Moma Liangshan

Chapter 42: Sword vs. Staff, Gao Qiu Meets Cai Jing

Seeing that the mountain road was too narrow to deploy his troops and that his vanguard had suffered repeated setbacks and lost their will to fight, Wen Da shouted, "We have traveled a hundred miles a day and are exhausted. We will fight again tomorrow and we will surely break through your mountain gate!" After saying this, he led his troops down the mountain. In the camp at the foot of the mountain, Zhou Jin cautiously asked, "The bandit leader is fierce; what should we do?" Wen Da, disgusted by Zhou Jin's cowardice, ignored him and after a long while said, "Send men to guard the crossroads and be careful of bandits attacking the camp. If anything goes wrong, I will report it to the garrison commander!" Zhou Jin was resentful but dared not show it, and quickly said, "This subordinate will personally lead men to guard the crossroads." After Zhou Jin left, Wen Da thought to himself, "The bandit leader is exceptionally brave and fierce; he is no nobody. If I can identify him, perhaps I can use this opportunity to uncover the mastermind." He called out, "Someone!" A guard entered and replied, "Your subordinate is here!" Wen Da picked up a pen and wrote a letter, handed it to the guard, and said, "Hurry up and deliver this letter to the garrison commander tonight." The guard took the letter, led his warhorse, and galloped towards Daming Prefecture.

With troops dispatched to Erlong Mountain to suppress the rebellion, Liang Zhongshu was filled with worry and could not sleep, pacing alone in his study. Just then, someone knocked on the door. Liang Zhongshu said, "Come in!" The steward, holding a letter, gently opened the door and said, "This is a letter from Commander Wen, delivered by express courier." Liang Zhongshu quickly took the letter, glanced at it, and after a moment said, "Wen Da has thought things through thoroughly! Immediately find two painters in the city and send them to Erlong Mountain tonight, to be given to Wen Da. Whether the whereabouts of my birthday tribute can be found may very well depend on this!" The steward dared not delay and said, "I will go immediately." He then turned and left.

The next day, Wen Da arrived at the perilous pass and instructed the two painters beside him, "You two examine carefully and depict the appearance of the man I will fight later." The painters obeyed. Wen Da, sword in hand, approached the mountain and shouted, "Monk, do you dare come down and fight me?" He then ordered his soldiers to retreat thirty paces. Seeing Wen Da's sincerity in the duel, Lu Zhishen took his staff, opened the gate, and stepped forward, saying, "I am here, bring it on!" Wen Da swiftly reached Lu Zhishen, his sword rising like a dragon emerging from the sea, changing the color of the sun and moon; its fall like thunder, deafening and dazzling. Faced with such a powerful and heavy strike, Lu Zhishen dared not meet it head-on. He used his shovel to parry the back of Wen Da's sword, seizing the initiative and changing its trajectory. Wen Da was shocked and dared not make the slightest mistake. As the cold light flashed through the air, he suddenly pulled his sword back, simultaneously turning abruptly, using the momentum of his body's rotation to slash at Lu Zhishen's lower body. Caught off guard, Lu Zhishen hastily parried with his bell shovel. Sparks flew as his broadsword clashed with the shovel, the sound like a bell crashing against a rock, deafeningly loud. Lu Zhishen's hand went numb, and he quickly retreated three steps, gathering his strength for a counterattack. Wen Da, having gained the upper hand in the first battle, sheathed his broadsword and, looking at Lu Zhishen three steps away, shouted, "You thieving monk, you'd better drop your weapon and open the gate, or you'll lose your head!" Lu Zhishen didn't reply, wiping the sweat from his palms onto his chest, and suddenly roared. His staff spun like a whirlwind, the tungsten iron gleaming like lightning crashing against a dark cloud. In an instant, the bell shovel flew up, slashing diagonally at Wen Da's head. Wen Da retreated half a step, swinging his sword to block. In a flash, the bell shovel retracted, and a crescent-shaped shovel thrust out. Wen Da hurriedly sheathed his sword, the blade sinking to block the crescent-shaped shovel. The two were locked in a stalemate when Wen Da said, "You thieving monk, you have some skill. Seeing that you're exhausted, how about we fight another day?" Lu Zhishen chuckled and said, "I have plenty of strength; you, a corrupt official, don't need to worry about me. As a monk, I'm compassionate. I'll spare your life today, hoping you'll repent and turn back from your misguided ways!" With that, both men sheathed their weapons. Lu Zhishen didn't hesitate and quickly entered the gate. Wen Da smiled smugly and led his troops down the mountain.

