Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 231 Gao Yan's Old Friends

Gao Yan knew, of course, that Lai Fu was one of his uncle Gao Pian's men.

But Gao Yan was confident that, given the kindness he had shown Lai Fu over the years, Lai Fu would never betray him.

Gao Yan lost his mother at the age of five and his father at the age of ten.

After his father's death, Gao Pian personally assigned Laifu to Gao Yan, instructing Laifu to take care of Gao Yan's daily needs. After Laifu arrived, the other servants under his command were unwilling to associate with him. Later, Gao Yan learned that Laifu came from a lowly family and was a corpse collector on the river.

Many of the corpses he came into contact with were highly decomposed; an ordinary person would feel nauseous just by looking at them.

Before being bought by Gao Pian and assigned to Gao Yan, Lai Fu always emitted a strong stench of corpses, but the uncle and nephew showed no disgust towards him.

Gao Pian certainly owed Lai Fu a great debt of gratitude.

Gao Yan, however, did not take it seriously.

He trusted Laifu because Laifu came from a humble background and had no choice but to follow him to the bitter end.

Even if Liang Zuan didn't follow Gao Yan, he could still achieve fame and fortune by following Gao Pian. He had more options.

What about Laifu? He and Gao Yan had clearly formed a close relationship, and he had always taken care of Gao Yan's life, handling all the little things in an orderly manner.

Gao Yan always believed that this loyal servant would be the one to accompany him to the end, so he would certainly not mistreat this old servant who had followed him for many years.

It was not uncommon for military governors in the Tang Dynasty to appoint their servants and grooms as county magistrates. It wasn't that they valued old friendships so much, but rather that they felt their servants who had followed them for many years were reliable.

When talking to him, Gao Yan often treated him as a friend.

He believed that this was enough to make Lai Fu grateful.

Needless to say, there are also strong ties of interest.

Someone like Lai Fu, even if he works for Gao Pian, is unlikely to be given much responsibility.

Therefore, Gao Yan couldn't understand why Lai Fu would risk his future to put himself to death.

Gao Pian once said that if Shi Xiong were still alive, he would be willing to serve as a cavalryman under Shi Xiong's command.

Gao Yan didn't believe it, thinking it was just empty talk.

Of course, he couldn't understand Lai Fu either.

As shrewd as Gao Pian was, he had long since figured out Gao Yan's plans.

If Gao Yan were to betray Gao Pian, he would first have to kill Liang Zuan. He wouldn't kill Lai Fu, however, because Gao Yan didn't truly value Lai Fu. In his eyes, Lai Fu was merely a useful tool, or rather, a mirror reflecting his own emphasis on talent.

If Liang Zuan dies, Lai Fu will definitely take action to eliminate Gao Yan.

Loyalty every slaughter dog generation.

A man will die for one who understands him, and a woman will adorn herself for one who appreciates her. Lai Fu, who hailed from the land of Yan and Zhao, also absorbed this chivalrous spirit.

Years ago, Gao Pian chatted with Lai Fu for a few minutes and realized that this seemingly cold young man had a burning passion in his heart.

Gao Pian sent Lai Fu to Gao Yan hoping to let Gao Yan know that feelings are also a kind of relationship based on interests and should be taken seriously.

Unfortunately, Gao Yan did not learn this point, but instead used the techniques of Emperor Shenwu Gao Huan for controlling people that he had learned from history books, and was very proud of himself.

When Gao Yan was brought before Zhu Wen by the bandit cavalry, he appeared calm. However, the slight trembling of his body revealed his inner unease.

A man like him would lose his life if he couldn't achieve his obsession. All his years of hard work have been like a pipe dream, and now it's all for nothing. How can he be content with that?

But seeing Han Ping crying and begging for mercy on the side, Gao Yan felt extremely nauseous and almost wanted to vomit up his dinner from the night before.

He has always been stubborn and never looks back, even when he hits a brick wall, while Han Ping, a seven-foot-tall man, can't even take responsibility for his own choices.

