by Shi Nai-An
Ch'ao Kai and Kung-Sun Sheng stayed behind to arrange other matters. Those servants who did not want to go with them were paid off, and told to go to some other place. All the others who were willing to go with Ch'ao Kai packed up many things, and then also departed.
Sung Chiang galloped his horse to the town, and upon arriving at the tea house he found Ho T'ao at the door looking out for him. He said, "Thief catcher, you have waited a long time. There was a relative at my home who kept discussing many matters, and that has delayed me a little."
"Clerk Sung Chiang, I must ask you to introduce me at once," said Ho T'ao.
Sung Chiang did so, and they entered the yamen, and went into the court where the magistrate Shih Wen-ding was transacting business. Upon reaching the official desk Sung Chiang told the servant of the magistrate to hang up outside of the court the boards with the two characters
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"Wai Pi" (withdraw), upon seeing which all people would refrain from entering the court. Sung Chiang then presented the dispatches from Chi Chou Fu, and explained in a low tone that Ho T'ao had just brought them under urgent instruction. When the magistrate read the dispatches he was startled and said to Sung Chiang, "There is an officer from the royal tutor who is waiting for our immediate reply. We must send men at once to arrest the bandits."
"I am afraid," said Sung Chiang, "that if we dispatch men in the broad daylight the matter will become divulged, and therefore I think that we had better send men in the night to arrest the bandits."
"That alderman Ch'ao Kai at the Tung Chi Village is well known as a respectable person," said the magistrate Shih, "so why should he take part in such a disgraceful affair?" He then told his attendant to summon inspectors Chu Tung and Lei Heng. Upon their arrival he gave them orders, and they got together more than one hundred men, and set off with the magistrate's deputy to arrest the seven men. They were all fully armed with. bows and arrows, swords, and ropes for binding the prisoners, and they reached the Tung Chi Village about eight o'clock the same evening. They all stopped at the Goddess of Mercy Temple.
Chu Tung said, "Ahead is the farmhouse of Ch'ao Kai. There are two roads leading to the house -- one at the back and one in front. If we all went to the front gate they might escape by the back door. So we will divide -- half will go to the back entrance and the other half to the front entrance. I know that Ch'ao Kai is well trained in military exercises, but I suppose the other six men may not be decent men. And all the farm servants may help them so how shall we overcome the whole lot? The only plan is that the soldiers on the east side will make a loud noise to frighten them and put them in confusion while those on the west side will fight and arrest them. I will go with half the soldiers and hide near the back entrance and there await your signaling with the whistle. The others will go to the front entrance, and arrest everyone they meet."
Lei Heng said, "That is all right, but I think it would be better if you went to the front gate with the magistrate deputy and I will go to the gate at the back."
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"You do not understand the position," said Chu Tung. "There are three roads to this village, and I have noticed them many times before. If I go to the gate at the back I know which road to guard without using torches. You do not know the road by which he will try to escape. If he knows our object he will escape. This is not a matter to be trifled with."
The magistrate deputy said that inspector Chu Tung had spoken quite clearly, and that he must take half the soldiers with him.
Chu Tung said that thirty men would be enough for him. So he took ten archers and twenty foot soldiers.
The magistrate deputy mounted his horse, and Lei Heng put his men some before and some behind so as to protect the magistrate's representative. In front were the foot soldiers with about thirty torches lit, others with forks, swords, hooks, and hooked swords and they rushed to Ch'ao Kai's farm. Before they were about a few hundred yards to the front entrance of Ch'ao Kai's house, they saw flames leaping from the buildings, and dense clouds of smoke everywhere. They had not proceeded more than ten steps further when they saw fire break out at about forty places in all parts of the buildings. The soldiers shouted and Lei Heng with the vanguard took his sword, and forced open the front gate. Inside the flames illuminated the yards as clear as daylight, but there not even a single man was seen inside. Just then they heard the great shout raised by the soldiers at the back entrance. Now Chu Tung really had the intention of letting Ch'ao Kai escape and that was why he had arranged for Lei Heng to go to the front gate. But Lei Heng himself had the same desire, and that was why he wanted to go to the entrance at the back. But owing to Chu Tung's arguments he had given way and went to the front gate. There he purposely made a great noise, so that this would act as a warning to Ch'ao Kai to escape at once.
