Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 60 Phoenix Seeking Phoenix

"What? The gold ingots you gave me are fake? I've suffered so much!" Tian Jun raised her eyebrows and gritted her teeth, "Zhu Wen, I'm going to kill you!"

"I was short of money at the time." Zhu Wen pulled out another gold ingot that looked exactly the same. "Judge Wu was executed, and his property was confiscated. This is real. You can hold it in your hand and feel it. As for the gold-plated brass one, it's not worthless either. It can be used as a half-string of copper coins."

After hearing this, Tian Jun's expression relaxed. He snatched the gold ingot from Zhu Wen's hand, still snorting angrily.

"Why don't you tell them that you were originally a subordinate of Kou Shuai of Taining Army, and you pretended to surrender to me in order to seek revenge on me?" Zhu Wen asked.

"I...I actually thought about it." Tian Jun looked a little embarrassed.

"But I've taken so much money from you, I don't want to let you down. Taking money to do something is like selling my life to you."

Zhu Wen felt a little emotional. What a silly girl! She was no wonder she was taught by that idiot Kou Qianzhi.

If Shi Pu had not exposed Chaoying immediately, allowing Chaoying to protect Tian Jun, what Tian Jun encountered might have been more terrifying than death.

"I want you to take the blame," Zhu Wen said again. He thought it would be best to admit the truth about Tian Jun's help in killing Cao Zixiu. Otherwise, even if Tian Jun was stupid, he might be able to figure it out.

"What if Cao Zixiu's son and his friends want to seek revenge on me? " Tian Jun asked after listening.

"You are here with me, and I will definitely protect you. When our contract expires one day, they won't be able to find you even if you go to the ends of the earth." Zhu Wen said with great certainty.

"I'm your bodyguard, and I need you to protect me?" Tian Jun felt his self-esteem was a little hurt, and raised his eyebrows.

"Stop being a child and get back to work." Zhu Wen said, "As for a fair fight with you, we can discuss it back at camp."

The process of executing Cao Zixiu was nothing more than a prepared drama.

Cao Zixiu kowtowed repeatedly, claiming that he was seduced by Judge Wu and had evil intentions towards Prince Zhu Wen, and he regretted it deeply.

Chaoying sighed on the side, saying that the master was not a bad person, but a moment of thoughtlessness led to a big mistake.

Even many of Huang Chao's death squads had old acquaintances with Cao Zixiu, and they all pleaded with Zhu Wen, hoping to give Cao Zhenren a chance.

After some hesitation, Zhu Wen was moved by Cao Zixiu's heartfelt words and finally agreed not to execute Cao Zixiu immediately after hearing the kneeling crowd's kowtow and pleading. Instead, he secretly took him to Wang Xianzhi's military camp to be personally sentenced by Alliance Leader Wang.

When the plan was almost ready, Tian Jun suddenly rushed into the field with a spear in hand.

"Are those guys who flirt with me your men?" Tian Jun asked with gritted teeth.

Cao Zixiu was completely bewildered. He had just been released from the tunnel, so how could he know if his men had done this? You know, besides female disciples, the Taishan Sect was not without men as well.

"Young lady, please spare my life. This matter has absolutely nothing to do with me. Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt has its creditor..."

Tian Jun's eyebrows arched, his eyes blazing with fire: "So he is indeed your subordinate?"

Cao Zixiu didn't have time to defend himself - in his opinion, this beauty's innocence might have been ruined by those gigolos under his command, and such a thing could only be cleared by killing people, so he seemed to have no confidence when he argued.

Tian Jun had already shot Cao Zixiu, who was tied up, in the heart.

"This lady, it's really none of my business..."

Cao Zixiu was still making his final struggle when he was dying.

"Tian Jun, what are you doing?" Zhu Wen roared, "Come here, take her away!"

Several female sword masters from Mount Tai rushed over, pinned Tian Jun down, and tied her up tightly in an instant.

