Chapter 113: The River-Taming Dragon Forms a Small Alliance on Lake Tai; Song Jiang Holds a Grand Assembly at Suzhou

Chapter 113: The Mixed-River Dragon Forms a Fraternal Bond at Lake Tai; Song Jiang, Lord of the Clear Winds, Holds a Grand Assembly at Suzhou

At that time, the generals rescued Song Jiang, and after a long while he regained consciousness. He said to Wu Yong and the others, "We definitely will not be able to subdue Fang La this time! Since crossing the river, things have gone so poorly that we have lost eight of my brothers in succession." Wu Yong urged, "Commander, do not speak such words, for fear of shaking the army's morale. When we first broke through the Great Liao, all the officers, great and small, returned safely to the capital—that was Heaven's will. This time we have lost brothers, but it is due to each one's allotted lifespan. Look—since crossing the river, we have taken three major prefectures in a row: Runzhou, Changzhou, and Xuanzhou. This is all due to the Son of Heaven's boundless good fortune and the commander's tiger-like might. How can you say things are not going well? Why does the vanguard lose heart?" Song Jiang said, "Although Heaven's will is nearly exhausted, I think of the one hundred and eight men, who correspond to the stars in the sky and match the astronomical records—brothers as close as hands and feet. Hearing such grievous news today, I cannot help but grieve." Wu Yong again urged, "Commander, please do not fret, and do not harm your precious health. For now, arrange to dispatch troops to support the attack on Wuxi County." Song Jiang said, "Keep Lord Chai here to accompany me. Also, write a military dispatch and have Secretary Dai deliver it to reply to Vanguard Lu, ordering him to advance and attack Huzhou, so that we may rendezvous at Hangzhou early." Wu Yong had Pei Xuan write the reply, which was sent with Dai Zong to Xuanzhou. This matter is set aside for now.

Now, Lü Shinai, escorting Xu Ding, fled back to Wuxi County, where they met the relief troops sent by the Third Prince of Suzhou. The leader was the Six-Army Commander Wei Zhong, who brought a dozen subordinate officers and ten thousand troops to rescue Changzhou. They combined forces and held Wuxi County. Lü Shumi recounted how Jin Jie had surrendered the city. Wei Zhong said, "Shumi, relax your mind. I will surely retake Changzhou." Then a scout reported, "Song Jiang's forces are approaching; we must prepare early." Wei Zhong mounted his horse and led his troops out the north gate to meet the enemy. He saw that Song's army was vast, with Li Kui the Black Whirlwind at the fore, leading Bao Xu, Xiang Chong, and Li Gun charging straight in. Wei Zhong lost his nerve, and before his forces could form ranks, they were routed. As he hastily withdrew into Wuxi County, the four men followed close behind his horse and burst into the county office. Lü Shumi fled through the south gate. Guan Sheng, leading his troops, had already taken Wuxi County. Wei Zhong and Xu Ding also fled through the south gate, all returning to Suzhou. After taking the county, Guan Sheng sent a fast rider to report to Vanguard Song Jiang. Song Jiang and all the leaders arrived at Wuxi County, posted proclamations to pacify the local people, restoring them to good citizen status, and stationed the main army in the county. They then sent word requesting Generals Zhang and Liu to garrison Changzhou.

Meanwhile, Lü Shumi, together with Wei Zhong and Xu Ding, led the defeated remnants of their forces and rushed to Suzhou City to plead for help from the Third Prince, reporting that Song's army was too numerous and powerful to resist, that their troops swept in like a rolled mat, and that they had thus lost the city. The Third Prince flew into a rage and ordered his guards to take Lü Shumi out and behead him. Wei Zhong and the others pleaded, "The officers under Song Jiang's command are all seasoned warriors, many of them fierce and highly skilled. Moreover, his infantry are all former bandits from Liangshan Marsh, most of them battle-hardened, making them hard to withstand." Fang Mao said, "I'll spare your head for now. Give you five thousand troops, and go out on patrol first. I will dispatch major generals myself, who will follow to reinforce you." Lü Shinai bowed in gratitude, donned his armor fully, grasped his eight-foot serpent spear, mounted his horse, and led the troops out of the city first.

