The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 330: Champion Hou is a Woman

The waves hit the river bank, and a faint stirring sound came. The Yingshui River is quite wide, so the stirring sound could be heard in the cabin.

The boat was shaking a little, but fortunately, with Xiao Yan's guidance half a year ago, Ji Ruxue did not get seasick again because they mostly traveled by water on this trip.

She was holding a book, wearing Xiao Yan's clothes, and her face was specially changed by Xiao Yan before, so there were few flaws when she disguised herself as someone else.

In this world, Ji Ruxue should be the person who is most familiar with Xiao Yan, and her personality is naturally cold, and her temperament is somewhat similar to Xiao Yan. If it weren't for her body being thinner and her height being a little taller but still a little shorter, there would not be much difference otherwise.

Moreover, the court officials accompanying on this official ship rarely had much contact with Xiao Yan, so this trace would not be noticed by others. But to be on the safe side, Ji Ruxue rarely saw outsiders during the nearly one-month journey.

Ji Ruxue had already read the book in her hand a hundred or eighty times and could recite it by heart. When the ship docked, she had asked someone to buy some new ones and read them again.

She was deeply influenced by Xiao Yan. When he had free time, Xiao Yan would often pick up a book and flip through it, including military books, geographical books, history books... The books he read were very diverse, including classics from Confucianism, Taoism and other schools of thought. According to Xiao Yan, reading was not his main purpose. He was mainly used to thinking about some problems in the quiet atmosphere of reading.

Keeping thinking is the ability that people like Xiao Yan use to maintain their ever-increasing cognition, and it is also an ability that cannot be abandoned.

Influenced by her surroundings, Ji Ruxue actually learned this habit. Of course, it was not just because collecting books was something Xiao Yan had handed over to her.

After all, she was not as capable as Xiao Yan in doing two things at once. It was difficult for Ji Ruxue to calm down after reading a book dozens of times. She paced back and forth in the cabin. Even though she was cold-tempered, she couldn't help but count on her fingers how many days had passed since Xiao Yan's letter.

Before, she was so focused on worrying about Qi State and the Empress that she didn't realize how much time had passed. It was not until Xiao Yan's letter indicated that things were going well that she finally began to calculate how long it would take for Xiao Yan and his party to meet up in Bian Jing.

As he paced, he could hear the sound of flipping pages at the other end.

Ji Ruxue looked over and saw Qian Wu reading a volume of "A New Account of Tales of the World" with great fascination. She was sitting with her legs crossed and one foot raised, but her posture was still elegant as she turned the pages of the book slowly and steadily. She had long since changed into clothes in the Central Plains style and they looked good on her, without losing her original charm as the owner of Luohua Cave.

In the past month, the two of them have been getting along very harmoniously. Perhaps he noticed Ji Ruxue's gaze, Qian Wu folded the book where he saw it, closed it, and asked with a faint smile: "Miss Ji, do you have any concerns?"

Ji Ruxue hesitated, frowned and nodded, "We are about to reach Chenliu. Bianjing has sent an envoy to wait there. We must meet him. I am worried that something might go wrong."

Although Chenliu is only a stone's throw away from Bianjing, it is still dozens of miles away. The court sent people there to receive the guests in advance to show Zhu Wen's attention and the emperor's grace.

Before, Ji Ruxue could refuse to meet some people on the grounds that she didn’t have too much involvement with local officials, but this time she couldn’t refuse.

"Don't worry for now."

Qian Wu hesitated for a moment. She was not familiar with the geographical location of the Central Plains, so she naturally did not know where Chenliu was. She just said, "My dear is on his way back. He may be able to catch up before Chenliu. If he can't make it, Miss Ji has nothing to worry about."

She stood up and put the volume of Shishuo Xinyu on the table, then took out a booklet from a box with a hidden mechanism, pointed at the handwriting on it and said, "According to the information left by the young master, there is a eunuch named Ding Zhaopu in the palace who is the young master's man. The person sent by the court to receive him this time may be this person."

The booklet contained some useful information that Xiao Yan left behind just in case. Its purpose was to allow Ji Ruxue to make her own judgment based on the situation in an emergency. There was a mechanism hidden inside the box. If someone forced it open from the outside, the booklet inside would immediately self-ignite without leaving any trace.

