Chapter 126: 124: Tricked Onto the Pirate Ship

In late April, at the Goose Lake Town dock.

The customs post east of Goose Lake Town had now been turned into a military station, where the eunuch Wang Heng was organizing a bandit-suppression campaign.

It was truly absurd — the eunuch everyone had loathed just last year had somehow become the hope of the officials, gentry, and merchants.

The County Magistrate was a spineless eunuch's creature, and the gentry could not agree among themselves, so they had no choice but to ask this eunuch to take the lead. By now he had recruited 1,500 local braves, plus over 600 of his own private troops, drilling day and night, and even had merchant ships converted into war vessels!

Shanglu Town lay just next door to Goose Lake Town, where a tributary of the Xin River rose in the Wuyi Mountains.

For this reason, Shanglu Town was also a major commercial town; one could follow the river straight into the deep mountains, and from there take small trails all the way to Fujian.

The rebel followers of the Secret Dense Sect could advance to attack Goose Lake Town and Xinzhou, or retreat and vanish into the massed peaks — the town was ringed by mountains on all sides, making it extremely difficult to wipe them out.

"Brother Chun," Zhao Zhenfang took out a pouch, "I embroidered this myself. Please pass it on to Second Brother."

Fei Chun accepted the pouch and put it away safely, smiling. "I will. Don't you worry, little sister."

Zhao Zhenfang was already twelve, and life had treated her fairly well. She spent her days keeping the Second Young Miss company, studying and learning to read together, practicing needlework together — her embroidery was actually better than Fei Rumei's.

Madam Lou had sent her eldest daughter off to Luling County, but kept Zhao Zhenfang behind to remain her second daughter's playmate.

Zhao Zhenfang lowered her voice and warned, "There's something inside the pouch."

"I know. Don't worry, little sister." Fei Chun had already felt the silver inside the pouch — it must be the private savings Zhao Zhenfang had scraped together.

Zhao Zhenfang added another reminder: "Tell Second Brother to do his work well. If he's short on money, he should use my silver — tell him not to keep hoarding it."

Fei Chun laughed. "Brother Han has plenty of money now."

After these parting words, Fei Chun led his squad out.

At the customs post upriver, the eunuch Wang Heng also marched out with his forces.

This fellow took 2,100 troops, boarded boats, and sped straight to Shanglu Town.

The two sorcerer-priests had placed scouts along the river, and local peasants even came forward on their own to give warning. By the time the eunuch reached Shanglu Town, the sect followers had already massed three thousand men in full battle array.

Shanglu Town's situation was deeply misshapen: it produced paper, tea, and many other goods, and sat astride a key water route, so its commerce was fairly prosperous. But it was desperately short of farmland — apart from the relatively fertile river flats, most of the land was barren mountain soil.

As a result, the peasants lived in unbearable misery, and flocked to join the Secret Dense Sect in revolt.

The two sides fought a great battle by the river. Though the local braves were fewer in number, their weapons were comparatively well-made, and they had been drilled in formation. This sort of rabble would certainly have struggled against Zhao Han, but against the Secret Dense followers they had an easy time of it.

In barely the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Secret Dense followers began to collapse, and the sorcerer-priest fled with his flock toward the great mountains.

Wang Heng raised his sword and bellowed, "Kill the rebels! Kill the rebels!"

The local braves chased madly after the eunuch. Wang Heng actually charged at the very front, swinging his sword and cutting down several men in succession, even striking dead the Secret Dense Sect leader, Ma Liaoyang, with a single blow.

Seeing the rebel chief slain, the braves' morale soared, and they surged headlong into the mountains in pursuit.

On the hillside, the Vice Sect Leader Zhang Puwei gripped a peachwood sword, chanted incantations, and began a shamanic dance, then suddenly bellowed: "I beseech the Patriarch to rain down stones — swiftly, swiftly, by the law's command!"

Countless stones plummeted from the sky, throwing the braves into chaos.

Zhang Puwei kept dancing with his sword, flung out a handful of beans, and roared: "Beans scattered, soldiers formed!"

Over a hundred sect followers lying in ambush in the mountains suddenly burst out, bamboo spears in hand. The two thousand local braves collapsed in an instant, clustering around Wang Heng as they fled in utter disarray from the mountains.

The sect followers who had fled earlier now turned and counterattacked, chasing the braves all the way back to the riverbank.

Most of the braves did not even have time to flee back to their boats, and could only run for their lives along the riverbank.

In this battle, the Secret Dense Sect leader Ma Liaoyang was personally cut down by the eunuch Wang Heng. But a victory turned into a defeat. When they returned to the customs post and counted heads, of the 2,100 troops, only a little over 800 remained. Over the afternoon and evening, several hundred more straggled back — the total loss in strength was roughly five hundred men.

Though Wang Heng seethed with fury inside, he immediately reported a great victory, claiming he had personally beheaded the Secret Dense Sect leader.

A pity — he would have been better off not beheading him at all.

The two sorcerer-priests, Ma Liaoyang and Zhang Puwei, had fallen into secret discord after rising in revolt.

