Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Yang Zhi slowly opened his eyes. He felt himself lying on a soft, warm bed, with a wooden ceiling in the background.

He could also hear people talking nearby.

"Oh dear, ivory, rhinoceros horn, giant clam shell, hawksbill turtle shell, pearls, jet, coral... How much of the people's wealth has Liang Zhongshu embezzled in his daily life..."

Yang Zhi tilted his head and looked around, finding himself in a small wooden house. There was a table next to him with a pile of treasures on it, and the two of them were sitting there, playing with them one by one.

"Who are you...?"

Yang Zhi tried to stand up, but as soon as he moved, he felt dizzy and lightheaded. He didn't know how long he hadn't eaten, and his stomach was burning with pain. He almost collapsed to the ground.

"Oh dear! Commander Yang, Commander Yang!"

Upon seeing this, the two men immediately came to help Yang Zhi up, and one of them even asked, "Does Commander Yang still recognize me?"

After listening to the man's words, Yang Zhi took a closer look and recognized him. Wasn't this "Leopard Head" Lin Chong?

"Instructor Lin, could it be a meeting in the underworld...?"

Yang Zhi replied listlessly.

"Haha, what underworld? You're still alive! This is Liangshan Marsh, and Lin Chong can't go anywhere else, can he?"

Upon hearing Lin Chong's words, Yang Zhi felt a surge of strength come from nowhere, and he sprang to his feet as if he were "startled awake from his deathbed."

"What?! Liangshan?!"

Yang Zhi was a little confused. He remembered that he had fought several waves of bandits on Huangni Ridge. How did he end up in Liangshan?

Lin Chong didn't rush to answer Yang Zhi's question, but instead introduced the person next to him, "Commander Yang, this is Chief Li of Liangshan Marsh, Li Hanxiao."

"I am Li Erlang from Guankou. I have met Governor Yang. Please do not move. Lie down, lie down, your wound is bleeding again!"

Li Han smiled and pointed to the bandaged wound on Yang Zhi's chest.

"Chief Li? Isn't that Wang Lun?"

Yang Zhi was bewildered again. Back when he was returning to Tokyo, he was robbed by Lin Chong while passing through Liangshan. He had been to Liangshan and met Wang Lun. He knew that Wang Lun was the master of Liangshan. How did it turn out to be this guy surnamed Li in front of him?

Yang Zhi had too many questions in his mind.

"Commander Yang must not know that I have led my brothers to seize Liangshan. Wang Lun is dead, and I am the new master of Liangshan."

Li Hanxiao began to explain.

Yang Zhi was clearly not too interested in these things, and instead asked Lin Chong, "Instructor Lin, how did I get here? I was escorting the birthday gifts..."

"That's right, the birthday tribute is on Liangshan Mountain. We went there to rob the birthday tribute, so we brought you back with it."

Li Han smiled.

"you……"

When Yang Zhi heard that Li Hanxiao had gone to rob the birthday gifts, he pointed at Li Hanxiao and didn't know what to say for a moment.

You might say he had a grudge against you, but at least he saved your life.

You say there's no grudge, yet he still robbed the birthday gifts.

Contradictory!

“Commander Yang, I have a few questions to discuss with you today. If you still want the birthday tribute after I have finished asking, I will return it to you as is. But if you say you don’t want it, I cannot return the birthday tribute to you.”

Li Hanxiao's somewhat puzzling words left Yang Zhi confused about his intentions, but Yang Zhi remained resolute: "Ask me whatever you want, I will not abandon this birthday tribute!"

"Very well! Then I shall ask you, Commander Yang, you keep saying that you are a descendant of the Yang family generals. Your Yang family generals are naturally a family of loyal and patriotic heroes, but I want to ask you about the origins of the Yang family generals!"

"Your Yang family's ancestor, the Volcano King Yang Gun, was a hero of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He served Liu Zhiyuan of the Northern Han Dynasty and exchanged a copper hammer for a jade belt with Zhao Kuangyin. Later, your Yang family's old general, the Golden Knife General, also followed in his father's footsteps and served the Northern Han Dynasty. However, because the Northern Han emperor was already incompetent and the dynasty was declining, and because he was suspicious of your Yang family, the old general led his people to surrender to the Song Dynasty. Is this true?"

"Ah, that's right!"

Yang Zhi nodded, but he didn't understand what Li Hanxiao meant by those words.

"It is said that a subject should be loyal, but the so-called ruler is the guide for his subjects. If the ruler is not upright, the subjects will defect to another country. The country is the guide for the people. If the country is not upright, the people will rise up and attack it. Therefore, the old general's departure from the Northern Han to surrender to the Song was not a heartless and treacherous person."

