Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Zhu Long was slightly shocked again, because "Flowery Monk" Lu Zhishen was also a well-known hero in the martial arts world, and his reputation was purely good, that is, a chivalrous name.

The fact that Liangshan Marsh could recruit such figures as Yang Zhi and Lu Zhishen shows that the Zhu Family Village was probably no match for them.

"What brings you to see our chieftain?"

Yang Zhi, nicknamed "Blue-Faced Beast," was a sensible and intelligent man, so he wanted to see what was really going on inside the Zhulong Gourd.

"That's right. We have no past grievances or recent feuds with Baoshan. Our affairs with Lijiazhuang and Hujiazhuang are simply matters between neighboring villages and towns. Hujiazhuang is engaged to my third brother, and the two families are related by marriage. This is, after all, a family matter. Is it inappropriate for Chief Li to interfere?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Zhi retorted, "Then the Li Family Village and your Zhu Family Village are not related, are they? You poisoned Master Li first, and then sent troops to attack. What kind of logic is that?"

Yang Zhi's rebuttal was reasonable and well-founded, and Zhu Long had no choice but to admit it. He could only nod repeatedly and say, "Yes, yes, we were wrong in this matter. If Chief Li can cease hostilities and make peace with my family, we will live in peace with Li Family Village, re-establish an alliance, never betray each other, and we are willing to give half of our harvest every year to you heroes. What do you think?"

The Zhu Family Manor has a decent annual harvest, which is no small amount. Converted into silver, it's estimated to be at least thirty or forty thousand taels. For the Zhu Family Manor to be able to come up with that price, it's a huge financial burden.

But Yang Zhi, the "Blue-Faced Beast," was a smart man. He knew that he had no right to decide these things, so he said, "I have no right to decide this matter. I will only know the result after I report to my chieftain!"

"Very well, I will wait here. Please, Commander Yang, quickly convey this message to Chief Li!"

Seeing that Yang Zhi did not reject the idea outright, Zhu Long thought there was still hope for the matter, so he waited on the suspension bridge.

"Blue-faced Beast" Yang Zhi sent his henchmen to inform Li Hanxiao of the situation. Li Hanxiao and his troops had already surrounded Zhu Biao and "Iron Rod" Luan Tingyu's troops on Xigang.

The henchmen informed Li Hanxiao of Zhu Long's offer of peace and its contents. According to Li Hanxiao's own thoughts, he naturally did not want to negotiate peace with them. Zhu Family Village was already a piece of fat meat in his bowl, so why would he not eat it and then spit it out?

However, he also thought that he could take advantage of the Zhu Family Village's desire for peace to gain some benefits in return.

Hu Taigong and Hu Cheng are still in the hands of the Zhu Family Village. Although Li Hanxiao had long ago sent "Two-Headed Snake" Xie Zhen and "Double-Tailed Scorpion" Xie Bao to infiltrate the Zhu Family Village to protect them, if the Zhu Family Village really wanted to kill them, the two of them would have difficulty protecting the Hu father and son.

He simply told the Zhu Family Village that they lacked credibility, as evidenced by their previous deception of Li Yinghui and subsequent drugging of him. Li Hanxiao did not believe them.

If they truly want to negotiate peace, they must show sincerity. Otherwise, Li Hanxiao will immediately attack the city, wiping out Zhu Biao and Luan Tingyu on one side, while Yang Zhi takes over Zhu Family Village on the other. There's no point in talking anymore.

The proof of this sincerity is to release Hu Taigong and Hu Cheng first, and then we can talk; otherwise, there's no point in discussing anything.

Of course, even if Li Hanxiao released the Hu family father and son, he wouldn't actually make peace with the Zhu Family Village. But at that time, Li Hanxiao could simply say that they couldn't reach an agreement, the negotiations had broken down, and then they would fight again.

This way of fighting is perfectly justified, and it also gets the hostages back—a win-win situation.

Li Hanxiao then told the messenger his idea, instructing him to go back and tell "Blue-Faced Beast" Yang Zhi, and to tell Yang Zhi that if the Zhu Family Village disagreed, they should first give them a light beating to make them afraid and dare not disagree.

The messenger returned and told "Blue-Faced Beast" Yang Zhi about the situation. Yang Zhi found Li Hanxiao's cunning method quite amusing, so he called out, "Young Master Zhu Long, our chieftain has replied!"

Zhu Long, who was waiting anxiously there, immediately asked, "I wonder if Chief Li will agree?"

“My chieftain said that although the proposal is good, the Zhu Family Village has always been untrustworthy. They tricked Master Li into a meeting, but then poisoned him with poison. They went back on their word and were two-faced. This is not the behavior of an upright man, and they are hard to trust!”

"This……"

Yang Zhi's words left Zhu Long speechless, because it was indeed their Zhu Family Village that had done it, no doubt about it, and they couldn't refute it. It was perfectly reasonable for them not to believe in your credibility!

