Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

After Li Hanxiao finished speaking, he found that Wen Huanzhang was just staring at him blankly, without moving or even blinking.

It was already evening, and there were no lights in the room. As darkness fell, Wen Huanzhang's eyes seemed to be glowing. Li Hanxiao could see waves, bright light, and stars in his eyes, as if a shooting star, with a bright tail, was about to burst out of his eyeball from the dark pupil.

The eyes are the windows to the soul; you can tell what kind of changes Wen Huanzhang is going through just by looking into his eyes.

After a long while, Wen Huanzhang finally let out a long sigh, which lasted for a full ten seconds. It seemed that Wen Huanzhang had released all the resentment that had been pent up in his chest over the years. After he finished sighing, he felt refreshed and as if he had a great sense of relief.

"I, Wen Huanzhang, am thirty-four years old this year, and this is the first time someone has thought so highly of me. When I was young, my parents thought I was stupid and would never amount to anything. My teacher said I was dull and honest and would never make progress. I was not convinced and hoped that one day I could use my writing skills and pen to enter the inner circle and do something great. However... I have ended up like this..."

As Wen Huanzhang spoke, he laughed, seemingly mocking the absurdity of fate. He then stood up and shouted, "Where are the people who respect me, Wen Huanzhang, from east to west, north to south, in heaven and on earth? I never expected that today it would be a rebel who would ask me to come out of seclusion! Heavens above! Heavens above! Are all the civil and military officials wooden puppets, and are the emperors in the Golden Palace just clay sculptures?"

“You look down on me, Wen Huanzhang. Even if I have the talent of a roc spreading its wings, you won’t let me serve the country. You don’t know that I have long ago made a great vow: a scholar will die for one who understands him! As long as someone dares to employ me, Wen Huanzhang, no matter who it is, I will be as loyal as Lü Wang assisting Zhou and Zhuge Liang reviving Han. My commitment will remain unchanged until the sea dries up and the rocks crumble!”

Wen Huanzhang's eyes were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, and he pointed at the sky above and started cursing!

Li Hanxiao could also see that his anger, which had been suppressed for more than ten years, had gradually turned into resentment.

Luckily, I approached him first; if he had been used by someone else, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

Li Hanxiao understood this kind of person very well. What he needed most was recognition and respect from others, which was also the thing he lacked most in his life.

"Come, come! Please take a seat of honor and receive a bow from Wen Huanzhang!"

After Wen Huanzhang finished scolding, he pulled Li Hanxiao to sit down in the center and bowed deeply.

"Wait! Mr. Wen, I know you have sworn an oath that you will wholeheartedly follow anyone willing to employ you. But I have come here today to seek out talented individuals. In ancient times, sages who sought out talented individuals always treated them with great respect and kindness. In the past, King Wen of Zhou met Taigong, who was fishing by the Wei River, and personally pulled his chariot for eight hundred paces, thus securing the Zhou dynasty's rule for eight hundred years. Later, Emperor Gaozu of Han obtained Han Xin and appointed him as a general, thus establishing the Han dynasty's four hundred years of rule. Today, I am seeking talented individuals, and I do not yet possess any special skills, but I have already ordered people to build a high platform outside, imitating Emperor Gaozu of Han's appointment of generals, and to appoint you as my military advisor! Please come to the platform and accept my bow!"

As Li Hanxiao spoke, he pulled Wen Huanzhang out of the school and walked towards the edge of the village. There, Wang Yin and Ou Peng, following Li Hanxiao's orders, had already temporarily built a high platform out of earth and prepared an incense table. On the left, they placed three sacrificial animals: a pig's head, a sheep's head, and a cow's head. On the right, they placed three smaller sacrificial animals: a chicken's head, a duck's head, and a goose's head. They also placed seasonal fruits to worship heaven and earth.

Li Hanxiao tried his best to give Wen Huanzhang enough respect, but this was all he could do in such a hurry.

"Please come up to the stage, sir, and accept our bow!"

Li Hanxiao gestured for Wen Huanzhang to come up on stage.

Wen Huanzhang looked at the earthen platform. Although it was a very opportunistic place, it was clear that Li Hanxiao was up to no good. He walked over with increasing trembling steps and stood on the platform, seemingly in a daze.

In his view, what difference does this earthen platform make compared to the Golden Terrace of King Zhao of Yan?

The mutual understanding between ruler and subject is a timeless classic. Li Hanxiao's pursuit of talent and his respect for the virtuous are the most important qualities.

"Today, Li Hanxiao of Guankou prays to Heaven, wishing to take Mr. Wen Huanzhang as his strategist. From now on, he will follow good advice, listen to wise counsel, not use those he doubts, and be loyal to his ministers. He will be a model of mutual trust between ruler and minister throughout the ages. He proclaims this to his ancestors and prays to Heaven and Earth for their witness."

After saying this, Li Hanxiao led Wang Yin and Ou Peng to bow three times to the high platform.

At this moment, Wen Huanzhang was already sobbing uncontrollably on the high platform. "I am a man who has been punished, yet you have treated me with the respect due to a great sage. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and trust, and I could never repay you even if I died. How could I not do my utmost to serve you and remain loyal to the end, even unto death!"

