xymnovel Chapter 10 Zhao Yupan
Chapter 10 Zhao Yupan
Jeju City is under strict control now.
One reason is that bandits were rampant in Jeju Island, making it a very unstable place.
On the other hand, He Tao, the arresting officer, led his troops to capture the thieves, but they never returned. Several days passed, and not a single one came back alive.
The prefect was naturally alarmed and ordered a citywide curfew.
Of course, martial law does not mean that people are not allowed to enter or leave; it just means that there are more guards at the entrances and people entering and leaving are searched.
Gongsun Sheng was still dressed as a Taoist priest, wearing a brown Taoist robe and a tall crown, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.
Wang Lun and Zhao Si, disguised as Taoist boys, followed behind him.
The three men lined up, waiting for the soldiers at the door to search them.
They heard someone whispering ahead, "What's going on? It wasn't this strict a few days ago."
"Haven't you heard? He Tao led his troops to attack Liangshan Marsh, and his entire army was wiped out."
"What? I heard that Liangshan Marsh is full of people who eat people without spitting out the bones? Does that mean He Tao was eaten?"
Wang Lun chuckled softly, "They eat people without spitting out the bones, are they monsters?"
The speaker turned around and saw a handsome Taoist priest. He said in a low voice, "You must be a wandering Taoist priest from out of town. That Liangshan Marsh, which stretches for eight hundred li, is quite formidable. There's a gang of bandits there causing trouble, and they're all highly skilled in martial arts."
"Hey, you said they're highly skilled in martial arts, how skilled are they?"
The speaker's voice was clear, melodious, and extremely pleasant to listen to.
Even Wang Lun couldn't help but turn around to look. He saw a young master in fine clothes coming over to talk to everyone, with a warrior following closely behind him.
As the young master passed by Wang Lun, Wang Lun smelled a fragrance that was refreshing and delightful.
A thought struck him: this was a woman disguised as a man.
He looked closely and saw that although she was not wearing makeup, she had delicate features, fair skin, and a tall stature; she was a beauty.
Everyone could tell she was a woman disguised as a man, but he acted like a man, standing tall and waving a folding fan.
The person who spoke first replied, "Do you know Lin Chong, the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards?"
The woman seemed to be deep in thought. She turned around and saw the warrior behind her nod and say, "I've heard about it."
Wang Lun moved closer to the woman and said, "Hey, young master, you look unfamiliar. You're not from around here, are you?"
The woman was already unhappy when Wang Lun bumped into her, but then she suddenly remembered that she was a man now, and she noticed that although Wang Lun was a bit old, he was handsome and had the air of a scholar.
She nodded and said, "I'm from Tokyo, my surname is Zhao, and my given name is Yupan. What's your name?"
"Zhao Yupan?" Wang Lun murmured. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
He quickly replied, "This humble Taoist is Wuchenzi, this is my master Qingfengzi, and this is my junior brother Wunianzi."
Zhao Yupan glanced at Gongsun Sheng behind him, noticing his sage-like demeanor. Gongsun Sheng bowed politely, then turned back and asked, "Lin Chong is the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards. Is he also a bandit at Liangshan?"
Wang Lun quickly replied, "Young Master Zhao, I know that."
Seeing that he was still far from the city gate and it wouldn't be the soldiers' turn to search him yet, he began to tell the story of how Lin Chong and his wife were so loving, how his wife caught the eye of Gao Yanei, how she was framed by Gao Qiu and others, how she was mistakenly sent to the White Tiger Hall, exiled to the army, and then met with assassins before finally joining the Liangshan bandits in the snow.
In the Water Margin stories, Wang Lun's favorite characters used to be Lin Chong and Wu Song.
Now that I truly know Lin Chong and have a deeper understanding of him, I can talk endlessly about Lin Chong's deeds, as if I were telling a story.
By the time the story was finished, Zhao Yupan was already in tears.
She choked back tears and turned back to say, "Write this down, and tell Father when you get back."
The samurai nodded in agreement.
