Water Margin: From a White-Robed Scholar to Donning the Yellow Robe

Chapter 112 Inscription of a Poem at Xunyang Tower

After chatting warmly with Li Jun for a while, Wang Lun turned his attention to the group of people behind Li Jun.

Li Jun quickly introduced the people behind him, in order: Li Li, the Judge of Death; Zhang Heng, the Boat Fire; Zhang Shun, the White Stripe in the Waves; Mu Hong, the Unobstructed; and Mu Chun, the Little Obstructed.

Wang Lun quickly clasped his hands in greeting to everyone, especially since, as a time traveler, he knew that Zhang Heng, Zhang Shun, and Mu Hong were all among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, and thus possessed extraordinary abilities.

Wang Lun naturally valued such a capable person highly.

The group put the two tables together and sat around them.

Before long, Wu Song and Lu Zhishen, two men with an enormous capacity for alcohol, became acquainted with Li Jun's group. That's how it is among江湖 (jianghu) men; as long as the other party is a hero, a few bowls of wine and they can immediately become sworn brothers.

After drinking for a while, Li Jun asked about the purpose of the conversation, and Wang Lun gave a brief explanation.

Upon hearing that it was Dai Zong, the "Divine Traveler," who had gone to Liangshan to seek help, and that Wang Lun had actually sent three groups of men to rescue Song Jiang, Li Jun was both surprised and delighted, exclaiming that Wang Lun was "righteous."

Everyone came to rescue Song Jiang, and Wang Lun, being the leader of Liangshan, brought three groups of people. Li Jun and the others naturally said they were willing to follow Wang Lun's orders.

Wang Lun laughed and said, "Rescuing Song Jiang is a matter of great importance, and we dare not fail. There are only ten of us in my party. The main reason is that with Brother Li Jun and the other brothers here, according to the original plan, Dean Dai should have already led Brothers Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu from Liangshan into Jiangzhou by now."

Li Jun knew that Dai Zong possessed the ability to travel at lightning speed and was also serving in Jiangzhou, making him extremely familiar with the city. With Dai Zong leading people to Jiangzhou as an inside agent, Li Jun was naturally very at ease.

Wang Lun asked, "The two brothers just mentioned that Brother Li Jun plans to sell his property, rescue Song Jiang, and then go to Liangshan together?"

Li Jun quickly said, "Please forgive us, Chieftain. We made this decision without consulting you beforehand."

Wang Lun laughed and said, "It is my blessing and Liangshan's blessing that you brothers have thought of joining us. We couldn't be happier with your joining us."

The leaders then bowed again in unison, all saying, "Greetings, Chief."

Even though they hadn't actually arrived at Liangshan, they were already considered members of Liangshan.

Wang Lun laughed and said, "Since this is all a misunderstanding, we will continue on to Jiangzhou. Brother Li Jun can sell his property as planned, and then we will meet in Jiangzhou. We will make a big scene and turn Jiangzhou upside down."

After everyone had made their decision, they continued drinking at the restaurant.

After everyone had drunk their fill of wine and were quite drunk, Wang Lun taught everyone to arm wrestle to liven things up. Wu Song single-handedly defeated Tong Wei, Tong Meng, Mu Hong, and Mu Chun, winning easily each time.

Everyone present was skilled in martial arts and considered a master in the Luzhou area, but they were no match for Wu Song in terms of strength.

After a brief period of excitement, everyone dispersed, and Wang Lun and his group continued their journey south.

Fueled by the alcohol, we walked for half a day, visiting famous historical sites along the way.

Lu Zhishen was a soldier from the Northwest, and Wu Song and Zhao Si had lived in the Shandong area for many years. They had never seen the scenery of Jiangnan.

It's June or July now, and the Jiangnan region is in full bloom.

After a long and enjoyable journey, we finally arrived in Jiangzhou.

The five entered Jiangzhou City and found it to be even more prosperous than Luzhou, far surpassing Jizhou in scale.

The group strolled around for a while, and then walked to a building. Looking up, they saw that it was Xunyang Tower.

Wang Lun laughed and said, "What a coincidence! Song Jiang wrote a rebellious poem here, and now we've arrived at this place as well. Let's go up and take a look."

The group went upstairs, and the bartender, seeing that they were three Taoist priests and a fat monk, knew that the Taoist priests were not to be trifled with and served them attentively.

