Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Although the main force of the Jizhou government troops retreated, more than a thousand of the remaining soldiers who were trapped in the muddy shoals were all abandoned and captured alive by Liangshan Marsh.

"Young master, don't you want those people anymore?"

Zhang Bao asked Zhang Zhongxiong.

"It would be a disgrace to lose them. They are useless people selected in a moment of enthusiasm from over a thousand academies. They have neither strong physiques nor good skills, nor down-to-earth ambitions. They are just a thousand incomplete people who can only recite books by rote. What use are they!"

Zhang Bao was momentarily stunned upon hearing Zhang Zhongxiong's words.

In his memory, the more than one thousand students from the academy seemed to have volunteered for the army, to defend Jeju City, without asking for anything in return…

These prisoners were taken to the edge of the marshland, where Li Hanxiao saw them. He noticed that they were all teenagers, around sixteen or seventeen, eighteen or nineteen, or in their early twenties.

"They're all scholars, Chieftain, look, they're even wearing scholar's caps!"

Wen Huanzhang pointed to one of them and said that because there was not enough armor, these more than a thousand academy students were basically not wearing armor or helmets, and were still dressed as Confucian scholars, only with weapons in their hands.

Having never received any training and being practically powerless, they were originally students of Liangyuan Academy, the largest private school in Jeju Prefecture.

Hearing that bandits were approaching the city, they spontaneously went to the city walls to join the army to defend against the enemy. Although they were a group of scholars, they were still young and strong men, so Wu Yong recruited them into the ranks. It wouldn't hurt to be cannon fodder, would it?

Zhang Zhongxiong came from a military family. Although Zhang Shuye was also a scholar, his family background made Zhang Zhongxiong very disgusted with scholars who only knew how to use words.

In his view, these guys were not fit for the battlefield. They should just stay at their desks, with a worn-out pen, and write articles.

This outcome is entirely their own fault.

"Jizhou Prefecture has so many talented students, why have they all come to fight? Does Jizhou Prefecture have no soldiers left?"

Li Hanxiao was also very curious, because no matter which dynasty or era, scholars were a group with a high social status. The fact that more than a thousand scholars were used as cannon fodder was simply unprecedented in the Song Dynasty, where the country was ruled by scholars and officials!

Just then, Bai Sheng, the "White Day Rat," brought someone over. Li Hanxiao looked closely and realized it was Huang Yue.

It turns out that although this kid fell into the moat, he didn't die. Perhaps he wanted to save his brother Jin Ding, so he headed straight for Liangshan Marsh. On the way, he was bumped into by "White Day Rat" Bai Sheng, who was returning to Liangshan Marsh to report the situation, and was captured alive.

"Chief, what should we do with this brat!"

Bai Sheng, nicknamed "White Day Rat," should theoretically be no match for Huang Yue. However, although Huang Yue didn't die from falling into the moat, he was inevitably injured, and even Bai Sheng couldn't defeat him.

"Since you didn't die from the fall, why didn't you try to escape? Instead, you came straight for my Liangshan Marsh."

Li Hanxiao didn't quite understand Huang Yue's intentions.

At this moment, Huang Yue, pinned down by "White Day Rat" Bai Sheng, could only kneel on the ground. Suddenly, he raised his head, his wet hair splashing water everywhere. His eyes, mostly white with little black, stared intently at Li Han and said with a smile, "Do you think I'm a coward who fears death? Let me tell you the truth, I came to Liangshan Marsh to die. My brother Jin Ding was captured by you. We kowtowed to the ground, vowing to follow each other to the death. I've come to accompany him on his journey!"

Huang Yue spoke with great sternness and intensity, seemingly from the heart, not merely feigning concern.

If it were just a pretense, there would be no need to take such a big risk...

"So, you're willing to die?"

Li Han asked with a smile.

"Even blinking makes you no hero; your head will fall off, leaving a scar the size of a bowl!"

After saying that, Huang Yue straightened his neck, as if to make it easier for Li Hanxiao to strike.

"A friendship forged in life and death, a bond for poverty and wealth, is a bond for harmony. People say it's better to be like a handful of soil from Peach Garden than a stick of incense from Wagang. This man is a man of great affection and righteousness!"

Seeing this, Li Hanxiao whispered something to Wen Huanzhang beside him.

Wen Huanzhang naturally understood what Li Hanxiao meant, and whispered, "I understand. The chieftain wants to recruit talents. Very well, I'll also go and test that golden cauldron!"

