Qian Liu in a gambling game with the Zhong brothers.

21

Qian Poliu Begins His Career in Lin’an

These eight lines were written by Guanxiu [832–912], a famous poet-monk who lived late in the Tang dynasty. He fled from the chaos wrought by Huang Chao’s rebellion⁴ and made his way to the Yue region south of the Yangzi River. When he dedicated this poem to King Qian⁵ to ask for an audience, the latter showed much delight upon reading it, but the line “Fourteen prefectures you rule with your sword” struck him as lacking in grandeur,⁶ whereupon he sent a messenger to Guanxiu, saying that only if he changed “fourteen prefectures” to “forty prefectures” would the monk be granted an audience. The messenger had barely finished when Guanxiu started intoning a quatrain:

After this, he left with ethereal grace for the Sichuan region. King Qian was stricken with remorse, but attempts to bring him back were too late. What a remarkable monk he was! A later poet had this to say in derision of the king:

The above lines make the point that King Qian was too narrow-minded to realize his ambition and remained a ruler of no more than fourteen prefectures. Even so, his was a life of no small achievement. Born in troubled times, he made himself a king of that part of the empire. Who, you may ask, was King Qian and what was his background? There is a poem that bears witness:

Here begins our story. King Qian, named Liu, with the courtesy name of Jumei and the nickname of Poliu, was a native of the county of Lin’an in Hangzhou Prefecture. During his mother’s pregnancy, fire often broke out around the house, only to vanish when people came to put it out. The entire family was much bewildered.

One day, toward dusk, Mr. Qian was approaching the house from outside when he caught sight of a giant lizard about ten feet long climbing down from the roof, its eyes bright and sparkling, its head almost reaching the ground. Mr. Qian stood aghast. He was about to scream for help when the lizard disappeared. A glow of fire suddenly illuminated the sky from both the front and back of the house. Alarmed at what he thought was a fire, Mr. Qian cried to neighbors for help. All the neighbors, including those already gone to sleep, rushed to the scene with long hooks and water buckets, but there was no fire to be seen. Instead, they heard a newborn baby’s cries coming out of Mrs. Qian’s room. A shamefaced Mr. Qian apologized to the neighbors for having disturbed them with a false alarm. The sight of the giant lizard and the strange happenings prompted Mr. Qian to decide to drown the newborn baby because he thought it must be some kind of demon that would only bring calamity if left to live. But the baby was not destined to die yet.

There was a Granny Wang who lived in a house east of the Qians. A devout Buddhist, she was given to kind deeds and was a close friend of Mrs. Qian’s. That night, at Mr. Qian’s cries of fire, she also hastened to take a look. Upon hearing that Mrs. Qian was giving birth, she went in to o er help and was beside herself with joy at the sight of the baby. As she was carrying the baby to the basin for a bath, Mr. Qian tore the baby from her arms. He was about to push the baby into the basin and drown it when Granny Wang bent down and firmly protected the baby from him, crying out in great agitation, “What a sin! What a sin! It is by redeeming himself through many su erings that he has found reincarnation as a boy. What has he done to deserve a drowning death! As the ancients put it, ‘Even tigers and wolves feel the bond between father and son.’ What’s wrong with you?” Mrs. Qian in her bed also cried out in protest.

“Many strange things happened around the house before the birth,” said Mr. Qian. “I’d hate to keep a devil that’ll only grow up to bring ruin upon us.”

Granny Wang shot back, “How can you know for sure what kind of man this tiny lump of flesh and blood will grow up to be? What’s more, strange things also happen before the birth of great men. How do you know that what you saw were not auspicious signs? If you don’t want to keep this baby, let me take him and give him up for adoption to a childless couple. A life will be spared, and you’ll be saved from sin.” (Granny Wang is right.)

It was Granny Wang’s pleas that made Mr. Qian agree to keep the baby. The baby was thus given the nickname Poliu [Kept by Granny]. There is a poem in evidence of this:

In ancient times, Jiang Yuan conceived a child by standing on the footprints of a giant. Out of fear, she abandoned the newborn baby boy in the fields, only to take him back after three days when he was found to be still alive, protected by the wings of a hundred birds. He was thus named Qi [The Abandoned]. His innate saintly virtues became evident as he grew up. Skilled in the growing of crops, he was appointed by King Yao to take charge of agricultural matters and came to be known as Houji. Later, he became the patriarch of the Zhou dynasty, which began with King Wu and lasted eight hundred years.

During the Spring and Autumn period, a minister of the state of Chu named Dou Bobi had an a air with Master Yun’s daughter, who gave birth to a son.¹⁰ Fearful of a scandal, Lady Yun, Master Yun’s wife, secretly abandoned him in the Meng Marshes. As Master Yun passed by the marshes on one of his hunting expeditions, he saw a tigress breastfeeding a human baby. After the tigress had finished with the feeding and left, Master Yun, who marveled at the sight, had someone bring the child home and told his wife that the boy would grow up to be no ordinary man. As his wife recognized the baby to be none other than her own grandchild, she told her husband the truth. He thereupon married his daughter to Dou Bobi and put the boy into Dou’s care. In the Chu dialect, “breast” was called gu and “tiger” was called wutu. Therefore, he was given the name of Guwutu. Later in his life, he became prime minister of the state of Chu, known in our times as Prime Minister Ziwen of Chu. This bears out the sayings “Great men never die before their time” and “A narrow escape from death is a guarantee of good fortune.” To come back to our story, isn’t it a matter of fate that Mr. Qian’s attempt to drown the baby was thwarted by Granny Wang?

Let us not encumber our story with further idle comments. Qian Poliu was now an extraordinarily well-grown five- or six-year-old boy whose strength found no match in the other children of the neighborhood. Even teenage boys could not beat him at wrestling or fighting and had to accept him as their leader.

There was in Lin’an a hill called Stone Mirror Hill with a rock, all round and shiny, that reflected images like a mirror. In his daily frolics on the hill with his playmates, Qian Poliu was seen, as reflected in the stone mirror, wearing an emperor’s robe with a jade belt, and a crown on his head. The awestruck boys said with one voice that this must have been the work of some divine being. With total composure, Poliu announced to the boys, “The divine being in the mirror is me! All of you, get down on your knees and bow to me,” and so they did. Poliu accepted the bows in all complacency, and the practice continued.

One day, back from the hill, he told his father about this. In disbelief, his father went with him to the stone mirror and did indeed see what the others had seen. Much startled, Mr. Qian prayed silently to the mirror, “If it is indeed the destiny of my son Poliu to rise to wealth and eminence and to bring honor to the Qian clan, may the gods make his royal apparel disappear from the mirror, for, should others see this, disaster could follow.” After the prayer, he bade Poliu take another look in the mirror. Now the image was that of an ordinary child without any royal apparel. Mr. Qian said in a deliberately severe tone, “Your eyes saw something that was not there. Don’t ever tell such lies again!”

The following day, Poliu went again to play by the stone mirror. The boys refused to bow to him because the divine being had disappeared. But a plan came to Poliu’s mind. By the side of the stone mirror stood a huge tree with a trunk that took a hundred men to join hands around it. Its abundant foliage cast a shade over several mu¹¹ of land. Under the tree was a big rock seven or eight feet high. Poliu said, “Let’s pretend that this tree is an emperor’s palace and this rock the emperor’s chair. Whoever is the first to climb onto the rock can claim the throne. All the others will bow to him in congratulation.” The boys all agreed heartily.

As they attempted the climb, they found the rock much too high, too steep, and too slippery. Being as smart as he was nimble, Poliu first took stock of the situation and saw that the gnarls on the tree trunk could serve as footholds. So he jumped onto the roots at the base of the trunk and climbed up step by step. At about ten feet above the ground, he looked well and hard at the rock before he let go and jumped. As he landed neatly on the rock in a sitting posture, the boys let out a cry and prostrated themselves on the ground.

“Now, are you quite convinced?” said Poliu.

The boys all said, “Yes.”

Poliu continued, “In that case, you will do whatever I say.” Right away, he commanded that tree branches be snapped o to serve as banners. Then he made the boys form two orderly lines. Henceforth, every morning the boys would stand in lines just as officials did in court sessions and make bows to him. He also divided them into armies fighting each other, flying green and red paper flags. He himself, in the meantime, sat on the rock and commanded the troops to advance or to retreat as he saw fit. Anyone who disobeyed was beaten up. As the boys could win no fights with him, they had no choice but to follow his orders. No one did not stand in fear of him. (Deng Ai¹² played with battle formations, Zhu Xi with the strategem of the Eight Trigrams,¹³ and now Poliu is playing the commander.) Truly,

By the time he reached the age of seventeen or eighteen, with his hair tied into a circlet, he was a tall and handsome young man with a powerful physique and a self-learned mastery of the skills necessary for each and every one of the eighteen weapons. He had obtained a rudimentary education during his brief school attendance but gave up further studies, refusing to devote his mind to the books, nor was he willing to take up business as a broker of agricultural products. Instead, he was given to dishonorable conduct—stealing chickens, beating dogs, drinking, and gambling, losing most of the few valuables his parents had. (A true hero with all befitting qualities!) His parents’ attempts to reproach him only made him so resentful that he would leave the house and not return for days on end. Unable to control him, they could only let him have his way. He was now known in the neighborhood as Big Brother Qian. No one dared call him by his nickname anymore.

