Inspector He Tao turned to his younger brother He Qing and said, “That silver is the official reward posted by the court—I’m not using it to trick you, and there’s more coming. Now tell me, how did you come by the names of that gang?”

He Qing reached into the pouch at his waist and drew out a folded ledger. He pointed at it. “All those thieves are written in here.”

“Then tell me how they came to be written down,” said He Tao.

“Brother, I’ll be straight with you. A few days back I lost at gambling and hadn’t a coin left for food. Another gambler took me to a village called Peaceful Dell, about fifteen li outside the north gate, where there’s an inn run by the Wang family. We went there to scrape together a few stakes. Now the magistrate had posted an order that every innkeeper in the village must keep a register, stamped with the official seal, and each night when travelers came to lodge, he had to ask them: ‘Where do you come from? Where are you going? What is your name? What business are you about?’—and write it all down. The register was checked once a month at the headman’s office. Since young Wang couldn’t read or write, he asked me to keep the book for him for half a month.

“On the third day of the sixth month, seven travelers selling dates came with seven Jiangzhou carts and put up at the inn. I recognized the leader—it was Squire Chao of East Creek Village in Yuncheng County. How did I know him? I’d once gone with a gambling friend to seek his help, so I knew his face. I wrote in the register and asked, ‘What surname might you gentlemen go by?’ Then a man with three wisps of beard and a fair, clean face pushed forward and answered, ‘We are all surnamed Li, come from Haozhou to sell dates in the Eastern Capital.’ I wrote it down, but I had my doubts.

“The next day they left. The innkeeper took me into the village to gamble, and at a fork in the road we met a fellow carrying two buckets. I didn’t know him, but the innkeeper called out, ‘Whitey, where are you off to?’ The man answered, ‘A load of vinegar—taking it to sell to the rich man in the village.’ After he passed, the innkeeper told me, ‘That one’s called Bai Sheng, the Daytime Rat. He’s a gambler too.’ I filed it away.

“Then word began to spread everywhere: on Yellow Mud Ridge a gang of date sellers had drugged the escort with knockout powder and made off with the Birthday Convoy. Who else could it be but Squire Chao? Catch Bai Sheng, and one question will give you the whole truth. This ledger is my copy.”

He Tao was overjoyed. He took his brother straight to the prefectural office and presented him before the magistrate. “Have you made progress on that case?” the prefect asked.

“We have a lead,” said He Tao.

The prefect called them into the inner hall, heard the whole account from He Qing, and at once dispatched eight constables. Together with He Tao and He Qing they rode through the night to Peaceful Dell, roused the innkeeper to guide them, and reached Bai Sheng’s house at the third watch. The innkeeper called the door open on some pretext of needing a light for cooking, and inside they heard Bai Sheng groaning in bed. His wife said he had a fever and could not sweat. They dragged him up—his face was flushed red and white—and bound him with rope.

“Fine work you did on Yellow Mud Ridge!” they shouted.

Bai Sheng would not confess. They tied his wife as well, and she too refused to speak. The constables searched the house for the loot, and under the bed they found the floor uneven. They dug down less than three feet and raised a shout. Bai Sheng’s face turned the color of earth. Out of the hole came a bundle of gold and silver. They wrapped Bai Sheng’s head in cloth so no one would know him, took his wife, carried off the loot, and hurried back to Jizhou City by the fifth watch.

Brought before the hall, bound with ropes, Bai Sheng was asked who had planned the robbery. He denied everything and refused to name Chao Gai and the six others, even through three or four beatings that split his skin open and sent blood streaming. The prefect roared: “The victim has identified the stolen goods, and my men already know it was Squire Chao of East Creek Village! How can you deny it? Name the other six and the beating stops.”

Bai Sheng held out a while longer, but at last, unable to bear the pain, he confessed: “The leader is Squire Chao. He and the six others recruited me to carry the wine. I truly don’t know their names.”

“That’s no difficulty,” said the prefect. “Catch Squire Chao and the other six will surface.” He ordered a twenty-catty cangue locked around Bai Sheng’s neck, had his wife chained, and sent them both to the women’s prison.

