Chapter 38: To Capture the Bandits, First Capture Their Leader

Since the rise of the clan system, local power brokers have been a staple of every region. In the classic *Water Margin*, the Li Family Manor, the Hu Family Manor, and the Zhu Family Manor were prominent examples of these local magnates in Yanggu County. Each possessed its own fortified estate and private militia, with the children of these households trained in martial arts from a young age, displaying remarkable prowess. Even the heroes of Mount Liang had to expend considerable effort to overcome these three great manors.

The existence of these semi-militarized local forces, tacitly permitted by the imperial court, was primarily a product of the Baojia system. Proposed by Wang Anshi as part of his reforms, the Baojia system replaced the rural organizational structures of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, persisting all the way through to the Qing Dynasty. In essence, however, the system was a form of rural self-governance, a byproduct of the imperial power’s inability to reach deep into the countryside.

According to the laws of the Great Song, rural households were organized into groups of ten, known as a *bao*; five *bao* formed a *da bao*, and ten *da bao* formed a *du bao*. For every household with two or more able-bodied men, one was conscripted as a militia guard and required to undergo military training during the off-season. These groups were naturally led by local magnates, known as *baozheng*. The private armies of these manors were, at their core, these very militia guards; the more households a magnate controlled, the larger their militia.

While these guards were sufficient for repelling external threats, they would likely scatter at the first sign of trouble if their masters attempted to lead them in open rebellion. This was precisely why the rulers believed these gentry-landlords would not turn against the imperial court, and it was a key reason why the existence of these semi-militarized local powers was overlooked.

Chao Gai, the "Heavenly King who Supports the Pagoda," originated as a *baozheng* of Dongxi Village in Yuncheng County. He, too, had once possessed his own manor and social standing, though he was merely the leader of a small village and commanded few men. Moreover, he was a man of "improper" character who loved befriending heroes across the land, eventually leading a raid on the birthday gift convoy and taking to the hills at Mount Liang.

Yishui County had its own local snakes. For instance, the "Great Official Li," who had once sold weapons and armor to Li Gui only to be swindled in return, was a prime example. Li Gui was now setting his sights on this same Great Official Li.

When it came to intelligence, one only needed to ask Zhu Fu. When Li Gui called him over and explained his intentions, Zhu Fu looked troubled. "Brother, this Li Family Manor is different from other wealthy households. The master, Great Official Li Qing, is the *baozheng* of Shagou Town. He has thousands of militia guards under his command and no shortage of weapons or armor. He is a truly tough nut to crack."

"Furthermore, as far as I know, the manor hides countless experts, all trained in the martial arts, including many figures of renown in the underworld. The most formidable is a man named Wu Cheng. His spear work is so impenetrable that even the local constable, 'Green-Eyed Tiger' Li Yun, cannot withstand him."

"Great Official Li Qing himself has trained under Wu Cheng. Though not famous in the martial arts world, he is skilled in archery and horsemanship—he is no weakling. The manor even houses hidden workshops for weapons and armor. Their equipment is fully stocked, and they train constantly; their combat effectiveness far exceeds that of the imperial troops."

"If you had told me earlier, we could have struck during the autumn harvest. Most of the militia would have been in the fields gathering grain—it would have been the perfect time to attack. But now, that opportunity has passed!"

"Brother, it would be best to wait patiently. When the spring plowing arrives next year, we can strike and crush the Li Family Manor in one blow, then cut off Li Qing’s head for you to use as a ball."

Li Gui, however, had no patience for such a long wait. He asked immediately, "Is it truly impossible to win by force?"

"Brother, you may not realize this, but in a head-on battle, if the enemy were merely raw militia who had never seen blood, our brothers from the mountain might not be at a disadvantage. But the Li Family Manor has archers!"

"Ah!" Li Gui slapped his thigh, suddenly enlightened. "I almost forgot!"

The mountain stronghold's forces were limited; they were all infantry, consisting of nothing more than spearmen and swordsmen. In a direct melee against other enemy forces, this was fine. But if they encountered archers, they would likely be turned into pincushions before they even got close. Moreover, the walls of the Li Family Manor were quite high, complete with watchtowers, allowing them to fire from a superior position where even shields would be of little use.

The reason the mountain bandits had been invincible so far was partly because their enemies were weak, and partly because Li Gui always led the charge in his armor. Although the Yushan Army appeared to be an elite force, their morale was not actually high; they would likely crumble at the first sign of a real setback. To solve this, they needed either armor to reduce casualties or their own archers to suppress the enemy and bolster morale. But the Yushan Army could do neither.

Though the stronghold was populous, most were impoverished peasants who knew nothing but farming. Those with specialized skills rarely lived lives so desperate that they were forced to turn to banditry. In short, no one on the mountain knew how to craft armor or bows. While they had seized some bows, training a competent unit of long-range troops would take far longer than two or three months.

Within the Li Family Manor, however, the Baojia system had been in place for years; it was perfectly reasonable for them to have a well-trained unit of archers. It was only because horses were scarce in the Central Plains that they hadn't managed to cobble together a cavalry unit as well.

"Damn those bastards!"

"No wonder that Steward Li refused to sell me bows and crossbows back then, fobbing me off with nothing but cheap paper armor and scrap metal! So that was his game!"

"He kept all the good stuff for himself and never let a single piece slip out!"

"A greedy merchant like that deserves to be hacked to death by my hand!"

After cursing indignantly and pondering for a long time, Li Gui suddenly asked, "They say that to capture the bandits, you must first capture their leader. If I were to ambush and kill Li Qing on the road, could we break his manor?"

Zhu Fu considered this carefully before replying: "Li Qing has no heir. If he were to die, the manor would surely fall into internal chaos, and we could easily take it. However, because of our activities at Yushan, most of the gentry are hiding inside the county walls and rarely venture out. Li Qing is also staying within his manor and rarely travels."

"Li Qing knows he has a feud with us; even when he does travel, he is accompanied by dozens of followers, all of whom are experts, with Wu Cheng personally guarding him. It is truly difficult to find an opening."

"Is there any way to lure him out of the manor?"

"This... I fear Li Qing will not be easily fooled."

Li Gui frowned. He couldn't find a solution, but subordinates were meant to solve problems for their superiors—if he had to do everything himself, what was the point of having them?

"Very well, let the cur live a few more days!"

"I leave this matter to you, brother. Think it over, consult with the others, and make sure you find a way to fish this bastard out of his turtle shell."

"Once he is lured out, I will go and personally cut off his dog head!"

"...I shall do my best to think of a way." Zhu Fu had no choice but to nod and accept the task.

With the task assigned, Li Gui put the matter aside and went off to practice. The boost to his physical constitution from the surge of fortune was coming on too quickly; he needed to practice constantly to master it, lest he accidentally crush his chopsticks into splinters every time he tried to eat.