Water Margin, Volume One

by Shi Nai-An

  "I, Drill Inspector of the Imperial Guards of Eastern Capital, am banished to Tsangchou because I have committed a serious crime, and as it is uncertain whether I shall die there or not I write this letter to express my willingness to give my young wife (family name Chang) full liberty to marry a second husband so that there shall be no dispute about it afterwards. This is certainly my wish, and there shall be no obstacle in the way of this being done. I have therefore written this document so that hereafter it may be proof of my desire."

  Lin Ch'ung saw that the date had been inserted, and then affixed his seal, and impressed his fingerprint on the document. When this had been completed he went to hand the document to Inspector Chang, but the former's wife just then arrived, bewailing loudly. With her was the maidservant Chin Erh who was carrying a bundle of clothes. Lin Ch'ung rose to receive her, and said, "Wife, I have something to tell you which I have already imparted to your father. I have had to submit to a serious

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  injustice. I have to go to Tsangchou and whether I shall survive is uncertain. I am very much afraid that this will spoil the days of your youth and therefore I have signed this document expressing my fervent hope that you will not wait for my return, but if there is a suitable man you will marry him, and not allow me to stand in the way of such a virtuous wife."

  His wife wept upon hearing this and said, "Husband, I have not the slightest stain on my character, so why do you dismiss me in this way?"

  "Wife I have the best of intentions, but I am afraid that they cannot be realized, and I do not want to deceive you."

  Drill Inspector Chang said, "My daughter, be contented. Although my son-in-law wants to arrange your affair in this way I will promise you that I shall not press you to remarry. If we do this business in the way suggested he will depart with a contented mind, and if he does not return then I will provide for you at my home for the remainder of your life so that you can maintain your chastity."

  His daughter listened to this and continued to sob, but when she saw the sealed document she fell down in a faint. Lin Ch'ung and Chang raised her up, and after a long time she regained consciousness, but still continued to weep.

  Lin Ch'ung took the document and handed it to Chang. The wives of the neighbors had now arrived, and they gave advice to Lin Ch'ung's wife, and supported her back to her home.

  Drill Inspector Chang bade farewell Lin Ch'ung; saying, "Now be care free and proceed on your journey, and try to come back as soon as possible. To-morrow I will take your wife to my home, and provide for her, and she can wait there until you are reunited. You go now, and do not worry about her. And if there is anybody coming here, never fail to send a letter by that person."

  Lin Ch'ung rose, and expressed his thanks. He then saluted Chang and all the neighbors, shouldered his bundle, and departed in the company of the two constables. Inspector Chang and the neighbors went back to their homes, and we will not say anything more about them.

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  The two constables took Lin Ch'ung to the jail and there left him for the night. They then went to their homes, to get their baggage. While one of them named Tung Chao was packing up his bundle, a waiter from a wine shop in the same alley came, and said to him, "There is an official in our wine shop who wishes to speak to you."

  Tung Chao asked who be was, and the waiter replied that he did not know him. The man, he said, had simply asked him to invite him.

  Tung Chao went with the waiter to the inn, and there he saw a man sitting in a small room with a character on his turban, wearing a short black crape coat, and a pair of black shoes with white socks. When he saw Tung Chao he immediately saluted with folded hands, and asked the constable to be seated.

  Tung Chao said, "I have never had the pleasure of knowing you, and do not know what business you have for me."

  "Sit down, and you will soon know about that."

  Tung Chao sat down opposite the official, and the waiter laid upon the table cups, and wine, vegetables and fruits.

  The official asked, "Where does Hsueh Pa, the other constable, live?"

  Tung Chao said, "He lives in the alley over there."

  The official then told the waiter to go and bring, Hsueh Pa. The waiter went off, and very soon Hsueh Pa arrived.

  Tung Chao said, "This official has something to say to us."

  Hsueh Pa said, "I dare not ask for his name."

  The official said, "You will soon find that out. Please drink some wine."