One dying was just perfect. Zhang Puwei took the vacant spot as sect leader. Not only did he entrench himself in Shanglu Town, he also sent men to spread the faith along the Yanshan River, and Secret Dense followers began appearing even around the county seat.

Meanwhile, far away in Nanfeng County, the Secret Dense followers had already stormed and seized the county seat!

The rebels in Pingxiang County had seized the county seat!

The rebels in Duchang County had seized the county seat!

The field soldiers of Ruijin County, driven deep into the mountains by Xie Xuelong, had frozen to death in droves over the winter — but in early spring they came back killing. And they had grown even more violent, now slaughtering landlords to seize grain, and once fed and clothed, they seized the county seat!

All these rebels — had Xie Xuelong still been alive, they would never have been able to stir at all.

They would either have been driven into the mountains too terrified to emerge, or been wiped out outright by the Governor. With Xie Xuelong dead, there was no one left to suppress the rebels, and Jiangxi lost four county seats one after another.

Compared to rebels who stormed county seats, Zhao Han, who had voluntarily withdrawn from a prefectural seat, seemed so very mild and amiable.

In the direction of Sichuan.

The roving bandits seized Kuizhou Prefecture (northeast of Chongqing) in a single stroke, and then ran straight into an iron wall — Qin Liangyu led her troops and chased them right back to Shaanxi. Truly, they could not put up the slightest resistance.

In the direction of southern Hanzhong.

The roving bandits plundered many places in Henan and Huguang, sweeping up countless followers, their grain supplies ample. Facing encirclement by government troops, they regrouped and converged on southern Hanzhong once more, walking straight into the tightening net the government forces were drawing around them.

But Shaanxi and Shanxi were struck by drought once again — ten straight months without rain — and fresh rebels kept sprouting up crop after crop.

The Chongzhen Emperor finally allocated funds for disaster relief, and what's more, he used his own private purse to do it.

This was the first time Chongzhen used the inner treasury for public business — a rare thing indeed, something previous Ming emperors had adamantly refused to do.

At this dire juncture, the Tartars were about to break through the passes and invade once more.

"Is Zhuochen truly willing to divide up the land?" Liu Ziren was half believing, half doubting.

Fei Chun laughed. "Why wouldn't he be? The young master and Brother Han went into business together in Jiujiang and made a fortune last year. They're short of hands to help out. As soon as you go over, your families will all get a share of land."

Xu Ying looked troubled. "But I just passed the xiucai exam."

Fei Chun said, "Passing the xiucai exam makes it even better. Jiujiang has many renowned teachers and great Confucian scholars. You can study while helping with the work — earn money and take the civil exams at the same time."

Liu Ziren said, "How about this: Xu Ying and I go first, and leave our families in Yanshan?"

"Leave your families behind — would you be at ease with that?" Fei Chun coaxed. "The young master and Brother Han have bought up a great deal of land in Jiujiang. Giving each family a few dozen mu is nothing to them!"

Liu Ziren hesitated. "But the crops are already planted in the fields. How can we leave them untended?"

Fei Chun said with a smile, "All that land you farm — after paying rent and the miscellaneous levies, how many pecks of grain do you have left? Don't worry. Once we get to Jiujiang, you'll be issued grain."

The two men went home and talked it over. Neither could resist the lure of land, and they decided to move their entire families to the Jiujiang area.

They did not trust Fei Ruhe, but they believed Zhao Han could keep his promise.

In a muddled haze, both families boarded the pirate ship.

For this journey, Madam Lou had also provided a boat. The story given out was that Fei Rulan was returning to her maternal grandmother's home for a visit. It was also said that Fei Ruhe had followed his cousin to Jiujiang and made a fortune in business — a cover for Fei Ruhe's whereabouts.

After picking up the Xu and Liu families, just as the boat passed Hekou Town, Fei Yuanjian suddenly waved from the shore.

Once that fellow was aboard, he got straight to the point: "I hear Ruhe has gone into a big business in Jiujiang?"

"You know already?" Fei Chun said, surprised.

Fei Yuanjian laughed. "The whole Fei clan has heard. Madam Lou tells everyone she meets."

Well, then. Madam Lou had certainly gone to great pains, terrified her son might be suspected of being a rebel.

Before Fei Chun could speak again, Fei Yuanjian said, "I failed the xiucai exam again this year, and I doubt I'll ever pass. I might as well throw in my lot with Ruhe and the others. My mother — Madam Chen — also said it would be better to go see the world in Jiujiang. Venture out for a year, then come back to marry and settle down."

"Perfect timing. The young master is short of hands," Fei Chun said, laughing inwardly. Once you go, you won't be coming back in a year or even half a year.

And so, Fei Yuanjian and his servant Fei Yu, master and man, also willingly stepped aboard the pirate ship.

The party followed the Xin River downstream and soon took a branch channel toward Nanchang.

Neither Xu Ying nor Liu Ziren could tell which direction they were heading.

Only Fei Yuanjian voiced a doubt: "This seems to be the wrong way."

Fei Chun explained, "There are rebels causing trouble in Duchang County, and the water bandits on Lake Poyang have risen up too. We have to go by way of Nanchang and then up the Gan River."

