CCWAD – Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Wind Rises at Liangshan

Prologue:

“I personally mixed the secret letter exposing the truth of the amnesty into Lu Junyi’s family letter, and watched the messenger ride away from the Eastern Capital. I knew that when this letter reached Liangshan, both Song Jiang and Lu Junyi would be caught in the storm I stirred.”

—

The turmoil within the Grand Canal Transport Gang and the subsequent act of turning the tables allowed Yan Qing to establish a foothold in the clandestine affairs of the Eastern Capital. Tong Guan’s secret envoy was no longer arrogant, but instead approached with a cautious probing. Li Shishi was quite satisfied with this outcome, but the solemnity in her brows did not diminish in the slightest.

“Tong Guan is an old and cunning fox. Temporary concessions do not mean surrender,” she said, fingering a white jade chess piece and gently placing it on the board. “We must make Liangshan see the truth before he can regroup.”

The opportunity soon arrived. On this day, a trusted messenger sent by Lu Junyi reached the Eastern Capital, bringing not only routine greetings but also a family letter with slightly hurried handwriting. The letter, in addition to inquiring about Yan Qing’s “injuries,” also revealed deep-seated worries:

“…The stronghold has been rather uneasy lately. Brother Song Jiang has been meeting with several officials from the capital in secret, always discussing matters of amnesty but remaining vague with the brothers. Yesterday, after drinking, he even uttered words like ‘submit early and gain titles for wife and heirs.’ Although Scholar Wu has tried his best to mediate, brothers like Li Kui and Wu Song are already showing impatience, and Instructor Lin has also repeatedly inquired about your news from my brother… Little Yi, if you hear any whispers in the capital, please inform me quickly. The survival of Liangshan is at stake, please do! ”

From the words, Yan Qing could feel Lu Junyi’s suppressed unease. This usually steady sworn brother was clearly troubled by Song Jiang’s eagerness for amnesty and the increasingly tense atmosphere within the stronghold.

“It’s time,” Li Shishi said, a decisive glint in her eyes after reading the letter. “This anxiety is precisely the crack we need.”

For the next three days and nights, Yan Qing remained indoors. She not only had to reply to Lu Junyi’s ordinary greetings but also meticulously craft the secret letter that would change Liangshan’s fate.

She first wrote a routine reply in delicate handwriting, detailing the progress of her “medical treatment” in the Eastern Capital, her tone light, even mentioning a few interesting anecdotes from Bianliang. However, at the end of the letter, she subtly added a sentence: “I happened to receive guidance from Imperial Physician Chen of the Imperial Hospital, who said that brother’s injuries require a ‘calming and serene’ prescription, and one must never, like certain nobles in the capital, be constantly worried about ‘amnesty and rewards,’ which would damage one’s foundation.”

This seemingly casual hint was, in fact, a prelude to the subsequent secret letter.

The real killer blow was another secret letter written with special ink. Yan Qing repeatedly pondered the wording, needing to maintain a tone of righteous indignation while ensuring that every accusation struck at the core:

“Brother, please see: I write this at the risk of my life! I recently learned from a secret friend in the Ministry of War that the so-called amnesty is actually a poisonous scheme! The court plans to: once the amnesty is successful, immediately transfer our Liangshan troops, some to defend against Xia in the northwest, and some to conquer Fang La in the south. This is called great use, but in reality, it is using a borrowed knife to kill. The leaders will either be given nominal positions with disguised demotions, or reasons will be found to deal with them to eliminate future troubles. This is the established plan of treacherous officials like Tong Guan and Cai Jing, with irrefutable evidence! The officials Song Jiang has been meeting recently are mostly here for this purpose. I hope my brother will be vigilant and absolutely must not let the brothers fall into this abyss of eternal damnation! I am in the Eastern Capital, worrying day and night, wishing I could grow wings and fly back to discuss major plans with my brother. This matter is absolutely true, and I am willing to stake my head as a guarantee!”

As she wrote with passion, Yan Qing’s brush tip almost pierced the paper. She recalled the heroism in the Hall of Righteous Gathering at Liangshan, the kindness Lu Junyi had shown her, and even more so, the determination in Li Shishi’s eyes when she showed her scars. All these intertwined, making her words exceptionally powerful.

