The Legend of Song Jiang in Water Margin

Chapter 141 Troublesome Matters One After Another, Most Things Don't Go Well

"Song Jiang was originally just a minor clerk in Yuncheng County, with nothing to do every day. But since the beginning of this year, Song Jiang has been very active. First, he volunteered to go to Qinghe County to find the lost treasure. After returning to Yuncheng, he encountered the bandits of Qingyun Mountain launching a large-scale attack on the city."

"Qingyun Mountain is quite famous in Shandong. The bandit leader, Di Lei, is a descendant of General Mian Nie and harbors deep resentment towards the imperial court. If it weren't for his ancestral teachings, he would probably have rebelled long ago. Although he is not troubled, he has always opposed the imperial court and is a force not to be underestimated. Unexpectedly, Qingyun Mountain attacked Yuncheng County three times but ultimately returned empty-handed."

Li Yan said, "If that's the case, then Song Jiang has always worked for the government and can be considered loyal. Just as you said before, Song Jiang has gone to great lengths to climb the ranks!"

Steward Yang laughed and said, "If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad! After he and Hua Rong pacified Erlong Mountain, they specifically asked a man named Cao Zheng to guard Erlong Mountain to prevent other bandits from reoccupying it!"

Li Yan nodded and said, "That shows their good intentions."

Steward Yang shook his head and said, "However, Song Jiang rarely appears in Dancheng, and his whereabouts are extremely secretive. Normally, it's impossible to find him!"

Li Yanqi said, "Since Song Jiang is the city clerk, he should naturally be in court. Even if there's nothing wrong, he should stay in Yuncheng, so that when official business comes, he can't be found. But he's not in Yuncheng. Where could he be?"

Steward Yang laughed and said, "Song Jiang opened a tavern in the city, making a fortune every day, and his homemade wine attracts countless patrons!"

Li Yan praised, "This Song Jiang is quite talented, possessing such a high level of skill."

Steward Yang sighed, "As far as I know, Song Jiang sent a glass statue to Gao Qiu when he came to the capital this time, and also sold twelve glass beads at the pawnshop."

Li Yan asked, "Does Your Excellency mean that Song Jiang's long-term inability to find people is because he is involved in glassmaking and brewing wine?" Li Yan had a guess that Song Jiang wanted to climb the social ladder and would go to great lengths to do so!

Instead of answering the question, Steward Yang asked in return, "Have you ever heard of the Qibao Pavilion?"

Li Yan nodded and said, "I know a little bit!"

Steward Yang said calmly, "Although I don't know how many entry tokens Song Jiang has, he certainly has at least ten thousand taels of gold!"

Li Yan was somewhat surprised that a minor official possessed as much as ten thousand taels of gold. Manager Yang explained, "Each entry permit to Qibao Pavilion requires a guarantee of ten thousand taels of gold!"

Li Yan hesitated for a moment, then Steward Yang continued, "I doubt that Shi Wenbin, the magistrate of Yuncheng County, is as wealthy as Song Jiang!"

Li Yan didn't know what Steward Yang was going to say, but what Yang Jian said next really shocked Li Yan!

Steward Yang said, "No matter how outstanding Song Jiang's reputation is, or how much money he can make, he definitely can't get ten thousand taels of gold unless he uses some illegitimate means! Do you remember back in June, when Cai Jing's son-in-law lost two hundred thousand taels of birthday tribute at Guantang Post Station?"

Li Yandao: "What do you mean?"

Steward Yang nodded and said, "With so many things connected, I'm pretty sure there's a high probability that Song Jiang robbed the birthday gifts!"

Li Yan exclaimed in shock, "This, this, this... Song Jiang is just a lowly clerk, yet he dared to rob the birthday tribute and commit such a heinous act!"

Steward Yang laughed heartily, "I originally thought Song Jiang was just ambitious, always wanting to climb the ranks, but from his purchase of weapons and recruitment of craftsmen, I discovered that he harbors rebellious intentions. Compared to that, the birthday tribute is nothing!"

Li Yan nearly collapsed to the ground, whispering, "Steward, is this really true?"

Chief Steward Yang was very satisfied with Li Yan's reaction and said calmly, "I'm at least 70% sure, otherwise he wouldn't have recruited so many talented people, nor would he have had so many skilled people protecting him all year round! His constant search for extraordinary individuals further proves it! Song Jiang wants to change the dynasty!"

Li Yan said in a low voice, "Then why not report this directly to the Emperor, arrest Song Jiang, and execute him on the spot to prevent future troubles!" It's better to believe it than not. If Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, finds out about this, Song Jiang will not escape death, regardless of whether he was wronged or not!

