Water Margin, Volume Two, page 39
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movement was being done, he found brigands on both his flanks. The girl Miss Hu and her followers returned, and were now attacking his army in the rear. His men could not stand the attack on three sides, and they soon broke into disorder, and galloped off in all directions. As he neared his camp he found his way blocked by Li K'wei and his men. General Li Cheng signaled for a charge, and his men bore down on Li K'wei's body of men, and dividing, it cut their way through. Upon caching their camp he realized that he had lost a good number of his men. The brigands however did not advance any further, and so the battle came to a halt.
When Liang, the grand secretary, heard of the defeat he immediately ordered General Wen Ta to take the reserve of soldiers to support General Li Cheng. Upon reaching the camp Li Cheng met Wen Ta, and after discussing the position asked for the latter's opinion.
General Wen Ta I laughed and replied, "It is only like a painful sore, and is of no importance." They however discussed their plans for the following day, and came to an agreement.
Early the next morning rations were served to the troops, and after breakfast orders were issued for a general advance, and they had just got moving when the brigands appeared in the distance also marching towards them. General Wen Ta gave orders for the troops to halt, and open out, and for bows and arrows and spears to be ready. The brigands also halted, but a horseman rode forth with a red flag bearing the characters "Chin Ming." He pulled up his horse just in front of the imperial troops, and shouted out, "Let covetous and corrupt officers from Ta Ming Fu listen to me! For a long time I have planned to attack your town, but deferred doing so because I did not wish to injure the common people there. But if you will now release Lu Tsun-i and Shih Hsiu, and hand over the adulterer and adulteress we will at once retire, without any further fighting. If, however, you are stubborn and will not listen to this proposal then tell me so at once."
General Wen Ta was angry at this, and turning round to his men asked, "Who will volunteer to go out and attack that fellow?"
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Before he had finished saying this So Ch'ao galloped forward to fight. Halting he called out to Chin Ming, "You were previously in the imperial army, and you were not ill treated. So why are you now a brigand instead of being a loyal man? To-day I will capture you, and cut you up into small pieces."
At this Chin Ming was wild with rage, and raising his spiked mace, dashed forward. So Ch'ao did likewise. Their horses took their riders, temper, and were also keen for the fray. The assembled troops cheered at the sight. The two fought for about twenty bouts without either gaining any advantage. Among the brigands was the leader Han Tao who shot an arrow which struck So Ch'ao in the shoulder, and as the latter could no longer wield his battle-ax he turned his horse and retreated.
Sung Chiang seeing this signaled the order for a general advance, and then began a great battle. Blood was flowing over the ground like water. The imperial troops gave way, and being again defeated retreated to their camp. They further retreated to the second camp at the Flying Tiger Gully. There Wen Ta found that he had lost about one third of his men.
Sung Chiang halted his men at the first camp, and discussed matters with Wu Yung who said, "The troops have been defeated a second time so that their morale will be weak just now. We must seize this opportunity for a further attack, before they have had time to recover." Sung Chiang agreed to this, and issued orders at once for a general attack that very night.
General Wen Ta was resting, and meditating in his tent that night when a soldier reported to him that there was a big fire on the east. General Wen Ta immediately mounted his horse, and riding forward he saw all the hills and plains to the east were lit up. Looking round he now saw that to the west of his camp it was also ablaze with lights. He returned to camp, and saw that the brigands were advancing on both sides. He was very much upset, and had no definite plan of defense. The brigands approached with great noise. The imperial troops were restless, and were evidently on the point of decamping, but they were now quite surrounded. General Wen Ta
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had decided to cut a way through with his men, but just then the brigands opened fire upon them. He could not control his men any longer as they were in great disorder. He therefore spoke to General Li Cheng to get a few men together, and then with a sudden rush they broke through the cordon of brigands, and so escaped. This remnant of the imperial troops reached Ta Ming Fu just after daybreak.