"However, our Chief Li has also suggested a solution. If your Zhu Family Village can prove your sincerity, Chief Li is willing to consider it. Other matters can be discussed further!"

Yang Zhi, nicknamed "Blue-Faced Beast," changed his tone, giving Zhu Long a glimmer of hope. Full of anticipation, Zhu Long asked, "What does Chief Li mean? If the Zhu Family Village can do it, we will do it without hesitation!"

Zhu Long initially thought that Li Hanxiao might be trying to extort more money and food from them. These were all material possessions, and as long as Zhu Family Village could recover, these things would be returned in a year or two, allowing them to prepare for war and take revenge on Liangshan Marsh.

It's like King Goujian of Yue enduring hardship and humiliation; he had to ensure his own survival before he could talk about anything else.

"Our chieftain said that if you can release Hu Taigong and Hu Cheng, whom you have imprisoned, as a sign of sincerity, then we can continue to talk!"

Yang Zhilang said in a loud voice.

"This... I'm afraid it won't work..."

Zhu Long looked troubled. He never expected Li Hanxiao to make such a request. Naturally, they could not agree. Keeping Hu Taigong and Hu Cheng around would be of great importance. At critical moments, they could restrain the Hu family's forces. For the Zhu family, they were no less important than a life-saving charm.

"No, fine! As the saying goes, 'Man is the butcher, I am the fish.' Your Zhu Family Village is now the fish on the chopping block, yet you are so defiant. Master Lu, please lead your troops to the front!"

Yang Zhi changed the subject, his tone becoming much sharper.

"Brothers! Charge with me!"

"The Flowery Monk" Lu Zhishen swung his iron staff, the iron rings on it clanging. Zhu Long looked at the iron staff, which weighed at least 60 pounds, if not 70 pounds, and didn't have the courage to confront it head-on. So he stretched out his hand and shouted, "Stop!"

"Since you're unwilling to show sincerity, why wait any longer! Let's go!"

Yang Zhi spoke with unwavering resolve, completely ignoring Zhu Long's attempt to stop him.

"kill!"

Before Zhu Long could continue speaking, the "flowery monk" Lu Zhishen charged over like a madman, wielding his iron staff.

"Quick! Raise the suspension bridge!"

Zhu Long shouted urgently, his voice becoming hoarse. If Lu Zhishen led his army into Zhu Family Village, everything would be over!

"Commander Yang! Wait! Wait! Let me go back and discuss this with my father for a moment before we fight!"

Zhu Long nearly vomited blood from shouting, and Yang Zhicai stopped the eager Di Quan from saying, "Lu Zhishen, the Flower Monk."

"You only have half an hour. If there are no results within half an hour, the entire Zhu Family Village will be wiped out!"

After saying this, Yang Zhi suddenly realized that it was actually quite nice not having to bow and scrape before treacherous officials, especially the feeling of speaking tough words. It was really great!

Zhu Long hurriedly found Zhu Chaofeng and asked what to do.

"Father, Yang Zhi and Lu Zhishen are both men of unparalleled strength. I can't beat them. Even if I weren't injured, I still wouldn't be a match for them. Let's just release the old man Hu and Hu Cheng!"

Zhu Long said anxiously.

Zhu Chaofeng seemed to have discovered something and said to Zhu Long, "Eldest brother, Dad has figured it out. Do you know why that treacherous Li Hanxiao wants us to release the Hu family father and son first?"

"Why?"

Zhu Long looked at his father with a puzzled expression.

"Isn't it simple? Li Ying sent that bitch Hu Sanniang to Liangshan Marsh to ask for help. Li Hanxiao saved Li Ying because they had a long-standing relationship. Li Ying is extremely wealthy and must have given Li Hanxiao countless riches. But what does Hu Family Village have? Can it make Li Hanxiao help them take back the village and demand people?"

Zhu Long seemed to understand what his father meant, "You mean Li Hanxiao and Hu Sanniang..."

"It's those two sluts! Hu Sanniang must have already given herself to Li Hanxiao and become his woman before she went to Liangshan. Otherwise, she would have lost her manor and had nothing left. Why would she ask Li Hanxiao to send troops to help her? Is Li Hanxiao some kind of fool who is so eager to help others?"

After hearing what Zhu Chaofeng said, Zhu Long nodded. That was indeed the most likely scenario and it explained Li Hanxiao's behavior.

"Now, the Hu family father and son, one is his father-in-law and the other is his brother-in-law. He was afraid that these two would be killed in our hands, so he demanded them first. Biao'er was cuckolded out of thin air!"

Zhu Chaofeng pounded his cane on the ground repeatedly, angrily cursing Hu Sanniang and Li Hanxiao as a pair of adulterous lovers.

"Father, this is not about being cuckolded. We need to save his life first. It's not impossible for our third son to marry a princess in the future. So, are you going to release him or not?"