After saying that, Wen Huanzhang left, while Li Hanxiao waved his hand, signaling "White Day Rat" Bai Sheng to release Huang Yue, who was kneeling on the ground, so that he could stand up and untie the rope.

Li Hanxiao never dared to humiliate such a righteous person.

Huang Yue stood up, not quite understanding what Li Hanxiao meant. "Just kill him if you want to. What's the difference between killing him while he's tied up and killing him while he's untied?"

Li Han's face was now filled with an unfathomable smile. He looked at Huang Yue with a smile and said, "It is rare to find such a deep brotherhood between you. I have the utmost respect for righteous people in my life. Well then, I haven't killed your brother yet. I can ask you to exchange your lives. You die, he lives, or you let him die, you live. Choose one!"

After saying that, Li Hanxiao took the hand knife and threw it directly at Huang Yue's feet.

"If you want me to kill my sworn brother, I'll kill you first!"

Huang Yue suddenly erupted, picked up a hand chop and lunged straight at Li Hanxiao's chest, but Li Hanxiao remained calm and composed, kicking the hand chop out of Huang Yue's hand with an outward swing of his leg. Huang Yue's entire arm was almost broken by the kick, and he barely managed to get up.

"I gave you a choice, not me. My patience is limited, so hurry up and choose!"

With a casual kick, Li Hanxiao could knock the steel knife out of Huang Yue's hand. Huang Yue had now clearly realized the gap between the two and knew that he could not defeat this guy no matter what.

"You don't blame me for assassinating you, and you're even giving me a choice?"

Huang Yue looked at Li Hanxiao in disbelief.

“Yes, I don’t care. You dared to assassinate me to find a way out for both of you brothers. That’s your guts, and I will never blame you for that.”

Li Han smiled and said seriously.

"Thank you very much!"

Huang Yue was completely taken aback by Li Hanxiao's magnanimity, so he clasped his hands in apology.

"It seems we have no choice but to go with his decision..."

Huang Yue gritted his teeth and remained silent for a long time. Life is something many people desire, but brotherhood is sometimes more important than life itself to some.

"How can you betray your brothers to save your own life?"

Huang Yue murmured something, then reached out to grab the hand knife on the ground.

"Oh!"

Just as his hand touched the hilt of the knife, Li Hanxiao stepped on it with his foot.

What do you choose?

Li Hanxiao lowered his body and looked Huang Yue in the eye.

"I choose to let my brother live. I will commit suicide now. I just realized that you, Chief Li, are a gentleman. Please do not go back on your word!"

After saying that, Huang Yue tried to draw his sword, but Li Hanxiao's foot was like Mount Tai, pressing down on the sword and making it impossible for Huang Yue to lift it.

On the other side, Wen Huanzhang also conducted the same test on the golden cauldron.

As it turned out, the test results were exactly the same, and Jin Ding was also preparing to commit suicide in order to save Huang Yue's life.

The bond between these two brothers is truly one of unwavering loyalty!

"I won't kill you, I won't kill either of you, you can leave!"

Li Hanxiao kicked the knife into the water, then helped the stunned Huang Yue up.

"Why, why is that?"

Huang Yue didn't quite understand Li Hanxiao's motives.

“In this corrupt world, there are few people with such righteousness as you two… I have always respected righteous people the most, so I will let you two leave.”

As Li Hanxiao spoke, he waved his hand, signaling Wen Huanzhang to bring Jin Ding over and untie him as well.

"No, impossible, this is impossible, are there no conditions?"

Although Huang Yue and Jin Ding were as close as brothers, ever since they were snubbed at Chai Jin's manor, they no longer believed in true friendship in this world...

But right now, Li Hanxiao...

"Of course, there are no conditions. Just for the sake of your friendship, send them down the mountain!"

Li Hanxiao ordered his henchmen to return their weapons to them.

Huang Yue and Jin Ding looked at the weapons in their hands. Huang Yue then looked at Li Hanxiao, as if he had made up his mind. His eyes gleamed with a different kind of light.

"Chief Li, now both of us brothers are armed and we're very close. If we attack you together, are you afraid?"

"Be bold!"

At this moment, beside Li Hanxiao, in addition to "White Day Rat" Bai Sheng and Wen Huanzhang, there was also "Tiger-Slaying Hero" Wu Song. Wu Song swung his big stick and pressed it down on Huang Yue's shoulder.

If Huang Yue dared to move an inch, Wu Song would cripple his arm first!

"stop!"

Li Hanxiao stopped Wu Song and replied to Huang Yue, "Of course I'm not afraid. I have no doubt that neither of you are those kinds of people."

