The Legend of Song Jiang in Water Margin

Chapter 132 The Golden Leopard Inn: The Brotherhood of the Golden Spearman is Troubled by His Armor

Taipinglou is the best restaurant in Kaifeng!

Those who can come here to eat, drink, compose poems, and appreciate flowers and the moon are either rich or noble. After all, a single dish can easily cost several to tens of taels of silver, which is indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people!

Song Jiang didn't care about money. In short, he thought that since he was out here, he shouldn't care too much about money. He should eat and drink as he pleased!

We booked a private room, and all the fine wines and dishes were served, quickly filling the table!

Although the dishes were exquisitely prepared, the taste was not particularly outstanding. At least Song Jiang felt that they were not as good as those in his own restaurant, and the wine was even worse!

However, seeing Yang Zaixing and the others eating with relish, Song Jiang smiled contentedly!

Not long after, everyone finished eating and drinking. They were all quite tired from traveling for days, so instead of going on a boat trip to see the night view or visiting the night market, they returned to their rooms to rest for the night!

The next morning, Tang Long went to the Yuelai Inn to look for Song Jiang. Yesterday, a brother from the Zouji Camp had told Tang Long that Song Jiang had arrived!

But it was already late yesterday, so Tang Long arrived at the inn early this morning!

"Brother!" Tang Long greeted Song Jiang with joy.

After a period of time, Tang Longbi looked much more energetic than when he was first seen in Qinghe County, and his previous haggard appearance was nowhere to be seen!

Seeing that Tang Long looked much better than before, Song Jiang smiled and said, "Brother Tang Long, no need for such formalities. How have you been these days?"

Tang Long nodded and said, "After arriving in the capital, I first went to find my cousin Xu Ning, and I've been staying at his house for the past few days!"

Song Jiang felt somewhat gratified. The relationship between these cousins ​​was much closer than in the original story. Unlike before, when the two had no contact before joining Liangshan and had no interaction after joining Liangshan, it was truly pitiful and lamentable!

That's understandable, since in the original story Tang Long gambled away his entire fortune. Normal people would keep their distance from such a gambler. Then he tricked Xu Ning's family into joining Liangshan, so Xu Ning was naturally very resentful!

But now things are different. Although Tang Long doesn't have much savings, he has Song Jiang as his backer, so he brought plenty of gifts when he visited Xu Ning this time!

Although Xu Ning was not a mercenary, there is a saying that it is never wrong to be overly polite. If you are polite enough, you will naturally receive different treatment!

Tang Long is not as down on his luck as he was before. When he first came to find Xu Ning, Xu Ning was a little puzzled. He had not had any contact with his cousin Tang Long's family for many years. But since Tang Long was his cousin and had come all the way to find him, he must have encountered some difficulties.

Xu Ning was a very righteous and chivalrous man, and immediately had the steward lead Tang Long into the inner hall!

Xu Ning was surprised to see Tang Long. He was dressed in a magnificent robe and carrying many gifts, clearly indicating that he was wealthy.

Upon seeing Xu Ning, she bowed and smiled, "Brother, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Feeling somewhat ashamed, Xu Ning thought Tang Long had come to seek refuge with him, but it seemed he wasn't doing too badly. He asked, "I heard that my uncle has passed away. I was held back by my official position and the journey was too far to go and pay my respects. I felt very guilty. But I didn't expect my cousin to come looking for me today. I wonder where you are, brother, and where you have been making a living."

Tang Long sighed and said, "This matter is a long story. Ever since my father passed away, I have been plagued by bad luck and have been forced to wander the world."

Unexpectedly, a benefactor came to his aid, and although he hasn't exactly triumphed, he's no longer going hungry.

Xu Ning smiled and said, "In that case, brother, please sit for a while, let's eat and chat." He then ordered that food and drink be prepared to entertain him.

Tang Long put down the gifts, took out five garlic-shaped gold ingots weighing fifty taels from his bundle, and gave them to Xu Ning, saying, "I have been alone for a long time and have earned some gold and silver, but these gold and silver items are of little use to me. Brother is my only relative, so I would like to give them to you. I hope you will accept them."

Xu Ning quickly declined, saying, "I appreciate your concern, brother, but this gold is far too valuable. How can I possibly repay you?"

Tang Long laughed and said, "Brother, don't say that. Although our family has been in the military for generations, only you are truly skilled. I often miss your martial arts skills, but I regret that we are too far apart to meet. Now that I am no longer in the military, life is much easier. If you don't accept this, I will no longer consider you my cousin."

Upon hearing Tang Long's words, Xu Ning no longer stood on ceremony. After the transaction was completed, he arranged for wine to be served.

Xu Ning had originally intended to find Tang Long a job as a blacksmith at the Royal Weapon Workshop if Tang Long came to join him, based on his own influence. However, Tang Long clearly didn't need to now, so he swallowed his words and started talking about martial arts and the world!

These days, Tang Long spends his days at Xu Ning's house, either searching for craftsmen he used to know or asking palace eunuchs about weapons!

In short, he kept himself as busy as he could until Song Jiang arrived today. Tang Long knew that things were settled!

