Water Margin, Volume One

by Shi Nai-An

  Wu Yung meditated, "From my youth Ch'ao Kai has been my friend and whenever he had any business he always discussed it with me first. I knew all his relatives, but I have not met this nephew before. Moreover, this man seems too old to be Ch'ao Kai's nephew, and that looks strange. So I will stop the fight and afterwards ask him about the matter." Wu Yung then spoke to the man, "Man, you must not be insistent. Your uncle is a good friend of mine, and is also on friendly terms with this inspector. He has made a present to this inspector, and your demanding the return of it will cause your uncle to lose face. I will be responsible for this matter, and will speak to your uncle about it."

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  "Scholar, you do not understand," said Liu Tang. "My uncle did not willingly give the inspector this silver, and the latter deceived my uncle. If he does not give me the money I shall not go back."

  "If alderman, Ch'ao Kai, will come here himself I will hand him the money," said Lei Heng, "but I will not give it to you."

  "You falsely accused me of being a thief," said Liu Tang, "and got money by false pretense, so why should you not return the money?"

  Lei Heng replied, "Because it is not your money! I will not give it to you."

  "As you will not give me the money " said Liu Tang "then you had better ask the sword in my hand whether it will agree to that procedure."

  "You two men have been fighting for a long time," said Wu Yung, "without either of you losing or winning. So how long will it take you to finish the fighting?"

  "As he will not give me the money," said Liu Tang, "I will risk my life, and one of us will die."

  Lei Heng was very angry and said, "I am not afraid of you and I would not even order my soldiers to come and help me to fight with you. In any case I will certainly knock you down with my sword."

  Liu Tang was also angry upon hearing this, and slapping his chest he shouted, "I am not afraid of you! I am not afraid!" and at the same time advanced. Lei Heng also advanced, and both men were soon close together. But Wu Yung stepped between to stop the fight. Liu Tang tried to edge his way round Wu Yung, while Lei Heng continued to curse him as a thief. The soldiers however just then called out, "The alderman is coming." Liu Tang turned round to look, and saw Ch'ao Kai with his dress in loose disorder. Upon arriving there Ch'ao Kai called out, "You beast! Do not act in such an impolite way."

  Wu Yung laughed at this and said, "Sure enough the alderman has arrived, and he is the only man who can settle this dispute."

  When Ch'ao Kai had regained his breath, he said, "Why are you two men fighting?"

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  "Your nephew took a sword, and demanded that I should give him the money," said Lei Heng; "I told him that I would give you the money as it was not his business. He fought with me a long time. This 'Director of Studies' then intervened, and stopped the fight."

  "What a beast!" said Ch'ao Kai. "I did not know that he was doing this. Inspector, will you please go now, and by and by I will come to your home, and apologize."

  Lei Heng said, "I knew that this man was making trouble, and I did not want to have anything to do with him. We have caused you much inconvenience in coming so far." He then took his departure.

  Wu Yung said, "Sir, if you had not come here there would have been a big fight. This nephew of yours is a most extraordinary fellow. His military skill is quite good. I was inside the bamboo fence watching them fight. The inspector Lei Heng used the sword with great skill, but could not win and had to defend himself from the thrusts and blows of his opponent. And I was afraid that Lei Heng might get killed, and so I intervened. But where does your nephew come from? I have never seen him before in the village.

  Ch'ao Kai said, "You had better come to my house where I can explain matters to you. I was just going to send a servant with a message for you, when I noticed that Liu Tang had gone, and that there was a sword missing from the rack. A cowherd said that he had seen a big man taking a sword from the rack and then going straight to the south road. I, therefore, immediately set out after him, but before I arrived you had stopped the fighting. I beg that you will now come to my house where we can discuss matters."

  Wu Yung took the copper wires, and placed them in the library of the house within the bamboo fence. He then spoke to the master of the house, "When my pupil comes please tell him that I have a little business to attend to, and he can have a holiday to-day." He then took the key and locked the door of the library.

