I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 60: Master Lin, please don't fight!
When Cao Zheng heard that Zhao Zi was willing to take him in and give him a family background, he was overjoyed and immediately expressed his willingness to help deliver the letter.

After all, he was just a bankrupt butcher wandering the streets. Before he came to see Zhao Zicheng, he had already shrunk to the point where he only had a small tavern left. And strictly speaking, the "property" wasn't his own, but his wife's family's. He had found a local family to marry into after his bankruptcy, and only then did they take him in.

A son-in-law with nothing who can join the army and become a team leader should of course seize this opportunity.

Zhao Zicheng wrote a letter that night, and also asked Cao Zheng to visit Lin Chong's father-in-law, Coach Zhang, and Mrs. Lin, so that there would be more witnesses when the letter was delivered.

Cao Zheng was Lin Chong's apprentice. He told Lin Chong in person that after seeing his father-in-law and wife being rescued, Lin Chong would definitely not be suspicious.

The next morning, the letter was complete and Cao Zheng had met everyone he was supposed to meet, so he prepared to set off alone.

Zhao Zicheng told him not to rush: "Don't worry, I'll bring a few more people with you."

Cao Zheng was somewhat apprehensive, thinking that Zhao Zicheng didn't trust him, so he kindly reminded him, "Since you are already an official, will it be inconvenient?"

Zhao Zi said, "Don't worry, I will travel light and not reveal my identity. Also, Commander Yang will stay in Xuzhou to deal with official matters. The round trip will only take a few days.

It's not that I'm worried about you, but I'm afraid that Master Lin is sincere and hesitant. When the time comes, you can quietly go to Liangshan to pay your respects, and I will just wait for your news in the nearby county town.

Zhao Zi said he knew that Lin Chong was originally indecisive in the face of Wang Lun's pressure. If the situation changed due to the butterfly effect, Lin Chong could not make a direct decision and had to send people back and forth for instructions, which would waste time.

Zhao Zi said that since he had nothing to do, he might as well go to a safe county town near Liangshan and wait for news. This would also save him from going back and forth to Xuzhou for instructions, so it was a safe move.

Cao Zheng didn't say anything else and agreed immediately.

Zhao Zi said that he would leave behind neither Yang Zhi nor Lu Da. Yang Zhi was the nominal commander of the army and had to be left behind to deal with the situation. Lu Da was a criminal and it would be inevitable that there would be more complications if he rushed through the prefectures too often.

Zhao Zicheng only brought Murong Yan, a few Murong family servants, his newly recruited thugs Lü Fang and Guo Sheng, plus Li Jun, a skilled swimmer, and An Daoquan for security. Li Gun, a recent reformed bandit from Mangdang Mountain, also stayed with Yang Zhi to assist him in training and rectifying military discipline.

There were only about a dozen people in the group, half of whom were servants doing odd jobs, making them a very small target. Zhao Zicheng didn't wear official uniform either, but simply got a few carriages and traveled in a low-key manner.

The group set out from Pei County in Xuzhou, heading northwest along the Jizhou River to reach Liangshan Lake in Dongping Prefecture, a distance of nearly three hundred miles.

However, Zhao Zicheng and his close followers did not intend to go that far, so according to the plan, they only needed to walk 230 to 240 miles and stay in Wenyang County, the outermost county of Dongping Prefecture. Cao Zheng could go the last few dozen miles alone.

If we were to be more cautious, we could just walk 200 miles to Rencheng County, which is on the border between Jizhou and Dongping Prefecture, and wait for news.

The group continued their journey steadily, and three days later, on August 19th, they arrived safely in Wenyang. Zhao Zicheng gave Cao Zheng a few final instructions, then let him explore the mountain alone.

Cao Zheng had already contacted Lin Chong, so he must have known Zhu Gui, who ran a shop outside Liangshan Lake, and could have used Zhu Gui's connections to get a boat into the lake. Zhao Zicheng didn't need to worry about this.

Cao Zheng is on his way and doing things, so it will probably take another three days. Zhao Zicheng, Murong Yan and others can just wander around Wenyang and Rencheng in a low-key manner and wait for news.

……

After Cao Zheng said goodbye to everyone, he walked the final leg of his journey on foot, avoiding carriages and horses in order to keep a low profile. He was dressed very simply, carrying only a simple sword and a package containing some clothes, dry food, letters, and a few belongings.

Early in the morning of August 20th, Cao Zheng arrived at a remote hotel on the south bank of Liangshan Lake as he was familiar with the place, and met Zhu Gui, who was in charge of the meeting there.

