The Legend of Song Jiang in Water Margin

Chapter 131 A Dream of a Timeless Capital Returns to Morning Dew

How skilled were the Xie brothers? Many readers of Water Margin might scoff at them, thinking that their entry into the Heavenly Stars was purely to suppress Sun Li's spear!

However, Song Jiang felt that these two brothers were quite capable. Perhaps it was a stretch for them to enter the Heavenly Stars, especially since they were ahead of Yan Qing, the last and most popular hero among the Heavenly Stars!

But these two are indeed extraordinary in their ability to traverse mountains and valleys as if walking on flat ground, especially in forests and mountains, where these two brothers can definitely become a surprise force!

Song Jiang planned to make these two brothers the leaders and create a special force to fight in special geographical environments!

However, we cannot rush things now. After all, these two brothers are not particularly skilled in martial arts. If we give them high positions from the beginning, I'm afraid the brothers who joined Liangshan at the beginning will not be convinced!

Gold always shines. Song Jiang planned to have the two of them train with the Liangshan army. If they could persevere, he would gradually promote them!

Previously, Cao Zheng's brother-in-law also joined Liangshan. Song Jiang did not let him train with him, but instead placed him next to Wu Yong as Wu Yong's attendant, and also trained him, so as not to let Wu Yong do everything himself and exhaust his body!

As for Yue He, he is a true talent. Song Jiang plans to keep him by his side and personally train him before entrusting him with important responsibilities!

In the original work, Yue He is inconspicuous, even so low-key that his existence is completely unnoticeable, yet he is highly praised, with a poem in his honor:

She is intelligent and well-dressed, with a handsome face and clear, honest speech.

He was known as "Iron Singer" for his singing talent, and his joy and intelligence were innate.

It turns out that Yuehe was a clever and quick-witted person. He knew all kinds of musical instruments and could learn them easily. He was also very perceptive and knew exactly what to do.

When it comes to martial arts, we love them as much as sugar and honey.

Is it an exaggeration? Not at all. Lehe is a person of great wisdom!

Keep a low profile and don't show off your talents, after all, Liangshan has Wu Yong, Zhu Wu and others to advise them!

However, in the sequel to Water Margin, Yue He's abilities are fully demonstrated. He is cautious and meticulous in his work, good at adapting to changing circumstances, and can also come up with ideas!

He guided Li Jun to go overseas and seize Jin'ao Island, and also arranged for Hua Fengchun to marry into the Kingdom of Siam. They reclaimed the barren island, developed commerce, promoted agriculture, strengthened their power, and helped Li Jun become emperor!

It can be said that Le He deserves half the credit for Li Jun's success. Even Li Jun himself exclaimed that Le He possessed the talent to govern the country and the wisdom to devise ingenious strategies!

When Song Jiang first met Sun Xin, he planned to bring Yue He to his side, but he didn't expect that Sister-in-law Gu would also speak up for the sake of her two cousins!

It wasn't that Song Jiang didn't value the Xie brothers, but compared to Yue He, they were indeed far inferior!

However, they were brothers from a previous life, so Song Jiang was still very willing to accept them!

Now that Yue He has come to Liangshan, we might as well take him with us on our way back to Bianliang, so we can see what he's capable of!

After arranging things for the Xie brothers, Song Jiang did not assign any position to Yue He. Yue He understood the situation and simply smiled it off. He was naturally intelligent and could see that Song Jiang treated him differently!

Although Lehe is indifferent to fame and fortune and does not compete or fight, it does not mean that he has no ideals deep down. He also longs to prove himself, but he just has never had the opportunity!

He was a human being, and as such, he had desires. Sun Li arranged for him to be a minor jailer, and he accepted it without complaint.

However, when Sun Xin returned to Dengzhou and deliberately sought him out to tell him that Song Jiang wanted him to go to Yuncheng, he felt that things were not so simple. He had heard of Song Jiang's name in Dengzhou, but the two were far apart, and he was just an unknown nobody, so naturally he could not be worthy of someone like Song Jiang!

But to his surprise, Sun Xin told him that Song Jiang really wanted him to go to Dancheng. He immediately realized that this might be his chance to show his talents!

Without hesitation, he immediately went to Sun Li and told him that he no longer wanted to be a jailer and wanted to go out and make his own way in the world!

Sun Li didn't say anything, just gave Le He some silver and let him set off!

The Xie brothers also traveled with them, and the group endured wind and rain, sleeping in the open along the way, and soon arrived at Songjia Village in Yuncheng!

They then found Song Qing and, through Zhu Gui, joined Liangshan!

Le He had heard of Liangshan Marsh, which stretched for eight hundred li, but when he stepped onto the golden sands of Liangshan, his usually calm heart was stirred with excitement!

