Water Margin, Volume One

by Shi Nai-An

  Yang Chih shouted, "Hurry up! When you get over this mountain ridge we will then discuss matters."

  The men continued on their way, and when they reached the summit of the hill they rushed to the shade of a pine forest to sleep.

  Yang Chih said, "What kind of a place is this to rest in. Get up at once!"

  The men replied, "Even if you threatened to cut each of us up with your sword into seven pieces we could not go any further just now."

  Yang Chih belabored the men with his cane, and got a few to stand up, but the others all lay down to sleep. Yang Chih saw that it was impossible to do anything more. The two servants and Hsieh just then also reached the top of the pass, panting for breath, and they also lay down under the pine trees.

  Hsieh spoke to Yang Chih, "Major, it is too hot to walk any further just now. Do not beat the men any more."

  "You do not understand," said Yang Chih. "This is a place well-known for bandits and is called the Yellow Mud Ridge. Even in time of peace they often committed their robberies

  [page 193]

  A CONVOY WITH PRESENTS 193

  in broad daylight. Now the times are so full of troubles, how can we stop here?"

  A CONVOY WITH PRESENTS 193

  The two servants upon hearing this said, "We have heard you say that several times before, and you only frighten us with that."

  "Would it not be better," said Hsieh, "if you let these men rest now, and they can proceed on their way after noon has passed?"

  "You also do not understand," said Yang Chih. "How can we do that? In the next three miles going down from this pass there are no houses. This is an awful place so how dare we stop here?"

  "I will rest here a while before I go on," said Hsieh. "You tell the men to go forward, and not wait for me."

  "If any one does not go forward," said Yang Chih, "I will give him twenty blows with my cane."

  The men cried out and expressed their disapproval of this. One of them said, "Major, each of us is carrying a load of about one hundred and forty pounds, whereas you carry nothing. You are not treating us as human beings. If Grand Secretary Liang was in your place he would willingly listen to what we say. You do not know the pain we have to bear. You are only trying to enforce your own order."

  "You brutes are enough to make me die from anger," said Yang Chih, "I must beat you." So saying he struck them on their heads with his cane.

  "Major, stop," shouted Hsieh. "Listen to met When my wife was acting as wetnurse in the home of the royal tutor I saw many officers in the army, and they always did what I asked them without a murmur. I do not wish to offend you, but previously you were only a banished soldier and only through the kindness of the grand secretary did you get your present position as a major. At present your rank is about the size of a mustard seed, how can you carry matters with such a high hand? Even if I am a village elder you should listen to my one advice, to not say that I am a steward in the household of the grand secretary. Now you insist on beating them, what is this treatment?"

  "Steward Hsieh," said Yang Chih, "you are brought up in town and have passed your time in the house of

  [page 194]

  the prime minister, you naturally know nothing of the enormous difficulties of traveling by road."

  The steward replied, "I have traveled in both Szechwan, Kwangtung, and Kwangsi provinces, but I never saw a man who put on such airs as you do."

  "The country at present is not so peaceful as that in your time," said Yang Chih.

  "As you talk like this," said steward Hsieh, "your tongue ought be cut out. Where is the place that is not peaceful just now?"

  Yang Chih was just on the point of answering the steward when looking into the pine forest he saw the shadow of a man who was evidently spying on them. He then said, "What are you saying? Just here comes the bad man." He then threw down his cane, picked up a sword, and striding into the forest he shouted out, "What a brigand you are! How dare you look at our things like that?" Going forward he saw among the trees seven carts built in the style of Kiangehou, and arranged in a line. There were also six men with them who had stripped off all their clothes and were resting in the shade. One of the men had a big red birthmark on his temple, and he had a sword in his hand. When the men saw Yang Chih approaching them they all exclaimed, "Ai Yah!" and got up.

  "Who are you?" shouted Yang Chih.

  "Who are you?" asked the men.

  "Are you not all bad men?" asked Yang Chih.

  You talk nonsense," said the men. "We are only petty traders, so where can we have the money to give you?"

  "You are only petty traders," said Yang Chih, "where can I have the money to give you?"

  "Then tell us who you are," asked the seven men.

  "You first tell me where you come from," said Yang Chih.

  The seven men replied, "We seven brothers are from Hao Chou. We are on our way to the Eastern Capital to sell our dates there, and happen to pass this way. We have heard many people say that at this Yellow Mud Ridge there are bandits who may attack us and seize our goods. But as we have only dates, and no other valuable goods, we came this way in spite of the warning. When we got to the

  [page 195]

  top of this ridge we found the heat was so hot that we decided to have a little rest in the shade of these trees, and proceed further when it is a little cooler. While We were resting we heard you coming along and as we were afraid that you might be bad men, we sent a man to see who you were."

  "Then it appears," said Yang Chih, "that you are travelers just like us. When I saw this man spying I was afraid that he was a bad man, and so I came forward to investigate matters."

  The seven men then asked Yang Chih to partake of some of their dates, but Yang Chih declined the offer, and with his sword in his hand went back to his own men.

  The steward Hsieh, who was resting under the trees, said, "As there are bandits here we had better get along."