Then he drew up an official warrant and dispatched Inspector He Tao with twenty sharp-eyed constables to Yuncheng County. The order was to seize Squire Chao and the six unnamed thieves without delay. Two officers who had escorted the Birthday Convoy went along to point out the culprits. They traveled by night, keeping quiet so as not to alarm anyone. On reaching Yuncheng, they hid their men in an inn, and He Tao took only one or two attendants to deliver the warrant at the county office.

It was mid-morning when they arrived, but the magistrate had already finished his early session, and the yard before the yamen was quiet. He Tao sat down in a teahouse across the street and waited. After a cup of tea he asked the server, “Why is it so still before the county office today?”

“The magistrate dismissed his morning court,” said the server. “All the clerks and petitioners have gone to eat.”

“And which clerk is on duty today?” He Tao asked.

The server pointed. “Here comes the one on duty now.”

He Tao looked out and saw a clerk emerge from the county offices. The man had eyes like phoenix tails and brows like sleeping silkworms, ears that hung heavy as pearls, pupils dark as lacquer. His lips were square, his mouth well-formed, his beard light upon a chin of clean lines; his forehead broad, his crown level, his cheeks full. Seated he had the aspect of a tiger; walking, the shape of a wolf. He was about thirty years old, with a bearing that could feed ten thousand men and a mind that aimed at sweeping the four seas. His spirit soared high, his breast held elegance and learning. In drafting documents he could outdo the prime minister Xiao He himself, and his fame rivaled that of the lord of Mengchang.

This clerk was named Song Jiang, courtesy name Gongming, third son of his family, from Song Family Village in Yuncheng County. Because he was dark-skinned and short, everyone called him Darky Song Jiang; because he was filial to his father and generous with his money for the sake of righteousness, they also called him Filial Righteous Black Third Brother. His mother had died early; his father, Squire Song, lived in the village farming with his younger brother, Song Qing, known as the Iron Fan. Song Jiang himself served as clerk in the county seat.

He was skilled at documents and thoroughly versed in official procedure. He also loved to practice with spear and staff and had mastered several forms of martial arts. His lifelong pleasure was befriending bold men of the rivers and lakes. Whoever came to seek him out, high or low, he took in without exception, lodging them in his manor and keeping them company day after day without ever showing weariness. When a guest wished to leave, Song Jiang funded his journey lavishly—he scattered money like dirt. If anyone asked him for cash or goods, he never refused. He loved to do favors, settling disputes wherever he could, and above all saving lives. He gave out coffins and medicines to the poor, relieved distress, aided those in need, and propped up the fallen. For this his name was known throughout Shandong and Hebei, and men called him the Timely Rain, for like rain falling when it is needed most, he could nourish all living things.

When Song Jiang stepped out of the county office with a servant behind him, Inspector He Tao met him in the street and hailed him: “Clerk, please sit and have some tea.”

Song Jiang saw the man was dressed as an officer and returned the greeting hastily. “And where does my elder brother come from?”

“Let us go into the teahouse and talk over tea,” said He Tao.

“As you wish.”

They sat down inside, and Song Jiang sent his servant to wait by the door. “May I ask your honorable name?” he said.

“I am Inspector He Tao of the Jizhou prefectural police. And may I ask yours?”

“Forgive my dull eyes for not knowing you, Inspector. I am a petty clerk named Song Jiang.”

He Tao fell to his knees at once. “Your fame has reached me long since—only fate never let me meet you.”

“You flatter me,” said Song Jiang. “Please take the seat of honor.”

“How dare I?”

“You are from a superior office and a traveler from afar.” After some polite refusal, Song Jiang took the host’s seat and He Tao the guest’s. Tea was brought, and they drank.

“What business brings an inspector to our humble county?” Song Jiang asked.

“To be frank, we seek several important persons in your jurisdiction.”

“Not a criminal matter, I hope?”

“I carry a sealed warrant here,” said He Tao. “I beg the clerk to help me deliver it.”

“You are an officer sent by a higher office to catch thieves—how could I dare neglect you? But what is this urgent crime?”

“Since you handle such cases, there’s no harm in telling you. On Yellow Mud Ridge within our prefecture, a gang of eight drugged the fifteen soldiers escorting the Birthday Convoy that Governor Liang of the Northern Capital was sending to Grand Tutor Cai. They stole eleven loads of pearls and treasure worth a hundred thousand strings of cash. We have caught one accomplice, Bai Sheng, who says the seven ringleaders are all in your county. The Grand Tutor’s office has sent an agent to our prefecture demanding quick results. I hope you can help move this along.”