One day, he found himself out of money. An idea flashed upon him: “Gu Sanlang and his gang once tried to have me join them in smuggling salt. For lack of anything better to do, why don’t I go seek him out?” On his way to see Gu, he passed by the house of Old Man Qi near a Buddhist temple. Now this Old Man Qi had been the first to open a gambling house in Qiantang County. Prostitutes were kept in the house to attract gambling patrons, and Poliu had often stayed overnight there on his gambling sprees. At that moment, as he was passing by the house, he ran into none other than Old Man Qi, with a steelyard in his left hand and a rooster and a pig’s head hanging from his right. Seeing Poliu, he said, “Big Brother, I haven’t seen you for some time.”

“Any good patrons today?” asked Poliu.

“I won’t keep anything from you. The county administrative director has two sons who are fond of gambling and spending money on wine. Some busybody told them about my place, and now they are here demanding game partners, but because of their government connections, no one dares to show up. If you have enough cash to put down as ante, won’t you join them for a game? They play with cash and not on credit, not even for a penny.”

Poliu thought to himself, “I happen to be short of money. Why not go and make o with a few strings of cash?” So he said to Old Man Qi, “Others may fear them for their government connections, but I couldn’t care less. One little game won’t hurt. The only thing is that these rich men will laugh at me for not having enough money to put down as ante. When the game starts in a little while, I’ll just say that my money is with you. If you cover for me, I’ll give you half of my earnings if I win. If I lose, I’ll give you back whatever I owe you.”

Knowing Poliu as a man who had never played tricks on him at the gambling table, the old man agreed. He led Poliu into the house and brought him to Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang, sons of Zhong Qi, the administrative director of the county.

The old man said by way of introduction, “This is Big Brother Qian. He may be young, but he is most skilled in the martial arts and gambling. He heard that you are at my place and is here to make your acquaintance.”

It so happened that the Zhong brothers also took delight in the martial arts, so they were greatly pleased that this young man with impressive physique had the same interest. After an exchange of greetings, they spent a few moments comparing notes on martial arts before Zhong Ming asked that the table be set for gambling. Placing on the table a ten-tael ingot of silver, he declared, “Since this is the first time we meet Brother Qian, we’ll just put down this ingot of silver as ante.”

Poliu made a feint of searching in his sleeves and said, “I didn’t bring any cash with me, because I was on my way to see a friend and dropped in only when I heard from Mr. Qi that you were here.” Turning to the old man, he said, “Won’t you please put down some money for me, since you’re keeping some of my money anyway?”

The old man agreed and took out ten taels of silver. Gathering the pieces together on the table, he said, “I happen to have on hand only these ten taels, enough for you to have two games.”

As the saying goes, “The bigger the ante, the more daring the gambler.” Without a penny of his own, Poliu could not a ord to be daring with what was the old man’s possession. In his anxiety, he lost both games. Zhong Ming swept up his winnings with some words of apology and had a page boy give the old man one tael of silver as his share.

Though he had more silver at home, the old man was afraid that Big Brother Qian would only lose it all, and so he resignedly took the tael of silver and pushed the game board aside to make room for some food and wine, but Poliu was by no means in a drinking mood. “Please wait while I go back home to get some more money for a final game,” he said.

Zhong Ming agreed, “That’s a good idea.” But Zhong Liang objected, “If you want to do that, come here early tomorrow so that we can have a whole day of fun. But, for the rest of today, let’s just drink in celebration of making each other’s acquaintance.”

Poliu had to oblige. Two prostitutes came forward to o er their singing for the young men’s added pleasure. Truly,

In the midst of the carousing, there came knocks at the door. It was the officer on duty in the administrative director’s tribunal. “His Honor the administrative director wishes to see the two young gentlemen,” he announced. “I’ve been everywhere looking for you. I never thought you’d be here!”

The Zhong brothers rose and said, “Our father has to be obeyed. Brother Qian, we’ll see you here early tomorrow morning.” With a few words of thanks to the old man, they left with the officer. Poliu was about to step out the door when the old man held him back with both hands. “When are you going to give me back my ten taels of silver?” he demanded.

With a single swipe of his hand, Poliu freed himself from the old man’s grasp and walked away, promising to return the money the very next day. Out on the street, he muttered to himself, “I lost because I had no money. Before I can come tomorrow to win back the money I lost, I’ll still have to go to see Gu Sanlang to borrow some money.” In his slightly inebriated state, he headed straight for South Gate Street.

He was relieving himself at the entrance of a deserted lane when someone slapped the back of his head. “Big Brother Qian, what wind has blown you here?”

Poliu turned around, only to see none other than Gu Sanlang, head of the salt-smuggling gang. “I have something to say to you, Sanlang,” said Poliu.

“What is it?”

“To tell you the truth,” confessed Poliu, “I’ve been losing at the gambling table for the last couple of days and would like to borrow about a hundred strings of cash to win back what I’ve lost.”

“No problem,” said Gu Sanlang. “Just follow me tonight to get the money.”

“Where are you going?”

“Don’t ask. If you follow me to the outskirts of the city, you’ll find out.”

As the two of them walked out the city gate, the sun was just sinking in the west behind the hills, and dusk fell. About two li later, they came upon a harbor where a small boat could be seen in the darkness, tied at the end of a rope stretching several feet o shore. The boat was covered tightly with reed mats. No one was in sight. Gu Sanlang picked up a clod of dirt and threw it onto the reed mats. At the thud, the mats opened. Two men emerged from inside the boat and coughed. Gu Sanlang coughed back, whereupon the two men poled the boat over. As Gu Sanlang and Poliu stepped down onto the boat, which had four more men hidden in the cabin, the two men asked, “Sanlang, who’s that with you?”

“I have enlisted a most capable man. Don’t waste words. Get the boat going! Quick!”

Working hard at the scull and the poles, the men started on their way down the river, fast as a shuttle.

“What are you up to tonight?” asked Poliu.

Gu Sanlang explained, “To tell you the truth, we are hard pressed for cash because no business has come our way in the last couple of days. We heard that Regional Commander Wang’s family boat is anchored at the foot of the Tianmu Mountains, waiting for the incense-o ering trip tomorrow morning. Wang is an immensely rich man. The boat must be laden with gold and silk, which would come in quite handy for us. But his two guards, Zhang the Dragon and Zhao the Tiger, are so fierce that none of us can overpower them. I was just thinking about your extraordinary fighting skills when I ran into you by a stroke of good luck. You are indeed a godsend. That’s why I made bold to invite you here.”

Poliu said, “There’s nothing wrong in taking ill-gotten goods from corrupt officials.”

As they were talking, their ears caught the sound of oars. Another small boat arrived on the scene with five strong men on board. The men on both boats coughed by way of signal. Knowing that the newcomers were part of the gang, Poliu held back from asking further questions. As the two boats drew near each other, Gu Sanlang asked in a whisper, “Where is it?”

A man in the second boat answered, “Within view, about one li ahead.” Thereupon they maneuvred the boats into a dense growth of reeds and made a fire by striking stones. All the men exchanged greetings with Poliu. As big bowls of wine and thick slabs of meat were set out, the men fell to with voracious appetites. Each equipped with the weapon assigned to him, the thirteen men sallied forth in the two boats.

From afar, they could see that the big boat still had its lights on. As they drew near, they let out a formidable cry and jumped onto the prow, with Poliu at the head of the assault, an iron cudgel in hand. Zhang the Dragon ran up, only to fall into the water at one blow of Poliu’s cudgel. Zhao the Tiger fled in the direction of the stern. None on the boat dared put up further resistance. Frightened out of their wits, all fell to their knees, asking for mercy. Poliu said, “Brothers, listen to me. Take no lives, but only the valuables.” (Clearly a man who rises above mundane concerns.) Thus admonished, the men took as many things as they could lay their hands upon. At a whistle, they disembarked in two teams as before and sped away in their small boats.

It so happened that Regional Commander Wang arrived the following day on another boat. Upon being told that his wife and children had been robbed, he made a detailed list of all the missing objects and filed a complaint at the Hangzhou Prefectural Tribunal. The prefect of Hangzhou, Dong Chang, signed an order that was issued to all counties for the arrest of the robbers and recovery of the goods. When the prefectural order reached Lin’an County, the county magistrate set a deadline for the county sheri and his officers to accomplish the mission.

Let us return to Gu Sanlang and his gang. They moored the boat again in the depth of the reeds and divided the booty into thirteen equal shares. But, as Poliu had done more work than anyone else, it came to be generally agreed that he should receive two shares, which amounted to three big ingots of silver, some loose pieces of silver worth about a hundred taels, and about a dozen gold and silver wine vessels and pieces of jewelry. By this time, day had broken and the city gates were open. Carrying the load of valuables in his arms, Poliu jumped onto the bow of the boat and said to Gu Sanlang, “Thank you for letting me do this job. I will surely serve you again next time.” He then made his way straight to Old Man Qi’s house.

