“He’s become the leader of the pirates, committed so many grave wrongs—can he truly have a chance to reform and atone?”
Wang Zhi’s mother, amidst her excitement, asked with lingering disbelief.
Zhu Ping’an nodded without hesitation. “Of course. As the old saying goes, ‘Put down the butcher’s knife, and become a Buddha on the spot.’”
Wang Zhi’s mother still seemed to struggle with believing it.
Noticing her doubt, Zhu Ping’an gently guided the conversation. “Old Madam, have you heard the story of the Water Margin heroes of Liangshan?”
“This old woman has heard of it. A storyteller came to our village and told it, but I don’t remember much,” Wang Zhi’s mother replied.
“In the Song Dynasty, the Liangshan heroes, led by Song Jiang, raised the banner of ‘Acting on Heaven’s Behalf’ and rebelled, staging uprisings across Shandong, Hebei, and Jiangsu. They first attacked Hesuo and eastern Jingdong, then fought in Qing, Qi, and Puzhou, capturing over ten walled cities. They killed the rich to aid the poor, executed officials, and made the court tremble in fear. As the imperial army encircled them, the Liangshan rebels pressed south, attacking Huaiyang, seizing Chuzhou, and entering Haizhou in Jiangsu.”
“At the same time as the Liangshan uprising, here in Zhejiang, a man named Fang La also raised a rebel banner, leading a fierce uprising. His forces smashed through Chuzhou and Xiuzhou, striking terror into the court and the people.”
“To suppress and eliminate these two peasant uprisings, Hou Meng, the prefect of Bozhou, petitioned the emperor, saying: ‘Song Jiang, with just thirty-six men, rampaged through Hesuo and Jingdong, and tens of thousands of imperial troops dared not resist. This shows he has extraordinary talent. Instead of fighting him, why not pardon and recruit him? Let him lead his forces to subdue Fang La, and perhaps he can pacify the southeast.’ The emperor found this idea compelling and immediately issued an edict to recruit Song Jiang and the Liangshan heroes.”
“It was in Haizhou that Song Jiang and his Liangshan heroes accepted the imperial amnesty, transforming from rebels into official troops.”
“After accepting the amnesty, the Liangshan heroes fought bravely, serving the country. They resisted the Liao in the north and subdued Fang La in the south, repeatedly defending the nation’s borders and earning illustrious merits, leaving behind a legendary tale recorded in history.”
“To this day, there’s a shrine to the Liangshan heroes at the Water Margin, revered by generations of commoners with offerings and incense.”
Zhu Ping’an spoke slowly, deliberately drawing parallels between the Liangshan heroes and Wang Zhi as he told the story.
In the end, he emphasised how the Liangshan heroes went from rebels to official troops, earning a place in history and the lasting reverence of the people.
This was a bait.
“Wonderful, wonderful! The court’s amnesty was good, the Liangshan heroes accepting it was good, and the story’s ending is good—recorded in history, revered by generations with offerings and incense, practically becoming immortals…”
Wang Zhi’s mother couldn’t help but repeat her approval.
She couldn’t stop thinking of Wang Zhi. If only he could be like the Liangshan heroes—how wonderful that would be.
The court could issue an amnesty for Wang Zhi, and he could accept it, transforming from a pirate into an official soldier, serving the court, earning a place in history, and, centuries later, being revered with offerings and incense, becoming an immortal.
How wonderful that would be.
Wang Zhi’s wife, hearing how the Liangshan heroes went from rebels to official troops, had her eyes light up.
If Wang Zhi became an official, she’d no longer suffer in prison or face public scorn. Not only that, if her husband became an official, he could secure titles for his wife and heirs, and she could be granted the status of an honoured lady by the court.
In this era, what woman didn’t dream of becoming an honoured lady?
As for little Wang Qiong, he listened intently, eyes wide. If Wang Zhi became an official soldier, would that mean his grandmother and mother wouldn’t be locked in prison or executed? If so, maybe he could stop hating him and even call him “Father” again.
“Old Madam, the Water Margin isn’t just a story—it’s history. If you ever have the chance, you can visit the Liangshan heroes’ shrine at the Water Margin. The incense there is always abundant.”
“Inside the temple, there are accounts of the lives and fates of all 108 Liangshan heroes. Many who became officials secured titles for their wives and heirs.”
Zhu Ping’an said with a smile.
“How wonderful,” Wang Zhi’s mother and wife said repeatedly, unable to contain themselves.
“Can Wang Zhi be like the Liangshan heroes?” Wang Zhi’s mother asked, thinking of her son, her face full of hope and longing.
If her son could go from a despised, hunted pirate to a revered official soldier, how wonderful that would be.
“Old Madam, let me compare the Liangshan heroes and Wang Zhi for you, and I’m sure you’ll see clearly,” Zhu Ping’an said with a smile.
“Thank you, my lord,” Wang Zhi’s mother, wife, and little Wang Qiong said, looking at Zhu Ping’an with nervous anticipation, listening intently.
“First, let’s look at the nature of their actions. The Liangshan heroes boldly raised the banner of ‘Acting on Heaven’s Behalf,’ staging a rebellion and becoming outright rebels. Wang Zhi, on the other hand, hasn’t openly raised a banner of rebellion. He’s a bandit, colluding with Japanese pirates, making him a pirate.”
“Second, let’s consider scale and harm. The Liangshan heroes rampaged through Shandong, Hebei, and Jiangsu, attacking Hesuo, eastern Jingdong, and fighting in Qing, Qi, and Puzhou, capturing over ten cities. Wang Zhi has led pirates to plunder the southeast coast, seizing a dozen or so county towns, burning, killing, and looting. In terms of harm to the court, they’re about equal.”
“Finally, let’s look at the circumstances. During the Liangshan uprising, there were other rebellions, like Fang La’s, which was as disruptive as Liangshan’s. This gave the Liangshan heroes value to the court—they could be recruited to serve the court and subdue Fang La. Now, let’s look at today’s situation. Besides Wang Zhi’s pirate band, there are many other pirates, like Xu Hai and others, causing havoc. Like the Liangshan heroes, Wang Zhi’s band has value for recruitment.”
Zhu Ping’an counted off on his fingers, speaking confidently. He deliberately chose angles that compared Wang Zhi to the Liangshan heroes, leading to an obvious conclusion: Wang Zhi’s piracy didn’t seem worse than the Liangshan heroes’ rebellion, and he genuinely seemed to have potential for amnesty.
After hearing Zhu Ping’an’s comparison, Wang Zhi’s mother and wife couldn’t help but light up with hope.
Yes, indeed.
The Liangshan heroes openly rebelled, while Wang Zhi, though a pirate leader who killed and plundered, at least hadn’t raised a banner of rebellion or openly declared revolt.
In terms of harm, it sounded like Wang Zhi had captured fewer cities than the Liangshan heroes.
And in terms of utility, with so many other pirate bands besides Wang Zhi’s, the court could amnesty him and use him to fight the others.
It really sounded like Wang Zhi could be granted amnesty.
How wonderful.