Ji Ruxue knew about the existence of Ding Zhaopu. This eunuch was just an ordinary Huangmen at the beginning and could not be called a eunuch. After the Sui and Tang Dynasties, only eunuchs of higher status would be called "eunuchs."

He became successful because of Xiao Yan. During the Hebei War, Xiao Yan gave him many key opportunities. He gradually caught the attention of Zhu Wen, and now his status in the palace is not low.

Of course, Ding Zhaopu was a smart man. He took the initiative to hand over his handle to Xiao Yan. He was tied up and died on this ship. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was Xiao Yan's man.

"If that's the case..." Ji Ruxue thought for a moment and said, "It should be easier."

After all, Ji Ruxue couldn't rely on outsiders. When it came to a stand-in, it was all about resemblance in spirit. Xiao Yan was good at this back then and taught her a lot of experience.

The speed of traveling by water was not slow. We arrived at Chenliu in the afternoon of the same day and docked at the ferry.

Qian Wu was right about the fact that the person who delivered the imperial edict was indeed Ding Zhaopu, but there were also other officials in the service, so no one could tell the real one from the fake one.

Ji Ruxue first received the imperial edict of commendation from Zhu Wen on behalf of Xiao Yan, and then she and Qian Wu and other accompanying personnel rested in the reception inn until the evening, and then entered the city for the banquet escorted by several bad guys.

Qian Wu belongs to the female family member. Her martial arts skills are several levels higher than Ji Ruxue. She also accompanies the protection, but she is very low-key during the process.

The banquet was lively. The magistrate of Chenliu County, together with other officials such as Ding Zhaopu, invited many dignitaries to celebrate together. This was just a welcome party for "Xiao Yan" in advance. There would be another one after returning to Bianliang.

The letters from Nanping King Liu Yin and Raojiang Gu King Chi Li greatly satisfied Zhu Wen. Not to mention that his task of expanding the imperial palace was also successfully completed by Xiao Yan. The failure of Chu's plot to conquer Nanping was also very useful to Zhu Wen. He believed that Daliang was powerful and could use Nanping and Raojiang to threaten Chu. Therefore, he did not hesitate to reward Xiao Yan to show his favor as an emperor.

There was no lack of dancing and music at the banquet. In order not to arouse suspicion from others, Ji Ruxue did not speak less during the meal. Otherwise, the officials might think that she, the "Marquis of Champion", was dissatisfied with the emperor's arrangement.

However, while they were chatting and laughing, she was very keenly aware that a dancer with a veiled face was observing her quite a bit.

The dancer was dressed very coolly, with a short skirt that only covered a few inches below her chest, revealing her fair and attractive belly button. Her slender waist was extremely charming, and her round long legs were occasionally outlined in the candlelight under her long skirt.

I couldn't see her face clearly, but her eyes were very alluring and had an exotic charm.

Ji Ruxue had an illusion that this dancer looked like a snake, enchanting, dangerous yet extremely attractive.

This woman was obviously the protagonist of this banquet dance. The other dancers around her seemed to pale in comparison to her. It’s not that those dancers were not pretty, but even if they looked like they were about to break their waists, it was difficult for them to have the allure of that woman.

This can be seen from the attention of the surrounding officials and guests at the banquet.

Almost every man at the banquet stared at the dancer as if obsessed. They felt that the woman was glowing in the candlelight. Her waist and skin shone with a porcelain luster in the light, tight and healthy. Her slender bare feet seemed to poke directly into people's hearts, tempting people to go crazy with her.

Since the Tang Dynasty, the customs of the dynasty have been extremely open, not to mention the collapse of secular society. In the chaotic times, etiquette, elegance, and morality have long been trampled upon. Not to mention belly-revealing outfits, the dignitaries present have probably seen any of the coolest looks.

But this snake-like charm made every man at the banquet feel a little angry, and they all wanted to kidnap the woman into their room.

However, no matter how impulsive they were, everyone understood one thing: the protagonist of this banquet was someone else.

