Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 126 Zhu Zhen
When Lan Suting woke up, she was surprised to find Tian Jun and Zhu Wen embracing in bed. But knowing that Zhu Wen was not one to do anything reckless, she gently woke them both up.

"Sister Jun, you not only ran away, but you also stole food." Lan Suting looked at Tian Jun's exposed body and said softly.

Tian Jun felt a little guilty: "I was just too eager to tell the truth, that's why..."

"They'll both be Sister Jun's lovers now, so do whatever you want with them," Lan Suting said with a helpless expression.

Tian Jun suddenly grabbed Lan Suting's small hand, pulled her onto the bed, and pressed her face against her chest: "You think your older sister is neglecting you? It's not like I can't love your little sister..."

Lan Suting was suffocated and could not breathe, so she kept groaning softly.

“For something like this, Zhizhen can just ask Lady Zhuoying.” Zhu Wen smiled. “That woman’s body is even more supple than yours, Junmei.”

If Tian Jun hadn't known that Zhu Wen was completely unmoved by Zhuo Ying, she would have loved to punch him on the spot.

Lan Suting finally managed to break free from Tian Jun's clutches and stood up: "But Sister Chuoying's safety is still unknown..."

"Xiao Huo told me that they went down but didn't find a single person. There were a lot of torn silk pieces by the pool next to them." Zhu Wen said calmly, "I can already guess what happened. Zhuo Ying first laid out a silk mat below and also ambushed people to capture Chen Liqing alive."

"You lost the fight?" Lan Suting asked, blinking.

"In other words, they didn't catch her. The Taishan Sect ultimately lacks skilled fighters. Chen Liqing probably jumped into the pool and escaped through the underground river. In another day or two, Zhuoying should send us a message to let us know she's safe."

Lan Suting breathed a sigh of relief: "Sister Zhuoying is such a shrewd person, how could she come unprepared..."

Tian Jun dressed and sneaked out of Zhu Wen's tent early in the morning, since their relationship had not yet been made public to the entire army. Zhu Wen, on the other hand, went back to sleep.

During the day, he publicly praised Huo Cun's valiant fighting achievements, but privately he stripped Huo Cun of his shirt and whipped him three times on the back, thus ending the matter.

The public rewards and secret punishments were all done because Huo Cun was Zhu Wen's confidant, and Zhu Wen needed to consider Huo Cun's feelings.

Zhu Wen then summoned the knight named Zhu Zhen who had saved him in battle.

Upon seeing someone enter, Lan Suting immediately withdrew from the tent to show that no one was eavesdropping.

Zhu Wen felt that this person looked very familiar, but it was as if he had never seen him before. He couldn't remember when he had joined the group, and he felt a little embarrassed. He thought to himself: Could it be that my second brother recruited him into the village when I was out wandering around?

He saved his master in a moment of crisis, sustaining multiple wounds himself; he truly deserves to be called a hero. This man was also quite handsome, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a height of eight feet, and an imposing presence.

Although Tian Jun would certainly have saved Zhu Wen even without Zhu Zhen's intervention, the battlefield is unpredictable, and it's hard to say what might have happened. Perhaps a few moments later, the unconscious Zhu Wen would have been killed by a hail of bullets from the enemy.

"This humble servant pays his respects to the General." Zhu Zhen appeared extremely respectful.

Zhu Wen quickly helped him up: "You saved my life, and we share the same surname and hometown, so there's no need for such formalities."

If it were Wang Jian, he would definitely take the opportunity to become sworn brothers with Zhu Zhen.

But Zhu Wen didn't like to treat the word "brother" too casually.

Zhu Zhen said, "It is simply my duty."

"Duty?" Zhu Wen asked in surprise, "What favors have I or my second brother done for you?"

Zhu Zhen said, "Although the generals will not personally bestow favors, it is no different from the generals doing it themselves if it is done by Military Advisor Lan."

"Back then, I was suffering from a festering sore and was on the verge of death. If it weren't for Mr. Lan's help in sucking the pus, I'm afraid..."