The old man was tossing on his bed when he was woken up by Poliu. Rubbing his eyes with his hands, he asked, “What brings you here so early?”

“Why aren’t the Zhong brothers here yet?” said Poliu. “I’ve come to win back the money.” Handing over to the old man all the silver, wine vessels, and jewelry, he said, “I’ll have to trouble you again with putting down antes for me. These things are all yours to keep. Deduct from this the ten taels I borrowed from you yesterday. (Action befitting a hero.) When the Zhong brothers come, take a few taels of loose silver and set out a feast for me in their honor.”

Overjoyed at the sight of so many valuables, Old Man Qi promised eagerly, “That’s but a trifle. I’m at your service.”

Poliu continued, “I got up too early this morning. Since they’re not here yet, I’d like to take a nap in a quiet place.” The old man led him into a small room with a white wooden bed and said, “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll go wash up.”

After breakfast in the tribunal, Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang stu ed several ingots of silver in their sleeves and wended their way to Old Man Qi’s house. The old man was doing some shopping nearby when he saw them approaching. “Big Brother Qian is treating you today,” he said. “He waited for you for so long that he’s now taking a nap in a small room. Please go ahead. I’ll join you in a moment.”

The Zhong brothers secretly marveled, “A man so true to his word is hard to come by.” As they entered the hall, they were startled by the sound of snoring as loud as peals of thunder. As they found their way into the side room, they suddenly saw a two-horned giant lizard over ten feet long lying on the bed amid multicolored clouds and mist. “How strange!” exclaimed the Zhong brothers. Their cry dispelled the clouds and mist and, instead of the lizard, what they saw now, upon a closer look, was none other than Big Brother Qian, fast asleep. The two brothers thought to themselves, “It is often said that some extraordinary men can appear in extraordinary shapes. We saw the lizard only too clearly, but it turned out to be Big Brother Qian. This man will surely amount to something. Wouldn’t it be nice if we pledge brotherhood with him before he rises to eminence?” After some discussion, they made up their minds.

When Poliu woke up, they said, without any mention of what had led to their decision, “Being admirers of men of good faith, we would be more than happy to make a Peach Garden pledge of brotherhood¹⁴ with you. What do you say?”

As Poliu had also taken a liking to the Zhong brothers for their frankness and generosity, there and then he performed with them the eightfold obeisances and completed the ritual of the pledge of brotherhood. (“Sworn brothers of old had true sense of honor; / Sworn brothers today have nothing but rancor. / Sworn brothers of old were better than real ones; / Sworn brothers today dump each other half way. / They pour out their hearts over wine and meat, / But act like strangers when there’s need for help. / Even real brothers fall out all too often, / Let alone those who have taken but an oath!” However unrefined this song may be, it aptly captures the ills of the day.) Being the youngest of the three, Poliu became Third Brother. That day, instead of gambling, they drank to their hearts’ content. Before they took leave of each other, Zhong Ming handed back to Poliu the ten taels he had won the day before, but Poliu flatly turned down the o er. “I have paid back Old Man Qi,” he said. “Keep the silver for yourself until the day I need to borrow from you.” Zhong Ming had to take back the money.

Henceforth, the three of them often gathered together, and, through their drinking and fighting, they built a reputation for themselves in gambling circles as the Three Tigers of Qiantang. Most displeased as he got wind of this, Zhong Qi forbade his two sons to loaf about on the streets and confined them to their home. Not having seen the Zhong brothers for days, Poliu went to the tribunal for some news and heard about what had happened. He took fright and dared not go to see the brothers again for quite some time. Truly,

Now that Qian Poliu was estranged from the Zhong brothers, he naturally resumed his relationship with Gu Sanlang and his gang. Dozens of times he joined them in their illegal operations of salt smuggling and robbery. First timers in the smuggling business might be faint-hearted, but the second time around, they grow more daring. By the third or fourth time, they become positively dauntless. This business costs them no capital but brings in silver and cash galore for their reckless spending. As long as they are lucky enough not to be found out, they are free to enjoy the good days. Once found out, they will get ready to put up a hard fight. But, as it has always been said, “If you don’t want others to know about it, don’t do it.” Chen Xiaoyi, a member of Gu Sanlang’s gang, was exchanging a pair of pure gold lotus-shaped cups for silver at a silversmith’s when the silversmith recognized the cups as the property of Squire Li Shijiu and reported as much to the police, who in turn reported to the county sheri and obtained a list of the gang members’ names. Action was to be taken soon.

One day, the sheri invited Director Zhong and his sons for a drink in his residence. As Zhong Ming was a good calligrapher, the sheri invited him into the study and asked him to write a scroll. Zhong Ming accordingly wrote Li Bai’s [also spelled Li Po, 701–762] poem “Ballad of Youth.” The sheri was spreading the scroll to its full length and admiring the calligraphy when Zhong Ming’s eyes happened to rest upon some paper under the ink-stone. Pushing away the ink-stone, he saw that it was a list of names. Being the shrewd man that he was, Zhong Ming took the list when he was unobserved and hid it in his sleeve. When he stole a look at it, he was startled to see a list of salt smugglers’ names, Qian Poliu’s name among them. At the dinner table, he feigned a stomachache after only a few cups of wine and said he had to go home. The sheri thought he was truly ill and let him go. Little did the sheri know that the illness was but a ploy.

Instead of returning home as he had claimed, Zhong Ming rushed to Old Man Qi’s house and asked him to look for Poliu and bring Poliu to him. It so happened that Poliu was right there in the house, gambling away. At the sight of Poliu, Zhong Ming grabbed him by the arm, dispensing with the usual ceremony of greeting under the pressure of time, led him outside to a secluded place, and told him everything. “Luckily I saw and stole the arrest list. It’s here. Hide yourself quickly, because the police will be coming soon. By that time, I won’t be able to save you. But in the meantime, I’ll bribe the sheri and his men. If things stay quiet for the next three months, you can then come out of hiding. Do take care!”

“The many people on the list are all my trusted friends,” said Poliu. “Since you’ll be maneuvering on my behalf, please also let each of them o the hook. If one is brought before the authorities, all of us will be implicated.”

Zhong Ming promised, “I’ll come up with something.” With this, Zhong Ming took himself o .

Poliu was so alarmed at the news that he ran frantically all the way to the south gate to tell Gu Sanlang about it. He added that the gang should quickly leave the place, so as not to get themselves into trouble.

Gu Sanlang agreed, saying, “We’ll get o the salt boat and spread out among di erent towns. Nobody will notice anything. But you have no place to go other than your parents’ house. What’s to be done?”

Poliu said, “Don’t worry about me. Take care of yourself.” With these words, he took leave of Gu. From that day on, Poliu feigned illness and stayed at home for three whole months. He spent his days practicing martial arts and dared not set foot out of the house. Even his parents were surprised, but they had no clue as to the real reason. There is a poem that bears witness:

The following day, the county sheri made ready for the arrest operation, but he could not find the list of names that he thought was under the inkstone. All hell broke loose. He strung up and whipped the page boy whose job it was to take care of the study, but the boy confessed nothing.

The chaos lasted for three days, but no clue was found. The sheri was at his wits’ end. In the meantime, Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang were bribing high and low. All of the officers had been bought. And now, two hundred taels of fine silver were sent through an officer to the sheri , along with the request that he put the case to rest. Fortunately, the sheri was a greedy man. When he was told that the administrative director’s tribunal would also be taken care of for him, it occurred to him that the director might actually have been bribed first. In that case, he thought it wise for him to do the director a favor and let go of the case. Consequently, he accepted the silver and made a show of setting a deadline for the officers to arrest the smugglers. Two months went by without anything being done. Truly, this bears out the sayings “No official business remains urgent after three days” and “Money makes even ghosts grind the mill.” But we shall digress no more.

Our story branches at this point. Let me now tell of a soothsayer from Hongzhou, Jiangxi:

This soothsayer by the name of Liao Sheng, knowing that the Tang dynasty was to experience great chaos, chose to live the life of a recluse on Pine Gate Mountain. One night, as he was sitting, he saw under the Dipper and Altair stars a faint aura of many colors that suggested to him the presence of a future sovereign in the region of Qiantang. Thereupon he packed for a journey there. Another look at the clouds convinced him that the scope should be narrowed to Lin’an. Consequently, he took up residence in the city of Lin’an as a physiognomist. Although he had throngs of clients every day, none was out of the common run. A thought suddenly came to him: “Director Zhong Qi is an old acquaintance of mine. Why don’t I go to see him?” Hurriedly he went to the director’s tribunal and had his name announced.

Hearing that Liao Sheng, an old friend, was there, Zhong Qi rushed out in great haste. After the exchange of greetings and some amenities, Zhong Qi asked him about the purpose of his visit, whereupon Liao Sheng dismissed the attendants and whispered to Zhong Qi, “I was looking at the night sky when I detected the presence of an extraordinary man in your county. I have spent several days in town trying to meet that man, but so far without success. Your physiognomy is indeed distinguished, but not enough to warrant such an aura in the sky.”