  He joined Ch'ao Kai and Liu Tang, and they all went to the Tung Chi Village. Ch'ao Kai invited them to enter a room at the back where they all sat down.

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  Wu Yung asked, "Alderman, who is this man!"

  "He is a good man named Liu Tang," said Ch'ao Kai, "and he is a Tunglu Chou man. He has information about a promising enterprise and came here to tell me about it. Last night he was drunken, and slept in the Ling Kwan Temple where he was arrested by Lei Heng, and so brought to my village. I pretended to recognize him as a nephew of mine, and so he was released. He says that at Ta Ming Fu, the commander in chief, Liang Chung-shu, has purchased one hundred thousand strings of cash worth of gold articles, pearls and other valuables which he is sending to his father-in-law, Ts'ai, the royal tutor at the Eastern Capital. These valuables will pass this way. This wealth has been ill-gotten so do you think we might get it? His arrival seems to be the fulfillment of a dream. Last night I dreamt that the Northern Dipper of seven stars descended to my house. With it was a crowd of smaller stars which vanished leaving a track of light behind.

  "I think this augurs some good fortune for my family. So now I would like to have your opinion of this affair."

  Wu Yung laughed and said, "I thought that Liu Tang's arrival was very strange, and I suspected that there was something in it. Now it is a thing which neither too many nor too few men can do. At your homestead there are many visitors, but not one of them may be used. But you, alderman, the brother Liu, and myself cannot settle this matter ourselves, and in spite of your strength we must get some assistance. But we do not need more than seven or eight heroes with us."

  Ch'ao Kai said, "In my dream there were certainly only seven stars."

  Wu Yung said, "This dream is very important. May it not mean that someone here will come to your assistance?" He then thought for a few minutes when a plan occurred to him and he called out, "I have got the man! I have him!"

  Ch'ao Kai said, "As you have found a reliable man we had better invite him to come here at once."

  Wu Yung then slowly explained his plan, using his two forefingers to emphasize his remarks, which would result

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  in many heroes leaving Tung Chi Village, and becoming brigands.

  Justice seekers turn to highwaymen,

  Warships are made of fishing boats;

  Fine speeches running from versatile lips,

  Lea bravoes at will by the nose.

  We will now relate what men were collected by Wu Yung, the Clever Star.

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  CHAPTER 14

  WU YUNG, INQUISITIVE SCHOLAR, INDUCES

  THE THREE YUANS TO JOIN; KUNG-SUN

  SHENG THROWS IN HIS LOT, AND FORMS

  THE SEVENTH STAR OF THE DIPPER

  WU YUNG, the Inquisitive Scholar, said, "I think that there are three men who have such a brave disposition, and such fine military training that they would not be afraid of 'jumping into hot water, or walking through fire.' If we do not have them with us our matter will not succeed."

  Ch'ao Kai asked who the men were, and where they lived.

  Wu Yung said, "They are three brothers who live at Shih Chieh Village, near Liang Shan Po, in Chi Chou. They are fishermen but previously were smugglers at Liang Shan Po. Their name is Yuan, and the second one has the nickname 'The Year's God Who Stands His Ground;' the other is ' Yuan the Fifth' who has a nickname, 'Short Life Erh Lang' (the name of a devil); the third is 'Yuan the Seventh,' who is nicknamed 'Living Pluto' (Yen Lu Wang). I lived at their village for sever
al years some time ago. They were not scholars, but were very generous and hospitable. They were fine fellows, and therefore I made their acquaintance. I have not seen them during the last two years, but if we get them this big job can be well finished."

  "I have heard of these three brothers," said Ch'ao Kai, "but so far I have not met them. The village of Shih Chieh (Stone Tablet) is not quite thirty-six miles from here, so how would it be if we send a man there to ask them to come here to discuss the matter with us?"

  Wu Yung said, "If you send a man they will not come. I must go there myself, and you can depend on my 'three inch pliable tongue' in inducing them to join our band."

