Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

Amidst the rising dust, a troop of men galloped in.

The leader rode a tall horse with a silver saddle and gold stirrups. He wore a brocade robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a soft turban on his head, which made his face look like jade and his demeanor spirited.

It was none other than Chai Jin, the esteemed official of Heng Hai County, Cangzhou.

A dozen or so farmhands followed behind, each with a sword and bow at their waist, their horses kicking up a trail of yellow dust, making quite a show of power.

To outsiders, Master Chai seemed to be living a very carefree life, owning vast tracts of fertile land and sprawling estates, frequented by only the most learned and distinguished.

As a descendant of the former dynasty's emperor, with an imperial edict in hand, even the government had to give him some face.

Who wouldn't envy this kind of life?

But Chai Jin himself knew in his heart that beneath that spirited exterior lay a trace of inexplicable resentment.

He couldn't tell what it was.

Perhaps the glory of our ancestors was too great, making our present days seem somewhat gloomy.

Perhaps this wealth and comfort is too much, so comfortable that it makes one feel uneasy.

"Master Chai!"

Outside the roadside hotel, Du Qian spotted the group of people at a glance. He immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with excitement, and waved his arm vigorously.

Chai Jin pulled on the reins, and the horse snorted and stopped.

He looked in the direction of the sound, glanced at the face twice, and then recalled it from his memory, pausing in surprise: "Du Qian?"

"It is indeed I!" Du Qian rushed to the front of the horse, his face tilted back, his voice trembling with excitement. "I never expected that you, sir, would remember my name. I truly am..."

Although he was a leader in Liangshan over the years, when he was with Wang Lun, he was just a gofer.

Chai Jin leaned slightly forward on his horse, looking around as if searching for someone: "What are you doing here? Where's Wang Lun?"

He's seen all sorts of people coming and going in his village—fugitives, prisoners, down-on-his-luck warriors.

It is rare to see a scholar who has fallen on hard times, and even rarer to see one who dares to become an outlaw.

Wang Lun is one of those rare exceptions.

Chai Jin was deeply impressed by Wang Lun.

For a scholar to risk his life to join the Liangshan bandits, that kind of courage is not something ordinary people possess.

Although we haven't seen each other often over the years, we've never stopped exchanging letters.

Du Qian glanced back at Zhang Shan, his lips moved, but he didn't dare to say directly that Liangshan had changed masters.

He swallowed hard and said, "Chief Wang is at the mountain stronghold. We have come here specifically to pay our respects to you, sir."

He didn't mention that Wang Lun's seat had been changed.

Firstly, he wasn't there to complain, and secondly, to be honest, he was quite satisfied with life in the mountain stronghold now, much better than when Wang Lun was there.

For the affairs of Liangshan, Chief Zhang personally handled many matters, big and small, often braving dangers and never willing to sit back and enjoy leisure.

Wang Lun would not do that.

Chai Jin didn't ask any further questions, and with a flick of his whip, said, "Let's go inside and talk."

After saying that, he squeezed the horse's flanks with his legs, and the horse took off running, with the farmhands following in a flurry.

Chai Jin never dismounted; he remained seated high on his horse, his brocade robe fluttering in the wind.

Zhang Shan watched from behind, a slight smile playing on his lips, seemingly unconcerned.

Chai Jin was a remarkable man, and also a proud one.

He no longer cares about this kind of life.

But if I want to live like that in the future, I'm afraid I won't be able to get it even if I beg.

Looking back after all that trouble, you'll realize that this kind of life was the most comfortable.

That's life.

Zhang Shan gathered the horse reins in his hand, beckoned Jiao Ting and Du Qian to follow, and the carriage slowly drove into Chai Jin's manor.

The manor presented a completely different scene.

The road is paved with bluestone, and various flowers and trees are planted on both sides. Although it is already autumn, some late-blooming flowers still stubbornly hold on to a few blossoms.

After passing through a moon gate, a large courtyard suddenly opened up before me.

Chai Jin dismounted in front of the main hall and casually tossed the reins to the servants who came to greet him.

He dusted off his robe and was about to step inside when he suddenly stopped.

His gaze fell on the person beside Du Qian.

I didn't look at this person carefully when I saw him by the roadside.

Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that Du Qian was actually walking slightly behind him.

Although Du Qian wasn't a particularly remarkable figure, he was still a leader of Liangshan, someone who could make him willingly take a back position...

Chai Jin frowned, about to ask a question.

"Master Chai," Zhang Shanxian smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, "this is not the place to talk."

Chai Jin was taken aback, then nodded and led everyone through the front hall to a secluded side room in the backyard.

The room was clean and tidy, with a landscape painting hanging on the wall and a bronze incense burner on the table, from which smoke curled upwards.

After the guests and host took their seats, Chai Jin's gaze kept lingering on Zhang Shan.

At this moment, Du Qian stood up, cleared his throat, and said, "Master Chai, there were too many people and too much chatter outside, so it wasn't convenient to go into details. This is our Liangshan chieftain, known in the martial arts world as 'Little Heavenly Duke,' Zhang Shan!"

Chai Jin frowned: "Zhang Shan?"

He ran through the name in his mind; he had never heard it before.

"Where is Wang Lun?" Chai Jin's voice deepened.

"Chief Wang is still at the stronghold," Du Qian hurriedly said. "Lin Chong is also currently at the stronghold; he is our Liangshan's... third chief."

"What?!"

Chai Jin jumped to his feet, pushing his chair back with a loud bang.

He stared wide-eyed at Du Qian, as if trying to read his face to see if he was joking.