The thought of being executed along with this guy struck Gao Yan as utterly ridiculous.

“The victor is king, the loser is villain. I have lost, so I have nothing to say.” Gao Yan tried his best to keep his voice steady: “But when you kill me, please let me die wearing the Lanling King mask.”

He couldn't help but sigh. His uncle said the mask was a constraint, but he felt it was an honor. This mask carried everything about him.

My great-grandfather Gao Chongwen and my uncle Gao Pian both discarded their Lanling King masks after achieving great success.

They no longer need to rely on the prestige of their ancestors to elevate themselves.

The mask held a completely different meaning for Gao Yan.

It represents the Northern Qi Dynasty established by the Bohai Gao clan, making Gao Yan feel that he has royal blood flowing through his veins and is more qualified than ordinary ambitious people to compete for that golden throne!

This also marks the end of my years of persistence—Bohai has imperial blood, why should I cling to the Li family!

Zhu Wen thought this behavior was quite clownish. When a person basks in glory that doesn't belong to them, it means they will live in the shadow of their elders for the rest of their lives and gradually lose themselves.

"Okay, but on the day I kill you, an old friend will come to see you off."

As Zhu Wen spoke, he opened the door and went outside; it was already evening.

Zhu Wen's words left Gao Yan completely bewildered.

He couldn't imagine what kind of old friend it could be.

Zhu Wen closed the door, and Gao Yan stood alone in the darkness, utterly silent.

……

Hiding your face behind a mask has another advantage: not only can others not see your emotions, but you can even close your eyes and remain undetected.

It wasn't that Gao Yan was so terrified that he couldn't even control his expression; it was just that he found Han Ping, who was crying and wailing on the wooden frame, extremely annoying.

Even with his eyes closed, Han Ping's voice still irresistibly reached Gao Yan's ears.

"Brothers, please spare me! I'm only in Cao Cao's camp, my heart is with Liu Bei! It's all those damned Gao Yan and that rotten-ass Yang Fuguang who forced me into this!"

"Oh my god, brothers, if you're going to kill me today, I really can't live anymore! I can't live anymore, oh my god..."

These words amused all the soldiers of the Grass Army, who laughed and chuckled.

"Gao Yan, do you recognize me?"

A hateful female voice suddenly rang out. Gao Yan opened his eyes in surprise.

He had never heard this voice before.

When Gao Yan opened his eyes, he was startled.

The face was so familiar that he almost thought a woman who had died many years ago had come back to life.

Zhu Wen said coldly, "I originally wanted to chop you into mincemeat to vent my hatred, but there is someone who hates you more than I do. What she went through is truly horrifying."

Gao Yan looked at the beautiful woman in front of him and whispered, "You...you are her sister?"

“That’s right,” Zhu Wen answered on her behalf. “Back then, she sought refuge with the Ghost King Ming Shiyin and survived. Her sister, on the other hand, sought refuge with you.”

Gao Yan knew the other party's identity.

He had only met her a few times; at that time, she was just a young girl who had not yet grown up.

Her older sister, however, had a very close relationship with Gao Yan.

The two sisters were the daughters of Zhao Keli, the Left Envoy of the Ming Cult.

When Pang Xun raised his army, Zhao Keli's eldest daughter served as the Holy Maiden of the Ming Cult and was also the one who guided Gao Yan to join the Ming Cult.

In winter, Gao Yan was seriously wounded in a battle. In the cold cave, a girl took off her clothes and warmed Gao Yan with her body, restoring his body temperature after he lost blood.

The Ming Cult warriors often teased Gao Yan and Zhao's wife, calling them a perfect couple.

When her uprising failed and she was wanted by the authorities, Zhao Da Niangzi chose to seek refuge with Gao Yan.

She told Gao Yan that her father was dead and that she knew she was not good enough for him. She was willing to become Gao Yan's concubine, only asking that he give her a way to live.

"My sister treated you with all her heart, how could you do such a beastly thing!" The young woman's words were filled with sorrow, her eyes blazing with anger.

