and meat were set out to celebrate. Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi became the chiefs of the stronghold and held a banquet. All the underlings submitted, and small leaders were appointed. Cao Zheng took leave of the two heroes and returned home with his farmhands. Of this we need not speak further. Reader, a poem as witness:

The ancient temple hid in green mountain woods;  
Deng Long occupied it and did evil as he pleased.  
The Heaven-born strongman, the Flower Monk,  
Cut down the villain; Deng Long’s end was pitiful.

We will not speak of Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi becoming outlaws at Two Dragon Mountain. Now the old steward and the imperial guards who had escorted the birthday gifts hurried back to Daming Prefecture day and night. When they reached Grand Secretary Liang’s residence, they all knelt before the great hall and asked to be punished. Grand Secretary Liang said, “You have had a hard journey. Thanks to you all.” Then he asked, “Where is Commandant Yang?” The men reported, “Do not speak of him! That man is an ungrateful villain. Five or six days after leaving here, we reached Yellow Earth Ridge. The weather was blazing hot, so we rested in the shade of the woods. We never expected Yang Zhi to conspire with seven bandits disguised as date merchants. Yang Zhi had arranged beforehand. Seven wheelbarrows were waiting in the pine forest at Yellow Earth Ridge, and another man carried wine up the ridge. We did not know and bought wine. We were drugged with knockout powder and tied hand and foot. Yang Zhi and the seven bandits loaded all the birthday gold, silver, and treasures onto the carts and took them away. We have already reported to Jizhou Prefecture and left two aides at the office to wait for the bandits to be caught. We hurried back by night to report to Your Excellency.” Grand Secretary Liang was greatly shocked. He cursed in rage, “That damned exiled prisoner! I kindly promoted you, and you dared do such an ungrateful evil! When you are caught, I will have you cut into ten thousand pieces!” He at once called a clerk to write documents and sent men by night to Jizhou. He also wrote a family letter and sent men by night to the Eastern Capital to report to Grand Preceptor Cai.

We will not speak of sending documents to Jizhou. The messenger reached the Grand Preceptor’s residence, saw Grand Preceptor Cai, and presented the letter. Grand Preceptor Cai was greatly shocked. “These bandits are extremely bold! Last year they robbed the gifts my son-in-law sent, and to this day they have not been caught. This year they make trouble again. If they are not arrested, it will be even harder later.” He at once issued documents and sent a trusted man from his office by night to Jizhou, ordering the prefect to arrest these bandits within a deadline and report back at once.

Now the prefect of Jizhou had received Grand Secretary Liang’s documents and was worried every day. Just as he was fretting, the gate clerk reported, “A runner from the Grand Preceptor’s office in the Eastern Capital is at the front of the hall with urgent documents and asks to see you.” The prefect was startled and thought it was surely about the birthday gifts. He quickly held court and met him. The prefect said, “I have already received the complaint from the Liang household’s aide about this case. I have sent constables everywhere to search for the bandits, but there is still no trace. The Office of the Regent has also sent documents ordering the county office and the arrest officials to catch them within a deadline, but they have not yet been caught. As soon as there is news, I will go in person to the Grand Preceptor’s office to report.” The runner said, “I am a trusted man at the Grand Preceptor’s side. I have been ordered by the Grand Preceptor to come here specially to arrest all the criminals. The Grand Preceptor has instructed that I wait at the prefectural office. You have ten days to catch the seven date merchants, the wine seller, and the escaped officer Yang Zhi, and send them to the Eastern Capital. If you fail in ten days, you will first be exiled to Shamen Island. I too will have no way to return to the Grand Preceptor’s office, and my life will be in danger. Your Honor, please look at the Grand Preceptor’s handwritten document.”

The prefect read it and was greatly shocked. He at once summoned the arrest officials. A man bowed below the steps and stood before the curtain. The prefect asked, “Who are you?” The man reported, “I am He Tao, constable of the Third Capital.” The prefect asked, “Are you in charge of the robbery of the birthday gifts at Yellow Earth Ridge?” He Tao said, “I report to Your Honor: since I received this case, I have not slept day or night. I have sent capable constables to search the Yellow Earth Ridge area. I have been beaten many times, but still cannot find any trace of the bandits. It is not that I am lazy. There is truly no clue.” The prefect shouted, “Nonsense! When those above press hard, those below dare not slack. I studied for years and passed the examinations to become a prefect. It was not easy. The Grand Preceptor has sent a man who gives me ten days to catch all the criminals and send them to the Eastern Capital. If I exceed the deadline, I will not only lose office—I will be exiled to Shamen Island. You are the arrest constable, and you do not do your best. You have implicated me. First tattoo your face and exile you to a distant, desolate place!” He called the tattooer and had He Tao’s face tattooed with “Exiled to … Prefecture,” leaving the name of the prefecture blank. He pronounced: “He Tao, if you do not catch the bandits, severe punishment will not be forgiven!”

He Tao received the order and went down from the hall. He came to the constables’ room and gathered all the constables in a secret room to discuss the case. The constables looked at one another and had nothing to say. He Tao said, “You usually get benefits at the office. Now that the case is hard, you are all silent. Look at the tattoo on my face!” The men said, “Inspector, we are not ignorant. But these bandits disguised as merchants must be strongmen from some distant mountain. They robbed the treasure and went back to their stronghold to enjoy it. How can we catch them? Even if we knew, we could only look from afar.” He Tao had been three parts worried. Hearing this, he added five more parts of gloom. He left the constables’ room, mounted his horse, and went home. He tied the horse in the rear stable and sat alone in misery. Truly:

His brows were locked as if in a cangue;  
His heart was filled with ten thousand sorrows.  
If he could not catch the bandits,  
He would surely be exiled to a distant prefecture.

