CCWAD – Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Tongue War in the Hall of Righteous Gathering

Prologue:

“When I laid bare the truth about the amnesty in the Hall of Righteous Gathering, Song Jiang slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, ‘Yan Qing, you are ruining Liangshan’s future!’ I calmly produced the tiger tally and replied, ‘Brother, I am finding a way for Liangshan to survive.'”

—

The confrontation on Golden Sand Beach was like throwing a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pan; the entire Liangshan Marsh erupted. The news of Yan Qing holding the tiger tally and declaring a desire to “forge a new world” spread like wildfire to every corner of the stronghold. From the water forts to the land encampments, from the cavalry to the infantry, tens of thousands of brothers were whispering amongst themselves, discussing this earth-shattering announcement.

As night fell, the Hall of Righteous Gathering was filled to capacity with one hundred and eight seats occupied. The thick tallow candles illuminated the hall as bright as day, yet they could not pierce the complex expressions on everyone’s faces. Yan Qing stood in the center of the hall, feeling the weight of gazes from all directions – Lu Junyi’s eyes held worry and support, Li Kui’s eyes showed confusion and struggle, Wu Song’s eyes were filled with scrutiny and contemplation, and in Song Jiang’s eyes, suppressed anger burned.

“Xiao Yi.” Song Jiang finally spoke, his voice terrifyingly low, “What you said on Golden Sand Beach, does it hold true? Are those documents all genuine?”

Yan Qing cupped his hands, his voice clear and resonant, “Every word is true, every character is verified. I am willing to stake my life on it.”

“Good!” Song Jiang suddenly slammed his hand on the armrest and rose abruptly, “Then tell all the brothers, what do you mean by ‘forge a new world’ that you spoke of on Golden Sand Beach today? Are you saying you want tens of thousands of Liangshan brothers to rebel with you?”

These words were heavy, the word “rebel” striking everyone’s heart like a thousand-pound hammer. The hall fell into a deathly silence, the crackling of the candle flames clearly audible.

Yan Qing, however, remained unhurried. He took a map from his sleeve and unfurled it for all to see. It was a meticulously drawn map of the empire, with key locations marked in vermilion.

“Brother Gongming speaks too harshly,” her voice was steady, “The new world I speak of is not rebellion, but finding a true path to survival for Liangshan.”

She pointed to Liangshan Marsh on the map, “Brothers, please look. Our Liangshan is strategically located, controlling the Grand Canal transport. We can advance north to Hebei and south to Jiangnan. Why does the imperial court insist on an amnesty? Not out of kindness, but because they cannot eliminate us!”

“Nonsense!” Dong Ping slammed his hand on the table, “The imperial army numbers a million strong; eradicating us would be as easy as flipping a hand!”

“Is that so?” Yan Qing raised an eyebrow, ” Then why did Tong Guan’s three encirclements fail? Why did Cai Jing send secret envoys for an amnesty? Brother Dong Ping, you have served in the army for many years, are you truly unaware of the court’s true state?”

Dong Ping was momentarily speechless. When he was a general in Dongping Prefecture, he had indeed known the internal details of the court’s inflated troop numbers and lax discipline.

Yan Qing ignored him and continued pointing at the map, “Brothers, please look again. The Great Song is currently facing internal and external threats. The Jin in the north are watching covetously, Fang La in the south is powerful, and the Western Xia in the northwest frequently invades our borders. The court is surrounded by enemies, and only now do they remember us at Liangshan. They don’t want an amnesty; they want us to be cannon fodder!”

She turned to Qin Ming, “Commander Qin, when you were a general in Qingzhou, were you aware of the treatment of border troops? A border soldier’s annual pay is barely ten strings of cash, and it’s deducted at every level. If they die in battle, the compensation is less than five strings. Such a court, is it worth loyalty?”

Qin Ming’s face darkened, but he did not retort.

“As for suppressing Fang La in Jiangnan,” Yan Qing’s voice rose, “Why could Fang La rally so many people? Because the common folk of Jiangnan could no longer live! The Flower and Rock Network, the Birthday Tribute – how many families were driven to ruin? If we go to suppress Fang La now, what difference are we from those corrupt officials who incited rebellion among the people?”

These words struck a chord with many. Lu Zhishen suddenly slapped his bald head, “When I was at the Grand Protector’s Monastery, I saw too many commoners forced to sell their children due to the Flower and Rock Network! Such a court is indeed not worth loyalty!”

Wu Song also spoke coldly, “When I was in Yanggu County, I personally witnessed how villains like Ximen Qing colluded with the authorities and caused my elder brother’s tragic death. Such a court indeed chills the heart.”

Seeing the murmurs in the hall, Wu Yong lightly fanned himself and slowly said, “Brother Xiao Yi speaks with reason. However, rebellion is ultimately a crime punishable by extermination of the clan. We must consider our families, old and young.”

“Scholar speaks the truth,” Yan Qing was prepared, “Therefore, what we seek is not rebellion, but negotiation!”

“Negotiation?” Everyone in the hall was stunned.

“Precisely,” Yan Qing’s eyes were sharp, “We must make the court understand that Liangshan is not a band of outlaws, but a force they must acknowledge. What we negotiate is not amnesty, but cooperation!”

