Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Chapter 110 Zhang Bofen: The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves forward; the Red-H

"it is good!"

"Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King" Chao Gai barely managed to utter these words despite the pain. Now, the hand he was holding the hammer with was completely powerless, and he couldn't even grip anything!

Zhang Bofen was young, and although he fell and was injured, he got up again after a while.

"You're still better!"

Although unwilling to admit it, Chao Gai, the "Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King," was indeed stronger than him. In the clash of hammers, although neither of them managed to hold onto the hammers in the end, Zhang Bofen's hammer slipped from his grasp first.

However, he was younger than Chao Gai and recovered faster. At this moment, he picked up two copper hammers and stood there looking at Chao Gai.

"Kill! You damn government troops, your grandpa's here!"

Just then, a squad of infantrymen, yelling and shouting, rushed across the stream separating Dongxi Village and Xixi Village to come to the rescue of the battlefield.

The leader, a burly man with a large cinnabar mark on his temple, wielded a broadsword. He moved with incredible speed, like a demon from hell, charging straight at them. A closer look revealed that the number of men following him was probably around three hundred.

"Oh no!"

When Zhang Bofen saw these people, he knew they were reinforcements from Liangshan Marsh. The government troops they brought were already fighting with the villagers and had suffered some losses and casualties. Now that more than 300 fresh troops from Liangshan Marsh had joined the battle, how could they possibly resist?

Moreover, Zhang Zhongxiong is already injured and it's impossible for him to fight again. He himself is not at his peak either. He just had a hard fight with "Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King" Chao Gai. Zhang Bofen only has 40 or 50% of his strength left. He might not be able to win if he fights again.

"Big brother, let's go!"

The shouts of his younger brother, Zhang Zhongxiong, rang in Zhang Bofen's ears, pulling him back to reality. Yes, if they didn't run, there was a risk of total annihilation!

Then Zhang Bofen shouted, "Quick, let's go! I'll cover the rear!"

Although the Zhang brothers, Bofen and Zhang Bofen, came from official families, they did not have the bad habits of many sons of officials. In this critical moment, they were still able to take on the responsibility of a commander and took the initiative to cover the rear.

"Little beast!"

Liu Tang, nicknamed "Red-Haired Devil," was known for his exceptional running speed, ranking among the top in Liangshan Marsh. His surprise attack speed was extremely fast. In the original novel, during the attack on Dongchang Prefecture against Zhang Qing, nicknamed "Featherless Arrow," a group of cavalry generals were defeated by Zhang Qing, leaving them with crooked helmets, armor, and limping limbs. The only one who actually reached Zhang Qing and encountered him was none other than Liu Tang, nicknamed "Red-Haired Devil."

At the time, Zhang Qing, nicknamed "Featherless Arrow," looked down on Liu Tang, believing that even cavalry could not defeat him, let alone a mere infantryman like Liu Tang. However, Liu Tang, nicknamed "Red-Haired Devil," was fast and had an extremely high pace. Before Zhang Qing could react, Liu Tang rushed forward and struck Zhang Qing's warhorse with a broadsword.

However, this was Zhang Qing's first appearance, and he was in his "newbie protection period," so his moment of glory was impossible to break. Therefore, Liu Tang, the "Red-Haired Devil," was hit in the eye by the horse's tail and was delayed for a moment. This absurd reason caused him to be delayed, and he was knocked down and captured alive by Zhang Qing with a stone.

Although the ending wasn't good, it proved the speed of "Red-Haired Devil" Liu Tang. At this moment, "Red-Haired Devil" Liu Tang charged forward like a whirlwind, rushing towards Zhang Bofen. The broadsword in his hand spun like an electric fan as it slashed at Zhang Bofen.

As for Liu Tang's strength, in the original novel he was the third-ranked leader of the Liangshan infantry, only after "Flowery Monk" Lu Zhishen and "Pilgrim" Wu Song. This speaks volumes. In the battle to lure Lu Junyi to the mountain, Song Jiang also sent him to fight Lu Junyi, which basically confirms that he was indeed at the level of the first echelon of Liangshan infantry.