At this point, Yang Zhi seemed to have guessed what Li Hanxiao was going to say. Li Hanxiao said that he would use the matter of Yang Zhi's ancestors as an example. Since your ancestors had changed masters for the sake of righteousness, do you, as their descendants, have any reason to be loyal to the Song Dynasty?

Yang Zhi understood a little; this was an attempt to persuade him to surrender!

He wanted to refute it, but he didn't know how to say it. If he did, it would mean he was criticizing his ancestors. If he didn't refute it, they would be dissatisfied.

Therefore, Yang Zhi could only listen for the time being and then think of a way to refute it.

"Then, you keep saying that your Yang family is full of loyal martyrs and brings glory to your family, and that you, Yang Zhi, should restore the reputation of your Yang family generals. That's true, but think about it carefully. Even if you are down on your luck, as long as you don't steal or rob and uphold righteousness, you won't disgrace the reputation of your Yang family generals. But what you are doing now is what disgraces your ancestors!"

How can you talk like that?

Li Hanxiao's words undoubtedly angered Yang Zhi, causing Yang Zhi to grit his teeth and say those words viciously.

Li Han's voice turned cold. "Why do you think I speak like this? The Yang family generals, nine generations of heroes, sacrificed their lives for the country and never bowed their heads to treacherous officials. Their integrity is something I naturally admire. But you, you transported the birthday tribute, which was obtained by treacherous officials through the exploitation of the people. As a descendant of the Yang family generals, you colluded with corrupt officials who brought disaster to the country and the people, and even risked your life to serve them. Isn't what you did a disgrace to your family, or an honor to your family?"

"you……"

Yang Zhigang wanted to retort, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Because what Li Hanxiao said is right.

The Yang family was a family of loyal and upright officials, with no stain on their reputation except for their ancestor's surrender to the Song Dynasty. Yang Zhi's actions were indeed bringing shame upon his ancestors. How could he not know that these birthday gifts were the product of Liang Zhongshu's exploitation of the people? How could he not know that these were ill-gotten gains? How could he not know that they were being given to the treacherous minister Cai Jing?

He knew, he knew everything. He knew that every piece of jewelry was soaked in the hard-earned money and blood and sweat of the people.

However, he was only interested in serving the court, obtaining high-ranking official positions and wealth, and reviving the Yang family generals. Therefore, even though he knew that transporting this thing would invite ridicule and bring shame to his family, he still went willingly, which was quite a bit like bearing humiliation and hardship.

After pondering for a long time, Yang Zhi finally spoke, “Chief Li, you are right. Yang Zhi’s actions have truly disgraced my Yang family and shamed my ancestors. But Yang Zhi has no choice. If I don’t do this, I will never be able to turn my life around. I have already fallen into the life of a bandit and exiled soldier. I was fortunate enough to be recommended by Liang Zhongshu. He hid a letter in the birthday tribute, recommending me to Grand Tutor Cai. If I can complete this mission, I will naturally rise to prominence in the future. At that time, I can revive the Yang family, eliminate the treacherous party, and do good for the country and the people. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

Yang Zhi was thinking of the "sleeping on firewood and tasting gall" approach, regarding himself as King Goujian of Yue and the treacherous ministers as King Fuchai of Wu.

Li Hanxiao burst into laughter, saying to Lin Chong in a mocking tone, "Hahaha, this guy wants to be King Goujian of Yue! Commander Yang, let me ask you, even if you successfully transport the birthday gifts and enter officialdom, you don't understand the ways of officialdom. How can you endure hardship and bide your time? Are there any good people in this court now? In the palace, beasts feast on their salaries. You think you can remain incorruptible among them? How is that possible? The most taboo thing in officialdom is someone who doesn't fit in. Others try their best to blend in, but you stand out from the crowd. The wind will surely blow you down! If you are incorruptible, how can the other treacherous officials not be afraid of you? How can they not rush to bring you down?"

"Perhaps you'd say I'd pretend to be like them, while secretly adhering to my principles. But I must tell you, one is influenced by one's company."

"If you live in a room full of orchids for too long, you won't notice their fragrance; if you live in a fish market for too long, you won't notice its stench. If you associate with them, sooner or later you'll be corrupted into becoming a treacherous official yourself. If a treacherous official comes from the Yang family, tsk tsk tsk!"

Li Hanxiao clicked his tongue repeatedly, and Yang Zhi's face grew increasingly ashen, because Li Hanxiao's words were extinguishing any remaining hope in his heart.

"And you are also a military man, don't you know the custom of the Song Dynasty? It values ​​civil officials over military ones! As a military officer, no matter how well you do, can you surpass Grandpa Di Qing? Grandpa Di was framed and ended up like that, can you compare to Grandpa Di? Emperor Taizu of Song was originally a general of the Later Zhou Dynasty. He seized power in the Chenqiao Mutiny and donned the yellow robe to establish the Song Dynasty. He was afraid that military generals would seize power and become too powerful, so he established this old system of valuing civil officials over military ones. You can't climb up there either."

