Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 222 Side Story: Gao Yan
"As the son of Emperor Wuzong, he joined the rebel army to his death. Is this the treatment given to members of the royal family?"

Pang Xun's voice was slightly hoarse, but Gao Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

The old man doesn't seem to intend to kill him.

The old man was looking at him at eye level, yet he seemed to be looking down at him from a superior position. The other man's dark gaze ignited a growing anger within Gao Yan.

Why did I join the rebels? Wasn't it to change my fate?

"Master, what exactly do you want to say?" Gao Yan asked in a deep voice.

If things are hopeless, he will never sit idly by and wait for death.

"You're deceiving yourself." Pang Xun's voice was as calm as a still lake: "Your bloodline is your greatest original sin. Your uncle's great military achievements can only serve as a stepping stone for others."

At this point, Pang Xun's tone became slightly sarcastic: "And you, as the illegitimate son of the Martial Sect, will be confined to a cage for the rest of your life."

"Do you think Gao Shuai doesn't know your identity? He's just making you obedient, forever a parrot repeating what others say, telling you that this is your fate."

"Your father beat you, scolded you, and tried to persuade you, saying it was all for your own good and to make you let go. So you admitted defeat and were willing to become a subject of the Guangzei lineage and serve them loyally."

The "Guangzei" was none other than Emperor Xuanzong Li Chen, whom his court writers hailed as a "mini-Taizong." He endured years of hardship, feigning idiocy, and took advantage of Emperor Wuzong's sudden illness to collude with eunuchs in a coup, seizing the throne and killing all of Wuzong's sons.

Gao Yan's mother had been a prostitute, but Gao Yan was not ashamed of it.

Besides being the most sought-after courtesan in Pingkangfang, Chang'an, her mother was also a favorite beauty connoisseur of Emperor Wuzong.

When Gao Yan was five years old, his mother put on her most beautiful clothes and danced a magnificent dance in front of him.

Gao Yan watched as crimson bloodstains spilled from his mother's lips, landing on her snow-white dress, resembling the most exquisite plum blossoms in the cold winter.

“You are not a child of the Gao family, but the posthumous child of Emperor Wuzong. To vent his hatred, the traitor Guang gave your mother to your father. You were born prematurely.”

"It is your birth mission to take back what is rightfully yours."

"Your biological father entrusted his son to two ministers: the renowned prime minister Li Deyu and the war god Shi Xiong. They were both men of unparalleled wisdom, yet they were defeated by Guang Ze. This is because they were gentlemen, while Guang Ze was a scoundrel with no moral compass."

"If you want to succeed, you have to be even more ruthless than a villain!"

"Your mother loves you too much, so she has no choice but to leave you. From now on, you can use and betray anyone alive for the sake of your great cause without any more scruples."

These last words had appeared in Gao Yan's dreams countless times.

His life trajectory was completely set on that day.

Gao Yan's face grew increasingly grim, and Pang Xun's words became sharper and more cutting: "A long time from now, your children will be just like you are now, kneeling down like dogs to accept their fate. Clearly descendants of Emperor Wuzong, yet bowing to the descendants of the Guang traitor..."

"I'm going to kill you..."

A roar interrupted Pang Xun's next words.

The words were like knives, constantly stabbing at Gao Yan's heart. His whole body trembled, and countless fragments of memories surfaced in his mind: his father's indifference, his mother's high hopes, and his uncle's earnest admonitions.

"What do you know!"

Gao Yan no longer cared about pretense, and even forgot about life and death. Years of repression had allowed him to accumulate too much violent emotion.

Then he felt a heavy blow to his cheekbone, and suddenly the world went dark and he saw stars.

When Gao Yan came to his senses, his face was covered in bruises, and he was lying on the ground.

Pang Xun stood with his hands behind his back, smiling as he looked at him, showing no anger whatsoever at Gao Yan's offense.

Gao Yan felt as if a fierce tiger was roaring in his heart.

He heard a voice in his head saying, "You are the son of Emperor Wuzong, and you should have a bright future! It's all because of that scoundrel Guang that you have to hide your identity and have lost even your self and freedom!"

Gao Yan had been rebelling against his fate, but his father and uncle told him to behave himself and not to have any wild thoughts.

He thought of his responsibility as the son of the Martial Sect, to reclaim the throne, even if it meant a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood beneath it.

Pang Xun lifted his foot and slowly walked towards Gao Yan. When he came to his side, he whispered, "There is a kind of bird in the south that has no feet. It can only fly for its entire life. When it gets tired, it sleeps in the wind. It will only land once in its life, and that is when death comes."

"Gao Yan, tell me your choice: to soar through the sky as a bird without feet, or to die an old bird in a cage as a parrot?"

Gao Yan suddenly burst into tears.

He struggled to his feet, stood up straight, and then bowed deeply to Pang Xun.

"Please enlighten me, Master Pang."

At this moment, Gao Yan was not only impressed by Pang Xun's magnanimity, but also began to ponder how to replace him if the righteous army really gained control of the country.

Pang Xun was much older than him. Gao Yan was still young; he could wait.

……

One year later, outside Suzhou City.

Looking at Pang Xun, whose battle robe was stained with blood and who was covered in wounds, Gao Yan was filled with mixed emotions.

