Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 155 Raising Hope
When Zhu Wen was eating, he was generally not very willing to talk or think.

He enjoys eating slowly and savoring the taste of food.

There were about ten dishes on the table, but only one was made by Lan Suting herself. It was a whole steamed turtle, a close relative of the bandit king Ba Wang Jian.

Soft-shelled turtle, also known as turtle or soft-shelled turtle, has more meat and a more tender flavor than other turtles, and has been a famous delicacy since the Zhou Dynasty. The idiom "food craving" originates from the story of eating soft-shelled turtle at a court banquet in the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn Period.

This turtle is steamed in a clay pot. After the internal organs are removed, it is stuffed with shiitake mushrooms, diced chicken, and bamboo shoots. It is then seasoned with scallions, ginger, cooking wine, and pepper. The dish is incredibly fragrant and delicious, with the slight spiciness of the pepper further enhancing the appetite.

Zhu Wen used a bamboo knife to cut off small pieces of the turtle's skirt, picked them up with chopsticks, and ate them in a bowl. He found them incredibly smooth and delicious. After savoring them, he scooped up a spoonful of good Jiangdong rice and chewed it together, using the smoothness of the rice to remove any oiliness.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, the population in the south was small and rice production was limited, so even rice was a delicacy in the north. In the Analects, Confucius once rebuked Zai Yu, saying, "Eating rice and wearing brocade, is that alright for you?" He condemned Zai Yu for eating rice and wearing brocade while mourning his parents as immoral.

During this dynasty, the Jianghuai region was increasingly cultivated, and rice production increased dramatically. Large quantities were transported to Guanzhong to fill the food shortage, so much so that people in the Shaanxi region also mostly ate rice.

Zhu Wen grew up in the Songzhou and Xuzhou area, which is located at the junction of the north and south. Wheat, millet, and rice are all grown there, and he can get used to eating white rice, noodles, and millet porridge. But compared to other foods, he still thinks rice tastes better.

While Zhu Wen was enjoying his meal, Yang Xingmi finished recounting his past.

The account was very brief because Yang Xingmi did not want to show his weakness in order to gain sympathy.

Zhu Wen cut off a piece of turtle skirt with his knife, gesturing for Yang Xingmi to take it himself: "This turtle is a relative of that scoundrel, steamed by my sworn sister Lan Suting herself. Its deliciousness surpasses even the finest delicacies of the palace. Brother Yang, would you like to have a bite?"

The practice of separate dining, which had existed for a thousand years, began to be replaced by communal dining in this dynasty, where a group of people ate together at the same table. However, Zhu Wen still found it very annoying to use chopsticks to directly put food into other people's bowls.

When Zhu Wen publicly uttered the words "sworn sister," Lan Suting's eyes twitched slightly. But she knew in her heart that these were truly responsible words.

Yang Xingmi picked up the hem of the skirt with his chopsticks, his demeanor serene, and savored it slowly: "The turtle skirt is rich in collagen, and its beauty surpasses that of pork belly. But to be made so tender and smooth, it can be called a divine delicacy."

Zhu Wen said with pride, "I knew it! My sister Zhizhen's skills are probably even better than the Seven Fairies' skillful hands that wove brocade for Dong Yong's family!"

As she spoke, her gaze swept over Lan Suting, who was blushing slightly after receiving the praise, looking extremely beautiful and lovely.

"Be careful of my junior brother Qian Liu." Yang Xingmi suddenly said in a deep voice, "He has been serving under Dong Chang, the general of Shijing Town in Hangzhou, for several years. He was credited with the victory when General Lei sent troops to quell Wang Ying."

Yang Xingmi was not the only outstanding disciple of the Hidden Sword Manor in this generation.

Out of brotherly affection, Yang Xingmi did not mention that Qian Liu had also fought alongside Cao Shixiong and others on numerous occasions. Not only did he capture and kill Zhu Zhiguan and Wang Zhixin, local Zhejiang rebel leaders who cooperated with Cao Shixiong, but Qian Liu also played a significant role in the battle where Pei Qu, the military governor of Zhenhai, killed Cao Shixiong.

Like Yang Xingmi, Qian Liu was undoubtedly a remarkable figure of his time.

Yang Xingmi then said solemnly, "My assistance to you all this time is solely due to the profound kindness of my master. My master is a man of deep feelings and has repeatedly mentioned the kindness and righteousness that Alliance Leader Wang has shown to my Hidden Sword Sect. Before I depart, I knelt down and kowtowed three times to my master to express my gratitude."

Between master and disciple, three kowtows form a bond, and three kowtows sever ties.

Yang Xingmi's unspoken message was that his teacher was a virtuous man and would never be an enemy of the bandits. However, Yang Xingmi had kowtowed three times to express his gratitude to his teacher, and this time, leading troops to rescue the bandits was repaying the kindness of Alliance Leader Wang Xianzhi. The next time Yang Xingmi met Zhu Wen and the others, they might be enemies.

