Chapter 61: It

“This isn’t the original text written by Shi Nai’an!”

Zhang Jie from Zhuan Yi Tian reached out his hands, indicating he wasn’t boasting.

“Brothers, don’t argue—let me go take a look, and we’ll know for sure.”

Zhang Jie from Water Margin calmed the two men who were about to quarrel.

Both of them readily backed down and dropped the matter.

“Song Jiang, when he was an official, consorted with bandits; when he was a bandit, consorted with officials.”

“If he’d lived during the War of Resistance, he’d have been a traitor through and through.”

Zhang Jie from Dragon Ball recalled Song Jiang’s deeds and gritted his teeth in fury.

“In short, Song Jiang looked down on bandits and idolized the imperial court.”

“His repeated expressions of unwillingness to be a outlaw are clear from his renaming the Hall of Righteousness to the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness.”

“Under his leadership, the Liangshan bandits’ surrender was inevitable.”

“Besides, if he hadn’t accidentally killed Yan Poxi, he never would have taken to the hills.”

Zhang Jie from Zhuan Yi Tian stroked his chin as he analyzed.

“Fang La was right—Song Jiang stained his official robe with the blood of his brothers!”

“What makes Water Margin great is that in the end, Liangshan surrendered, showing everyone the fate of surrender.”

“In five thousand years of history, Liangshan is the only group that won battles and then surrendered.”

“In this regard, Song Jiang truly defied heaven—hard to judge.”

Zhang Jie from Water Margin spoke with deep emotion.

“When Fang La met with Song Jiang, he scolded him: ‘For your own official position, [20] you dragged all your Liangshan brothers along with you, causing so many of them to die. [21] You stained your official robe with their blood—do you even understand brotherhood? [22] The court is corrupt and incompetent—why do you willingly serve as its hound? Do you owe your brothers anything?’”

You dragged all the brothers of Liang Shan down with you, causing so many of them to die.

You stained your official robe with their blood—do you truly uphold brotherhood?

The court is corrupt and incompetent—why do you still willingly serve as its hound? Are you worthy of your brothers?

Who could have imagined that Song Jiang, who dared write “I laugh at Huang Chao for lacking manhood,” [24] was in fact a sycophant with the highest posterior in the land?

He’s nothing but a servant with the most prominent buttocks of them all.

This was why, before his cheat system arrived, he never considered joining Liangshan: [26] Better to die gloriously like Fang La than to spend half his life as a dog and get poisoned.

Rather than spend half a day as a dog and get poisoned, better to go out like Fang La in blazing glory.

“Haha, no wonder people say Shandong people love official positions deeply.”

“Here in Great Song, there’s a Shandong man who sold 107 brothers and sisters for an official post.”

Seeing Zhang Jie from Water Margin’s words heading into deep waters, [30] Zhang Jie from Dragon Ball quickly changed the subject to avoid attracting the River Crab God.

Zhang Jie of the Heavenly Dragon swiftly changed the subject to avoid drawing the River Crab God’s wrath.

“Hehe, Huang Chao says: we’re all from Shandong—how come the difference is so great? [32] While Song Jiang was still desperately chasing an official post, Huang Chao created his own post.”

While Song Jiang was still desperately chasing a formal position, Huang Chao had created his own.

“Of course, since official posts were limited, he physically eliminated everyone who previously held one—that’s only natural.”

Zhang Jie from Zhuan Yi Tian chuckled.

One Huang Chao showed everyone the madness of a Shandong man denied an official post.

“There’s no way around it—the official post system in Great Song is too hard to enter.”

Zhang Jie from Water Margin, who had just finished the provincial examination, spoke with deep feeling.

Great Song’s imperial examinations were too cutthroat—like a thousand troops crossing a single log bridge, where failure meant death.

Tens or even hundreds of thousands of scholars relied on only a hundred—or even fewer—slots every three years in the metropolitan exam.

If he hadn’t been reincarnated and experienced a positive mental transformation, with his memory greatly enhanced, [41] nearly eidetic, he would have abandoned the imperial exams long ago.

He had near-perfect recall and had long since abandoned the imperial examinations.

Just like a genius who stands out among nearly ten million candidates in the 21st century, [43] passing the Jinshi exam in the Song Dynasty was seen by ordinary people as becoming a god.

In the Song dynasty, passing the jinshi exam was seen by ordinary people as becoming a god.

“Hehe, before we reincarnated, we had a plan: once we had money, we’d remake Water Margin, [45] kill Song Jiang in the first episode, and spend the remaining 107 episodes on Pan Jinlian.”

Kill Song Jiang in the first episode, then spend the remaining 107 episodes filming Pan Jinlian.

“Now that we’ve got Pan Jinlian, when are you going to kill Song Jiang?”

Zhang Jie from Zhuan Yi Tian asked Zhang Jie from Water Margin with a grin.

Zhang Jie from Dragon Ball’s face also broke into a mysterious smile: [49] Pan Jinlian, as the famed beauty, was truly delightful.

Pan Jinlian is truly deserving of her famed beauty—her taste is truly exquisite.

As the top-tier fighter Jia Qian from The Embroidered Uniform Guard said: it was very run~

“Hmm, as for Song Jiang, I’ll wait until I actually meet him in Yuncheng County.”

Zhang Jie from Water Margin thought for a moment and replied.

The great man said it well: no investigation, no right to speak.

“Fair enough. We don’t punish without teaching—that’s not Zhang Jie’s style.”

Zhang Jie from Zhuan Yi Tian nodded in agreement with Zhang Jie from Water Margin’s view.

“Actually, it’s all Song Huizong’s fault!”

“If he had governed the Song Empire well and brought peace and prosperity, these two factions wouldn’t have fought.”