“But I don’t love her,” Gao Yan replied.

"But you owe her a life." Zhu Wen couldn't stand it anymore and angrily retorted, "You killed her and presented her head to the court to curry favor. Don't you regret it at all?"

Gao Yan replied indifferently, "Yes, but does it matter? She was a thief, and I was an official. It's only right for me to kill her."

"If she doesn't die, I will die, but I can't die. I can only feel sorry for her."

This is a lie.

Gao Yanzong was unwilling to acknowledge Gao Pian's kindness to him, but deep down he knew that as long as he didn't betray him, Gao Pian would dote on him quite a bit.

Even when Gao Yan gathered remnants of the Ming Cult to rebel, he managed to kill those in the know to cover it up. What's the big deal about clearing his name for a concubine?
Ming Shiyin not only openly enjoyed the high-ranking official position and generous salary of the Tang Dynasty, but also took the opportunity to protect Zhao Keli's second daughter.

Gao Yan initially decided to save the girl and planned to ask his uncle for help the next day.

My friend Shi Pu suddenly came to visit.

Shi Pu looked the girl up and down with wolf-like eyes, which made Gao Yan feel uncomfortable.

Shi Pu then pulled him aside and asked Gao Yan if she was the woman on the wanted poster.

Gao Yan hesitated for a moment before telling the truth.

"Now that you've been demoted to a squad leader, how many years will it take you to become a military governor without any new achievements?"

Shi Pu licked his lips and said, "I'm interested in this woman. Let me sleep with her. Then you cut off her head and claim the reward from the court. I have a way to gain merit. Her head is just a stepping stone. There will be many benefits in the future."

Gao Yan hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed.

He did have different feelings for this woman, but it was her honor to dedicate her body to his cause.

When the man she loved handed her over to another man to be defiled, Madam Zhao cried her heart out. By the time Gao Yan killed her, she had already cried all her tears and could no longer shed a single tear.

With a hoarse voice, she uttered the most vicious curse at Gao Yan, but before she could finish a complete sentence, Gao Yan cut her throat.

Gao Yan didn't want to hear her last words.

His path was to kill his ancestors, gods, parents, and relatives, forging a path to becoming an emperor with unwavering ambition.

No one is more important than one's own ambition.

After hearing Gao Yan's answer, Zhu Wen felt that this kind of person was beyond redemption.

"You're worse than an animal, so it's only natural that you've ended up being abandoned by everyone."

After saying this, Zhu Wen drew his dagger and cut off the first piece of flesh from Gao Yan's bare chest. Without looking at Gao Yan again, he turned and left.

His revenge was complete; the blow that pierced Gao Yan's heart would now be left to the one who deserved it most.

As Zhu Wen left, a piece of paper fluttered to the ground behind him and was revealed to Gao Yan.

It was sent by Laifu to Caojun.

In the letter, Lai Fu stated that he planned to inform Gao Pian of this matter, receive the reward, hand it over to his wife and children, and then commit suicide by poisoning himself.

Since ancient times, loyalty and righteousness have been difficult to reconcile. Gao Yan had been very kind to him over the years. By putting Gao Yan to death, he had violated the proper relationship between a lord and his subject, and could only repay him with his own death.

The slightly messy handwriting indicated the complex emotions of the letter's owner, which convinced Zhu Wen that Lai Fu would never break his promise.

Gao Yan was able to find such a talented person, yet he failed to live up to the expectations of such a national hero.

Zhu Wen originally did not intend to inform Gao Yan of Lai Fu's decision, because he was not worthy.

On second thought, a man as unrepentant as Gao Yan would not regret failing such a national hero; but he would regret not discovering that there was such a person with the spirit of an assassin from the Spring and Autumn Period by his side.

Otherwise, Gao Yan would have ordered Lai Fu to assassinate his enemies much earlier, so that Lai Fu would be exploited to death.

If Gao Yan were to see this letter, he would have no choice but to die with regret and remorse.

This is the ending Gao Yan deserved.

(End of this chapter)