Chapter 9: Bandits

Since ancient times there have been countless filial sons, but how many could cut off their own flesh to feed their mother!

Zhou Shixiang, who had lived two lives, was shaken to his core by Boss Hu cutting off his arm to feed his mother. A weight pressed on his chest, making it hard to breathe. Only after a long while did he murmur, "A true man indeed."

Song Xianggong sighed with emotion as well. "Indeed — Boss Hu is a true man!"

"Cutting off an arm to feed his mother rivals anything in the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars.

Such earth-shaking filial piety — why would Brother Hu be unwilling to speak of it? It seems there is even some unhappiness, something he does not wish others to know?"

Zhou Shixiang was puzzled, and cautiously probed Song Xianggong.

Song Xianggong gave a bitter smile, pointed at his chest, and said in a low voice, "Boss Hu never managed to save his mother, nor could he save his two younger brothers. He carries guilt in his heart, so he is unwilling to speak much of it.

The more it is spoken of, the more it wounds him... Well then, enough of Boss Hu's affairs.

Come, Brother Zhou, let me introduce you to the other brothers."

With that, he took Zhou Shixiang by the hand and led him over to the man with the full beard, saying, "This is Brother Peng Dazhu, a native of Guangdong. He joined the army back in the time of the Shaowu Emperor, and served under Admiral Chen Qice.

After our failed attack on Xinhui last year, he was separated from his unit, ran into us on the road, and we joined up to work together."

When he said "joined up to work together," both Song Xianggong and Peng Dazhu looked somewhat uncomfortable. Zhou Shixiang did not notice, and even if he had, he would not have thought anything of it.

He could see plainly enough that these men were living as bandits holed up in the hills — otherwise what would a band of men bearing swords and spears be gathered together for?

Peng Dazhu was still a bit embarrassed, and deeply regretted his earlier behavior. He clasped his fists and said sheepishly, "Brother Zhou, I was truly in the wrong just now. Had I known Brother Zhou was a hero who kills Tartars, I'd have had to be blind as a pig to be rude to you!"

Zhou Shixiang said quickly, "Brother Peng simply did not know. The matter is past — please do not take it to heart."

"Good!"

Peng Dazhu seemed a forthright man. He nodded firmly and said no more.

Song Xianggong then introduced the man dressed as a hunter. His surname was Zhao, given name Sihai, also a native of Guangdong.

Like Boss Hu, he had once served in Li Chengdong's army. After Li Chengdong's defeat and death, he and Boss Hu and the others had taken up robbing houses and plundering homes.

Zhao Sihai likewise clasped his fists toward Zhou Shixiang and said, "Just now we made a fool of ourselves before the xiucai. Once we're back at the stockade, I'll treat the xiucai to wine and help settle his nerves!"

Unlike the others, he did not call Zhou Shixiang "Brother," but addressed him as "xiucai" — it seemed he held scholars in high regard and respect.

"No need for Mr. Song to introduce us — we'll give our own names."

Without waiting for Song Xianggong to introduce the two fierce-faced men, they walked up to Zhou Shixiang on their own. The taller one said, "I'm Ge Wu, and this beside me is my own brother Ge Liu.

We two brothers make our living robbing houses and plundering homes, and we've got the ugly mugs to match. If Brother Zhou finds us hard on the eyes, no need to look straight at us — we won't take offense."

Ge Wu and Ge Liu spoke true. The two brothers were genuine bandits.

Before the Qing army had even marched into Guangdong, they had been robbing travelers in the mountains of western Guangdong, and for that the Southern Ming authorities in Guangdong had hunted them more than once.

But the two relied on their familiarity with the terrain and a gang of reckless underlings, and the officials had launched several campaigns against them without success.

Later, when the Qing army entered Guangdong and Southern Ming rule there collapsed, neither the Ming nor the Qing authorities had any time left for the two brothers, and they enjoyed themselves thoroughly for a spell.

Last year the two brothers had answered the call of the Southern Ming Grand Secretary Guo Zhiqi, leading their hundred-odd men out of the mountains to help the Ming army attack the Qing forces at Xinhui — though not to kill Tartars, but in hopes of fishing in troubled waters and grabbing a profit.

