Moma Liangshan

Chapter 46 Each for their own master, each doing their own thing

Wen Da and Suo Chao led ten elite soldiers southward in pursuit, arriving in Yangzhou twenty days later. Two li from the Yangzhou post station, Wen Da reined in his horse and said, "Suo Chao, take two elite soldiers and proceed on foot to the Yangzhou post station to investigate the deployment of Wang Hao's convoy. After ascertaining the situation, return immediately and make your move at midnight tonight." Suo Chao agreed and led his men off. A little over half an hour later, Suo Chao arrived at the post station entrance, about to step inside. A postman shouted, "Who goes there? State your name!" Suo Chao looked at the elite soldier beside him, who understood, took out his token, and said, "Beijing Garrison Commander, acting on orders!" Seeing the three men's imposing manner and official status, the postman dared not offend them and quickly said, "Please come in, gentlemen!" The elite soldier put away the token and followed Suo Chao into the post station. Wang Hao's eight mule carts were conspicuously parked in the post station, but they were empty at the moment. The Yangzhou post station was vast, comprising more than a dozen courtyards. Suo Chao looked to his left and right and said, "You two search each courtyard to find where Wang Hao and his men are." The two men obeyed and searched simultaneously from the north and south. Half an hour later, one of them returned first and said, "The third courtyard on the north side." Suo Chao summoned the other man back and went directly to Wang Hao's courtyard. One of the soldiers said, "Won't going directly there expose our whereabouts?" Suo Chao said, "Have we done anything illegal?" The soldier said, "No." Suo Chao then asked, "Do we have any old grudges with Wang Hao? Do we know him?" The soldier said, "No old grudges, no acquaintances." Suo Chao said, "We have no criminal record. We don't know Wang Hao and have no old grudges. What's wrong with meeting him openly?" The soldier understood and said, "Your subordinate understands!" Suo Chao quickly arrived at Wang Hao's courtyard and knocked on the door. After three calls, a martial arts master opened the door and asked, "What brings you here, sir?" Suo Chao said, "I would like to ask your master for a small favor: to exchange one fifty-tael gold ingot for ten fifty-tael silver ingots. Is that possible?" The martial arts master said, "Please wait a moment, sir. I will go and report to him immediately." A moment later, the martial arts master returned and said, "My master invites you."

Suo Chao and his two companions entered the courtyard and met Wang Hao, Yang Zhi, and the three Ruan brothers. Yang Zhi, from a military family, noticed their builds and asked, "Are you three from the military?" Suo Chao replied, "We are from the northern border army." Upon seeing this, Wang Hao said, "You are all heroes who protect our country. Please come inside and chat!" Suo Chao said, "I appreciate your hospitality, young master, but I am bound by military duties and cannot stay long. Please forgive me." Wang Hao nodded and asked, "May I ask your name, heroes?" Suo Chao replied, "I am but a nobody, not worth mentioning!" Seeing that Suo Chao was unwilling to reveal his name, Wang Hao did not press the matter and said, "Give the heroes ten fifty-tael silver ingots." The martial arts instructor obeyed the order, turned and went into the back hall, and returned a moment later with the silver ingots. Suo Chao took out a small package from his pocket and handed it to Wang Hao. Wang Hao took the package, opened the cloth, and saw a gold ingot completely different from those of the Song Dynasty. Wang Hao looked at Yang Zhi, who examined it for a moment and said, "This is a Liao Dynasty gold ingot." Wang Hao turned the ingot over and saw that its back was indeed engraved with twisted and crooked characters. Wang Hao put the ingot away and said, "This is the first time I've seen a Liao Dynasty gold ingot." Suo Chao said, "This gold ingot comes from the Northern Court of the Liao Dynasty and circulates almost exclusively outside the Great Wall. The Southern Court of the Liao Dynasty is responsible for trade with our dynasty and mainly uses our dynasty's currency." Wang Hao knew that the Liao Dynasty implemented a system of two courts, the Southern Court and the Northern Court, to avoid conflicts between the nomadic peoples of the grasslands and the agricultural peoples of the Central Plains. The Southern Court was responsible for managing the area south of the Yanshan Mountains, and the Northern Court was responsible for managing the area north of the Yanshan Mountains. Wang Hao, however, had a question and asked, "The Liao Kingdom's gold and silver production should be greater than ours. The border trade in the north is mostly large-scale, with gold and silver being the preferred currencies. Why then is our currency the primary one?" Suo Chao, his face showing both anger and melancholy, slowly replied, "Our dynasty has been paying tribute to the Liao Kingdom since the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, for over 110 years. For the first 40 years, the annual tribute was equivalent to 300,000 taels of silver, and for the next 70 years, it was equivalent to 500,000 taels of silver. To date, our dynasty has paid over 47 million taels of silver in tribute to the Liao Kingdom. Such a vast amount of gold and silver is sufficient for circulation in all the border markets between Song and Liao." Wang Hao said, "War rages in the Liao Kingdom's lands beyond the Great Wall, and the Jurchen rebellion is escalating. One day, the troops of our Great Song will march north to reclaim Youyun and rebuild the Great Wall." Suo Chao said, "Young master, you are so young, yet you are so concerned with matters of state."