Now, the Third Prince gathered his eight battle-tested generals, known as the Eight Galloping Steeds, each of them tall, strong, and skilled in martial arts. The eight were:

Flying Dragon General Liu Yun, Flying Tiger General Zhang Wei,

Flying Bear General Xu Fang, Flying Leopard General Guo Shiguang,

Flying Sky General Wu Fu, Flying Cloud General Gou Zheng,

Flying Mountain General Zhen Cheng, Flying Water General Chang Sheng.

At that moment, the Third Prince Fang Mao personally donned his armor, grasped his square-tipped halberd, mounted his horse, and rode out to array his central army for battle. In front of his horse stood the eight generals in a line, behind them were a full twenty to thirty deputy generals, leading fifty thousand Southern troops. They marched out through the Chang Gate to meet Song's army. The vanguard, Lü Shinai, with Wei Zhong and Xu Ding, had already passed Hanshan Temple and were advancing toward Wuxi County. Song Jiang, having sent scouts to learn this, led many of his principal and subordinate officers, moved his forces out of Wuxi County, and advanced over ten li. The two armies met, their banners and drums within sight, and each formed their battle array. Lü Shinai, nursing his anger, spurred his horse, brandished his spear, and personally rode out to challenge Song Jiang. Song Jiang, from beneath his command banner, turned and asked, "Who dares to take this villain?" Before he finished speaking, Xu Ning the Golden Spear raised his golden spear, urged his horse forward to the front, and engaged Lü Shumi. The two officers fought, with their respective sides shouting encouragement. After about twenty exchanges, Lü Shinai showed an opening, and Xu Ning stabbed him in the ribs, knocking him from his horse. Both armies shouted as one. Li Kui the Black Whirlwind, swinging his double axes, Bao Xu the Gate-God Spirit with his flying dagger, and Xiang Chong and Li Gun each wielding their spears and shields, charged across the field, throwing the Southern army into chaos.

Song Jiang drove his troops in pursuit, slaughtering as they went, until they met Fang Mao's main force. Both sides used arrows to hold their positions and formed their arrays. On the Southern side, the eight generals lined up in a row. Fang Mao, from his central position, heard that Lü Shumi had been killed and was furious. He brandished his halberd, rode out, and cursed Song Jiang loudly: "You are nothing but a gang of thieving bandits from Liangshan Marsh! The Song dynasty is doomed, but they made you a vanguard to invade my territory. Today I will slaughter every last one of you before I stop!" Song Jiang pointed at him from his horse and said, "You are nothing but a bunch of village bumpkins from Muzhou! What great fortune do you have to dream of becoming king and lord? Better surrender quickly and spare yourself death! The imperial army has arrived, yet you dare to resist with glib talk! If I do not wipe you all out, I swear I will not turn back!" Fang Mao shouted, "Let's not waste words! I have eight fierce generals here. Do you dare to send eight men to fight?" Song Jiang laughed and said, "If I were to double up on you, that would not show prowess. Send out your eight, and I will send out eight of my top generals to match skills and decide victory. But any who are knocked from their horses shall be carried back to their own sides. No hidden arrows are allowed, nor seizing of corpses. If no decision is reached, there will be no melee; we will fight again tomorrow." Fang Mao agreed and ordered his eight generals out, each with their weapons, spurring forward. Song Jiang said, "Let our generals engage with cavalry." Before he finished, the eight rode out: Guan Sheng, Hua Rong, Xu Ning, Qin Ming, Zhu Tong, Huang Xin, Sun Li, and Hao Siwen. From Song Jiang's side, the command banners parted, and from left and right, eight top generals rode out, straight to the front. On both sides, the flower-drum boomed, colored banners waved, a signal cannon was fired, and with shouts of encouragement from the armies, sixteen horsemen charged out together, each seeking an opponent to fight in pairs. How could the sixteen officers be distinguished as they paired off in combat! Guan Sheng fought Liu Yun, Qin Ming fought Zhang Wei, Hua Rong fought Xu Fang, Xu Ning fought Wu Fu, Zhu Tong fought Gou Zheng, Huang Xin fought Guo Shiguang, Sun Li fought Zhen Cheng, and Hao Siwen fought Chang Sheng. Truly, it was indescribable; one could only see:

