Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

The man who stepped forward was eight feet tall, a majestic and imposing figure. Although he was not wearing military uniform, it was clear that he was a fierce general on the battlefield.

Upon seeing this person, Gao Yanei's arrogance immediately diminished, and an extremely unpleasant, forced smile appeared on his face.

"Governor Han, yes, it's you! You've come here to play too..."

The onlookers, seeing that this person could frighten the playboy Gao Yanei, couldn't help but become curious about his identity.

"Hey, who is this guy? Even the playboy is afraid of him?"

"He looks like a military general!"

"You don't know, this is Han Cunbao, the military governor of Yanmen in Yunzhong, and the nephew of Han Zhongyan, the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty!"

"That's it, that's it..."

It turns out that this person was Han Cunbao, the military governor of Yanmen in Yunzhong, and the nephew of Han Zhongyan, the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty.

In terms of background, Gao Yanei is no match for this man. Han Cunbao's uncle, Han Zhongyan, is a veteran official of three dynasties and the son of Han Qi, the Duke of Wei. He is now the most loyal and upright official in the court, and he is dedicated to fighting against the treacherous officials.

Han Cunbao had just returned to the capital and was drinking at Fanlou when he heard that Gao Yanei was causing trouble there, so he came up to dissuade him.

"Young master, your behavior is making the Grand Commandant lose face. Why don't you go back sooner?"

Han Cunbao's eyes, sharp as an eagle's, fell on Gao Yanei. Although Gao Yanei came from a prestigious family, he had earned his position through hard work and fighting. What Han Cunbao despised most was this kind of spoiled brat.

If it weren't for Gao Qiu, we would have already started a fight this morning.

"Governor Han, the young master is drunk, very drunk. We'll take him home!"

Seeing Han Cunbao's displeasure, the two guards accompanying Gao Yanei immediately smoothed things over, pulling Gao Yanei away with a combination of pushing and shoving. Gao Yanei knew this guy was not to be trifled with, and left dejectedly.

"Thank you, Commander Han. Commander Han, would you like to break through the four passes?"

Seeing that Han Cunbao had chased away Gao Yanei, the old pigeon grasped at a straw and immediately began to fawn over him.

"A martial artist is not interested in women!"

Han Cunbao snorted coldly, turned around and went upstairs to drink with his friends again.

"He's a fine young man!"

Li Han smiled and whispered praises to Wang Yin and Wen Huanzhang about Han Cunbao.

"His uncle is none other than Grand Tutor Han Zhongyan, my benefactor!"

Wen Huanzhang said in a low voice.

The madam, having made a fool of herself, ordered her servants to tidy up the mess on the ground and announced loudly, "Gentlemen, if anyone can pass all four tests today, he can share a bed with my courtesan, free of charge. The four tests are music, poetry, chess, and swordsmanship. If you are skilled in any of these, come forward, lest you become a laughingstock among the men of the world!"

The madam's words not only seemed provocative but also belittled the men present, immediately provoking their dissatisfaction.

"Hmph! This madam is far too arrogant! Not to mention the whole country, even in this city of Tokyo, there are probably countless people skilled in these four arts, so why has no one been able to break through these four barriers?"

Wang Yin was quite dissatisfied with the madam's words and felt rather indignant.

Upon hearing this, a young man nearby couldn't help but sneer, "Oh, if you're so good, why don't you go and try? I've been watching for half a day, and not a single person has been able to pass these four tests. Among them are quite a few talented individuals, and the most capable one has only passed two tests!"

"Is it really that difficult?"

Wang Yin exclaimed in surprise.

"The young lady said that if no man in the world possesses this ability, then no one is worthy of his jade bed."

The madam dragged out her voice, trying to provoke the men present.

"Outrageous! Does a mere woman regard all the heroes of the world as nothing? How utterly arrogant!"

Wang Yin was so angered by this sarcasm that he shouted it out, and in an instant, all eyes in the room were on him.

"Young master, if you are interested, why don't you come forward and break through the barrier?"

The madam finally found another target and immediately asked Wang Yin to go up and break through the barrier.

Wang Yin thought to himself, "Oh no, how could I possibly pass these four levels?" He wanted to ask for help, but he didn't know Wen Huanzhang well. Wen Huanzhang was watching Wang Yin make a fool of himself with a wicked smile.

"Go on up there! Anyone can talk big!"

Wang Yin naturally dared not admit his incompetence in public, lest he lose face. So he roared, "I, I, I am shouting on behalf of my master, Young Master Li! My master will surely overcome these four challenges!"

Having said that, Wang Yin, having shifted the blame, stepped aside and gave the center position to Li Hanxiao, making him the focus of the entire event.

"Huh? Huh? You..."

Li Han smiled to himself, thinking that his brother hadn't said a word just now, so why was Wang Yin pushing the blame onto him?

You, Wang Yin, are born under the sign of the Lu Horse, which is bad luck for your master!

"Come on, everyone, let's give a round of applause to invite Young Master Li to come and offer his guidance!"