As he spoke, the man's voice even trembled with sobs.

Zhu Wen then realized that the warrior whose right arm sore was sucked by Lan Suting was him.

He is a sensible and grateful person—Zhu Wen silently judged in his heart.

Just as Zhu Wen was about to ask him what reward he wanted, Zhu Zhen spoke up again: "I have a request to make of the general."

Zhu Wen's mind raced. He thought to himself that this man had saved his life, and if he wanted a reward, he would certainly grant it. But if this man had fallen for Lan Suting, while youthful infatuation was not a big deal, this was something he could never give him.

At this moment, Zhu Zhen uttered the words "Military Advisor Lan". Zhu Wen was displeased and wanted to interrupt, but Zhu Zhen continued, "Military Advisor Lan once asked me for a favor. She is on good terms with Zhao Niangzi in the military brothel and hopes that I can find her a home."

Hearing this, Zhu Wen felt relieved, but thought to himself, "It's Lan Suting who's being unreasonable. How can he let someone else marry a camp prostitute?"
On second thought, ordinary soldiers often had good relationships with camp prostitutes, and many of them married them.

“But you have made such a great contribution, and I will promote you to an important position immediately. It is not good to talk about having a prostitute as your wife.” Zhu Wen said, “How about this, you take Zhao Yaoniang as your concubine, and I will pay for her redemption. If a good family’s daughter comes along in the future, I will give her to you.”

Zhu Zhen was not only handsome but also exceptionally skilled; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to rescue Zhu Wen amidst the chaos of battle. Zhu Wen was planning to use the thirty-odd heavily armored cavalrymen left behind by Ming Shiyin, who had followed Ge Congzhou, as a model to train a group of good knights, and Zhu Zhen was exactly the kind of person he needed.

Even if Zhao Yaoniang, from a family of humble origins, hadn't been captured by the bandits and had been sent to a high-ranking family like the Cui, Lu, Li, or Zheng clans, she would still only be a concubine. Zhu Wen didn't think that the heroes he valued were any less capable than the pampered sons of the Five Clans and Seven Families.

Zhu Zhen said solemnly, "Military Advisor Lan has given me a second life. A man's word is his bond, and I cannot renege on it. I earnestly request that you grant me Lady Zhao as your wife."

"He values ​​his promises above life and death. He is truly a hero." Zhu Wen nodded and said, "Since that's the case, Zhao Yaoniang has a maid who came to the camp. She is still a virgin. You might as well give her to you as a concubine. You must treat them well."

After the Battle of Qizhou, Zhu Wen rescued Shang Rang and others. On his way north to join forces with Huang Chao, he conquered numerous aristocratic estates that had stood by while people resorted to cannibalism and starved to death on the roads, continuing to hoard goods and engage in price gouging. He executed many of these wealthy and unscrupulous aristocratic families. Zhao Yaoniang, along with other noblewomen, was among those exiled by Zhu Wen in a fit of rage and forced into prostitution within his camp.

Zhu Wen ordered his men to burn the indentures of the rescued slaves and let them leave. Most of them picked up some clothes that the soldiers didn't want. But Zhao Yaoniang's maid insisted on serving her daughter and stayed in the camp to make a living by doing mending clothes for the soldiers.

Zhu Wen learned from his inquiry that the Zhao family was indeed vicious and had beaten her many times. However, Zhao Yaoniang had treated her well. One of Zhao Yaoniang's cousins ​​had tried to rape her, but Yaoniang had saved her and protected her virginity.

These people, living at the very bottom of society, have been humiliated and harmed for years, and they are so grateful for even the smallest favor. Zhu Wen was not in a position to comment on this.

Zhu Wen didn't want to lecture the maid or say things like, "You're a person, you don't owe anyone anything." Since she wanted to be with Yao Niang, he figured they could be sisters, sharing a husband.

Zhu Wen originally intended to marry her off to Zhu Zhen as his principal wife, but then thought that a maid would probably find it difficult to accept.