However, this person has few achievements. His most famous achievement is his battle with "Winged Tiger" Lei Heng when he first appeared. He was hung up for half the night but still managed to overpower "Winged Tiger" Lei Heng.

The battle was extremely fierce. Even later, Lei Heng's soldiers joined forces to gang up on Liu Tang, the "Red-Haired Devil." This speaks volumes. If the two were truly evenly matched, why did the author later describe Lei Heng's soldiers attacking Liu Tang? It's clear that even the soldiers could see Lei Heng's disadvantage.

Then, the strategist Wu Yong came to mediate. Although Wu Yong knew martial arts, he wasn't very skilled, and he could tell that Lei Heng would die if the fight continued. So he quickly stepped in to break up the fight.

But actually, Wu Yong's intervention wasn't just saving Lei Heng, but also saving Liu Tang. Why? It's simple. What was Liu Tang's status at the time? A commoner. What was Lei Heng's status? A constable. Both were officials, albeit minor ones. If a commoner killed a constable, what do you think Liu Tang's fate would be? That's why it's said that Wu Yong also saved Liu Tang.

However, to be fair, Liu Tang was really stubborn. He sought out Chao Gai for a big cause, but he ended up getting himself into trouble. He failed to accomplish anything and even got himself into trouble. So, it can be said that Liu Tang was neither emotionally intelligent nor intellectually intelligent. He was all brawn and no brain. "Red-haired devil" is not a suitable description; we should also add "reckless devil."

However, Liu Tang had both merits and hardships in Liangshan. After being granted amnesty, he followed Song Jiang in his campaigns in the north and south and made military achievements. During the campaign against Fang La, Liu Tang killed Shen Ze, the commander of Runzhou, known as "Giant Spirit God".

Unfortunately, during the Battle of Hangzhou, Liu Tang followed Lu Junyi to attack Houchao Gate. Seeing that the city gate was not closed, he rushed into the city gate on horseback in order to be the first to achieve merit. The defenders on the city wall quickly cut the ropes, causing the heavy gate panel to fall down and crush Liu Tang and his horse to death under the gate.

In terms of fighting prowess, "Red-Haired Devil" Liu Tang is definitely capable, but if he doesn't correct his reckless habit, he'll still be of little use.

Zhang Bofen immediately raised two large copper hammers to defend himself, but he found that Liu Tang's swordsmanship seemed very "unpredictable," making it difficult for him to figure out the sword's trajectory and where it would actually strike.

Liu Tang, the "Red-Haired Devil," was a swordsman whose attacks were unpredictable, striking east and west, south and north. To make matters worse, he would strike and then move to a different spot, moving swiftly. Zhang Bofen, who already couldn't see through his swordsmanship, was now constantly running back and forth to defend himself, making him extremely exhausted.

The weapon in his hand was much heavier than Liu Tang's broadsword, and coupled with the fact that he had just expended a lot of energy, he was now struggling to keep up with the speed of continuous defense!

"No more?"

"Red-haired Devil" Liu Tang noticed Zhang Bofen's situation with almost keen senses, so he changed positions even faster and began to attack frequently.

The sword technique of Liu Tang, the "Red-Haired Devil," is called "Disordered Cloak," and it is said to be the sword technique of Wang Junke, a hero of Wagang Village.

If we were to rank the Wagangzhai members by strength, aside from the peerless Pei Yuanqing and the unparalleled Luo Cheng, the Bearded Lord Wang Jun would definitely be ranked third. Although he is not among the Four Fierce Warriors and Thirteen Heroes, his strength and achievements are absolutely no less than those of Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin.

Facing Wei Wentong, ranked ninth with his flowery sword, the heroes of Wagang were no match for him. Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin could only fight for a few rounds. Wang Junke's appearance was refreshing. He was more like Guan Yu than Wei Wentong. Wang Junke fought for dozens of rounds without being defeated. In the end, he retreated because he could not win by using the dragging sword technique.