Dust rose in chaos, murderous energy spread. Each man wanted to be Nezha, each strove to be Jingde. Thirty-two arms, like weaving shuttle and silk; sixty-four hooves, like wind-chasing hailstones. Pennants intermingled, hard to tell red, white, blue, or yellow; weapons clashed, impossible to distinguish spears, swords, halberds, or blades. Watching the swirling smoke, it was truly like the revolving lanterns at the Lantern Festival.

These sixteen fierce warriors were all heroes, exerting themselves to the utmost. After more than thirty exchanges, one of the generals tumbled from his horse. Who was the victor? It was Zhu Tong, the Beautiful Beard, who pierced Gou Zheng with his spear and knocked him down. Both sides sounded the gongs to recall their troops, and the seven pairs of generals separated. Each side returned to their own formation.

The Third Prince Fang Mao, seeing he had lost a general, thought it unfavorable and led his troops back into Suzhou City. That day, Song Jiang urged his forces forward and made camp at Hanshan Temple. He rewarded Zhu Tong. Pei Xuan wrote the official report and submitted it to Recruiter Zhang. This matter is set aside for now.

Meanwhile, King Fang Mao withdrew his troops into the city, held the defenses without sallying out, and assigned his generals to guard each gate. They planted deep chevaux-de-frise, set up crossbows and hard bows on the walls, prepared rolling logs and stone missiles, melted metal in the watchtowers to pour as hot liquid, and stacked lime pots along the parapets, all to secure a firm defense of the city.

The next day, seeing that the southern army had not come out to fight, Song Jiang took Hua Rong, Xu Ning, Huang Xin, and Sun Li, leading over thirty cavalrymen, to inspect the city. Observing that Suzhou’s walls were surrounded by waterways and the fortifications were strong, he thought to himself, “It will be hard to breach this city in a hurry.” Returning to camp, he consulted with Wu Yong on a strategy to attack. Someone reported: “The water force leader, Li Jun, has come from Jiangyin to see the chief commander.” Song Jiang ordered him brought into the tent. Upon seeing Li Jun, Song Jiang asked for news along the coast. Li Jun replied: “Since receiving orders to command the water forces, together with Shi Xiu and others, I fought our way to Jiangyin, Taicang, and other coastal areas. The defending general, Yan Yong, and his deputy, Li Yu, led out their water force ships to give battle. Yan Yong was stabbed into the water from his ship by Ruan Xiao’er, and Li Yu was shot dead by random arrows. Thus, we took Jiangyin and Taicang. Now Shi Xiu, Zhang Heng, and Zhang Shun have gone to attack Jiading, and the three Ruan brothers are attacking Changshu. I have come specially to report the victory.” Song Jiang was overjoyed, rewarded Li Jun, and ordered him to go to Changzhou to see the two Imperial Commissioners Zhang and Liu, delivering the official report.