As the saying goes, "One cannot allow others to sleep soundly on one's side on one's bed." No matter how incompetent Zhao Ji was, he would not allow others to covet the throne beneath his buttocks. Even if there was the slightest hint of such a thing, he would nip it in the bud!

Steward Yang chuckled and shook his head, saying, "You're still too young. Tell me, what good would it do us if Song Jiang died?"

Li Yan asked in surprise, "Father-in-law, are you really going to sit idly by and watch this traitor Song Jiang continue to grow his power?"

Steward Yang retorted, "What nonsense! It is our duty to relieve His Majesty's worries and troubles; we have no choice but to do so!"

Li Yan hesitated for a moment before saying, "This subordinate is foolish and does not understand what you mean, sir!"

Steward Yang stroked his chin and said, "Killing Song Jiang would be as easy as turning one's hand, but what interests me more is why Song Jiang, who had a smooth and successful life, never lacked food and drink, even though he never became an official. Why did he suddenly become so audacious as to plot a rebellion? Was it because he was dissatisfied with the government? Or was it something else? That's the key point!"

Li Yan advised, "In matters of treason, it's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. General, you mustn't raise a tiger that will become a threat! If the Emperor blames us, we'll all be in deep trouble!"

Steward Yang glared at Li Yan and said, "Who do you think you are, telling me how to do things?"

Li Yan shuddered in fright and lowered his head!

Steward Yang said calmly, "I know it's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free, but I'm more interested in seeing what Song Jiang is really up to!"

Li Yan sighed and said, "Are we just going to let Song Jiang go like this?"

Steward Yang shook his head and said, "It's already a snake!"

A tall, thin man appeared in the room, and Li Yan almost cried out in fright. This man looked terrifying; his long, thin face and features resembled a dreadful cobra! His blue eyes seemed to be constantly searching for prey, gleaming with hunger!

But what's even more terrifying is just how many people are hiding in the shadows in Steward Yang's room!

After the snake appeared, Li Yan felt the room temperature drop by several degrees!

Chief Steward Yang looked at the Snake and said, "Take one hundred elite soldiers and intercept Song Jiang immediately after he leaves Bianliang. Remember, leave no one alive among Song Jiang's entire group!"

The snake nodded without saying a word and left!

With a beaming smile, Steward Yang looked at Li Yan and asked, "Is Eunuch Li satisfied with how I've done things?"

Li Yan lowered his head, not daring to look at Steward Yang! After a long while, he mustered his courage and asked, "What if Song Jiang runs away?"

Steward Yang coldly replied, "I have no use for useless people. What use are they if they can't take Song Jiang's life? This also proves that Song Jiang's life isn't meant to end, so why shouldn't I spare his life? He'll come back to Kaifeng next year, and Song Jiang won't escape my grasp!"

Before Li Yan could speak, Steward Yang spoke first: "I know what you're going to say, but I can give you a piece of advice: remember, never, ever try to mess with the Qibao Pavilion. They are not someone we can afford to offend!"

It turned out that Li Yan saw that Chief Steward Yang had so many hidden forces around him, and thought that he might as well take the opportunity to rob Qibaoge and then present the treasures to Emperor Huizong. In this way, he and Chief Steward Yang would surely be more trusted by Zhao Ji!

After all, Cai Jing has long lost power, and the only ones who are favored by Zhao Ji are Tong Guan, Yang Zongguan, and Gao Qiu!

Tong Guan is currently in charge of the Western Army, the most elite force of the Northern Song Dynasty, and is fighting fiercely at Langcheng. I heard that the Western Xia are retreating one after another, and the news of victory is constantly being sent to the court. If Tong Guan really wins a great victory, then what place will General Yang and himself have in front of Emperor Huizong?

As for Gao Qiu, although he can please Zhao Ji, his foundation is ultimately unstable and he cannot compare to Chief Steward Yang and Tong Guan. If he can get a few rare treasures now, Zhao Ji will be overjoyed and Tong Guan will have no chance!

Before she could even speak, Yang Jian seemed to have seen through her thoughts repeatedly. Her heart trembled. This Chief Steward Yang seemed to be able to see through everything in the world. He could know her every thought. It was truly terrifying. She didn't know if it was right or wrong to serve him!

Chief Steward Yang looked at Li Yan and said with a disappointed expression, "You! You have loyalty, and your abilities are not bad. But your thinking is still a bit naive, and you need more training!"

