話說美髯公陳孝出去買菜，見街市上都亂了。聽說京營殿帥下了令，水旱十三門緊閉，按戶搜拿越獄脫逃江洋大盜黑面熊竇永衡。
话说美髯公陈孝出去买菜，见街市上都乱了。听说京营殿帅下了令，水旱十三门紧闭，按户搜拿越狱脱逃江洋大盗黑面熊窦永衡。
Now, the Lord of the Fine Beard, Chen Xiao, had gone out to buy food and found the streets and markets in an uproar. Word was that the commander of the capital garrison had issued orders: all thirteen gates, by water and by land, were shut tight, and the houses were being searched one by one for the outlaw of the rivers and seas who had broken jail and fled, the Black-Faced Bear, Dou Yongheng.
書中交代：怎么一段事呢？原本刑廷陸炳文把竇永衡放走之後，秦相府派管家把濟公也請了走了，陸炳文忽然明白過來。一看在大堂上，王龍、王虎在下面跪著，陸炳文就問手下人：「王龍、王虎在這跪著做什麼？誰叫他們出來的？」手下人說，「大人不是把書吏革了？把馬雄也革了？把竇永衡放了么？」陸炳文說：「誰把竇永衡放的？」手下人說：「大人叫放的，莫不是大人方才的事就忘了么？」陸炳文一想，真仿佛心裡一糊塗，如做夢一般，渺渺茫茫，有點記得，自己唬的驚惶無措。竇永衡已然定了案，奏明聖上，這如何放的？立時吩咐趕緊傳我的令，水旱十三門緊閉，知照各地面官廳把守，左右兩家搜一家，官至三品以下，無論什麼人家按戶搜查。叫他們不能說他放走竇永衡，只說拿越獄脫逃的大盜竇永衡。如有人隱匿不報，知情不舉，罪加一等。如有人將竇永衡獻出來，賞白銀一千兩，這一道令下來，水旱十三門就閉了，街市上全亂了，各該管地面的老爺，帶官兵各查各段。
书中交代：怎么一段事呢？原本刑廷陆炳文把窦永衡放走之后，秦相府派管家把济公也请了走了，陆炳文忽然明白过来。一看在大堂上，王龙、王虎在下面跪着，陆炳文就问手下人：「王龙、王虎在这跪着做什么？谁叫他们出来的？」手下人说，「大人不是把书吏革了？把马雄也革了？把窦永衡放了幺？」陆炳文说：「谁把窦永衡放的？」手下人说：「大人叫放的，莫不是大人方才的事就忘了幺？」陆炳文一想，真仿佛心里一糊涂，如做梦一般，渺渺茫茫，有点记得，自己唬的惊惶无措。窦永衡已然定了案，奏明圣上，这如何放的？立时吩咐赶紧传我的令，水旱十三门紧闭，知照各地面官厅把守，左右两家搜一家，官至三品以下，无论什么人家按户搜查。叫他们不能说他放走窦永衡，只说拿越狱脱逃的大盗窦永衡。如有人隐匿不报，知情不举，罪加一等。如有人将窦永衡献出来，赏白银一千两，这一道令下来，水旱十三门就闭了，街市上全乱了，各该管地面的老爷，带官兵各查各段。
A word of explanation: how had all this come about? After Lu Bingwen of the Criminal Court had let Dou Yongheng go, and Chancellor Qin’s mansion had sent its stewards to invite Ji Gong away as well, Lu Bingwen suddenly came to his senses. He looked: there in the great hall knelt Wang Long and Wang Hu below him. “What are Wang Long and Wang Hu doing kneeling here?” Lu Bingwen asked his men. “Who brought them out?” “Didn’t Your Honor dismiss the clerk?” said his men. “And dismiss Ma Xiong too? And let Dou Yongheng go?” “Who let Dou Yongheng go?” said Lu Bingwen. “Your Honor ordered him let go,” said his men. “Can Your Honor have forgotten what you did just now?” Lu Bingwen thought back, and truly it was as if his mind had gone muddled: like a dream, hazy and dim, he remembered a little of it, and he was frightened out of his wits. Dou Yongheng’s case had already been decided and reported to the Emperor. How could he have let him go? At once he gave orders: “Send out my order this instant: shut all thirteen gates, by water and by land, and notify the officers of every ward to stand guard. When one house is searched, search the houses on either side with it; every household of whatever kind, up to officials of the third rank, is to be searched door to door.” They were not to say that he had let Dou Yongheng go, only that they were hunting the robber Dou Yongheng, who had broken jail and fled. Anyone who hid him and did not report it, or knew of him and did not inform, would be punished one degree more heavily. Anyone who handed Dou Yongheng over would be rewarded with a thousand taels of white silver. Once this order came down, the thirteen gates by water and land were shut, the streets and markets were thrown into uproar, and the officers in charge of each ward took troops and searched each his own section.