  The three men sat down and very soon the waiter brought them some warm wine. After they had drunk a few cups of wine the official took ten ounces of silver out of his sleeve, and placed them on the table. He said, "I have a little troublesome business for you two men to do, and you can have five ounces each."

  The men said, "We have not seen you before, so why do you offer us money?"

  "Are you not going to Tsangchou?" asked the official.

  Tung Chao said, "We have received an order from the yamen to escort a prisoner, Lin Ch'ung, to Tsangchou."

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  "That being the case, I shall have to trouble you. I am Lu Ch'ien, the confidential steward in the family of Kao, Minister for War."

  Tung Chao and Hsueh Pa made many salutations and said, "We should not be sitting at the same table with you.”

  Lu Ch'ien said, "Are you two men aware that Lin Ch'ung has offended the Minister for War? You must now observe the order of the minister. He told me to give you these ten ounces of silver, and say that you are not to take Lin Ch'ung very far away. When you reach some quiet deserted spot you must kill Lin Ch'ung, and then get an official near there to give you a report about his death. If any questions are raised when you get to Kaifeng you will be free from blame as the Minister for War will deal with the matter himself."

  Tung Chao said, "I am afraid that we cannot do that. Our order from the Governor of Kaifeng says that we must escort the prisoner, and says nothing about killing him. Moreover, I am not very old, so how can we do such a vile thing? We are also afraid that we should be blamed if anybody got to know of the affair."

  Hsueh Pa said, "Old Tung, you just listen to me. You must not forget that even though Kao, Minister for War, condemns us both to death we have to obey him. Moreover he has sent this official to give us this money. Let us talk no more about it, but just divide the money. When we have done the deed Kao will be grateful to us, and will find us something to do. There is a wild deserted forest let us dispatch him there anyway." Hsueh Pa took his part of the silver and then said, "We shall do this after we have traveled not less than fifty miles, or not more than one hundred miles."

  Lu Ch'ien was much pleased at this and said, "That will be very well. Don't forget that after you have murdered Lin Ch'ung you must tear off the skin of his face, bearing the brand mark, and bring it back as an evidence that you have killed him." He also promised to give them an extra ten ounces of silver when they returned. He would wait anxiously for their report, and he also urged them to get the matter done without delay.

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  During the Sung dynasty it was the practice to brand criminals on their faces when they were sentenced to banishment. But as the branding was disgustful to the people, it was called, "Fixing Golden Seals."

  The three men finished their wine, and then separated. Lu Ch'ien paid for the wine.

  Tung Chao and Hsueh Pa divided the bribe between them, and took the money to their homes. There each man made up a bundle of necessary things for his journey, and carried this on a stick over his shoulder. They got Lin Ch'ung out of the jail, and escorted him out of the city. That day they traveled about ten miles before they stopped for the night.

  During the Sung dynasty it was a rule that all inns were to give shelter to an escort in charge of criminals without charging for the room, but would receive payment for food or wine taken.

  The next day the three men rose early, and after breakfast they started out again on the road to Tsangchou. It was the month of June, an
d the weather was very hot. Previously Lin Ch'ung had felt no pain from the blows he had got at Kaifeng, but under the heat of the day he now felt pains, and limped along slowly.

  Hsueh Pa said, "You do not seem to realize that we have to go about seven hundred miles to Tsangchou, and that it will take a very long time to get there if you walk like this."

  Lin Ch'ung said, "While I was at Kaifeng I did not feel uncomfortable, but, owing to the hot weather I now feel pains resulting from being beaten with the bamboo the day before yesterday. I beg you to walk a little slower."

  Tung Chao said, "You can walk slower, and take no notice of what we say."

  Hsueh Pa resented this kind of talk, and muttered to himself as he walked along. "We two are unlucky as we meet such a devil as this prisoner."

  It was getting late in the evening when they got to an inn. When they got inside they all three took off their bundles. Lin Ch'ung did not wait for the two constables to speak, but taking some silver out of his bundle he gave it to waiter, and told him to bring some meat,

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  rice and wine for dinner. He then asked the two constables to dine with him.

