Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan Volume 12 Chapter 12 part1

Book 12 Chapter 12 - Meeting an Old Friend on The Road

Stepping down from the Tianjin Bridge, Xu Ziling arrived at the southern part of of the city; he felt relaxed and was in a good mood.

He really did not want to see Shan Wanjing.

This moment the City of Luoyang looked like it has just been awakened from sleep. Streams of carts and sedan chairs flowed without stopping. The city was bustling with noise and excitement. Among the pedestrians, many were wearing barbarian attires; obviously they were traveling merchants from the Western Regions.

Just by looking at the prosperity before their eyes, anybody could not imagine that there were endless wars outside the city, and that people were in a terrible situation.

Even more difficult to imagine was that Luoyang was caught in the midst of internal and external problems; that it was in the center of conflict among major powers.

Leaving the Heavenly Street bubbling up with a tide of people, he walked to the west along the Luo River. On a more than ten zhang wide waterfront, a huge ship standing right by the dock, with smaller boats moored on the aft of ship. The size of the iron chain itself was a marvel.

Looking back at the Tianjin Bridge, Ba Fenghan had already disappeared.

The four multistory building opposite each other on the north and south of the Tianjin Bridge added to the grandeur of the bridge itself; it was such a magnificent sight.

Leaving the shopping area south of the Bridge, he noticed that the pedestrians were a lot more sparse. Xu Zling strolled along the Luo dike. The dike was lined with miscellaneous plants, Chinese scholar trees and willows. The green trees provided shade. It was a charming scenery.

Collecting his thoughts, Xu Ziling could not help thinking about the relationship between Ba Fenghan and Shan Wanjing.

That day Ba Fenghan and Shan Wanjing agreed to meet at Jiujiang. Perhaps it was not such a simple matter of man-woman relationship.

It should be noted that Shan Wanjing was the new generation leader of Dongming Pai. Internally, that Shang Ming fellow has been chosen to be her future husband. Therefore, although she fell in love with Li Shimin, they were not fated to be together.

Judging from Shan Wanjing's strong character and the way she conducted herself, since she was able to restrain her feeling for Li Shimin that nothing went wrong, according to reason, she also should be able to refrain from making a tryst with Ba Fenghan.

Therefore, between she and Ba Fenghan, there must be some cooperation of mutual benefit.

Xu Ziling originally did not consider this aspect of the matter, but because Ba Fenghan had intimate knowledge that Shan Wanjing was in Luoyang, and he knew where she was staying, this was definitely not a simple matter at all.

If between the two people there was only a simple matter between a man and a woman, with Ba Fenghan's attitude in which he did not attach most importance to family love, and the fact that Shan Wanjing did not have the heart to kill Xu Ziling the other day, it was enough for Ba Fenghan to never turn his back against Shan Wanjing.

Xu Ziling shook his head with rueful smile.

Could a wind blowing a ripple on a spring [season] pond interfere with the matters between a man and a woman?

Right this moment, someone was hurrying over. Xu Ziling looked up to see, and instantly he was dumbstruck, and nearly could not believe his own eyes.

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Leaning on the window, Kou Zhong looked out, wile myriads of thoughts flashed through his mind.

The road to hegemony over the world was definitely not a broad and open road. Not only it was unpredictable and hard to fathom, it was rugged and hard to pass, with the risk of having his body torn and his bones crushed lurking at every turn. The one brought him the most headaches was that there were so many forks on the road. One slip and he would lose the opportunity to reach his goal.

And opportunity was of a really crucial importance.

Li Shimin was a person who understood how to grasp opportunity the most. He watched for opportunity, pushed his old man to rebel, and raised an army at Taiyuan, taking advantage while Guanzhong's elite troops were pressing west to deal with Li Mi, he crossed the river to enter the pass, and seized the Western Capital Chang'An, a staunch and solid point, all along only had to face danger from Xue Ju, father and son, on the west side, and was able to take control of Guanzhong, in the midst of great heroes pursuing the deer in the Central Plains [fig. many vie for supremacy], and seized the advantage of ‘sandpiper and clam war together, and the fisherman catches both' without even lifting a finger.