Zhong Qi summoned his two sons for Liao to take a look at. Liao Sheng said, “I do see from their bones a prominent future, but they will be no more than ministers. By ‘extraordinary man,’ I mean no less a person than a sovereign, someone whose status is exalted enough to emanate an aura under the stars of the Dipper and Altair. He should be at least a powerful lord.” Zhong Qi kept him for the night in the tribunal.

The following day, claiming that there were some thorny problems in the county to be discussed, Zhong Qi held a feast at Wushan Monastery for the best-known men in the county and had Liao Sheng look secretly at every one of them. Some looked more distinguished than others, but none had the physiognomical features of a sovereign. After the feast, Zhong Qi invited Liao Sheng to spend another night in the tribunal so that he could look at more men of distinction in the villages the following day. After night had fallen, the two of them returned on horseback, riding shoulder to shoulder.

Now let me come back to Qian Poliu. He was immensely relieved at being able to remain at home in peace for three months. Remembering the Zhong brothers’ kindness in saving his life, he mustered his courage and betook himself to the director’s tribunal. Upon learning that Zhong Qi was away at a feast at Wushan Monastery, he slipped into the tribunal and asked to see the Zhong brothers to express his gratitude. Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang rushed out upon hearing that Poliu had arrived and, taking advantage of their father’s absence, greeted Poliu and kept him for some conversation. All of a sudden, horse-bells were heard, announcing Zhong Qi’s return. Poliu was so frightened at the sight of Zhong Qi that, his heart pounding, he hung his head and ran out. Zhong Qi asked who he was and ordered that he be seized. With alacrity, Liao Sheng admonished Zhong Qi, “Do not be rude to this man. Amazingly enough, this is the extraordinary man I have been talking about.”

Always a believer in Liao Sheng’s soothsaying, Zhong Qi changed his tone and ordered his men to invite Poliu, in all politeness, to come to him. Poliu had no choice but to return. To Zhong Qi’s request for his name, he remained as silent as a clay or wooden statue. Zhong Qi grew impatient and asked his sons, “What is this man’s name? Where does he live? How did you come to know him?”

Realizing that they could no longer conceal the fact from their father, Zhong Ming was obliged to come out with the truth: “His surname is Qian, nicknamed Poliu, a native of Lin’an.”

Zhong Qi burst into laughter. Pulling Liao Sheng aside, he said to him under his breath, “How wrong you are! This is a local bum lucky enough to be out of the reach of the law for the moment. How can such a man gain wealth and rank?”

Liao Sheng said, “I am not mistaken. You and your sons will owe your eminence to him.” He turned to Poliu and said, “Your bone structure is extraordinary. You will, without fail, rise to great fame and shining glory. I hope you will conduct yourself well.” Then he turned to Zhong Qi: “I go in search of extraordinary men not in the hope of sharing their future wealth and eminence, but just to test if my predictions are accurate. Ten years from now, what I said will come true, as you shall see. Now I am bidding farewell to you, probably never to meet again.” With these words, he took himself o with light and airy steps.

By now, Zhong Qi was convinced that Poliu was no common sort. He was all the more struck with awe when Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang told him about the horned lizard that they saw in Old Man Qi’s house. That night, he had his sons ask Poliu to stay over and to relay to Poliu his advice: “Apply yourself to martial arts. Don’t do anything unlawful and hurt your reputation. I will attend to any need for money.” Henceforth, the Zhong brothers and Poliu resumed their constant mutual visits. Indeed, the bond of friendship grew deeper than before. There is a poem in evidence:

In the second year of the Qianfu reign period [875] under Emperor Xizong of the Tang dynasty, Huang Chao raised an army and ravaged the eastern part of Zhejiang. Dong Chang, the prefect of Hangzhou, issued an order to recruit soldiers. When Zhong Qi learned of the news, he told his sons, “With that rebel Huang wreaking havoc and heading in our direction, the prefect is recruiting men to crush the bandits. This is the moment for the brave to prove their worth. Why don’t you talk Poliu into it?”

Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang said, “We’ll be happy to go with him and prove our worth.” Overjoyed, Zhang Qi sent for Poliu right away and explained the situation. Poliu rubbed his fists and wiped his palms in great eagerness to go. Zhong Qi paid for all the armor and weapons he needed and gave him another twenty taels of silver for his family. He changed his name to Qian Liu, courtesy name Jumei, Liu being of the same pronunciation as the second syllable in his childhood name, Poliu. The three young men took leave of their parents and set out on their journey. Once in Hangzhou, they presented themselves to Prefect Dong Chang. Much impressed by Qian Liu’s powerful physique, the prefect tested him in the martial arts and was so pleased by his remarkable skills that he made them all adjutants with orders to serve in the front ranks.

A few days later, a spy reported, “Tens of thousands of Huang Chao’s forces are approaching Lin’an. Please send reinforcements.” Dong Chang appointed Qian Liu as Deputy Commander to lead the rescue mission. He asked Qian, “How many men do you need?”

Qian Liu answered, “A general wins by his wits rather than his valor; an army wins by the quality of its men rather than by sheer numbers. If I could have the Zhong brothers’ help, I’d be content with only three hundred men,” whereupon Dong Chang gave him permission to select three hundred men from the prefectural army. With Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang as cocommanders, the men set out for Lin’an.

Upon reaching the town of Shijian, they found out that the enemy troops were only fifteen li away. Qian Liu consulted the Zhong brothers: “Since we are few and they are many, our only chance of winning is not by force but by strategy. Let’s give them a surprise attack.” (Since ancient times, a good commander has been one who wins battles with an army outnumbered by the enemy. His advantage lies in preparedness rather than in reckless ventures.) He sent two cannoneers to hide themselves along the road that the enemy troops would take. Then he selected twenty archers with crossbows and led them, armed with good arrows, to strategic positions in the valley, where they lay in ambush. As soon as the enemy troops walked into their ambush, the cannoneers were to fire a signal for the twenty archers to unleash their arrows. Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang each led a hundred men and lay in ambush on either side to provide reinforcement. The rest of the men were dispersed throughout the valley, ready to wave flags and shout battle cries so as to add terror to the scene. (These three hundred were a match for any tens of thousands of men.)

Hardly had the men taken their positions before Huang Chao’s forces arrived. The mountain paths of the region were so narrow that only a single rider could enter at a time. The enemy advance team led by their vanguard was on one such path in single file when a cannon boomed out, immediately followed by arrows flying from twenty strong bows. The much-startled enemies had no idea how many men they had encountered. The enemy vanguard officer, wearing a red brocade robe and carrying a halberd in his hand with a command flag inserted on his back, was advancing jauntily on his yellow battle-horse when an arrow hit him right in his neck, and down he tumbled. The enemy troops were thrown into disarray. Leading their two hundred men, Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang charged fiercely forward from both ends of the path, striking terror into the hearts of their enemies, who, fooled by all the battle-cries around them into believing they were outnumbered, trampled each other in great confusion. Five hundred heads were cut o . The rest of the enemy was put to flight.

Now that he had won a complete victory, Qian Liu thought to himself, “This is but a trick that worked by a stroke of good luck. It can’t be used more than once. (Never do again the same thing that brought you luck. Never visit again the same place where you once thrived.) Should the main forces of the enemy bear down upon us, the three hundred of us will be reduced to powder. About thirty li away, there is a village called Eight Hundred Li. Let me lead my men to camp there.” He said to an old woman by the roadside, “If anyone asks you about the Lin’an troops, just say that Eight Hundred Li is where they are camped.”

Now, having heard that his advance team was beaten at the town of Shijian, Huang Chao led the main forces of his troops in that direction. Indeed, so numerous were his men that as they swept along, they darkened the mountains and the fields. As not even one government soldier was in sight by the time they arrived in the town, they searched for residents to question. In a short while, the old woman was brought before them.

“Where are the Lin’an troops?”

The old woman replied, “Eight Hundred Li is where they’re camped.” She stuck to the same answer when asked time and again.

Without knowing that Eight Hundred Li was the name of a place, Huang Chao thought that the government troops’ camps covered a distance of eight hundred li. With a sigh, he said, “We were no match for only twenty archers, let alone an army that needs eight hundred li to accommodate their camps. It’s impossible to take Hangzhou.” Thereupon, he decided not to keep his troops in town any longer but pressed ahead to Yuezhou. And thus it was that Lin’an was spared from ravages, as these lines attest:

Liu Hanhong, the surveillance commissioner of Yuezhou, was not prepared for any enemy advance. When word got to him that Huang Chao’s army was approaching, he sent a messenger out to say that he would be willing to give them liberal amounts of gold and silk, if only they would spare the city from attack and looting. Accepting the o er of gold and silk, Huang Chao passed by Yuezhou and went on ahead. Now, this Liu Hanhong used to be the prefect of Hangzhou, with Dong Chang in the subordinate position of adjutant in charge of recruitment. As a reward for having crushed Wang Ying’s rebellion some time before, Dong Chang was promoted to the post of prefect of Hangzhou, whereas Liu Hanhong rose to be surveillance commissioner of Yuezhou. Many a time did Liu Hanhong seek ways to bully his former subordinate Dong Chang. As Dong Chang found it too hard to swallow the insult, the animosity between the two men grew deeper.