  The two constables purchased some more wine, and they gave Lin Ch'ung so much that he became drunk, and lay down on the floor with the cangue still round his neck.

  Hsueh Pa then went, and boiled some water, and when it was extremely hot he poured it into a tub. He then roused Lin Ch'ung, and said to him, "Just wash your feet, and afterwards you will sleep better."

  Lin Ch'ung struggled to get up, but the cangue prevented him from doing this.

  "I will wash your feet for you," said Hsueh Pa.

  Lin Ch'ung would not agree to this, but Hsueh Pa insisted that as they were traveling together they need not be too particular.

  Lin Ch'ung did not suspect anything, and therefore put forward his feet, which Hsueh Pa seized and thrust them into the boiling water. Lin Ch'ung yelled with the pain, and quickly withdrew his feet, but they had already been scalded, and covered with red blisters. He said that it was awfully painful.

  Hsueh Pa said, "Before this I have seen prisoners waiting upon us, but now we have apparently to wait upon a prisoner. We had the best of intentions in telling you to wash your feet, but you are so fastidius and would complain that the water was too cold if it was only a little cold and too hot if only a little hot. So we get no thanks .for our labor."

  Hsueh Pa continued muttering about this for a long time, and as Lin Ch'ung dared not reply to his remarks he lay down on one side and tried to sleep. The two constables threw the boiling water away, and getting fresh water washed their own feet, and then went to bed. Early the next morning long before any of the people of the inn were out of bed Hsueh Pa got up, and after washing himself he lit the fire, and cooked some rice. But Lin Ch'ung could neither get up, nor eat his breakfast. Hsueh Pa seized his stick, and told Lin Ch'ung to get up. Tung Chao seeing the difficulty unloosened a pair of new straw sandals from his belt, and told Lin Ch'ung to put them on.

  But Lin Ch'ung seeing the huge blisters on his feet would

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  have preferred to wear his old shoes as being more comfortable, but as he could not find them he put on the new straw sandals.

  They then paid for the wine they had had, and escorted Lin Ch'ung out of the inn about five a.m. After walking about a mile the blisters on Lin Ch'ung's feet, caused by the new straw sandals bursted, and the blood oozed out. Walking was extremely painful, and he could not suppress his groans.

  Hsueh Pa abused him, saying; "If you can walk, then walk quickly, and if you don't walk quickly I shall have to use this stick to make you get on."

  Lin Ch'ung said, "Have pity on me. I dare not go slow and so delay our journey. But the fact is that my feet are very painful, and I cannot walk quickly."

  Tung Chao said, "I will support you a little, and that will make it easier for you to walk." He assisted him in this way for about two miles. They then saw in the distance the gloomy, dense forest, called "Wild Boar Forest." On the road between the Eastern Capital and Tsangchou, this was well-known as the most dangerous place. In the Sung dynasty it often occurred that when somebody owed grudge to a person the latter was accused, and banished, and then the escort was bribed so as to put him to death when passing through this forest. It is unknown how many innocent people were killed in this way.

  On this day when the escort with Lin Ch'ung entered the forest Tung Chao said, "We have been traveling for two hours, but have not covered three miles. If we keep on like this how can we get to Tsangchou?"

  Hsueh Pa said, "Well, I cannot walk any further, and must have a rest in this forest."

  The three men then left the road, and went into the forest where they threw down their bundles. Lin Ch'ung cried out with the pain and fell down.

  Tung Chao said to Hsueh Pa, "I am quite tired so we must rest a while here, and have a sleep before going on."

  They then put down their sticks, and lay down at the foot of a tree. After closing their eyes for a short time they got up, and shouted at Lin Ch'ung.

  Lin Ch'ung asked, "What is the matter with you?"

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  "There is no place here where we can lock you up, so we do not care to sleep as you might escape."

  Lin Ch'ung replied, "I am a brave man. As I have already been condemned I will never run away."

  Hsueh Pa said, "We do not believe that. In order to feel safe we must tie you up."

