Volume One, Chapter Seven: Admiring the Clumsy Servant Beneath the Weeping Willows

The wealthy merchant spoke with a fluent Qin accent, yet his green eyes and bushy beard betrayed his foreign origins.

Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, through the chaotic eras of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Central Plains had become a melting pot of Han and nomadic peoples. Not only had the remnants of tribes like the Xiongnu and Xianbei—who once established regimes in the heartland—scattered across the region, as seen in the family of Liu Xuanyi, but Sogdians from the Western Regions had also poured into the Middle Kingdom via the Silk Road.

The merchant, who called himself Kang Sanzang, was a Sogdian—or, more precisely, his ancestors were. His family had settled in the Central Plains during his grandfather’s generation, and he was already the third generation to live there. Despite his foreign appearance, he was in all other respects indistinguishable from the people of the Central Plains, having lived there so long that he had even abandoned the traditional Zoroastrian faith of his people in favor of Buddhism, which was currently flourishing.

The name "Sanzang" was, after all, a Buddhist term.

There was nothing inherently wrong with the name, but Li Shandao, having come from a later age, could not help but feel a twinge of irony upon hearing it. Since when were surnames so easily changed?

Gao Chounu, filled with disdain, spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the merchant’s head and cursed, "You bird-brained foreign slave, you have no shame!"

One of the men standing behind Li Shandao, sharing the contempt for the merchant’s words, spoke up: "Second Brother, this old barbarian is a shameless thief. Let’s kill him." With that, he stepped forward, raising his blade to strike Kang Sanzang down.

Terrified, the merchant collapsed into a heap of trembling flesh. He dared not wipe away the phlegm sliding down his forehead, instead bowing his head repeatedly like a man pounding garlic, wailing and begging for his life.

"Thirteenth Brother, hold on," Li Shandao said. The man addressed as "Thirteenth Brother" was Jiao Yanlang, an impulsive fellow who acted before he thought. He had already surged past Li Shandao. Li failed to block him in time and hurriedly reached out to grab him. "Brother Xu led us down the mountain for this mission, and this Kang Sanzang is the primary target. If he is to be killed, it should not be by our hands."

Seven or eight men who had climbed up from the boat came rushing over, led by Fei Sanlang.

Li Shandao pulled Jiao Yanlang back and hurried to meet Fei Sanlang. He already knew the man’s name was Fei Junzhong. Sheathing his blade, he performed a respectful salute and said, "Brother Fei, this barbarian is the target we were meant to rob. I was just in the middle of questioning him."

Fei Junzhong glanced at Kang Sanzang without much interest, his gaze shifting instead to the battered, lifeless body of Zhang Tiecha sprawled on the deck. "Is this Zhang Tiecha? Who killed him?"

Having boarded the ship late, he had missed the moment Gao Chounu crushed Zhang Tiecha with his mace.

The sight of Zhang Tiecha’s corpse was gruesome. Li Shandao, regardless of his past or present life, had always been a law-abiding citizen. Though he had now joined the Wagang rebels and had steeled himself to board the ship today to prove his worth, the psychological shift was not so easily made. When faced with the cold reality of violence, his subconscious and his body both struggled to adapt. He had deliberately avoided looking at the pathetic remains of Zhang Tiecha until now. Suppressing his nausea, he glanced at the deck where brains and blood were smeared together—a truly jarring sight.

"Yes, this is Zhang Tiecha," Li Shandao replied with a forced smile. "Chounu killed him."

Fei Junzhong praised, "Well done, Chounu! You are a true hero!"

Gao Chounu grinned and let out a few chuckles.

More men ran over, the first being a youth of sixteen or seventeen—Wei Yecha. He had been among the first to board, but had been blocked by the subordinates of Zhang Tiecha and Kang Sanzang, which was why he had only just arrived. He had witnessed the moment Gao Chounu killed Zhang Tiecha.

Stopping in his tracks, he stared at the corpse, then looked up at Gao Chounu with clear dissatisfaction. Using a voice cracking from puberty, he lamented, "Dammit, I arrived too late!"

Li Shandao, acting as the peacemaker, laughed, "If Brother Fei and Brother Wei hadn't occupied Zhang Tiecha's men, Chounu would never have been able to kill him." Not wanting to dwell on the subject, he changed the topic and introduced the merchant again. "Brother Fei, Brother Wei, this barbarian is the wealthy merchant we were tracking."