Now, though Yuezhou was spared from killing and looting, bribing Huang Chao cost Liu Hanhong a fortune. His chagrin increased when he learned that Dong Chang of Hangzhou was claiming credit for having defeated the enemy in battle. One of his retainers, a certain Shen Ke, o ered him this advice: “It was Commander Qian Liu who defeated the enemy at Lin’an by strategy. I’ve heard that Qian Liu is a man of wisdom as well as courage. I suggest that you send Dong Chang a letter along with some handsome gifts, saying that as Yuezhou is still in turmoil, you need to borrow Qian Liu from him to wipe out the bandits. Once Qian Liu is here, you can either treat him nicely to win him over, or find an excuse to kill him. For Dong Chang, losing him will be as incapacitating as losing his right arm. As things stand now, the imperial court is at sixes and sevens with eunuchs abusing power. Official decrees have lost all authority. Men of heroic aspirations throughout the empire all have their minds set on establishing their own separate regional bases. Crushing Dong Chang would mean having both Hangzhou and Yuezhou under your power, and that would be an impressive achievement indeed.” (Not a bad plan to listen to, but Hanhong is not meant to be a king.)

Being a man of high aspirations but little talent, Liu Hanhong found the suggestion much to his liking. Stroking Shen Ke’s back with his hand, he said, “What a brilliant idea from my trusted confidant!” There and then, he wrote a letter that said,

As a matter of fact, Dong Chang, out of his mistrust for Liu Hanhong, had sent spies to find out about the situation at Yuezhou and, therefore, knew that Huang Chao had already left. Wondering about the reason behind the reference in the letter to the ravages of the bandit troops, he took counsel with Qian Liu.

Qian Liu said, “Let us acknowledge the fact that your discord with Commissioner Liu is already beyond reconciliation. It is said that Commissioner Liu, calling himself a descendant of the royal house, harbors inordinate ambitions. Instead of fighting the bandits, he sought peace by bribery, and his real intentions are quite unclear. If you give me two thousand of your finest men for me to bring over to him as a gesture of assistance, Liu Hanhong, being the unimaginative man that he is, will be most happy to take us. We will then look for an opportunity to wipe him out, and Yuezhou can be had for the taking. A memorial can then be presented to the emperor, charging Hanhong with the crimes of appeasing the bandits and of sedition. The emperor, in trying to put the matter to rest, will certainly reward you heavily. Wouldn’t this plan bring honor to your name and security to your position? You have nothing to lose.”

Dong Chang readily consented and wrote a letter of reply for the messenger to take back. After the messenger had left, he gave Qian Liu two thousand of his crack troops and reminded him before bidding him goodbye, “Use caution, and act only when the opportunity presents itself.”

Now, Liu Hanhong was beside himself with joy upon receiving the reply from Dong Chang assuring him that Qian Liu was on his way. Again, he turned to Shen Ke the retainer for consultation.

Shen Ke said, “The two thousand men Qian Liu is bringing are all the best soldiers. They’ll be difficult to control once they are let into the city. I suggest that they be greeted before they arrive, and made to camp outside the city. Summon no one else but Qian Liu. With no wings of support, he will have to succumb to us. Then we can send another general to lead the Hangzhou troops, handsomely shower them with bounty, and make them turn around and attack Hangzhou with the speed of lightning. Caught unawares, Dong Chang can surely be wiped out.” (This all sounds very good, but what if Qian Liu does not fall into the trap?)

Again, Liu Hanhong was full of praise: “What a brilliant idea from my trusted confidant!” That he ordered Shen Ke to go out the city gate to welcome Qian Liu needs no description here.

Let us turn to Qian Liu, who was now approaching Yuezhou with his two thousand men. Shen Ke came forward to stop the advance and exchanged greetings with Qian Liu. “By order of the commissioner,” announced Shen Ke, “I invite you alone into the city because the city is too small for the accommodation of so many soldiers. They will have to be camped outside the city.”

Qian Liu was aware of Liu Hanhong’s trick, and in an attempt to turn the trick against Liu himself, he feigned indignation, saying, “I am but a worthless man, but the commissioner overlooks my humbleness and calls for my service with a generous o er of gifts. I am more than willing to repay his kindness with my life. Though outwardly cordial with the commissioner, Prefect Dong in fact bears a grudge against him and at first refused to let me come. Then he relented but would give me only five hundred men. It was at my insistence that he agreed to two thousand. I handpicked the finest soldiers, each the match of a hundred men. And here we are to assist the commissioner in achieving eternal fame. Little did I know that the commissioner would summon me like a slave to his tribunal in the city instead of coming out in person to reward the tired soldiers with food and drink. This is by no means the proper way to treat worthy men. I will now turn back with my men, for I have lost all wish to see the commissioner.” Then, with his face turned to the sky, he heaved a sigh, saying, “Such high aspirations I had. What a pity! What a pity!”

Mistaking the show of regret to be sincere, Shen Ke changed his line with alacrity. “Please don’t take o ense,” he pleaded. “The commissioner was unaware that you feel this way. Let me go into the city to tell him about this. He will certainly come out in person to reward your troops and to greet you.” With these words, he galloped back on his horse. Qian Liu instructed his trusted subordinates to make preparations in secret.

In the meantime, Liu Hanhong, believing what Shen Ke reported to be true, ordered that fodder be prepared and oxen and horses slaughtered to be o e red to the Hangzhou troops. Preceded by drummers and a team bearing banners, he set out for an inn outside the north gate and sat down to wait for Qian Liu to be introduced to him as an adjutant would be to his commander in chief. To his astonishment, in marched Qian Liu jauntily, followed by twenty of his trusted men. With hands joined in front of his chest, Qian Liu said to Liu Hanhong, “Please forgive me for not kneeling down, encumbered as I am by my suit of armor.” (By this time, Qian Liu already has more than enough power to wipe out Hanhong.) Liu Hanhong’s anger left him drained of all color.

Feeling guilty for having let the commissioner down, Shen Ke stepped forward and, with a flushed face, said in a burst of rage, “The general is quite mistaken! As the saying goes, ‘An army follows the general. The generals follow the commander in chief.’ Ranks and classes have been well defined since ancient times. Prefect Dong sent you to assist the commissioner, so you are a subordinate of the commissioner. What’s more, even Prefect Dong, who used to be under the commissioner, dares not defy him. What ground do you have to be so arrogant? Do you think we have no army of our own in Yuezhou?”

Before he had quite finished, Qian Liu thundered, “How dare a miserable nobody like you lecture me!” At a tip of his cap, he and his twenty men acted faster than it takes to describe. With one quick draw of his sword out of its sheath, Qian Liu swung it upon the unsuspecting Shen Ke and cut o his head. Liu Hanhong ran toward the back of the inn while about a hundred of Liu’s men pressed forward to take Qian Liu, but they were no match for him. Fighting with supernatural strength, he wielded his sword as if cutting gourds and vegetables and battled his way to the backyard of the inn to look for Liu Hanhong but found no trace of him. As his eyes fell upon a breach in the earthen wall, he realized, to his great chagrin, that the man had escaped. With two thousand men at his command, he had a mind to take Yuezhou by force, but, seeing that the city was well prepared for an attack and afraid that he would not be able to achieve anything without troop reinforcements, he was left with no choice but to turn around and return the way they had come. When word got to Liu Hanhong in the city that Qian Liu’s troops were turning back, the commissioner immediately mustered five thousand crack troops and gave chase with the brave Lu Cui as the vanguard and himself as the commander.

Well aware that Yuezhou troops would be hot upon their trail, Qian Liu led his men forward, never stopping night or day. As they approached White Dragon Mountain, a peal of gongs burst out and there emerged from the mountain more than two hundred men, who formed themselves into a neat row. How did their leader at the front look? What was he wearing?

At the sight of Qian Liu, who rode forward to take a closer look, the man threw down his sword, dropped to his knees, and made a bow. Qian Liu recognized him to be none other than Gu Quanwu, nicknamed Gu Sanlang, the salt smuggler and robber. Qian Liu got down from his horse saddle and raised Gu to his feet. “It’s been a long time since I saw you last, Sanlang!” he exclaimed. “Why are you here?”

Gu Quanwu said, “Ever since you saved my life, I’ve been looking for ways to repay you for your kindness. Hearing that Huang Chao’s forces were arriving, I planned to raise a volunteer army to protect the region so as to have a chance to see you. Then I learned that you crushed the enemy and won an appointment from the imperial court. Later, when I got word that you were going to help Commissioner Liu of Yuezhou, I gathered together over two hundred men in the salt business to o er our service to you. (Who says salt smugglers are of no use?) I didn’t expect to run into you here. But why are you on your way back so soon?”

After recounting in detail what had occurred between himself and Liu Hanhong, Qian Liu said, “You are indeed a godsend. I need to ask a favor of you. We are pushing on night and day because I expect Liu Hanhong to be pursuing us. As he used to be Prefect Dong’s superior, he has no respect for the prefect, and he was formerly the prefect of Hangzhou. So, if he can’t catch us, he will surely go directly to Hangzhou to challenge Prefect Dong. You can put two hundred men at the foot of White Dragon Mountain and wait until his troops pass by to come out and pretend that you are surrendering to him. When you reach Hangzhou, I will lead my men out for a battle. You will then rise and kill Liu Hanhong, whose life will be the stepping stone in your career. I will do my best to recommend you to Prefect Dong. You have a bright future in front of you. Do not let anything go wrong.”