Wang Lun casually ordered a few dishes and then asked, "May I ask, did a man named Song Jiang write a rebellious poem here a few days ago?"

The bartender was startled and quickly lowered his voice, saying, "That's right. I didn't know his name was Song Jiang. I only knew he was a short, fat, dark-skinned man who drank alone. I was the one who served him the food and drinks that day. I never expected him to write a rebellious poem, which almost killed me. It's infuriating!"

Wang Lun laughed heartily and said, "Such a clever trick! Where is his rebellious poem? Was it destroyed?"

The bartender led Wang Lun and the others to a white wall, where they saw many people had inscribed poems on it. After looking at them for a while, Wang Lun saw that some were well-written and others were very poorly written. He couldn't help but shake his head and say, "Writing such badly, it's utter nonsense, yet they still inscribed it on this white wall. Aren't they afraid of being laughed at?"

The bartender smiled ingratiatingly and said, "What are you saying, sir? How could we dare to refuse a guest who wants to compose a poem? Besides, our manager only knows a few characters; how would he know whether it's good or bad?"

Wang Lun looked around and finally saw the words "Song Jiang of Yuncheng". He immediately laughed and said, "Oh my, here it is. Song Jiang has quite the handwriting."

The crowd gathered around and saw that it read: "From childhood I studied the classics and history, and in adulthood I possessed both cunning and strategy. Like a fierce tiger lying in a desolate hill, I concealed my claws and endured hardship. Unfortunately, I was branded on both cheeks, and I was exiled to Jiangzhou. If I can avenge my wrongs in the future, I will stain the mouth of the Xunyang River with my blood."

Lu Zhishen sneered, "A fierce tiger lies on a desolate hill, its blood staining the mouth of the Xunyang River. What a boastful tone."

Wu Song said, "Brother Gongming is a very good person. Back when I was at Master Chai's mansion, I was fortunate enough to receive his care, and I have always been grateful to him."

Lu Zhishen then stopped talking.

Wang Lun knew that Wu Song was a man of honor, and Wu Song would naturally not forget Song Jiang's help. Although Wang Lun had also been kind to Wu Song, it was still unknown in Wu Song's heart whether Wang Lun or Song Jiang was more important.

This is also one of the reasons why Wang Lun came to rescue Song Jiang. If he didn't, Wu Song, Chao Gai, and others might become disloyal to him.

Further down, there are four lines of poetry written by Song Jiang: "My heart is in Shandong, my body in Wu, drifting on the rivers and seas, sighing in vain. If I one day achieve my lofty ambitions, I dare to laugh at Huang Chao for not being a true man."

Wang Lun laughed and said, "If he ever achieves his lofty ambitions, he will dare to laugh at Huang Chao for not being a true man. This is exactly the line. If Huang Wenbing sees it, he will know that Song Jiang wrote a rebellious poem."

Gongsun Sheng laughed and said, "Brother, aren't you also good at writing poetry? Why don't you write one too?"

The bartender was immediately alarmed: "Master, please don't write any more rebellious poems, or my life will be in danger!"

Wang Lun's heart stirred. Xunyang Tower was very famous, and Jiangzhou had always been prosperous and wealthy. Since he was here, he should leave a piece of calligraphy.

He ordered Zhao Si to bring wine, drank a few cups, and then thought of a poem. He then ordered the bartender to bring pen and ink, and said with a smile, "This poem of mine will definitely not harm you, so you can rest assured."

Right next to the poem written by Song Jiang, Wang Lun picked up his brush and wrote four lines. His brushstrokes were unrestrained and elegant, and the characters were like dragons and snakes dancing, full of momentum.

The group went to look and saw that it read: "Heroes rise and fall with the times, once you enter the world of martial arts, years fly by. Imperial ambitions and great achievements are discussed in jest, nothing beats a good drink in this mortal world."

The bartender was puzzled, unsure if it was a seditious poem, so he looked at Gongsun Sheng. He looked him over and over, and apart from Wang Lun, Gongsun Sheng seemed the only cultured person there.

Gongsun Sheng knew the bartender's intentions and laughed, "This poem says that fame, fortune, and imperial ambitions are nothing but a joke. What he really cares about is a great crime he committed with great gusto. It shows a carefree and detached attitude, and has nothing to do with anti-Chinese poetry."

The bartender was finally relieved.