When Wang Junke encountered Zuo Tiancheng, the Golden Saber, at Sishui Pass, none of the generals from Cheng Yaojin to the Four Tigers of Wagang could match him. However, Wang Junke, one of the Five Tigers of Wagang, was able to fight for dozens of rounds. Wang Junke served in the Great Demon Kingdom and the Western Wei, accumulating numerous merits: he killed Lai Huer, one of the Four Fierce Generals, with a "fishing knife"; he fought twice to a draw with Wei Wentong, the Flowery Saber General who had previously defeated Qin Qiong; he killed Zhang Yi, the Deputy Commander of Shangma Pass; and he fought Zuo Tiancheng, the Golden Saber General, for twenty rounds, but was slightly at a disadvantage. Qin Qiong, fearing for his safety, quickly called Wang Junke back. He can be considered the most meritorious of the Five Tiger Generals.

These achievements already demonstrated his extraordinary skills. In the era of the Sui and Tang dynasties vying for supremacy, Wang Junke's swordsmanship could only be considered second-rate, but his skillful maneuvering earned him first-rate victories. After the disbandment of the Wagang army, many surrendered to the Tang, but this bearded man disappeared from everyone's sight. Li Mi exchanged the imperial seal for Consort Xiao, losing the hearts of the people. Wang Junke was disheartened and returned to Wuliuzhuang to live as a wealthy man. From then on, he lost his ambition, only thinking about acquiring property and educating his son to inherit the family business, with no interest in making meritorious contributions.

Later, he met the old hero Xue Ying, the Double-Spear General, and asked him to teach his son Wang Yong'an martial arts. Luo Tong was trapped in Qing Shi Mountain while sweeping the north, and Cheng Yaojin escaped alone and happened to meet Wang Junke and Xue Ying.

Cheng Yaojin humiliated Wang Junke in front of Xue Ying and then took Wang Yong'an away to join the Tang camp. Wang Yong'an fought valiantly against eight fierce generals, lifting the siege of Qingshi Mountain, and joined the army.

Wang Junke went to find his son, but was tricked by Cheng Yaojin and Luo Tong and left in the army. He was later enfeoffed as the Duke of Zhangguo of the Tang Dynasty. When Emperor Taizong of Tang launched an eastern expedition to Liaodong, Wang Junke went with the army and stayed at Shizikou to guard the warships. Unfortunately, he caught a cold and died in the army.

Fortunately, his swordsmanship was passed down to later generations. Although it is unknown where and from whom "Red-Haired Devil" Liu Tang learned it, it has at least been passed down.

Wang Junke's weapon back then was the eyebrow-tipped knife. As the name suggests, the eyebrow-tipped knife has a blade that is thin and long like an eyebrow. It is a large knife used on horseback, and Wang Junke's knife skills can be considered as horseback knife skills.

The broadsword has a wider blade and a shorter handle than the eyebrow-tipped sword. The broadsword is generally about the height of a person, while the eyebrow-tipped sword is more commonly over two meters long. The broadsword's style is still based on close-range slashing. Generally, the front hand grips the guard below the hilt of the blade. The attack range is actually not long, similar to that of a single-edged sword. The technique is somewhat like rushing into a crowd and unleashing a flurry of attacks.

Because the eyebrow-tipped dagger is relatively light, the technique focuses on utilizing the attack range advantage of its long handle. It is generally held with the rear hand at the end of the handle and the front hand around the middle of the handle, taking advantage of its length and flexibility to chop. Since this "Red-Haired Devil" Liu Tang learned the broadsword technique of using the eyebrow-tipped dagger on horseback, but actually used a shorter broadsword on foot, there will be some differences in the performance of the sword technique.

Unexpectedly, the incorrect use of the weapon, coupled with the lack of mounted combat, actually brought out the more profound aspects of Wang Junke's "Disordered Cloak" sword technique.