The three passes were each more treacherous than the last, and each was built to be incredibly sturdy, just like the city walls of Dengzhou. The difference was that the craftsmen used something they had never seen before to pile the bricks and stones together!

Each pass was filled with rolling logs and stones, strong crossbows and powerful bows, and densely packed bamboo spears, making it awe-inspiring to behold.

Lehe didn't speak, but a different thought was forming in his mind!

On the surface, Song Jiang was a clerk in Yuncheng and also owned property there. However, in secret, he had built Liangshan into an impregnable fortress. Therefore, Song Jiang's identity was definitely not as simple as it appeared on the surface!

But given Song Jiang's status, there was no need for him to become a bandit. Not only was it risky, but he wouldn't earn as much as he would normally do. Therefore, Song Jiang might...

Lehe didn't speculate any further, deciding to wait and see what happened next!

After passing through the checkpoint, a training ground came into view, where many soldiers were practicing in an orderly manner!

Le He stared intently at the soldiers. He had seen Sun Li train soldiers before, but he had never heard of or seen the way these soldiers were training!

More importantly, these people's movements are as if they were made by one person. How so? There is no pause in their movements. Whether it is a hand strike or a foot strike, it is as if they were made by one person!

Lehe was shocked. What kind of method could train such perfectly aligned soldiers?

Especially since these soldiers were so high-spirited and energetic, Lehe could assert that their combat strength was definitely no less than that of the regular army. They were the regular army guarding important prefectures or key roads, not the garrison of ordinary county towns or prefectures!

If the imperial court finds out, Song Jiang will have his family and clan wiped out.

Le He had no more doubts; Song Jiang was indeed plotting a rebellion. But Le He quickly calmed down, his emotions shifting from initial excitement to frenzy and then back to composure.

Le He was a man of great wisdom, and the development of Liangshan made him admire him even more. He was also more curious about Song Jiang, perhaps following Song Jiang would really be an interesting thing!

Having made up his mind, Lehe decided not to change it any further. He might as well follow Song Jiang and see what kind of person Song Jiang really was!

Seeing Yue He standing there neither humble nor arrogant, with a smile on his face, Song Jiang knew that Yue He already knew what he was thinking!

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Brother Yue He, how about coming to the capital with me?" His tone was as if he were old friends, but in fact, this was the first time Song Jiang had met Yue He!

Lehe nodded and said, "I am willing to follow by my brother's side!"

Song Jiang was overjoyed, seeing that Yue He had shown his loyalty. Without further hesitation, he said, "I know you are capable. If you have any ideas or plans, please speak frankly!"

Lehe felt that coming to Liangshan was definitely the right decision. Song Jiang truly valued him, and he could no longer afford to be underestimated!

The two exchanged a smile. Song Jiang told Yue He to familiarize himself with the surroundings first, and then he went to prepare manpower and luggage.

Song Jiang took this trip to Kaifeng very seriously, but he also had some worries in his heart. He felt that things were not going well and that something might happen!

He sighed, realizing he had been walking on thin ice and had ultimately been too cautious.

Soon, he had a choice in mind: Gongsun Sheng, Yue He, Jiao Ting, Bian Xiang, and Zhu Jing would suffice. As for guarding the home, Wu Yong, Li Kui, and Liu Tang would be enough. There were also two old men who hadn't been counted yet!

Moreover, Liangshan is currently at its zenith, and its several thousand soldiers are not to be underestimated. If the imperial court doesn't gather tens of thousands of troops, it's simply out of the question to take down Liangshan!

Just as he was pondering this, Yang Zhong and Luo Zhong arrived with Yang Zaixing and Luo Yanqing to find Song Jiang!

Song Jiang had always treated these two highly skilled elderly men with great courtesy. Upon seeing them arrive, he quickly inquired, "Seniors, have you come to see Gongming on important business?"

Yang Zhong smiled and said, "You're too kind, Clerk. I have a favor to ask. Zaixing has been staying in Liangshan for quite some time now. Since you're going to the capital, Clerk, Zaixing would like to see the world. Would it be convenient for you to take him along?"

Upon hearing this, Song Jiang realized what it was about and laughed, "I suppose Yanqing feels the same way! Since you want to go, let's go together! I wonder if the two seniors will be joining us?"

Luo Zhong laughed and said, "We old bones won't join in the fun. We'll instead guard Liangshan for you, to prevent any villains from attacking Liangshan!"

Song Jiang bowed deeply and said, "Since these two lads have come with me, they will surely return together without any mishap!"

Yang Zhong helped Song Jiang up and said with a smile, "Don't make such a big gesture. Now that we're on Liangshan, we're considered part of Liangshan. The capital is not like Yuncheng; it's a melting pot of all sorts of people with complicated relationships. Clerk, please be careful in everything you do!"

