Lord: Start with a book of Water Margin

Chapter 433 Certificate of Surrender

The four were looking around when the bell rang. More than a dozen ambush minions came out of the woods. A small leader shouted, "Who are you? How dare you attack our stronghold?"

Liu Tong stepped forward and said, "I am the King of Zhuhu Mountain, [Flying Legs] Liu Tong, and I am here to pay my respects to the mountain."

After hearing this, the small leader did not dare to make a decision and sent two of his minions to run to the mountain stronghold to report the news.

In the mountain stronghold, the brothers Gou Huan and Gou Ying were drinking with Zhen Xianglin and Fan Chenglong. After hearing the report from the minions, Gou Ying said, "Brother, this [Speedy Legs] Liu Tong is not in Zhuhu Mountain. What is he doing here?"

Zhen Xianglin said, "There are only four of them here, so why should we be afraid? Why are they coming up the mountain to fight? We will know when we ask them."

Gou Huan smiled and said, "Brother, you are right. Who can go to welcome him up the mountain?"

Gou Ying said: "I'm bored, so it's a good idea to take a walk down the mountain."

As he spoke, Gou Ying asked someone to fetch his big knife and ordered seventy or eighty minions to go down the mountain.

Gou Ying came closer and asked, "Which one is the Liu Tong brother from Zhuhu Mountain?"

Liu Tong stepped forward and said, "I am this humble man. I am not here for the mountain stronghold, but to bring an old friend to see the stronghold leader."

Then, he introduced Chen Xizhen.

With a cry of "Ah!", Gou Ying dropped the sword in his hand and fell to his knees.

"So you are my benefactor in person. Please forgive me. Since I escaped, I have been thinking of you every day. I only regret that you have a golden seal on my face and you are sending orders everywhere to arrest me. I cannot go to Tokyo in person to repay you. Today, you are here, so please allow me to repay you."

Chen Xizhen helped Gou Ying up and said, "I heard from my uncle Liu Guang that you two brothers have become bandits here. I miss you two so much that I came to see you brothers."

It turned out that Gou Huan had met Chen Xizhen with his father Gou Bangda, but Gou Ying had never seen him, so he did not recognize Chen Xizhen.

The escorts who escorted the two men that day were all Gao Qiu's confidants. Following Gao Qiu's instructions, they released Gou Huan and Gou Ying halfway, allowing them to escape halfway.

Gao Qiuduo learned from the geomancer that the cemetery of Chen Xizhen in Fenghuang Mountain had a very good Feng Shui, which could protect his descendants from becoming dukes, marquises, generals and ministers for eighteen generations. In order to plot against Chen Xizhen's cemetery, he had to spend some money to bribe Tong Guan's followers and then went to Tong Guan to smooth things over. Tong Guan was deceived by this. He only sent orders to arrest Gou Huan and Gou Ying.

Gou Huan and Gou Ying thought they would die, but now that they were saved, they could not help asking the escort officer. The officer did not hide anything, and the two brothers realized how much Chen Xi had done for them.

After hearing Chen Xizhen's name, Gou Ying paid homage to him with great respect.

Gou Ying said to the chieftain Wang behind him: "Go up the mountain quickly and tell my brother: 'The benefactor is going up the mountain, come and meet him quickly.'"

Upon hearing this, Chief Wang ran up the mountain like a flash, panting and saying, "Village leader, the leader asked me to report that our benefactor has gone up the mountain, come and pick him up quickly."

"What benefactor?"

"I don't know. I just heard from Chief Liu that it was Chen Xizhen from Bian Jing." Chief Wang replied.

Gou Huan was overjoyed when he heard this: "Thank goodness, I can meet my benefactor again."

He said, "I will go down the mountain to welcome my benefactor. You two brothers, gather your men and line up to welcome him."

After saying this, Gou Huan rode his horse alone, leaving his followers behind, and ran down the mountain. Seeing Chen Xizhen from a distance, Gou Huan jumped off his horse and knelt beside him.