Now that he had come to Kaifeng, Song Jiang naturally wanted to meet these heroes from the capital, especially the Golden Spearman, who ranked second among the Eight Tiger Generals, whom Song Jiang had long admired!

Bianliang during the day is quite different from what it was like at dusk yesterday!

The light shines on the bustling crowd, the stalls and vendors everywhere, and the various street shops. The scene is bustling and lively, yet it is also so ordinary and commonplace. It is as if the most gorgeous colors are used to outline the simplest words, but the artistic conception has already surpassed everything!

The group arrived at Xu Ning's residence, where the steward stepped forward and said, "Young Master, please wait a moment, our master is entertaining guests!"

Tang Long asked in confusion, "Who is this distinguished guest? Why are they being so cautious!"

The steward announced, "It's Lin Chong, the instructor of spears and cudgels for the 800,000 Imperial Guards!"

Song Jiang said, "Could it be Lin Chong, known as Leopard Head?"

The steward replied, "Indeed, do you perhaps know us, esteemed guest?"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "I've long admired his name. How about you introduce me to him?"

The butler hesitated for a moment, because Xu Ning didn't like being disturbed by others when she was entertaining guests!

Tang Long, however, spoke up: "My elder brother has always loved making friends with heroes from all over the world. He's the one known as Song Jiang, the Timely Rain. If it weren't for his help, I don't know where I'd be wandering off to right now!"

The steward had clearly heard of Song Jiang's reputation, and after hearing Tang Long say that Song Jiang had been kind to him, he nodded and said, "In that case, please come in!"

Upon arriving in the hall, Xu Ning was having tea with someone.

Xu Ning looked like this: He was six feet five inches tall, with a fair complexion, no beard, sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a slender waist, and broad shoulders!

A poem praises it:

With Tang Ni by his side, he was a valiant warrior for the three armies; his golden spear was invincible and shook the imperial camp.

Who can compare to his dashing and debonair manner? Protected by the Heavenly Stars, Xu Ning is the one who truly shines.

The other person had a leopard's head and round eyes, a swallow's jaw and a tiger's beard, looking very much like Zhang Fei in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, his face was not as dark as Zhang Fei's, and his beard was not as thick. Judging from his appearance, he should be Lin Chong. However, although Lin Chong looked like Zhang Fei, his personality was a whole somersault short of Zhang Fei's!

Lin Chong praised it in a poem:

A cold star and a pale moon, a deadly spear; melancholy petals drift, longing for home.

A lion-helmeted, silver-armored horse with frost-covered flowers, a leopard-headed figure wanders alone in bewilderment!

Xu Ning and Lin Chong naturally saw the steward leading Tang Long, Song Jiang, Bian Xiang, and others in, including two children!

The two men only glanced at Song Jiang and Yue He before looking at Bian Xiang and the others!

Martial artists, with their innate keen senses, could naturally see that these people were extraordinary!

Especially Bian Xiang, Xu Ning and Lin Chong kept looking at Bian Xiang, itching to spar with him. As for Gongsun Sheng, he was dressed as a Taoist priest, but his strength was hard to discern!

Bian Xiang also keenly noticed that Xu Ning and Lin Chong were staring at him, especially Lin Chong, who was one of the strongest people he had ever met. He wondered who would win if he and Lin Chong fought!

Xu Ning asked, "Brother, who are these heroes?" If it were anyone else who brought people in without permission, Xu Ning would probably be displeased, but since Tang Long brought them in, he had to give him some face. Moreover, Xu Ning was also interested in befriending a skilled fighter like Bian Xiang!

Tang Long introduced them one by one: "Cousin, this is Brother Song Jiang, the Timely Rain. It was all thanks to his help that I was able to find you in the capital. The heroes next to him are Bian Xiang, Zhu Jing, Jiao Ting, Taoist Gongsun Sheng, and Yue He. These two young brothers are Yang Zaixing and Luo Yanqing!"

Xu Ning wasn't as excited as Tang Long. He stepped forward, smiled, and said, "I am deeply grateful to Clerk Song for taking care of my cousin. Thank you all today!"

Song Jiang bowed and said, "I hit it off with Brother Tang Long at first sight, and I am aware of his abilities!"

Tang Long's martial arts skills were completely mediocre, and Xu Ning knew that Song Jiang was referring to Tang Long's forging skills, so he smiled slightly!

Lin Chong spoke directly, "This brave man Bian Xiang seems to be very skilled in martial arts. I wonder what kind of business he does now?" It turned out that Lin Chong had the idea of ​​befriending Bian Xiang because he saw that Bian Xiang was skilled in martial arts. If Bian Xiang was just an ordinary peddler or a strong farmer, he would let him stay in the capital as a soldier first. With his ability, he could become an instructor sooner or later!

Bian Xiang laughed and said, "I have no legitimate business; I just follow Brother Gongming."

Lin Chong was somewhat surprised. This Song Jiang actually had charm, and he could make so many people willingly follow him and never abandon him!

