afraid that you have experienced much suffering on your way here so better go to the guest chamber where you can rest, and tomorrow we will discuss the matter.”
Chao Gai then ordered the servant to conduct Liu Tang to the guest chamber.
In the guest chamber Liu Tang meditated. “Why did I come here and so experience all this misery? If it had not been for the intervention of Chao Gai I should not have been released. I do not like Lei Heng who falsely accused me of being a thief, and caused me to be hung here for the night. As he cannot have gone very far I will get a stick, and pursue him. When I catch up to them I will knock them all down and get back the silver. This will avenge my wrong. This is an excellent plan!” He then went outside, and got a halberd out of the rack. Leaving by the gate he went along the southern road with big strides. The day was quite bright, and very soon he saw in the distance Lei Heng and his men, and soon caught up to them. Upon reaching them Liu Tang shouted out, “Hey, Inspector, you need not try to get away.”
Lei Heng was surprised at hearing this, and turning round he saw Liu Tang armed with a halberd. He quickly took a halberd from one of his men, and shouted, “What are you following us for?”
Liu Tang said, “You understand the matter. You must give me those ten taels of silver, and then I won’t attack you.”
Lei Heng said, “The money was given to me by your uncle so what have you got to do with it? I would have certainly killed you but for your uncle. And yet you ask me for the money.”
“I am not a thief, and yet you hanged me for one night,” said Liu Tang. “You deceived my uncle of the ten taels of silver. You know this is the case, and you had better give me the money, then I will regard your past deeds with leniency. But if you do not give me the money I will spill some of your blood.”
Lei Heng was very angry, and pointing at Liu Tang he cursed him saying, “You lying thief, who brings disgrace and ruin to your family. You have no decency, but how dare you talk like this?”
Liu Tang replied, “You deceiver of the people with your vile skill. How dare you curse me?”
Lei Heng continued his cursing. “You are a wanton thief from your head to the soles of your feet! You are certainly implicating Chao Gai. You have a thief’s disposition, but this kind or thing I will not allow.”
Liu Tang was also angry, and he shouted out, “I came here to give you a good hiding.” He seized his halberd, and advanced towards Lei Heng. Lei Heng only laughed at him, and also advanced with his halberd. They met at the side of the road where they fought for a long time, without either getting an advantage. When the soldiers saw that Lei Heng had not defeated Liu Tang, they were on the point of coming to his assistance when a gate in a bamboo fence was opened, and a man came out carrying in his hand two copper wires. The man said, “You two are fine men, and must not fight any more. I have been watching you fight for a long time. You take a rest, and listen to what I have to say.” So saying he placed the wires between the two men. The latter withdrew, and stood a little distance away from each other. They looked at the man, and saw that he was dressed as a scholar. He was wearing a cap low down on his brow; a large loose-fitting gown of hempen cloth with a black border; an official belt of the color of tea; silk shoes, and clean socks. His eyebrows and eyes had an elegant appearance; his mustache was long and his face white. His name was Wu Yong, and his nickname was “Clever Star”; his fancy name was “The Inquisitive or Critical Student”; his Taoist name was “Much Brighter.” His grandfather was a native of that place.
Taking the copper wires in his hand he pointed at Liu Tang and said, “You stop a bit! Why are you fighting with that inspector?”
Liu Tang looked closely at Wu Yong and said, “It has nothing to do with you, xiucai scholar.”59
Lei Heng said, “You, sir, do not know. That fellow slept in a temple without wearing any clothes last night. I arrested him, and took him to the village of the village chief, Chao Gai. There we found that he was a nephew of Chao Gai, and I then released him because of what his uncle said. Chao Gai invited me to drink wine with him, and then presented me with some silver. This fellow evidently did not know about that, and came here to get the money back. Do you think that he is brave?”
Wu Yong meditated, “From my youth Chao Gai has been my friend and whenever he had any business he always discussed it with me first. I knew all his relatives, but I have not met this nephew before. Moreover, this man seems too old to be Chao Gai’s nephew, and that looks strange. So I will stop the fight and afterwards ask him about the matter.” Wu Yong then spoke to the man, “You must not be insistent. Your uncle is a good friend of mine, and is also on friendly terms with this inspector. He has made a present to this inspector, and your demanding the return of it will cause your uncle to lose face. I will be responsible for this matter, and will speak to your uncle about it.”
“Scholar, you do not understand,” said Liu Tang. “My uncle did not willingly give the inspector this silver, and the latter deceived my uncle. If he does not give me the money I shall not go back.”
“If chief Chao Gai, will come here himself I will hand him the money,” said Lei Heng, “but I will not give it to you.”
“You falsely accused me of being a thief,” said Liu Tang, “and got money by false pretense, so why should you not return the money?”
Lei Heng replied, “Because it is not your money! I will not give it to you.”
“As you will not give me the money,” said Liu Tang, “then you had better ask the halberd in my hand whether it will agree to that procedure.”
“You two men have been fighting for a long time,” said Wu Yong, “without either of you losing or winning. So how long will it take you to finish the fighting?”
“As he will not give me the money,” said Liu Tang, “I will risk my life, and one of us will die.”
Lei Heng was very angry and said, “I am not afraid of you and I would not even order my soldiers to come and help me to fight with you. In any case I will certainly knock you down with my halberd.”
Liu Tang was also angry upon hearing this, and slapping his chest he shouted, “I am not afraid of you! I am not afraid!” and at the same time advanced. Lei Heng also advanced, and both men were soon close together. But Wu Yong stepped between to stop the fight. Liu Tang tried to edge his way round Wu Yong, while Lei Heng continued to curse him as a thief. The soldiers however just then called out, “The chief is coming.” Liu Tang turned round to look, and saw Chao Gai with his dress in loose disorder. Upon arriving there Chao Gai called out, “You beast! Do not act in such an impolite way.”
Wu Yong laughed at this and said, “Sure enough the chief has arrived, and he is the only man who can settle this dispute.”
When Chao Gai had regained his breath, he said, “Why are you two men fighting?”
“Your nephew took a halberd, and demanded that I should give him the money,” said Lei Heng; “I told him that I would give you the money as it was not his business. He fought with me a long time. This scholar then intervened, and stopped the fight.”
“What a beast!” said Chao Gai. “I did not know that he was doing this. Inspector, will you please go now, and by and by I will come to your home, and apologize.”
Lei Heng said, “I knew that this man was making trouble, and I did not want to have anything to do with him. We have caused you much inconvenience in coming so far.” He then took his departure.
Wu