When Chu Tung and his men reached the back entrance, Ch'ao Kai had not finished packing up the movable articles, and when his servants told him of the arrival of the soldiers and urged him to escape at once, Ch'ao Kai told the servants to set the building on fire everywhere, and then with Kung-
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Sun Sheng he took about ten other servants and arming themselves with swords they went to the gate at the back shouting as they went. Ch'ao Kai shouted, "Those who oppose me shall die; those who avoid me shall live."
Inspector Chu Tung was hiding in a dark place, and upon hearing this called out, "Alderman, get away quickly! I have been waiting here a long time."
Ch'ao Kai did not hear this, and was quite prepared to fight to the death. Inspector Chu Tung, however, was making a way through his men for Ch'ao Kai to escape. Kung-Sun Sheng was in front of the small band of servants whereas Ch'ao Kai was bringing up the rear. Chu Tung instructed his archers to go and force open the gate. He shouted out, "Go to the front gate and arrest the thieves." Inspector Lei Heng hearing this went outside the front gate, and told his archers on foot and on horseback to pursue and arrest the thieves. Lei Heng was standing in the fight of the fire and was anxiously looking in all directions as though trying to find men. Chu Tung left his soldiers, and ran after Ch'ao Kai who was now outside the gate. As Ch'ao Kai ran he looked round and shouted to Chu Tung, "Inspector Chu! What do you want to arrest me for? I have done no wrong."
Inspector Chu Tung looked behind, and seeing none of his men he replied, "Alderman, you did not understand my object. I was afraid that inspector Lei Heng would not fall in with my plans so I got him to go to the front gate with some men while I came to this back door so that I could let you escape. Did you see that I made a way through my men for you to pass through? You should go at once to Liang Shan Po, not any other place for safety."
"I am deeply grateful to you for your kindness," said Ch'ao Kai, "and some day I will certainly recompense you."
Just then Chu Tung heard Lei Heng calling behind him, "Do not allow him away."
"Alderman," said Chu Tung, "do not get upset, but just go straight on your way, and I will try to get Lei Heng to go another way." He then turned his head round, and said to Lei Heng, "There are three men who are getting away by the eastern road. You had better run after them at once."
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Lei Heng immediately took many of his soldiers, and led them to the eastern road.
Chu Tung followed Ch'ao Kai talking with him as they proceeded, and helping him in every manner to escape. When they had got beyond the range of the light from the burning farmstead Chu Tung missed Ch'ao Kai and in the dark he purposely fell down as though he had stumbled against something, when a number of his soldiers came up and assisted him to rise. Chu Tung said to them, "In the dark I lost my way, and getting into this wild fleld I slipped and fell down. I have sprained my leg."
"The thieves have got away," said the magistrate deputy, "so what shall we do?"
"That was not due to our not trying to catch them," said Chu Tung, "but because it is such a dark night. Among these soldiers there are very few capable men for such a job, as they are afraid of advanci
ng."
The magistrate deputy sent the soldiers away to arrest the thieves, but the soldiers thought that the two inspectors had not been very brave in jetting into close touch with the bandits, and therefore they (the soldiers) were not of much use. So they ran off, pretending to do as ordered, but they soon came back and said that it was so dark that they could not see the roads.
Just then Lei Heng also returned, and he was saying to himself, "Chu Tung and Ch'ao Kai were evidently close friends and Chu Tung has assisted him to escape, while I could not show my friendship." Upon reaching Chu Tung and the magistrate deputy he said, "Who could catch up to them. The thieves are so smart!"