Gu Quanwu assured him, “I will do whatever you say,” whereupon they took leave of each other and went their separate ways. Indeed,

In the meantime, Liu Hanhong led his troops to the boundary of Yuezhou. Being told that Qian Liu had gone back in great haste, Lu Cui the vanguard reported as much to Liu Hanhong and asked for permission to give up the pursuit. Hanhong responded hotly, “Now that I am insulted by a nobody like Qian Liu, how can I return and face the people of this prefecture? Hangzhou used to be under my rule, and Dong Chang owes his promotion to my recommendation. I shall now personally lead my troops there and demand that Dong Chang kill Qian Liu. I will not forgive him until he admits his guilt. Otherwise, I swear not to live a moment longer!” Having thus dismissed Lu Cui with these words, he gave the order for the army to march toward Hangzhou.

They were approaching White Dragon Mountain in Fuyang when, at the sound of a gong, there emerged over two hundred men, who formed themselves into a neat line. At the head of the line stood their leader, a most ferocious-looking man with a sword in hand. Startled at the sight, Liu Hanhong was about to engage the enemy when the man pushed back his sword and demanded in a harsh voice, “Are you Commissioner Liu of Yuezhou?”

Hanhong answered, “I am.”

The man hastily threw down his sword and flung himself on the ground in front of the commissioner’s horse, saying, “I have been waiting here a long time for you.”

To Liu Hanhong’s question about his intentions, he replied, “I am Gu Quanwu, a native of Lin’an County. I have long since been on the move, running for my life, because I am wanted by the county magistrate for smuggling salt. Recently, as I heard that my former partner and pledged brother Qian Liu had made his way in the world and got himself an official post, I went to him for help, but how was I to know that he would turn out to be a man jealous of other capable men? Now that he is somebody, he has no sympathy for friends of his humble old days. Since he refuses to take me on, I have no other choice but to take temporary shelter on White Dragon Mountain. Yesterday when Qian Liu passed by, I would have killed him if not for fear of being outnumbered. As I’ve heard that he has o ended the commissioner, I will be happy to be your vanguard and render you what little service I can.”

Liu Hanhong was greatly delighted and bade Gu Quanwu take over Lu Cui’s duties. A thousand men were assigned to Gu to lead the way, whereas Lu Cui was ordered to bring up the rear.

In a matter of days, they found themselves at the city wall of Hangzhou. By this time, Qian Liu had seen Dong Chang and made the necessary preparations. As word got to him that the Yuezhou army was there, Dong Chang mounted the wall and shouted, “The commissioner and I, both being officials appointed by the imperial court, owe it to our duty to keep guard over our own dominions. I would never dream of giving you any o ense. What, may I ask, are you here for?”

Liu Hanhong thundered, “You despicable ingrate! If you knew better, you would kill Qian Liu and o er me his head to avoid my resorting to force.”

Dong Chang said, “Please don’t be angry, Commissioner. Qian Liu is coming out to o er his apologies.”

The city gate opened, and out galloped an army headed by none other than Qian Liu, flanked by Zhong Ming on his left and Zhong Liang on his right. Forward they charged at the enemy ranks to capture Liu Hanhong, who cried out in panic, “Where is my vanguard?”

A man by his side answered, “Here I am!” With a single lunge of his sword, he cut Liu Hanhong down from his horse. Waving his sword, Qian Liu charged into the enemy ranks, shouting, “Surrender and live!”

The five-thousand-man army surrendered without a single attempt to put up a fight. Lu Cui died by his own sword. The man who killed Liu Hanhong was none other than Gu Quanwu. Truly,

Seeing that Liu Hanhong was dead, Dong Chang opened wide the city gates and recalled the troops. Qian Liu introduced Gu Quanwu to an overjoyed Dong Chang, who then composed a memorial to the imperial court charging Liu Hanhong with crimes and listing the merits of Qian Liu and other officers under him. The imperial court, too preoccupied with other concerns to conduct a thorough investigation of this case, promoted Dong Chang to the post of surveillance commissioner of Yuezhou to replace Liu Hanhong. Qian Liu replaced Dong Chang as prefect of Hangzhou. Zhong Ming, Zhong Liang, and Gu Quanwu were all granted titles. Zhong Qi married his daughter to Qian Liu. After Dong Chang had left for Yuezhou, leaving Hangzhou to Qian Liu, the latter’s parents moved to live with him in Hangzhou. That the whole family enjoyed a life of glory and prosperity need not be described here.

Now, a peasant in Lin’an County was tilling a field in the foothills of the Tianmu Mountains when he dug up a small stone tablet with a few lines of characters engraved on it. Being illiterate, the peasant showed the tablet to the village schoolteacher, Luo Ping, who wiped away the dirt and saw that the four lines were a prophecy:

On the back of the tablet was engraved, “Guo Pu of the Jin dynasty.” Scholar Luo kept the tablet at home as a priceless treasure. The following day, he went to the tribunal of the prefect of Hangzhou and o ered the tablet to Prefect Qian Liu with a few confidential words about the mandate of heaven.

After reading the inscriptions on the tablet, Qian Liu flew into a rage. “How dare this scoundrel try to make up such lies to me!” he exploded. “This is a crime punishable by death!”

It was only after Scholar Luo’s piteous pleading that Qian Liu relented and had his men just beat the scholar with their cudgels all the way out of the tribunal. The tablet was smashed to pieces in the courtyard. The truth of the matter was that Qian Liu realized that it was an auspicious prophecy that would be fulfilled by him, but, being the cautious man that he was, he decided to pretend not to believe, for fear that rumors might spread far and wide to his disadvantage.

Let us go back to Scholar Luo. The beating left him in deep hatred of the prefect for his lack of graciousness. Good will had now turned into malice. An idea occurred to him. Why not o er the tablet to Commissioner Dong of Yuezhou? Surely he would have something to gain from this. Though the tablet was smashed, the pieces could still be put together. Therefore, he bribed the gatekeeper of the tribunal and had the pieces of the tablet picked up and returned to him. It turned out that the tablet had broken into only three pieces. When put back together again, the characters were still as legible as before. Luo Ping’s heart overflowed with joy. He wrapped up the stone tablet as before and set out on his journey to Yuezhou.

He had been two days on the road when he saw a crowd gathered around a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy carrying a cloth-covered bamboo cage, inside which was a tiny kingfisher. Luo Ping drew near and asked what was going on. He was told that the bird, though not a parrot, could talk. They were o ering one full string of cash for the bird, but the boy refused to sell it. Before the explanation was quite finished, the little bird chirped with two nods of its head, “Emperor Dong! Emperor Dong!” (Gao Jidi [Gao Qi, 1336–74] had a song that goes, “At the first cry of Luo Ping’s evil bird, / Three thousand bows shoot at the tidewater.” Luo Ping is most probably a place name but is here taken as a man’s name. This could have been a mistake passed on from story writer to story writer.)

Luo Ping asked, “Has this bird been trained to talk or was it born that way?”

The boy answered, “My father was chopping firewood when he heard a voice speaking from the top of a tree. It was this bird. He caught it with a glued stick. It’s never been trained.”

“I’ll give you two full strings of cash for it,” said Luo Ping.

The two strings of cash in hand, the boy left happily. Luo Ping took over the birdcage and continued hurriedly on his way.

Before long, he arrived in Yuezhou. His claims of having confidential matters for the ears of the commissioner obtained him an audience with Dong Chang. Dismissing all attendants, Dong Chang was about to question him when the little bird chirped again in its cage, “Emperor Dong! Emperor Dong!” Dong Chang was agape with astonishment. “What bird is this?” he asked.

Luo Ping answered, “This bird is of an unknown type. For its innate ability to talk, it can be called the Wonder Bird.” Then he took out the stone tablet from his bosom and explained, “It has been five hundred years from the beginning of the Jin dynasty to the present moment. That accounts for the ‘five hundred years’ as inscribed on the tablet. As things stand now, the emperor is weak, and the Tang dynasty is doomed. The two princes of Liang and Jin are locked in fierce rivalry. All men of aspirations throughout the empire have the intention of setting up their own separate regimes. It is not by accident that the tablet appeared in Qiantang, where you started your career. Moreover, the Wonder Bird is a good omen and a revelation of the mandate of heaven. By crushing Huang Chao and killing Liu Hanhong, you have already built a name for yourself, a name that inspires awe far and near. If you seize the opportunity and take over Zhejiang with your Yuezhou and Hangzhou troops, you will be able to impinge upon the Central Plains to the north and enjoy as much power in the south as Sun Quan did in the Three Kingdoms period.” (Too bad Dong Chang is not the man so destined.)