“Never mind the Grand Tutor’s order,” said Song Jiang. “Even if you came with a warrant on your own authority, I would not dare refuse to arrest them. But tell me—which seven did Bai Sheng name?”

“I won’t hide it from you: Squire Chao of East Creek Village is the leader. The other six he doesn’t know by name. I beg you to use your skill.”

Song Jiang started inwardly. Chao Gai is my sworn brother, my heart-and-guts friend. He has committed a monstrous crime now. If I don’t save him and he’s taken, his life is over. But aloud he said smoothly: “That Chao Gai—he’s a sly, stubborn householder. There isn’t a soul in this county who doesn’t resent him. Now he’s gone and done it! Let him suffer.”

“Then I ask you to proceed at once,” said He Tao.

“Don’t worry. This is easy—a turtle in a jar, reach in and grab it. Only one thing: the sealed warrant must be delivered by you personally before the magistrate. When he reads it, he can act and send men out. How could I dare open a sealed official document on my own? This is no small matter, and it must not leak.”

“Your judgment is clear,” said He Tao. “Please lead me in.”

“The magistrate has been busy all morning and is resting now. Wait a little—when he returns to the bench, I’ll come for you.”

“I put my trust in you.”

“It is only proper. Say no more. Let me just go home briefly to settle some household matters, then I’ll return. Sit here a while.”

Song Jiang rose, left the teahouse, and told the server: “If that officer wants more tea, charge it to me.” Then he hurried away like the wind. First he sent his servant to tell the doorman at the county office to wait outside the teahouse: “When the magistrate takes his seat, go reassure that officer—tell him the clerk will be along shortly.”

Then Song Jiang saddled a horse himself and led it out the back gate. He took up his whip, mounted swiftly, and rode quietly away from the county town. Once past the east gate he gave the horse two cuts of the whip, and it galloped straight for East Creek Village, covering the distance in less than half an hour.

The manor servants saw him coming and ran inside to announce him.

Chao Gai was at that moment drinking wine with Wu Yong, Gongsun Sheng, and Liu Tang beneath the grape trellis in the back garden. The three Ruan brothers had taken their share of the treasure and gone home to Stone Tablet Village. When Chao Gai heard that Clerk Song had arrived alone, he asked, “How many men are with him?”

“Only one man on a lathered horse,” said the servant. “He says he must see you at once.”

“Something is wrong.” Chao Gai hurried out to meet him.

Song Jiang made a curt bow, seized Chao Gai’s hand, and pulled him into a side room. “Why have you come in such haste?” Chao Gai asked.

“Brother, you don’t know—we are heart-and-guts friends, so I am risking my life to save you. The Yellow Mud Ridge affair has broken open! Bai Sheng is already taken and locked in the Jizhou jail, and he has named all seven of you. The prefecture sent an inspector named He with a troop of men, bearing warrants from both the Grand Tutor’s office and the prefect, to arrest you seven—and you are named the leader. By sheer luck the case fell into my hands. I pretended the magistrate was asleep and left Inspector He waiting in the teahouse across from the yamen. That’s why I rode here at full speed to warn you. Of the thirty-six stratagems, flight is the best. If you don’t leave now, what are you waiting for? When I go back, I’ll bring him to deliver his warrant, and the magistrate will send men tonight without delay. Don’t linger. If anything goes wrong, don’t blame me for not saving you.”

Chao Gai was stunned. “Brother, this kindness is more than I can repay!”

“Say no more of that. Just make your arrangements to flee, and don’t get tangled up in talk. I must go back.”

“There are seven of us,” said Chao Gai. “The three Ruan brothers took their money and went home to Stone Tablet Village. Three are still here—meet them before you go.”

Song Jiang followed him into the back garden, where Chao Gai pointed: “This is Instructor Wu; this is Gongsun Sheng from Jizhou; and this is Liu Tang of East Luzhou.”

Song Jiang exchanged a brief salute with each, then turned at once to leave. “Take care of yourself, brother. Move quickly. I’m off.” He mounted at the manor gate and galloped back toward the county town.