Sogdians were known for their business acumen, and Fei Junzhong and his companions were seasoned highway robbers who had seen many such merchants. They were not surprised that Kang Sanzang was a Sogdian. Fei Junzhong barked at him, "Where is your cargo? Lead us to it."

Kang Sanzang could not stand, and his servant was equally helpless, so Gao Chounu hauled him up once more.

Wei Yecha directed the boatmen to bring the vessel to the shore, while Fei Junzhong escorted Kang Sanzang to inspect the cargo. As for the surrendered subordinates of Zhang Tiecha and the merchant, they were left under the guard of the other bandits who had boarded the ship.

***

The terrified boatmen returned to their duties, managing to row the ship to the riverbank.

Shan Xiongxin and his second wave of men had not yet reached the ship when Zhang Tiecha was killed, so they did not board. Once the large ship was docked, Shan Xiongxin and Xu Shiji came aboard.

Wei Yecha, Fei Junzhong, and Li Shandao welcomed them. Upon seeing the corpse on the deck and hearing how he had been killed, Shan Xiongxin offered further praise to Gao Chounu.

Under Xu Shiji’s direction, Kang Sanzang was ordered to produce the cargo manifest. Fei Junzhong and his men then moved all the goods from the hold to the shore, where Xu Shiji checked each item against the list to ensure nothing was missing.

It was a massive haul.

Kang Sanzang was a textile merchant, so the cargo consisted mostly of fabrics and silks. There were common cloths, as well as high-end damasks and satins, such as the silk shirts from Jingkou and the fine gauzes from Kuaiji.

Beyond that, there were other treasures: Xiangyang lacquerware, renowned for its craftsmanship; the famous Yangzhou river-center mirrors; and the lustrous, translucent celadon porcelain from the Yue kilns. There were also numerous Buddhist scriptures and, according to the manifest, over a hundred consecrated Buddha statues of various sizes from the famous Guoqing Temple in Jiangnan, which had been built by Emperor Yang Guang. Finally, there were several chests of pearls from Hepu and two boxes of brushes from Xuancheng.

The goods were piled high on the bank, a dazzling sight.

Shan Xiongxin laughed heartily. "Little brother, our hard work paid off. This trip was worth it. With so many valuables, this must be worth hundreds, if not thousands of gold coins. When we return to the stronghold and report to Lord Zhai, we won't lose face."

Whether they had fought on the ship or provided support from the shore, the hundreds of men who had followed Shan Xiongxin and Xu Shiji were sweating profusely from the labor, but they were all beaming with joy.

Fei Junzhong and Wei Yecha echoed, "It’s more than just not losing face! We’ve never had a haul this big, even after robbing a dozen caravans! Lord Zhai will surely be pleased!"

Several men had been wounded during the ship’s capture, though none had died. Since Kang Sanzang was a merchant, he naturally carried money, and there was plenty of gold and copper coins captured. Xu Shiji ordered some to be distributed to the wounded men on the spot.

He then addressed the rest of the men: "You all know the rules of our stronghold. Of all the money and goods plundered, thirty percent is kept for yourselves, and the rest goes to the stronghold. Once we return and calculate the value of these goods, we will take our share, and then Brother Shan and I will distribute the rest among you."

Fei Junzhong and Wei Yecha agreed.

Xu Shiji then took three or four gold coins from the loot and handed them to Li Shandao. "Second Brother, the success of this raid was due to your strategy. If Zhang Tiecha hadn't been killed by Chounu, we would have had to fight for much longer, so Chounu also deserves credit. Your companions, who braved the water and were the first to board, also played their part. Take these gold coins as a reward. Your remaining shares will be distributed once we return to the stronghold."

Li Shandao’s "feint to the east, attack to the west" strategy—using noise on the shore to distract the guards, allowing the others to approach, while he and his men sneaked onto the ship from the stern—had worked perfectly.

Li Shandao declined, "It was thanks to Brother Fei and Brother Wei drawing the enemy's fire—their attention—that we were able to board. They have not yet received their rewards; how could we accept ours?"

Xu Shiji replied, "Our stronghold is strict about rewards and punishments. Whoever has merit will be rewarded. Brother Fei and the others will receive theirs once we return. You and Chounu made the greatest contribution, so you shall be rewarded first."