After saying this, Wen Huanzhang also knelt on the high platform, bowed to Li Han with a smile, and said respectfully, "My lord."

“Mr. Wen, I will have to trouble you again in the future. Back then, during the Longzhong Dialogue, Zhuge Liang knew the world was divided into three kingdoms even before leaving his thatched hut. Now, I want to go north to Liangshan Marsh, occupy the marshland, and accomplish great things. I wonder what you think, sir?”

Li Hanxiao went up to help Wen Huanzhang up. He wanted to see what Wen Huanzhang thought about the general situation of the world, and there was nothing he could learn from him.

“My lord is indeed no ordinary man. This Liangshan Marsh is located in the land of Qi and Lu, which covers a vast area and is rich in resources such as mountains, seas, fish, and salt. In the past, Duke Huan of Qi dominated this place. If my lord can use Liangshan Marsh as a base, he can advance or retreat as he pleases. By occupying the land of Qi and Lu, he can conquer Yan and Yun in the north and attack Kaifeng in the south, and the world can be pacified.”

Wen Huanzhang had no objection to Li Hanxiao's choice of location. First of all, the land of Qilu was not small and densely populated. In addition, many people in the north had been displaced due to war and exorbitant taxes. Many people in Shandong and Hebei had risen up in rebellion, and the court's control was actually relatively weak in these places.

Just like in Qingzhou, there are more than a dozen mountains of all sizes.

"Now, to the north lies the Great Liao Kingdom, and to the north of the Great Liao Kingdom lies the Great Jin Kingdom. To the east lies Goryeo, to the south lies Dali and Annam, and to the west lies Western Xia and the various Tibetan tribes. I think the real threat is not to the Song court. The Song court is corrupt and its ministers are incompetent. They do not care about the people. Moreover, they are complacent and their military is weak. Their army is not strong. Only the Western Army is good at fighting. It is not difficult to destroy them. The real threat lies in these foreign tribes."

Wen Huanzhang pointed out that since the war between the Han and the Xiongnu, the northern nomadic peoples have often thought of invading the south. The tragedy of the Five Barbarian Invasions is still fresh in people's minds. The Khitan, Western Xia, and Tubo had all fought wars with the Song Dynasty and had seen the wealth and prosperity of the Central Plains. Just like an old cat with a salted fish as a pillow, it will take a bite sooner or later.

If all these foreign tribes were to join forces and attack the Central Plains from the east, west, south, and north, dividing up China, it would not be as simple as the fall of the Song Dynasty, but rather the destruction of the entire nation, the extinction of the Han people, and the annihilation of the Han ethnicity.

"Therefore, in my opinion, the real troubles are external, while the internal ones are nothing more than a minor ailment. The Liao Dynasty is now in decline and not as powerful as it once was. I have heard that the Jin Dynasty fought against the Liao Dynasty and was able to defeat the Liao with a smaller force. Given time, they will surely become a force to be reckoned with. If they do destroy the Liao, they will surely turn south to take over the Central Plains. Otherwise, with their strong and powerful army, why would they keep them around for show?"

Li Hanxiao was deeply impressed by Wen Huanzhang's arguments. Wen Huanzhang's thoughts and vision were absolutely ahead of their time. He not only saw that the greatest crisis facing the Song Dynasty was not internal but external, but also predicted the rise of the Jin Dynasty and its ambition to move south sooner or later.

It's important to know that he hadn't read any history books from later generations.

Li Hanxiao truly felt like he had struck gold.

"Excellent, sir! You are indeed a man of great talent. With your assistance, we are as fortunate as Zhou with Lü Wang or Han with Zhang Liang!"

Li Han smiled and gave Wen Huanzhang a thumbs up. Wen Huanzhang smiled and stroked his beard, then said, "My lord, if you want to conquer the world, you can't rely on Huanzhang alone. There are many talented people in and around the capital city of Dongjing who are also in dire straits. My lord can search for them here!"

"That suits me perfectly! That's exactly what I came to Tokyo for!"

Li Hanxiao and Wen Huanzhang hit it off immediately and decided to go to Tokyo to look for talent. Wen Huanzhang said that he had been around Tokyo for more than ten years and knew a lot about some talented people who were frustrated in the area. He could introduce them to him.

Wen Huanzhang immediately packed some valuables and, together with Li Hanxiao, rushed into Tokyo before the city gates closed.

"My lord, how about I take you to meet some talented individuals?"

After entering the city, Wen Huanzhang wanted to start working immediately, but Li Hanxiao stopped him.

"No rush, no rush. I still have something to do. Brother Ma Lin, go to a vegetable garden near the Daxiangguo Temple and find a group of ruffians. The leader is called 'Street Rat' Zhang San, and the other is called 'Green Grass Snake' Li Si. Bring them to me. We'll go to Fanlou for drinks and wait for you to come back."

When Li Hanxiao first arrived in Tokyo, he was short of manpower. Although Wen Huanzhang and Ma Lin were familiar with Tokyo, they were no helpers. He needed help to rescue Madam Lin and Instructor Zhang out of the city.