“The Jin wouldn’t have invaded the Central Plains, captured him and his son, and caused the Jingkang Humiliation.”

Zhang Jie from Dragon Ball directly blamed Song Huizong for all the faults of Song Jiang, Fang La, and others.

“That makes sense.”

Zhang Jie from Zhuan Yi Tian and Zhang Jie from Water Margin both nodded in agreement.

Although historical records mostly attribute the Jingkang Humiliation to traitors like Cai Jing, [63] Tong Guan, and Gao Qiang, [64] accusing them of ruining the nation, imposing cruel taxes, and deceiving both superiors and subordinates, [65] all of this stemmed from Song Huizong’s deliberate indulgence. [66] Without his promotion, could Cai Jing and Gao Qiang have risen to the positions of Chancellor and Grand Commandant? [67] Without his support, how could Gao Qiang and others have withstood the pressure from the civil officials? [68] Song Huizong and Gao Qiang, Cai Jing—they were all cut from the same cloth, colluding in wickedness.

Caused by the corrupt ministers led by Tong Guan and Gao Qiang.

Accused of ruining the nation and harming the people, imposing cruel taxes, and deceiving their superiors while oppressing their subordinates.

But all of this was due to Emperor Zhao Ji’s deliberate indulgence,

Without his promotion, could Cai Jing and Gao Qiang have risen to the positions of Chancellor and Grand Commandant?

Without his support, how could Gao Qiang and others have withstood the pressure from the court officials?

Emperor Zhao Ji and Gao Qiang, Cai Jing were all of the same ilk, colluding together in wickedness.

“By the way, Prince Duan spent his whole life stealing from others—and ended up having his own home stolen.”

After finishing the talk on Song Jiang, Zhang Jie from Zhuan Yi Tian, thinking of Zhang Jie from Dragon Ball’s plot against Duan Yanqing, couldn’t help but chuckle.

Duan Zhengchun had previously stolen from Zhong Wanchou’s home (Gan Baobao), [72] from Ma Dayuan’s home (Madam Ma), [73] from Wang Lao’s home (Wang Yuyan’s mother, Madam Wang), [74] and in the end, he himself had his home stolen by Duan Yanqing.

The home of Ma Dayuan, deputy chief of the Beggar’s Sect (Madam Ma),

The home of Wang Lao, Murong Fu’s uncle (Madam Wang, mother of Wang Yuyan),

In the end, even he himself had his home stolen by Duan Yanqing.

“Haha, even worse—he delivered his own home on a silver platter.”

“This guy chased every woman he met, and his wife gave him green horns.”

“You steal others’ wives, others steal yours.”

Zhang Jie from Water Margin grinned.

“Prince Duan merely committed the same mistake every man makes, like Brother Long in the bedroom.”

“Old Duan is intermittently faithful—he’s devoted to whoever shows up, and not when they’re gone.”

Zhang Jie from Dragon Ball, determined to learn from Prince Duan, defended him.

Duan Zhengchun: I’m just devoted to each girl I meet—what’s wrong with that?

“He pours out love the moment he sees you, professes to die for you, but when you’re gone, he pretends he never knew you.”

“The old man even tries to commit suicide for love—unbelievable.”

Zhang Jie from Water Margin shook his head—he couldn’t fully decipher Duan Zhengchun’s behavior pattern.

“So if you say he’s promiscuous, he truly seems in love when he’s with you.”

“But if you say he’s sincere, he can disappear for ten or twenty years.”

“Pure love harem—such an abstract concept.”

Zhang Jie from Zhuan Yi Tian covered his face in exasperation.

“Say, could the One Yang Finger technique also be…”

At that moment, Zhang Jie from Water Margin’s face broke into a mysterious smile.

Prince Duan Zhengchun was lecherous and skilled with women: [93] he had the seductive Madam Kang Min, the wild girlfriend Madam Wang A Luo, [94] the clever and adorable Ruan Xingzhu, the resolute and aloof Qin Hongmian, and the delicate Xiao Jia Bi Yu Zhong Baobao.

There was the alluring Madam Ma, Kang Min; the wild girlfriend-type Madam Wang, A Luo;

There was the clever and adorable Ruan Xingzhu, the resolute and aloof Qin Hongmian, and the delicate and modest Zhong Baobao.

But what made Duan Zhengchun impressive wasn’t the number of his lovers—it was that, except for Madam Ma, [96] all the others remained devoted to him for over a decade, still wanting to be with him.

All the others were utterly devoted to him and still wished to be with him.

So many women of different types, years later, still couldn’t let him go— [98] Prince Duan must possess the same skills as the Wheel King or Lao Ai.

Prince Duan must possess some skill akin to the Wheel King’s Lao Ai.

The book never mentions Prince Duan having any special talent, so his ability likely came from his martial arts.

Thus, the Dali Duan family’s inherited One Yang Finger technique is highly suspect.

You have to think: a human hand has only five fingers,

yet you must train them all.

Zhang Jie of the Heaven’s Edge wore a mysterious smile.

Prince Duan’s One Yang Finger is surely a hundred times stronger than Kato-kun’s~

Duan Zhengchun’s “One Yang Finger” reigns supreme in the martial world—who dares to disagree?

Duan Zhengchun is handsome, powerful, and a prince,

knows how to sweet-talk, how to charm women, and most astonishing of all, wields One Yang Finger~

“Hehe, the sixth sword’s final strike is probably below—but if you master it, you’ll only have daughters.”

Zhang Jie of the Heavenly Dragon, thinking of Prince Duan’s terrifying charm,

and his children all being daughters, made a bold guess.

“It’s said the Five Silk Mist Palm was developed by Prince Duan specifically to seduce women,

designed to strip clothes and extinguish lamps,” said Zhang Jie of the Water Margin, revealing a bit of gossip.