Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 105: Glutinous Rice Candy
Zhu Wen was not wearing any armor, but was dressed in a tight-fitting suit. He walked slowly into the Qingyu City camp under the command of Duan Hongyan.

Soldiers in light armor stood on either side, their swords gleaming coldly, their spears pointed sharp, their bows and arrows charging at them. Zhu Wen walked among them as if strolling leisurely in a garden.

Suddenly, a sharp cry was heard, and a swarm of arrows flew off the bowstrings, as if they were going to pierce Zhu Wen's heart.

Zhu Wen remained calm and stood still. All he could hear was the sound of arrows breaking through the wind. The arrows shot into the mud under Zhu Wen's feet or passed over his head without hurting him at all.

"Junior sister, you really gave me a good show of power!" Zhu Wen clapped his hands and laughed.

However, the two leading warriors of the two teams, one male and one female, actually drew their arrows and shot directly at each other's hearts. Seeing that both of them were about to be killed, they looked calm and did not move at all. With a sharp sound, the two arrows collided in the air and fell to the ground together.

"I'm just showing you the soldiers I've trained." Duan Hongyan smiled brightly. "These two are my personal guard captains, Ding Hui and Deng Xuan. Aren't they dashing and handsome?"

Zhu Wen looked at them and saw that they still had childishness on their faces, but there was a heroic look between their brows. Although they were not the best looking, their temperament was outstanding.

Seeing Zhu Wen studying Deng Xuan's face, Duan Hongyan smiled again and said, "When we first met, I didn't realize you were so lustful. You've kept both little sister Zhizhen and that four-legged lizard in your golden house, just like 'The Two Qiao Sisters Are Locked Up in Bronze Sparrow Spring'. My daughter Xuan'er is still young, I can't let you abduct her."

Duan Hongyan was known for her outspokenness and flirting. But since Zhu Wen and Tian Jun were dating, she felt a pang of guilt, a far more unbearable experience than being pierced by thousands of arrows. She managed to maintain a composed demeanor, "You little girl, you're joking around again."

Duan Hongyan chuckled and said seriously, "Young apprentice brother, you should be able to see that I have been making the soldiers practice archery more and more diligently these days, and I have also recruited a group of mountain people who are skilled in hunting to the camp."

Duan Hongyan's archery skills were unparalleled, rivaling even those of the former Taining deputy commander, Kou Qianzhi. Even Tian Jun's equally renowned figures, such as "White Tiger" An Renyi and "Vermillion Bird" Mi Zhicheng, couldn't match her. The warriors under her command also placed a high priority on bow and arrow training.

"The terrifying thing about Marshal Yan's troops is their 'bow and spear integration'. If you only practice bows and arrows, you won't be able to defeat them."

"With only one salary, even if they practiced both bow and spear, it's inevitable that they'd become proficient in all but one skill." Duan Hongyan pointed out the problem sharply: "The reason why the soldiers under the command of Duke Wei Li Jing and Duke Xing Su Dingfang were so proficient in both bow and spear was because they had such abundant spoils of war after their victories. Duke Xing, for example, conquered three kingdoms in his lifetime, capturing their leaders alive. Even if they didn't allow their troops to plunder, the treasures seized from the enemy treasuries alone would have been enough to boost their morale."

Everyone has weaknesses, and the Four Marshals are no exception. They're just strong enough to know their weaknesses and exploit them on the battlefield; these are two completely different things.

Although what Duan Hongyan said was just theoretical talk, she was able to point out the weaknesses of Marshal Yan's army accurately, proving that she did have considerable understanding of military tactics.

Although he does not have the ability to make meticulous plans like Zhu Wen, Duan Hongyan is also extremely intelligent due to his own talent and long-term influence from Huang Chao, and is definitely not comparable to ordinary generals.

"Marshal Yan's formation is said to be unparalleled in the world, and it can almost cover up all of her weaknesses." Zhu Wen said, "However, Master is also a master of formations in the world."

"King versus king, general versus general," Duan Hongyan commented, "Master's desire for revenge has been aroused to its utmost. After his hair turned white overnight, his wisdom and courage have now reached their peak. This plan must be personally executed by him to resolve the teacher's inner resentment."

"As for us, we need to consider dealing with those people below us."

Zhu Wen laughed and said, "For example, I will definitely run into our old friend Wang Jian again this time."

"Young geniuses often fight to the death," Duan Hongyan said. "The decisive battle of this campaign will inevitably take place in the mountains south of Pinglu, which is very different from the plains we've fought on before."