"Now, what should we do?" Zhu Wen said helplessly, spreading his hands. "We can't explain to Alliance Leader Wang either."

"Master Cao's teachings were incompetent, and he brought disaster upon himself. How lamentable." A soldier of Huang Chao's army sighed, "The dead cannot be resurrected. Let's give Master Cao a proper burial."

"This is the only way," Zhu Wen said. "Fairy Chuoying was Master Cao's chief disciple. Master Cao passed away today, so we can only ask Fairy Chuoying to oversee all matters of the Taishan Sect, as well as Master Cao's funeral."

In fact, there were quite a few elders in the Taishan Sect who could compete for this qualification, but after hearing Zhu Wen's words, they understood that Zhu Wen was supporting Chaoying to take the position, so they could only remain silent.

Putting aside other things, when Cao Zixiu rebelled because of "a moment of confusion", Chaoying secretly rebelled and shot Cao Zixiu with an arrow, helping Zhu Wen to capture him. Did they do the same?
If Judge Wu had not betrayed him, with the current manpower, Zhu Wen could have further taken advantage of the chaos in Pinglu Town caused by Song Wei's illness and sent people deep into Pinglu to carry out activities such as rebellion and sabotage.

However, after this fierce battle, both the Taishan Sect and Judge Wu suffered heavy losses. Relying on a group of outsiders brought by Zhu Wen, they could not cause any major disturbances in Pinglu.

Outside Baiyun Temple, on top of the long pavilion.

Cloaked in a soft gauze, the shadowy figure played the qin in the mountain breeze, her expression gentle and graceful, her wrists gleaming with light, the sound of the qin like a dream. A steaming stream meandered down the mountainside from the pavilion, creating a faint misty backdrop that made the shadowy figure appear even more ethereal and graceful, like an immortal.

"Beautiful music, beautiful scenery." Zhu Wen clapped his hands in praise, then sighed softly, "This time I came to Mount Tai, apart from exterminating the traitors, it seems that I haven't been able to do anything significant."

"The wine that Lord Liang Yu brought is excellent too." Chuoying picked up a wine glass beside the zither platform and drank it all in one gulp, not even blinking. However, the strong liquor still brought a faint blush to her fair face.

"So, Madam Chaoying can solve the problem of marketing this liquor that has troubled Master and me."

"After this battle, the strength of my Taishan sect was severely damaged." Chuoying confessed.

"And the Xihe Sect has won three consecutive times at the Five Peaks Incense Festival, held every five years. The next one will be on Mount Tai next year."

The Five Peaks Incense Meeting is a five-yearly dance competition held by the five major sects of Mount Tai, Xihe, Songyang, Tianfeng, and Hengzhou. Two hundred years ago, it was praised by the Langya Pavilion Master of that generation as the most wonderful incense in the world.

Since its founding, the Langya Pavilion in Jiangzuo has been renowned for its monthly reviews, whereby a single commentary would elevate a woman's worth a hundredfold. The female disciples of the five sects of Taishan, Xihe, Songyang, Tianfeng, and Hengzhou were considered to be the most beautiful in the world, largely due to the Langya Pavilion's evaluations.

But among the five factions, victory still needs to be determined.

Zhu Wen understood what Chaoying meant.

The Taishan Sect had long been controlled by Wang Xianzhi's Zhenyi League. Not to mention that Huang Chao and Wang Xianzhi were of the same blood, now that Chaoying had pledged his loyalty to him, the power of Huang Chao's army would also infiltrate the Taishan Sect.

Even though the Taishan Sect's strength has been greatly weakened, Chaoying believes that with Zhu Wen's wisdom and help, the Taishan Sect will be able to win in next year's Wufeng Incense Festival in a stunning manner.

At that time, it was only natural that the liquor developed by Huang Chao would be promoted and make a hundred times the profit.

Apart from Chaoying, Zhu Wen, Lan Suting and Tian Jun, there was no one else here.