"Ah, I see." Fei Yuanjian believed it at once, because all of it was true.

After reaching Nanchang, Fei Chun called everyone into the cabin for a meal and took the chance to have the boatmen steer south.

After several days of pressing on without stopping, everyone began to feel bewildered. How had they still not reached Jiujiang? But none of them had ever traveled far, and none knew how far Jiujiang was, so they could only bury their doubts in their bellies.

Only when they sailed into the Helu River did Fei Yuanjian finally lose patience: "Weren't we supposed to enter Lake Poyang? Why have we gone into a little creek!"

"Please, let's talk inside." Fei Chun smiled faintly and invited Liu Ziren and Xu Ying in as well.

Fei Rulan was seated inside the cabin. She rose and curtsied. "Ten thousand blessings to you, three gentlemen. I am Zhao Han's lawful wife, Fei Rulan."

Zhao Han was married?

And from the name, she was a young lady of the Fei family.

Facing a woman of the household, the three men dared not be remiss and all addressed her as sister-in-law.

Fei Yuanjian could not help asking, "Which branch of the Fei family is my sister-in-law from?"

In ancient times, a maiden's given name was kept secret and never revealed to outsiders. Even Fei Yuanjian had never heard the name Fei Rulan. Moreover, when a young lady of the inner chambers went out, she usually wore a veil, and no one had ever seen Fei Rulan's true face.

Fei Rulan answered, "Ruhe is my younger brother."

"So it's the eldest young lady of Goose Lake," Fei Yuanjian said with a smile. "I heard Madam Lou say she had sent her eldest daughter to visit relatives in Jiujiang. So she has been on this boat all along."

Fei Rulan smiled. "Fei Chun says that within two days we shall reach Yongyang Town."

Xu Ying asked, puzzled, "Which Yongyang Town?"

"Yongyang Town in Luling County," Fei Rulan said, then asked, "Have you three gentlemen heard of the great Luling bandit Zhao Yan?"

Liu Ziren nodded. "I have. They say this Zhao Yan stands eight feet tall, has the strength to lift a tripod, and is accomplished in both civil and martial arts. It was only because he repeatedly failed the exams and loathed the corrupt officials that he led a band of followers and turned rebel. A pity, a lamentable pity!"

Fei Yuanjian, too, began spinning hearsay into wild tales: "I've heard that this Zhao Yan has under his command one hundred and eight captains, all of them gallant heroes of the Jiangxi greenwood. There's one called Zhao Yaonian who knows the Wudang Cloud Ladder skill. He steps on his left foot with his right, and whoosh — he leaps straight onto the walls of Ji'an Prefecture and slaughters every official in the city."

Well, well. It seemed The Legend of the Condor Heroes had already spread, and the Cloud Ladder skill was now widely known.

The only question was which of Zhao Han's men knew the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms.

Suddenly, Xu Ying spoke up. "This great bandit Zhao Yan — could his courtesy name be Ziyue?"

Liu Ziren and Fei Yuanjian stared at each other in shock and horror.

Fei Rulan looked somewhat helpless, then forced a smile. "The great bandit Zhao Yan's courtesy name is indeed Ziyue."

"Then Zhao Yaonian — is that Young Master Ruhe?" Xu Ying asked again.

"Master Xu has guessed correctly again," Fei Rulan said.

"Ah!"

Xu Ying slowly sat down and murmured to himself, "I knew it. I knew it. The moment I heard of the great bandit Zhao Yan, I felt it had to be Zhuochen. He and the teacher — Pang Chunlai — had long been thinking of rebellion. Sooner or later, this day was bound to come." As he spoke, Xu Ying gave a bitter laugh. "I just passed the xiucai exam. I might even have passed the juren."

Liu Ziren scratched his head frantically and paced back and forth in the cabin. "Was there any need? This is a business that costs you your head."

It was Fei Yuanjian who slammed the table and declared, "Rebels it is, then. It suits me fine — I can't pass the xiucai exam anyway, my family has only a thousand-odd mu of land left, and buying an office still requires first purchasing an Imperial Academy student title. Better to rebel and make a grand go of it!"

Fei Rulan bowed again in apology. "My husband has done a foolish thing and tricked the three of you into joining the rebels. I offer you all my apologies."

"Enough, enough," Liu Ziren said after a long silence, sighing. "This year Yanshan had the sect uprising, the landlords all raised the rents, and on top of that we had a spring drought. One way or another, there's no getting by. Even if I didn't join the rebels, I'm afraid I'd have ended up a bandit."

Xu Ying remained silent and made no statement.

In truth, he had already had his suspicions before boarding the boat. But both Pang Chunlai and Zhao Han had shown him great kindness. This journey was simply to repay that debt.

The three men took their leave of Fei Rulan and left the sleeping cabin together.

Once they were gone, Fei Rulan sighed. She had no wish to be a bandit's wife. All she wanted was a few hundred mu of land, a few serving maids and page boys, and a quiet, peaceful life with her husband.

But now that things had come to this, what choice did she have?

Not only did she have to stoop to being a bandit's wife, she also had to soothe people's hearts for her husband's sake.

(End of Chapter)