Li Jun went straight to Changzhou, where he saw Imperial Commissioner Zhang and Commander Liu, reporting in detail the recovery of Jiangyin, Taicang, and other island areas, and the killing of the rebel generals Yan Yong and Li Yu. Imperial Commissioner Zhang gave him a reward and ordered him to return to Song Jiang’s headquarters to await further orders. Li Jun returned to the camp at Hanshan Temple to see Song Jiang. Because Song Jiang saw that the waters outside Suzhou were broad and that a battle with water force ships would surely be necessary, he kept Li Jun there. He ordered him to prepare the boats and get ready for action. Li Jun said: “Allow me to go and examine the width of the water and how to deploy troops before deciding on a plan.” Song Jiang agreed. After two days, Li Jun returned and said: “This city’s south side lies close to Lake Tai. I am thinking of preparing a boat, entering the small harbor at Yixing, and sneaking into Lake Tai. Coming out from Wujiang, I can scout the southern situation. Then we can advance and attack from all sides to break through.” Song Jiang said: “Brother, your words are very sound, but you have no deputy to go with you.” He then sent Li Ying with Kong Ming, Kong Liang, Shi En, and Du Xing to Jiangyin, Taicang, Kunshan, Changshu, and Jiading to assist the water forces in recovering the coastal counties, and to replace Tong Wei and Tong Meng, who would then come back to help Li Jun. Li Ying took the military orders, bid farewell to Song Jiang, and set off for Jiangyin with the four officers. Within two days, Tong Wei and Tong Meng returned and paid their respects to Song Jiang. Song Jiang comforted them and ordered them to follow Li Jun on a small boat to scout the southern situation.

Li Jun then took Tong Wei and Tong Meng, launched a small skiff, and with two sailors at the oars, the five of them headed straight into the small harbor at Yixing. Winding and twisting, they entered Lake Tai. Looking at the lake, it was indeed a vast expanse of water and sky, with ten thousand acres of blue waves. It was as if:

Sky merged with distant waters, waters merged with distant sky; high and low, the watery reflections were spotless, the heavenly light above and below was limpid and clear. Pairs of wild egrets flew in, breaking the emerald glass surface; flocks of light gulls startled up, parting the blue jade ripples. Spring light undulated, the watery ripples wrinkled like fish scales; summer rains poured, the rolling waves surged like silver houses. Autumn moonlight was bright, golden snakes of light slithered on the billows; winter snow fell thickly, jade butterflies filled the heavens and earth. Chaos had split open the cave of primal force, and the water god alone occupied the crystal palace. A poem bears witness:

The watery waves gently stirred, white gulls flew;

Green and pure, the spring water was deep enough to dye clothes.

Those coming from south, going north, naturally aged;

The setting sun often sent fishing boats home.