Inside the camp, Wen Da took the portrait, examined it for a moment, and called out, "Where is Zhou Jin?" Zhou Jin quickly stepped forward and replied, "Your subordinate is here!" Wen Da said, "I will personally return to Daming Prefecture to see you, sir. You are in full charge of military affairs here. Remember, surround but do not attack!" Zhou Jin replied, "Your subordinate obeys!" With everything arranged, Wen Da led his warhorse and galloped towards Daming Prefecture.

Inside Daming Prefecture, Liang Zhongshu held the portrait, examining it as he said, "Do you think this portrait will reveal the mastermind behind it all?" Wen Da replied, "This man possesses immense strength and is highly skilled in both fist and weaponry, unlike a nameless thug. The bandits on the mountain are also not ordinary rabble, but rather resemble new recruits." Liang Zhongshu frowned, saying, "The bandit leader resembles a general, and the bandits resemble soldiers; could they be deserters?" Wen Da shook his head, saying, "This humble general believes that the bandit leader must have served in the army, while the bandits were recruits under his command." "His training methods have resulted in his current impressive demeanor. He once served as a military officer, speaking with a strong Northwestern accent. Now that we have his portrait, confirming his identity shouldn't be difficult." Liang Zhongshu's brows relaxed, and he said, "Those who can recruit military officers are no ordinary people. And those who are not ordinary, yet dare not simultaneously incur the wrath of both the Daming Prefecture and the Grand Tutor's Mansion, are most likely from Tokyo!" Wen Da nodded and said, "Your Excellency is wise!" Liang Zhongshu asked, "Does Commander Wen think it's possible that the birthday tribute is hidden in Erlong Mountain?" Wen Da shook his head. He said, "If the bandits hadn't released Liang Chun and the others, we would have had no way of knowing that the birthday tribute had been stolen. Therefore, when Liang Chun and the others were released, the birthday tribute must have already been completely moved." Liang Zhongshu nodded and said, "I was just asking casually. In your opinion, is it possible for five hundred soldiers to wipe out the bandits on the mountain within half a month?" Wen Da smiled bitterly and said, "The roads on the mountain are narrow and the terrain is steep. No matter how many troops we have, we simply can't deploy them. As long as the bandits have a continuous supply of provisions, it will be very difficult to wipe them out!" Liang Zhongshu said... After a moment's thought, Shu said, "Withdraw the troops. If these dozens of bandits remain holed up in Erlong Mountain, they won't amount to much. But if they dare to venture beyond Erlong Mountain and plot to expand, we can treat them as rebels and send troops to wipe them out. Write a letter detailing everything you saw and heard in Erlong Mountain, along with this portrait, and send it to the Grand Tutor's residence. His Majesty is farsighted and discerning; he will surely see what we haven't witnessed!" Wen Da accepted the order and said, "I will present the letter tomorrow." He then left.