Li Yan stood respectfully before Chief Steward Yang, listening attentively to his admonition. Chief Steward Yang then changed the subject, asking, "I've heard that the one in charge of the Capital Armory is Liang Shicheng's son, Liang Yanei?"

Li Yan hurriedly said, "It's him!"

Steward Yang laughed and said, "You may leave!"

It was another dream, exactly like the previous one. Song Jiang was startled awake again. Everything in the dream felt so real, as if he were actually there!

Feeling extremely agitated, Song Jiang pondered the surveillance he had received from the Imperial City Guard since arriving in Kaifeng, Gao Qiu's attack on Xu Ning, and the strange, inexplicable feelings he had. This feeling was unbearable. Song Jiang disliked the feeling of walking on the edge of a knife, as if an invisible and fierce pair of eyes were watching him, ready to devour him at any moment!

It's a dangerous place, and I can't stay there for long! Once Xu Ning is released from prison and the auction at Qibaoge is completed, Song Jiang plans to leave Feng and return to Yuncheng to put people at ease!

As dawn broke, Song Jiang shook his head, took a deep breath, and cleared his mind of all distractions. He thought to himself, "It's nothing serious. If they have the guts, they can kill me. Otherwise, all the reactionaries who can't defeat me will only make me stronger!"

Song Jiang took a sip of water to calm himself down and start thinking. Just then, the door was pushed open with a bang.

Song Jiang always locked the door when he went to sleep, but this door had obviously been forcibly broken open by a huge force. Looking at the wooden bolt broken in two, Song Jiang looked helplessly at Chen Liqing who had entered the room, and was speechless for a moment!

The shopkeeper and waiter, who had heard the loud noise, rushed over and were speechless when they saw the broken door.

Song Jiang waved his hand and said, "It's alright, I'll pay for the damaged door!" Since someone else would pay for it anyway, the waiter and the manager looked at Song Jiang and then at Chen Liqing, smiled and left the room, not forgetting to lift the door up before they left!

Gongsun Sheng, Le He, and the others, who also rushed over upon hearing the commotion, exchanged a smile upon seeing Chen Liqing and retreated back to their rooms.

Song Jiang said helplessly, "Miss Chen, this door hasn't offended you. Why be so violent? You could have been gentler."

Chen Liqing laughed and said, "I never expected this door to be so fragile. It's also your fault for locking the door in broad daylight. I've never known what gentleness is!"

Song Jiang was quite helpless at Chen Liqing's counterattack, but this woman was not only Liu Huiniang's cousin, but also possessed superhuman strength, so it was best not to offend her! He then asked, "Miss Chen, what brings you here?"

Chen Liqing curled her lip and said, "Hei Zi, do you think I wanted to find you? It's just that I discovered someone was following you yesterday. I've never liked owing people favors. Since you helped me at the inn last time, I'll repay you this time. I'll protect you until you leave Tokyo. As for whether you live or die after leaving Tokyo, that's none of my business!"

Song Jiang was speechless to himself, thinking, "Could things be any more unpleasant? Calling me Blackie!" But he said aloud, "I appreciate your kindness, young lady, but I still wouldn't dare trouble you!"

Song Jiang's meaning was quite clear; he was essentially telling her to leave. Whether Chen Liqing was feigning ignorance or genuinely didn't understand, she sat down, poured herself a cup of tea, and said, "I'm a little hungry. I've been ashamed all night. Aren't you hungry? If you are, could you order something to eat?"

It seemed that Chen Liqing wasn't planning on leaving, so Song Jiang had no choice but to call over the waiter!

Before long, twenty meat buns, twenty steamed flatbreads, five catties of mutton, and a jar of fine wine were served one after another!

Of course, this was food for Chen Liqing alone. Looking at the delicious food in front of her, Chen Liqing nodded in satisfaction, then unceremoniously picked up a pancake, rolled up the meat, and started eating, occasionally taking a sip of fine wine!

Looking at Chen Liqing, a woman who was beautiful but otherwise unremarkable, Song Jiang sighed inwardly, wondering where he had gotten himself into trouble with these two sisters!

Song Jiang had many worries on his mind and had no appetite. He watched Chen Liqing eating heartily, but he felt uneasy. He envied Chen Liqing's carefree lifestyle, but he would not allow himself to live like that!

Chen Liqing wasn't considered one of their own, and in the story of the bandits, she was the first person to destroy Liangshan. Therefore, Song Jiang could never tell her everything like he was spilling beans. Even if he was feeling bitter, Song Jiang didn't say anything to her!