At that moment, Li Jun, along with Tong Wei, Tong Meng, and two boatmen, steered a small skiff straight for Lake Tai, gradually drawing near Wujiang. From afar, they spotted a cluster of fishing boats, about forty or fifty in number. Li Jun said, "Let’s pretend we want to buy fish and go there to gather information." The five of them rowed right up to the fishing boats. Li Jun asked, "Fisherman, do you have any big carp?" The fisherman replied, "If you want big carp, come to my house and I’ll sell them to you." Li Jun steered the skiff, following those few fishing boats. Before long, they gradually arrived at a place. Looking around, they saw weeping willows on all sides, and amidst the hedges were over twenty households. The fisherman first tied up his boat, then led Li Jun, Tong Wei, and Tong Meng ashore, going into a farmstead. As soon as they stepped through the gate, the man coughed once, and eight or nine big men sprang out from both sides, all wielding grappling hooks. They hooked Li Jun and the other two together and dragged them straight into the manor; without asking any questions, they tied all three to wooden stakes. Li Jun looked around and saw four gallant men sitting in the thatched hall. The leader had a red beard and yellow hair, wearing a blue silk padded jacket; the second was tall and lean with a short beard, wearing a black-green collared cotton shirt; the third had a dark face and a long beard; the fourth had a bony face, broad cheeks, and a fan-shaped beard; the latter two both wore blue padded jackets. On their heads, each wore a black felt cap, and weapons leaned beside them. The leader shouted at Li Jun, "You fellows, where are you from? What are you doing in this lake area?" Li Jun replied, "I’m from Yangzhou, here on business, specifically to buy fish." The fourth, the bony-faced one, said, "Brother, don’t bother asking him. Clearly, he’s a spy. Just take out his heart and liver to go with our wine." Hearing this, Li Jun thought to himself, "I’ve been a private trader on the Xunyang River for many years and played the gallant on Liangshan Marsh for a few more. I never thought I’d lose my life here today! Enough, enough, enough!" He sighed and looked at Tong Wei and Tong Meng, saying, "Today I’ve implicated you two brothers. As ghosts, we’ll go together!" Tong Wei and Tong Meng said, "Brother, don’t say that. Even if we die, it’s enough; but dying here buries your reputation." The three looked at each other, bared their chests, and awaited death. The four gallant men, however, gazed at them for a while, then exchanged glances and said, "This leader must not be an ordinary man." The leading gallant then asked, "Who exactly are you three? You can state your names and let us know." Li Jun replied, "If you want to kill, kill; we won’t tell you our names even in death, to avoid being mocked by other heroes!" Hearing this, the leader jumped up, took a knife, cut all the ropes, and freed the three men. The four fishermen helped them into the house and invited them to sit. The leader kowtowed and bowed, saying, "We’ve been bandits all our lives, but we’ve never seen such righteous characters! Good men, where exactly are you three elder brothers from? I’d like to know your great names and surnames." Li Jun said, "Clearly, you four elder brothers must be heroes. I’ll tell you, and you can take us three wherever you want. We are deputy commanders under Song Gongming of Liangshan Marsh. I am ‘Hunjiang Long’ Li Jun. These two brothers: one is ‘Chudong Jiao’ Tong Wei, and the other is ‘Fanjiang Shen’ Tong Meng. Now that we’ve received the imperial amnesty, we’ve just broken the Liao kingdom, returned to the capital with the army, and now received orders to subdue Fang La. If you are under Fang La, you can take us three to claim a reward; don’t think we’ll resist!" Hearing this, the four kowtowed and bowed, kneeling together and saying, "Our eyes were blind, not recognizing Mount Tai. Just now we offended you; don’t blame us! Don’t blame us! We four brothers are not under Fang La. We originally made a living in the greenwoods, and now we’ve found this place, called Yuliu Village, surrounded by deep waterways that can only be entered by boat. We four rely on fishermen as informants to make a living on Lake Tai. Recently, over the winter, we’ve all learned some water skills, so no one dares to invade. We’ve long heard of your Liangshan Marsh’s Song Gongming gathering heroes from all over, as well as your brother’s great name, and also heard of ‘Langli Baitiao’ Zhang Shun. We never thought we’d meet you today!" Li Jun said, "Zhang Shun is my brother, also a water force commander in the same unit. He’s now in the Jiangyin area, capturing rebels. Another day, I’ll bring him to meet you. I’d like to ask for your four great names." The leader said, "Because we’ve moved among the greenwoods, we all have nicknames. Brother, don’t laugh! I am ‘Chixu Long’ Fei Bao; one is ‘Juanmao Hu’ Ni Yun; one is ‘Taihu Jiao’ Bu Qing; and one is ‘Shoulian Xiong’ Di Cheng." Hearing these four names, Li Jun was overjoyed and said, "From now on, you all need not be suspicious. Happily, we are one family! My elder brother Song Gongming is the main vanguard for subduing Fang La. He’s about to attack Suzhou but has no foothold yet, so he specially sent us three to scout the path. Now that we’ve met you four heroes, you can come with me to see our vanguard, and we’ll all secure you official posts. Once Fang La is subdued, the court will promote you." Fei Bao said, "Allow me to reply: If we four wanted official posts, we could have been commanders under Fang La long ago. So we don’t wish to be officials; we only seek enjoyment. If you, brother, need our help, we’ll go through water or fire; but if you talk about securing us official posts, we truly don’t want them." Li Jun said, "Since that’s the case, how about we become sworn brothers here?" The four heroes were overjoyed and had a pig and a sheep slaughtered, set out wine and a feast, and swore brotherhood with Li Jun as the elder. Li Jun had Tong Wei and Tong Meng also join the oath.