When Liang, the grand secretary, heard of the disaster he felt as though he had lost two of his three souls. He hurriedly ordered all the remainder of his troops to rescue. When the defeated troops had all entered the town he ordered that all the gates be closed, and the wall strongly defended.
The following day the brigands approached and encamped outside the East Gate.
The grand secretary summoned a conference of all officials to discuss means of defending the town. At the meeting General Li Cheng spoke, "The brigands are just outside the town, and we are in great danger. If we are not careful the town will soon be taken. Sir, you should write a personal note to Ts'ai, the imperial tutor explaining our position, and asking for immediate relief. Send this by a very trusty and confidential servant this very night. Secondly, you should dispatch urgent letters to all the surrounding towns asking for support. Thirdly, you should issue a proclamation in this town appealing to every man to join in the defense of the town. They must prepare logs of wood and stone to hurl at the enemy; arm themselves with crossbows and stiff bows; get bottles of powder and lime dust, vile smelling manure; and take guard both night and day. It we do this at once we may be able to hold out for some time."
"I can write all the dispatches you refer to," said the grand secretary, "but who can face the danger outside and get through?"
Lieutenant Wang Ting volunteered to do this, and that night he left with the confidential dispatches. He was successful, and reaching the nearest town he delivered the messages, and had them sent to all the surrounding towns. He himself went on to the Eastern Capital with the important dispatch.
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On the other hand, Sung Chiang divided his men and besieged the town on three sides, but he left the South Gate open intentionally. He also ordered for supplies to be sent from Liang Shan Po as he was uncertain how long the attack would last. He was however determined to continue his attack until both Lu Tsun-i and Shih Hsiu were rescued.
Every day General Li Cheng and Wen Ta led some of his soldiers outside the town to skirmish with the brigands but could not succeed.
Wang Ting quickly reached the Eastern Capital and delivered the confidential dispatches to Ts'ai, the royal tutor. The latter was astonished at the news, and questioned Wang Ting closely. Wang Ting told the whole story of Lu Tsun-i, and explained in detail how the imperial troops had been defeated by the brigands.
The royal tutor then told him to go and take rest after his tiresome journey, while he would discuss the matter with the other ministers. Ts'ai Ching then summoned all the ministers to assemble in the privy chamber to discuss urgent matters. It was not long before all were assembled, and then Ts'ai Ching, the royal tutor, explained what had happened at the Northern Capital (Ta Ming Fu). He asked, "What can be done to relieve the town and defeat the brigands?"
The ministers looked at each other in a helpless air, but nobody spoke. A man however stepped forward from behind the seat occupied by the commander of the infantry. He was Hsuan Tsan, captain of the bodyguards. His face was dark, and had a snub nose. His hair was curly, and his moustache was red. He was very tall, and was armed with a steel sword. During a war against a Mongol tribe he had distinguished himself as a skillful bowman, and the prince was so pleased with his skill that he had been given the prince's daughter in marriage. But the girl had not loved him, and as she had died after a short term of married life he had fallen into disfavor with the prince who had given him a minor military position as captain in a cavalry regiment. For this reason he gained the nickname of "Disgraceful Son-in-law." He now addressed Ts'ai Ching, the royal tutor, "When I lived at home I knew a man named Kuan Sheng, who is a descendant of the famous general
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of the Three Kingdoms, Kuan Kung. His manner and form carries a close resemblance to his ancestor and always carries a long-handled sword. Because of this he is called, Kuan Sheng, the Big Sword. He is in charge of a police force at Pu Chou in Shansi province, and is well known for his military skill. Nobody can beat him, and he is quite fearless. If presents were made to him and he was promoted to some responsible position in the army, I think lie could exterminate the brigands and make the country safe."
Ts'ai Ching was much pleased at this suggestion, and at once commissioned Hsuan Tsan, the Disgraceful Son-in-law, to send a dispatch to Kuan Sheng and bring him to the Eastern Capital (Kaifeng) without delay.