After the secret letter was written, she treated it with a special solution. Once dry, the writing disappeared, leaving it indistinguishable from ordinary white paper. She then placed this “white paper” within the reply letter to Lu Junyi, marking the envelope with a code only they understood.

When the messenger came to collect the reply, Yan Qing specifically called him into the inner chamber, dismissing the attendants.

“You must deliver this letter to Master Yuan in person,” she said, pointing to the marked envelope, her expression more solemn than ever. “You must remember: this letter concerns the lives and fortunes of tens of thousands of brothers at Liangshan. Even with a knife to your throat, you must never let it fall into the hands of a second person!”

The messenger, intimidated by the sternness in her eyes, quickly knelt and swore an oath: “Little Yi brother, rest assured, I will risk my life to deliver this letter to Master Yuan!”

Watching the messenger disappear into the bustling streets of the Eastern Capital, Yan Qing stood alone in the courtyard for a long time. The warm early summer breeze rustled the crabapple trees in front of the courtyard, scattering their blossoms. Yet, she felt a chill run through her entire body. With this letter sent, the world of Liangshan would surely change, and she was the one who stirred the winds of change.

“Are you regretting it?” Li Shishi’s voice came from the corridor.

Yan Qing turned and saw her leaning against a pillar, her plain white sleeves fluttering in the wind.

“It’s not regret,” Yan Qing shook her head gently. “I just remember the happy times in Liangshan Marsh, drinking wine from large bowls and eating meat with the brothers. With this letter sent, those days are probably gone forever.”

Li Shishi walked closer and stood beside her. “In times of chaos, where is there true happiness? Even your Liangshan Marsh, were you not forced to become outlaws? If you seek true freedom, you must completely overturn this corrupt world.”

Three days later, the messenger arrived at Liangshan. Everything happened as Yan Qing had predicted. When Lu Junyi used the special solution to reveal the writing on the secret letter, the usually steady Jade Qilin was enraged on the spot, smashing the tea table beside him with a single punch.

That night, the Hall of Righteous Gathering was brightly lit. Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, Wu Yong, and the other leaders gathered. When Lu Junyi read Yan Qing’s secret letter aloud, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

“Nonsense!” Li Kui was the first to leap up, slamming his double axes onto the ground. “How dare the imperial dogs treat us Liangshan like this! Brother Song Jiang, I, Iron Ox, am the first to disagree with this amnesty!”

Wu Song sneered: “A fine ‘borrowed knife to kill’! A fine ‘cook the rabbit to kill the hunting dog’! If it weren’t for Little Yi brother risking his life to send this letter, we would all have become fish on their chopping block!”

Lin Chong remained silent for a long time, then slowly stood up: “Brother, if this letter is true, then amnesty is indeed a dead end.”

Even Chai Jin, who had always supported amnesty, showed a doubtful expression: “If the court truly intends to offer amnesty, why would they resort to such trickery?”

Song Jiang’s face turned ashen, his knuckles white as he gripped the armrest of his chair. Wu Yong lightly fanned himself, his gaze sweeping over everyone’s faces, finally landing on Lu Junyi: “Master Yuan, does Little Yi’s letter have any concrete proof?”

Lu Junyi said in a deep voice: “Little Yi has been navigating many difficulties in the capital, even being ambushed and seriously injured because of it. Would the message he risked his life to send be false? Moreover, what is stated in the letter aligns perfectly with the words and actions of those officials recently, leaving us no choice but to believe it!”

These words were like the final hammer blow. The leaders who already harbored doubts about the amnesty expressed their opposition, and even some moderates began to waver. The Hall of Righteous Gathering erupted in righteous indignation, and the cry of “Oppose Amnesty” grew louder and louder.

Song Jiang looked at the incensed crowd and knew that the matter of amnesty could no longer proceed. He sighed deeply and waved his hand wearily: “Since that is the case, the matter of amnesty will be discussed later.”

This meeting, which lasted until dawn, completely changed the direction of Liangshan. And Yan Qing, far away in the Eastern Capital, when she received Lu Junyi’s brief reply, “Letter received, brother knows, be careful in all matters,” knew: the wind at Liangshan had already begun to blow.

“Next,” Li Shishi picked up the teapot and poured Yan Qing a cup of fresh tea, “it’s time to make this wind blow even stronger.”

Amidst the swirling tea steam, Yan Qing seemed to hear the distant rumble of thunder.

—

(End of Chapter Twenty-Four)