Wang Lun sighed deeply: "Our great Song Dynasty has such beautiful lands, but now treacherous officials are in power, the people are suffering, the threat of the Liao Dynasty in the north has not been eliminated, and the Jin Dynasty is rising again. The Great Song Dynasty... is in grave danger!"
Zhao Yupan was startled: "Is the Great Song Dynasty really in such danger?"
Wang Lun nodded and said, "Wanyan Aguda annexed various tribes and established the Jin Dynasty. Its power and influence were unparalleled at the time. The Liao Dynasty had long been corrupt and decadent and was no match for the Jin Dynasty. Once the Jin Dynasty moves south, how can the Song Dynasty resist it?"
He feigned mystery, pointing at Gongsun Sheng and saying, "My master is all-knowing and all-seeing; he has long since foreseen the secrets of heaven. In about ten years, the Great Song Dynasty will be trampled under the iron hooves of the Jin Dynasty, the Great Song court will perish, and a prince will establish a court south of the Huai River to fight against the Jin Dynasty."
Zhao Yupan exclaimed in surprise, "Ten years? That's so fast! Then, Taoist priest, which prince do you think could stand against the Jin Kingdom?"
She asked Gongsun Sheng, who was taken aback. He had no idea what was going on. Seeing Wang Lun's strange smile, he didn't try to help.
Gongsun Sheng thought for a moment, and since Taoism emphasizes the concept of returning to oneness, he said, "The ninth son."
"Nine……"
Wang Lun and Zhao Yupan were both startled.
Wang Lun's mind went blank, as if struck by lightning. Zhao Jiu ascended the throne and fought against the Jin Dynasty in the south, establishing the Southern Song Dynasty.
Gongsun Sheng knew nothing of these things. Could it be... that this was truly the will of Heaven?
Zhao Yupan was also secretly surprised: "Ninth Brother, he is a man of both literary and martial talents, and has always had lofty ambitions. It's just that he is not the Crown Prince, so he has always been depressed. If it is him... then it makes sense."
This person was none other than Princess Deqing, Zhao Yupan, of the current dynasty.
She did not do anything particularly significant in history, but she is praised by later generations for her outstanding appearance and talent.
During the Jingkang Incident, she was captured along with other members of the imperial family and taken north, where she became a concubine of Wanyan Zongpan, the Song King of the Jin Dynasty.
Her name appears in the annals of history, including the story of her being captured by the Jurchens and made their concubine.
For a moment, Wang Lun and Zhao Yupan were both preoccupied with their own thoughts and stopped talking, slowly moving forward with the group.
The soldiers at the gate wouldn't actually search people; as long as someone offered a few pieces of silver, they would let them in.
Those who had no money were thoroughly searched.
Zhao Yupan saw this and tried to step forward several times, but was dissuaded by Wang Lun and the guards behind her each time.
Zhao Yupan finally understood what "the people are living in misery" meant.
Finally entering the city, Zhao Yupan parted ways with Wang Lun and the others to explore on her own. She was naturally playful, and since her mother was the Empress, no one dared to interfere, so she secretly left Tokyo with her highly skilled guards.
Hearing that there were bandits in Jeju, she brought her guards to Jeju.
Now that she has learned that the mastermind among the bandits is Lin Chong, she is shocked and thinks she must go back to the palace to tell her father and have Gao Qiu and the others punished.
Even after she left, Wang Lun continued to watch her retreating figure.
Zhao Si, quick-witted, immediately said, "Brother... has he taken a fancy to her? How about I go with Master tonight and snatch her to warm your bed?"
Wang Lun snorted angrily and said, "How is such behavior any different from that of bandits?"
Suddenly remembering that he was indeed a bandit, he said, "We are a righteous army, not evil bandits."
Watching Zhao Yupan walk away, he sighed, "That girl is really beautiful. I wonder what about Li Shishi, the most famous woman in the Song Dynasty?"
I should go to Tokyo sometime.
He strode forward, muttering, "The number one fortune teller in the martial arts world, able to predict the past five hundred years and the future five hundred years. If it doesn't work... no money required."