The Disheartened 4: A Wanderer's Home, A Heartbroken Man at the Ends of the Earth

"Brother, please have mercy! I have something to say!"

Just as Wang Lun closed his eyes and awaited death, a sentence entered his ears. This sentence was like heavenly music to him. His life and death seemed to have a new possibility. Suddenly, he, who had already resigned himself to his fate, was filled with hope for life again!

"What do you have to say, sir?" Song Jiang raised his hand, gesturing for the novice to put down his knife.

Wu Yong said, "Although Wang Lun's crimes against Liangshan are unforgivable, considering that he was unaware of the situation and did not cause any damage to Liangshan, we should show him leniency!"

Wang Lun felt relieved. This person should agree, right? He was filled with gratitude for the scholar who had pleaded for him!

"To occupy a mountain and become a king is tantamount to treason. At best, one will be executed by slow slicing; at worst, one's entire clan will be exterminated. I am an official, so it is one thing if I did not know, but now that I do know, how can I sit idly by? There is nothing wrong with my actions," Song Jiang retorted.

Wang Lun inwardly groaned; it seemed this person still wasn't going to let him off the hook!

Wu Yong laughed and said, "In this way, I'm afraid that anyone who surrenders will feel insecure and dare not come to join us!"

Song Jiang hesitated for a moment, then said, "That's still not enough to forgive him!"

Wu Yong continued, "This Wang Lun appears to be a scholar, so he should be somewhat learned. Liangshan is in dire need of manpower right now. The scholar should plead for leniency and spare Wang Lun this time, so that he can assist the scholar in handling the school's affairs!"

"Since the magistrate has pleaded for your life, I will spare your death sentence for now. But if you harbor any disloyalty..."

Wang Lun stated decisively, "If I harbor any disloyalty, I will be torn to pieces, my bones crushed to ashes, and I will die without a burial place!"

Song Jiang coldly replied, "Fine, if you truly harbor disloyal intentions, or secretly plot something, I will make your words come true!"

Wang Lun's heart skipped a beat, and he shuddered. Remembering how he had almost lost his life and barely escaped with it, he quickly knelt down and swore, "Brother, you will never have that chance!"

After saying this, he hurriedly ran to Wu Yong's side and knelt down, saying, "Thank you so much, sir, for pleading for me. You have saved my life!"

Wu Yong laughed and said, "Get up. It was your brother who spared you, giving you this chance to live. From now on, you must serve me well and not have any disloyal thoughts!"

Song Jiang had never met Wang Lun before, but upon seeing this man, he guessed from his attire that the white-robed scholar must be Wang Lun, and the two tall, burly men beside him were probably Song Wan and Du Qian! This is because in the original story, Wang Lun was the one who occupied Liangshan and became its leader, with Song Wan and Du Qian serving as the second and third leaders, respectively!

However, defeating Wang Lun did not bring Song Jiang any sense of accomplishment. Instead, he pondered whether or not to kill Wang Lun.

In the original story, Wang Lun was nothing more than an unlucky and pitiful fellow, a stepping stone for Chao Gai! He painstakingly built the foundation of Liangshan, only to have it benefit someone else!

Was Wang Lun capable? He certainly was, and one could even say he was exceptionally capable. In the original novel, Wu Yong once said, "The stronghold is thriving right now, and the government troops dare not even look them in the eye when they're hunting bandits. If we hurry, we can join them immediately."

It is evident that under Wang Lun's leadership, Liangshan was a very well-developed stronghold. Compared to Shaohua Mountain, Erlong Mountain (which Lu Zhishen did not visit), and Taohua Mountain, Liangshan was undoubtedly the best among these smaller strongholds!

Seven or eight hundred henchmen may not seem like much, but when gathered together they are a force not to be underestimated. It should be noted that at that time, the number of soldiers in an official stronghold could not exceed five hundred, and if a county had one or two hundred soldiers, it would be considered a force that could not be ignored!

But Wang Lun's abilities were limited to this. His biggest flaw was his narrow-mindedness and jealousy of the virtuous and capable.

Jealousy is a common human failing. If someone is richer than you, more capable than you, or has a higher position than you, everyone will feel envious or jealous to some extent. They just don't say it out loud. How many people can truly remain calm and composed?

Knowing people and making good use of them sounds simple, but very few can actually do it! In fact, from a neutral point of view, Wang Lun's jealousy of the virtuous and capable is neither right nor wrong, but he showed it too obviously. When Lin Chong came to the mountain, he was afraid of losing his position as the leader, so he treated Lin Chong coldly, which made Lin Chong feel annoyed. Helpless, he had no choice but to suffer every day. When Chao Gai and his seven companions came to the mountain, he did the same, giving them money and preparing to send them away.

However, Chao Gai and his men were not like Lin Chong, who could endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens without daring to speak out when his wife was bullied. They directly devised a plan to scheme against Lin Chong, and also against Wang Lun. In the end, they used a borrowed knife to kill Wang Lun, and seized control of Liangshan. All that remained was Wang Lun's words, "Where are all my trusted men?" which became a laughing stock!