To put it bluntly, Yang Zhi was trapped in his own self-consistent logic and couldn't extricate himself. He thought he could climb up the ladder by any means necessary, but in reality, the path he wanted to take had already been blocked by others.

"By the way, this is the letter you mentioned, from Liang Zhongshu of Daming Prefecture to Grand Tutor Cai, recommending you. Take a look for yourself!"

As Li Hanxiao finished speaking, he seemed to remember something, picked up a letter from the table, and handed it to Yang Zhi.

"This letter wasn't found in the birthday tribute; it was found on the body of that dead old steward. There's no other letter here. Take a look; does it mention you, Yang Zhi, even once?"

Yang Zhi eagerly took the letter, opened it, and read it from beginning to end. It contained a long list of matters that Liang Zhongshu had discussed with his father-in-law, Cai Jing. It was very complicated, but Yang Zhi was not mentioned at all.

"That's impossible! Liang Zhongshu told me himself that he had also included a letter recommending me in the birthday tribute..."

It can be said that this letter was Yang Zhi's spiritual pillar during this mission to escort the birthday tribute. Now that it has collapsed, Yang Zhi is having a hard time accepting it!

"If he hadn't said that, how could you have gone to such lengths to escort the birthday gifts? You've been manipulated without even realizing it!"

Li Hanxiao's words deeply pierced Yang Zhi's already fragile heart. Yang Zhi tore the letter to shreds. "Bastard! Traitor! Bastard! How can I, Yang Zhi, have the face to live in this world!"

Yang Zhi was utterly despondent and immediately banged his head against the wall, intending to die from the impact.

This way of dying was quite fitting for his life, constantly hitting walls and having bad luck everywhere!

With two experts watching nearby, it was unlikely he would attempt suicide, and he was caught on the spot by Li Hanxiao.

"Only cowards would seek death. Commander Yang, if you want to revive your Yang family generals, there are ways. Now you've lost the birthday tribute, and the old steward and the others are dead. You've exhausted all avenues with the imperial court. However, our Liangshan Marsh is also recruiting talented people. How about you stay here?"

Li Han smiled with a grin, but Yang Zhi scoffed, "Stealing? No way!"

Li Hanxiao instantly stopped laughing and said seriously, "That's wrong. Didn't your great-grandmother, Old Lady She, also become a mountain king when she was young? Besides, are kings and generals born with a special destiny? Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were just forced laborers. Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, also became a mountain king in Mangdang Mountain. What I, Li Hanxiao, want is to cleanse the world, recreate the universe, break this corrupt world, destroy this incompetent and tyrannical ruler, and finally recover our homeland and reach Yanshan!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Zhi's eyes lit up. "Go straight to Yanshan? You want to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun?"

As descendants of the Yang family generals, their ancestors fought against the Liao Dynasty for nine generations, but for various reasons, they could not recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. For more than 150 years, the Song Dynasty emperors and ministers were eager to recover the prefectures, but their abilities were lacking.

Yang Zhi also hoped that he could follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, fight against foreign tribes, and recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

In that way, not only will we be remembered for generations to come, but we will also be worthy of our ancestors...

"Indeed, the Song Dynasty is now in a state where it is powerless to advance northward. Beset by internal and external troubles, if things continue to develop in this way, I'm afraid it will perish. Commander Yang, do you know why your ancestors, the Yang family generals, have been remembered for all time? It's not because of loyalty. They knew there were incompetent rulers and treacherous officials, but they still risked their lives for the people of the world."

"A true man should live a life worthy of the world. The lesser heroes are friends and neighbors, while the greater heroes are for their country and its people. When the Great Way prevails, the world is for all, and the widowed, orphaned, and lonely are all cared for. One should not be elated by external gains nor saddened by personal losses, but should be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures. One should establish a moral compass for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, continue the lost learning of the sages, and usher in an era of peace for all generations. Only by doing this can you be worthy of your ancestors!"

Upon hearing Li Hanxiao's words, Yang Zhi realized that the difference in their cultivation levels was self-evident, and he was filled with shame and embarrassment.

"Chief Li's magnanimity and heroic spirit are truly beyond Yang Zhi's reach, and are admirable! However, however, however, you used such means to seize the birthday tribute that I was escorting. Although you have explained the reasoning to me, I still can't get over this feeling."

"In that case, let me recover from my injuries. Once I'm healed, I'll have a sparring match with you, Chief Li. If you can defeat me, I'll stay at Liangshan. If not, you can send me down the mountain. How about that?"