When Chen Xizhen saw this, he quickly stepped forward and helped Gou Huan up.

Gou Huan said with tears in his eyes: "I was a dying prisoner, but I was saved by you. Seeing you now is like seeing the sun. Please come up to the mountain."

After that, Gou Huan helped Chen Xizhen onto the horse, and then he came to whip him. Chen Xizhen quickly jumped off the horse and said, "What virtue do I have to deserve such a favor!"

Gou Huan tried many times to help Chen Xizhen get on the horse, but Chen Xizhen refused.

Gou Huan had no choice but to hand the horse to a small follower beside him, and Gou Ying and Chen Xizhen held their arms on the left and right, and they walked up the mountain together. Not long after they reached the middle of the mountain, they saw countless soldiers and horses on the roadside, with flags covering the fields and swords and spears like forests, all prostrating themselves and shouting "welcome".

Eight minions came out from the back of the team, carrying a warm sedan chair and inviting Xizhen to sit in it. After they started the gong and shouted, everyone followed and carried Chen Xizhen all the way to the Juyi Hall on the top of the mountain.

After the minions were dispersed, Gou Huan and Gou Ying pushed Chen Xizhen to sit on the tiger-skin chair in the middle, and the two bowed again. Gou Huan said, "Both my brothers and I lost our lives because of you. This kindness is like reborn as a parent. Today, you are going up the mountain. Please take the seat and be the leader of the village. Gou Huan and I are willing to serve as two soldiers under you. No matter what happens, we will go forward and never look back. This is to repay you for saving our lives."

Chen Xizhen heard this and said, "What are you talking about? I am now practicing Taoism and have resigned from my government position. My daughter is about to marry Mr. Zhao from Liangshan, and my son-in-law wants me to lead the troops, but I have declined. I just heard that my old friend has settled down here, so I came here to visit him. How can I covet your foundation?"

Gou Huan heard this and said, "Since the benefactor's daughter is getting married, my two brothers have a gift to offer. The benefactor only has this daughter, and my two brothers are willing to take the benefactor as her adoptive father. There are many quiet places around Yuanbi Village, and I will have someone build a Taoist temple to support my adoptive father until his death."

Chen Xizhen said: "I know your two brothers have a good intention, but there is no need to do this. I have my own daughter and son-in-law to take care of me. Liangshan Prefecture is currently rebuilding the temple of the Goddess of the Nine Heavens, and it will be my temple from now on."

"I came to see you because I couldn't bear to see the Gou family, who have been loyal for generations, become bandits now. My son-in-law has made great contributions in suppressing the bandits in Qingzhou, and Liangshanzhou is interested in recruiting heroes. Why don't you two join him? Although the official position may not be recognized by the court, it is better than being a bandit and bringing shame to our ancestors."

Gou Huan heard this and said with shame: "Let the benefactor know that your son-in-law has also tried to recruit us. But he is the old villain Tong Guan's man, I am afraid he will harm us, so I dare not go."

Chen Xizhen laughed and said, "You only know one thing, but you don't know that he didn't obey Tong Guan's orders. Even if he sent troops to attack Song Jiang, he was afraid that Song Jiang would lead his troops to attack Liangshan, so he took precautions in advance."

"When he heard that I was coming here to see your brother, he also told me not to force you two. Your brother doesn't need to call me 'benefactor' like this. Just consider that I was friends with your father in the past, so just call me uncle."

After hearing this, Gou Huan and Gou Ying hurriedly called him "Uncle", and Chen Xizhen also responded.

Chen Xizhen looked at the two people beside him and said, "My dear nephew, these two are the heroes Zhen Xianglin and Fan Chenglong, right?"

Gou Huan heard this and quickly introduced the two of them. Chen Xizhen also introduced Liu Tong. The six of them greeted each other in the hall. Gou Huan ordered a banquet to be prepared. Soon, a table of wine and food was prepared. Everyone sat down as host and guest. Zhang San and Li Si were invited to the side hall, and Wang, the leader from the mountain, accompanied them.

