Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Chapter 192 When the enemy is at the gates, don't attack; defeat their spirit first. (Jiangwuta

Now, let's turn to another story. Shi Wenbin, the magistrate of Yuncheng County, had been terrified ever since he saw the Liangshan army approaching the city. He was so frightened he felt like his soul had left his body. For days, he had lost his appetite and could not sleep, only hoping that the imperial army would arrive soon to relieve his predicament. Furthermore, seeing the Liangshan army acting strangely—neither attacking the city nor hurling insults, but instead carrying out large-scale construction outside the city—his heart was filled with even more suspicion and uncertainty. He was like fifteen buckets trying to draw water, his mind in turmoil, unable to find peace of mind.

If they put up a stubborn resistance, wouldn't the tiny county of Yuncheng fall in an instant? Wouldn't their lives be in danger?

But if we surrender the city, the imperial army will arrive at any moment, and Wenbin's entire clan will be in danger. It's a difficult decision!

This is the scene inside the city, which will not be described in detail here.

Meanwhile, Li Hanxiao, the chieftain of Liangshan Marsh, retreated five miles to set up camp. This wasn't out of cowardice, but rather because he possessed a million-strong army and a wealth of brilliant strategies. His attack on Yuncheng was not merely for the sake of a ruined county town, but to win the hearts and minds of its people. Having finalized his plans, he summoned "Nine-Tailed Turtle" Tao Zongwang and gave him his orders. Tao Zongwang, receiving the command, dared not delay. He immediately mustered a thousand engineers and skilled craftsmen from the stronghold and set out for the city. Hundreds of burly men, shirtless, toiled tirelessly, some felling trees, some digging, some carrying stones, and some pulling ropes. The sounds of axes and hammers echoed across the plains, reaching the walls of Yuncheng. The defenders on the walls initially pointed and mocked the bandits, laughing that they were not interested in battle but instead were beautifying the city.

"Look at those bastards, are they planning to build a temple here and pray to the gods and Buddhas to help them break through the city?" a soldier said, pointing outside the city with a laugh.

"To me, it looks more like they're setting up a stage and inviting us to watch a grand show!" another soldier said with a disdainful expression.

Hearing these absurd words, Shi Wenbin felt a chill run through him. Although he was a civil official, he knew the military strategy of "appearing deceptive when real, and real when deceptive." Li Hanxiao was renowned for his cunning and unpredictable actions; he would never do something so pointless. The more ostentatious his actions, the more suspicious he seemed. However, Shi Wenbin was too inexperienced to see through Li Hanxiao's true intentions. For a moment, he felt utterly confused, as if lost in a fog.

Meanwhile, inside the Liangshan camp, a completely different scene unfolded. The central command tent was brightly lit, as if it were daytime. Over a thousand scholars sat in a circle, each with an excited expression, showing none of the dejection of prisoners. On a large table in the center, made up of several wooden desks joined together, were spread paper, ink, and brushes, and above them was a thick scroll of case files—the very evidence of the crimes of the local tyrant Niu Er, which "White-Day Rat" Bai Sheng had "invited" from the Jizhou Prefecture prison.

The young man with his hair tied up, Zhang Yuan, who was at the head of the group, stood on the table, holding a page of a dossier. He read aloud, "Fellow students, the chieftain has said, 'Investigate things to acquire knowledge, and unite knowledge with action!' Today, the crimes of Niu Er are our 'things,' and how we proclaim them to the world, punish evil and promote good, is our 'action'! The chieftain has prepared pen, ink, sword, and spear for us. Tomorrow, we will let the clear blue sky illuminate this injustice!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of enthusiastic responses erupted from inside the tent. These scholars, who had diligently studied the classics since childhood and were full of knowledge, had never imagined that one day they would be able to use their pens to uphold justice for the people. This exhilarating experience was perhaps even more satisfying than passing the imperial examination!

A round-faced scholar snatched a scroll of case files and declared loudly, "I am Wang Xiao'er, and I have loved listening to street storytellers since I was a child. This Niu Er's evil deeds can be turned into a story. Once the high platform is built, I will go up there and talk about him for seven days and seven nights, so that he will be infamous for ten thousand years!"