The madam wasn't about to let Li Hanxiao off the hook. She immediately started a commotion with the crowd, then dragged Li Hanxiao to the front of the "four checkpoints." The situation left Li Hanxiao with no choice but to answer.

"What...what is this first hurdle? How do we solve it?"

If Li Hanxiao were to withdraw now, it would result in a complete loss of face; he has no choice but to bite the bullet and give it a try.

"Young master, do you see this? We have all kinds of musical instruments, including the zither, zheng, flute, xiao, and pipa. If you can play a piece that satisfies our young lady, you will pass this test!"

"Well... I don't know what the young lady's preferences are. Why don't you play a piece first so we can hear it and know how to play it and to what extent?"

Li Han thought to herself, "How can this be any good? What if Li Shishi is in a bad mood and says it's no good no matter how well I play? All my efforts will be for nothing."

"Alright, please play a piece, young lady. If you can achieve the same level, then you'll have passed this test, shall we?"

As the madam spoke, she clapped her hands. Someone had already gone to report the news, and soon the sound of zithers and harps could be heard coming from the third floor.

These princes and noblemen who were watching the spectacle couldn't wait to listen. Normally, just to hear Li Shishi play the zither would cost at least ten taels of gold.

Li Hanxiao listened carefully and recognized that Li Shishi was playing the ancient piece "High Mountains and Flowing Water".

Legend has it that during the pre-Qin period, the qin player Bo Ya was playing his qin in a desolate mountain wilderness when the woodcutter Zhong Ziqi was able to understand that he was describing "lofty as Mount Tai" and "vast as the Yangtze River." Bo Ya exclaimed in surprise, "Excellent! Your heart is the same as mine."

After Zhong Ziqi's death, Bo Ya was heartbroken at losing his soulmate. He smashed his zither and broke its strings, never playing again for the rest of his life. Hence, the melody of "High Mountains and Flowing Water" came about.

"High Mountains and Flowing Water" was originally a single piece. Since the Tang Dynasty, "High Mountains" and "Flowing Water" have been separated into two independent guqin pieces. Unexpectedly, Li Shishi restored this piece and combined the two into one. If Li Hanxiao had not heard later generations combine the two pieces into one, he would not have been able to recognize it.

Li Shishi's skills were also unparalleled. Listening to the music, one could almost imagine her slender, jade-like fingers gliding and kneading rapidly across the strings, sometimes hooking, lifting, stroking, and picking, sometimes draping, supporting, plucking, and striking. Each finger moved faster and faster, transforming into the sound of the zither, like a waterfall cascading down, echoing through the valley. The crowd watching below was truly stunned.

"Like a flowing stream amidst towering mountains...she's searching for a kindred spirit..."

On a whim, Li Hanxiao asked for paper and pen and began to write furiously. After a long while, he wrote down a musical score. However, because there was no simplified musical notation in ancient times, the symbols in the ancient score were obscure and difficult to understand, making it quite laborious to annotate. Only after Li Shishi finished playing the piece did Li Hanxiao finish writing the score.

Just like when she defeated Ma Lin, it was unlikely that she could surpass her in skill. Li Hanxiao could only try to outsmart her. How? By changing the style and rhythm of the music, by playing a piece that she had never heard before.

Li Han smiled and handed the sheet music to Wen Huanzhang, saying, "Mr. Wen, you can also play the piano, please help me play this piece!"

Li Hanxiao was going to play "Qingxin Pushan Mantra," a qin and xiao duet piece created for the 96 TV series "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer."

He wanted to impress Li Shishi with his cooperation and novel music. It was unrealistic for him to win all four rounds, but winning one or two rounds would at least save face.

Li Hanxiao also picked up his xiao (vertical bamboo flute), tuned it, and began to practice. The performance started with Wen Huanzhang playing the qin (a seven-stringed zither), and Li Hanxiao accompanied it with his xiao. The sound rose and fell, sometimes light and cheerful, sometimes unrestrained, sometimes tense, and sometimes relaxed, just like what Fan Zhongyan described in "The Yueyang Tower": "And sometimes the long smoke clears, the bright moon shines for a thousand miles, the floating light leaps like gold, the still shadow sinks like jade, and the fishermen's songs answer each other. What boundless joy this is!"

When the piece was finished, the audience erupted in cheers. It was a piece they had never heard before, and the performance was so well-coordinated that it was indeed comparable to Li Shishi's earlier work.

After Li Hanxiao finished his performance, he was covered in sweat. He knew that with his limited skills, he had no chance against Li Shishi. He had no way to compete without finding a different approach.

"The young lady sent someone to tell you that you've passed Young Master Li's test, but she asked him if the piece had a name and whether it was composed by you."

A maidservant hurried over and whispered something in the madam's ear, and the madam immediately asked her questions.

"This piece is called 'The Mantra of Pure Heart and Universal Benevolence'... and it was indeed written by me."

Li Han smiled and replied.

"Impressive! No wonder you dared to challenge them; you truly have real talent!"

"The Pure Heart and Universal Benevolence Mantra, another beautiful melody has been added to the world!"

"It's just one level. Let's see if he can break through any others."