Five days later, at the Grand Tutor's residence, Cai Jing invited Gao Qiu for a chat in the garden. Cai Jing handed Gao Qiu a letter and a portrait, saying, "My son-in-law's carefully prepared birthday gifts for me were stolen by bandits on their way to Tokyo. The bandits stole the gifts, but the escorts were unharmed and released. This is unlike ordinary banditry, and my son-in-law fears it might implicate those in the capital, so he has reported all the clues to me. Grand Tutor, after reading the letter and looking at the portrait, please offer your guidance!" Gao Qiu repeatedly said he wouldn't dare, and then carefully read the letter and examined the portrait. When Gao Qiu unfolded the portrait, he was suddenly startled and exclaimed, "Isn't this the monk who looked after the vegetable garden at Xiangguo Temple?" Cai Jing, surprised, asked, "How does the Grand Commandant recognize this man?" Gao Qiu replied, "To be honest, Grand Commandant, it was this man who rescued Lin Chong on the way, and it was I who expelled him from Xiangguo Temple. His surname is Lu, his Buddhist name is Zhishen, and he was originally a monk from Mount Wutai." Cai Jing asked, "Besides being close to Lin Chong, who else does this man associate with?" Gao Qiu said, "This man, along with Wang Hao and Chai Jin, have drunk together at Fanlou many times. Lin Chong was among them before he was imprisoned." Cai Jing unconsciously exclaimed, "Wang Hao?" Gao Qiu nodded and said, "Wang Hao, the Imperial Diarist and Magistrate of Laoshan County." Cai Jing said, "If that's true, then my birthday gifts were most likely robbed by Wang Hao." Gao Qiu, puzzled, asked, "Wang Hao and you..." "Although we are outwardly friendly but inwardly hostile, we are still officials in the same court. Why would I rob the Grand Tutor's birthday gifts?" Cai Jing said, "Does the Grand Commandant think Wang Hao is someone who can be easily manipulated?" Gao Qiu pondered for a moment and said, "Absolutely not!" Cai Jing nodded and continued, "Wang Hao is quite intelligent, but ultimately too young and lacks experience. You and I assigned him the task of salvaging the precious stones from the Yellow River, but then refused to pay him any money, citing an empty treasury. In order to raise funds for the salvage, Wang Hao had to sell one-tenth of his shares in the Eight Immortals Wine to the Li family, thus losing his exclusive enjoyment of this divine brewing technique. I never thought Wang Hao would let this matter rest, but I never expected him to dare to rob my birthday gifts!" Gao Qiu said, "Just because Lu Zhishen knows Wang Hao and Wang Hao has a grudge against us, does that mean he can rob the Grand Tutor's birthday gifts?" "Was it too hasty to have Wang Hao rob us?" Cai Jing said, "Wang Hao was ordered to rebuild the Jiaozhou Maritime Trade Office, which cost a fortune. The looted money certainly isn't buried deep underground. As long as we secretly track his movements, we'll surely find clues. I'll secretly follow him, holding back without firing. Even if Wang Hao notices, what can he do to me?" Gao Qiu said, "Grand Tutor, you are wise!" Cai Jing asked, "What is the relationship between Lin Chong and Wang Hao?" Gao Qiu replied, "Lin Chong's family and father-in-law all live in Wang Hao's manor." Cai Jing then asked, "What are Lin Chong's abilities like?" Gao Qiu said, "He is highly skilled in martial arts and extremely good at training troops. He has never led troops independently, but he is very popular in the army and is well-respected by the soldiers." Cai Jing nodded and said, "Kill him!" Gao Qiu was shocked and repeated, "Kill him?" Cai Jing said, "Yes, he must be killed!" Gao Qiu said, "This man has a close relationship with Wang Hao. If he dies without cause, Wang Hao will definitely investigate, and it will be very troublesome to handle the aftermath." Cai Jing said, "Grand Commandant, what you say is very true, but I have a reason why I must kill him." Gao Qiu said, "Please enlighten me, Grand Tutor!" Cai Jing said, "Given the Emperor's favor towards Wang Hao, it won't be long before, as long as Wang Hao pleads with the Emperor to transfer Lin Chong to his command, the Emperor will most likely grant it. Moreover, given Lin Chong's current status as a convict, this transfer won't need to go through the Three Departments and Six Ministries; you and I won't even have a chance to stop it. If Lin Chong is transferred to Wang Hao's command, Wang Hao will be even more powerful, and if he achieves further merit, he may threaten your and my position. If you and I lose our power, even if the Emperor remembers our past favors, we may not be able to keep our hard-won wealth and status!"