  Ch'ao Kai was much pleased at this and said, "We accept your good advice, but when can you go?"

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  "This matter must not be delayed, and therefore I will start to-night at midnight. I shall reach there before noon to-morrow."

  Ch'ao Kai said, "That is very fine." He then ordered the servants to bring in food and wine.

  Wu Yung said, "I know the roads between the Northern and Eastern Capitals but I do not know which byway these birthday gifts will be dispatched. If it won't be inconvenient I suggest that our brother Liu Tang should go this night to the road for Northern Capital, and makes inquiries as to when the presents will be sent and by what route."

  Liu Tang said, "I will go this evening."

  Wu Yung said, "Wait a bit. The birthday of the royal preceptor is on the fifteenth day of the sixth month, but now is only the beginning of the fifth month so that there are still about forty days before the birthday. You had better wait until the three brothers arrive here, and then brother Liu Tang can depart."

  Ch'ao Kai said, "All right. Brother Liu Tang will stay here."

  We need not worry you with details of how they dined for a long while. At midnight Wu Yung washed; ate his breakfast; got some silver and put it in his pockets; and put on sandals. Then Ch'ao Kai and Liu Tang accompanied Wu Yung to the gate, and the latter departed on his journey to the village of Shih Chieh. He reached his destination before noon the next day. He knew the place, and therefore had no need to ask his way. Upon arriving there he went straight to the home of the brothers Yuan.

  At the door of the house he saw many fishing boats moored to posts; the fishing nets were hanging on the rough bamboo fence to dry; between the water and the hill there were more than ten grass huts.

  Wu Yung shouted out, "Is the second brother home?" A person came out of a hut in his bare feet, wearing a torn cap, and some old clothes. When he saw Wu Yung he saluted and said, "Why has the tutor come? What wind has blown you here?"

  "I have been absent for nearly two years. Just now I am teaching at the house of a wealthy man who wants to give a big feast so I came to see whether you could supply about ten carp each weighing at twenty pounds."

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  Yuan the Second laughed and said, "Come and have a drink then we can discuss this matter.' "

  "In coming here," said Wu Yung, "I had the idea that I could get a drink."

  "There are several wine shops on the other side of the lake, so we will go there by boat."

  "Very good," said Wu Yung. "But I should like to have a talk with your younger brother as well, if he is at home."

  "We will go together and find him."

  They then went to the side of the lake, untied one of the boats, and got on board. Taking a pole resting at the foot of a tree, they punted the boat through the reeds into the center of the lake. Yuan the Second had been punting for some time when he raised his hand and shouted, "Chi Ko, have you seen my younger brother?"

  A boat issued from the reeds with Yuan the Seventh in it, wearing a black straw hat, a sleeveless coat made of cloth with a chessboard pattern; and a short skirt made of undyed yarn. As he rowed he shouted, "What do you want your younger brother for?"

  Wu Yung shouted, "I came specially to have a talk with you three brothers."

  Yuan the Seventh said, "Please forgive me for it is a long time since I saw you."

  Wu Yung said, "I will go with you two brothers for a drink of wine."

  Yuan the Seventh said, "I will go and have a drink with you because I have not seen you for a long time."

  The two boats were then rowed into the center of the lake where there was a small mound with about eight straw huts on it. Upon arriving there Yuan the Second called out, "Mother, is Yuan the Fifth there?"

  His mother replied, "That I cannot say. He has not been fishing but has been gambling for several days instead, and has lost everything. He asked me to let him have my hairpins so that he could go and gamble again."

  Yuan the Second laughed at this, and rowed his boat away. His brother in the boat behind said, "You do not know what he has done. He has lost at gambling, and evidently has had bad luck. You should not say that he hag not won, because I have also gambled and lost everything.”

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  Wu Yung thought this would suit his plans.