Yang Zhi, standing nearby, asked, "Does Your Excellency know who my young master is?" Suo Chao shook his head and said, "He has long been in the northern frontier and knows little of the affairs of the Central Plains." Yang Zhi said, "My young master is about to take up the post of magistrate of Laoshan County, reopening the Jiaozhou Maritime Trade Office and taking charge of the Yellow and Bohai Seas." Suo Chao smiled casually and said, "At your age, it is rare in our dynasty to appoint a county magistrate. But how can a county magistrate in a coastal area influence the military affairs of the Song-Liao border?" Wang Hao said, "Liaodong and Penglai are only a few dozen miles by sea. Why can't we? I, Wang Hao, am highly regarded by the Emperor in Tokyo and have good relations with all the officials. Why would I abandon the prosperity of the capital and go to that impoverished place, Jiaozhou?" Suo Chao asked in a questioning tone, "Young master, could it be that you are trying to break through the Song border by sea?" "The predicament between Song and Liao?" Wang Hao said, "Exactly!" Suo Chao replied, "Young master is too young; it's best not to be overly ambitious! War is a matter of great importance to the state. It's beyond your reach!" Wang Hao said, "I'm not acting on my own whim, but following imperial orders!" The words "following imperial orders" were incredibly inspiring to Suo Chao, who said, "If one day we can truly march north, recover the land of Youyun, and rebuild the Great Wall, I, Suo Chao, am willing to be a vanguard!" Wang Hao smiled and said, "You should trust our Emperor!" Suo Chao wanted to believe, but couldn't muster any confidence, and said, "I hope our Emperor can truly make up his mind! I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now!" Wang Hao said, "Take care, sir, don't bother seeing me off!"

After Suo Chao left, Wang Hao looked at Yang Zhi and asked, "Is this man truly a border soldier?" Yang Zhi replied, "This man is robust and has a steady gait. Furthermore, his legs are slightly bent; he is most likely a border soldier." Wang Hao was slightly puzzled and asked again, "Why are his legs slightly bent?" Yang Zhi said, "Compared to infantry, cavalrymen, due to prolonged saddle fighting, have slightly sunken muscles on the inner thighs. If they don't ride for two months, the thigh muscles will definitely regrow. The Song Dynasty is short of horses, and over 90% of its cavalry are deployed to the border. Therefore, this man is undoubtedly a border soldier." Wang Hao pondered for a moment and said, "If he is a border soldier, why isn't he preparing for war on the frontier? What is he doing in Yangzhou, a place of pleasure?" Yang Zhi replied, "I don't know." Wang Hao played with the gold ingot in his hand and said, "It's difficult to distinguish friend from foe; be careful!" Yang Zhi accepted the order. At this time, the three Ruan brothers returned from buying food and drink.