When he had gone, Chao Gai said to Wu Yong, Gongsun Sheng, and Liu Tang: “Do you know who that was?”

“Why did he come and go in such a panic?” asked Wu Yong. “Who is he?”

“You three don’t realize,” said Chao Gai. “If not for him, our lives would have ended within the hour.”

The three were startled. “Has word leaked out? Is the affair exposed?”

“We owe everything to that brother—he took on a responsibility as heavy as a sea of blood to warn us. Bai Sheng has been taken in the Jizhou jail and named all seven of us. The prefecture sent Inspector He with men and warrants from the Grand Tutor, ordering this county to seize us at once. Thanks to him, he held the inspector waiting in the teahouse while he rode ahead to tell us. Now he’s gone back to deliver the warrant, and soon soldiers will come tonight to take us. What are we to do?”

“If not for that man, we would have walked into the net,” said Wu Yong. “What is this great benefactor’s name?”

“He is our county clerk—Song Jiang, Guardian of Righteousness.”

“I have heard only his fame and never met him,” said Wu Yong. “Though he lives so near, I never had the chance.”

Gongsun Sheng and Liu Tang both said: “Is this the Timely Rain Song Gongming they speak of throughout the rivers and lakes?”

Chao Gai nodded. “The very man. He is my sworn brother, joined heart to heart. His fame is not empty—all within the four seas know it. To have sworn brotherhood with him is no waste.”

“We are in a desperate fix,” Chao Gai said to Wu Yong. “How do we get out?”

“No need for long debate,” said Wu Yong. “Of the thirty-six stratagems, flight is best.”

“That’s what Clerk Song said too. But where can we flee?”

“I have it worked out. Let us pack five or six loads and make straight for Stone Tablet Village, to the home of the three Ruan brothers. Send someone ahead at once to tell them.”

“The Ruans are fishermen,” said Chao Gai. “How can they shelter so many of us?”

“Brother, you’re not thinking clearly! From Stone Tablet Village it is a short step to Liangshan Marsh. The stronghold there flourishes now—the imperial troops don’t dare look it in the eye. If we are pressed hard, we can join the band outright.”

“That plan is the best one,” said Chao Gai. “My only fear is they won’t take us in.”

“We have gold and silver,” said Wu Yong. “Give them a share and they will welcome us.”

Chao Gai settled it: “Then let us not delay. Instructor Wu, you go with Liu Tang and some servants, carrying the loads to the Ruans’ home first, then meet us on the road. Gongsun Sheng and I will finish packing and follow.”

Wu Yong and Liu Tang packed the gold, pearls, and treasure taken from the Birthday Convoy into five or six loads. They gave the serving men food and wine, Wu Yong tucked his bronze chain into his sleeve, Liu Tang carried his saber, and with a dozen men they set out for Stone Tablet Village.

Chao Gai and Gongsun Sheng stayed to pack up the manor. Servants unwilling to go were given money and sent off to find other masters; those who wished to stay by him helped gather valuables and tie up bundles.

Back in the county town, Song Jiang galloped to his lodging, then hurried to the teahouse, where Inspector He Tao was standing at the door looking for him. “Forgive the wait,” said Song Jiang. “A relative from the village came by my place with some family business, and it held me up.”

“Please lead me in now,” said He Tao.

They went together to the county office. Magistrate Shi Wenbin was on the bench handling affairs. Song Jiang carried the sealed warrant and led Inspector He to the clerk’s desk, then ordered the screens set up for private consultation. “A warrant has come from Jizhou Prefecture,” he reported. “Inspector He of the police has been sent with an urgent criminal matter.”

The magistrate broke the seal and read the document on the spot. He looked up, startled. “This is a case where the Grand Tutor’s office has sent an agent demanding results. We must send men to seize this gang at once.”

“If we go by day,” said Song Jiang, “word may leak out. Send men tonight instead. Capture Squire Chao and the other six will be found.”

Magistrate Shi frowned. “This Squire Chao of East Creek Village—I have heard he is a fine fellow. How could he do such a thing?” Still, he summoned the county marshal and his two constables: Zhu Tong, known as Beautiful Beard for his handsome whiskers, and Lei Heng, called Winged Tiger for the pattern on his gambeson. These two were no ordinary men.

