Moma Liangshan

Chapter 66 The Focus Shifts South, Lin Chong Goes into Anonymity

Zhu Heng, indignant, said, "Even a mighty dragon can't suppress a local snake. No matter how powerful Wang Hao is, I'll still fight him!" Feng Gu suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up, saying, "You control the military, I control the finances. As long as we work together, even with Wang Hao's immense influence, he'll have to be wary!" Zhu Heng laughed wildly and said, "For a mere scholar like Feng, to have such courage is admirable. If you ever need my help, just ask!" Feng Gu raised his cup and said, "I toast County Magistrate Zhu to our sincere cooperation!" Zhu Heng also raised his cup and said, "Cheers!"

Half a month later, at the Hongdao camp in Laoshan County, Feng Gu and Zhu Heng arrived at the gate. The guards approached and asked, "Who goes there?" Zhu Heng, arrogant and domineering, shouted, "I am Zhu Heng, the county magistrate of Laoshan, and with me is Feng Gu, the registrar of Laoshan. Open the gate immediately to welcome them!" The guards then asked, "Words alone are not enough; please show us the official documents and seals!" Zhu Heng, enraged, tried to force his way in. Feng Gu stopped him, saying, "A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle; we'll talk after we see Wang Hao!" Zhu Heng snorted coldly and produced the official documents and seals. The guards took the two men's seals and turned to go into the camp. Seeing this, Zhu Heng shouted, "You scoundrel, come back!" At this moment, another guard said, "To prevent forgery, my master must personally verify them!" Zhu Heng, filled with pent-up anger, kicked a wooden stake at the gate.

After a short while, Wang Hao, Yang Zhi, and Di Chunqiu arrived together. Wang Hao ordered the gate to be opened and said, "I am Wang Hao, the magistrate of Laoshan County. Welcome, Registrar Feng and County Lieutenant Zhu!" Since Wang Hao was their superior, the two dared not be disrespectful and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Your Excellency!" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "Please, gentlemen!" Inside the camp, it was still desolate, except for four rows of thatched huts in a sheltered spot. Zhu Heng asked, "Where is the government office?" Wang Hao smiled and said, "This is the government office!" Zhu Heng said, "There are only thatched huts here, how can there be a government office?" Wang Hao said, "Gentlemen, you have arrived too early. The government office and county town are still under planning and construction has not yet begun." Feng Gu asked, "Where shall we stay?" Wang Hao said, "There are two thatched huts to the north, one for each of you." Zhu Heng said, "Lord Feng and I are dignified seventh-rank officials, living in thatched huts?" Wang Hao scoffed and said, "I also only have one room." "A thatched hut," Zhu Heng said again. "When Lord Feng and my wife Juan arrive in a month, will they also only have a thatched hut?" Wang Hao said, "Why don't you two build a courtyard or a large house within this month to settle down?" Zhu Heng was about to leave when Feng Gu said, "The magistrate sets an example, and County Commandant Zhu and I have no complaints." Wang Hao didn't say anything more and said, "Since you two are new here, why don't you familiarize yourselves with the surroundings first? I have other official business to attend to and cannot accompany you for now." After saying that, he left with his men.

Feng Gu and Zhu Heng arrived at their lodgings and found that each room contained only a table, a chair, and a kang (a heated brick bed); there were no water vats, washbasins, mattresses, or lamps. Zhu Heng was furious and said, "That scoundrel Wang Hao, how dare he treat us like this?" Feng Gu said, "The situation here is obvious. We should leave first and settle in Jimo County for now, returning every few days to inspect the place." Zhu Heng frowned and said, "We are officials appointed by the court; leaving our posts without permission might invite criticism!" Feng Gu shook his head and said, "The current Laoshan County government office is nothing more than a mud-brick camp, filled with Wang Hao's trusted confidants. That camp is nothing compared to..." "You and I are like prisoners, constantly under surveillance. Even if we temporarily distance ourselves, we will still be monitored, regularly reporting our observations of Laoshan County to the Grand Tutor and Grand Commandant. Even if we achieve nothing, we will certainly not be guilty!" Zhu Heng remained worried, saying, "Wang Hao is cunning. If we neglect our supervision, he may become too powerful to control!" Feng Gu said, "Wang Hao's power lies in the court, not in Jiaozhou. Frankly speaking, you and I are merely pawns; we have no ability to restrain him." Zhu Heng disagreed, saying, "Wang..." "Hao is nothing but a commoner, who gained the Emperor's favor solely through a jar of fine wine. How could he possibly wield power in the court?" Feng Gu said. "If it weren't for Grand Tutor Cai and Grand Commandant Gao personally appointing us, how would we have ended up in Jiaozhou? Grand Tutor Cai is the head of the civil officials, and Grand Commandant Gao is the head of the military officials. Collusion between such high-ranking officials has always been a taboo in the eyes of the Emperor; you should know this. Our joint appointment to Laoshan County is precisely the best indication that Grand Tutor Cai and Grand Commandant Gao are wary of Wang Hao." Feng Gu continued. Zhu Heng, speechless at the truth, said, "So, you and I are just Shiba Inus, while Wang Hao is a tiger cub?" Feng Gu shook his head helplessly and said, "The Shiba Inu analogy is disgusting, but it's also true." Zhu Heng gritted his teeth and said, "No matter how fierce a tiger or leopard is, it can't escape the hunter's knife and arrow. With two gentlemen as our backers, what do we have to fear from a tiger cub?" Feng Gu nodded and said, "Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, yet still venturing into the tiger's den, I admire you!" Several days later, Feng Gu and Zhu Heng set off for Jimo.