Zhu Long asked.

"I won't let him go! If Li Hanxiao dares to attack my Zhu Family Village, I'll kill his father-in-law and uncle!"

Zhu Chaofeng slammed his cane on the ground in a huff and said indignantly.

Zhu Long looked helpless at his father's stubbornness. "Father, Liangshan is now strong and well-equipped, with many experts. My third brother and Teacher Luan are also surrounded by them. It doesn't matter if you don't release them, but our Zhu family will perish together. If my third brother and I die, the Zhu family will be wiped out!"

Upon hearing his eldest son's words, Zhu Chaofeng sighed repeatedly, finally saying helplessly, "We are at their mercy, like fish on a chopping board. When has my Zhu Family Village ever suffered such humiliation? Fine, release them, release them!"

Zhu Chaofeng shed two lines of tears in humiliation and then remained silent. Zhu Long went to the prison and brought out Hu Taigong and his son Hu Cheng, taking them to the suspension bridge at the village entrance.

"Commander Yang, I have brought the person here!"

Zhu Long shouted loudly.

Fearing they might be using fakes to fool people, Yang Zhi, nicknamed "Blue-Faced Beast," asked the guards of the nearby Hu Family Manor, "Are these two your manor lords?"

"Reporting to my lord, it is indeed my master and his eldest son!"

"Very well! If the Zhu family is truly sincere, then please invite the two of you over!"

Zhu Long personally untied Hu Taigong and Hu Cheng. The father and son had been locked up in prison and were still in a daze when they saw this scene with so many people.

"Now that Chief Li of Liangshan is your son-in-law, please say a few good words for him when you go back!"

Zhu Long, adhering to the principle of making amends whenever possible, said a few kind words to the Hu family father and son.

However, this directly shocked the Hu family father and son.

"A son-in-law destined for greatness?"

"Master of Li Village in Liangshan Bo?"

This amount of information was far too much for Hu Taigong and Hu Cheng, who had just been released from prison. Not only could they not accept it all at once, but it would probably take them a while to even understand it.

The father and son were whispering and plotting as they crossed the suspension bridge.

"Father, my sister married the leader of Liangshan Marsh? How did this happen?"

Hu Cheng asked in confusion.

Old Master Hu, a shrewd and experienced man, looked at the imposing army surrounding the Zhu Family Village and seemed to guess what was going on. He muttered, "I know. The Zhu Family Village must be too powerful. Your sister couldn't save us, so she went to a strong and well-equipped place, surrendered herself to them, and exchanged soldiers for our rescue. My poor daughter..."

Thinking of this, Old Master Hu couldn't help but shed two lines of tears.

Hu Cheng looked at the Liangshan troops and said, "Father, the Liangshan Marsh has so many troops, much stronger than the Zhu Family Village, at least stronger than Zhu Biao?"

"Pah! They have bandits in their hands. Besides, we don't know anything about Li Hanxiao—whether he's tall or short, fat or thin, old or young. What if he's not good enough for your sister? Wouldn't that ruin her life?"

Old Master Hu's sentiments were entirely the result of a loving father's affection for his daughter, and came from the bottom of his heart...

"May I ask who the hero is...?"

Hu Taigong and Hu Cheng arrived at the front of Liangshan Marsh and began to question Yang Zhi.

"The old man and his son have suffered. My chieftain and Miss Hu are waiting behind us. Please come and meet them!"

Upon hearing this, the Hu family father and son thought to themselves that this was the son-in-law meeting his father-in-law and brother-in-law, so they followed the instructions of the henchmen and walked to the back of the formation.

After Li Hanxiao sent someone to inform Yang Zhi about the replacement, he and "One-Zhang-Qing" Hu Sanniang went to the front of the Zhu Family Village to wait, hoping that the Hu family father and son would be released so that Hu Sanniang's family could meet them.

"father!"

When Hu Sanniang saw her father and brothers, she was overjoyed and burst into tears.

When Old Master Hu saw that Hu Sanniang was not wearing red and was only dressed in ordinary clothes, his heart sank. He thought to himself that this was probably not a formal marriage, but a concubine taking her as a concubine. Otherwise, why wouldn't she be wearing a red dress? He was displeased...

Li Hanxiao also stepped forward to pay his respects, saying, "Old Master Hu, Brother Hu Cheng, you've suffered. I am Li Hanxiao, the master of Liangshan!"

Hu Taigong was originally expecting Li Hanxiao to pay respects to his "father-in-law," but seeing that Li Hanxiao showed no intention of bowing, he thought that Li Hanxiao was arrogant. After all, Li Hanxiao had a strong army and his strength was undeniable, so it was normal for him to look down on his father-in-law.

Hu Taigong thought to himself, "So be it. What does it matter if I lose face for my daughter?" So he said, "I dare not, I dare not. Thanks to my son-in-law, my son and I were able to see the light of day again. I should kowtow to my son-in-law!"