Water Margin: From a White-Robed Scholar to Donning the Yellow Robe

Chapter 15: Not for Money, But for Life

When Master Du left, everyone was astonished.

Wang Lun and Gongsun Sheng exchanged a glance, knowing that Chao Gai must be leading his men to attack Du Yuanwai's saltpeter mine.

But to everyone's surprise, Master Du was so desperate for the saltpeter mine that he wouldn't even save his own son.

After pondering for a moment, Wang Lun had an idea and whispered a few instructions to Zhao Si.

Zhao Yupan blinked her big eyes, not having overheard Wang Lun's words, and asked directly, "What were you saying to him?"

Although she knew Wang Lun was the leader of Liangshan, Zhao Yupan still felt a strong liking for him for some reason. She even felt that he was forced to join Liangshan and felt indignant on his behalf.

Wang Lun laughed and said, "You'll find out soon enough."

At this moment, Cui Yuelou's waiter brought out food and wine, allowing Wang Lun and the others to rest for a while.

The people inside the house also benefited, eating and drinking as they pleased.

Zhao Yupan had little appetite. Cui Yuelou's food was very ordinary, and she was used to the luxurious food in the palace, so she naturally had no interest in it. She ate a little and then asked, "What should we do with that Du fellow and that corrupt official?"

Wang Lun wiped his hands and said, "I have a solution."

He looked at the prefect lying on the ground and asked, "Do you want to atone for your crimes through good deeds?"

The prefect was taken aback.

"The Du family has been committing evil deeds in Jizhou for a long time. As the local official, you have long been eager to punish them. Unfortunately, you have not been able to collect enough evidence." Wang Lun waved the thick stack of charges in his hand. "Now, with the help of the heroes of Liangshan and this young master Zhao Yupan, you have finally obtained sufficient evidence."

Zhao Yupan suddenly realized, staring at Wang Lun with her big eyes, thinking to herself, "How come this person has so many good ideas?"

"Commander Du has committed numerous evils, causing widespread public resentment. To quell this anger, you have no choice but to first behead him and display his head to the public, then report to the court." Wang Lun smiled slightly. "What do you think?"

The prefect was sweating. He looked at Chief Du, then at Wang Lun, and then at the people around him. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, let me up."

Du, the head constable, was greatly alarmed and hurriedly exclaimed, "You took tens of thousands of strings of cash from my family, and now you're turning your back on us?"

The prefect snorted coldly. His own life was the most important thing, and besides, the people were looking at him expectantly. How could he live with himself?

Commander Du then looked at Wang Lun: "If you think 20,000 strings of cash is too little, then 50,000 strings, 60,000 strings... 80,000 strings... 100,000 strings."

Wang Lun smiled coldly and said, "Captain Du, don't forget that I am a leader of Liangshan. If I kill you, I will lead my troops to take your money and grain."

Du Dutou was stunned. It was indeed so. He had nothing to say and could only kneel down and beg for mercy.

"I, Wang Lun, don't want money, I want your life!" Wang Lun glared at Du, scaring him so much that he didn't dare to beg for mercy.

The prefect took a deep breath, took the indictment from Wang Lun, faced the people outside, and said loudly, "The Du family of Jizhou has committed countless evils and their crimes are beyond measure. I have long been determined to rid the people of this scourge... Now, with the assistance of Leader Wang of Liangshan, I have obtained irrefutable evidence of the Du family's evil deeds..."

He read through the charges one by one, and halfway through, he choked up, his voice growing increasingly agitated.

When he finally finished reading, the prefect seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and shouted, "Where is Huang An?"

Huang An, who had been pushed into the back of the crowd by the people, squeezed through the crowd upon hearing this.

"Huang An, I order you to immediately behead Chief Du and display his head to the public!"

Huang An was taken aback, but when he saw the people shouting and cheering upon hearing this, he hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, dragged the terrified Du Tou to the door, and chopped off his head with a single stroke.