Who would have thought that instead of making a fortune, they would be defeated by the Qing army just like Boss Hu and his men. More than half their men were killed or wounded, and Ge Liu was badly hurt.

Had they not run into Boss Hu's group on the road and received treatment from Song Xianggong, his life would likely have been lost.

From then on, the two brothers followed Boss Hu's lead in all things, and since the start of the year had been operating with him in these Dajiao Mountains.

Ge Wu and Ge Liu's self-introduction left Zhou Shixiang with nothing to say. He nodded with a smile, as much as to acknowledge them.

"By the way, Brother Zhou, the Tartars' proclamation says you're a xiucai, but there's one thing I can't figure out — how did a xiucai like you manage to kill that wretch You Yunlong?" Song Xianggong suddenly brought up again the question Zhou Shixiang found so hard to answer.

"Well..."

Zhou Shixiang hemmed and hawed, then said, "That day You Yunlong also took me for a scholar, too weak to truss a chicken, so he never suspected me at all. That let me get close and strike in one blow.

Looking back now, it was sheer luck, sheer luck... Had that wretch been on his guard, even ten Zhou Shixiangs could never have killed him."

"Luck?"

Song Xianggong furrowed his brow, and it was hard to tell whether he believed it or not. Fortunately, he did not press the matter further.

Just as Zhou Shixiang thought he had muddled through, Zhao Sihai suddenly asked, "Has the xiucai ridden horses before?"

The question startled Zhou Shixiang again. Thinking fast, he blurted out, "My late father once worked as a groom for others, so when I was small he taught me some horsemanship.

It was just a child's plaything then — who knew it would one day prove useful." At this he let out a long sigh, as though filled with boundless sorrow.

Zhao Sihai saw this and his mouth opened slightly, but he asked nothing more. Peng Dazhu and the Ge brothers were honest, rough men — they would never think to ask about such things.

It was enough for them to know that You Yunlong had been killed by Zhou Shixiang; whatever Zhou Shixiang said now, they believed.

Song Xianggong said nothing skeptical either, but instead asked Zhou Shixiang, "What does Brother Zhou plan to do now?"

Zhou Shixiang said, "I killed You Yunlong, so the Tartars are surely hunting me everywhere. There is no way I can remain in Guangdong.

Killing You Yunlong alone is not enough to avenge my parents, wife, and children, so I intend to go to Guangxi and join General Li Dingguo's forces to fight the Tartars to the death. But I've wandered these mountains for two days and still haven't found the way out."

"Join the army in Guangxi?"

Song Xianggong was taken aback and was about to speak when Boss Hu's voice came from outside. "This place is not safe to linger. Let's go back to the stockade to talk. Third Brother, go fetch Brother Zhou's horse. It's dark and the mountain path is steep — be careful not to let the horse fall."

"Right, got it." Zhao Sihai answered loudly and went to get the horse.

Seeing this, Song Xianggong thought it best not to say more for the moment, and instead said to Zhou Shixiang, "Brother Zhou, if you don't mind, rest a while at our stockade."

"Nothing could please me more!" Having a place to stay was exactly what Zhou Shixiang wanted, so he agreed at once, and stepped aside, saying, "Please lead the way, Mr. Song."

And so Zhou Shixiang followed Boss Hu and the others toward the stockade, and You Yunlong's saber was returned to him as well.

Author's note: The Shaowu Emperor was the younger brother of the Southern Ming Longwu Emperor (Zhu Yujian, Prince of Tang).

After the Longwu Emperor died for his country, Shaowu was enthroned in Guangzhou in the second year of Longwu by Grand Secretary Su Guansheng and Guangdong Administration Commissioner Gu Yuanjing, with the reign title Shaowu, rivaling the Yongli Emperor's (Zhu Youlang's) court at Zhaoqing.

The Shaowu dynasty was very short-lived, lasting only one month. When Guangzhou fell, the Shaowu Emperor took his own life for his country.

"Late father": one's deceased father.