"really."

As soon as Li Hanxiao finished speaking, Huang Yue and Jin Ding exchanged a glance, threw down their weapons, and both prostrated themselves at Li Hanxiao's feet.

"What are you doing?"

"In our entire lives, we have never met a hero like Chief Li. When we joined Chai Jin, he was a hypocrite, and when we met Song Jiang, he was nothing but a fame-seeker. Chief Li is a rare and righteous gentleman. We are willing to follow Chief Li and serve him with utmost loyalty!"

After saying that, the two began to kowtow repeatedly, as if they were pounding garlic.

"Brothers, there's no need for that. Please rise, please rise quickly!"

Li Hanxiao lifted the two men up, one in each arm, and nodded. "Since you two brothers think highly of me, trust me, and are willing to join me in this righteous cause, we are brothers in life and death from now on!"

"Brother Bai Sheng, pass on a message to all the leaders: these two brothers will be the leaders of Liangshan from now on. Tell Brother Wu and the others to prepare a welcoming banquet and take them to take a bath! Look at all that mud and water they're covered in!"

Jin Ding and Huang Yue were naturally extremely grateful, and Li Hanxiao thus gained two more subordinates.

Meanwhile, Wen Huanzhang came up to ask how to deal with the more than one thousand scholars.

Li Hanxiao did not express his opinion in advance, but instead asked Wen Huanzhang for his opinion.

Wen Huanzhang's idea was to keep them if possible, because these people were all educated and literate, and as long as they could be used by Li Hanxiao, they could directly fill the leadership vacancies.

Li Hanxiao had just carried out the "harbor reorganization," and the newly added official positions specifically for ensuring ideological stability were currently vacant.

These scholars are good at talking and have read a lot of books. As long as they are given basic military skills training, they can be competent.

There are about a thousand people, which is just enough.

Li Hanxiao agreed with this view. It was like someone delivering a pillow when you're about to doze off; it was very coincidental.

However, these pedantic scholars have read a great deal of classical texts, and changing their preconceived notions is a very difficult task...

These guys are now imprisoned in Yazuitan Village, being pulled out of the mud one by one by the Liangshan Marsh navy like radishes, soaking wet and freezing cold.

"Go and cook a few pots of hot porridge!"

Looking at their expressions, Li Hanxiao suddenly felt that he had a solution.

Immediately, five large pots of thick porridge, thick enough to hold chopsticks upright without tipping over and wrapped in towels without leaking, were served to the scholars.

Li Han smiled as he watched them tremble and said, "Your young master Zhang said that you have no strong physique, no good skills, and no down-to-earth ambition. You are just a thousand incomplete people who can only recite books by rote. He belittled you as utterly worthless!"

Upon hearing this, none of the hot-blooded youths were convinced.

"Now, listen up. Whoever washes their clothes by the water can come here to drink porridge. Go now."

After Li Han finished speaking, the more than one thousand people did not move.

What? Nobody's going?

Li Han asked with a smile.

"You have humiliated us!"

A group of scholars shouted indignantly.

"Oh? How will I humiliate you?"

Li Han asked with a smile.

"We are scholars, how can we wash our own clothes?"

A boy shouted.

"Is that so? Then let me ask you, do you look like a scholar now? A gentleman always wears a proper hat, fastens his buttons, and makes sure his socks and shoes are all tight. Even Zilu knew to straighten his hat before he died. You call yourselves scholars, and this is how you behave? You won't even bother to tidy yourselves up?"

"Furthermore, who says scholars can't wash clothes? As the saying goes, 'If you can't sweep a room, how can you sweep the world?' Those who never touch the water are young ladies from secluded chambers. You men, are you afraid of cold water?"

"Is it really as Zhang Zhongxiong says, that you are all so utterly useless?"

No sooner had Li Han finished his joke than a scholar said, “That’s right. Confucius said to achieve benevolence, and Mencius said to uphold righteousness. We cannot use such appearance to save ourselves from righteousness. Wash your face and cleanse your body and appearance, and face death with composure. Only then can you maintain the dignity of a scholar!”

After saying that, the capable man began to take off his clothes in preparation for washing.

This has been the phenomenon in China since ancient times: as long as one person takes the lead, a group of people will immediately follow suit.

The scholars immediately began to gather together to wash clothes.

Li Hanxiao smiled slightly when he saw these scholars.

Scholars who are lazy, ignorant of farming, and useless in everything are probably said to be like this throughout history.

However, I must change them, transforming them from empty talkers into true warriors!