The seven of them discussed in Yuliu Village the matter of Song Gongming’s plan to take Suzhou. "Fang Mao refuses to come out and fight. The city is surrounded by water on all sides, with no way to attack. The boats and waterways are narrow, hard to confront. How can we break the city like this?" Fei Bao said, "Brother, rest easy and stay for a couple of days. From time to time, men under Fang La come to Suzhou from Hangzhou on official business. We can take advantage of the situation to take the city by strategy. I’ll send a few fishermen to scout. If anyone else comes, we’ll devise a plan." Li Jun said, "That’s an excellent idea!" Fei Bao then sent a few fishermen off first, while he and Li Jun drank wine at the village every day. After staying there for two or three days, the fishermen returned and reported, "At Pingwang Town, there are a dozen cargo boats, each with a yellow flag at the stern, reading ‘Made for the Prince’s Palace Armor.’ Clearly, they’re sent from Hangzhou. Each boat has only five or seven men." Li Jun said, "Since we have this opportunity, I hope you brothers will help." Fei Bao said, "We’ll go right away." Li Jun said, "But if even one man escapes from those boats, this plan will fail." Fei Bao said, "Brother, rest assured. It’s all on me." He then gathered sixty or seventy small fishing boats. Each of the seven heroes took one boat, and the rest were fishermen, each hiding weapons. They all went from small channels into the main river, spreading out to support each other. That night, the stars and moon filled the sky, and the ten official boats were all moored in front of the Dragon King Temple east of the river. Fei Bao’s boat arrived first, and suddenly a signal whistle sounded. The sixty or seventy fishing boats all converged, each pulling up alongside the large boats. The men on the official boats scrambled out, but were quickly caught by grappling hooks, three or five tied together in a string. Those who jumped into the water were also hooked and pulled onto the boats. The small boats all secured the official boats, and they were all moved into the depths of Lake Tai. By the time they reached Yuliu Village, it was already the fourth watch. The miscellaneous men were all tied in a string, weighted with large stones, and thrown into Lake Tai to drown. They captured two leaders for questioning; they turned out to be warehouse officials under Fang Tianding, the Southern Peace King and eldest prince of Fang La in Hangzhou, who had been ordered to escort three thousand sets of newly completed iron armor for delivery to the Third Prince Fang Mao in Suzhou. Li Jun asked their names, took all the relevant official documents, and then killed the two warehouse officials. Li Jun said, "I must go myself to discuss this with my elder brother before we can proceed." Fei Bao said, "I’ll send someone by boat to take you, brother, through the small channels to the front lines, which is closer and more convenient." He then called two fishermen to row a fast boat to take him out. Li Jun instructed Tong Wei, Tong Meng, and Fei Bao to temporarily hide the armor and boats secretly in the harbor behind the village, letting no one know. Fei Bao said, "No problem." He then went to arrange the boats.