We need not go into many details, but will just say that Hsuan Tsan duly carried out his orders, and quickly reached Pu Chou. He was gladly welcomed by Kuan Sheng who had not seen him for a long time. When Hsuan Tsan had delivered his message Kuan Sheng was highly delighted at the news. He then introduced him to his best friend, Hao Ssu-wen, and told him the story of Hao's birth. "Hao Ssu-wen's mother dreamt that a star (Ching Mu Han) descended and entered her womb. Soon afterwards a son was born once he was called Hao Ssu-wen, with the nickname Ching Mu Han. He is well skilled in military drill, but so far has no opportunity of proving his ability, and lives an insignificant life here." Kuan Sheng proposed to take Hao Ssu-wen with him to fight against the brigands. This was agreed to, and they set out that night for the Eastern Capital. Their arrival was reported to Ts'ai Ching, the royal tutor, who invited them to enter. They all three entered the hall and saluted. Ts'ai Ching was pleased with Kuan Sheng's appearance, and asked for his age. Kuan Sheng replied that he was thirty-two years old. Ts'ai Ching then explained the position at the Northern Capital (Ta Ming Fu) and asked if he had any suggestions to make.
"I have long heard," said Kuan Sheng, "that those brigands occupy Liang Shan Po and make disturbances in the surrounding country. For the first time, however, they now leave their base far behind so I think we can easily
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defeat them. However, it would be useless to rescue Ta Ming Fu with a large force. I beg you to give me ten thousand soldiers to capture Liang Shan Po first, and by cutting off their base we can early arrest the brigands.
Ts'ai Ching was very much pleased at this, and said, "That is the same method that was used in rescuing the Kingdom of Chao by besieging the capital of the Kingdom of Wei. I agree with your plans." He then summoned the privy councilors, and explaining the plan got three armies placed under the command of Kuan Sheng. An immediate start took place, and the armies went straight to Liang Shan Po
When dragons leave their home i'th sea;
They cannot fly i'th clouds;
When tigers come down to the plain,
Of what use are their claws;
While yearning for the harvest moon,
The pearls in the tray are stolen.
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CHAPTER 63
HUYEN SHO LURES KUAN SHENG IN THE MOONLIGHT;
SUNG CHIANG ARRESTS SO CH'AO IN A SNOWSTORM
At Ta Ming Fu the bandits attacked the town every day, but the government troops inside dared not sally forth for combat. So Ch'ao had not yet recovered from the arrow wound, and could not take part in the fighting.
Sung Chiang was disappointed at the delay in taking the town, and one night he was sitting in his tent reading by candlelight the Divine Books he had received from the Taoist Goddess, when his orderly entered and said that Wu Yung wished to see him.
When Wu Yung entered he said, "We have been besieging this town for a long time, and it is strange that no troops have come to relieve the town. We know that three horse man left the town, and I expect they carried dispatches asking for help. As Liang, the grand secretary, is son-in-law to Ts'ai Ching, the royal tutor, the latter must send relief at once. But as no troops have arrived here it is possible that they have gone to Liang Shan Po, and are adopting the military strategy as used in saving the Chao by besieging the capital of the Wei. In that case, what shall we do? That is a possibility which we must not overlook. Would it not be better if we quietly sent some of our men back?"
Just then Tai Tsung, the Flying Prince, came in and spoke, "A large army of imperial troops have arrived at Liang Shan Po, in charge of General Kuan Sheng. Our leaders there cannot decide as to what should be done, but they ask you at least to send some men back to relieve the assault."
"Though this is the position," said Wu Yung, "we must not send all our men back at once. To-night we can order our foot soldiers to start off on the return journey. The cavalry
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must be left here, and be so divided up that the enemy will not notice our reduced numbers. If the imperial troops in the town find out our position they would renew their attacks with greater vigor."
