Hello everyone, this is the editor of History Encyclopedia. Today, I will tell you the story of Song Jiang. Welcome to follow us.
After Chao Gai climbed Liangshan, he did not take in a group of people because Wang Lun was afraid of being robbed of his position as the village leader in the future. Therefore, Chao Gai used the power of Lin Chong to eliminate Wang Lun. Without Wang Lun, Liangshan would naturally be a different scene. While practicing and crafting various weapons, they would also defeat the people brought by Huang An through group training.
Defeating Huang An made the Jeju army afraid to attack Liangshan, which gave Liangshan a period of stability and allowed it to regroup. Under the leadership of Chao Gai, Liangshan became even more prosperous than during the reign of Wang Lun. Sharing both blessings and difficulties, Chao Gai lived the life of wealth and prosperity he had always dreamed of. However, he did not forget the days of hardship, nor did he forget the people who saved his lives. They were Song Jiang, Zhu Tong, and Lei Heng.
Song Jiang informed Chao Gai in advance of the news that He Tao had led troops to capture the seven members of Chao Gai, giving him time to prepare. If they hadn’t received the news earlier that someone was coming to take Chao Gai and the seven others, Chao Gai and others would have been caught off guard by the county magistrate and the two leaders of Yuncheng County, Zhu Tong and Lei Heng, and become turtles in a jar. Who would have thought that both Zhu Tong and Lei Heng had a relationship with Chao Gai, and they actually let him go.
Chao Gai remembered in Liangshan that their gratitude for their lives had not yet been repaid, and he felt uneasy in his heart. He asked Liu Tang to bring his gold to Yuncheng County to visit Song Jiang, Zhu Tong, and others as a token of gratitude. Liu Tang stopped Song Jiang on the street, causing him to lose his composure. So Song Jiang pulled Liu Tang to a secluded restaurant. Liu Tang sat down next to Song Jiang and explained his purpose. It turned out that he had come specifically to deliver gold to Song Jiang.
After learning about Liu Tang’s intention to come to Yuncheng County, Song Jiang breathed a long sigh of relief. This Liu Tang is not here to cause trouble for him, he came specifically to deliver one hundred taels of gold. But Song Jiang refused Liu Tang on the spot and asked him to bring the gold back. Liu Tang said that if he brought the gold back intact, Chao Gai would scold him. Song Jiang saw that Liu Tang spoke pitifully, so he took one of the hundred taels of gold.
Why did Song Jiang refuse Chao Gai’s gift?
Of course, Song Jiang is not afraid that one day someone will say he has dealings with the bandits in Liangshan, and these gold pieces will become physical evidence against him. These gold pieces do not specify whether the surname is Song or Chao, anyone can say it is his, so relying solely on these gold pieces is not enough to prove that Song Jiangtong was a bandit in Liangshan. Letters are the evidence. If Song Jiang dares to write a reply to Chao Gai, it indicates that Chao Gai is a straightforward gentleman who would not use letters to threaten Song Jiang, let alone use the gold given to Song Jiang to talk about things. From this, we understand that Song Jiang’s fear of getting involved with Chao Gai cannot be the reason why he doesn’t want Chao Gai’s gold.
Let’s take a look at the three real reasons below. Among these three reasons, the last one is the key.
Firstly, the reason why Song Jiang is famous in the martial arts world is because he is kind and generous. If a family does not have enough money to mourn or buy wine, Song Jiang will give them three to five taels or three to twenty taels, which is why people call him “Timely Rain”. Song Gongming would rather give alms to others than have them come to him.
Chao Gai has the fortune of a birth chart and the wealth of Liangshan. He can be described as wealthy and powerful, and a mere 100 taels of gold is nothing to Chao Gai. But this is a great wealth for Song Jiang, equivalent to all of his personal belongings. When Yan Poxi asked Song Jiang for these 100 taels of gold, Song Jiang even said he wanted to sell it privately. Maybe Song Jiang has sold all his belongings, not as much as Chao Gai’s gold.
Song Jiang’s self-esteem determined that he would not want Chao Gai’s gold. Previously, it was him who gave money to others, but now when others give it to him, how can Song Jiang’s heart bear it.
Secondly, a bowl of wine is not gold in a life and death friendship. If Song Jiang really accepts Chao Gai’s gift, then his friendship with Chao Gai will be ruined.
The Liangshan brothers value not gold the most, but brotherhood, which is beyond doubt. Shi Xiu saw Yang Xiong surrounded and beaten by several scoundrels, and helped him without knowing him, showing his heroic spirit. Song Jiang risked his life and death to run to Chaojiazhuang for the sake of a righteous character. Chao Gai’s use of gold seems quite vulgar, but if Song Jiang accepts it, it becomes even more vulgar. This is not Shi Nai’an’s writing style either. Liangshan needs to recruit soldiers and buy horses, which requires more gold than Song Jiang. If Song Jiang’s family can make a living, why bother with his brother’s gold. Having it is unjust.
Song Jiang took this gold home, and there was another injustice, which was obtaining unjust wealth. Where did Chao Gai’s gold come from? Taken from Liang Zhongshu’s hand. Perhaps everyone would say that this is deserved, but do you remember that Liang Zhongshu’s birth chart was taken from the hands of the villagers. A righteous person like Song Jiang cannot use such wealth. Where can we start with using this righteousness? A great writer like Shi Nai’an cannot write.
Thirdly, Shi Nai’an asked Song Jiang not to take these gold coins, in order to lay the groundwork for Song Jiang to kill Yan Po Xi.
Song Jiang bid farewell to Liu Tang and returned to his own residence. Others came to propose marriage, but Song Jiang saw that the girl had no one to rely on, so he treated her as if she were a stay at home. I didn’t expect this girl to succumb to loneliness and become close with Zhang Wenyuan, a colleague of Song Jiang. Song Jiang thought to himself that this was not a legitimate wife and concubine arranged by a matchmaker, so let her go and do whatever she likes.
But this girl named Yan Po Xi is brave enough to have a falling out with Song Jiang and want to be with her beloved Zhang Lang forever. Song Jiang was very generous, not only helping Yan Po Xi and Zhang Wenyuan, but also giving them the house where Yan Po Xi lived as a new house. But Yan Po Xi was still not satisfied and insisted on using a letter written by Chao Gai to blackmail Song Jiang, asking him to transfer all the gold Chao Gai had given him. With these one hundred taels of gold, Yan Po Xi and Zhang Lang will never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of their lives.
However, Song Jiang did not ask for gold. Imagine if Shi Nai’an had asked Song Jiang to receive gold, considering Song Jiang’s character, he would definitely have given it to Yan Po. In this way, Song Jiang won’t fight against Yan Poxi and end up giving Yan Poxi the result. If Song Jiang goes up Liangshan, the story will be over.
In summary, there are three reasons why Song Jiang in Water Margin refused to accept the one hundred taels of gold gifted by Chao Gai. Firstly, Song Jiang does not want Chao Gai’s unknown source of gold, nor does he want to become Chao Gai’s benefactor. Secondly, it is for the sake of the exciting story that follows. The third reason is the most important.
