Lin Chong could not help but hear this, and turned round. The man drew the sword out of its scabbard, and displayed its dazzling brightness. Lin Chong was not aware that this sword would doom his fate as he asked to look at it. The man handed it over for inspection, and Lin Chong exclaimed, “What a fine sword! How much do you want for it?”
The man said it was worth three thousand strings of cash, but he would take two thousand.
“It is worth two thousand,” said Lin Chong, “but nobody here knows its value. If you will take one thousand I will buy it.”
“I am hard up for ready money,” said the man, “and as you want it I will make a reduction of five hundred.”
But Lin Chong would offer only one thousand so the man heaved a sigh; saying, “Now gold is for sale at the price of scrap iron. But enough! But don’t give me a single cash less.”
Lin Chong said he would pay him at his home, and so departed with Lu Da, promising to see him again the following day. He duly paid for the sword, and then asked where he got it from.
“It is a family heirloom, and I sell it because we are very hard up,” replied the man.
“Who was your ancestor?”
“If I told you I should be ashamed.”
Lin Chong did not press the point, and the man departed. He examined the sword, turning it this way and that, and saying to himself, “This is certainly an excellent sword. Marshal Gao Qiu of the Imperial Guard, has a sword like this, but he does not let anybody see it. I have asked him several times to let me see it, but have been refused. By and by I will take this sword and compare it with his.” He continued examining the sword till it was evening. At night he hung it on the wall, but got up long before daybreak to have another look at it.
The following day he heard two minor officials at the door calling out, “Drill Instructor Lin Chong, Marshal Gao Qiu of the Imperial Guard has heard that you have bought a sword, and he orders you to bring it for his inspection. He is specially waiting for you in his yamen.” Upon hearing this Lin Chong wondered who could have reported the purchase to the Marshal. The two men waited until he was dressed, then he took the sword and went with them.
On the way he said, “I have not seen you at the headquarters.”
“We have been appointed quite recently,” they replied.
Upon reaching the headquarters they entered while Lin Chong remained in the courtyard. The two men then came back and said that the Marshal was in the hall at the back. Upon going there they passed round the screen before the door of the hall and then saw that the Marshal was not inside. Lin Chong stopped there but the men said that the Marshal had instructed them to take him inside. So he went with them through three doors, until they came to a building surrounded by green railings. There they asked him to wait while they were going to announce his arrival. They went inside and Lin Chong stood under the eaves of the hall for so long a time that it would take to drink a cup of tea, but the men still had not returned. Such a delay and silence made him suspicious. He lifted up the door curtain and peeping inside saw an honorary tablet with four black characters, “White Tiger’s Private Hall.” He understood immediately that this was the hall where councils of war were held, and that he was trespassing. He quickly turned round to go away, but just then he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, and looking back saw the Marshal himself. He stepped forward, and called out, “nuo” (awaiting your attention).
Marshal Gao Qiu shouted, “Lin Chong! How dare you enter the White Tiger’s Private Hall, seeing that I have not summoned you? Moreover you have a sword in your hand, and evidently intended to kill me. I have heard that you have been hanging about these headquarters for several days with a sword so you evidently have bad intentions.”
Lin Chong bowed his head, and said, “Your Benevolent Excellency! I was favored by a visit of two junior officers who told me to bring my sword here to compare it with yours.”
Marshal Gao Qiu shouted, “Where are those junior officers?”
“Your Benevolent Excellency, they went inside this hall.”
“Nonsense! No junior officer dare enter my rooms! Seize this person!”
Before he had finished saying this, about thirty men rushed out of the building on both sides, and arrested him. Marshal Gao Qiu pretended to be angry, and said, “You are a Drill Instructor, and yet you do not know the law. Why do you enter the White Tiger’s Private Hall with a sword in your hand, and try to kill me?”
This event was to lead to much trouble in the empire.
Marks inscribed on farmer’s backs;
Fishing boats studded with flags.
We will now see what happened to Lin Chong.
CHAPTER 7
Lin Chong Is Branded and Banished to Cangzhou District; Lu Da Has a Big Row in Yezhu Forest
WHEN the bodyguard of the Marshal Gao Qiu seized Lin Chong, and were going to behead him on the spot, Lin Chong called out that he was being wronged.
Marshal Gao said, “What business had you to come to this Private Hall with a sharp sword in your hand? Did you not come to kill me?”
Lin Chong beseechingly said, “If you had not ordered me to come here, how could I have dared to enter? The two junior officers who just went inside the hall brought me here.”
Marshal Gao said, “Nonsense! What junior officers are there at my headquarters? Why don’t you accept my word!” He then told his bodyguard to take the prisoner to the Kaifeng Prefectural yamen, and he would instruct the Prefect there to examine the case very minutely, and after a clear investigation he could execute the prisoner.57 He told them to wrap up the sword, and seal it.
The bodyguard obeyed the orders, and took Lin Chong under arrest to Kaifeng Prefectural yamen, and fortunately upon arriving there they found that the Prefect was still sitting in the court hearing cases. Marshal Gao’s officers took Lin Chong into the court, and they knelt down at the steps in front of the bench. The Prefect’s officer got the particulars of the case, and then reported the matter to Prefect Teng. He then took the sword which was still sealed up, and placed it in front of the prisoner.
The Prefect said, “Lin Chong, you are a Drill Instructor of the Imperial Guard so how is it that you did not know the rules of the army, and entered the Private Hall with a sword in your hand? That is a crime to be punished by death.”
Lin Chong said, “Most benevolent and wise official, I am falsely accused, and seriously wronged. Although I am a stupid army officer I understand a few of the rules. How dared I enter the Private Hall? The fact of the matter is, that on the twenty-eighth day of last month I went with my wife to the Yue Temple to sacrifice, and there we met the adopted son of Marshal Gao Qiu of the Imperial Guard, who attempted to trifle with my wife, and I interfered and separated them. Afterwards Lu Qian cheated me by asking me to go to drink wine with him, while he employed Fu An to deceive my wife, and told her to go to Lu Qian’s home where they had arranged to trifle with her. As soon as I heard of this I went there at once, and smashed up all the furniture. Thus although they had twice tried to ravish my wife, they had not succeeded, and I have a witness to bear that out. The following day I bought this sword, and