These people, though scoundrels, were more upright than those treacherous officials. They had originally been involved with Lu Zhishen in this matter. When Gao Qiu was arresting Lu Zhishen, it was thanks to their advance warning that Lu Zhishen was able to escape from Tokyo. They were quite loyal to their friends.

While Ma Lin was away on business, Li Hanxiao led Wen Huanzhang and Wang Yin to Fanlou, the best restaurant in Tokyo. It was getting late, and they should have something to eat. Having come all this way to the Song Dynasty, how could they not experience the prosperity of Tokyo first?

Fanlou, also known as "Baifanlou", is a three-story building with five floors facing each other. It can accommodate thousands of people and is a place for dining, drinking, and even brothels. Outsiders who come to the capital must visit Fanlou to be considered worldly. In later generations, it has become a landmark building, a 5A-level scenic spot, and a popular spot for internet celebrities.

Upon arriving at Fanlou, Li Hanxiao ordered a table of wine and dishes to be prepared, waiting for Ma Lin to return before drinking. The three of them only talked about strange and unusual things, after all, they couldn't speak too out of line in the capital.

Just then, a rather chaotic commotion broke out upstairs. There was the sound of porcelain shattering and hitting the floor, along with the sound of musical instruments changing tune and a woman's screams. All sorts of sounds mixed together, making it more chaotic than the Seven Kingdoms.

"Was this Fanlou restaurant attacked by bandits?"

Wang Yin stared at the floorboards in surprise, while Wen Huanzhang called over to inquire about the matter.

It turns out that there was a "big event" happening at Fanlou today, and they just happened to be there.

As mentioned before, Fanlou also had singers and dancers, and it also functioned as a brothel.

During the day, the Tokyo City Courtesan Festival had just been held here, where the freshest beauties from all the brothels in Tokyo City competed for attention.

Finally, Li Shishi, a newly promoted courtesan at Yuxiang Pavilion, won the title of the most beautiful courtesan.

According to this rule, after winning the title of courtesan, she could wait to be sold at Fanlou, where these princes and noblemen would bid for her, and they would "shave her head" and turn her into a "ladies' man".

For this reason, the building is filled with princes and noblemen from all over, who are willing to spend lavishly just to get close to her.

But Li Shishi didn't play by the rules. Instead, she set up four tests and four checkpoints. If someone could pass these four tests, she would be willing to share a bed with that person. If someone couldn't pass these four tests, even if you were as handsome as Pan An or as wealthy as Deng Tong, you probably wouldn't even get to see him.

Logically speaking, if one wants to get close to a beautiful woman, one should simply break through the barriers. But among these纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy families who are spoiled and dissolute), who is willing to follow the rules? Just now, it was Gao Qiu's adopted son, Gao Yanei, who couldn't break through the four barriers upstairs, so he threw a tantrum and led a group of ruffians to cause a ruckus!

"That beast Gao Yanei... cough, that guy's up there?"

Upon hearing that Gao Yanei was upstairs, Li Hanxiao immediately stood up.

"That's right, this playboy, relying on being the Grand Commandant's adopted son, has done all sorts of bad things, and no one dares to do anything about it!"

When Guo Mai talked about this bastard, the expression on his face almost turned into a tight bun.

"Let's go up and have a look!"

Li Han smiled and waved his hand, then went upstairs to watch the excitement.

"What! She's just a whore, pretending to be a virtuous and chaste woman! Does she even know who I am? I am the son of the Grand Commandant! With one command, your Fanlou and Yuxianglou will all be reduced to dust!"

Just as they went upstairs, before they could even part the crowd, they heard Gao Yanei shouting in a shrill voice.

When Li Hanxiao rushed into the crowd to look, he saw several people holding slingshots, blowpipes, and sticky poles, all standing by the railing. The ground was littered with cups and plates, broken porcelain shards, spilled wine, and dusty dishes. The young man at the front was none other than Gao Yanei.

But Gao Yanei was dressed in gold, wore silver, draped in red, and adorned with jade. His eyes were unfocused, and his voice was shrill. It was clear that he had been corrupted by wine and women.

"If we capture this fellow and hand him over to Instructor Lin, are you afraid that Instructor Lin won't be loyal?"

Li Han smiled as he looked at Gao Yanei, thinking to himself that he absolutely had to find a way to tie him up.

"Young master, the young lady said that we can only meet if these four passes are successfully passed..."

The madam was sweating profusely, practically kneeling before Gao Yanei, but she was helpless. Her mistress, Li Shishi, simply refused to see her, and she couldn't afford to offend either side...

"What kind of bullshit four barriers are you talking about! I have plenty of money, and today I'm going to break through her barriers! Hehehe!"

Gao Yanei, his beard bristling and eyes wide, pushed past the madam and tried to barge inside.

"Young master! Such behavior brings shame upon the Grand Commandant!"

As this discordant voice rang out, Gao Yanei looked around frantically, shouting, "Who! Who dares to interfere with my business!"

"Me! The military governor of Yanmen in Yunzhong, do you not recognize me, young master?"