Zhu Tong and Lei Heng came to the inner hall, received their orders, and mounted with the county marshal. They rode to the police post, mustered over a hundred bowmen, spearmen, and local soldiers, and set out with Inspector He Tao and the two escort officers as guides. Ropes and weapons in hand, the marshal riding, the two constables mounted with saber and bow at their belts and long sabers in their fists, they poured through the east gate and galloped to East Creek Village. By the first watch they had gathered at a shrine of Guanyin.

Zhu Tong said: “The Chao manor is just ahead. It has two approaches—front and back. If we all rush the front gate, he’ll slip out the back; if we storm the back, he’ll flee through the front. I know Chao Gai well—he’s no easy mark, and those six with him won’t be gentle souls either. They’re desperate men, and with his servants to help they could cut us to pieces if we charge in blind. Better to make a feint at one side while striking at the other, so they scatter in confusion and we can take them.

“Let Lei Heng and me split the force. I’ll take half on foot and lie in wait behind the manor. When you hear my whistle, you pound the front gate—catch one as he comes out, catch two as a pair.”

“Sounds right,” said Lei Heng. “You and the marshal hit the front, and I’ll cut off their retreat.”

“You don’t know the ground, brother,” said Zhu Tong. “The Chao manor has three hidden exits, and I’ve noted them all at leisure. I can find my way in the dark without a torch. You haven’t studied his comings and goings—if he slips through your fingers, it would be no joke.”

“Zhu Tong is right,” said the marshal. “Take half the men.”

“Thirty will do.” Zhu Tong took ten bowmen and twenty soldiers and left first.

The county marshal remounted, Lei Heng arranged the remaining troops around him, and with thirty or forty torches blazing they marched on the Chao manor, carrying pitchforks, sabers, hooked billhooks, and polearms that barred the road.

When they were still half a li away, a thread of fire rose from the manor’s central hall. Black smoke poured out and red flames leaped into the sky. Before they had gone another dozen paces, thirty or forty blazes burst forth from front gate, back gate, and every side—the whole estate was burning at once.

Lei Heng led the charge in front, his soldiers shouting behind him. They smashed open the manor gate and poured inside. The firelight made everything bright as day, yet they saw not a single soul. From the rear came shouts: “Stop them! Catch them!”

Zhu Tong had meant to let Chao Gai escape all along—that was why he had tricked Lei Heng into attacking the front gate. But Lei Heng also wanted to save Chao Gai, and had only given up the back door because Zhu Tong argued him out of it. So both constables played their parts: the noise, the feints, the shouting, all designed to drive Chao Gai out.

When Zhu Tong reached the back of the manor, Chao Gai was still finishing his packing. A servant ran in crying, “The soldiers are here! No time to lose!” Chao Gai ordered his men to set fires on every side. Then he and Gongsun Sheng led a dozen loyal servants charging out the back gate with shouts and leveled sabers.

“Stand in my way and die! Get out of my way and live!”

From the darkness Zhu Tong shouted, “Don’t run, Squire! Zhu Tong has been waiting for you this long while!”

Chao Gai paid him no mind. He and Gongsun Sheng fought their way out desperately. Zhu Tong dodged aside as if afraid, opening a path and letting Chao Gai pass.

Chao Gai told Gongsun Sheng to lead the servants ahead while he covered the rear alone. Zhu Tong sent his bowmen and soldiers charging through the back gate with shouts of “After them! Catch the thieves at the front!” Lei Heng heard the uproar, turned his men around, and ran out the manor gate, sending troops in every direction. In the firelight he looked this way and that as if searching.

Zhu Tong left his soldiers behind, raised his saber, and set off after Chao Gai alone. As they ran, Chao Gai called back: “Constable Zhu, why do you keep chasing me? I’ve done nothing wrong!”

When Zhu Tong saw no one else near, he dared speak plainly: “Squire, you haven’t seen how well I’ve treated you! I feared Lei Heng would be too stubborn to show mercy, so I tricked him into attacking the front gate while I waited at the back to let you out. You saw me open the path—I let you go. But don’t run just anywhere. There is only one place that can shelter you: Liangshan Marsh.”

“I am deeply grateful for your life-saving kindness,” said Chao Gai. “One day I will repay it.”