On the southern edge of the Qi and Lu lands, there are undulating mountains including Mount Tai and Mount Yimeng. If General Yan wants to rush to Pinglu to take up his post, he must cross these mountains.

The Cao army, which has the advantage of the first move, will inevitably set up a tight net in the mountains to intercept them and prevent General Yan from taking tens of thousands of Pinglu Ruijia into his control.

This showdown on the top of Pinglu will be a battle of life and death.

"It seems you have some brilliant plan that can help me," Zhu Wen said, "otherwise, all your dragon gate formation would be in vain."

"It's not a brilliant plan." Duan Hongyan showed a hint of satisfaction. "However, when fighting in mountainous areas, the army is often stretched and divided by the terrain, and more emphasis is placed on the independent combat capabilities of each unit."

"In other words, each battalion should have a balanced configuration to deal with various emergencies." Zhu Wen said: "You mean, I should add some excellent archers."

As the elite force of Huang Chao's army, Zhu Wen had a large number of cavalrymen under his command. With Tian Jun's joining, Zhu Wen had a number of excellent cavalry generals under his command.

However, he was indeed weak in terms of archery. In the battle at the southern foot of the Dabie Mountains, he was even hit by a unilateral barrage of arrows from Wang Jian, and was almost unable to raise his head.

"In your previous two encounters with Wang Jian, you relied on Senior Brother's bravery. But in mountain warfare, Senior Brother might not be on the same battlefield as you. If you want to get back at that thief Wang Ba, the archer will be very important to you."

"As for where good archers come from, little junior brother, you have been in the martial arts world for so many years, you must have connections, right?" Duan Hongyan looked at him with a playful look in her eyes.

"Thanks for the tip." Zhu Wen said to Duan Hongyan, "Would you like some candy?"

He fished out a few bars of pure white candy. Made from sugar, sesame, and milk, this lactose, when broken into small pieces, was fragrant and sweet, and easy to package and carry. Because its inventor was Li Huan, this candy was also known as "Li Huan Tang."

Initially, this candy was only sold in Luoyang City, but later, as the technology spread, it became available in all major cities of the Tang Dynasty. When Zhu Wen was young, he was treated by Xingxiang and tasted this candy in Songzhou City, which cost 60 wen per pound. He fell in love with its taste.

Duan Hongyan, of course, recognized this thing. She smiled and asked, "Is it just for me, or has Sister Zhizhen and the four-legged snake already enjoyed it?"

"I paid so much to hire the lizard, how could I give her such good candy!" Zhu Wen answered pretentiously. Duan Hongyan didn't know that Zhu Wen even gave the house worth three thousand strings of cash to his mother.

"Then you gave it to Zhizhen?" Duan Hongyan insisted.

"She invited me to eat pear syrup candy first." Zhu Wen had no choice but to tell the truth when he saw his junior sister's gaze that seemed to see through his heart.

"Hmph." Duan Hongyan sighed, "Sister Zhizhen is so adorable, I won't bother with you. Next time, remember to bring any good things to me as soon as possible."

As she spoke, she broke off a piece of candy and put it in her mouth. The sweetness and rich milky flavor that melted in her mouth immediately made her eyes look intoxicated. "This is the authentic Luoyang flavor, unlike the inferior ones from Fengtian, which have a lingering earthy smell."

After the invention of "Li Huan Tang", its craftsmanship was first spread to Puzhou in Hezhong, and then to Fengtian in Guanzhong. However, it was commented that "Fengtian also produces light Tang, but it is inferior to Puzhou and does not have its exquisiteness."

Zhu Wen sent people to buy these sugars from high-end sugar factories in Songzhou. Songzhou was a prosperous city, so the sugar-making method was naturally more authentic there.

"Junior sister, have you ever been to Fengtian?" Zhu Wen asked.

"Have you forgotten that my family is from the hunter family of Shanzhou? What's so strange about following my parents to Guanzhong?"

Having said that, she suddenly looked a little melancholy.

Zhu Wen also knew that it was not a good topic to talk about any further, otherwise it would involve the sad past of her parents being murdered.

Duan Hongyan's opinion is quite insightful.

Of course, Zhu Wen had to follow her advice to strengthen the military strength of his camp.

When preparations have been made to the extreme, what determines victory or defeat lies in the wisdom and courage on the spot.

The battle of life and death is imminent.

(End of this chapter)