Li Jun and the two fishermen took a fast boat straight into the small harbor, rowing to the front lines at Hanshan Temple to go ashore. They arrived at the camp, saw Song Jiang, and detailed everything that had happened. Wu Yong was overjoyed upon hearing this and said, “If that’s the case, Suzhou city can be taken easily! Please, Commander-in-Chief, issue the order immediately to send Li Kui, Bao Xu, Xiang Chong, and Li Gun with two hundred shield-bearers to follow Li Jun back to the Taihu Lake village. There, with the four heroes—Fei Bao and the others—they will lay the plan as discussed, setting out the next day.” Li Jun received the command, led the group to the Taihu Lake shore. The three of them crossed the lake first, then used boats to ferry Li Kui and the rest over to Yuliu Village. Li Jun brought Li Kui, Bao Xu, Xiang Chong, and Li Gun to meet Fei Bao and the others. When Fei Bao saw Li Kui’s fierce appearance, he was startled. They entertained the two hundred men with food and drink at the village. On the third day, after the group had finalized their plans, Fei Bao disguised himself as the official in charge of armor and uniforms, while Ni Yun posed as the deputy. Both wore Southern army uniforms and carried all necessary credentials. The fishermen dressed as boatmen and sailors on official vessels, hiding the two hundred officers and soldiers, including Li Kui, in the ship’s hold. Bu Qing and Di Cheng guarded the rear boat, all carrying incendiary devices. Just as they were about to act, another fisherman reported, “There’s a boat on the lake, rocking back and forth.” Li Jun said, “What trickery is this?” He hurried to see for himself and spotted two men standing at the boat’s prow—it was Dai Zong and Ling Zhen. Li Jun gave a whistle, and the boat sped toward the village. When it reached the shore, they came ashore and greeted each other. Li Jun asked, “Why have you two come? What news do you have?” Dai Zong said, “Brother sent Li Kui in a hurry, but we forgot one crucial matter. He specifically sent me and Ling Zhen with a hundred signal cannons in the boat. We couldn’t catch up on the lake, and we dared not approach the shore here. He instructed you to enter the city at the fifth watch tomorrow. Once inside, set off these hundred cannons as a signal.” Li Jun said, “Excellent!” They moved the cannon crates and stands from the boat into the armor vessel. When Fei Bao learned that Dai Zong had arrived, they prepared another feast to entertain him. Ling Zhen’s ten artillerymen were also hidden in the third boat. That night at the fourth watch, they left the village for Suzhou, arriving outside the city walls after the fifth watch. The gate guards on the wall saw the Southern army flags and urgently reported to the gate general, the Flying Leopard General Guo Shiguang. He personally came up to the wall to question the junior officer, received the credentials, and hoisted them up for inspection. After reviewing them, Guo Shiguang sent someone to the palace of the Third Prince to verify the documents. Another official was dispatched to monitor them before allowing entry. Guo Shiguang sat directly by the water gate and ordered another inspection of the boats. They were fully loaded with armor and uniforms, so each boat was allowed in one by one. After ten boats had entered, the water gate was closed. The monitoring official sent by the Third Prince, along with five hundred soldiers, followed on the shore and ordered the boats to halt. Li Kui, Bao Xu, Xiang Chong, and Li Gun emerged from the hold. When the monitoring official saw these four with their rough, ugly appearances, he hastily demanded to know who they were. But Xiang Chong and Li Gun had already raised their shields and hurled knives, cutting down the official from his horse. The five hundred soldiers tried to board the boats, but Li Kui drew his twin axes, leaped onto the shore, and in a flash killed over a dozen of them. The remaining five hundred soldiers fled. The heroes from the boats and the two hundred shield-bearers all came ashore and set fires. Ling Zhen set up the cannon mounts on the bank, brought out the signal cannons, and fired over a dozen in quick succession. The blasts shook even the city towers, and the shells struck everywhere inside. The Third Prince, Fang Mao, was in his residence discussing matters when he heard the continuous cannon fire. He was terrified, his soul nearly leaving his body. The generals guarding the gates, hearing the incessant explosions within the city, each led their troops toward the city center. Reports flew in from every gate: Southern soldiers had been shot dead by crossbow bolts, and Song forces had already taken the walls. Suzhou city erupted in chaos; no one knew how many Song troops had entered. Li Kui and Bao Xu, with their two shield-bearers, rampaged through the city, cutting down Southern soldiers. Li Jun and Dai Zong, with Fei Bao and his three companions, protected Ling Zhen as he continued firing cannons. Song Jiang had already dispatched three army columns to attack the city. The Song troops poured in, and the Southern army scattered, each soldier trying to save himself. As for the Third Prince, Fang Mao, he hastily saddled his horse, donned his armor, and led five or seven hundred armored cavalry, trying to fight his way out through the south gate. But he ran straight into Li Kui’s group, and the armored cavalry was cut down, scattering in all directions. From a small alley, Lu Zhishen burst out, swinging his iron staff. Fang Mao could not withstand the assault. Alone, he spurred his horse and turned back toward his residence. At Wuque Bridge, Wu Song emerged, caught up with him, and with one stroke cut off the horse’s legs. Fang Mao tumbled off, and Wu Song struck again, beheading him. He took the head straight to the main camp to present it to the commander and claim merit. By then, Song Jiang had already entered the city and taken his seat in the prince’s palace. He ordered all the generals to search the city and kill the remaining Southern soldiers, capturing them all. Only Liu Yun escaped, leading some defeated remnants toward Xiuzhou. A poem testifies: The sacred vessel of power should never be seized by force; how could a usurper’s title ever bring peace? Wu Song, standing on his horse, slew Fang Mao, leaving a lesson for the violent and wicked.