Lin Chong?

Lin Chong, the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, who was invincible in Tokyo with his spear and staff?

Lin Chong, the one who killed Gao Qiu and caused chaos in Tokyo?

"Just three leaders?" Chai Jin's voice changed slightly.

A storm raged within him.

If someone like Lin Chong doesn't become the chieftain, who would dare to sit in that chair?

Zhang Shan held his teacup, taking a slow sip while subtly observing Chai Jin's every expression through the rim of the cup.

He had thought Chai Jin was someone who had seen a lot, but he was surprised to hear him speak so much.

No wonder he was later manipulated by Song Jiang.

That's incredibly weak composure.

They are people who have never experienced hardship. They are raised in luxury and only see the splendor. Their backbone is not as strong as their own.

Zhang Shan put down his teacup, smiled, and said slowly, "Master Chai, there's no need to be surprised. The second leader of our stronghold is my eldest brother, Lu Zhishen, and the third leader is my second brother, Instructor Lin. It's just that the two of them don't like dealing with mundane affairs, so I took the title and ran errands for them."

Du Qian, listening nearby, couldn't help but swallow hard.

Others might not know, but he knew all too well that among the hundreds of people on Liangshan, who didn't obey Zhang Shan obediently?

What's that called, "taking up a title"?

That was clearly a real chieftain.

But he can't say that now.

After hearing Zhang Shan's explanation, Chai Jin nodded slightly, and the surprise on his face subsided.

In his view, this statement is reasonable.

It's understandable that someone like Lin Chong wouldn't want to get involved in worldly affairs. Pushing out a brother to take charge while he himself enjoys his freedom is something heroes often do.

With this thought, Chai Jin's expression softened considerably, and when he looked at Zhang Shan again, his eyes showed a hint of enthusiasm.

"Brother Zhang Shan, it's an honor to have you here. I apologize for my rudeness earlier!" Chai Jin bowed and turned to call out towards the door, "Someone, prepare a feast! Today I want to drink a few cups with the heroes of Liangshan!"

The servant responded and left.

Zhang Shan smiled, but felt a slight disappointment in his heart.

My reputation is still not prestigious enough.

He remembered it clearly: in the original story, Chai Jin bowed down to Lin Chong upon seeing him, and bowed even more deeply to Song Jiang.

When it comes to myself, it's nothing more than "preparing a banquet".

Zhang Shan composed himself and bowed to Chai Jin, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, Master Chai. I am passing through your estate today for two reasons: first, to express my gratitude for your past care of our stronghold, and second, to present you with some rare items."

Chai Jin's eyes lit up, and he became interested: "Oh? What rare thing?"

He has seen quite a few rare and unusual things, to say the least.

He has handled all sorts of things: relics from the previous dynasty, rare treasures from overseas, spices from the Western Regions, and pearls from the South.

Zhang Shan's serious tone piqued his curiosity.

At this moment, Du Qian carefully took out an exquisite porcelain bottle from his bag.

The bottle was small, small enough to be held in the palm of your hand, and covered in celadon glaze. The lotus scroll pattern on the bottle was spread out in a fine and dense pattern, making it a fine piece of official kiln porcelain.

Du Qian held the bottle by the bottom, as if it were some extraordinary treasure, and slowly peeled off the wax seal on the bottle opening.

A strong, pungent aroma of alcohol instantly filled the entire room.

The aroma wasn't as mild as ordinary yellow wine or rice wine; instead, it had a sharp, penetrating quality that went straight into the nostrils.

Chai Jin couldn't help but sniff, lean forward, and take a deep breath, his eyes narrowing: "Such a strong smell of wine! What kind of wine is this? I've been in Cangzhou for so many years, and I've never smelled such a fragrance before."

Zhang Shan laughed and said, "This is a specialty of Liangshan, called 'Hero's Wine.' We plan to use it to make some trade with the Liao Kingdom. We brought a few bottles with us since we were passing by your residence, sir, so please have a taste."

Chai Jin nodded repeatedly, his gaze fixed on the porcelain vase, unable to look away.

Du Qian took a small white jade cup and slowly poured himself a cup.

The wine, when poured out, is crystal clear, clinging to the glass like a thin layer of oil. With a slight swirl, the wine droplets slide down the glass, leaving a thin line.

Chai Jin took the cup, examined it closely, and then brought it to his nose to smell it.

Then, he tilted his head back and gulped it down his throat.

Seeing this, Zhang Shan couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

This person has been in a lap of luxury for too long; he has no sense of caution at all.

If it's something of dubious origin, just gulp it down.

Even seasoned veterans would take a small sip first to see if anything tastes wrong.

The expression on Chai Jin's face after taking that bite was priceless.

First, his eyes widened, then his eyes reddened, his mouth suddenly opened wide, his tongue stuck out and fanned the air, and his whole face turned red from the base of his neck to the top of his forehead.

"hiss"

Take a deep breath.

"Wow...this is strong liquor!"

Chai Jin's voice changed, becoming hoarse, as he spoke while fanning his mouth with his hand and stomping his feet twice.

He didn't want to lose face in front of his guests.

After all, he is Master Chai, a nobleman of the previous dynasty, and he still needs to maintain his dignity.

He forced himself to stand upright, slammed his cup on the table, and declared loudly, "This is indeed fine wine! Only a true hero can drink this!"

As he said this, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes from the spiciness.

Seeing Chai Jin's expression, Zhang Shan picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and a smile spread from the corner of his eyes to the depths of his heart.