There was not a trace of fear of death in Pang Xun's eyes; instead, there was a playful smile on his face.

“Ming Shiyin is tough on the outside but soft on the inside, and he lacks the courage to face death. You chose him as your breakthrough point and the cornerstone of your rebellion, which shows that you have not failed my teachings.”

"I'm going to die anyway, why don't you take my head and gain greater fame?"

Gao Yan was taken aback.

He didn't know whether Pang Xun's words could be trusted.

The opponent's strength far surpasses his own. Even if he is severely injured and on the verge of death, if he rashly goes up, he might be taken down with him.

Seeing the hesitation in Gao Yan's eyes, Pang Xun suddenly burst into laughter. His laughter held a hint of melancholy at the fleeting nature of imperial ambitions, but showed no fear of death.

Pang Xun knew that his years-long plan had vanished like a dream. If he didn't die, the pursuit of the Ming Cult would not slow down, and Yuan Chang, Ge Jian, and other key members he had painstakingly cultivated would likely not survive.

If they are sacrificed as individuals, as long as they are valuable to the cause, Pang Xun will not feel too much psychological burden.

But things had come to this point, and Pang Xun needed them to pass on the torch of the Ming Cult.

“Useless brat, just like Ming Shiyin, a coward who fears death.” Pang Xun’s smile was laced with sarcasm. “Do you know that the first time I saw you, I knew you couldn’t possibly be Wu Zong’s son? You must have been deceived by your mother, who was so eager for revenge.”

"Besides, your appearance is clearly that of the typical thin eyebrows and clear eyes of the Gao family of Bohai, without any of the rugged and untamed spirit of the Li family of Longxi."

These words struck Gao Yan like a heavy hammer blow.

Before Gao Yan could react, he saw Pang Xun draw his sword, and blood splattered from the blade against his neck.

Pang Xun fell backward into the surging river. His blood was washed away by the current and soon disappeared without a trace.

……

After the war, Gao Yan did not achieve the great merit he desired. Instead, he was convicted of treason and nearly tortured to death in prison.

His uncle, Gao Pian, rescued him.

But Gao Pian's consistently indifferent expression prevented Gao Yan from feeling any gratitude whatsoever.

Filled with resentment, he left a letter and departed without saying goodbye.

Not long after, a group of remnants of the Ming Cult rose up again.

Before things escalated, Gao Pian led his troops over and easily quelled Gao Yan's scheme, binding his good-for-nothing nephew and bringing him to his own tent.

Gao Yan believed he was doomed to die, and thus hardened his resolve.

"For so many years, you have been suppressing me, it has always been like this! I've had enough. Living like this, I might as well end it all!"

"Uncle, you've always told me to behave myself. Have you been completely tamed by the Light Thieves? What's wrong with wanting to reclaim what's rightfully mine?"

“Foolish child,” Gao Pian said coldly.

“I made a special trip back to your father’s old house this time, just to find this thing.”

Gao Pian casually tossed a yellowed old piece of paper on the ground.

Gao Yan immediately recognized it as his mother's handwriting.

My mother's handwriting was quite unique; no one could ever imitate it.

He was born in the tenth month of the Dingmao year...

The year Dingmao was one year after the death of Emperor Wuzong.

Gao Yan was struck dumb.

"Now you believe it, don't you?"

Gao Pian calmly said, "Your imprisonment this time, and the misappropriation of your war merits, were done by your uncle's political enemies. You are just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. It is only right that I save you. You don't owe me anything."

"You used an alias again this time, very well. I have killed everyone who knew about it, and no one will know that you were the mastermind behind this rebellion. Come back with me, and we'll pretend nothing happened."

Gao Yan finally realized that Pang Xun's dying words were absolutely true.

If he didn't have the blood of the Bohai Gao clan and wasn't his father's only bloodline, Gao Pian would never have tried so hard to save his life under these circumstances.

But Gao Yan became confused and disoriented in the following period.

His mother's deception was unbearable for him, and he felt that his life had lost its meaning.

Gao Pian ignored Gao Yan's depression, perhaps hoping that Gao Yan would get out of it on his own, or perhaps he simply didn't care about it at all.

Six months later, Gao Yan was drinking with his friend Shi Pu when he inadvertently revealed this story while drunk.

After Gao Yan spoke, he was suddenly startled and sobered up completely.

But then he realized that Shi Pu was also an ambitious guy, and there was still a lot of room for cooperation between the two. Shi Pu had no reason to report him.

"Your Bohai Gao clan has established dynasties before. If you only want the throne, why don't you restore the Northern Qi?"

Shi Pu took a sip of wine, a smile playing on his lips, and said leisurely.

Gao Yan felt a flash of lightning and thunder in his mind, and then the clouds parted and the sky cleared, washing away the worries that had troubled him for so long.

He grasped Shi Pu's hand and burst into laughter.

If there is enough benefit for him, Gao Yan can betray Shi Pu at any time and put him to death.

For Shi Pu, this was certainly the case as well.

But Gao Yan had to admit that Shi Pu was indeed a good friend.

Does it matter whether my mother is telling the truth or lying?
All he wanted was the throne.

He doesn't need to hate his mother for deceiving him.

His mother taught him to be ruthless and abandon all moral boundaries to achieve his ambitions.

This must be correct.

(End of this chapter)