  "If you want to tie me up, of course I must agree."

  Hsueh Pa thereupon took a rope, and tied Lin Ch'ung to a tree -- both hands, feet, and also the cangue. As soon as he had done this be turned round, picked up his stick and looking at Lin Ch'ung said, "We do not wish to kill you, but the fact is that the day before yesterday Lu Ch'ien told us that the Minister for War, Kao, had given an order that we must kill you at this place. We, must also quickly bring to him your brand mark as proof that we have done the deed. So it does not matter how many days we should travel you would eventually be killed. So to-day we have come here to finish the matter, and to get back as soon as possible. You must not bear resentment against us two as we are only obeying orders. If you think the matter over you will see that it is not our arrangement. A year from to-day will be the anniversary of your death. We have decided upon to-day for the deed, and we must return at once to report the matter."

  Upon hearing this, Lin Ch'ung burst into tears, and said, "Gentlemen, I have had no grudge against you. So if you two will save my life on this occasion I shall never forget your gracious action."

  "We cannot do that, and it is a waste of time to talk about it." So saying the two men took their sticks to hit Lin Ch'ung on the head.

  How pitiful to see a hero bound up and killed in this way!

  On the way to Hell no inn is found

  Lin Ch'ung's soul will now be roaming round.

  We will now relate what eventually happened to Lin Ch'ung's life.

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  CHAPTER 8

  CH'AI CHIN OFFERS HOSPITALITY; LIN CH'UNG

  HITS DRILL INSPECTOR HUNG WITH HIS CUDGEL

  HSUEH PA took up his stick in both hands, and was on the point of striking Lin Ch'ung with it when all at once there came a tremendous noise in the fir trees, and a big fat priest jumped out and shouted, "I have been in the forest for some time and have heard all that you, have said." So saying he knocked the stick out of Hsueh Pa's hands with his priest staff. He then whirled his staff, and was going to hit the constable with it when Lin Ch'ung (recognizing Lu Ta) called out, "Brother, leave them alone. I have something to say."

  Lu Ta upon hearing this stayed his hand. The two constables were almost paralyzed with fear.

  Lin Ch'ung said, "They are not responsible for this as the Minister for War gave instructions through Lu Ch'ien that they were to kill me. They were only carrying out the order. So if you kill them it will only create another grievance."

  Lu Ta unsheathed his sword, out the ropes bind
ing Lin Ch'ung to the tree, and raising him said, "Younger brother, I have been thinking of your trouble ever since we parted on the day you bought that sword. Since you were arrested, I have been planning to save you. I heard that you had been banished to Tsangchou but although I waited outside Kaifeng I did not see you depart. Afterwards I heard that you had been sent to the prison in Kaifeng, and also heard that an official had had a private conversation with the two constables in an inn. Because of this procedure I was very suspicious, and anxious about your safety. So when you left I secretly followed you. I saw these two rascals take you into the inn, and I therefore stayed there myself. In that night I heard these two men discussing their evil schemes, and saw them thrust your feet in the boiling water.

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  At that time I thought of killing them, but there were many people in the inn who might have tried to stop me. But as they had bad intentions I was more anxious about you. I left the inn before you in the morning, and hid in the forest with the intention of killing these rascals as they passed that way. As they came here with the object of killing you it will be better if I kill them."

  "Elder brother," said Lin Ch'ung, "as you have saved my life, you should not kill these two men."

  Lu Ta spoke in a loud voice, "If my younger brother had not interfered, I would have cut you two rascals into mince meat. But at his request I forgive you." After sheathing his sword, he continued, "Now you assist my younger brother, and follow me." The two men dared not utter a word in reply, but helping Lin Ch'ung they followed Lu Ta. They also carried Lin Ch'ung's bundle. After going about a mile they came to a village where there was an inn. The four men entered the inn and sat down ordering from the waiter eight pounds of meat, two big tankards of wine, and flour cakes. The waiter soon spread the table, and placed the tankards of wine in a dish containing hot water so as to keep them warm.