The two inspectors and the magistrate deputy returned to the farmyard. It was then about 3 a.m. Ho T'ao had remained inside the yard, and now saw the soldiers returning in batches of fours or fives without having captured a single man although they had been in pursuit nearly the whole night long. He said in a bitter tone, "How can I face the governor at Chi Chou?"
The magistrate deputy could do nothing but arrest a number of the neighbors, and take them to the magistrate at Yun Chang Hsien.
The magistrate had not slept that night, but was waiting
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to hear the result of the expedition. When he was informed that the bandits had all escaped, but that a number of the neighbors had been arrested, he went into the court, and there cross-examined the men who were under arrest.
The neighbors said, "Though we are the neighbors of Ch'ao Kai, yet the remote of us live almost a mile away from his farm while the nearer are several houses apart. Usually many men visited Ch'ao Kai who were always practicing with the spear and cudgel, but how could we know that they were engaged in this kind of business?"
The magistrate, however, examined them individually trying to find out whether they knew where the bandits had gone to. At last he found a man who had lived quite close to Ch'ao Kai. This man said, "If you want to know about the affairs of Ch'ao Kai you should cross-examine his farm servants."
The magistrate replied, "But I am informed that all the servants have escaped."
The man replied, "There were some servants who did not wish to leave, and they remained behind at the farm."
With the speed of fire the magistrate dispatched men to arrest the farm servants, and in about an hour they returned with two farm servants under arrest.
The magistrate cross-examined them, and at first they declared that they knew nothing, but after a severe beating they confessed and said, "There were six men at the farm who were always discussing some matter. One of them was a teacher at a village close by, and was called Wu Yung; another was Kung-Sun Sheng, a Taoist priest, and still another was a dark-skinned man called Liu. There were three others whom we did not know, but they were brought there by Wu Yung. We, however, heard that they were all called Yuan and came from the Shih Chieh Village. They were all three brothers, and were fishermen."
The magistrate had all this evidence written down by his secretary, and he then wrote a dispatch to accompany it to Chi Chou Fu. He handed these documents, and also the two farm servants, to Ho T'ao and told him to deliver them to the governor. Sung Chiang arranged for some person to come forward, and stand as guarantor for the neighbors who were to return to their homes.
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Ho T'ao escorted the two farm servants with all speed to Chi Chou Fu, and upon arriving there he found that the governor was sitting in court transacting business. He entered the court, and reported the governor how Ch'ao Kai and the bandits had all escaped, and the farm buildings had been burnt down. He also brought forward the two prisoners, and repeated their confession.
The governor after hearing all this gave an order for Pai Sheng to be again brought forward. Upon his arrival he asked him "Where do those three Yuans live?"
Pai Sheng saw that he could not get out of the difficult position in any way so he said:
"One of the Yuans is known as the Year's God who stands his ground, he is Yuan the Second; another is called Short Life Erh Lung and he is Yuan the Fifth; the other is called Living Pluto and he is Yuan the Seventh. They all live at the Shih Chieh Village.
The governor asked, "Who are the other three?"
Pai Sheng replied, "One is Wu Yung, another is Kung-Sun Sheng, and the other is Liu Tang."
The governor sent Pai Sheng back to the prison. He then ordered Ho T'ao, the thief catcher, to proceed at once to Shih Chieh Village to arrest the three brothers Yuan, and so get some further clue.
Crowds of devils act in concert;
Armed horsemen now are gathered.
We will now relate what happened to the thief catcher Ho T'ao on his journey to the Shih Chieh Village.
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CHAPTER 18
LIN CH'UNG FIGHTS FIERCELY IN THEIR
STRONGHOLD; CH'AO KAI SEIZES LIANG SHAN PO
THE thief catcher Ho T'ao left the court with the signed order and went into a private chamber to discuss matters with a number of his men. They unanimously said, "As you want us to go to the Shih Chieh Village, we must not forget that that place is quite close to Liang Shan Po. The lake is very extensive, and there are numerous anchorages for boats among the reeds and rushes. Unless we have a large number of soldiers, boats, and horses, who dare go there to try and arrest the thieves?"