"Brother Cao, how come you have time to come here?" Zhu Gui still recognized him and asked him directly as usual.

"There was news about my master's family in Tokyo. After I found out, I immediately rushed here to tell my master. I hope Brother Zhu can help me." Cao Zheng said what Zhao Zicheng had taught him, without mentioning that someone wanted to poach Lin Chong.

If Cao Zheng had known this, he would have spoken freely. If Wang Lun didn't intend to reuse Lin Chong, it would have been perfectly natural for Lin Chong to leave. Why would he stop him? There was no need for Lin Chong to hide his feelings.

But Zhao Zicheng knew that Wang Lun was narrow-minded and had no tolerance for others, and he did not want to cause any more trouble, so he taught Cao Zheng to be reserved when speaking.

At that time, no matter whether Lin Chong comes down the mountain or not, just say that he is worried about his wife and father-in-law, and don’t mention his future.

Zhu Gui knew Cao Zheng was a butcher, a simple man with no ulterior motives, so he had no suspicions. He immediately prepared food and wine for Cao Zheng to eat, drink, and rest. He also prepared a boat, and as soon as Cao Zheng finished eating, he took him across the lake and up the mountain.

Cao Zheng sat on the boat in the water for another half day and finally reached Liangshan before noon. After a winding journey, he finally met Lin Chong.

Cao Zheng was led in by Zhu Gui. With outsiders present, Cao Zheng couldn't tell the truth right away, so he could only say:

"Master! I recently stumbled upon news from Tokyo that Master's wife and her companions, forced by the Gao family, dared not stay in Tokyo any longer and have fled to another place. If you have time, Master, you should try to go down the mountain to look for them and provide assistance."

Lin Chong was shocked upon hearing this. He didn't even bother to say the polite words of goodbye to his apprentice. He just rubbed his fists in fear and worry: "What should I do...Brother Zhu Gui, I was suddenly faced with an unexpected incident today. I'm at a loss for what to do. I may have lost my composure..."

Zhu Guilian said it was okay, and then Lin Chong said, "My heart is in turmoil, and I just want to be alone and quiet."

Zhu Gui no longer hindered them and went out by himself.

The news that Zhu Gui brought people up the mountain to meet Lin Chong was no secret, so not long after Zhu Gui left, he was called by Wang Lun and interrogated.

It was simply, "Who is the guest who is so anxious to see Master Lin today? And how will Master Lin react?"

Zhu Gui felt that there was nothing to hide, and Wang Lun was the leader of the stronghold, so he told him everything truthfully.

After hearing this, Wang Lun's mind was filled with wild thoughts: "Lin Chong has been in the mountains for many days. I asked him to submit his name, but he hasn't done so yet. I didn't force him out of respect for Master Chai. Today, I suddenly heard that something happened to his family. Let's see how he handles it.

But I wonder if the news brought by the man called Cao Zheng is true. If Lin Chong goes down the mountain to search for his family and finds nothing, and then he clashes with the government again, committing a new murder. Then Du Qian and Song Wan, who already admire Lin Chong's martial arts skills and upright character, will definitely help him speak on his behalf. Even if he has submitted a letter of surrender, he will still have to sit in the seat of power.

Furthermore, if he were to clash with the authorities again and develop a new reputation, his prestige would be even greater than it is today. How would I be able to control him then?"

Wang Lun was a very narrow-minded person. Suspicious, he secretly asked his confidants to keep an eye on Lin Chong.

……

On the other side, Lin Chong felt upset and out of control, so he sent Zhu Gui away and was about to vent his depression and grief.

Seeing no one around, Cao Zheng suddenly pulled out a letter and respectfully presented it to Lin Chong: "Master, I didn't mean to hide it from you. There is a benefactor who saved your master's wife and your father-in-law. He asked me to come find you and told me to tell you this. Here is the letter, you will know when you read it."

Lin Chong was stunned, and it took him a moment to recover. He quickly opened the letter and read it carefully. In just a short time, his expression changed several times. Finally, he bit his lip hard, still a little bit in disbelief. He stared at Cao Zheng and asked solemnly, "That Mr. Zhao said he saved my wife and father-in-law. Did you see him with your own eyes?"

Cao Zheng kowtowed and said, "How dare I lie to Master? I swear to heaven that I have met Master's wife in person, and they are all well. I have also met Master Lu, whom Master mentioned, whom I met in Tokyo.

But his appearance has changed, he looks thinner than before, and his hair was glued on with some kind of glue, so I almost couldn't see the flaw. Mr. Zhao has a famous doctor by his side, and it seems that this was the work of that famous doctor."