At Erlong Mountain, Lin Chong, Lu Da, and Ma Decao sat inside the Buddhist hall, while eighty henchmen drilled outside. Ma Decao said, "Young Master has arrived in Jiaozhou and ordered the three of us, led by Lin Chong, to immediately head south to join him." Lin Chong, holding another letter, said, "From today onwards, Lin Chong will use the pseudonym Lin Yun. Brothers, please remember this." The two nodded in agreement. Lin Chong continued, "We have a large force, and Erlong Mountain is a thousand miles from Jiaozhou, with dozens of prefectures and counties. If we march rashly, someone might use it as an excuse to cause trouble. In my opinion, we should split into three groups, disguised as merchant caravans, first going to Liangshan, and then to Jiaozhou." Ma Decao said: "I have been operating in Daming Mansion for a long time, and I have also met several brothers who are not afraid of Liang Zhongshu's power and help me spy on the news." Now that the son's center of gravity has moved south, how should the brothers be placed? Lin Chong thought for a moment and asked, "How many brothers are there in the Daming Mansion?" Ma Decao said: "Three people." Lin Chong asked again: "What do you do for a living?" Ma Decao said: "A man named Qianchuan makes a living by digging out dung." One named Huang Peng was a watchman. There is another man named Lu Ke, a down-and-out scholar who pretends to be a Taoist priest all day long and tells fortunes for others. Lin Chong was surprised and said: "It's really admirable that three people who are unrelated to each other are brought together by Brother Ma." Ma Decao said: "They are all poor and frustrated people, but they also like good wine and food. Brothers, I like them, and we all get to know each other as soon as we go back and forth." "After hesitating for a moment, he continued: "I have hosted far more than these three people in the Daming Mansion, but the others are all ungrateful and timid. Only these three people, "He's courageous and loyal, which is why he's become our eyes and ears." Lin Chong looked at Lu Da and asked, "Does the stronghold have any surplus money or provisions?" Lu Da replied, "About two thousand strings of cash!" Lin Chong nodded and said, "We have limited manpower. Our temporary departure from Daming Prefecture for Jiaozhou is for your grand plan, sir, and cannot be delayed. Qian Chuan, Huang Peng, and Lü Ke have been kind to us; in my opinion, we should each give them one hundred taels of silver as a token of our gratitude. What do you think, Brother Ma?" Ma Decao said, "That would be excellent!"

Three groups of men, each with about thirty members, traveled south to Jiaozhou, one to three days apart. Lin Chong led the first group, passing through Peach Blossom Mountain, Umbrella Mountain, Yellow Mud Ridge, White Sand Dock, Wild Cloud Ferry, and Pine Forest, taking eleven days to reach Liangshan Marsh. Two days later, Lu Da's men arrived. Three days after that, Ma Decao's group arrived. Within five days, over a hundred people poured into Liangshan Marsh, creating quite a scene. Liangshan Marsh originally had several hundred followers, but nearly half had been taken to Jiaozhou by Wang Hao, leaving many vacant houses after Lin Chong and his men arrived. Furthermore, Wang Lun had managed the area for many years, ensuring ample funds and provisions, resulting in a significant improvement in their living conditions compared to Erlong Mountain. Once all the men had arrived, Wang Lun slaughtered pigs and sheep, hosting a grand feast. In the Hall of Gathering Righteousness, Wang Lun sat at the head, with Lin Chong, Lu Da, and Ma Decao on his left, and Du Qian, Song Wan, and Zhu Gui on his right. Wang Lun raised his cup and said, "My son went to Dongjing alone and gained the Emperor's favor. He successively served as Imperial Diarist, Commander of the Palace Guard, and Magistrate of Laoshan County, and was granted the title of Founding Viscount of Laoshan County. After returning from Mingzhou, the Emperor was even more impressed and wanted to make my son his son-in-law. Today, everyone here is my brother, with whom I have shared life-and-death friendships. I, Wang Lun, will reveal something to you all: within a year, all the troops of Liangshan will be transferred to Jiaozhou." Liangshan was the foundation that Wang Lun had built up over many years, and abandoning it like this was truly unexpected by everyone. Du Qian said, "Since you built the winery, we haven't engaged in any robbery or plundering. Liangshan was founded by our chief; isn't it a waste to abandon it like this?" Wang Lun shook his head and said, "As parents, as long as our children and grandchildren have a future, how could we care about these material possessions? Brother Du Qian, you don't want our children and grandchildren to end up like us, becoming bandits in this desolate place, do you?" Wang Hao's official career was thriving, which the Liangshan members had all witnessed. Emperor Huizong was not yet forty, in the prime of his life. At this moment, Song Wan said, "If you can become the prince consort, our chief will be a member of the imperial family, and we will naturally also enjoy high status. As the saying goes, 'When one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.' If we help this future great man, you, to the throne, then we brothers who have shared hardships with you will naturally have plenty of fertile land, beautiful houses, and fine silks!"

Lin Chong, Lu Da, and Ma Decao were strictly speaking Wang Hao's direct subordinates, not Wang Lun's men. Therefore, the three merely echoed each other without saying much. Zhu Gui was an old member of Liangshan, but since Wang Hao started brewing wine, he had rarely stayed at the stronghold. Therefore, Zhu Gui was familiar with Lin Chong and others, and also had a deep friendship with Du Qian and Song Wan. After the banquet, Zhu Gui found Lin Chong and said, "Young Master has ordered me to send someone to Dongjing to welcome Instructor Zhang and his wife. However, the houses in Jiaozhou are currently in poor condition, so please don't misunderstand, Instructor Lin." Lin Chong sighed deeply, his face full of sorrow, and slowly said, "If it weren't for Young Master's rescue, I would probably have already lost my family. Now that my family is reunited, I could never repay your great kindness even if I were to serve you like a slave!"