The people cheered, and the lively atmosphere was like a festival.

Suddenly someone in the crowd shouted, "Master Du's house is on fire!"

The people all turned to look, and sure enough, flames were shooting into the sky in the distance, which looked like the manor of Master Du.

As everyone gasped in shock, Zhao Si shouted from the crowd, "Charge into the Du family's house and take back what belongs to us!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving the crowd somewhat dazed. But a few breaths later, thousands of people rushed toward the Du family.

Zhao Yupan was thrilled and urged repeatedly, "Let's go, let's go take a look too."

Wang Lun stared at the prefect without saying a word.

When the prefect saw the people surging towards the Du family like a tide, he was speechless and collapsed to the ground in despair.

"This is the sentiment of the people, Your Excellency. An official's duty is to serve the people." Wang Lun stood up, and as he passed the prefect, he smiled faintly. "Serving the people is easier said than done. Today, I, Wang, will spare your life. You'd better watch yourself."

Zhao Yupan followed behind Wang Lun, their rapport as deep as that of longtime friends.

Both of them were extremely good-looking, and standing side by side, they truly seemed like a match made in heaven.

"After tonight, the Du family will cease to exist in Jeju. Miss Zhao, I think we don't need to go. It wouldn't be good if something happened in the chaos."

Zhao Yupan thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright. Hmm... how did you know I'm a woman?"

As she spoke, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes darted away.

Wang Lun smiled but did not answer. He said, "Although the people's sentiments are like this now, this prefect will not cause us any trouble. But what if he gets cornered and does something rash? So let's leave the city tonight."

The group rode out of Jeju City on horseback.

On the way out of the city, countless people heard the news and rushed to the Du family's house, which was engulfed in flames.

Standing outside the city and looking back, Zhao Yupan felt as if the day's events had been a dream. He had only wanted to travel around, but unexpectedly, he ended up working with the Liangshan bandits to eliminate the tyrant.

She turned to look at Wang Lun and said, "You... are you really Wang Lun, the bandit from Liangshan Marsh?"

Wang Lun said, "That's right. Now that we're parting today, I don't know when we'll meet again. Where are you in Tokyo, young lady? If I ever go to Tokyo in the future, I'll come to find you."

You need to be thick-skinned to get a girl. In this day and age, there are no telephones, so get the address first.

"I......"

Zhao Yupan was somewhat saddened and said, "You're a bandit from Liangshan, how could you possibly reach Dongjing?"

Wang Lun thought about it and realized it made sense; he was a bandit.

He sighed softly, a line from a poem coming to mind: "A beautiful woman, yet she became a thief."

But now that they are about to part ways, if he doesn't leave a lasting impression on her, she will surely forget him soon.

Wang Lun's mind raced, and finally he slowly recited a poem:

"The moon in the sky suffers the most; it is full of hardship one night, but becomes crescent moon every night."

"If you are like the moon, forever bright and pure, I would brave ice and snow to warm you."

"Alas, worldly ties are easily severed, yet the swallows still tread softly on the curtain hooks."

"The autumn wind has ceased its song, but sorrow has not subsided; in the spring thicket, I recognize the butterflies that mate in pairs."

Upon hearing the words, Zhao Yupan was immediately captivated, her heart pounding and her hands trembling slightly.

Wang Lun shook the reins: "Miss Zhao, this is our farewell. We'll meet again in the martial world. Farewell."

When Wang Lun uttered a line commonly seen in martial arts dramas, he felt as if he had been possessed by Zhang Wuji.

"Hello!"

Zhao Yupan stopped Wang Lun, gritted his teeth, and said, "If you get to Tokyo, come to Princess Deqing's residence to find me."

After saying this, Zhao Yupan and his guards spurred their horses and galloped away, disappearing into the night.

Wang Lun suddenly remembered the history book he had read in his previous life: Princess Zhao Yupan of the Song Dynasty!