Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 118

Chapter 118 Emperor Wen Jia
The female swordswoman’s beautiful eyes glittered with stars, but she said indifferently, “No. We only have the Book of Feihong, which is full of yearning and love between us. Could it be that we also want to show it to you?”

“You got me wrong.” Qin Mubai said, “I suspect that Zhu Chengwen hid an important ledger when he was alive. It recorded the income and expenditure of a lot of money, including some corrupt officials. The murderers are likely to be among those people. Therefore, if you want to find the murderers, the ledger is very important. If you have it, you can give it to me.”

“No.” The female swordswoman lightly spat out two words and said indifferently, “If there is one, do I still need to stay here and guard? I must have gone directly to seek revenge.”

“Alright then!” Qin Mubai nodded and said, “Today, you injured two of my subordinates, but I won’t argue with you anymore. Do yourself a favor and we’ll part ways. If you have any clues, you can come to find me at Jishan County, Jiangzhou. Say my name and I will naturally let you in-Qin Mubai.”

When the Female Sword Pavilion heard this, it moved slightly, “Tell me, your name is Qin Mubai?”

“Miss, could it be that I recognize you?” Qin Mubai said in surprise.

“I just met him.” The female swordswoman looked at Qin Mubai with her beautiful eyes. She immediately turned her head and said indifferently, “I’ve seen your name in a letter with my husband. He said that you are a first-rate romantic figure in Chang’an, a famous person in front of the Emperor.” My husband loves calligraphy and folk arts, and is very interested in the pipa skills that are popular in Chang’an. Thus, I mentioned you and said that you are the current generation’s Grandmaster. If I have the chance to go to Chang’an, I would like to pay my respects to you. I didn’t expect to see you here today, and you’re here to pay your respects to your husband. He seems to know … ”

Qin Mubai nodded and asked, “Did your husband mention Liao Lirong in his correspondence with you?”

Hearing this, the Female Sword Pavilion froze and turned to look at Qin Mubai, “Yes!” He was his husband’s colleague and his only close friend in Jishan. Both of them came from poor backgrounds and were enrolled in the Ming Classic. At the same time, they came to Jishan County to serve as officials. Coupled with the same good calligraphy and quyi, and in the same yamen officials, therefore very similar mood. Sooner or later, they would get along with each other, just like biological brothers. The husband mentioned him more than once in his letter, saying that although he was in a foreign country, he had relatives and brothers. Liao Lirong also sends gifts to his husband’s children during the New Year holidays. He is very close to them in his letters. ”

Qin Mubai sighed and shook her head.

“Why are you sighing?” The female swordswoman asked doubtfully, “Could the death of her husband be related to Liao Lirong? When I arrived in Ji County, I discovered that there was a flood and that Jishan County was a puddle of ocean. I wanted to find Liao Lirong first, but I couldn’t find him. Where is he now?”

“You’re being held in my custody.” The corners of Qin Mubai’s mouth curled up slightly, and he drew an arc full of mockery and disdain. “As expected, Liao Lirong is the most direct murderer of Zhu Chengwen’s death.”

“What?!” The female swordswoman was immediately shocked and scolded, “This is impossible! He is my husband’s only friend in a foreign country. The two of them live together in the county government, and they wear the same clothes and pants as each other, just like brothers!”

“You’d better accept this fact.” Qin Mubai shook his head and sighed, “Zhu Chengwen is really a sad person who accidentally makes friends when meeting someone.” Although I have never seen him before, from the investigation and your dictation these past few days, it is not difficult for me to understand that even if he is not an Azure Heaven Father and Mother Official, he is at least a person who scrupulously abides by his own integrity. He is unlikely to be some evil person. Unfortunately, in the end, the one who killed him was the only friend he trusted the most! ”

“I still don’t believe it!” The female swordswoman gritted her teeth and snorted coldly, “Unless I see Liao Lirong and hear him admit it with my own ears!”

“Then let’s go!” Qin Mubai chuckled nonchalantly, “It just happened to be on the way.”

The female swordswoman held her sword in her hands and lowered her head. She seemed to be pondering for a moment. She softly said, “Why should I believe you?”

“Of course you don’t believe me.” Qin Mubai curled her lips and beckoned to the other two soldiers, “Let’s go.”

“Stop!” The female swordswoman’s ghostly figure flashed and blocked Qin Mubai’s path. Her pair of starry eyes stared straight at him as if she wanted to pierce through him with her gaze.

“I’ll go with you!”

“Help yourself.” Qin Mubai smiled and walked around her. The two servants covered their bloody shoulders, glared at her with hostility, and quickly followed.

The three of them walked together in the front, while the Female Sword Pavilion followed behind by five or six steps. A soldier said, “General, this woman is too fierce, and her origin is unknown. Is it really appropriate for us to bring her along like this?”

“I have my own limits. There’s no need to say anything.” After Qin Mubai finished speaking, he stopped talking. Even though the two soldiers were filled with resentment towards the woman, they did not dare to speak any further.

The group of people came to the carriage and looked at the pawn. “Eh, why are you two injured?” The pawn asked in surprise. “There’s also a woman in black?”

“It’s a female ghost!” Pawn A angrily spat out a curse.

“Shut up!” Qin Mubai scolded, “If your skills are inferior to others, you have to accept your fate. Who told you not to practice properly?”

“Yes” Pawn A lowered his head and said no more.

The female swordswoman walked forward and glanced at the four people present with her starry eyes. She took out a bottle of medicine and threw it at the pawn armor, “Put it on yourself.”

“Thank you for your kindness. There’s no need.” Junior Soldier A tossed the bottle back to her and said resentfully, “We have it ourselves.”

