Chapter 008: The Massacre of the Family

Everyone had received their orders and was ready to act, when they heard Cui Daocheng mumbling and asking: "Brother Kun! You haven't mentioned what the signal for breaking the wall is yet!"

Cui Daocheng lay in ambush with a Zen staff at the base of the back wall of the prison. Upon hearing the signal, he broke through the earthen wall to assist the rescuers in their retreat

Another day has passed, and three more rascals under Hu Tieniu have gone missing, with the scene of their disappearance stained with blood. The people of Qinghe County firmly assert that this matter was caused by Wu Song

Wu Dalang engaged in a prolonged internal struggle, and finally let out a long sigh. He said to Taishi Kun: "Master, this cannot be done! A few days ago, when you said this, I certainly intended to have my brother come and associate with you, but now... now..."

Overall, the defenses of this prison are not particularly stringent. After all, at this time, Wu Song has not yet gained fame, and therefore he does not enjoy a high level of security.

Ah! Every family has its own difficulties to contend with!" Tai Shikun said, crossing his legs and speaking leisurely: "Dalang, it won't do for your family to continue like this! How about this: let your younger brother come with me to the mountains to become a bandit. I will share some gold and silver with him, and in my spare time, I can help teach him a thing or two. Who knows, in two years, your younger brother might turn into a cultured and polite gentleman!"

After listening to this story, Taishi Kun laughed heartily and said, "Don’t panic, my dear! I shall go and break into the prison right away to rescue Brother Erlang!"

It is important to note that in ancient times, wooden structures were abundant, often leading to tragic incidents where an entire county town could be consumed by fire. Consequently, the enthusiasm of the ancients for firefighting was exceedingly high, with even government officials risking their lives to fetch water and extinguish the flames

Qinghe County falls under the jurisdiction of Enzhou. The city of Qinghe County is a river and book flow city built along both banks of the Wei Canal. The northern bank was originally the old city of Beizhou, which was recently renovated with government funding about ten years ago, and has now become the residence of the Enzhou government. The southern bank, on the other hand, is the old city of Qinghe, where the county government of Qinghe County is located

Since Wu Song escaped back home, every afternoon he would go to the backyard to dig a pit, and in the early hours of the next day, he would return to the backyard to fill the pit

Wu Dalang carried a load of pine oil to the teahouse to set it on fire

Before the instructor could open his mouth to drive him away, he did not expect that Qiu Xiaoyi would suddenly draw a pair of paired daggers from his sleeves. Qiu Xiaoyi's movements were incredibly swift; before the instructor could react, two swift strikes landed on his face. The instructor let out a tragic scream and fell forward.

Upon hearing this, Wu Dalang was both surprised and delighted, and he quickly bowed in gratitude

A commotion at the entrance had already awakened several individuals guarding the prison cell. Suddenly, a loud clang was heard as two prison guards, accompanied by two instructors, jumped out of the cell wielding wooden clubs, immediately engaging in a fierce struggle with Tai Shikun and Qiu Xiaoyi.

Tai Shikun understood the situation and had formulated a plan. The scheme he devised was not particularly clever; it merely involved setting a large fire at the teahouse directly beneath him, across from the prison, under the cover of darkness. Then, amidst the chaos of the firefighting efforts, he intended to sneak into the prison and rescue Wu Song.

Unable to recover gambling debts, how can the casino owner continue to survive? Thus, Hu Tieniu, accompanied by a few wayward youths, mixed a narcotic into fine wine, drugged Wu Song, and brought him back to the casino. In front of the gamblers of Qinghe County, Hu Tieniu boasted that he would sell Wu Song to Bianliang to become a prostitute.

The development of the situation is as follows

Others may be deeply in debt, with wives and children to use as collateral, but a bachelor like Wu Song has no such assets to offer. Moreover, Wu Song is skilled in martial arts; if he were to be pushed too hard for repayment, there is a significant risk of retaliation. Thus, the casino owner, Hu Tieniu, finds himself quite troubled by Wu Song's situation

Due to the consistently good public order in Qinghe County, very few individuals are incarcerated in the prison throughout the year. Consequently, the financial allocations for the prison are quite limited, leading to its dilapidated state. The prison consists of a three-meter-high earthen wall, a wooden door with a guardhouse, and a row of cells constructed from blue stones.

The ending of the story is as follows

Pan Jinlian went to the old clothing shop at the foot of the mountain, seeking a way to acquire two pieces of constable uniforms

Wu Dalang was overwhelmed with sorrow, collapsing to the ground. As he wept, he recounted to Tai Shikun the case involving Wu Song.

In Qinghe County, there was a destitute man named Hu Tieniu. In his youth, he wandered to Bianliang, where he learned a variety of gambling skills. Later, he returned to his hometown, gathered a group of wayward youths, and established the largest casino in the county. Wu Song, the younger brother of Wu Bai, was a regular patron of this casino.

When a dozen or so constables burst into Wu Song's bedroom with iron chains and shackles, Wu Song was still sound asleep. Just like that, a group of constables easily captured this man, throwing him into the death cell

In a small county, there are two sets of leadership teams, and the final authority rests with the prefect. However, according to the laws of the Song Dynasty, when a criminal case occurs locally, it must be reviewed step by step from the lower levels to the higher ones. Therefore, at this moment, Wu Song is still detained in the county jail of Qinghe, awaiting his trial

Tai Shikun then said: "Da Lang, once I leave, the courtyard will appear more spacious! You can bring your entire family over to live here!"