Some people took the opportunity of drinking to observe Ji Ruxue. They saw that this "Champion Marquis" seemed to be very interested in the dancer, with his face in his hand, watching her, and they felt a little discouraged.

Of course, there were many more people who went to secretly talk to the Chenliu County Magistrate, asking him where he had found such a beauty. If the Champion Marquis did not take any action after the banquet or stayed after one night, they must give them a chance.

The magistrate of Chenliu County simply agreed to all of them without leaving a single hole.

The banquet was not long, it all depended on Ji Ruxue's mood. The dancer took the opportunity to get close to Ji Ruxue several times before leaving. Soon after the dance and music ended, the banquet was almost over. Ji Ruxue was the first to make an excuse to leave, and everyone else dispersed one after another.

"There's something strange about that dancer."

In the carriage, Ji Ruxue frowned.

Qian Wu knelt down in front of her, without making any comment. He just smiled faintly and said, "Maybe this is the county magistrate's way of currying favor with you, the Lord?"

"Indeed..." Ji Ruxue nodded, but her frown had never relaxed. She always felt something was strange, but she couldn't put it into words, and felt a little annoyed.

She knew that with Xiao Yan's identity and power, there would be countless people in the world who would try every means to seduce him and get close to him, but after experiencing it personally, it would be different. This weirdness was not just because of the jealousy, Ji Ruxue was not that stingy.

"That woman..."

Qian Wu was silent for a moment. She was quite powerful, so it was no big deal that Ji Ruxue noticed her. However, there was a gauze curtain between the banquet hall for the women and the place for the officials, so she couldn't see it very clearly.

Before and after the banquet, many eyes were on her. Of course, they were all concerned about "Xiao Yan" being beside them, so no one dared to focus too much on her.

She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "That woman has practiced martial arts, and her martial arts skills are not low. Her aura is very strange. However, I have not observed her carefully, so I can't tell what's strange about her. But it's true that we can't take it lightly. You should be careful in the future." Ji Ruxue frowned and said nothing. She thought about it secretly, and then suddenly asked, "Do you want to ask her to serve you for a night?"

Qian Wu raised his eyebrows and smiled at Ji Ruxue. He understood her plan and said, "It doesn't matter if you take a risk. I'm here for you."

"Well, let's have someone test it out first, there's no rush."

------

Chenliu, county government office.

"He is really handsome, just like the rumors say."

A tall, cold-faced woman, wearing a pair of snake-shaped earrings, walked slowly down the corridor.

The magistrate of Chenliu County, who was over 40 years old, bent down and followed behind him, smiling and saying, "Your Excellency is right. People say that Xiao Yan looks a bit like the former deposed crown prince. In terms of appearance, he is invaluable..."

"Ah."

The woman had already taken off her veil, and one could tell from the subtle details that she did not look like a Han Chinese. Her eyes were lightly shadowed, her lips were rosy, and her looks were certainly extraordinary, but she had a very cold aura that diluted her seductiveness, making her look quite beautiful.

The county magistrate fell behind, and in front of him were graceful long legs walking, and the white and tender waist, which made people want to look at it. However, with such a sexy scene in front of him, he did not dare to move beyond his sight.

Because on the woman's neck, there was a bloody little snake coiled, slightly spitting out its tongue, and its pair of snake eyes just looked down at him condescendingly.

"Just go down and wait."

The woman sat casually at the first seat in the room, with her legs crossed. Her toes, painted with thousands of layers of red nail polish, were very shiny. A tall figure in a black robe walked out from the shadows beside her, looking a little stiff. He knelt down and respectfully put a pair of clogs on her feet.

The clogs sway up and down with the beautiful feet, very dazzling.

The county magistrate did not dare to look at him, but just crossed his arms and smiled and said, "I wonder if Xiao Yan came to look for you, your Excellency..."

"Ah."

The woman used her fingers to tease the little snake on her neck, letting it slide down with the slender fingertips. She closed her narrow eyes for a moment and said, "It's not that simple. If you really want to summon me, you should cover it for me. This is just the beginning."

The county magistrate showed even more respect and said, "Your Excellency has a good opinion."