After a little thought, Zhu Wen leaned close to Chaoying's ear and whispered a few words.

"I have already explained the specific methods to Fairy Chaoying. Next March, Zhu will personally attend the meeting and join us in the grand event."

Zhu Wen always felt that Chaoying had finally gotten rid of the shackles on her body and had the confidence of a strong woman.

He admired this kind of beauty that came from inner strength more than the postures she had deliberately trained to please men in the past.

Many men dislike women holding power. But Zhu Wen believed that as long as their talent and virtue matched and they got things done well, there was nothing wrong with women holding power. Weren't Fu Hao of the Shang Dynasty and Empress Dowager Feng of the Northern Wei Dynasty both exceptional women?
The most common concubines who brought disaster to the country in history were those who rose to power by pleasing men, but were incompetent in handling government affairs, causing the country to become a mess and leaving behind a bad reputation. When they said goodbye, Chaoying suddenly leaned down and kissed Zhu Wen on the hand.

This was nothing big, she really owed Zhu Wen a great favor.

But the fragrant and soft feeling in his palm still made Zhu Wen linger on it.

Then, Chaoying gently took Lan Suting's little hand.

Lan Suting looked at the other person somewhat awkwardly.

The shadowy phoenix eyes were gleaming, and she stretched out her slender arms, pulled Lan Suting over and hugged her tightly.

Although she was not as tall as Tian Jun, she was much taller than the average woman. She was also a fairy from Mount Tai who was skilled in dancing, so it goes without saying that she had slender hands and feet.

Delicate flowers fold their petals, whales drink dew. Lan Suting's whole body feels as if she has been electrified, unable to struggle.

Chuoying's skills are not outstanding, but he is not someone who can resist Lan Suting, who has no martial arts background.

Zhu Wen calmly looked at the pleasant scene in front of him.

After their lips parted for a while, Lan Suting finally recovered from her suffocation, her face flushed like the most beautiful agate and ruby: "Fairy Chaoying, what are you doing?"

She was not unpredictable, because the last song Chaoying played was not a farewell song, but "The Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix".

"If I like Sister Zhizhen, what else can I do?" Chaoying said without any shyness, her eyes full of affection: "What does my sister think?"

"Perhaps, my sister has fallen in love with the commander of the Liangyu Camp? Yes, the commander is not only charming and graceful, but also extremely wise and brave. Which woman wouldn't fall in love with him after spending some time with him?"

"No!" Lan Suting lowered her eyebrows shyly and gently fiddled with her belt with her hands.

Chuoying took Lan Suting's hand and said, "What Chuoying says now may hurt my sister's heart. But it is really hard for Lord Liangyu to treat you as a woman."

She particularly emphasized the word "woman" to show the difference from "girl".

"Lord Liang Yu will definitely be a hegemon in the future. A hegemon must have someone by his side who can constantly keep him on his toes. That's why he asked you to be his Wei Zheng."

"Can Empress Zhangsun do what Wei Zheng can do?"

Lan Suting was stunned on the spot.

She remembered Zhu Wen's words - if I can't control myself and attack you, then you can only be a concubine in charge of baggage.

This was both a lock that Zhu Wen put on himself and a warning to her.

She was not a girl who would have any unrealistic expectations. She just wanted to be a qualified military advisor and counselor, worthy of the salary Zhu Wen gave her.

She also knew that even with a girl like Duan Hongyan, who was both intelligent, brave, talented and beautiful, Zhu Wen deliberately kept an appropriate distance from her.

But she had indeed been living a very comfortable life with the camp commander during this period, and she had become somewhat addicted to it.

"I'm truly a terrible person." Lan Suting heard Zhu Wen sighing and muttering to himself, "But if Madam Chaoying just wants to help me solve my problems, then there's no need."

Zhu Wen certainly knew that for a "fairy" like Chaoying who needed to maintain her chastity, it was easier to serve a woman than a man.