Li Shandao accepted the coins after one token refusal. He did not care much for the wealth, but he could not hinder the men who had risked their lives to follow him to Wagang.

The gold coins were worth hundreds of thousands of cash, a significant sum. Shan Xiongxin, impressed by Gao Chounu’s bravery, felt it wasn't enough, so he grabbed a handful of pearls and stuffed them into Gao Chounu’s hand, patting his arm. "I asked you that day, and you said you couldn't use a spear. A mace is fine, but it’s too short for the battlefield. If you want to kill, a mace isn't enough. When we get back, I will teach you how to use a spear!"

Gao Chounu, at a nod from Li Shandao, accepted the pearls with deep gratitude and reverence.

After consulting with Shan Xiongxin, Xu Shiji ordered that any captives willing to join the Wagang rebels could stay, while those who refused were free to leave. Fei Junzhong and his men were left to handle the details.

***

With the aftermath of the raid organized, it was time to deal with Kang Sanzang.

Wei Yecha, acting like a seasoned veteran, said viciously, "This old barbarian was disrespectful to Second Brother and Big Brother. He knew Second Brother was coming to rob him, but instead of honestly offering his tribute, he dared to hire Zhang Tiecha for protection in Liang Commandery. In my opinion, we shouldn't let him go. Let's just kill him!"

It was a baseless accusation. Kang Sanzang, unable to shed tears, begged for mercy, his head bloodied from constant bowing.

Xu Shiji mused for a moment. Li Shandao felt it would be better not to kill the merchant, but he couldn't be released either. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Shiji made his decision. "I hear that heroes like Du Fuwei and Li Zitong have made quite a name for themselves in the Huai-Si and Jiangnan regions. I previously suggested to Lord Zhai that we establish contact, but the roads were blocked. Since this merchant is from Yangzhou, we can use him to learn the truth about the situation there." He turned to Shan Xiongxin, "Brother, should we take him back to the stronghold?"

Shan Xiongxin had no objection. "He's just an old barbarian. Whether we kill him, release him, or take him back, I leave the decision to you, brother."

Kang Sanzang felt a wave of relief at escaping death, but his heart sank again upon hearing he was to be taken to Wagang. Caught between relief and despair, he could only regret his greed and resign himself to fate.

During the raid, not only had the ships on the Tongji Canal failed to escape, but the commoners and travelers on the shore, hearing the shouts of the bandits declaring "The heroes of Wagang are at work here," had also fled in terror. The road was now deserted, save for the fishermen and local thugs who waited nearby.

Shan Xiongxin called them forward, ordered Fei Junzhong and Wei Yecha to give them some silk and money as a reward, and after a few words, sent them on their way. He then smiled at Xu Shiji, "Brother, the deed is done. Let’s return to the stronghold!"

The looted goods were loaded onto twenty or thirty large carts, and the hundreds of men marched back to Wagang in high spirits. As Xu Shiji had expected, the Administrator of Xingyang, Yang Qing, sent no troops to intervene.

On the return journey, they stayed one night each at the manor of the wealthy clan in Yangwu, the Liu family village in Zuocheng, and the Wagang village in Weicheng. Shan Xiongxin was generous, gifting much of the loot to the Yangwu clan and the Liu family.

A few days later, they returned to the stronghold.

After settling the men, Shan Xiongxin and Xu Shiji went to pay their respects to Zhai Rang. Fei Junzhong, Wei Yecha, and the others followed. Because of his great contribution, Li Shandao and Gao Chounu were also invited to accompany them.

The headquarters of Wagang was called the Hall of Righteousness, where Zhai Rang usually resided. It was located on the northern slope of the mountain, in a spot with excellent feng shui, not too far from Xu Shiji’s residence.

Before they reached the courtyard, they heard laughter coming from within. Upon inquiry, they learned that Wang Bodang, a hero from Neihuang and an old friend of the stronghold, had arrived, and Zhai Rang was speaking with him. Since Wang Bodang was not a member of the inner circle, Fei Junzhong and Li Shandao did not feel they could enter unbidden. Shan Xiongxin said, "You wait here. Big Brother and I will go in to see Lord Zhai first."

With that, Shan Xiongxin and Xu Shiji walked into the courtyard together.