I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 229 Daring to Laugh at Huang Chao for Not Being a True Man

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Beside Liangshanbo, in Shijie Village.

The homes of Ruan Xiao Er (Short-lived Second Brother), Ruan Xiao Wu (Standing Earthly Tyrant), and Ruan Xiao Qi (Living Yama) were unusually lively today. A group of heroes had gathered here from all over.

They are: Liu Tang with his 18-foot legs, Yan Qing the Prodigal Son, Zhang Shun the White Stripe in the Waves, Zhang Heng the Boat Fire, Lu Zhishen the Flower Monk, Wu Song the Pilgrim, Li Jun the River Dragon, Shi Jin the Nine-Tattooed Dragon, Li Kui the Black Whirlwind, Chai Jin the Little Whirlwind, Lei Heng the Winged Black Tiger, Dai Zong the Divine Traveler, Xie Zhen the Two-Headed Snake, Xie Bao the Double-Tailed Scorpion, Zhu Tong the Bearded Gentleman, Mu Heng the Unobstructed, Shi Xiu the Desperate Saburo, Chao Gai the Iron King, and Li Ying the Sky-Piercing Eagle.

These heroes were all close friends of Song Jiang. After receiving Song Jiang's personal letter, they all brought their men to meet with him immediately.

Song Jiang's letter didn't explain why he had summoned these heroes, but they all came with their men anyway. The reason was simply that Song Jiang was the one who had called them.

Once the group of heroes had gathered, Song Jiang, Wu Yong, Yuwen Xuzhong (who went by the alias "Gongsun Sheng"), Lin Chong, and Xu Ning arrived at Shijie Village with a number of Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) dressed in plain clothes.

When Song Jiang and his group arrived at the home of the three Ruan brothers, their wives had already prepared wine and meat with the women of the village.

Song Jiang said to Yuwen Xuzhong, "Although my brother's place here is simple, it is the safest place in the vicinity, which is just right for us to discuss important matters. Please don't be offended, sir, please take a seat."

Yuwen Xuzhong laughed and said, "Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. Clerk and scholar can sit in the seats of honor. This matter is to be handled by the two of you, so I will not take the lead."

Song Jiang and Wu Yong quickly declined, insisting that Yuwen Xuzhong take the seat of honor, but Yuwen Xuzhong refused no matter what.

Seeing Song Jiang and Wu Yong being so polite to Yuwen Xuzhong, the heroes, though puzzled, knew that this "Dragon in the Clouds" Gongsun Sheng must be extraordinary.

Song Jiang knew that although Yuwen Xuzhong's status was extremely noble, he was indeed the one who had to take the lead in this matter. Therefore, in the end, he sat in the first seat, Wu Yong sat in the second seat, Yuwen Xuzhong sat in the third seat, and the others sat down in turn, showing mutual courtesy.

After the heroes were seated, Song Jiang introduced them to each other.

When introducing Yuwen Xuzhong, Song Jiang only said that his status was extremely noble and his abilities were extraordinary, and that he would tell everyone more about him if there was an opportunity later.

After Song Jiang said this, none of the heroes dared to ask any further questions.

Then, the heroes began to boast and drink.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, and sensing that the heroes had drunk enough, Yuwen Xuzhong glanced at Song Jiang without making a sound.

Song Jiang understood, put down his wine bowl, and said, "Brothers, do you know anything about the two new policies implemented by the imperial court, these are good measures to save the people?"

The heroes were all taken aback when they heard this, clearly not expecting Song Jiang to suddenly bring up such current affairs and policies.

The heroes looked at each other, then Li Jun spoke:
“The two new policies that my brother mentioned have already been spread far and wide, so how could we not know them? Admittedly, the court’s idea of ​​robbing the rich to help the poor and making the gentry part with some money and grain to give the poor a way to make a living is not wrong. If this policy can be implemented, it will indeed be a blessing for the people, greatly reducing their burden and alleviating their suffering. However, how can the gentry let the court succeed so easily? They are wealthy and powerful, and deeply entrenched. I’m afraid this good policy will be difficult to implement in practice, and in the end, it will be the people who suffer.”

Upon hearing this, Song Jiang frowned slightly. He glanced intently at each of the heroes present and said slowly, "Brother Li Jun is absolutely right. Although the court has this good intention, the local gentry are putting up a lot of resistance, making its implementation extremely difficult and a waste of the court's good plan."

After a pause, Song Jiang raised his voice: "The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen. Although we are outside the court, we should still care about the nation and speak out for the people. Today, I have gathered you brothers here to lead an uprising to help the court kill the gentry, so that this good policy can be implemented smoothly and truly benefit the common people."

Upon hearing Song Jiang's words, all the heroes were greatly shocked, especially those who could be considered gentry, such as Chai Jin, Mu Heng, and Li Ying.

The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Chai Jin, Mu Heng, and Li Ying exchanged glances, a complex and unreadable expression flashing in their eyes. As gentry, they were well aware of the hardships of the common people, but the thought of standing on the opposite side and confronting someone of their own class inevitably left them with mixed feelings.

The key point is that they don't need to do such a thankless and exhausting thing.

After hesitating for a long time, Chai Jin was about to open his mouth and say something.

Unexpectedly, Song Jiang shook his head slightly at Chai Jin and his men Mu Heng and Li Ying, signaling them not to speak, and that he would explain things to them later.

Upon seeing this, Chai Jin and the other two immediately shut their mouths.

Taking advantage of this moment, the three Ruan brothers, Li Kui, Liu Tang, Xie Zhen, Xie Bao, Chao Gai and other rough men had recovered from their shock.

These guys are fearless; if the boss orders me to kill someone, I'll take up a knife and go.

Li Kui shouted, "I don't care about paying taxes or not, I'll kill whoever my brother says I should kill!"

Ruan Xiaoqi also said, "If you're willing to take us with you, brother, what's wrong with risking your life for me?"

Liu Tang retorted, not to be outdone: "At my brother's command, I would go through fire and water without batting an eye! Besides, these gentry have been oppressing the people for a long time, and it's time for some heroes to stand up and teach them a lesson!"

As these bold words resounded, the atmosphere gradually became heated and passionate. The heroes all expressed their willingness to follow Song Jiang in this righteous act, to seek justice for the people.

Once everyone had calmed down, Song Jiang said in a deep voice, "This matter is of utmost importance. One wrong move and our entire family will be executed. If any brother is unwilling to get involved in this mess, Song Jiang will not force you. You may leave immediately. From now on, our brotherhood will remain in our hearts, but we will no longer be together for this righteous act."

After speaking, Song Jiang's gaze, gentle yet firm, swept over each of the heroes present, as if awaiting their choice.

The atmosphere in the hall became heavy, yet not a single hero rose from their seat. This was true even for heroes like Chai Jin, Mu Heng, and Li Ying, who harbored their own thoughts.

Seeing that Song Jiang truly possessed such charisma, Yuwen Xuzhong secretly nodded, 'Song Jiang has made the right choice.' After the initial impulse subsided, the heroes began to face reality. Ruan Xiaoer said, 'Our Liangshan Marsh is an ancient great wilderness. The terrain here is complex, with crisscrossing waterways and dense reeds, making it a natural military barrier and hiding place. Moreover, it is easily accessible, with convenient transportation in all directions, allowing one to go anywhere. Since ancient times, it has been a place where heroes and outstanding figures have emerged. For example, Robber Zhi of the Spring and Autumn Period once operated in this area. When the heroes rose up at the end of the Qin Dynasty, Peng Yue also used this as a base to lead his followers to rise up, establish merits and careers, and assist Liu Bang in establishing the Han Dynasty. This is precisely where we gather in righteousness.'

Zhu Tong said, “If we want the people to rise up with us, their hearts must be with us. We can first spread the news, exposing the evil deeds of the gentry and powerful who oppress the people, and then talk about the benefits of the two new policies implemented by the court, which are being obstructed by the gentry, thus arousing the people’s indignation and expectations. At the same time, we can secretly contact the oppressed people in various places, so that they know that we will fight for them. In this way, the people’s hearts will be won, and once the banner of righteousness is raised, the whole country will respond.”

Li Jun said in a deep voice, "There is one more thing that needs to arouse public anger before we can join in."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yong looked at Yuwen Xuzhong and said, "If, with the mediation of the local gentry, the entire 800-li waterway of Liangshan Marsh is taken over as public property, and it is stipulated that all people who enter the lake to fish, harvest lotus roots, or cut reeds must be taxed heavily according to the size of their boats, and those who violate the regulations will be treated as thieves, then the poor people will not be able to pay the heavy taxes, which will surely ignite their long-standing resentment and lead them to rise up with us."

Hearing Wu Yong make this wish, many heroes thought to themselves, "Is the court yours to run? Do you think the gentry will listen to you? You can just tell the government to implement such a policy and they will actually do it."

Yuwen Xu thought to himself, 'If that's really the case, the long-suppressed discontent among the people towards the social reality will inevitably erupt like a volcano, leading them, under the leadership of Song Jiang and others, to take desperate measures and form armed groups.'

Thinking of this, Yuwen Xuzhong nodded: "I'll send someone to give it a try."

The shrewd members of Song Jiang's group, such as Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, Yan Qing, Li Jun, Li Ying, and Shi Xiu, had an idea!
They all wondered, just who was this Gongsun Sheng? How could he possess such power to influence the court's decisions and even potentially incite the government to issue decrees detrimental to the people of Liangshan, thus igniting a rebellion?

These people's eyes flickered as they secretly speculated about Yuwen Xuzhong's true identity and purpose, but they remained calm on the surface, quietly waiting for the situation to develop.

Seeing that Yuwen had tacitly agreed, Song Jiang felt somewhat relieved. He knew this step was crucial; if he could successfully incite public anger, the uprising would have a much better chance of success. He looked around at the assembled heroes, his voice firm and powerful: "Brothers, if this succeeds, the people will have hope. We are willing to go through fire and water for you! Now we must cooperate closely, each fulfilling our duties, and work together to plan this great undertaking..."

A dozen days later, to the surprise of the heroes, the Jizhou Prefecture actually announced that it would take over the entire 800-li Liangshan Marsh waterway as public property.

Seeing this, how could the group of clever heroes not know that this "Gongsun Sheng," whom even Song Jiang respected, was no ordinary person, and even this strange uprising was extraordinary?
The government suddenly announced that the entire 800-li (approximately 400 km) waterway of Liangshanbo would be nationalized. It was said that this was orchestrated by the gentry of Jizhou. This was like lighting a powder keg, igniting the anger of the impoverished people who depended on Liangshanbo for their livelihood. They gathered in the simple fishing villages and thatched huts along the lake, cursing the greedy gentry and the heartless government. The old, weak, women, and children wept bitterly, despairing at the impending crisis; the young and strong clenched their fists, their eyes flashing with the flames of resistance, vowing to fight for survival.

The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching the surrounding areas.

For a time, impoverished people from all directions gathered around Liangshan Marsh, filled with anger at their unjust fate and anticipation for the uprising led by Song Jiang and others.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Song Jiang and his men rose up in rebellion.

That same day, Song Jiang and his men led the angry crowd to capture the largest village near Liangshan Marsh, the Zhu Family Village.

The Zhu Family Village possesses countless fertile fields, with tens of thousands of bushels of grain alone, as well as a large number of livestock. Crucially, the Zhu Family Village is one of the gentry that resisted the imperial court's implementation of the two new policies. They even boasted that if the imperial court dared to increase their taxes by one coin, they would dare to increase the taxes of the people by two coins.

After destroying the village, Song Jiang and his men slaughtered the Zhu family members. They distributed the grain, except for enough for themselves, to the nearby villagers. They burned the land deeds they had found and handed over the looted gold and silver to Yuwen Xuzhong to "dispose of the stolen goods" before moving on to the next village.

In just over ten days, Song Jiang's rebel army captured seven or eight villages, and their numbers surged from a few hundred to over a thousand. Under the leadership of Song Jiang and others, they used the easily defensible terrain of Liangshan Marsh to thwart the government troops sent to suppress them.

When the prefect of Jizhou learned of this news, he was greatly alarmed. He first sent Yang Zhi, the Blue-Faced Beast who had just been transferred from the Western Army, to lead troops to annihilate Song Jiang. He also sent Zhang Qing, the Featherless Arrow, and Dong Ping, the One-Hit-and ...

Unexpectedly, Yang Zhi, Zhang Qing, Dong Ping and others were all defeated by Song Jiang and then surrendered to the enemy with their men.

Song Jiang's rebel army also surged to five thousand men.

This emboldened Song Jiang's rebel army. They occupied Liangshan Marsh, using the pretext that the gentry were obstructing the court's implementation of new policies and leaving no way for the poor to survive, and raised the banner of righteousness. They recruited soldiers everywhere, vowing to wipe out the injustices of the world and speak out for the common people.

In no time, followers flocked to him. Wherever Song Jiang's righteous army went, the people lined the streets to welcome them, condemning the evil deeds of the gentry and powerful, and praising the righteous deeds of Song Jiang and others.

Song Jiang's rebel army also became a symbol of fairness and hope.

In a very short time, Song Jiang's rebel army swept through Jizhou Prefecture. Those areas that had been hindering the implementation of the two new policies were all wiped out by Song Jiang's rebel army. The gentry either died or fled. After the people understood the reasons, they applauded and cheered.

During this period, local governments dispatched generals such as Qin Ming, Hua Rong, Lu Junyi, Guan Sheng, Huyan Chuo, and Suo Chao to suppress Song Jiang's rebel army.

However, these Song soldiers not only failed to wipe out Song Jiang's rebel army, but were also defeated by Song Jiang's rebel army and joined the bandits, which made Song Jiang's rebel army grow to more than 30,000 men, with strong troops and horses.

By this time, Song Jiang's rebel army was no longer content to remain dormant in Jizhou. They began to disperse, with Lu Junyi, Guan Sheng, Lin Chong, Xu Ning, Qin Ming, Huyan Chuo, Yang Zhi, Zhang Qing, Dong Ping, Suo Chao, and others leading their troops to the surrounding Qizhou, Dongping Prefecture, Dongchang Prefecture, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Yizhou, Qingzhou, Mizhou, Laizhou, and Dengzhou.

Wherever Song Jiang's rebel army went, they specifically targeted areas that hindered the implementation of the two new policies, and they killed all the gentry they encountered without mercy.

On Liangshan Marsh, Song Jiang took out a letter.

The letter was written in very delicate handwriting, but its contents were filled with murderous intent.

Though my body is in Shandong, my heart is in the capital; adrift on the rivers and seas, I sigh in vain. If one day I achieve my lofty ambitions, I dare to laugh at Huang Chao for not being a true man.

This letter was given to Song Jiang by Yuwen Xuzhong, but Yuwen Xuzhong did not say who gave it to him.

Song Jiang guessed that the letter was from Zhao Yu.

This stirred the previously frustrated Song Jiang's heart. He thought with a fierce glint in his eyes, "To dare to laugh at Huang Chao for not being a true man, brilliant..."

……

(End of this chapter)