Song Jiang was somewhat moved. In fact, Luo Zhong and Yang Zhong were quite special. They did not want any position or money. They just stayed in the houses on Liangshan. Apart from teaching the soldiers to practice their spear skills, they spent the rest of their time with his two young masters. If he had to describe their status, Song Jiang originally wanted to call them guest advisors and tell others that these two were completely free to come and go!

But the two of them never left. Instead, when teaching shooting, they were very generous and taught the soldiers every move until they were completely proficient before teaching the next move!

Hearing Yang Zhong say this today, how could I not understand his meaning? I was moved and vowed to make Liangshan stand firm!

Without further ado, having decided on the candidates, Song Jiang gave his brothers some instructions, and the next day he led a few men down Liangshan. This time they had a lot of luggage. In addition to money, Song Jiang also brought some glass and calligraphy and paintings. The calligraphy and paintings were some he took from Wu Qianhu’s mansion and the house of the first gambling den owner!

Kaifeng, Henan, is a famous city with a long history. In fact, not only Kaifeng, but also Luoyang and Zhengzhou served as capitals a thousand years ago. As the Central Plains region and the cradle of culture in ancient times, Henan has produced a multitude of famous figures throughout history! It enjoyed a very high status in ancient times, and its economy and culture were among the best in the world at that time!

In modern times, Henan's geographical environment is not as good as that of coastal cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou. In addition, countless battles have made this historical capital lose its former glory. However, Song Jiang still treats this birthplace of history and culture with respect.

The setting sun cast a soft glow, and dusk had fallen, yet there was no sorrow in Song Jiang's heart. Standing on the ground in Kaifeng, he was filled with countless emotions.

This city, once the most prosperous in the world, once the most populous, once the most economically developed, is now stronger than Europe before the Industrial Revolution, the Americas before the arrival of foreigners, Africa scorched by the sun every day, and West Asia where countless civilizations have been established and perished. This civilization, once admired, studied, and explored by countless foreigners, is now right at its feet!

Dusk is beautiful, but its beauty is fleeting, just like the city illuminated by the twilight, which is about to enter the night. Unlike dawn, which only takes one night, the night in Kaifeng lasts for a full hundred years, and dawn has never been seen again!

In just a few years, the Jurchens, who had been suffering under the oppression of the Khitans in the extreme cold, would march on their iron hooves and point their swords at Kaifeng. The peaceful, prosperous, and dreamlike scene before them would be shattered and replaced by brutality and humiliation. Countless Chinese sons and daughters would be forced to migrate south, and countless royal relatives and ministers would be captured. It was a great disgrace in the history of China!

But how could the people of the Song Dynasty know of the tragic fate that was about to befall them? At that time, they only felt that life was peaceful and everything symbolized hope, but they did not know that in later generations, scholars would sympathize with them to the extreme, and no words could describe their suffering!

With a sigh, Song Jiang realized he was powerless to change the situation.

Yang Zaixing and Luo Yanqing were captivated by what they saw. After all, they were children, and many of the fun, beautiful, and delicious things were things they had never seen before!

Seeing the pleading looks in their eyes, Song Jiang smiled and said to Jiao Ting, "Brother Jiao Ting, take them out for some fun! We'll meet at the inn up ahead later!"

Seeing Jiao Ting leading the two excited men, Song Jiang smiled and led Gongsun Sheng and the others to an inn for the night!

After walking through the bustling crowds and passing through the pavilions and music halls filled with the sounds of bells, drums, and zithers, the group arrived at Yuelai Inn, the best inn in Kaifeng!

We booked several excellent rooms, and after unloading our luggage, it was already dark!

The inn only offered lodging, but no place to eat. After traveling for a while, everyone was getting hungry!

Just then, Jiao Ting returned from outside with Yang Zaixing and Luo Yanqing. Seeing the two boys holding candied hawthorns in one hand and spring rolls in the other, and Jiao Ting carrying quite a few other things, a smile appeared on his lips!

Song Jiang knew that the two boys' ancestors had indeed been wealthy, but even heroes don't dwell on their past glories, let alone two children.

Although Yang Zaixing was a descendant of the Yang family generals, the Tianbo Mansion had ceased to exist since the reign of Emperor Zhao Zhen, and the Yang family had moved from Kaifeng to Guanzhong. Yang Zaixing had never been to Kaifeng. Luo Yanqing was in an even worse situation. Luo Cheng was a figure from the Sui and Tang dynasties, which was five or six hundred years ago. He was practically an ancestor. If it weren't for Yang Zhi's occasional help, he would probably be even more destitute!

But the two were determined not to disgrace their ancestors, so they practiced their marksmanship day after day, hoping to kill more alien races and achieve more merits on the battlefield.