As it turned out, Dong Chang had long been harboring ambitions of taking advantage of the chaos throughout the land to gain power for himself. Luo Ping’s words pleased him immensely. “Your coming over such a great distance,” said he, “is a sign from heaven that I will succeed. When victory is mine, I will reward you with the office of commissioner of this prefecture.” He engaged Luo Ping as his military adviser and started building up his army while taxing civilians to raise provisions and funds for the troops. He had a skilled craftsman make a birdcage of gold wire for the Wonder Bird and a layer of Sichuan brocade for the cage. He also wrote a confidential letter and had a messenger take it to Qian Liu in Hangzhou, instructing him to recruit more soldiers in case of need.

Qian Liu was aghast after reading the letter. “Dong Chang is getting ready for a rebellion!” he said to himself. Thereupon, he wrote a secret memorial to the imperial court. As a result, he was promoted to the post of commissioner for the prefectures of Suzhou and Hangzhou. Qian Liu then started expanding Hangzhou to cover an area of seventy li from the Qinwang Mountains to Yufanpu. After another memorial, he was further promoted to the position of regional commander of Zhenhai and was granted the title of Kaiguo Duke.

At the news that the imperial court was showering promotions and titles upon Qian Liu, Dong Chang flew into a rage. “That worthless scoundrel!” he cursed. “How dare he betray me to get promotions! I will first take Hangzhou to vent my anger.”

Luo Ping o ered this advice: “Qian Liu’s ambition has not yet been exposed. Moreover, since he has been newly favored with promotions, there is no good excuse to send a punitive expedition against him. The best thing to do would be to claim that the court has conferred upon you the title of prince. With that authority, you can first conquer Muzhou. With your army expanded, you can then head for Huzhou by way of Hangzhou. If Qian Liu refuses to submit himself to you, kill him at the first opportunity; if he sends forth troops to assist you, then Hangzhou will be yours without a fight. What more can you ask for?”

Dong Chang followed his advice. Falsely claiming that the imperial court had issued a decree conferring upon him the title of prince of Yue and giving him command over all troops in the Zhejiang region, he had the insignia of the prince of Yue put on all army flags. At the same time, he showed the stone tablet and the Wonder Bird to all residents of the prefecture to make known to them the will of heaven. By conscripting one man out of three into his army, he raised an army fifty thousand strong, and, claiming to be one hundred thousand strong, the mighty army swept onward to Muzhou. Caught o guard, Muzhou fell. A spell of peace followed that lasted for over a month, during which time new officials were assigned to replace the incumbents. His military power now at a great height with another thirty thousand experienced soldiers added to his army, Dong Chang thought himself invincible and planned to have himself proclaimed king of Yue. He moved forward to Hangzhou, with an eye on Huzhou.

Qian Liu said, “It is not wise to resist the Yue troops at this moment when they are at their strongest. It is best for us to welcome them now and attack only after they have settled in Huzhou and shown signs of weakness. At that point, victory will surely be ours.” Thereupon he sent Zhong Ming to treat the Yue troops to food and drink in all humility and then personally led five thousand cavalry soldiers forward and, much to Dong Chang’s delight, volunteered to lead the way for Dong Chang’s army. After marching for several days, Qian Liu feigned illness and stayed behind, allegedly to regain his health. Dong Chang was as unsuspecting as ever and urged the troops to march ahead. (Dong Chang is a fool.) There is a poem in testimony:

In the meantime, having learned through inquiries that the Yuezhou army was by this time far in the distance, Qian Liu led his troops back. Then he selected a thousand of his finest men and, under banners carrying fake Yuezhou army insignias, went to attack Yuezhou, with Gu Quanwu as the vanguard. He also instructed Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang to lead five hundred experienced men each and lie in ambush in Yuhang, where they were not to move from their positions (So as to mislead the enemy) until Dong Chang’s army passed by on their way back to rescue Yuezhou. Only then were they to attack from behind. Dong Chang would be in no mood to engage them, and total victory would be a certainty. After assigning these tasks, he said to his guest Zhong Qi, “Now I entrust you with the job of guarding the city. Yuezhou is Dong’s bastion. I will surely go there personally to see how the situation develops. If his final bastion falls, there is no doubt that Dong Chang will perish.” Thereupon he led two thousand of his finest soldiers forward as a reinforcement for Gu Quanwu and his men.

Let us now turn to Gu Quanwu. Flying banners with the Yuezhou army insignia, he proceeded unimpeded all the way to the city walls of Yuezhou. Saying that they were there to get firearms to force open enemy city gates, Gu Quanwu and his men were admitted into the city. Once inside, Gu Quanwu shouted, “Dong Chang made false claims and rebelled against the imperial court. By the authority of an imperial decree, Regional Commander Qian is here on a punitive expedition. A mighty army one hundred thousand strong is already at the city walls.”

Dong Chang had taken all the military men in the city with him. All who remained were the elderly and the weak. Who dared to resist? Gu Quanwu proceeded straight into the commissioner’s tribunal, captured the fake prince’s eldest son, Dong Rong, and all members of the Dong clan, totaling over three hundred, including the old and the young, and threw them into one single room guarded by his soldiers. At this juncture, the main Hangzhou troops arrived. Knowing that Gu Quanwu had taken the city, the army marched in without committing the slightest o ense against the city residents. Gu Quanwu welcomed Qian Liu into the tribunal. After posters were put up to reassure the public, Qian Liu wrote a letter and had it sent to Dong Chang’s army. The letter read,

Dong Chang was brooding in his tent over not being able to conquer Huzhou when he heard the Wonder Bird chirp again, “Emperor Dong! Emperor Dong!” He lifted the brocade cover to take a look. His vision blurred. What he saw was not the Wonder Bird, but a blood-smeared human head hanging in the gold wire cage. Recognizing the features to be those of Liu Hanhong, he stood aghast with horror. With a loud cry, he fell to the ground. A bevy of his subordinates rushed over to revive him. As he came to, he waited until he regained his vision before he turned his eyes to the cage again and saw that it was covered with spots of blood. The Wonder Bird had indeed disappeared.

In great vexation, Dong Chang summoned his military adviser Luo for an emergency consultation and gave him an account of the incident. “Is this an omen of fortune or disaster?” he asked.

Aware as he was that this was a bad omen, Luo Ping dared not speak the truth. Instead, he said, “As the killing of Liu Hanhong marked the beginning of your rule over the greater Yue region, the appearance of Liu Hanhong’s head today is an indication of victory over your enemies.” He had not quite finished speaking when an announcement came that a letter had arrived from Hangzhou. Dong Chang was mortified to learn, upon reading the letter, that Yuezhou had fallen.

Luo Ping said, “In waging wars, there are too many tricks to believe every claim. Qian Liu must have had some wicked scheme in mind when he stayed behind under the excuse of illness. Now that he is spreading rumors to shake army morale, please do not lose your presence of mind.”

“Even though there is no way of establishing the truth of the claim,” said Dong Chang, “we still would do well to turn back to save our home base.”

To avoid any leakage of their plans, Luo Ping ordered that the messenger be killed. Then he gave instructions to spread the word that no e ort should be spared in attacking the city, so that the enemy in the city would have no suspicion that they would be leaving under the cover of night. That day they did keep up the attack on Huzhou before night fell, and broke camp when it was at last the second watch of the night. Xue Ming and Xu Fu, two of his valiant generals, led ten thousand cavalry each as the advance detachments, followed by Dong Chang and the main forces. Luo Ping and the thirty thousand cavalry from Muzhou brought up the rear. Witnessing the retreat, the Huzhou army in the city dared not give chase, for fear of falling into some trap.

Now, Generals Xu and Xue led their men in marching day and night. Stopping at the foot of Yuhang Mountain, they were about to lay out cooking utensils to cook a meal when there burst out from the valleys a series of bombardments and the sounds of drums and horns. Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang led two groups and galloped out from both sides. Xue Ming went forward and engaged Zhong Ming. Xu Fu engaged Zhong Liang. Brave as Xu and Xue were, the panic-stricken soldiers were in no mood to fight, for they were already exhausted after days and nights of marching. How were they able to resist those two groups of soldiers as fierce as tigers and wolves? As the ancients put it, “If the soldiers desert, the general loses.” Seeing that his troops were thrown into disarray, Xue Ming took fright and, caught unprepared, was cut down by Zhong Ming from his horse. Zhong Ming then spurred his horse on to join the fight against Xu Fu. Being no match for the two, Xu Fu was cut down by Zhong Liang. All the soldiers discarded their armor and surrendered.

The Zhong brothers took counsel together, saying, “Though we have beaten the advance detachment of the Yue army, Dong Chang and the main forces will be here any moment now. We will be outnumbered. The best course would be to break into several groups, lie in ambush, and, when they have passed by, attack from behind. When they know what has happened to their advance detachment, they will panic and think of escape. Victory will then be total.” Having thus made up their minds, they released the soldiers who had surrendered and told them to report the news to Dong Chang.