“Oh, I forgot.” The female swordswoman put away the bottle of medicine and laughed. “General Qin Mubai’s subordinates are all dignified royal subordinates. Furthermore, they are all disciples of the Shi Clan. Of course, they all use good things. How can they like inferior products like us?”

“I’m too lazy to tell you. Otherwise, the general will curse again.” Pawn A glared at her angrily and didn’t reply.

The female swordswoman sneered, “I’ve heard for a long time that everyone can defeat one hundred cavalry. I didn’t expect that it would be so useless. Even if you lose, you still refuse to admit it. It seems like you’ve lost your reputation!”

“You!” The three soldiers were furious at the same time, wishing they could swallow this arrogant woman alive. Baiji had never eaten this kind of turtle in front of anyone since its establishment. No wonder they were so angry.

Qin Mubai Wan’er smiled and said, “Young lady, your martial arts skills are very formidable. Perhaps even I am unable to defeat you. However, you won by killing a small number of enemies in front of you. Can you take the heads of the enemy generals in the army as if they were snatching something from them? There is something good about a short foot. At that time, a hundred young ladies like you might not be more useful than a hundred cavalry soldiers.”

“Bullshit!” The female swordswoman snorted coldly and ignored the four men. She turned around and got into the car, sitting in a dignified manner.

“Eh! This barbaric little girl is so unreasonable!” The three servants were a little annoyed. “The general hasn’t boarded yet, but she went in first!”

“Jianghu children don’t care about trivial matters, there’s no need to make a fuss.” Qin Mubai smiled indifferently, “Get in the car, let’s go!”

“I don’t want to sit in the same carriage as this barbarian woman. We don’t have the heart of a general. When we see her, we get angry!” The two soldiers who had been injured earlier angrily unloaded a horse from the carriage and rode down. Another person drove the carriage. Qin Mubai and the Female Sword Pavilion sat in the carriage together.

The carriage shook and a turpentine lamp lit up in the carriage.

The female swordswoman was dressed in black clothes and a black cloak. She did not take off her black gauze hat and looked rather mysterious under the dim yellow light. Vaguely, one could only see her pair of starry eyes shining with her soul. Her hand holding the sword was as white as jade, and her slender fingers were like green onions. No matter how she looked at it, she did not look like a rough person who practiced saber and spear all day long.

“Miss, what’s your name? Otherwise, I don’t know how to address you.” Qin Mubai asked.

“I’m already married, so there’s no need to address me as a girl.”

“Then what’s Madam’s name?”

“Am I very old?” The female swordswoman’s voice carried a trace of anger. “Although she has been betrothed, she hasn’t passed the door. Although she is a mother, she hasn’t left the boudoir.”

“You’re so funny. Do you like to rap and stingy?” Qin Mubai couldn’t help but laugh, “I’m too lazy to ask. I’ll call you Miss Black in the future. Anyway, you like to wear black clothes.”

The female swordswoman gave Qin Mubai a sidelong glance. Each word was as crisp as cutting vegetables and melons. She said coldly, “Mother’s surname is Chen, and her name is Yan. My husband will give me the word Shuo Zhen.”

‘”Chen Yan, Chen Shuozhen” Qin Mubai nodded silently. Suddenly, her heart trembled with surprise and she opened her eyes wide in shock to look at this woman!

Chen Shuozhen? !

What a familiar name!

Qin Mubai once remembered a trip to Hangzhou in the 21st century. He was invited to a friend’s house in Chun’an County to play. He had seen two special landscapes there-the Son of Heaven Foundation and the Ten Thousand Year Pavilion.

Legend has it that in the early years of the Tang Dynasty, there was a unique female leader of the peasant uprising army called Chen Shuozhen! These two historical landscapes were left behind by her!

Her story was widely circulated in the area. It was said that in that year, the Qingxi area of Chen Shuozhen’s hometown erupted with a once-in-a-hundred-year flood, yet the government refused to open a warehouse to release grain, and still levied various taxes, causing the people to be in dire straits and starve to death. Chen Shuozhen had already gained some fame at that time, so he used the appeal of religion to lead a “revolution.” Soon, he pulled up a rebellion and really set up tens of thousands of troops to quickly take down one or two counties. He also established his own political power and was known as the “Emperor of Wenjia.”

Although the small-scale uprising had failed in just over a month, and she had been arrested and ambushed, this feat was unprecedented. In the history of China, there were countless women who participated in peasant uprisings, but there were few women who were leaders. Chen Shuozhen was the only woman who was the leader and also known as the emperor!

Back then, when she was “proclaimed emperor”, Wu Zetian had just been taken back to the imperial palace from Ganye Temple by Li Zhi in his thirties, and even the Empress had yet to become one. Therefore, there was no lack of people who firmly believed that Chen Shuozhen was the first female emperor in Chinese history!

“Is Miss Chen’s ancestral home in Mu Zhou?” Qin Mubai asked, avoiding the same name in order to confirm his guess.

Hearing this, Chen Yan sneered, “Jianghuai people have a strong accent, so there is no need to ask.”

“I have an old acquaintance who is also from Mu Zhou. My hometown seems to be called ‘Qingxi’.” Qin Mubai said inadvertently.

“What’s your surname?” Chen Yan asked curiously.

“Zhang Daniu.” Qin Mubai casually flattered a name.

“I don’t know.” Chen Yan coldly threw down the three words, turned her face away and closed her eyes to rest with the sword in her arms, ignoring Qin Mubai.

“Really!” Qin Mubai couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows in astonishment. Looking at her current temperament, there was a hint of rebellion in it. There wasn’t the slightest fear of the government and officials among the ordinary people. In addition, she had some terrifying martial arts skills. It wasn’t difficult to understand why she dared to take the risk of “revolting and revolutionizing” later on.