  "At first," said Yang Chih, "I also thought that they were bad men, but I have found out that they are only traders with some dates."

  "If it had been as you said previously all our men would have been killed," said Hsieh, looking towards the men.

  "We need not quarrel any more. The only thing that I am anxious about is our safety," said Yang Chih. "You can now have a rest, and when it is cooler we will go on."

  All the men laughed upon hearing this. Yang Chih stuck his sword in the ground, and then went and sat under a tree for a rest.

  In a very short time they saw a man approaching carrying a couple of buckets from a pole over his shoulder. As he reached the summit of the ridge he sang:

  The sun pours down its glowing heat,

  Parching the growing corn;

  The farmer's heart melts in the glow,

  The rich fan to and fro,

  While I sweat here forlorn.

  The man put down his buckets, and also sat down under a tree to rest. The soldiers asked him what he had got in the buckets, and he told them it was white wine. They then asked where he was going to, and the man replied that he was going to sell it in the village. The soldiers inquired the price of a bucket, and were informed that the lowest price was five strings of cash.

  [page 196]

  The soldiers talked the matter over among themselves saying that as they were all hot and thirsty why should they not buy the wine and have a drink. They then got out their money to see how much they had altogether.

  Yang Chih seeing this shouted out, "What are you doing?"

  The men replied that they were going to buy some wine for a drink. Yang Chih took hold of his sword by the blade, and beat them with the hilt saying, "You have not even asked me whether you can do this or not. How dare you buy wine without my permission. How brave you are!"

  The soldiers replied, "Without any justification you try to stir up troubles. We are going to buy some wine by our own money so what have you got to do with that? And yet you beat us."

  Yang Chih said, "You clodhoppers! What d
o you know? You want to drink wine, and yet you do not understand the great difficulties of the road. Many heroes have drunk drugged wine, and become unconscious."

  The man who had carried the wine grinned at Yang Chih, and said, "You evidently do not know much. I will certainly not sell any of the wine to you yet you talk so unreasonably." While they were so wrangling the seven men coming towards him with swords in their hands. They asked him, "What is the row about?"

  The man with the wine said, "I am carrying this wine to a village to sell it, and being hot I sat down to rest here. These men asked me to sell them some wine, but before I could do so this traveler said that the wine might be drugged. Wasn't that funny?"

  "Pooh!" said one of the seven men. "We thought that some bad man had come, but it appears now that your talk was hardly worth while. There is no need for a quarrel. We are very thirsty, and although he is suspicious, we will buy a bucket of wine ourselves."

  The wine seller said that he would not sell.

  "You stupid fellow," said one of the seven men, "you evidently do not understand that we have not condemned your wine. If you take it to the village you will only get the same price that we shall pay so why not sell it to us? We think that if you had only tea or water you would give it to us to assuage our thirsty."

  [page 197]

  "I would not mind selling you a bucket of wine," said the wine seller, "if he had not said that it might be bad. But you have no ladles or cups to drink the wine with."

  "You are too particular," said one of the seven men, "what he said was not very important. We have a coconut shell which we can use as a ladle." Two men went to their carts, and one brought back two coconut shells, and the other as many dates as he could carry in his hands. The seven men then stood round the bucket, and taking off the cover they helped themselves to the wine, and ate the dates. In a short time they had finished the bucket of wine. One of the men pointed out that they had not asked what the cost of the wine was.

  The wine seller said, "I have not mentioned the price, but each bucket costs five strings of cash."

  "We will pay you five strings of cash," said one of the seven men, "but you might now give us a ladle of wine free."

  "I cannot give you wine free, the price is fixed," said the wine seller.

  One man gave him the money, but another man took off the cover of the other bucket, and took a ladle full of wine. The wine seller objected to the latter's conduct but the man drank half of the wine, and went towards the pine forest. The wine seller followed him, and then saw another man come out of the forest with a ladle, which he dipped into the wine. The wine seller hurried back and seizing the ladle emptied the contents into the bucket. He threw the ladle down on the ground, and put the cover on the bucket again. He said, "You have not the manners but are dressed as gentleman and yet make so much trouble?"

  The soldiers had seen all this happening, and as they also would have liked a drink of the wine they became dissatisfied. One of them said to steward Hsieh, "Sir, will you speak for us? Those merchants selling dates have bought a bucket of wine and drunk it. We must buy the other bucket of wine, and moisten our throats a little. We are very thirsty, and there is no other way. At this place there is not a drop of water anywhere so we hope you will do this good action."

  Steward Hsieh wanted a drink himself and upon the soldier's request he spoke to Yang Chih, "These dates traders have bought and drunk a bucket of wine, so would it

  [page 198]

  not be as well to let our men buy some wine to assuage their thirst? Here there is no water."

  Yang Chih thought the matter over, "I have noticed from a distance that the men who have bought a bucket of wine have taken also one ladle from the other bucket, and drank it, and it appears to be all right. As I have been beating my soldiers I will now allow them to buy the wine just as they please." He said, "Steward, as you have requested me you may now tell our men to buy wine and drink it. Then they must start without further delay."