"What you say is quite true,” said Sung Chiang. He gave orders that Hwa Jung should take charge of five hundred men and encamp on the left of the Flying Tiger Gully, while Lin Ch'ung should encamp on the right-hand side of the same village with another five hundred men. Huyen Sho should post his artillery about three miles from the town, and in case of any attack from the government troops he must at once open fire. All the other men must disperse, and return individually to Liang Shan Po, and were not to fight with any imperial troops they might meet on the way. This movement took place secretly in the night, and by about 10 a.m. the following morning most of the brigands were quietly making their way towards Liang Shan Po.
But the troops inside the town discovered the movement of the brigands, and Liang, the grand secretary, was duly informed of this, and be summoned his two generals for a conference.
I think that this movement indicates that the imperial troops are attacking Liang Shan Po," said General Li Cheng, "and this has forced the brigands to withdraw their men from here. We must embrace this opportunity to attack them and capture Sung Chiang."
Just at this point a messenger arrived with a dispatch from the royal tutor at the Eastern Capital stating that an attack was being made upon Liang Shan Po, and that if the brigands withdrew from Ta Ming Fu the troops in the town should immediately attack them. Liang, the grand secretary, therefore ordered his generals to pursue the brigands.
The imperial troops shortly afterwards left the town for an assault, but when they had only gone a short distance they were fired upon by artillery at their rear. At this generals Wen Ta and Li Cheng were surprised and called a halt. Looking back they saw numerous flags flying, and heard many drums and gongs sounded as though there were many brigands there. While they were still wondering what to do they were attacked from two sides by the
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brigands in charge of Hwa Jung and Lin Ch'ung. General Li Cheng was afraid of a trap, and gave, orders for a retreat to the town. The attack was so fierce, however, that the troops were just able to reach the town gates in the nick of time.
The brigands who were on their way to Liang Shan Po found their roads blocked by imperial troops, and could not reach their destination. So Sung Chiang collected them together in a secluded place, and sent a messenger secretly to Liang Shan Po informing them where he was, and giving orders for a joint attack to be made from both sides.
At Liang Shan Po Chang Heng and Chang Shun were in charge of a fort on the bank of the lake. When Sung Chiang's order was made known Chang Heng spoke to his brother, "We have been here a long time, but so far have had no chance of doing anything. Now General Kuan Sheng's army is approaching by three roads to attack us. How would it be if we attack his camp and capture the general himself? Then our reputation would be much enhanced."
"We are only in charge of this fort," replied Chang Shun, "and if we do not get help from the other leaders we should be in great disgrace if we lost."
"If we are so circumspect, what day can we achieve a meritorious deed?" said Chang Heng. "You need not take part in this. I will do it by myself this very night."
Chang Shun remonstrated with his brother without effect. That night Chang Heng took fifty boats, with five men on each armed with bamboo poles, spears, and swords, and clad in light short clothing. It was a cold frosty night with very little moonlight. The boats were taken across the lake and the men disembarked.
It was about 11 p.m. and General Kuan Sheng was reading a book in his tent. One of his scouts entered, and reported that many boats had just come across the lake, and that the men were now making their way through the reeds and grasses towards the camp. General Kuan Sheng smiled at this, and turning to his adjutant spoke quietly some secret word.
Chang Heng and big two hundred and fifty men made stealthy progress through the reeds towards Kuan Sheng's
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camp and removed sundry obstacles placed there as part of the defenses of the camp. In the camp they saw the general's tent, well lighted by lamps, and the general himself reading a book and stroking his beard. Chang Heng saw no soldiers about, so he ran forward with his long spear in his hand. He had not gone into the tent when a gong was sounded, and there was such an outburst of shouting that it seemed as though both heaven and earth were falling to pieces. Chang Heng was alarmed, and turned to retreat. But it was too late. He was seized, and also all his men were surrounded and captured. They were all taken before General Kuan Sheng who laughed when he saw them. "You rabble of brigands! How dare you visit me like this?" He ordered Chang Heng to be placed in a prisoner's cart and the rest to be put under guard.