During the banquet, Gou Huan asked, "Uncle, I heard that Mr. Zhao married the daughter of Cheng Wanli's family in Dongping Prefecture. How can I marry my sister to him as a concubine?"

Chen Xizhen said, "As the saying goes, it is better to be a hero's concubine than a mediocre man's wife. I saw with my own eyes that Zhao Zhen was summoned by the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady in his dream. He is the reincarnation of the Star Lord. He must establish great achievements in this life. Your adopted sister has never learned needlework since she was a child. She only loves to practice spears and sticks. I passed on all my skills to her, and she has developed a fierce personality. How can she be interested in ordinary people?"

"She simply married Mr. Zhao as a concubine. Now she has followed her husband to the battlefield. Some time ago, she also killed a leader under Song Jiang. This actually expressed her feelings. Just wait for me to return from here and we will get married."

"Your brothers, Bing Zhenxianglin and Fan Chenglong, are all good at martial arts. Are you willing to waste your life here?"

Gou Huan said, "Uncle, if my two brothers go to seek refuge with the great official, I am afraid that Tong Guan will be dissatisfied. Fan Chenglong and Zhen Xianglin are not Tong Guan's enemies, but they are implicated by us two. I beg you to recommend these two brothers to the great official so that they will not be buried. My brothers will just live out their lives here."

After hearing this, Zhen Xianglin and Fan Chenglong said at the same time: "What are you talking about, village chief? We were willing to go up the mountain in the first place and never thought of going down the mountain alone."

Gou Huan wanted to persuade him again, but Chen Xizhen said, "I know what you two are thinking. But there is no need to do so. My son-in-law has his own considerations. Now that treacherous officials are in power, his place is, after all, just a vassal state. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a country within a country. He is also afraid that one day the birds will be gone and the bows will be put away, and the rabbits will die and the dogs will be cooked. So we have to make plans early."

"I discussed with him and suggested that we secretly recruit your stronghold. If the imperial court wants to target him in the future, he will have a way out. If the emperor sees the true colors of Tong Guan and others and dismisses them, he can also report your merits to the emperor, and you can also use this opportunity to return to the imperial court and seek opportunities to vindicate your father."

Gou Huan asked: "Uncle, what should we do?"

Chen Xizhen pointed at Liu Tongdao and said, "Brother Liu Tong also wanted to join my son-in-law, but I stopped him. I told him to continue to occupy Zhuhu Mountain and surrender secretly. The same goes for you."

"In this way, you don't have to worry about being harmed by Tong Guan, and I will have a way out. If you think it through, I will go back to Liangshan and tell him. He will also send someone to come later."

Gou Huan heard it and said to Zhen Xianglin and Fan Chenglong, "What do you two brothers think?"

Fan Chenglong said: "We are originally officials of the imperial court. Now we are persecuted by treacherous officials and have no choice but to live as bandits in the mountains. If we can be taken care of by the great official, we will be able to return to the imperial court one day. For the sake of our descendants, it is better to live a clean life in Liangshan than to be a bandit for a lifetime."

Zhen Xianglin said, "That's right. Although the mountain stronghold is good, it can only be used as a temporary shelter. Lord Gou has been loyal to the court all his life, and we must not tarnish the reputation of our ancestors."

After hearing this, Gou Huan made up his mind and said, "Uncle, we are willing to secretly join you. When you fight against Song Jiang, we can also go into battle and accumulate some merits for the future."

Chen Xizhen was also happy to see that he had convinced the Gou brothers. The six of them put aside their worries and drank happily until midnight.

For three days in a row, Gou Huan personally accompanied Chen Xizhen to visit Yuanbi Village. During the period, everyone inevitably talked about spears, clubs, fists and feet. Chen Xizhen immediately used a snake spear, and everyone was impressed.

Chen Xizhen said: "There are many people under my command who are better than me."