At this moment, Zhang Bofen was fighting against "Red-Haired Devil" Liu Tang, but he felt pressure and intimidation.

This was the first time he had truly fought a master. His previous encounter with "Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King" Chao Gai didn't count. Although Chao Gai was strong, his actual combat record was practically nonexistent, so his strength shouldn't be overestimated. He was probably one of the top-ranking Earthly Fiends.

However, Liu Tang, the "Red-Haired Devil," was an absolute first-class infantry combat expert. To put it bluntly, Zhang Bofen only realized how high the sky was and how thick the earth was when he actually fought him, and how easily his own skills could withstand the test.

To be honest, even if Zhang Bofen were at his peak and fought against "Red-Haired Devil" Liu Tang, he probably wouldn't be able to beat him. There's no way around it, he's too young. Although his strength is considered "outstanding" among his peers, he's still "a tender winter melon in June"!

"what!"

Just as Zhang Bofen was overwhelmed, "Red-Haired Devil" Liu Tang used a "Tiger Tail Kick" to hook Zhang Bofen to the ground. Zhang Bofen was so focused on swinging his double hammers to block Liu Tang's broadsword that he forgot about his lower body and was caught off guard!

"ah!"

Just as "Red-Haired Devil" Liu Tang was about to kill Zhang Bofen with a single blow, a voice suddenly came from behind.

"Brother Liu Tang, hold your hand!"

Liu Tang, the "Red-Haired Devil," was stunned for a moment. In that instant, Zhang Bofen seized the opportunity, immediately got up from the ground, and ran away in a sorry state.

"Don't go!"

Liu Tang was about to give chase when he was stopped by Lin Chong, nicknamed "Leopard Head," who had just arrived.

"The chieftain has ordered them to be released!"

Lin Chong said.

This wasn't because Li Han was being overly sentimental; rather, he already knew that the newly appointed prefect of Jizhou was Zhang Shuye.

Li Hanxiao greatly admired this man. He was a capable minister, the only loyal minister in the Song Dynasty to lead troops to defend the emperor. He used his life to exemplify what integrity and loyalty truly meant.

Zhang Shuye was a household name in the late Northern Song Dynasty. From an unknown minor official in Lanzhou to a meritorious general who quelled the Qiang people's rebellion, what was the most admirable thing about this old general? It was that when faced with the invasion of the Jin army, he resolutely led his two sons and 30,000 soldiers to rush to the aid of Bianjing overnight.

What were the other commanders doing at that time? Or rather, they didn't move at all; some were even just watching the show. But Zhang Shuye received the military order and immediately set off.

This army marched north, sweeping all before them. Although they endured many bloody battles along the way, they maintained their disciplined bearing, earning the approval of Emperor Qinzong. During the defense of the capital, Zhang Shuye and his two sons were not idle. They led their soldiers in four days of continuous fighting, even killing two Jin generals—a truly inspiring achievement.

Unfortunately, Zhang Shuye's loyalty could not save the Song Dynasty from its fate. After the Jin army captured Bianjing, he and his two sons continued to fight valiantly until they received a ceasefire order and had to lay down their weapons.

What is even more admirable is that when the Jurchens wanted to install a man of a different surname as emperor, this veteran general stood up without hesitation. In front of the Jurchen commander, he firmly demanded that the Zhao family prince be made crown prince. This courage is truly awe-inspiring.

Finally, upon learning that he was to be escorted across the Yellow River northward, the 63-year-old Zhang Shuye chose to commit suicide. In this way, he demonstrated to the world what it means to "prefer death to dishonor."

Why must he be so fierce? But Zhang Shuye knew in his heart that once he crossed the Yellow River, he would be in enemy territory, and he would rather die than leave his loyal soul on the land of the Song Dynasty.

Li Hanxiao thought that recruiting such people was the best strategy.

Therefore, it's natural not to kill his son and ruin the relationship.