“Brother Yang’s junior brother, Qian Liu, doesn’t seem to have as many worries as Brother Yang,” Zhu Wen said with a smile.

“Junior Brother Qian’s parents are both alive. As for me, I lost my parents at a young age and was rescued from danger by my master and raised to adulthood. I have the same parents as you. Moreover, Junior Brother has never suffered any injustice from the government, so he can naturally be a loyal subject of the Tang Dynasty.”

Yang Xingmi's words were reasonable, measured, and watertight. Zhu Wen glanced at the three Zhang brothers, Zhang Guiba, Zhang Guihou, and Zhang Guibian, from Mangdang Mountain, and saw that all three looked ashamed.

He was initially reluctant to join the group because he coveted the life of a wealthy man. Now that he has joined the bandit group, he feels ashamed for his past disregard for kindness.

In fact, Zhu Wen saw it all clearly. What is loyalty and what is righteousness are merely means to maintain social order.

Even rebels must uphold loyalty and righteousness; otherwise, they can only cause destruction and cannot establish a new order.

The master and disciple Yang Xingmi of Cangjian Manor, like the other members of the Caojun army, had long harbored rebellious intentions, but were simply waiting for a better opportunity. Since they could not be considered loyal to the court, they could only pretend to be righteous for the time being.

When the lord of the manor ordered Yang Xingmi to help the bandits escape the pursuit, besides repaying a debt of gratitude, didn't he also hope that Huang Chao would further disrupt the situation and provide an opportunity for Yang Xingmi to raise an army? And wasn't his training of Yang Xingmi and Qian Liu, his two disciples, also a way of casting a wide net and making two plans?

Master Ye of Cangjian Manor is clearly a meticulous person. The manor was originally located in Hangzhou and was the family business of the Ye family for generations. Later, it moved to Yangzhou and changed to a master-apprentice system to attract talent, no longer restricting it to one family or surname. The Ye family also moved from the forefront to behind the scenes.

Master Ye is the only one with the surname Ye among the seven generations of masters in the past century. He has held the position of sect leader for thirty years and has also cultivated two disciples who can be regarded as outstanding figures of the times, which shows his ability.

But since the Cao Army had received favors from the Hidden Sword Manor, no one would openly expose these things.

This is not something to be criticized. Loyal and righteous actions should bring long-term benefits to people in order to be worth practicing. Hence the ancient saying "cultivating one's reputation".

Yang Xingmi had been cultivating his skills for many years, waiting for the moment to unsheathe his sword.

After the banquet, Zhu Wen personally saw Yang Xingmi off.

Upon reaching the pavilion, Yang Xingmi played a tune on his flute. After the music ended, the two dismissed their personal guards and began to talk.

"Brother Zhu, can you guess who the Flower King is working for?" Yang Xingmi asked.

“This person must be ambitious and want to replace the Tang Dynasty.” Zhu Wen said with certainty, “Since the Flower Queen is a member of the Demonic Sect, she is definitely not a kind man or woman. It’s better to let her be a loyal lackey of the court like Ming Shiyin than to put a camel through the eye of a needle.”

Yang Xingmi revealed a look of deep agreement: "Is this person Lei Shuai Gao Pian?"

"Brother Yang, you already have the answer in your heart, so why ask me?" Zhu Wen said sarcastically.

“Lei Shuai is indeed dissatisfied with the imperial court, and he is also shrewd, capable, and ruthless enough. But the people of the Demonic Sect want one more thing: to be controlled.”

Yang Xingmi said, "Although Hua Wang is a bit old, it is not appropriate for her to marry Lei Shuai as his second wife. Besides, Lei Shuai does not have any outstanding children."

Zhu Wen smiled and said, “There is a man in Lingnan who is a descendant of the Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. He controls an important region and is very wealthy. His son, Li Yi, is known for his free-spirited and chivalrous nature. It is said that the Kunlun Sect and Cuiyan Sect, which caused trouble for my army before, are closely connected with Li Yi.”

Yang Xingmi nodded approvingly: "The two Zhejiang regions are important tax-producing areas of the country, and Huainan is the cradle of prime ministers. Both are under the close surveillance of the court. Fujian has a small population and it is difficult to support an army. Jiangxi is a place where dragons are trapped. Only Lingnan East Circuit has enough commercial tax to support an army of 100,000 without increasing taxes on the people. It can advance to subdue the barbarians and control the world, or retreat to defend the passes and establish a separatist regime."

Huang Chao's army's southward march was aimed at Lingnan, where the profits from trade routes to Guangzhou were enough to greatly increase the strength of his army.

It's obvious why Kao Yudidi is going to such lengths to oppose the Grass Army.

(End of this chapter)