Wen Da rested at an inn two miles away. Seeing Suo Chao return, he asked, "Did you find out the details?" Suo Chao replied, "The third courtyard on the north side of the Yangzhou post station." Wen Da asked again, "How many people were with him?" Suo Chao answered, "About twenty." Wen Da said, "Did you see them with your own eyes?" Suo Chao replied, "I saw eight or nine with my own eyes, but judging from the number of carriages and the number of rooms they stayed in, it's not hard to guess." Wen Da nodded and asked again, "How skilled were the accompanying men?" Suo Chao pondered for a moment and said, "One of them has a large blue birthmark on his face and is about seven feet five or six inches tall. He should be from a military background and is likely a formidable opponent. The others are somewhat skilled, but they are all roughnecks and cannot withstand the elite troops of the imperial court." Wen Da recalled briefly and said, "Wang Hao's salvage operation of the Flower and Stone Tribute caused a sensation in the capital. One of his men is named Yang Zhi, a descendant of three generations of generals, the grandson of Yang Linggong, one of the Five Marquises. He was once a commander of the Palace Guard and was convicted for losing the Flower and Stone Tribute. If my guess is correct..." "Mistake, it must be this person." After a brief pause, he continued, "Are you absolutely certain you can defeat him?" Suo Chao replied, "We're evenly matched; the outcome is uncertain!" Wen Da asked, "If we join forces, what are our chances of victory?" Suo Chao said, "We can win within a hundred moves." Wen Da said, "Tonight at midnight, let's infiltrate the post station and find out if the tribute of flowers and stones is in Wang Hao's hands." Suo Chao said, "The post station is surrounded by merchants; even if we get the gold and silver, it will be difficult to leave." Wen Da nodded and said, "If we find out the birthday tribute is in Wang Hao's hands, we'll quickly leave, ambush him on his likely route, and seize him in one fell swoop." Suo Chao asked, "A direct confrontation might result in casualties!" Wen Da looked at Suo Chao and said, "We're only after the birthday tribute, not to kill. Wang Hao is an official of the court; he wouldn't be so foolish. As long as we can subdue his guards, Wang Hao shouldn't fight to the death!" Suo Chao thought this made sense and said, "Your subordinate will go and prepare immediately."

In the dead of night, under a dark and windy sky, Wen Da and Suo Chao, dressed in black and with steel knives concealed at their waists, scaled the wall and entered the Yangzhou post station. They sneaked into Wang Hao's room and found him fast asleep. The room was small, and after looking around, they saw no gold or silver. Wen Da and Suo Chao exchanged glances and quietly withdrew. Outside the door, Suo Chao whispered, "Eight carts of gold and silver, and Wang Hao didn't even personally guard them." Wen Da said, "This man is young, yet he has the demeanor of a great man, trusting his subordinates implicitly. Eight carts of gold and silver are hard to hide; if they're not in Wang Hao's room, they must be in the guards' quarters." Suo Chao said, "The guards live in a shared dormitory; sneaking in rashly might be unwise." Wen Da said, "You're quite right. Given the situation today, it's not wise to force it. Let's leave quickly and make further plans." Suo Chao nodded in agreement, and the two scaled the wall and left. Leaving the post station, Suo Chao said, "The gold and silver are stored in the guards' quarters; they'll likely remain there in the future. What do you think, Commander?" Wen Da pondered for a long time before saying, "I have a plan that will surely work!" Suo Chao said, "Please advise, Commander." Wen Da said, "Sever one half of the axle with a sharp blade. On a smooth road, it may be fine. But if the road is bumpy, the axle will surely break. When the axle breaks, the cart will overturn, and the gold and silver will scatter." Suo Chao said, "Commander is wise; I will return immediately." Wen Da stopped him, saying, "Dawn is approaching; let's continue another day!" The two returned to the inn.