After the man left, only the woman and a few figures that looked like the living dead in the shadows were left in the room. She tapped the table with her fingers from time to time and showed a cold smile.

"interesting……"

As she spoke, she knocked on the table.

A living dead walked out of the shadows and left without being told.

After a while, a figure wrapped in black gauze walked in. Judging from her figure, she should be a woman. If Li Xingyun or Lu Linxuan were here, they would be able to see that this person is very similar to the so-called "Shang", but upon closer inspection, there are big differences.

The voice of "Shang" was very cold and hoarse: "My sect leader said that I cannot be summoned unless there is something important."

The woman leaned forward and said coldly, "Of course I will listen to the Thirteen Guardians. If there is nothing important, would this captain be willing to deal with you, a member of the Ren Sect? Watch your wording. In addition to being a member of the Li Sect, I am also the Zhechong Captain personally appointed by the King of Jin."

Shang was silent for a moment, then clasped his fists and said, "Captain Bago, please let me know."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you."

Ba Ge fetched a small can of red oil from the shore and began to gently rub it on his legs: "Don't call me like this in the Central Plains. Now, my last name is Liu, and the single character is Ming. Remember, next time I reveal my true colors, I will first question you, the disciple of Ren."

Na Shang clenched his fists and said nothing.

Bago was naturally angry. It was really humiliating for him to come to the Central Plains and do such a thing for no reason.

But it was said that this was a task personally assigned by the Prince of Jin, so she had to hide her resentment even if she had a lot of it. Fortunately, the Thirteen Guardians Li Cunren gave her many conveniences. For example, all the disciples of the Ren clan could be mobilized by her, so she would not be completely in the dark in the Central Plains.

The county magistrate was a pawn that the Ren Clan had placed in the Central Plains for many years. He did not know her identity and was responsible for cooperating with her honestly.

Today, Bago really wanted to take this opportunity to get in touch with Xiao Yan, but this contact made her discover something.

Contrary to what Ba Ye said, Bago is not really a fool. Although she looks impulsive and irritable, she is actually thoughtful and extremely cold. If Bago were to evaluate herself, then Ba Ye, who claims to be invincible, is the biggest fool under the Li Zi Sect.

"Find a way to go back and tell the Thirteen Protectors as soon as possible."

Baguo gently stroked her long legs, his narrow eyes turning cold: "This champion marquis on Yingshui looks like a woman..."

------

"Understood."

Qian Wu had heard the whispers of a bad man, and even she frowned, turned around and walked into the room, and said to Ji Ruxue in silence: "It is said that the dancer is not a simple dancing girl, but a distant niece of the county magistrate. She danced this time because she admired the champion marquis."

Ji Ruxue bit her lip lightly, walked back and forth, and pondered the relationship between them.

Her intuition was very accurate and she didn't think things would be that simple.

Xiao Yan has many enemies, some of them are in the open, such as the Ghost King, but more are in secret, and these are the ones that must be guarded against. Ji Ruxue doesn't want Xiao Yan to get into any trouble because of herself.

"It seems that we should not act rashly." Ji Ruxue let out a long sigh and said cautiously: "I heard from Xiao Yan that as long as the person who came has a purpose, there must be clues. If we follow the Chenliu County Magistrate, we will always find some clues."

"My dear, what you say is never wrong." Qian Wu smiled gently.

At this time, someone was knocking on the door outside.

"What's the matter?" Qian Wu went out to ask.

"Ding Zhaopu from the palace is here to visit."

The two girls were a little confused. Ji Ruxue walked out the door and frowned, "What is he doing here?"

"I invited him here."

Loud laughter came from outside.

The two girls looked up suddenly. Ji Ruxue's cold face was stunned for a moment, and then she breathed a sigh of relief, and then she pursed her lips and smiled.

There was a strange light in Qianwu's beautiful eyes as she watched Xiao Yan walk in from the corridor door, exhausted, followed by Gong Yangzuo and others who were taking care of the horses.

In an instant, all the worries of the two girls disappeared, and the cautiousness they had been holding back for a month disappeared in the blink of an eye the moment Xiao Yan appeared.

(End of this chapter)