Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 273 After the Turbulence
Flower King Youdi left the Fengzhou Prefectural Governor's Mansion in a fit of rage at night. Because he had his sister and maid with him, he could not leave alone, so he was seen by the gatekeeper and the night watchman.

The news spread quickly, and everyone learned that this stunningly beautiful blonde woman was actually the newly promoted Deputy Maritime Trade Commissioner by Commander Huang Chao.

She tried to win Zhu Wen over with her body, but after being taken advantage of, the relationship ended badly.

This is already a matter of putting lamps on an eight-immortal table; it's an obvious thing.

The officials and common people were abuzz with discussion, all saying that the young governor was truly principled in his actions. Then, a cannonball coated in molasses came from the opposite side; Governor Zhu ate the molasses and returned the cannonball untouched.

"With such a beauty, could you easily take advantage of her and leave without resisting her temptation?"

"Of course. Even if she slept with me a hundred times, a thousand times, I'm as hard as a rock and won't listen to any whispers in her ear!"

"Tch! Just because you want to sleep with her a hundred times, a thousand times, doesn't mean you're asking her for something. A spineless coward like you, you'll be completely at her mercy."

"We're just daydreaming. We ordinary folks would never allow ourselves to be seduced by such a female bodhisattva! Wang Laowu, look at you, drooling over that Hu woman!"

Several city residents were gossiping amongst themselves, but Zhu Wen, dressed in plain clothes, silently walked past the eaves and overheard everything.

Yes, Yu Di's voluptuous body and bedroom charm are far superior to those of the young widow Zhu Wen first experienced in his youth.

Coupled with the extremely attentive service, Zhu Wen couldn't help but savor the memory.

Physical desires are exceptionally real and can gradually influence emotions.

Many heroes and ruthless men, decisive in their killings, felt their hearts were as cold and hard as iron, and that women were merely playthings to be summoned and dismissed at will.

Once you become infatuated with a woman's body, talent, or eloquence, and fall at her feet, day by day, you gradually lose sight of love and desire, and are eventually turned the tables on her.

Therefore, the beauty trap has been used successfully for thousands of years.

The allure of pleasure is a hero's grave, nothing more.

This principle is perfectly clear.

Zhu Wen still chose to indulge his desires once more.

Only by fully experiencing the taste of this unparalleled beauty can one see oneself more clearly.

He wanted Yudi and her sister Yuna to accompany him, and Yudi agreed, which was also part of Zhu Wen's scheme.

It was a common practice throughout history to secure the emperor's favor by having one's own sisters involved. Alliances built on blood ties were more solid and made it easier to control men. In the Han Dynasty, the sisters Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede served Emperor Cheng of Han together. In the early years of the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, she also sent her widowed sister Wu Shun to Emperor Gaozong's bed.

You Di compared herself to Empress Wu Zetian, but little did she know that Zhu Wen had no intention of playing along with her for long.

Food and sex are the greatest desires of humankind.

Sexual desire is as instinctive as eating and drinking; suppressing it is not a good approach.

Zhu Wen knew why he had been consumed by lust that night and had taken possession of You Di, who was powerless to resist.

Because he was lonely.

After his second brother Zhu Cun passed away, no one could unconditionally be his mountain, sheltering him from the wind and rain.

The separation from his young lover, Tian Jun, also brought a sense of melancholy.

A growing rift developed between him and his master, Huang Chao. The fatherly affection he once felt was gradually replaced by the cold distance between ruler and subject.

When a person is emotionally deprived, they may subconsciously crave physical stimulation to compensate.

At this time, the Flower King Yudi once again came knocking on his door, and Zhu Wen instinctively chose not to refuse.

Practice a thousand songs before you understand music; observe a thousand swords before you recognize their quality.

This phrase is often used by many dissolute young men as an excuse for their licentious and dissolute lifestyle.

But to claim to have seen through desire without any experience is too pale.

Zhu Wen's experience as a teenager was quite terrible.

If beforehand he still harbored youthful, innocent longing for the charming widow who ran the tavern, the subsequent accusation that Zhu Wen had forced himself on her directly cast a shadow over Zhu Wen's perception of romantic relationships.

A product as exquisite as Yu Di brings a wonderful and intoxicating experience that is enough to completely erase the shadows of the past.