Was Wang Lun a villain? In Song Jiang's opinion, no. At least, although he was reluctant to let Lin Chong join the bandits, he still kept Lin Chong there, giving him a place to stay. He even gave Lin Chong ample money to leave the bandits under a pretext. In terms of courtesy, he was quite reasonable. If he were a truly villainous person, he probably would have forced Lin Chong to leave or even killed him! He also gave Chao Gai ample money to leave the bandits, but because he was calculating and manipulative, Chao Gai ultimately became a pitiful figure.

It's difficult to definitively say who is right and who is wrong. Different perspectives naturally lead to different viewpoints. From a neutral standpoint, wasn't Lin Chong also ungrateful, and wasn't Chao Gai also a villain who killed and seized the stronghold? However, when one side is the victor, the loser can never be absolved. Wang Lun's death merely became a stepping stone for Chao Gai to dominate Liangshan and expand the Liangshan stronghold!

Song Jiang originally wanted to kill Wang Lun to end the matter once and for all. This man was ambitious, narrow-minded, and had a heart that was too high. He was definitely not willing to be a subordinate, otherwise he would not have walked step by step toward his death!

If he had treated Lin Chong with courtesy, how could Lin Chong have turned around and helped Chao Gai kill him? If he had accepted Chao Gai and the others, he wouldn't have suffered this later disaster. But if he could have done that, he wouldn't be Wang Lun! Compared to Song Jiang (in the original novel), who smiles on the surface but stabs you in the back, his level is far inferior!

Song Jiang decided to spare Wang Lun. With him, Wu Yong, and Liu Tang around, Wang Lun couldn't cause any trouble. However, Song Jiang still made it seem like he was going to kill him, and then had Wu Yong plead for him. He wanted to make sure that Wang Lun's fear of him was ingrained and that he would never dare to have any disloyalty. Fortunately, Wu Yong understood his meaning; otherwise, Wang Lun would have died in vain!

It's quite an interesting scene, as all three leaders of Liangshan in the original story gathered together at this point, which is rather dramatic!

Song Jiang asked Wang Lun, "You, a scholar, why have you become a bandit? And why did you attack my Liangshan?"

The original text doesn't explain in detail why Wang Lun joined Liangshan, but Song Jiang still wanted to find out the whole story, just to satisfy his curiosity!

Wang Lun sighed and began to recount his past.

Wang Lun was originally from Wangjia Village in Shen County. His ancestors had passed the imperial examinations and had a glorious past. However, by his generation, the family had fallen on hard times, his parents had died early, and he had difficulty even surviving. Fortunately, his aunt's family took him in, which allowed him to barely make ends meet.

Wang Lun's aunt's family wasn't wealthy either, and the addition of another mouth to feed increased the pressure. However, his uncle never complained and was always cheerful. The family's harmonious atmosphere brought Wang Lun a long-lost warmth.

Wang Lun was extremely talented in his studies. He had been well-versed in the classics and history since childhood and was considered exceptionally gifted. If he continued his studies, he would surely pass the imperial examination. However, for ordinary families, passing the imperial examination would only bring more worry, because those who passed the imperial examination still needed to travel to the capital for the final examination, and the expenses were beyond what ordinary families could afford!

My aunt has a cousin named Qiangwei. The two have been childhood sweethearts since they were little. The cousin also greatly admires Wang Lun's talent and they have long been engaged to each other. They are just waiting for the day when Wang Lun passes the imperial examination, which will be the day when the cousin gets married!

His aunt's family also worked hard to support Wang Lun's studies. They knew the hardship of producing a scholar in the family, but if Wang Lun could really pass the imperial examination, the family's life would change dramatically. They would not be rich and powerful, but at least they would be able to live a life free from worries about food and clothing!

Unfortunately, while romantic moments under the moon and vows of eternal love are beautiful, reality often falls short of expectations!

Wang Lun vaguely remembered the excited look and eager smile in his uncle's eyes when he said goodbye to his aunt's family to take the county examination that day. He thought to himself, "Our family has finally produced a scholar! We can bring honor to our ancestors and hold our heads high. Let's see who dares to call us peasants now!"

Aunt was also very happy and said, "I have to thank Master Wang for guarantor. After all, he is a relative and willing to help you. That's how you got the qualification to go to the county exam. When you come back, I will kill that laying hen for you to nourish your body!" Wang Lun knew that it was the only laying hen in his aunt's family. Every night, his aunt would cook an egg for him, but the family never dared to eat one!

That Mr. Wang was originally a cousin of a branch of the Wang family. He had passed the imperial examinations and returned to the county to serve as the county magistrate. He was also good at business and quickly accumulated a fortune!

Unfortunately, Master Wang was very arrogant. His aunt had tried to beg him before, but he ignored Wang Lun and the others. No one knew why he suddenly took pity on him this time and vouched for him, allowing him to participate in the county examination!

Although Rose didn't speak, her reluctant expression and sweet eyes made Wang Lun extremely sad!

Although he was temporarily leaving his aunt's family, Wang Lun was very confident that he could pass the county examination. However, he never expected that this would be the last time he would see his aunt and uncle!