A thin young man standing nearby, not to be outdone, picked up paper and pen and said, "I, Li Si, am not good with words, but I have a rudimentary understanding of music. I will set all these events to music and teach them to three-year-old children and ignorant women and children to sing, so that Niu Er's infamy will spread to every corner of Yuncheng!"

Some skilled painters, unable to contain themselves any longer, took charcoal, found a piece of white cloth, and began sketching on the spot. With swift, flowing strokes, they created a ferocious, fat man on the cloth. The man rode a tall, imposing horse, his face contorted in a grotesque grimace, beneath which lay a weeping child—a truly gruesome sight. Though simple, the image was filled with a bloody indictment, causing the surrounding scholars to grit their teeth in fury.

Li Hanxiao and strategist Wen Huanzhang stood outside the tent, listening to the commotion coming from inside, and smiled at each other.

Wen Huanzhang stroked his beard and praised, "Chief, your plan is brilliant! Attacking the city is inferior to attacking the heart. Use the pens of these scholars to transform into thousands of swords and spears, directly targeting people's hearts. After this battle, these thousand students will probably all be sincerely convinced of your worth and willingly serve you."

Li Han smiled and nodded, saying, "They possess the skills to slay dragons, yet have no way to serve their country. What I'm giving them is not just a chance to survive, but a stage for them to apply their knowledge and realize their ambitions. This Niu Er is just a starting point. I want them to understand that the way of the sages is not found in the halls of power, but in the hearts of the people!"

Nothing was said that night. The next morning, as the first rays of dawn shone on the land of Yuncheng, the scene outside the city left everyone speechless with astonishment.

A colossal wooden platform, over three zhang tall, stood a hundred paces outside the city wall. The platform, with beams made of timbers so thick they could be embraced by two arms and pillars of pine trees the size of a bowl, was layered upon each other, its imposing presence resembling a giant overlooking all living beings. On the platform also stood a strange iron trumpet, wide at the mouth and narrow at the end, its purpose unknown, gleaming with a chilling light in the morning sun.

The Liangshan army stood in two rows, their swords and spears like a forest, their banners fluttering, yet they showed no intention of attacking the city. Instead, they seemed to be waiting for a grand opening ceremony.

On the city wall, more and more soldiers and civilians gathered, craning their necks to point and discuss the strange sight outside the city. Shi Wenbin stood atop the city wall, sleepless all night, his eyes sunken. Looking at the platform higher than the city wall, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. What methods was Li Hanxiao planning?

At noon, the sun was blazing.

Suddenly, three drumbeats sounded from the Liangshan formation, and a person slowly walked up from the high platform. This person was dressed in a blue robe and held a folding fan. He was one of the scholars in the group, and it was Wang Xiaoer who had volunteered to tell stories.

Wang Xiaoer walked up to the tin loudspeaker, cleared his throat, gathered his strength, and said loudly, "Fellow villagers of Yuncheng County, esteemed readers! Today I will not recount the old stories of the past dynasties, nor speak of emperors and generals, but only tell you a strange tale from our own neighborhood, about a tyrant who is universally condemned!"

His voice, amplified more than tenfold by that strange tin horn, resounded clearly throughout the entire city wall. The people on the wall were all horrified, wondering what kind of sorcery this was.

"In our Yuncheng County, there lives a rogue on East Street named Niu Er, nicknamed 'Hairless Tiger'! This beast, relying on his family's stinking money, colludes with the government, bullies men and women, and commits all sorts of evil deeds! Today, I will tell you all about his crimes!"

As soon as Wang Xiaoer finished speaking, two Liangshan soldiers unfurled a huge white cloth scroll below the stage. The scroll depicted the horrific scene of Niu Er running rampant on his horse and killing a child.

A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd atop the city wall.

"Hey! Isn't that Niu Er from East Street? I recognize him!"

"The child in the painting... looks like Little Stone from Zhang Dalang's family, who sells pancakes in Ximen! Poor thing, only seven years old!"

"That's right! It was him! I was there at the time. This Niu Er killed someone in a car accident, and then he turned around and accused Zhang Dalang and his wife of extortion, so he had them beaten half to death!"

The people were abuzz with discussion and their emotions were running high. Many eyewitnesses who had dared not speak out before, now emboldened by the imposing presence of the Liangshan army, began to recount what had happened that day.