His wife saw him and asked, “Husband, why are you so sad today?” He Tao said, “You do not know. The prefect gave me the documents. A band of robbers at Yellow Earth Ridge stole eleven loads of gold and silver that Grand Secretary Liang was sending as birthday gifts to Grand Preceptor Cai. I took the task, but I still cannot catch them. Today I asked for a deadline, and the Grand Preceptor’s office sent a man. I have ten days to catch the criminals and send them to the Eastern Capital. The prefect asked me for news. I said I had not caught them. The prefect tattooed my face with ‘Exiled to … Prefecture,’ leaving the prefecture blank. I do not even know if I will live!” His wife said, “What shall we do? How will this end!”

Just then He Tao’s younger brother He Qing came to see him. He Tao said, “What are you doing here? Why are you not out gambling?” He Tao’s wife was quick-witted. She quickly waved to him. “Brother, come to the kitchen. I have something to say to you.” He Qing followed his sister-in-law into the kitchen and sat down. She prepared wine and food and invited him to drink. He Qing asked, “My brother bullies people too much. I am his own younger brother. Even if he is an arrest official, what is shameful about having a cup of wine with him?” His sister-in-law said, “Brother, you do not know. Your brother is already at his wit’s end.” He Qing said, “He usually squeezes so much money out of people. What trouble can he have?” His sister-in-law said, “You do not know. Seven date merchants robbed the birthday gifts at Yellow Earth Ridge. The prefect of Jizhou, under orders from the Grand Preceptor, must catch all the criminals within ten days and send them to the Eastern Capital. If he fails, he will be tattooed and exiled to a distant, harsh prefecture. Do you not see that your brother’s face has already been tattooed, with the prefecture name left blank? If he cannot catch them, he will suffer. How could he have the heart to drink with you? I secretly prepared wine and food for you. He has been worried for days. Do not blame him.” He Qing said, “I also heard people outside say bandits robbed the birthday gifts. Where did it happen?” His sister-in-law said, “At Yellow Earth Ridge.” He Qing asked, “What sort of people robbed them?” His sister-in-law said, “Seven date merchants.” He Qing laughed loudly. “So that is it! Since you know it was date merchants, why worry? Why not send capable men to catch them?” His sister-in-law said, “It is easy to say, but we cannot find them.” He Qing laughed. “Sister-in-law, do not worry! My brother usually makes friends over wine and meat, but he does not take his own brother to heart. Now that trouble has come, he says he cannot catch them. If I knew the details, earning a few strings of cash would not be hard. These bandits are not hard to catch.” His sister-in-law asked, “Do you know a clue?” He Qing laughed. “Wait until my brother is in danger. Then I will help him.” He rose to leave. His sister-in-law kept him to drink two more cups.

The woman heard something strange in He Qing’s words and quickly told her husband everything. He Tao at once called He Qing over. He Tao smiled and said, “Brother, since you know where the bandits went, why not save my life?” He Qing said, “I do not know the details. I was only joking with sister-in-law. How could I save you?” He Tao said, “Good brother, do not refuse to save me. Think of our old bond. Do not remember old grievances. Save my life!” He Qing said, “Brother, you have two or three hundred capable constables under you. Why not rely on them? How can I alone save you?” He Tao said, “Brother, do not mention them. There is something in your words. Do not count on others. Tell me the clue. I will reward you richly and set my heart at ease.” He Qing said, “What clue? I do not know.” He Tao said, “Do not deliberately make things hard for me. For the sake of our being brothers from one mother.” He Qing said, “Do not be anxious. When the crisis is greatest, I will naturally help catch these bandits.”

His sister-in-law urged, “Brother, save your brother. That is brotherly duty. The Grand Preceptor’s documents press hard. It is a huge matter, yet you say they are only small thieves. Now there is no way out.” He Qing said, “Sister-in-law, you know that because I gamble, my brother often scolds and beats me. I never argue with him. When there was wine and meat, he enjoyed it with outsiders. Today I can be of use!” He Tao heard that there was a clue in his words and took out ten taels of silver, placing it on the table. “Brother, take this ingot of silver first. After the bandits are caught, the government reward of gold, silver, and silk will all be arranged by me.” He Qing laughed. “Brother, this is clasping Buddha’s feet only when in trouble. Usually you do not value me. If I wanted your silver, it would look like I was blackmailing you. Take the silver back. Do not tempt me with silver. If you do, I will not speak. Since you and your wife beg me so earnestly, I will tell you. Do not bring out silver.” He Tao said, “The reward is from the government. If the bandits are caught, there will be three or five hundred strings. Brother, do not refuse. I ask you: what clue is there about these bandits?” He Qing slapped his thigh. “The whole story of these bandits is in my heart.” He Tao was greatly shocked. “Brother, how can you say the bandits are in your hands?” He Qing said, “Brother, do not ask too much. I know everything. Put the silver away. Do not use silver to buy me. Just treat it as a brother helping you. I will tell you the details.”

He Qing, unhurried, stretched out two fingers and said a few words. It would lead to this: in Yuncheng County, righteous heroes would appear; at Liangshan Marsh, world-shaking heroes would gather. It would make the heroes’ names known for a thousand years and their deeds recorded in history. What exactly did He Qing tell He Tao? Listen to the next chapter for the answer.