Chapter 10: Zhang Yue Refuses to Enter the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, Song Jiang Faces a Dilemma

The visitor was none other than Dai Zong, the “Divine Speed” Guardian, one of Song Jiang’s trusted lieutenants, the twentieth Heavenly Gang General of Liangshan, corresponding to the Heavenly Speed Star. He was the leader of Liangshan’s intelligence gathering, capable of traveling eight hundred miles a day.

Song Jiang sent him to intercept Zhang Yue before he left, inviting him to join Liangshan.

Dai Zong explained his purpose, and Zhang Yue looked hesitant. The clever Zhu Gui immediately looked mysterious, glancing at Guo Tong, who was chewing on the beef, unable to swallow it, and said, “Whether Brother Zhang can be a guest on Liangshan depends entirely on our Miss Guo!”

Dai Zong quickly begged Guo Tong. Guo Tong looked at this strange man, pretending to beg her, and felt disgusted. She quickly ran to the side and said, “Brother Zhang’s legs are his own. He can go wherever he wants! I’m not tying him up!”

Seeing Guo Tong’s beauty, Dai Zong couldn’t help but drool and said in a lecherous tone, “Miss Guo, you are so beautiful. Even I, Dai, with my ability to travel eight hundred miles a day, would be unable to move when I see you!”

Guo Tong looked disdainfully at Dai Zong, who looked like a clown, with a small flag covered in runes on his back and a strange-shaped plaque around his waist, like a homeless man collecting scraps. She couldn’t help but laugh.

Zhang Yue didn’t want to make Guo Tong too uncomfortable. He got up and said to Dai Zong, “I am honored that Chief Song has taken notice of me and sent Chief Dai to invite me. How could I refuse? Besides, Instructor Lin was very drunk yesterday when he returned to the mountain. I am very worried about him. I’ll go up the mountain to visit him.”

After Zhang Yue finished speaking, he told Guo Tong to wait for him and followed Dai Zong up Liangshan Mountain.

Along the way, Zhang Yue inquired about Lin Chong’s condition. Dai Zong simply said that he was very drunk. When asked further, he was evasive and mumbled.

Zhang Yue became even more worried. When they reached Liangshan, Song Jiang, along with the other leaders, greeted Zhang Yue at the edge of the lake.

Lu Junyi, Guan Sheng, Hua Rong, Yan Qing, Wu Song, Song Wan, Du Qian, Cao Zheng, and others, all those who had been at the South Mountain Inn yesterday, were present.

Lin Chong was the only one missing. Zhang Yue was about to ask, but he was surrounded by Lu Junyi and Guan Sheng.

They talked back and forth, unable to escape. As they spoke, they were escorted to the front of the Hall of Righteousness.

There, a flagpole stood straight up to the sky on the high platform. Looking up, a huge yellow flag hung from it.

Five-colored golden dragons were embroidered on the edges, and in the middle, the four characters “Acting on Behalf of Heaven” were written vertically, fluttering in the wind, appearing and disappearing.

Behind the “Acting on Behalf of Heaven” flag was a spacious training ground, which extended all the way to the front of the solemn and majestic “Hall of Righteousness.”

“Little brother remembers that when Chief Chao was alive, this place was called the Hall of Righteousness. Why is it now called the Hall of Righteousness?” Zhang Yue asked knowingly.

“Brother Zhang Yue, you don’t know. This place was originally called the Hall of Righteousness. Now, it’s called the Hall of Righteousness!” Song Jiang answered evasively.

“Oh, oh, I see! I see! Thank you, Chief Song, for explaining.” Zhang Yue said insincerely.

After Zhang Yue finished speaking, he chuckled and looked at Wu Song and the other heroes from Erlong Mountain, who all looked displeased.

His eyes swept over the three brothers of the Ruan family, Liu Tang, and other heroes who had followed Chao Gai, and he said with a meaningful smile, “Hehe, Chief Song didn’t say anything. I thought this wasn’t Liangshan Marsh. I came to the wrong place! Hahaha!”

Wu Song, the three brothers of the Ruan family, and others, hearing these words that were so pleasing to their ears, all raised their heads and laughed heartily, venting their pent-up frustrations.

Song Jiang’s face twitched, his expression unnatural, but he still forced a smile and said politely, “Brother Zhang Yue, please enter the Hall of Righteousness!”