  The two boats at last came to the side of the lake where there was the village of Shih Chieh, and there close to a single plank bridge they saw a man who was carrying two strings of cash and was coming down to untie the rope that fastened his boat. Yuan the Second said that that was his brother. Wu Yung saw that Yuan the Fifth was wearing a battered cap, with a pomegranate flower under it; he was wearing an old shirt which was unbuttoned and displayed the figure of a leopard tattooed on his breast. In his belt he had placed his handkerchief made of cloth with a chessboard pattern.

  Wu Yung called out, "Yuan the Fifth, have you won?"

  Yuan the Fifth said, "Hello! here you are, tutor, but I have not seen you for nearly two years. I have been watching you from this bridge for a long time."

  Yuan the Second said: "I went with our teacher to our home, and our mother said that you had gone to the village to gamble there, so we came along here to look for you. Come with us to the inn where we can have a drink together." Yuan the Fifth immediately got into his boat, untied the rope, and rowed his boat after the other two. The three boats were rowed across the lake to a booth where they were duly tied up in a lotus pond. The brothers assisted the tutor to the bank, and then took him into an inn built upon piles in the water, where there were a set of red varnished chairs and a table.

  Yuan the Second said, "You must not be offended at our coarseness, but we request you our tutor to take the seat of honor." Wu Yung declined the offer, and Yuan the Seventh said, "Elder brother, do you mind taking the seat as a host, and we will ask our tutor to take the seat as a guest. We two younger brothers will take our seats first."

  Wu Yung said, "Seventh brother, you are indeed quick tempered." The four men then all sat down, and the waiter was told to bring the wine. The waiter arranged four wine glasses on the table, four pairs of chopsticks, four plates of vegetables, and a flagon of wine on the table.

  Yuan the Seventh asked the waiter what nice dish they had got. The waiter replied that they had lovely beef from a fat ox that had just been killed.

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  Yuan the Second told him to bring in about thirteen pounds of beef.

  Yuan the Fifth said, "Teacher, you must not laugh at us, because we have not much to offer you."

  Wu Yung said, "On the other hand I must ask you to excuse me for giving much trouble to you."

  Yuan the Second said, "Don't mention that?." He then told the waiter to be quick and bring the meat which was done at once. The brothers then pressed Wu Yung to drink several cups of wine, and meanwhile they ate their food like wolves and tigers.

  After eating a while Yuan the Fifth asked, "What is the business that has brought you here?"

  Yuan the Second said that Wu Yung was now teaching in a rich family and had come here to buy about ten large carp which have to weigh at twenty pounds each."

  Yuan the Seventh said, "Generally we catch about fifty fish and ordinarily we could let you have more, not to say a dozen, but just now we have not got even thirteen pounds weight of fis
h."

  "As you have come from a distance," said Yuan the Fifth, "we must catch for you about ten fish, and each of them to be weighed at nine pounds."

  "I have brought money with me," said Wu Yung, "so you can tell me what the price is, but I must have fish weighing about twenty pounds each."

  "Teacher," said Yuan the Seventh, "there are no fish of that size anywhere. My fifth brother says we ought to catch about ten fish of nine pounds each, but I am afraid we cannot even do that just now. So you must wait a few days, when we may have them. In my boat I have a tub of small living fish which we can get for a meal."

  Yuan the Seventh then went to the boat, and brought back the tub of fish weighing about ten pounds altogether. He took them to the stove, cooked them, placed them in three trays and served them up. He invited Wu Yung to partake of the food without any ceremony. They all "fell to" and by the time they had finished eating the fish it was growing dark.

  Wu Yung thought that that inn was not a suitable place to talk matters over, that night he must sleep at their homes, and there discuss matters.

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  "It is now getting dark," said Yuan the Second, "and we shall be pleased if you would come and sleep at our house. To-morrow we can arrange matters."

  "I have come from a long distance," said Wu Yung, and it is very fortunate that I have met you all in this way. I see that I am not to be allowed to pay for this meal. I will stay at your house to-night, but as I have some money I will buy a jar of wine and some meat, and perhaps in the village we can get a pair of chickens. So let us have a feast to-night, and get a drink."