  The soldiers upon hearing this soon collected five strings of cash to buy the wine with. But the wine seller declined to sell it, as he had said that it was drugged.

  The soldiers coaxed him and said, "Brother, is it worth while saying that?"

  "I won't sell," said the wine seller. "You need not say anything more."

  The man who was selling dates interposed and said, "You foolish fellow! That man (Yang Chih) was wrong, but you are so, particular and refused to sell to us before, but I think you had better let them have a drink because they have not spoken against you." "How can it be that suspicion is aroused without cause?" asked the wine seller.

  The trader of dates gently pushed the wine seller to one side, and then gave the soldiers the remaining bucket of wine.

  The soldiers took the lid off the bucket, but as they had no ladle, they asked the trader to lend them the coconut ladle. The trader lent them the ladle, and also gave them some dates to eat with the wine.

  The porters expressed their thanks.

  "You need not thank me," said the trader, "nor mention the hundred dates I have given you, as we are both travelers."

  The soldier porters again expressed their thanks, and then offered a ladle of wine to the Steward Hsieh, and also another one to Yang Chih.

  But Yang Chih would not drink the wine so the two servants drank it. The soldier porters then all drank, and it was not long before the bucket was quite empty.

  Yang Chih saw that his men had no ill effects from drinking the wine. so as the day was so hot, and besides that he

  [page 199]

  was very thirsty, he himself took and drank half a ladle of the wine, and also took some of the dates.

  The wine seller said, "There was a ladle of wine stolen from that bucket, so I will make a discount for it of half a string of cash."

  The soldiers paid him accordingly, and as soon as he had received the money the wine seller shouldered his two empty buckets, and left the place singing his song. The seven traders of dates sitting under the pine trees pointed their fingers at the soldiers and said, "They are now falling down." The soldiers, in fact, felt "their heads heavy and their feet light," and after looking at each other slyly had lain down.

  The seven traders left the shade of the pine trees, and unloaded their carts of the dates, and then reloaded them with the valuable presents, and covered the loads. They then went straight down the Yellow Mud Ridge making a loud noise on their way.

  Yang Chih saw this happen, but although he struggled to get up he could not do so as his body was so weak. He fully realized the bitterness of his position. Also the fifteen men stared at these proceedings but they were equally helpless.

  Now I want to ask you who those seven men were. They were none other than Ch'ao Kai, Wu Yung, Kung-Sun Sheng, Liu Tang, and the brothers Yuan. The wine seller who had just gone before was Pai Sheng, the Daylight Rat.

  When and how had they drugged the wine? At the time the wine arrived at the Yellow Mud Ridge it was quite good wine. The wine that the seven traders drank was also good, and Liu Tang opened the bucket and took half a ladle to drink just to show the soldiers that this wine was also good. Afterwards Wu Yung put some drug in a ladle, and bringing it from the pine forest he put it into the wine bucket pretending that he wanted to get a drink free, but Pai Sheng (the wine seller) prevented him from doing so by knocking the ladle on the ground. All these plots had been conceived by Wu Yung, and are now known as seizing the birthday presents by craft.

  Yang Chih had not drunk much of the wine so that he soon recovered, and crawled, as he could not yet stand up. Approaching his men he saw that spittle was dripping from

  [page 200]

  the corners of their mouths, and they could not get up. Yang with a sorrowful heart said to himself: "I need not quarrel with you seven men who stole the birthday presents, but will you tell me how I can return and face the grand secretary Liang? As I cannot return these dispatches I had better destroy them. Now I have a home whereto I cannot go; I
have a country whereto I cannot return. But where must I go to? Had I not better find a place here where I can commit suicide? " Raising his gown, he staggered along until he came to a steep place where he would jump down.

  April showers made the blossoms fall;

  Autumn frosts have killed the willow leaves.

  We will now relate what was the result of Yang Chih's attempt at suicide on the Yellow Mud Ridge.

  [page 201]

  CHAPTER 16

  PRIEST LU TA HAS A FIGHT AT TWO DRAGONS

  MOUNTAIN; THE SALLOW FACED BRUTE

  TRIES TO SEIZE THE PRECIOUS GEM TEMPLE

  JUST as Yang Chih was preparing to commit suicide by jumping down a steep place on the Yellow Mud Ridge he stood still and thought. "When my parents gave birth to me I was very good-looking, and when I was a youth I knew all the eighteen forms of military exercises. I cannot ruin my future career by committing suicide as it will be better to wait until the bandits have been arrested and then I can explain matters." He then returned, and saw that his party of fourteen men were still staring at him but yet could not get up. He pointed at them with his finger and cursed; saying, "You knaves would not listen to what I had said, and that was the cause of what followed, and you put me into this trouble." He then picked up his sword that was lying at the foot of a tree, and put another sword at his belt. He looked all round but could see nothing else. He heaved a sigh, and went down the ridge.

  About ten o'clock in the evening the fourteen men were able to scramble to their feet, and then they expressed their sorrow. The steward Hsieh said to them, "You would not listen to major Yang Chih's order, and therefore to-day I am in danger of my life."