Zhang Yue, however, remained unmoved. He stood tall, his hands behind his back, and turned to look at the heroes behind him. Lu Junyi, Guan Sheng, and other supporters of Song Jiang bowed.

“Please, God-Sent Savior, Brother Zhang Yue, enter the Hall of Righteousness!”

“Please, God-Sent Savior, Brother Zhang Yue, enter the Hall of Righteousness!”

“Please, God-Sent Savior, Brother Zhang Yue, enter the Hall of Righteousness!”

Song Jiang smiled triumphantly at Zhang Yue, spread out his palm, and invited him to enter.

Zhang Yue chuckled and changed the subject, “I, Zhang Yue, have little education. I have been practicing martial arts with my master since I was young. He is a rough man and never taught me the meaning of loyalty. He only told me that when walking the world, I should rely on the word ‘righteousness.'”

“That’s right. All under heaven are brothers. Righteousness can unite the world!” Wu Song said loudly.

“Later, when I went down the mountain, my master specifically told me, ‘Yue’er, you are a free-spirited person, and you have always believed in the crooked logic of ‘For the sake of freedom, all things can be abandoned’…”

“Haha, Master said it well. I am who I am. I want to break the jade lock and be my true self! Hahaha!” Lu Zhishen, carrying his Zen staff, with Buddhist beads around his neck, his chest bare, strode forward.

Zhang Yue excitedly ran over, and the two brothers exchanged greetings. Zhang Yue continued to tell everyone, “The key is that my master also said, ‘I am afraid of the word ‘loyalty’ in this life. Wherever there is loyalty, it will be unfavorable to me. I forbid you to go there. I cannot disobey my master’s orders!'”

Zhang Yue looked at Song Jiang pitifully, as if he couldn’t help himself.

Lu Zhishen slapped his forehead, strode to Song Jiang’s side, and chuckled, “What’s so difficult about that? I’ll smash this bird plaque to pieces with my Zen staff!”

Zhang Yue quickly grabbed him and said, “Brother, why don’t you understand? I am now a wanted criminal for killing a high-ranking official of the court. It’s already wrong for me to step foot on Liangshan. I don’t think it’s necessary to enter the Hall of Righteousness!”

“What high-ranking official of the court? Gao Qiu, the dog official! A traitor! A despicable villain! I’ve been wanting to smash him to pieces with my Zen staff for a long time. Well done, well done!”

“Yes, yes, this is truly acting on behalf of heaven!”

“This is the true hero who should be on Liangshan!”

Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, the three brothers of the Ruan family, and others who opposed the imperial pardon immediately supported Lu Zhishen’s proposal. They all pleaded with Song Jiang, even if they had to take down the plaque of the “Hall of Righteousness,” they had to let Zhang Yue enter the hall.

This put Song Jiang in a difficult position. Changing the “Hall of Righteousness” to the “Hall of Righteousness” was an important step for him to overthrow Chao Gai and reform Liangshan. It was also the biggest foreshadowing for the imperial pardon.

The outlaws of the world valued the word “righteousness.” They were proud of not being controlled by the government or obeying the emperor’s orders. They enjoyed killing the rich and helping the poor, and they sought revenge with a vengeance.

But Song Jiang, who came from the ranks of low-level officials, was a slave at heart. When he ruled Liangshan, he used the word “loyalty” to suppress the word “righteousness,” which was actually a trick, stripping Liangshan of the soul of its rebellious spirit.

Zhang Yue was taking this opportunity to set things right and re-establish the banner of true chivalry and rebellious spirit!

Song Jiang was in a dilemma. If he followed Zhang Yue’s words and didn’t let him enter the “Hall of Righteousness” because he didn’t know “loyalty,” it would chill the hearts of many of the lower-ranking brothers, because most of them only knew righteousness, not loyalty.

If he let Lu Zhishen and the others smash the plaque of the “Hall of Righteousness” to avoid losing the hearts of the people, his position of power would be shaken.

“Hehehe!” Song Jiang let out a sinister laugh, his face looking very bad. He looked to Wu Yong for help, but Wu Yong was truly useless at this moment!

Zhang Yue had already seen through everything. He was certain that when the plaque was changed, Song Jiang’s brother, Song Qing, had carved the words “Hall of Righteousness” on the back of the “Hall of Righteousness” plaque in order to profit from it.

So, he winked at Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, and the others. The heroes understood. The play of Liangshan’s return to the Hall of Righteousness was about to be staged!