"Brother Lu is also with Mr. Zhao?" Lin Chong was even more surprised. He knew very well that Lu Da was not a man who would easily submit to others. He was always arrogant and wanted to step on injustice when he saw it. Anyone who could make him follow him wholeheartedly must be quite extraordinary.

Lin Chong couldn't help being curious, so he asked Cao Zheng about his experiences, wanting to know what kind of person Zhao Zicheng was.

Cao Zheng also answered all the questions and told them everything he knew. The master and disciple talked more and more enthusiastically. In just a quarter of an hour, Lin Chong was already fascinated by the conversation and had a rough idea of ​​Zhao Zicheng's extraordinary qualities in his mind.

"Since such a man of honor and integrity has been recruited, I will naturally join him. Anyway, I am at the end of my rope. From what you have said about Mr. Zhao, it seems that he also opposed the Flower and Stone Gang and was not afraid to confront his superiors. He must be a good official who cares about the people.

I don't have much to pack, so I'll go say goodbye to Chief Wang tomorrow morning. Well, if I say I'm going back to join the army, I'm afraid he'll get suspicious; he's a bit too cautious. Anyway, even though I'm joining the army, I'll be settling down south, and we'll never meet again. I'll just say I'm going down the mountain to visit my wife and children."

Lin Chong was not a careless person. He had been feeling disheartened by Wang Lun's bullying in the past few days and knew what kind of person Wang Lun was.

If he went down the mountain to join the local government troops in Shandong, Wang Lun would surely be afraid and try to stop him. This was because Lin Chong already knew the strengths and weaknesses of the Liangshan defenses and had been there for many days. If Lin Chong became an enemy and returned to help the government troops to encircle and suppress Wang Lun, Wang Lun would surely be doomed.

But Lin Chong would not do such a thing. Even if he went down the mountain to join the government army, he was not a local government army and had no conflict of interest with Wang Lun, so it was better to keep out of trouble.

……

Lin Chong tossed and turned, resting for the last night on Liangshan Mountain, but he couldn't fall asleep. He woke up at four o'clock the next morning with dark circles under his eyes.

After nervously considering his words, Lin Chong went to ask for a meeting early in the morning as soon as Wang Lun and others got up.

Wang Lun had not yet had breakfast, and he seemed to have guessed Lin Chong's intention, so after a simple wash, he seemed to be very cordial and invited Lin Chong to have something to eat with him, and even specially placed wine and food in the Duanjin Pavilion.

They were all bandits, so it was not uncommon for them to drink big bowls of wine and eat big chunks of meat early in the morning. On the stone table were whole stewed beef shanks and beef belly, and there was turbid rice wine hot in the pot.

Wang Lun even asked someone to invite Du Qian and Song Wan as well, waiting for Lin Chong to speak.

Lin Chong also realized that Wang Lun knew he was leaving and was a little embarrassed. No matter how Wang Lun urged him to eat and drink, he didn't dare to refuse. After drinking a lot, he mustered the courage to speak:
"I am deeply grateful to Chief Wang for hosting me for a few days. I only regret that I failed to submit my pledge of allegiance, and I have no face to stay any longer. Furthermore, I heard about my wife's news yesterday, and I am terrified. Staying in the mountains is pointless, and I simply want to descend and visit my relatives. Lin Chong bids farewell, and asks Chief Wang to arrange a boat to take me down the mountain."

Wang Lun laughed it off and didn't respond directly. He continued to express regret, while urging people to drink more and hinting at the topic: "But now the government has drawn up a picture of the instructor and is desperate to capture him. When we went up the mountain a few days ago, the instructor said that the world is so big that there is no place for him to stand."

Why would you risk going down the mountain again for your wife and children? Are you sure you can evade the authorities' search?"

Lin Chong was stunned. He hadn't prepared for this explanation. He was a brave and fearless man. If his wife or father-in-law were in real trouble, he would go down the mountain even if he knew there was a high probability of death.

So he hadn't even considered this issue yesterday. Although Zhao Zicheng was indeed there to back him up, helping him get a blank certificate and other means to ensure he didn't have to worry about his safety.

But Wang Lun was much more realistic than him, and much more afraid of death. Even if Wang Lun's own parents were captured by the enemy, he would still consider his own safety before deciding whether to save them. Lin Chong's failure to think this through was a huge flaw in his eyes.

In addition, Lin Chong felt guilty, thinking that he had told a white lie and concealed the details first. Just now, when Wang Lun urged him to drink, he drank the whole glass. After drinking too much, his words and expressions inevitably revealed some small flaws.

After a series of veiled interrogations, Wang Lun's face darkened, and he leaped back, saying grimly:

"So, when Master Lin came down the mountain, could it be that he had already found a way to atone for his sins and was planning to join the government army?"

Lin Chong was anxious and stood up quickly, but his footing was a little unsteady. "Master Wang, please don't worry! Now that things have come to this, I can't hide it from you. There is indeed a noble person who can help me, but I can't say too much. After all, I am going there to hide my identity and start over.

If the news leaks out, someone will know which nobleman protected me and report it to that scoundrel Gao Qiu, which will also implicate that nobleman. But when I leave the mountain, I will never forget the kindness of the leader and my brothers, and I will not have any conflict with the mountain stronghold.

"Lin Chong, you're just kidding! You're a soldier who's about to be executed. How much merit do you have to accomplish to get someone to find a way to pardon you? You're just trying to use us brothers as a stepping stone to your own advancement!"
"Du Qian and Song Wan, why don't you take action! Why don't you take action! This Lin Chong came down the mountain to surrender to the government and betray us all! No wonder he was so reluctant to surrender a few days ago, he was just waiting to reconcile with the corrupt officials!"

While shouting, Wang Lun tried to retreat into the crowd of minions behind him to feel more secure.

Du Qian and Song Wan, who had always admired Lin Chong, tried to mediate, saying, "Captain Wang, please don't be suspicious. Instructor Lin is a man of integrity and wouldn't do this!"

Wang Lun, however, assumed they were afraid of Lin Chong's martial arts and therefore afraid to attack, fearing they would be cannon fodder. He then continued to encourage the others, "Don't be afraid of Lin Chong! I've already made him drunk, and I've drugged his wine! Just go for it! Whoever kills Lin Chong will be the second-in-command of the stronghold!"

Lin Chong came to the banquet without a spear. When he heard what Wang Lun said, he was furious. He could no longer suppress the thought of compromise that he had been submitting to for many days. He immediately rushed into the battlefield with his bare hands, snatched the sword from a small thug who was rushing towards him, and then jumped towards Wang Lun.

Wang Lun had already retreated into the crowd, but when the minions around him saw Lin Chong rushing towards him, they dodged to both sides like waves breaking.

Even though Lin Chong was drunk and had taken some drugs, and looked staggering and unsteady, no one dared to stop him.

Wang Lun had never imagined that after drugging Lin Chong, deploying his minions, and even inviting Du Qian and Song Wan to join him, he would end up in such a situation. He was immediately terrified and had no choice but to pick up his sword and personally resist Lin Chong.

"Ding--Puchi!" First there was a crisp sound of weapons clashing, and the knife in Wang Lun's hand was knocked away directly, and the second sound was that Lin Chong's waist knife directly cut Wang Lun's neck.

Blood gushed out of Wang Lun's neck, he died with his eyes open, and fell to the ground with his head tilted.

Lin Chong struggled to hold himself together, and before fainting, he pointed his bloody sword at Du Qian and Song Wan, saying, "Brothers, do you also insist on making things difficult for me? We have no grudges against each other, but Chief Wang is being too aggressive. I wanted to keep him, but he wouldn't let me. Now I want to leave, but he won't let me. He's even trying to harm me in every way. I have no choice but to do this!"

If you two stop giving me trouble, whoever becomes the leader of Liangshan in the future will have nothing to do with me! We will go our separate ways! I, Lin Chong, can swear to heaven that even if I follow the court again in the future, I will never return to Liangshan and will never give trouble to the court or my brothers on Liangshan! If you break this oath, I, Lin Chong, will be punished by heaven and earth, and die with a thousand arrows piercing my heart."

Du Qian and Song Wan hurriedly said, "Master, you're worrying too much! How could we possibly embarrass you? Leader Wang is truly magnanimous... Now that things have come to this, we would wholeheartedly accept Master Lin as the leader of the stronghold."

Lin Chong, however, gave a sad smile, looking on the verge of collapse: "In this world, it is really hard to get what you want. When you want something, you can't get it no matter how hard you try. But when you let go, it is easily available. Unfortunately, now that I know where my wife and family are, and I have received the protection of others, I should repay the kindness. How can I be trapped here again!

In the future, the name Lin Chong will no longer be seen in this world. I will spend the rest of my life hiding my identity and seeking another path. Since you two brothers do not wish to be my enemy, let us part ways now.

After Lin Chong finished speaking, he let out his last breath. In the end, he could not resist the effect of the drug and fell to the ground and fell asleep.

(End of this chapter)