Suddenly, Lin Chong looked at Yang Zaixing and exclaimed in surprise, "Meteor Rock-Shattering Blade! Isn't this the Yang family's heirloom sword? How did it end up in your hands! Oh, right, you're also surnamed Yang, so you must be a nephew of that Blue-Faced Beast Commander Yang!"

Yang Zaixing didn't hide anything and said frankly, "Yang Zhi is my uncle!"

Lin Chong nodded and sighed, "So they are descendants of loyal and virtuous officials!"

Everyone in Daming Prefecture knows that Yang Zhi is now in charge. Although they disdain Yang Zhi serving under Liang Zhongshu, anyone who knows about the Yang family's affairs can only sigh!

Xu Ning became interested when he heard that the young man was Yang Zhi's nephew. He had never fought Yang Zhi before, and he hadn't expected that these people in front of him were all extraordinary. It seemed that Song Jiang was also quite interesting. Judging from the thick calluses on his hands, the Taoist priest, Bian Xiang, and even the fat man, his martial arts skills must be outstanding!

With heroes and valiant men gathered together, Xu Ning, as the host, hurriedly instructed his steward to arrange food and wine!

At this moment, a servant entered the hall and stepped forward, saying, "Master, Grand Commandant Wang has arrived!"

Xu Ning was startled and exclaimed, "This is truly a bitter situation!"

Bian Xiangqi asked, "Who is this Grand Commandant Wang, that he makes Instructor Xu look so worried?"

Xu Ning smiled wryly, "This Grand Commandant Wang is the late Emperor's brother-in-law. His name is Wang Shen, and he loves drinking and writing poetry. He's also an avid collector of famous artifacts. I'm afraid he's here today because he's eyeing my family's heirloom armor!"

However, since they had already come to his door, he couldn't simply ignore them. Xu Ning said, "Quickly, invite Commander Wang!"

A moment later, Commander Wang entered the hall. He was slightly surprised to see so many people, but quickly composed himself and said with a smile, "Instructor Lin is here too! Instructor Xu, your house is certainly bustling with activity!"

Xu Ning respectfully said, "These are all my friends. They've come to my house today for drinks and conversation! May I ask what important matter Grand Commandant Wang has brought to see me about?"

Grand Commandant Wang laughed and said, "It's my fault, my timing is terrible, I've disturbed your enjoyment!"

Xu Ning said, "Don't mention it! It was yesterday, and today is a day off. We had nothing to do, so we invited some friends for a small gathering!"

Grand Commandant Wang laughed and said, "I wouldn't have come here without a reason. I've heard that Instructor Xu possesses a family heirloom armor called 'Sai Tang Mao.' I'm very fond of these rare treasures. I wonder if Instructor Xu would be willing to part with it? I'm willing to pay 30,000 strings of cash for this armor!"

Xu Ning hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's not that I'm unwilling to sell, but my ancestors forbade this armor to be sold or given away except as a family heirloom. I hope Grand Commandant Wang will forgive me!"

Xu Ning's words were firm and resolute! Grand Commandant Wang laughed and said, "It was my rudeness. In that case, I'll take my leave!" With that, he left the Xu residence.

Before leaving, he glanced at Yang Zaixing one last time, a playful expression on his face, and then strode away from Xu Ning's house!

After Grand Commandant Wang left, Xu Ning's face was filled with worry. Tang Long asked, "Cousin, why are you so troubled?"

Xu Ning said, "Cousin, you don't know this, but Grand Commandant Wang is a man who always hides a knife in his heart. He is extremely cunning. If you offend Grand Commandant Wang, who knows if he will secretly cause trouble!"

Tang Long said, "In that case, why don't you resign from your position as instructor of the Golden Spear Troupe, take your sister-in-law and leave the capital with me? Let's get away from this place of trouble and roam freely in the world. Wouldn't that be carefree and happy? Why should we be subject to the control of that Zhao official?"

These words surprised not only Xu Ning and Lin Chong, but also Song Jiang. Tang Long was directly trying to get Xu Ning to join him on Liangshan!

Song Jiang knew that none of Lin Chong, Qin Ming, or Xu Ning were truly desperate. Even if they did come to Liangshan with him, their hearts wouldn't be with Liangshan!

Song Jiang greatly admired Xu Ning and would never resort to such a despicable tactic as the "extermination of the family line." If fate brought Xu Ning to Liangshan, he would naturally treat him well. If not, Song Jiang would show no mercy to Xu Ning if he remained loyal to the Zhao family on the battlefield.

As for Tang Long, who was so loyal to me and spared no effort in recruiting talent for me, I couldn't treat him unfairly.

Xu Ning gave a wry smile and said, "Cousin, please stop joking. Stay a few more days and then leave with Clerk Song! If anything really happens to me, you must make sure your sister-in-law and her unborn child are safe!"

These words seem to be spoken by Xu Ning to Tang Long, but in reality, Xu Ning said them to Song Jiang. Otherwise, based on Xu Ning's understanding of Tang Long, if he were in real trouble, relying on Tang Long to save his wife would be tantamount to playing with his wife's life. But Song Jiang is different. He has met many high-ranking officials and wealthy people, but he has never seen anyone as unfathomable as Song Jiang!