Water Margin: Liangshan Beneath the Official Robes

At the imperial court in the second year of Zhenghe, he passed all three imperial examinations at the top, surpassing every minister in literary skill and every general in martial prowess. The whole court thought the Song Dynasty had found a pillar of the state, a man gifted in both letters and arms. Only he knew this was merely the first step. As assistant prefect of Mizhou, he quelled coastal unrest and gathered talented men around him. Within a few years, he used his support of Liangshan to extend his influence through military and political affairs, drawing power over several circuits into his own hands. In public, he was a capable official of the court, a “just magistrate” to the people of two circuits. In private, Liangshan’s silver, provisions, and escape routes all passed through his hands. He also laid down a strict rule: no insulting or harming the common people. Behind every move Chao Gai made, behind every scheme by Wu Yong and Gongsun Sheng, stood a shadow. Everything he did was for a boy living far away in Tangyin. That boy called him uncle. That boy was Yue Fei. All he wanted to win was those four words: Let the people live!