陳孝聽見這個信，菜也顧不得買了，跑回家來。一見楊猛、周堃、竇永衡，就把這件事一說，竇永衡一聽，嘆了一聲，說，「二位兄長不必吃驚，我竇永衡情屈命不屈，別連累你們二位。我由後面跳牆出去，到刑廷衙門報案打官司。二位兄長設法，把我內弟同敝賤內將他們送了走，叫他們逃命就是了，二位兄長就不必管我了。」陳孝說：「那如何使得？」楊猛說：「我倒有主意。」陳孝說：「你有什麼主意？」楊猛說：「我同周堃每人拿一把刀，到花花太歲王勝仙家見一個殺一個，見兩個殺一雙。你同竇賢弟二人，夠奔刑廷衙門，刀刀斬盡，劍劍誅絕，把狗娘養的殺一個雞犬不留，咱們大反臨安城。殺完了，闖出臨安城，遠遠的找一座山，去當山大王，扯起旗來，招軍買馬，聚草屯糧，官兵要來了，咱們也不怕，省得受這些狗官的氣。」陳孝說：「你別滿嘴胡說，就憑我們四個人就要造反，那如何能行？你先別胡出主意，咱們看事做事。」
陈孝听见这个信，菜也顾不得买了，跑回家来。一见杨猛、周堃、窦永衡，就把这件事一说，窦永衡一听，叹了一声，说，「二位兄长不必吃惊，我窦永衡情屈命不屈，别连累你们二位。我由后面跳墙出去，到刑廷衙门报案打官司。二位兄长设法，把我内弟同敝贱内将他们送了走，叫他们逃命就是了，二位兄长就不必管我了。」陈孝说：「那如何使得？」杨猛说：「我倒有主意。」陈孝说：「你有什么主意？」杨猛说：「我同周堃每人拿一把刀，到花花太岁王胜仙家见一个杀一个，见两个杀一双。你同窦贤弟二人，够奔刑廷衙门，刀刀斩尽，剑剑诛绝，把狗娘养的杀一个鸡犬不留，咱们大反临安城。杀完了，闯出临安城，远远的找一座山，去当山大王，扯起旗来，招军买马，聚草屯粮，官兵要来了，咱们也不怕，省得受这些狗官的气。」陈孝说：「你别满嘴胡说，就凭我们四个人就要造反，那如何能行？你先别胡出主意，咱们看事做事。」
When Chen Xiao heard the news he forgot all about buying food and ran home. As soon as he saw Yang Meng, Zhou Kun and Dou Yongheng, he told them what had happened. Dou Yongheng heard him out and sighed. “Don’t be alarmed, you two elder brothers. I, Dou Yongheng, have been wronged, but my fate is my fate; I won’t drag you two down with me. I’ll jump over the back wall, go to the Criminal Court yamen, give myself up and stand trial. You two elder brothers find some way to send off my wife’s brother and my humble wife and let them run for their lives, that’s all. You two needn’t trouble yourselves over me.” “How can we allow that?” said Chen Xiao. “I’ve got an idea,” said Yang Meng. “What idea?” said Chen Xiao. “Zhou Kun and I each take a blade,” said Yang Meng, “and go to the Flashy Libertine Wang Shengxian’s house: see one, kill one; see two, kill the pair. You and Younger Brother Dou head for the Criminal Court yamen, cut them all down with every stroke of the blade and every thrust of the sword, and slaughter those sons of bitches till not a chicken or a dog is left alive. We’ll rise in revolt and turn Lin’an upside down. When the killing’s done we break out of Lin’an, find a mountain far away and become mountain kings: run up our banner, recruit men and buy horses, gather fodder and store grain. If the government troops come, we won’t be afraid of them, and we’ll be spared taking any more bullying from these dog officials.” “Stop talking rubbish,” said Chen Xiao. “The four of us on our own, rising in revolt — how could that ever work? Don’t go dreaming up wild schemes. We’ll deal with things as they come.”