Dong Chang and his mighty army were pressing ahead when the defeated soldiers approached in a continuous stream, reporting, “Generals Xu and Xue both died on the battlefield.” Dong Chang was appalled, but he had to pull himself together and urge his army to move on. They passed Yuhang Mountain without encountering the enemy. Before his apprehensions had subsided, Dong Chang heard from behind a series of bombardments. The soldiers in ambush on both sides charged out in numbers unknown. The Yuezhou soldiers vied with one another in running for their lives, trampling upon one another and dying in countless numbers. Those who survived did so by running over fifty li. When they were gathered together, it was found that one-third of the entire army had perished. Now all hope was pinned upon Luo Ping and his detachment, which brought up the rear. As it happened, the Muzhou soldiers had never been happy under Dong Chang, even though they had been following his orders. Now that the army was turning back, several minor officers consulted each other and killed Luo Ping. After o ering Luo Ping’s head to the Zhong brothers as a gesture of surrender, they came in search of Dong Chang, who, having got word of this, dared not take the major thoroughfares of Hangzhou but made a big detour and turned to the roads of Lin’an and Tonglu.

Qian Liu, however, had foreseen what route Dong Chang would take. He bade Zhong Qi guard Yuezhou, while he himself returned with his troops to Hangzhou to wait for Dong Chang. In the meantime, Gu Quanwu, by Qian Liu’s instructions, led one thousand cavalry to lie in ambush in strategic positions on Lin’an Mountain to block any chance of Dong Chang’s escape. When Dong Chang arrived in Lin’an, his troops, in total disarray, were climbing the mountain and passing the strategic positions when Gu Quanwu’s group charged out. In the forefront was Gu Quanwu, who, wielding his sword, rode furiously in all directions and killed every man he saw while shouting, “Surrender and live!” All the enemy soldiers, to a man, flung themselves onto the ground. Who would be so reckless as to engage him in a fight! Seeing that things had taken an ugly turn, Dong Chang took o his gold helmet and armor and fled to a villager’s home to seek refuge but was trussed up by the villagers and brought forward. Gu Quanwu thought, “Even though the Yue troops have surrendered, their numbers are still impressive. It would be best to forestall anything untoward.” With a swish of his sword, he cut o Dong Chang’s head to put to rest any illusions that the Yue troops might still have. The villagers were heavily rewarded.

Before he could pitch camp for some rest, Gu heard from the valleys of the mountain earth-shaking sounds of drums and bugles. Kicking up clouds of dust, a mighty army was moving in his direction. Gu Quanwu said, “This must be the rear detachment of the Yuezhou troops.” He grabbed his sword and mounted his horse, ready for battle. When the army drew near, he saw that the two commanders were none other than Zhong Ming and Zhong Liang on their way to pursue Dong Chang. The three men dismounted and exchanged stories of their accomplishments. That night, they pitched camp together in Lin’an. The following day, they broke camp and were on the road for two days when they ran into Qian Liu and his men. It so happened that Qian Liu’s spies had learned that Dong Chang was making a detour by way of Lin’an. Afraid that Gu Quanwu might not be able to deal with Dong, Qianliu led the main forces and came to o er reinforcement, only to be told that both detachments had won victory. Consequently, they joined forces and returned to the city of Hangzhou. Truly,

Gu Quanwu presented Qian Liu with Dong Chang’s head, and the Zhong brothers presented him with the heads of Xue Ming, Xu Fu, and Luo Ping. Qian Liu gave the order to kill all of the three hundred members of Dong Chang’s clan now imprisoned in Yuezhou and composed a memorial to the emperor to report the victory. That happened in the fourth year of the Qianning reign period [897] under Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang dynasty.

At the time, the Central Plains were beset with hostilities, and the Wu and Yue regions were geographically beyond the reach of the imperial court. Therefore, upon learning through the memorial that Qian Liu had successfully quelled a rebellion, the court was most appreciative and awarded him certificates of redemption.²² He was also granted the titles of Supreme Pillar of State, prince of Pengcheng, and secretariat director. Soon thereafter, he was made king of Yue and, later, king of Wu, with the privilege of granting officials titles in Run, Yue, and twelve other prefectures. In all complacency, Qian Liu built himself a palace in Hangzhou. With his father already dead, it goes without saying that he supported his mother in the palace in the finest luxury. His wife, Zhong Qi’s daughter, was granted the title of royal consort. Zhong Qi rose to be prime minister and joined him in the administration of the land. Zhong Ming, Zhong Liang, and Gu Quanwu each obtained the post of surveillance commissioner of one of the various prefectures.

One year, there was a great flood. Its surging tides reached as far as the city walls. A dike construction project was begun. Numerous laborers worked for months without being able to finish it. Qian Liu went in person to the construction site for an inspection and saw that the job was made difficult by the raging waves. In a towering rage, he thundered, “What river god dares defy my wishes!” By his order, hundreds of strong archers shot their arrows into the tide, and, just as soon, the waves quieted down. (This event alone proves that he did not rise to be a king by chance but was born to be one.) In another few days, the dike was finished. Its gate was named Tide-Watching Gate.

Qian Liu said with a sigh, “The ancients had a saying: ‘He who has attained wealth and power but fails to make a return trip to his hometown is like one who flaunts his splendid silk robe in pitch darkness.’”²³ Consequently, he selected a day and set out for Lin’an, where he paid his respects to his grandfather’s grave, o ered sacrifices of oxen, sheep, and pigs, and raised a great fanfare on the mountain, complete with banners, drums, and horns. He changed the name of the county from Lin’an to Silk Robe County, and the mountain from Stone Mirror to Silk Robe, covered the Stone Mirror in brocade, and had the stone guarded by soldiers to prevent people from stealing looks into it. The big rock that he had sat on was now named the Silk Robe Rock. The big tree was named the Silk Robe General and was also covered in brocade. New pieces of brocade were to replace the old should they be damaged by wind and rain. He called the house where he used to live the Silk Robe Residence and had a memorial gateway erected. The carrying pole that he had used when selling salt, now covered in a tailor-made brocade case, was enshrined in the hall of his old residence as a reminder of his humble beginnings. Oxen and horses were slaughtered for a grand feast, to which all old acquaintances in the neighborhood, male and female, were invited.

A neighbor woman over ninety years of age, carrying a pot of white wine and a plate of dumplings, approached Qian Liu and said laughingly, “What a joy it is to see that you, Qian Poliu, have indeed made your way in the world!”

Qian’s attendants were about to call out in reproach when Qian Liu checked them, saying, “Don’t frighten her.” With alacrity, he dropped to his knees and thanked the woman: “If it were not for you, Granny Wang, who saved my life in the beginning, I would not be where I am today!”

Granny Wang raised him to his feet, filled a cup to the brim with the white wine, and o ered it to him. In one gulp, he finished the wine to the last drop. Granny Wang extended the plate of dumplings to him. While eating from the plate, he said, “I, Qian Poliu, have plenty to eat. Don’t you worry about me. Enjoy your own life now.” He ordered the county magistrate to allocate a hundred mu of fertile land to Granny Wang as her means of support for the rest of her life. She left after saying many words of thanks. The assembly of men and women in the neighborhood knelt down, one and all, at the sight of Qian Liu’s royal attire of a python-patterned robe and a jade belt. Qian Liu raised them to their feet, bade them take their seats, and personally served them wine. Octogenarians were o ered gold cups. Centenarians, about a dozen in all, used jade cups. (Qian Liu well deserves full credit for the peace that prevailed throughout the land.) After serving a round of wine, Qian Liu stood and intoned the following lines:

Being uneducated rustics, the audience looked at one another in puzzlement. None uttered a sound. Not content at the reaction, Qian Liu started chanting in the local Wu dialect,

The song was met with general applause amid happy laughter. Having thoroughly enjoyed themselves, they came back on the following day for another gathering. Three days passed in this way. Everyone received gifts of silk and brocade. The owner of the gambling house, Old Man Qi, having died, members of his household were summoned and heavily rewarded. This done, Qian Liu returned to Hangzhou.

Later, the emperor of the Tang abdicated to the Liang, whereupon Zhu Quanzhong, emperor of the Liang [r. 907–14], changed the reign period to Kaiping and made Qian Liu king of Wu and Yue and, soon thereafter, supreme national commander in chief. Though a king in title only, Qian Liu enjoyed privileges no di erent from those of an emperor. There was just as much fanfare on his leaving from and returning to his palace, and his subjects greeted him with the same three shouts of “Ten thousand years to you!” According to The History of the Five Dynasties by Ouyang Xiu, the Wu and Yue regions had been proclaimed an empire. The reign titles of Tianbao, Baoda, and Baozheng—still seen inscribed in temples throughout Hangzhou—were, in fact, Wu-Yue reign titles. From the time Qian Liu became the king of Wu and Yue until he died at the advanced age of eighty-one, the region su ered no harassment from neighboring states. He was granted the posthumous title of Wu Su [Valiance and Solemnity]. His throne passed on to his son Yuanguan, and later from Yuanguan to his son Zuo and from Zuo to his younger brother Chu. After the first emperor of the Song dynasty assumed the throne subsequent to the Chen Bridge incident [960], Qian Chu served in the new Song court. Upon Emperor Taizong’s succession [in 976], Qian Chu donated his land to the imperial court, whereupon his title was changed to king of Deng. The Qian clan dominated the Wu and Yue regions for ninety-eight years, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the stone tablet unearthed in the Tianmu Mountains. A later poet had these lines of praise: