The Legend of Song Jiang in Water Margin

Chapter 104 A Night's Talk at the Water Margin Recounts Past Events: Three Joys Arrive at the Wedding Chamber

The news struck Shi Wenbin like a bolt from the blue, leaving him deafened and his scalp tingling. He jolted awake and sat down on a stool!

Shi Wenbin subconsciously looked at Song Jiang, only to find that Song Jiang was thinking about something with his eyes closed!

Upon hearing this news, Song Jiang realized that Zhang Shun and his men had most likely succeeded in seizing Cai Dezhang's birthday gifts!

However, Song Jiang couldn't be 100% certain that Xiao had led them to successfully seize Liang Zhongshu's birthday gifts, since Liang Zhongshu's birthday gifts were transported by road, where there were many more people watching and scheming against them!

He just wanted to rush back to Liangshan to see what was going on, especially since Bian Xiang and the others were waiting to return in triumph with him!

He opened his eyes and saw Shi Wenbin looking at him. Before he could speak, Shi Wenbin spoke first: "Gongming, in your opinion, what should be done about this matter?"

After a moment's thought, Song Jiang replied, "It's alright. As the saying goes, the law doesn't punish everyone. The birthday tribute wasn't lost in Shandong. The officials in charge of the area where it was lost will be the first to be punished. As for the others, they won't be punished much. Besides, Cai Jing has lost power, and many people are hoping for his downfall. The birthday tribute is probably gone forever!" There was another point Song Jiang didn't mention: he himself had seized the birthday tribute. Would he arrest himself?

Seeing Song Jiang's words, Shi Wenbin felt somewhat relieved. Song Jiang then rose to take his leave, saying, "Gongming is still injured and wishes to return to rest for some time. I will come to drink with my brother again in seven days!"

The Lijiadaokou Hotel had never been so lively before. Zhu Gui was busy running around and having a great time. Although he was covered in sweat, the happy smile on his face was genuine!

Bian Xiang and the others had been eagerly anticipating Song Jiang's arrival and rushed forward to greet him.

Chao Gai and Wu Song also came along. It was a rare and joyous occasion, so they celebrated together!

A signal arrow was fired, and soon Ruan Xiaoer and Zhang Shun personally led the fleet through the reeds to Lijia Pass.

Seeing the two of them, Song Jiang knew they had both returned safely, and his heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally settled down.

The battles of the past few days had taken a huge toll on both his physical and mental strength. Once on the ship, Song Jiang could finally put aside all his fatigue and take a good rest!

I don't know how long I slept, but I was startled awake by a noise and quickly got up to look around.

It turned out that the ship had already sailed to Jinshatan Beach, where Wu Yong, An Daoquan and others, whom they had not seen for a long time, had come to welcome Song Jiang's return!

Seeing the concerned looks in his brothers' eyes, Song Jiang felt a warmth in his heart. The establishment of Liangshan was not in vain!

Song Jiang was seriously injured this time. He was stabbed several times during the battle to defend the city. Although the wounds were not fatal, he lost a lot of blood. After the battle, the doctor immediately applied medicine to stop the bleeding and prescribed a lot of blood-replenishing medicine, which helped him recover a little!

Once ashore, An Daoquan and Wu Yong immediately went to Song Jiang's side. Song Jiang originally wanted to return to the Hall of Righteousness first, but he couldn't persuade everyone otherwise, so he could only smile wryly and let An Daoquan check on him!

After examining him for a moment, An Daoquan stood up and said, "Brothers, Brother Gongming is alright. It's just that he hasn't rested for days and suffered a knife wound, which has caused him to have insufficient qi and blood, making him weak and powerless. With me taking care of him for a few days, I guarantee that he will recover to his full strength, even better than before!"

Song Jiang naturally believed An Daoquan's words. If it weren't for the secret laxative that An Daoquan gave him, which allowed Jiuwan to successfully swallow it under the cover of night, victory would not have been so easy!

Hearing that Song Jiang was alright, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Song Jiang stood up and said with a smile, "Since we are so happy today, let's not waste any more time here. Please come with me to the main hall!"

The once quiet hall was now filled with noise, and the air was filled with a cheerful atmosphere!

Hundreds of large round tables were set up in the hall, while the birthday gifts were casually placed to the side, without being deliberately stored in the storeroom!

Meanwhile, everyone from Liangshan was already sitting on the stools around the table, including Guanghui, who had returned after killing the bandits, and Ou Peng, who had gone to Huangmen Mountain to bring his brothers to the gathering. Wang Lun and the other two, along with several hundred prisoners, also made an exception and came to the hall!

Of course, Li Zhu and Huangfu Duan were far away in Huaixi and Liaodong and did not return in time!

An Daoquan originally intended for Song Jiang to rest for a while before holding a grand banquet, but there's no better time than now. Whether it's the birthday tribute or guarding Yuncheng, these are both important matters. Since they happen to coincide, when else would we hold a banquet if not now!

"Grandma Ying, you've been working so hard, why don't you take a break and have some water?"

The woman speaking was Pang Qiuxia, Pang Wanchun's younger sister, while the cook was Song Aying, an old lady from Songjia Village!

Since joining Liangshan, everyone has treated her with great respect, and Song Aying has been grateful and will do her best to prepare every meal every day!

As the number of people in Liangshan increased, it was clear that she alone could not handle the task, so a cooking team was established.

Song Aying wiped her sweat, sat down, took a sip of water, and said, "If it weren't for Clerk Song's help, I'm afraid I wouldn't be living the peaceful life I have now!"

Pang Qiuxia smiled and said, "Yes! My brother and I never expected to meet such a kind person as Brother Song!"

Li Qiaonu was also filled with gratitude!

When Li Qiaonu first arrived at Liangshan, she hid in her room every day, afraid to see anyone, because she came from a brothel and was worried that she would be looked down upon in the stronghold, making An Daoquan unable to hold his head high.

After learning about this, Song Jiang found Li Qiaonu, and after understanding the reason, he summoned Hua Baoyan and Pang Qiuxia!

Song Jiang said to Li Qiaonu, "Miss Qiaonu, please rest assured. Every one of us in Liangshan is a man of integrity and upright character. What you are worried about will certainly not happen!"

Seeing that Li Qiaonu remained silent, Hua Baoyan spoke up, "Sister, you still have concerns? If you don't mind, I'm willing to become sworn sisters with you. Anyone who dares to speak ill of you will face my wrath!"

Pang Qiuxia also said, "If Sister Qiaonu is willing, I, Pang Qiuxia, am also willing to become sworn sisters with you!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Having such a beautiful woman by Doctor An's side is a blessing he earned in his past life. I will arrange for you and Doctor An to become husband and wife on an auspicious day. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you were a harmonious couple?"

Seeing Song Jiang's sincerity and Hua Baoyan and Pang Qiuxia's understanding nature, Li Qiaonu's eyes reddened, and she bowed in gratitude, finally settling down in peace.

Song Jiang signaled that the dishes could be served, and soon one steaming hot delicacy after another was brought to the table!

Fresh fish, plump chicken, roast lamb, roast pork, and fine wine are laid out before you, their aromas tempting those in front of you!

Song Jiang stood up and said, "Brothers, once you come to Liangshan, you're family. Don't be shy, eat and drink to your heart's content! There's plenty of wine and meat today, eat your fill!"

Many of the newcomers who had only been on Liangshan Mountain for a short time had never seen such delicious food before. Their mouths were watering so much that they almost drooled. However, being new to the area, they were quite reserved. In addition, since Song Jiang had not spoken, no one dared to touch their chopsticks!

To them, Song Jiang's words were the most melodious heavenly music at that moment. The people who could no longer contain themselves were overjoyed and immediately started eating!

In no time, a plate of delicious lamb chops was devoured. Some people, not even bothering to swallow the meat in their mouths, reached for another roast chicken. Others took a sip of fine wine, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Still others, quite professionally, filled a bowl with wine and toasted their neighbors!

In an instant, the atmosphere reached its peak. Many people did not know each other, but that did not prevent them from sitting together and calling each other brothers. They quickly became familiar with each other!

Some of the villagers who came up the mountain with me shared a bowl of wine, which deepened our friendship!

Song Jiang glanced at Wu Yong, who understood and stood up, saying, "Brothers, a few days ago we Liangshan made two big deals and earned a considerable income. After a few days of accounting, the proceeds are as follows!"

"A total of 100,000 taels of gold and 100,000 taels of silver were acquired. The value of the remaining jewelry and paintings is unknown, but overall, it amounts to over 100,000 taels of gold!"

Hearing so much, Song Jiang could hardly believe it. Just how much had these corrupt officials embezzled?

However, considering that they obtained 400,000 taels of birthday tribute this time, its value must not be low. With so much stuff, how much could Liangshan develop? Song Jiang was happy just thinking about it. And this didn't even include the silver that Di Lei promised to give him!

Song Jiang stood up and said, "This time, the brothers have rendered meritorious service in the surprise attack on Qingyun Mountain, and each of them will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver. The brothers who robbed the birthday convoy also made great contributions, and each of them will receive fifty taels of silver. The rest of my Liangshan brothers will each receive three taels of silver, and their families will each receive one tael of silver!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone shouted loudly.

Song Jiang let them have their fun and sat down to eat slowly.

Ruan Xiao'er, carrying a bowl of wine, approached Song Jiang and said, "Brother, I have something to say!"

Song Jiang downed a bowl of wine and said, "Second Brother, speak frankly, no need to be coy!"

Ruan Xiaoer pulled out a woman and said, "Her name is Tian Xiniang, and she's also from Shijie Village. I've liked her for a long time, and today I'd like to ask you, brother, to be my witness. I want to marry her!"

Seeing Tian Xiniang's shy expression, Song Jiang exclaimed happily, "This is wonderful news!"

After saying that, he shouted, "Brothers, I have something to say!"

Seeing everyone looking at him, Song Jiang announced loudly, "Three days from now is an auspicious day, a double celebration for Liangshan! I plan to hold three grand weddings: one for Brother Ruan Jin and Miss Tian, ​​another for Physician An and Miss Li Qiaonu, and yet another for Mr. Wang Lun and Miss Qiangwei. Does anyone have any objections?"

"Wow!!!" The atmosphere reached its peak. Ruan Xiaoer was a veteran of Liangshan, so his marriage was definitely a big deal. Although An Daoquan hadn't been on the mountain for long, he was greatly favored by Song Jiang and had superb medical skills, so his marriage was also a joyous occasion. Although Wang Lun was just a prisoner, his relationship with Qiangwei was also commendable. Since the three of them were getting married on the same day, Song Jiang planned to give them a grand celebration, firstly to let the brothers relax, and secondly to make them serve even better!

Cheers and shouts rose in waves, but no one noticed the hint of disappointment in the eyes of one of the women at the women's table!

The commotion lasted until late at night before the banquet finally ended, and Xiao Rang and Zhang Shun went to the Hall of Gathering Righteousness!

Next, Luo Zhong and the others recounted everything that had happened to them on the road! Of course, this all started with Yang Zhi!

After bidding farewell to the Yang family last time, Yang Zhi rushed to Daming Prefecture without stopping. It was already May!

Yang Zhi first paid his respects to Liang Zhongshu. Although Liang Zhongshu was a corrupt official, his emphasis on talent was unmatched by many other officials!

When Liang Zhongshu learned that Yang Zhi was a descendant of the Yang family generals, he was overjoyed. With a letter from the prefect of Jizhou, he immediately decided to give Yang Zhi an important position and did not look down on him just because he was a military man!

As for Yang Zhi losing the granite, it was really nothing to Liang Zhongshu. If it weren't for the fact that his father-in-law, Grand Tutor Cai Jing, had lost power, Liang Zhongshu would have loved to ask his father-in-law to help him get rid of Yang Zhi's crime!

However, since Cai Jing is not the Grand Tutor at the moment, I should keep a low profile to avoid giving others something to talk about!

Just like in the original story, in order to promote Yang Zhi, Liang Zhongshu first had Yang Zhi compete with Zhou Jin, the deputy commander. Wen Da and Li Cheng also suggested removing the spearheads and wrapping them with a cloth soaked in lime before the competition!

The two fought for forty or fifty rounds. How could Zhou Jin be a match for Yang Zhi? His whole body was covered in pockmarks. If Yang Zhi hadn't held back, Zhou Jin would probably have been knocked off his horse long ago!

Liang Zhongshu was naturally extremely pleased. He looked at Zhou Jin and said, "As the saying goes, the capable should take over. Your martial arts skills are so poor. You should be happy to give up your position to Yang Zhi!"

Li Cheng and Wen Da didn't want Yang Zhi to be given a high position right away, after all, in their eyes, Yang Zhi was just a fugitive.

Li Cheng quickly said, "Zhou Jin isn't very good at spear fighting, but he's skilled in archery and horsemanship. If the Grand Secretary demotes him just because he lost the contest, the soldiers will probably be worried. How about we teach Zhou Jin to compete in archery with Yang Zhi again?"

Liang Zhongshu hadn't had enough of the two's contest, and upon hearing Li Cheng's suggestion, he happily said, "Good, let them continue their contest."

A soldier relayed the general's order, commanding Yang Zhi and Zhou Jin to compete in archery.

Yang Zhi was naturally unafraid of the competition. After testing his bow, he stepped forward and said to Liang Zhongshu, "In an archery competition, there may be casualties!"

Liang Zhongshu said, "Let each display their skills; death or injury is no problem."

Yang Zhi received the order and returned to the front lines.

Fearing that the two men might get hurt, Li Cheng sent word to two people to have breastplates and shields to protect their bodies.

The two naturally complied. Yang Zhi glanced at Zhou Jin, who was glaring at him through gritted teeth, and said, "Shoot me three arrows first, and I'll return the favor with three."

Zhou Jin was already dissatisfied with his loss to Yang Zhi, and upon hearing such arrogant words, he wished he could shoot Yang Zhi on the spot, since Liang Zhongshu had said that death or injury was no big deal.

With the sound of a gong, the competition began. Yang Zhi first created distance, while Zhou Jin held the bow in his left hand, nocked an arrow in his right, and shot it with all his might.

Yang Zhi sneered and dodged the fatal arrow with a swift movement.

Seeing that his arrow missed, Zhou Jin panicked and quickly took out a second arrow, nocked it, and shot it at Yang Zhi's back.

When Yang Zhi heard the second arrow coming, this time he did not dodge, but instead used his bow to deflect the arrow that was unstoppable.

Seeing Yang Zhi's exceptional skill and daring, the crowd cheered enthusiastically!

On the contrary, Zhou Jin became increasingly flustered when he saw Yang Zhi deflect the second arrow.

Yang Zhi's horse had already run to the end of the training ground. He suddenly turned the horse around, and the horse turned and walked back to the main hall.

Zhou Jin reined in his horse, and it ran back, so he chased after it.

On the lush green grass, eight horses' hooves clattered like cymbals, and the wind whistled as they moved about.

Zhou Jin took a third arrow, nocked it on the bowstring, and pulled it down fully, putting all his strength into it, as if he wanted to kill Yang Zhi with one arrow!