Hearing the discussions on the city wall, Wang Xiaoer felt reassured. He snapped his folding fan open and continued, "That's only one thing! In the third year of Chongning, Niu Er took a fancy to the daughter of Butcher Li in the south of the city. When he went to propose marriage, he was rejected and harbored resentment. In the dead of night, he gathered a group of thugs, stormed into the Li family's house, beat Butcher Li to death, and forcibly took his daughter away! The poor girl from the Li family was strong-willed and could not bear the humiliation. Three days later, she hanged herself in Niu's mansion!"

As they spoke, another scroll was unfurled below the stage. In the painting, a beautiful young girl, dressed in white, hanged from a roof beam, her eyes wide open, her death unfulfilled.

"Damn Niu Er! What grudge do I, Li the Butcher, have against you!" In the crowd, a middle-aged man beat his chest and stamped his feet, crying bitterly. He was Li the Butcher's brother.

One by one, the bloody crimes were laid bare before the people of Yuncheng through Wang Xiaoer's words and those shocking pictures.

Atop the city wall, an uproar had already erupted. Cries, curses, and shouts of rebuke blended into a massive wave of sound that soared into the sky.

The soldiers guarding the city looked at each other in bewilderment, many of them showing expressions of shame and anger. Among them were many locals from Yuncheng, who had heard of Niu Er's evil deeds to varying degrees, and some even had relatives and friends who had been oppressed by him.

Whose power did these bullies rely on to run rampant? It's no surprise that Wenbin turned a blind eye back then.

Now, they have to fight against the Liangshan heroes who are acting on behalf of Heaven in order to protect such a government and such a tyrant. How can they bear this?

Shi Wenbin stood atop the city wall, his face already deathly pale. He felt as if the city wall beneath his feet was about to collapse amidst the overwhelming public resentment.

He knew that Li Hanxiao's "psychological warfare" had succeeded. It seemed that Yuncheng County was beyond saving.

Just then, a commotion broke out on the high platform. Several fierce Liangshan soldiers shoved a fat man who was bound hand and foot and limp all over onto the platform.

That fat man, with a large head and ears and a face like a pig's liver, was none other than the notorious Niu Er!

Several elderly, weak, women, and children, dressed in rags and looking emaciated, were also helped up from below the stage.

One of the elderly women, with white hair, lunged at Niu Er as if possessed, biting his leg and screaming, "You damned beast! Give me back my son's life!"

It is said: A tyrant in power is condemned by all, and public resentment surges like a tide over the isolated city.

This old woman was none other than the mother of Wang the blacksmith from the west of the city. Her son had been beaten to death by Niu Er and his men simply for speaking up for someone, his legs broken. Today, seeing her enemy again, she was filled with intense hatred, wishing she could tear him apart and sleep on his skin!

Niu Er howled like a pig being slaughtered as he was bitten, cursing in a foul language: "Where did this old hag come from, like a mad dog! You...you traitors, release your master Niu! My brother-in-law is Supervisor Sun of the prefectural government. When the imperial army arrives, he will tear you to pieces!"

His words only caused an uproar on the city wall.

"So his brother-in-law is Supervisor Sun! No wonder he's so arrogant!"

"Officials and bandits are one family! Officials and bandits are one family! How can we ordinary people survive?"

Wang Xiaoer sneered on the stage and shouted into the tin megaphone, "Niu Er! You're about to die, yet you still dare to be so arrogant! Do you really think your powerful backer can protect you from death?" He turned to the city wall and shouted, "Fellow villagers! You've all heard this! The reason Niu Er dares to run rampant in the village and prey on the people is because he has corrupt officials backing him! Today, we Liangshan are acting on behalf of Heaven, not only to eliminate this tyrant, but also to dig out the cancer behind him!"

Before the words were finished, a crisp sound of bamboo clappers rang out. It was the scholar Li Si, holding two clappers, who walked onto the stage. His face was filled with grief and indignation, and he began to sing into the loudspeaker. Although his voice was not as loud as Wang Xiao'er's, every word was clear and the rhythm was powerful:

"With a clap of the bamboo clappers like that, let's not boast about anything else..."

Praise be to the heroes of Liangshan, whose loyalty and righteousness are known throughout the world!

Let me tell you about one: the bully Niu Er, nicknamed "Hairless Tiger."