Never settle for less; no matter how difficult or exhausting it may be, one must ensure the quality of the project and the books. Otherwise, it is oneself who will suffer the consequences. —Excerpt from "Kunge's Diary"

When Wu Dalang saw Taishi Kun come to visit, he was naturally delighted. He hurriedly served hot tea and wrapped the freshly baked pancakes in reed leaves, inviting Taishi Kun to eat.

Tai Shikun passed by the gatehouse all day long, yet he had never once glanced inside. Now that he has entered the gatehouse, Tai Shikun finally understands what Wu Dalang has been doing inside all day!

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it is already the second watch of the night. Da Lang, anxious to save his brother, poured a load of pine oil into the back courtyard of the teahouse, igniting a towering inferno that lit up the night sky.

Logically, Wu Song should have dug another pit while burying the bodies at night. However, after carrying thirteen corpses, he was exhausted and thus carelessly buried two small corpses in one pit.

Under normal circumstances, this prison had only five or six staff members, including the warden and guards. However, due to the incarceration of a serial killer named Wu Song, security measures have been heightened: the Qinghe County government dispatched seven or eight constables, armed with clubs, to guard the entrance. The Enzhou Prefectural Office sent three or four martial arts instructors from the local militia to stay in the courtyard and keep a close watch on the prison doors

Dalong looked at Taishi Kun, speechless and in a daze. It turned out that Dalong was short and unattractive, and with a rather soft temperament, those who knew him looked down on him and did not speak to him kindly. Now, after hearing Taishi Kun's warm and caring words, he was unexpectedly moved.

Since the decision has been made, Taishi Kun decided to take action tonight. He returned to the villa, gathered everyone, and began to assign tasks.

Tai Shikun said, "My dear Lang! I know you are unwilling to go up the mountain and become a bandit, so I will not force you. I will leave this courtyard for you to manage, and I will also hand over the income from the forest in the back mountain, which can be used for your expenses. How does that sound?"

Wu Dalang said: "The Tai Shi family has put in a lot of effort! Just look at me, how could I possibly have a wife or children! I only have a troublesome younger brother at home. My younger brother is quite unruly, spending all day gambling, causing trouble, and drinking, which leads to a significant waste of money! I earn two guan of silver here at the East family each month, and by making some pancakes to sell, I can earn another two guan. It is pitiful that I work hard every day, yet I cannot spend even half a copper coin of the money I earn, as it is all squandered by my younger brother! It is better that I do not let him come into the courtyard to cause ruin!"

A small door room has unexpectedly been transformed by Wu Dalang into a pancake workshop. Inside the room, there is a pancake stove on one side and a dough table set up on the other. Wu Dalang holds a rolling pin that is nearly as tall as he is, rolling out a lump of dough on the table until it is round and thin.

In ancient times, there was no concept of airing out in prisons, thus the prison yard was quite narrow. As Tai Shi Kun and Qiu Xiao Yi entered the yard, they were immediately spotted by an instructor dressed as an officer at the prison gate

Who would have thought that a single pit could not be thoroughly covered for two people! One morning, a dog ran into Wu Song's backyard and dragged a human thigh out to the street to gnaw on. This caused quite a stir, and the onlookers hurriedly reported the incident to the county office.

The extension of the matter is as follows

Tai Shi and Qiu exchanged a glance, both harboring thoughts of taking action.

What Wu Bo saw was as follows

... ...

Tai Shikun smiled faintly and said, "The code for tonight is: Wu Song, Wu Erlang"

Opposite the county jail, there is a two-story teahouse. Tai Shikun has been squatting in the second floor of this teahouse for an entire day with the books. Throughout this day, Tai Shikun has managed to understand the situation inside the jail quite thoroughly.

In a casino where nine out of ten engage in deceit, the fate of all gamblers is the same—losing their fortunes and accumulating debts. Even someone like Wu Song, known as Wu Erlang, cannot escape the fate of being relentlessly pursued for debts every day

The freshly baked flatbread indeed has a delightful texture, being crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a fragrant and appetizing aroma. Taishi Kun drank hot tea and ate the flatbread, giving two coins to Wu Dalang, and began to chat with him.

Tai Shikun and Qiu Xiaoyi donned uniforms, disguised themselves as jailers, and infiltrated the prison to rescue someone

Taishi Kun said: "What is happening now?"

Another day has passed, and all thirteen members of the Hu Tieniu family have gone missing. The scene of their disappearance is stained with blood

Upon seeing the fire, the guards stationed at the prison gate immediately rushed out to extinguish it, leaving the entire gatehouse completely deserted. Tai Shikun and Qiu Xiaoyi, dressed in uniforms that were somewhat similar to those of the guards, easily entered the prison.

The instructor, displaying an expression of impatience, waved his hand at the two and said: "Go away! Didn't I say that serious offenders are detained inside, and you officials are not allowed to approach?"

It is said that there are thirteen people in Hu Tieniu's family, but the afternoon before, Wu Song only dug twelve pits

The next day, three ruffians under Hu Tieniu went missing, and the scene of their disappearance was stained with blood. The people of Qinghe County speculated that this incident was the doing of Wu Song

That night, after the effects of the medicine wore off, Wu Song broke free from his bonds and escaped back home

Qiu Xiaoyi approached the instructor with a nod and a bow, saying as he walked, "Sir! The fire at the entrance is intense; I have come to ask for a bucket to help put it out!"

The background of the matter is as follows

"But now, my brother has committed a crime and has been imprisoned in a death cell, and it is evident that he is about to be sentenced to death"