Song Jiang, seated in the prince’s palace, issued orders forbidding harm to the common people. He had the fires extinguished everywhere and posted proclamations to reassure the populace. Then he gathered all the generals to report their merits. He learned that Wu Song had killed Fang Mao, Zhu Tong had captured Xu Fang alive, Shi Jin had captured Zhen Cheng alive, Sun Li had whipped Zhang Wei to death, Li Jun had speared Chang Sheng, Fan Rui had killed Wu Fu, and Xuan Zan and Guo Shiguang had fought fiercely, wounding each other and both dying beneath Yima Bridge. The others had captured junior officers and brought them forward to claim rewards. When Song Jiang saw that Xuan Zan had fallen, he grieved deeply. He ordered an ornate coffin to be prepared and sent to the foot of Huqiu Mountain for burial. Fang Mao’s head, along with Xu Fang and Zhen Cheng, were sent to the headquarters of Commissioner Zhang to be dealt with. Commissioner Zhang had Xu Fang and Zhen Cheng publicly executed by dismemberment, and sent Fang Mao’s head to the capital. He also sent back many rewards to be distributed among the generals in Suzhou. Commissioner Zhang issued official documents requesting that Liu Guangshi be stationed to guard Suzhou, while ordering Song Jiang to advance along the route and capture the remaining rebels. A scout reported, “Supervisor Liu and Counselor Geng are coming to guard Suzhou.” That day, all the generals followed Song Jiang to welcome Liu Guangshi and the other officials into the city and settle them in the prince’s palace. After the formal greetings, Song Jiang and his generals returned to the prefectural office to discuss matters. They sent someone to inquire about the coastal naval commanders. Soon, a report came that, upon hearing of Suzhou’s fall, the rebels in various coastal counties had scattered and fled, leaving the remote maritime regions entirely pacified. Song Jiang was overjoyed. He filed a report to the headquarters announcing the victory, requesting that Commissioner Zhang reinstate former officials and assign new central army commanders to guard and pacify each area. He also recalled the naval commanders and their subordinate officers to Suzhou for reassignment.

Within a few days, the commanders and other officials each departed for their posts. The naval commanders all returned to Suzhou, reporting that the three Ruan brothers, while attacking Changshu, had lost Shi En, and while taking Kunshan, had lost Kong Liang. Shi Xiu, Li Ying, and the others had all returned. Shi En and Kong Liang, unfamiliar with swimming, had fallen into the water and drowned. When Song Jiang saw that two more generals had fallen, he was deeply troubled and sighed endlessly. Wu Song, recalling their past bonds of loyalty, also wept bitterly.

As for Fei Bao and his three companions, they came to bid farewell to Song Jiang and return home. Song Jiang earnestly tried to keep them, but they insisted. He rewarded them generously and ordered Li Jun to escort them back to Yuliu Village. Li Jun, along with Tong Wei and Tong Meng, accompanied Fei Bao and the others to the village. Fei Bao again prepared wine and a feast to entertain them. During the drinking, Fei Bao rose and offered a toast to Li Jun, speaking some words that would lead Li Jun to leave the central plains and establish a new foundation beyond the borders. Truly: One sheds the shell to attain freedom and destiny; one achieves fame and success as a fish transforms into a dragon. What exactly did Fei Bao say to Li Jun? Listen to the next chapter for the explanation.