Restraining the desire to possess her for a long time, and resolutely severing ties after taking advantage of her, is another test and cultivation of one's inner self.

After his intimate encounter with You Di, Zhu Wen suddenly understood.

Emotions and lust are often intertwined, but they are ultimately quite different. He always thought that he was able to restrain his desires for Tian Jun because of the psychological trauma left over from his youth.

Only now do I realize that it's because I've truly fallen for Tian Jun.

As a man, he feels a sense of responsibility to ensure the happiness of the woman he loves.

But he could never forget the white moonlight of his dreams, and always hoped to reunite with her. Zhu Wen felt that he could not give Tian Jun happiness, so he restrained his hand from untying her sash.

Men feel that if they take a woman's virginity, they should be responsible for her because there are feelings involved.

Faced with a woman like Kao Yu-ti, who only has lust and no feelings whatsoever, I would never have the slightest thought of taking responsibility for her.

"Looks like I'm not too bad off."

One night, Zhu Wen invited Lan Suting to chat, and suddenly muttered to himself.

“It’s clearly a terrible situation.” Lan Suting frowned. “The whole city is talking about the matter between the General and that golden fox.”

"How come you've also learned the word 'vixen'?" Zhu Wen's lips curled up. "Why don't I do something even worse?"

After saying that, he reached out and wrapped his arm around Lan Suting's waist, the movement as smooth as flowing water.

Lan Suting cried out in surprise as Zhu Wen lifted her onto his lap.

Before Zhu Wen and Tian Jun established their relationship, he and Lan Suting often did this, and they didn't think it was anything special.

However, Lan Suting had met with Zhuoying many times and had already been taught the pleasures of intimacy by Zhuoying, no longer as naive as she had been at the beginning.

The man's aura was so different from the intimate atmosphere between women that she felt somewhat restrained and bewildered.

Sensing the delicate fragrance emanating from the beautiful woman and reflecting on his own emotions, Zhu Wen sighed, "Fortunately, I haven't become a true lecher after all. I still can't feel any desire for you, Zhizhen."

As he spoke, he looked down at Lan Suting's flat figure.

Lan Suting sighed, unsure of what to say.

"What about Sister Jun? You seem very concerned about her health, so why didn't you choose her?" After a while, Lan Suting asked.

Zhu Wen was silent.

Lan Suting pursed her thin lips and said slowly, "Jiang Du, there's someone more important in your heart, isn't there?"

Zhu Wen nodded silently and removed Lan Suting from his body.

He wouldn't actually harm Lan Suting, because a pure confidante like her is truly rare.

A confidante is a listener to one's inner turmoil, a reader of one's soul, and sometimes a frank and honest friend.

But these are all spiritual exchanges; once love or sex occurs, the relationship collapses.

Only by maintaining an appropriate distance can both parties avoid developing a possessive desire for each other.

"How are things going with that woman, Zhuoying?" Zhu Wen changed the subject and asked.

Lan Suting lowered her head shyly and began to fidget with the hem of her clothes.

"Sister Zhuoying is extremely gentle and considerate to people. Every time I'm with her, it feels like a dream." Lan Suting raised her head, her eyes shimmering with bright joy.

It seems that she didn't choose to withdraw by choosing Zhuoying to facilitate Zhu Wen and Tian Jun's relationship; rather, she was genuinely moved and felt that such a relationship could bring her happiness.

This put Zhu Wen at ease.

He thought that a man can have many women, but there can only be one woman who is truly his wife.

Emperors viewed all women as playthings, appearing cold, profound, and all-encompassing. Yet, they also harbored the tragic loneliness of being utterly alone, for they didn't even have a single woman to be their wife.

Unlike Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, who was so insidious and cruel, even in his old age he still swore an oath with Yang Guifei, "In heaven, we wish to be birds flying wing to wing; on earth, we wish to be trees with intertwined branches," seeking the experience of a typical married couple's lifelong love and devotion.

One woman with whom you can fully connect emotionally and physically is enough for a lifetime.

With such a loving wife by his side throughout his life, he no longer needed to possess other women.

Having experienced Yu Di's intoxicating body, this conclusion becomes even clearer, like a polished silver mirror.

His longing for Xingxiang only grew stronger with the passage of time.

(End of this chapter)