Zhu Zhen was overjoyed.

By risking his life to save the general, Zhu Wen not only gained a promotion opportunity but also won the hand in hand with two beautiful young women. He even promised to cover all the expenses for their wedding banquet.

He was absolutely right. Although they disliked empty talk and calling others brothers, they were incredibly generous when it came to giving favors.

"Your humble servant will express my deepest gratitude!"

According to Zhu Wen, he plans to appoint Zhu Zhen as the commander of the cavalry, and entrust him with the training of all two hundred cavalrymen in the camp, including more than thirty elite Ming Cult cavalrymen led by Dong Hou.

Although Zhu Wen had already recognized Zhu Zhen's talent in cavalry warfare, such an exceptional promotion still filled Zhu Zhen with immense gratitude. He felt that it was truly worthwhile to follow such a lord.

Zhu Wen readily accepted Zhu Zhen's thanks. He wasn't one for idle chatter; after giving some instructions, he dismissed Zhu Zhen. Chatting with the soldiers and military academy students was the business of his second brother, Zhu Cun.

A few days later, Zhu Wen indeed received a message from Zhu Ying. He left the camp and saw Zhu Ying gracefully playing the zither on a low hill. She had set up a table and was preparing to drink with him.

Zhu Wen said, "It's truly reassuring that Lady Zhuoying is safe and sound."

"I heard that Young Master Liangyu has betrothed two girls to his meritorious subordinates. Does the young master himself also have plans to have three wives and four concubines?" Unexpectedly, Zhuoying came up and said this.

"The Fairy of Shadows is truly well-informed." Zhu Wen said solemnly, "A great man should aspire to fame and success; how can he be preoccupied with family matters so early?"

"It's good that you're not competing with them for Zhizhen." Zhuoying suddenly revealed a hint of girlishness: "They're even worried that if you've been served by her for too long, you might want to take her as a concubine..."

Although Zhuoying liked Lan Suting to the extreme, she also saw very clearly that it wouldn't be easy for a girl like Lan Suting from a modest family to become Zhu Wen's first wife.

"I won't compete with Lady Zhuoying for her; I treat her like a younger brother or sister." Zhu Wen revealed a playful smile: "Does Lady Zhuoying only like girls?"

“Not really,” Zhuoying replied without any hesitation. “I originally liked handsome young men who were cute and charming, almost like women. But Zhizhen’s appearance in men’s clothing just happened to hit my sweet spot.”

Zhu Wen thought to himself that it was hard to find a man with a more refined appearance than himself. When he went to Hebei, he happened to hear someone say that Li Keyong, the son of the Feng family, was such a handsome fellow, even more beautiful than a woman. The only flaw was that he was born blind in one eye.

However, in his view, it was not a bad thing that Zhuoying was so infatuated with Lansuting.

Chuo Ying then asked, "Does Young Master Liang Yu still remember our appointment at the Five Peaks Incense Gathering?"

Zhu Wen said, "Of course I remember. Lady Zhuoying came in person to invite Zhizhen and me over."

“Mrs. Tian is also an acquaintance of the Taishan Sect. It would be even better if she were willing to come as well.” Zhuoying said, “The incense gathering is the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth of the seventh month, which is still ten days away.”

Zhu Wen nodded: "The imperial court hasn't caused you any trouble, has it?"

"With Yan Shuai dead, Pinglu is plunged back into chaos. As for the matter between Zhuoying and Caojun, a little money can settle it." Zhuoying smiled charmingly: "Now, in Lunan, how many gangs are colluding with the Righteous Army besides our Taishan Sect?"

What Zhuoying said is true. After the Battle of Muling Pass, almost all the forces in the mountains of southern Shandong openly or secretly swore allegiance to Huang Chao. Even if the government wanted to intervene, it probably wouldn't be able to manage it all.

As Huang Chao said, after Zhu Wen killed the god with a single blow at Muling Pass, the foundation of this empire had already cracked and was gradually beginning to collapse.

(End of this chapter)