……

Amidst the commotion, Li Hanxiao arrived at the scene of breaking through the second barrier.

The second challenge focuses on poetry. Li Shishi has set the questions in advance, requiring those who wish to pass the challenge to write poems or lyrics that revolve around the concepts of "ancient and modern."

Upon seeing this, Wen Huanzhang whispered, "My lord, do you need my help?"

But Li Hanxiao shook his head, because he actually had a poem in his mind that could connect the past and present.

"Very well, I will compose a poem called 'Linjiang Xian' to break through this barrier. I request that you, sir, play the zither and accompany me!"

Li Hanxiao took two steps forward and then recited the opening lines of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

"The rolling waters of the Yangtze River pass eastward, and the waves wash away the heroes. Right and wrong, success or failure, are all gone. The green mountains are still there, and the sunsets are red several times."

"White-haired fishermen and woodcutters on the riverbank are accustomed to watching the autumn moon and spring breeze. A pot of turbid wine brings joy to their meeting. So many things, past and present, are all consigned to laughter and conversation."

"Oh!"

Li Han finished laughing and talking, leaving everyone present amazed.

It's not that this poem is particularly beautiful in its language, but rather that its profound meaning is thought-provoking and leaves one sighing with admiration.

Life is fleeting and illusory, but in contrast is a transcendent detachment from worldly affairs and the eternal existence of the universe. Therefore, all the events of the past and present are but a laughing matter.

Yes, the sword fights and fierce battles of the past, the conspiracies and schemes, are nothing but a joke in the eyes of later generations. What is there to miss?

Isn't this a sign of having seen through the illusions of life?

"The mighty Yangtze River flows eastward, its waves washing away the heroes of the past... Wonderful, wonderful!"

Even Wen Huanzhang was deeply impressed by the poem, finding it profound and moving. He was also surprised that Li Hanxiao possessed such literary talent, which he found truly remarkable. His respect for Li Hanxiao deepened considerably.

"Clatter...splash..."

This was immediately followed by thunderous applause from the onlookers, which lasted for a long time.

"Very good! Young Master Li has passed another test. The young lady has already had this poem copied down; she loves it dearly!"

The madam was beaming from ear to ear and quickly led Li Hanxiao to a chessboard, where a chess endgame was set up.

It seems this is the chess skill required for the third level.

Li Hanxiao originally thought it was Go, but he knew nothing about Go. If it was Go, he would have to give up and admit defeat.

However, he learned chess from his grandfather when he was a child. His grandfather was an amateur chess master who had won the district championship and had taken him to study famous chess scores many times.

He recognized the predicament before him as the "Lone Wanderer's Game".

This is one of the four famous ancient Chinese chess games. The ending position is a rook fighting against three pawns. This game is known as "A Lone Journey of a Thousand Miles" in books such as "One Hundred Chinese Chess Games".

Perhaps this chess game was considered an endgame in the Song Dynasty, and no one could solve it. However, in later generations, Li Hanxiao had actually seen how to solve this game, and all he needed to do was follow the same method.

He immediately sat down, looked at the board position, and saw that it was around the 20th position. He immediately set about solving the problem, moving his chariot from rank 4 to rank 5, then from rank 5 to rank 7, then from rank 7 to rank 6, then from rank 6 back to rank 5, until he reached rank 6 to rank 5, then from rank 5 to rank 6, then from rank 6 forward to rank 6, and finally from rank 6 back to rank 6 to solve the problem.

The entire process of cracking the code was completed in one go and extremely fast. Wen Huanzhang, watching Li Hanxiao's moves, was completely unable to keep up with his train of thought.

"It's broken? This... was too fast..."

Among the onlookers, some who were knowledgeable about chess realized that Li Hanxiao had solved the game and couldn't help but shout out.

"Huh? So fast! That person this morning also spent two hours trying to break through, and still hadn't succeeded..."

"They're not cheating, are they...?"

"Bullshit, what cheating? This isn't gambling. Show me how you cheat..."

Some onlookers questioned the game, some cheered, and others analyzed the moves. In short, Li Hanxiao solved the game directly in front of everyone.

He broke through three levels in the blink of an eye, leaving everyone present speechless.

The fourth challenge is even more difficult, involving swordsmanship.

"As you all may not know, my courtesan, though a woman, has a deep love for heroes. She often sheds tears when she reads about Xiang Yu, Lanling Wang, and others in history books. Therefore, this fourth test is a swordsmanship contest. Swordsmanship is originally a gentleman's art. As the saying goes, a gentleman cannot travel without a sword, which is also a refined pursuit. If Young Master Li can surpass one of my servants from the Imperial Fragrance Pavilion in swordsmanship, then you will have passed these four tests!"

The madam clapped her hands, and a young man emerged from behind, carrying two wooden swords.

Although the young man was of medium build and unremarkable appearance, Li Hanxiao could tell at a glance that his eyes were as cold as a lake in the dead of winter. Just by looking into his eyes, one could feel as if they had fallen into icy water, chilled to the bone.

This is murderous intent, the kind that only comes from killing many people and experiencing countless scenes of carnage!