As Zhu Tong pursued, he heard Lei Heng bellowing behind him: “Don’t let them get away!” He called to Chao Gai: “Don’t panic—keep running, and I’ll send him off on a false trail.” Then he turned his head and shouted back: “Three thieves have fled down the east path! Constable Lei, go after them at once!”

Lei Heng led his men off to the east, and Zhu Tong kept running behind Chao Gai, calling out as if in hot pursuit but taking care not to catch him.

Soon Chao Gai vanished into the darkness. Zhu Tong pretended to stumble, fell flat on his face, and lay there groaning. His soldiers came up and helped him rise.

“It’s too dark to see the road,” he said. “I stepped off into a field, slipped in the mud, and wrenched my left leg.”

“The chief thief has gotten away!” cried the county marshal. “What do we do now?”

“It’s not that I wouldn’t chase him,” said Zhu Tong. “The moon is dark and there’s no way to track him. And these soldiers—there isn’t one of them with any spine, none willing to press forward.”

The marshal ordered the soldiers after Chao Gai again, but they muttered among themselves: “If even the two constables can’t handle him, what use are we?” They made a show of running a short way, then came back saying, “It’s pitch black—no telling which road he took.”

Lei Heng also came back empty-handed. He thought to himself: Zhu Tong and Chao Gai have always been thick as thieves—I suspect he let him go. Why should I play the villain? I meant to free him too. Now that he’s gone, I just missed my chance for credit. And Chao Gai is not a man to cross. Aloud he said: “How could anyone catch up with them? That gang is formidable!”

When the marshal and the two constables returned to the manor, it was already the fourth watch. Inspector He Tao saw that the whole force had scattered through the night and captured not one thief. He wrung his hands. “How can I go back to Jizhou and face the prefect?”

The county marshal could only seize a few of Chao Gai’s neighbors and march them to Yuncheng.

The magistrate had not slept all night, waiting for news. When he heard that the thieves had escaped and only neighbors were taken, he interrogated them in open court. The neighbors pleaded: “We live near Squire Chao, but even the closest of us is separated by fields and hamlets. His manor always had armed men coming and going—how could we know what he plotted?”

The magistrate questioned each one, determined to get a lead. At last one close neighbor said: “If you want the truth, ask his servants.”

“His servants have gone with him,” said the magistrate.

“Some refused to go,” said the neighbor. “They’re still here.”

The magistrate sent men at once, using that neighbor as guide, and within two hours they returned with two of Chao Gai’s servants. Questioned in court, the servants first denied everything, but under beating they broke: “Six men came to plan this. I knew only one—a village schoolteacher named Wu, Instructor Wu. Another was called Gongsun Sheng, a Taoist priest. And there was a big dark-skinned man surnamed Liu. The other three I didn’t know—Instructor Wu brought them in. I heard it said they were surnamed Ruan, brothers who live at Stone Tablet Village and make their living fishing. That is all I know.”

The magistrate took their confessions, handed the two servants over to Inspector He Tao, and prepared a full report for the prefecture. Song Jiang quietly arranged bail for the neighbors so they could go home pending further inquiry.

Inspector He Tao and his men escorted the prisoners back to Jizhou through the night, arriving just as the prefect took his seat. He Tao presented the two servants and reported that Chao Gai had burned his manor and fled. The prefect heard the statement, then said: “Bring out Bai Sheng.”

When Bai Sheng was dragged before him, the prefect demanded: “Those three surnamed Ruan—where exactly do they live?”

Bai Sheng could no longer deny it. He confessed: “The three are Ruan the Second, called the Earth-God Who Stands His Ground; Ruan the Fifth, called the Short-Lived二郎; and Ruan the Seventh, called the King of Hell. They all live at Stone Tablet Village by the lake.”

“And what of the other three?”

“One is Wu Yong, the Wizard; one is Gongsun Sheng, the Cloud-Riding Dragon; and one is Liu Tang, the Red-Haired Devil.”

The prefect heard this out, then said: “Now that we have a trail, keep Bai Sheng in prison as before.” He summoned Inspector He Tao again and ordered him to Stone Tablet Village to seize these thieves.

But that expedition would not go as the prefect hoped. For the stars of Heaven and Earth were gathering to meet their fate, and the heroes of the marsh were about to join forces. How Inspector He Tao fared in his pursuit at Stone Tablet Village—hear it in the next chapter.