On his way back to the village, Wang Lun had already achieved first place in the county examination. He returned to share the good news with his cousin Qiangwei and his most respected uncle and aunt! Afterwards, he was to go and participate in the prefectural examination!

But when he saw the familiar village before him, he froze in shock! The devastation made him think he had taken the wrong path; ruins, corpses strewn across the ground—the scene before him was like hell on earth!

If it weren't for the Wangjia Village plaque he'd seen countless times while he was trapped under the pillar, reminding him that this was the land that had given him birth and nurtured him, he would never have believed it was real, no matter what anyone said!

The once powerful and vigorous three characters "Wangjia Village" have long since faded and lost their luster, just like Wang Lun's sorrowful and dead heart!

He stood there blankly for a long time, then rushed into the ruins and arrived at the place he remembered!

At home, his aunt and uncle were already lying in pools of blood, no longer breathing. His cousin, Qiangwei, was nowhere to be found. He searched the entire village, wandering around like a madman, but apart from the corpse, there was no trace of Qiangwei, as if she had vanished into thin air!

"Why, why!" He knelt on the ground, heartbroken, his tears long since dried up!

Just then, someone appeared beside him—his former neighbor! Seeing him, Wang Lun stood up, rushed over, grabbed his neighbor by the collar, and gritted his teeth, demanding, "Tell me, what happened!"

The man cried out, "Thieves! Thieves from Luyashan have robbed our village!"

Wang Lun was taken aback and shouted, "Our village isn't wealthy, how could thieves have robbed our village? Where's Qiangwei? Where did Qiangwei go?"

The man was clearly terrified, exclaiming, "I really didn't know! If I hadn't hidden in the jar, I probably wouldn't have escaped this fate either! I heard many women crying out; it seems Rose has been taken away by them!"

Wang Lun let go of his hands and sat weakly on the ground, looking up at the blue sky above. At this moment, he wanted to follow his uncle and aunt and leave this dirty and murky world!

But thinking of Qiangwei, he stood up and said, "I can't die yet, I can't die yet! Yes, I have to report to the authorities!" He muttered to himself, and ran towards the county government office without slowing down.

The magistrate sat on his throne and looked at Wang Lun kneeling down, feeling a pang of sorrow in his heart.

He used to be full of vigor and talent, but now he is emaciated and looks haggard!

The sudden turn of events made him feel as if he had fallen from heaven to hell!

The county magistrate sympathized with him, but there were two or three thousand bandits in Lushan Mountain. Not to mention a small county magistrate like him, even the prefect of Dongchang Prefecture might not be able to take down Lushan Mountain. Moreover, sending troops would cost a lot of food and money. For the sake of Wang Lun, the prefect would definitely not send troops!

After comforting him, the magistrate took pity on him, gave him ten taels of silver, and sent him away.

Wang Lun didn't know how he got through those months. He spent his days drinking, crying, and roaring. As for the provincial examination, he had long forgotten about it!

Many people secretly felt sorry that a promising candidate for the imperial examination had fallen to a failed candidate. But there was nothing they could do about it. After all, they were not Wang Lun and could not understand the pain of losing their closest relatives and missing their loved ones.

Although Wang Lun had long since given up on pursuing officialdom, he still had to make a living. Ten taels of silver were not enough to last long, so Wang Lun had no choice but to make a living by copying books for others and selling paintings every day.

That day, Wang Lun was selling calligraphy on the street when suddenly a woman's beautiful figure caught his eye. Wasn't that Qiangwei? The most important woman in his life, the woman who haunted his dreams and whom he fantasized about growing old with, was actually right in front of him. Wang Lun had always thought that Qiangwei had been kidnapped to the mountains to become a bandit's wife and that her life was already in danger. Who would have thought that they would meet again in Shen County!

Wang Lun's previously lifeless heart instantly regained some vitality. He was still in the mood to sell his calligraphy, and stood up, intending to immediately go and reunite with Qiangwei!

But Wang Lun stopped quickly. The two tall and strong men next to Qiangwei made him hesitate!

It wasn't that he was afraid of getting beaten up if he rashly went up to acknowledge her, but rather that he was afraid that his recklessness would prevent him from ever seeing Rose again!

After hesitating for a moment, he still didn't go forward, but secretly followed the three of them to see where they were going!

Wang Lun followed very discreetly, but it seemed as if there was a thread connecting the two of them in the dark!

Rose suddenly stopped, turned around, and began searching with her eyes! Her face showed sorrow, sadness, and grief, but no joy!

Perhaps it was a meeting of minds, but Rose's gaze found him, and Wang Lun quickly hid. Rose's eyes, which had been filled with hope, lost their light again when she couldn't find the person she was looking for. She turned around and continued walking forward.

Seeing the three of them slowly walking away, Wang Lun hurriedly came out and followed them at a leisurely pace!

As Wang Lun walked the winding road, he became more and more familiar with it, but his heart also grew increasingly apprehensive!

When they entered the wealthy family's house and knocked on the door, Wang Lun's eyes were filled with disbelief. After watching them go in, Wang Lun stared resentfully at the two large characters on the plaque above the gate: "Wang Mansion!"

I have been here before. When I came first in the county examination, I came here to thank Master Wang for his guarantor!