"What you say is correct," said Ho T'ao. He left and entering the hall again spoke to the governor, "The village of Shih Chieh is, quite close to Liang Shan Po, and on the lake there are numerous anchorages and narrow tracks in all directions in the reeds and rushes. There have always been thieves in that spot, and recently their numbers have increased. If you do not give me a very large number of soldiers and horses how dare we attempt to arrest the bandits there?"
"As things are like that," said the governor, "I will send an officer with five hundred soldiers to go with you to arrest the bandits."
The thief catcher Ho T'ao, after receiving these orders, went back to the private room and summoning all the soldiers he carefully selected five hundred of the best men, and then ordered them to go and equip themselves for the expedition. The next morning the military officer with his five hundred soldiers, and Ho T'ao with his men left for the Shih Chieh Village.
After Ch'ao Kai and Kung-Sun Sheng had set fire to the farm buildings they left with about ten of the farm laborers for the Shih Chieh Village. About halfway there they met the three brothers Yuan, who were armed, and had come to
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conduct them to their village. Yuan the Second had already sent his family, both young and old, to a place of safety on the lake and now tile seven men discussed whether they should all go to the brigands' stronghold at Liang Shan Po.
"Just now," said Wu Yung, "at the Li Family Village there is a man named Chu Kwei, Speedy Courier, who keeps an inn there, and offers shelter to brave men. Those who want to join the bandits must first go to him. We had better load all our possessions on a boat, and go there. We can make a present to him, and request him to arrange for us to join the bandits."
While they were discussing the matter several fishermen entered and reported that a large body of soldiers had arrived at the village.
Ch'ao Kai stood up and said, "As they have come we must stay here."
"Never mind," said Yuan the Second, "I will go and meet them. I will cause more than half of them to be drowned, and the rest killed."
"Do not get excited," said Kung-Sun Sheng. "This is my affair, so you just watch how I deal with them."
Ch'ao Kai said, "Let brother Liu Tang and Wu Yung load all our possessions and also the young and old people on a boat, and then row to the Li Family Village, and wait for us there. We will stay behind to see what the soldiers will do, and then we will follow."
Yuan the Second loaded two large boats accordingly, and Wu Yung went in one, and Liu Tang in the other. About eight men "yaolued" or sculled the boats to the Li Family Village. Ch'ao Kai then told Yuan the Fifth and Yuan the Seventh to get some
small boats, and fight with the enemy in a certain way.
Thief catcher Ho T'ao and the military officer upon arriving at the Shih Chieh Village seized all the boats that were moored there. The soldiers who knew how to handle boats were then placed in the boats, and the others were mounted on horseback on the bank. They then all moved towards the village. Upon reaching Yuan the Second's home they raised a loud shout and rushed into the house. But it had already been vacated, and there were only few heavy furnitures left behind.
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Ho T'ao instructed his men to arrest some of the fishermen who were neiohbors. When the neighbors were brought before him they sai "The two brothers, Yuan the Fifth and Yuan the Seventh, are living at another anchorage, and we cannot get there without boats." He then said to the officer, "This lake has numerous tracks and nooks through the reeds, and where there is open water we do not know how deep the water is. If we divide our forces I am afraid that we may fall into some villainous trap. I think we had better leave our horses here with a few men to guard this village and send all the other soldiers on the boats." This was agreed to and Ho T'ao and the officer then embarked with the bulk of their men. They had seized more than one hundred boats, some for rowing and others for sculling (yaoluing). They all started off for Yuan the Second's house on the lake. They had not gone five miles when they heard a man in the reeds and rushes singing, and all the boats were stopped. The man was singing:
For long I've caught fish at Liao Erh Wang,
Neither corn nor hemp do I plow;
