Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 100 Let's test the limits!

It turned out that Jiang Zhushan had overheard the conversation between Lu Hua, the grass snake, and Zhang Sheng, the street rat, and learned that the mastermind behind his loss of wealth and his current predicament was Ximen Qing and that man surnamed Zheng. He was filled with resentment and wished he could grind his own teeth to pieces.

Despite his resentment, Jiang Zhushan was just a commoner. Even though he knew some medical skills, he had neither money nor power. Even if he knew who his enemy was, what could he do?

Should we take a knife and head straight for the Ximen mansion to fight to the death? Or should we confront that fierce-looking thief?

Thinking about it this way, I felt a sense of loss and just drifted through life in a daze.

Later, when Ximen Qing closed his doors to guests due to changes in the court, rumors spread among the common people that "Ximen Qing is about to fall from power."

Although it was just a rumor, Jiang Zhushan felt a sense of satisfaction upon hearing it, hoping that the rumor was indeed true.

He sold his shop and became homeless, so he set up a medicine stall under the city wall, treating people for minor ailments such as headaches, fevers, and sprains, barely making ends meet.

One day, two constables accidentally fell and injured their legs while patrolling the streets. They happened to see his medicine stall and asked him to treat them.

How could Jiang Zhushan dare to be negligent?

Busy and respectful, he invited the two officers to sit down. After a careful examination, he massaged and repositioned the injuries, applied his homemade liniment, and bandaged them up properly, treating them like his own family.

Seeing that his medical skills were decent, and hearing during their conversation that he had once served in the Imperial Medical Academy, the two said:

"Dr. Jiang, there are a few brothers in the yamen who patrol the streets and stand guard every day, and they often suffer from muscle and bone injuries. If you have some free time, why don't you come with us and have them examined at the same time? You'll definitely get your consultation fee."

Jiang Zhushan was worried about the slow business, and it was rare to have such a steady source of income, especially since it was a job in the government office. How could he dare to refuse? He immediately packed up his stall, picked up his medicine box, and went with them.

Upon arriving at the county government office, I indeed saw five or six officials under the east corridor, some sitting and some leaning against something.

Some had twisted their backs, some had sprained their ankles, mostly old ailments from their daily hustle and bustle. Of course, there were also a few who didn't have any real illnesses, but were just using the excuse to be lazy and rest.

Jiang Zhushan put down his medicine box and began to see each patient one by one.

They either massaged and repositioned the patient, or applied medicine and bandaged the wound. With nimble hands and feet, they took care of everything in less than an hour.

Several constables thanked him and led him to the duty room to rest, where they served him a bowl of cool tea.

On one side of the duty room was an old desk piled with documents and books, and in one corner was a yellowed book with the words "List of Wanted Criminals of the Prefecture" written in ink on the cover.

Books like these are not usually looked through carefully by anyone in the government office.

With so many criminals to be apprehended in the world, how can we possibly catch them all?

Therefore, a thin layer of dust had already settled on this booklet.

Jiang Zhushan was literate, and because he often encountered all sorts of people while seeing patients, he developed a habit of being cautious.

Seeing that the constables were collecting the reward money, he inexplicably reached out and secretly flipped open the wanted poster.

The book contained illustrations of criminals drawn with vermilion and ink, some with pointed mouths and monkey cheeks, others with scars on their faces, each marked with their place of origin and the crime committed.

Jiang Zhushan turned the pages one by one, his gaze suddenly fixed on the middle page.

The paper contained a drawing of a man's features, with several lines of smaller text noted beside it:

"Zheng, a butcher by trade, is from Weizhou, Shaanxi Province, and is about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. He is a murderer and fugitive who killed a man and a woman and robbed them of their money and valuables. He is currently on the run and is being pursued by various prefectures and governments. Anyone who shelters him in their home will be punished the same as the criminal. Anyone who captures him or reports him to the authorities will be rewarded with one thousand strings of cash."

The more Jiang Zhushan looked at him, the more familiar he seemed. They shared the same surname, Zheng, both spoke with a Shaanxi accent, and were about the same age...

The only difference was that the man in the painting was fatter and had a rounder face, while the man surnamed Zheng that he saw was strong and robust with distinct features.

"Could it be... that these two are really the same person?"

Jiang Zhushan's heart began to pound.

If it really is the same person, wouldn't I have a chance to turn things around?!

Just as he was intently examining the wanted poster, the constable returned with several dozen coins as a reward. Seeing him staring at the wanted poster, he casually chuckled:

"Mr. Jiang, you're looking at these too? They're all criminals who've been on the run for years, and the prefecture is offering a reward for their capture. If you see anyone who looks like them, report it to us, and you'll receive a reward."

Jiang Zhushan quickly closed the book, forced himself to remain calm, accepted the reward money, and repeatedly thanked him, saying that he had just happened to look at it.

However, doubts swirled in his mind. He gave a few perfunctory replies, then dismissed the constable and hurriedly left the county office, carrying this strange matter with him.

When he absentmindedly returned to the dilapidated thatched hut where he was temporarily staying, he looked around and saw that the beams were covered with cobwebs, the earthen walls were drafty, the floor was damp, and there was only a bed and a table. It was truly a place of utter destitution.

He felt a wave of disgust as he smelled the faint musty odor in the room.

Am I, Jiang Zhushan, really going to endure this life like this?

He suddenly realized what he had done, raised his hand, and slapped himself hard.

"Idiot! Who cares if it's the same person?!"

Zheng Tu and the person in the picture have so many similarities: the same surname, the same appearance, and the same accent! Ximen Qing is currently in dire straits, and this official is just worried about not having an opportunity to make a contribution.

"All I need to do is insist that Zheng Tu is the wanted criminal! Then we can throw him in jail, subject him to severe torture, and a confession will be no problem!"

If it succeeds... I can both avenge myself and get that thousand strings of cash reward to turn my life around. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?!

...............................

This is truly a situation of being besieged on all sides and surrounded by enemies!

The three to five hundred soldiers surrounded Zheng Tu completely, layer upon layer.

Spears stood like a forest, swords flashed like snow, and archers on the rooftops drew their bows, ready to fire.

Zheng Tu looked around, feeling a chill run down his spine.

This kind of formation is truly disadvantageous to us. Three to five hundred men are all armed with swords, archers and crossbowmen are positioned on high ground to block off all sides, and there is also a county magistrate in charge of command, making advances and retreats well-planned.

Surrounded by enemies on all sides, the only cover is probably this food stall behind me.

Upon closer inspection, however, there is still a glimmer of hope.

None of these soldiers wore armor, and no cavalry charged into the fray.

It seems the county magistrate thought that capturing a fugitive was not a big deal, so he only brought some ordinary yamen runners and soldiers.

Zheng Tu took a deep breath, and his bulging muscles tensed instantly.

He simply bent down and used his toes to flick the standard-issue official knife off the ground, then scooped it up in his hand.

The knife was over three feet long, with a gleaming blade.

Zheng Tu brandished his sword, sweeping it across the layers of soldiers in front of him.

The county constable, mounted on his horse, saw Zheng Tu's posture and sneered, "You scoundrel! Even now, you still want to resist? If you surrender, perhaps you can at least have a whole corpse!"

Jiang Zhushan, standing nearby, said sternly, "Your Excellency, this villain is fierce; don't waste your breath on him!"

Zheng Tu glanced at Jiang Zhushan's smug face and then looked at the soldiers around him who looked like they were facing a formidable enemy.

He slowly raised the official sword in his hand, the tip pointing diagonally forward, his eyes flashing with a fierce light:

"Come on!"