She produced a document, “This is the ‘Liangshan Peace Accord Terms’ that I have drafted. First, Liangshan will maintain its independence and will not be subject to imperial dispatch; Second, the court must acknowledge Liangshan’s jurisdiction over the eight hundred li of the marsh; Third, Liangshan is willing to defend against foreign enemies for the court, but must retain the right of autonomy; Fourth…”

“Absurd!” Song Jiang could no longer contain himself and interrupted sternly, “How could the court agree to such terms?”

“They must agree!” Yan Qing did not back down, “Because we hold leverage that they cannot afford to refuse!”

She produced the bronze tiger tally again, “This tiger tally can mobilize not only the three hundred cavalry of the Yang family. The one hundred thousand members of the Grand Canal Transport Gang, the salt smugglers of Jiangnan, and the righteous men within the northwestern border armies are all willing to advance and retreat with Liangshan!”

These words were like thunder, silencing the entire Hall of Righteous Gathering. Even Lu Junyi stared at Yan Qing in shock, never expecting that in just a few months in Tokyo, she had managed to build such a vast network of influence.

“Your… where did these connections come from?” Wu Yong asked in a deep voice, his eyes flashing with keenness.

Yan Qing met his gaze frankly, “While recuperating in Tokyo, I met many like-minded individuals. Some were harmed by corrupt officials, some had seen through the court’s corruption, and all were willing to lend a hand to Liangshan.”

She surveyed everyone, her voice ringing out, “Brothers, we are not rebelling; we are creating a new situation! We want to make the court understand that this realm does not belong to their Zhao family alone, but to all the people! We want to fight for justice for the common folk and forge a righteous future for ourselves!”

“Well said!”

A clear female voice suddenly came from outside the hall. Everyone looked towards the sound and saw Yang Bamei, dressed in military attire, striding into the hall with her silver spear. Behind her were several unfamiliar men, their cheekbones prominent, clearly masters of their craft.

“Yang Bamei?” Song Jiang frowned, “What is this…”

“This humble one, Yang Bamei, has come to pledge allegiance to Liangshan!” Yang Bamei cupped her fists in greeting, her gaze like lightning, “My Yang family, full of loyal martyrs, what did we receive in return? Suspicion, exclusion, and being discarded like worn-out shoes after the hare is dead! Such a court is not worth loyalty!”

She walked to Yan Qing’s side and struck her silver spear on the ground, “I am willing to lead the Yang family’s old contingent of three hundred elite cavalry to follow Brother Yan Qing and forge a great enterprise together!”

This declaration was even more earth-shattering. With even a descendant of a military family openly declaring support, the situation in the hall instantly reversed.

Yan Qing seized the moment and took out a blood-soaked letter from her embrace, “This is the final testament of Observer Chen, who was silenced by Tong Guan three months ago. He was cruelly murdered for opposing the stratagem of using a borrowed knife to kill. Before his death, he wrote this blood-soaked letter, entrusting me to save Liangshan from peril!”

The blood-soaked letter was passed around among the men. The stained blood and tearful words moved many a hardened man.

Li Kui was the first to jump up, his eyes bloodshot, “Damn it! If the court is this cruel, I, Iron Ox, swear to never surrender!”

“Yes! Swear to never surrender!” Liu Tang, the Ruan brothers, and other leaders from humble backgrounds echoed in agreement.

Even the usually steady Lin Chong sighed, “If the court truly has such intentions, then amnesty is indeed a dead end.”

Song Jiang looked at the incensed crowd and knew the tide had turned. He slumped back into his chair, his face ashen.

Wu Yong, seeing this, knew he could not push further and said, “Since all the brothers have this sentiment, the matter of amnesty will be dropped for now. However, the matter of ‘negotiation’ still requires careful deliberation.”

Yan Qing knew it was best to stop while ahead and cupped her hands, “Everything is up to Brother Gongming and Scholar to decide.”

That night, the lights in the Hall of Righteous Gathering were not extinguished until the third watch.

When Yan Qing returned to her quarters, she was utterly exhausted. This tongue war, seemingly a great victory, was in fact fraught with peril. If she had not been well-prepared and had Yang Bamei’s timely assistance, it would have been difficult to persuade everyone.

She pushed open the door and found Lu Junyi already waiting in the room.

“Brother?” Yan Qing was startled.

Lu Junyi gazed at her for a long time before slowly saying, “Xiao Yi, what you did today was earth-shattering. But you must know, once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back.”

Yan Qing nodded, “Younger brother understands.”

“That Yang Bamei…” Lu Junyi hesitated.

“She is one of us,” Yan Qing explained simply, “She allied with us when we were in Tokyo.”

Lu Junyi sighed, “Xiao Yi, you have gone further than I imagined. But… this path is extremely dangerous, have you thought it through?”

Yan Qing walked to the window and gazed at the distant continuous campfires, softly saying, “Brother, in this world, to live honestly is a dead end. Rather than be slaughtered at will, it is better to fight for it.”

Lu Junyi was silent for a moment, then finally nodded, “Since your mind is made up, elder brother will naturally lend you a hand.”

After Lu Junyi left, Yan Qing sat down at the table and found a letter with no signature had appeared on it at some point. Opening it, she saw only a line of elegant handwriting:

“Be careful tomorrow, someone intends to harm you.”

The handwriting was all too familiar; it was Li Shishi’s.

Yan Qing held the letter to the candlelight, watching it turn to ash.

The wind sweeps the tower before the rain begins. She knew the real struggle had only just begun.

—

(End of Chapter Twenty-Seven)