Zhen Xianglin said: "Uncle's martial arts skills are so impressive that I can't wait. Is there anyone in the world who is better than uncle?"

Chen Xizhen said, "Let's not talk about others. [Leopard Head] Lin Chong, [Flower Monk] Lu Zhishen, [Founding Arhat] Bian Xiang, [Dragon Slayer] Sun An, each of them is brave enough to fight against ten thousand men. There is a [Sai Cunxiao] Wang Tianba nearby. Have you ever heard of him?"

Fan Chenglong said, "He is from Nanshan Town, and is my fellow villager. He is so powerful that no one can get close to him."

Chen Xizhen said: "Yes, this man's martial arts, if I want to defeat him, I have to be above 100."

After hearing this, everyone admired Zhao Zhen, whom they had never met, even more.

That day, Chen Xizhen said to Gou Huan, "I have been out for a long time, and my daughter's marriage has not been decided yet. I have to go back down the mountain today."

Gou Huan heard this and said, "Uncle has only been here for three days. My brothers and I would like to get closer to him. Why not stay a few more days?"

Chen Xizhen said, "Once we have settled the matter of joining forces, we will meet again. Besides, I want to occupy Jieyun Ridge next to Zhuhu Mountain with my brother Liu Tong, which will be useful in the future."

Gou Huan heard this and said, "Uncle has something important to do, and I dare not stop him. Since I want to seek refuge with the great master, I must at least give a token of my loyalty. The mountain adjacent to Yuanbi Village is Qingyun Ridge."

"The terrain there is dangerous. [Artemisia Leopard] Di Lei has left more than a thousand people stationed there. Why don't we take this place first?"

After listening to Gou Huan's words, Chen Xizhen pondered and said, "The mountainous terrain there is dangerous, and there are more than a thousand people stationed there. How can we easily capture it?"

Gou Huan said: "At the beginning, Song Jiang sent people to recruit us, and Di Lei went north to Qingzhou to attend the alliance. Uncle Liu Guang wrote to persuade me, so I didn't go."

"During those days, we had many exchanges with Qingyun Mountain and knew each other. Now Di Lei and others are not here, and the mountain stronghold is only led by two leaders. I will go there in person. If they surrender, it's fine. If they resist, I will kill them with a knife. The minions below will surrender."

As he spoke, Gou Huan ordered his men to beat the drum to gather the generals and told Gou Ying, Zhen Xianglin and Fan Chenglong about the matter.

Fan Chenglong said, "I am familiar with Qingyun Mountain. Most of the people in the mountain stronghold are old and weak, but these two leaders are Di Lei's confidants and will never surrender. I will go up the mountain and invite them to a banquet. Then I will kill them with a single blow. Isn't that clean?"

Gou Ying said: "Although we are not of the same kind, if we tell others about our actions, wouldn't it make people laugh at us?"

Gou Huan rebuked: "Fighting has always been like this. Killing only two people and taking their stronghold is the best strategy. But we have never invited them to a banquet, I am afraid they may have doubts in their hearts and dare not come to the banquet."

"In my opinion, it would be better to select a hundred strong men, take advantage of their unpreparedness, and launch a surprise attack at night. That would surely lead to success."

After some discussion, they decided to send a letter to the two leaders on the mountain to attend the banquet. As Gou Huan said, the two leaders could not refuse.

At night, Gou Huan and Fan Chenglong, leading a hundred or so minions, sneaked into Qingyun Mountain, ambushed in the woods in the middle of the night, climbed over the village wall, found the two men's lodging, and killed the two leaders.

Gou Huan raised a fire as a signal, and Gou Ying, who had been waiting at the foot of the mountain, saw it, lit a torch, and led more than a thousand people to the mountain to kill. Gou Huan held the heads of the two leaders in the village and shouted everywhere. When the old and weak in the village saw the leaders being killed, a fire dragon rushed up from the mountain. Many people recognized that they were from Yuanbi Village, so they threw away their swords and guns and surrendered.

(End of this chapter)