In fact, many celebrities and noble ladies like the feeling of being a fake phoenix and become guests of the five famous romantic families including Taishan Sect.

"No, Chaoying is sincere."

Chuoying's eyes grew brighter. "If a girl isn't sincere, why would she reveal her feelings in front of outsiders? We prostitutes may speak three parts truth and seven parts lies, but we are definitely not emotionless porcelain dolls!"

She clutched Lan Suting's small hand, her eyes shimmering as she lost herself in long memories. "Sister Zhizhen, did you know that when Chaoying was very little, she loved reading the story of Liang Zhu? Back then, Chaoying was the apple of the eye of the Lantian County Magistrate's eye. She was carefree and often dreamed of having a beautiful young man like Liang Shanbo to spend her life with. Even if their love was full of ups and downs and she turned into a colorful butterfly, she would have no regrets."

It turned out that she was once the daughter of an official. It must be that her father committed a crime that caused her to end up in a place like Baiyun Temple.

"Seeing your calligraphy and your poems, my heart was already moved. When I first saw you, I immediately saw that you were a woman disguised as a man, but you really are the Liang Shanbo that I imagined in my childhood - delicate, reserved, and talented, yet able to shoulder the greatest weight of the world with your frail shoulders."

Zhu Wen felt the same way. Lan Suting's seriousness and responsibility were unmatched not only by women but also by most men in the world.

"Chao Ying thought, is power acquired only to become a puppet of power? What's the point of living like that? People break free from their shackles just to be able to find their true love like any other woman, 'We meet by chance, and live together forever.'"

Such a passionate confession left Lan Suting completely speechless and breathless.

The shadow was so beautiful that any woman would be moved by it. Lan Suting told Zhu Wen at the time that she was also a little moved.

Having been forced by her father to wear men's clothing since she was young, she often forgot she was a girl before she met Zhu Wen. Many times, she really thought she was a young man going to take the imperial examination.

Besides, Ying Jiang would probably be reluctant to give herself to another man. It seemed like a good idea for two girls to spend their lives together.

"Fairy Chuoying, I can't make a decision for Zhizhen. But I suddenly feel that you now look like what a fairy should be like: flesh and blood, with the air of the mundane world, yet a beauty so different from the mundane world."

In Zhu Wen's eyes, being detached from all emotions and desires is definitely not what a true fairy should be like.

It is beautiful to be like Chaoying now, who dares to love and hate, and pursues power, career, and the love she wants.

"What's going on? He's making it seem like anyone can't even walk when they see him." Tian Jun snorted, "He's just a little smarter and better looking than other men."

She sighed and said to Lan Suting, "Sister Zhizhen, the fairy is deeply in love with you, so just give in to her. What does it matter if she is a girl? It's really not worth it to be with such a stinky man."

"That's nonsense," Zhu Wen retorted. "First of all, I don't think women should be unable to walk when they see me. Secondly, I'm not a bad man. At least I bathe more frequently than you. A foolish woman like you, how can you understand the world of love? Shut up now."

Seeing this, Chaoying lowered her eyes and sighed, "It's me who said it in public, so that it will be difficult for you, Zhizhen."

She gently grasped Lan Suting's hand and said, "Chao Ying is not in a hurry. I will wait for your reply. If sister Zhi Zhen doesn't want to, Chao Ying won't force her."

Lan Suting's face flushed red, and she lowered her head without saying a word.

Zhu Wen grabbed Tian Jun's hand and pulled her away forcibly, and covered her mouth with his other hand to stop her from shouting.

"Cover...my...mouth...don't use your hands...use...the wine bottle!" Tian Jun struggled, trying her best to squeeze out her protest.

Zhu Wen didn't know what Lan Suting and Chaoying said afterwards, nor did he want to know.

The incident at Mount Tai was resolved smoothly, and it was time to return to the army.

Teacher, senior brother, junior sister, second brother, Huo Cun... He hadn't seen them for a while and did miss them a little.

(End of this chapter)