And right now he had just started.

Admittedly, while toppling Li Mi would break the Song Clan and Wagang Army alliance like killing a fetus inside the belly, the one reaping the most benefit would be Li Shimin, and not him, Kou Zhong.

Therefore, now it was not the time to kill Li Mi. Even though Li Mi was craning his neck waiting to be chopped, he could not kill Li Mi.

Ay! I wish Xiao Ling were here! Then at least I'll have someone to unload my mind.

If Xu Ziling was killed, he would recklessly abandon everything to avenge him. All those aspiration to obtain the world or what have you, would have to be set aside.

‘Knock! Knock!'

Kou Zhong was stunned. "Come in!” he said.

A young maid pushed the door and bowed respectfully while saying, "Miss is inviting Kou Gongzi to her cabin for a meeting.”

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Xu Ziling hesitated for a moment, before running to block the person who had just brushed past, and called in heavy voice, "Li Dage!”

Unexpectedly it was Li Jing, whom he had not seen in a very long time.

The reason of his hesitation was because all along he could not accept what happened to Susu. If Li Jing was not a fickle man, Susu would not receive disgrace from Wang Bodang, and furthermore, she would not have married Xiang Yushan.

Li Jing was dressed in everyday clothes, but he still looked heroic and frank; his eyes had become even sharper, evidently in these past few years his martial art skill had progressed tremendously.

Stunned, he halted his step. With confused expression he knitted his brows and asked, "Could this Xiongtai be mistaken?”

It was only then did Xu Ziling realize that presently he was the ‘Scarface Hero'. Thereupon, lowering his voice he said, "It's me, Xu Ziling. I am wearing a mask.”

First, Li Jing's tiger body shook, and then, showing a pleasantly surprised expression, he pulled Xu Ziling over the row of locust trees by the pathway and toward the edge of the sloping dike. "I also heard the rumor that you guys are heading to Luoyang,” he said in great delight, "But I would never have expected that we would come across each other by chance like this. Where's Xiao Zhong?”

Xu Ziling pulled his mask off and stuffed it into his bosom.

Li Jing sighed and said, "You are taller than me now. Time flies really fast, unexpectedly it has been many years. Those two urchins of the old days have become world-shaking figures. Nowadays, at the mention of your name, people are either gnashing their teeth in anger, or praising you to high heaven!”

And then he quickly added, "Xiao Zhong is all right, isn't he?”

Listening to his sincere concern, while also recalling Susu, Xu Ziling was so torn that he hated himself for it. He said, "Xiao Zhong is all right, we are just temporarily splitting up, each one handling different matter; that's all!”

Li Jing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Come! Let's find a place to sit down and talk!”

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Kou Zhong was led by the young maid to the inner cabin.

Dong Shuni had changed into fancy dress, and had put on meticulous makeups. Sitting nicely in a chair, her beauty was even more dazzling. Her smoky eyes also increased her charm and grace, and made her look a bit more mature.

Kou Zhong was sat on a chair on her left. The young maid retreated, and even closed the door behind her.

Kou Zhong looked unsure, "Aren't you afraid your Da Jiujiu might blame you?” he asked.

Imitating Wang Shichong's tone, she spoke in an old, gruff voice, "Now is now, then is then. How can they be the same?” But then she could not refrain from laughing tenderly, like a sprig of flower trembling uncontrollably, unleashing her seductive appearance at its full power that she looked extremely captivating.

Kou Zhong suddenly understood: Dong Shuni was Wang Shichong's secret weapon. By exploiting her beauty, he coaxed and took advantage of talents, and perhaps to gather intelligence as well. Otherwise, perhaps even to his death Wang Shichong was not aware that he had fallen within Li Mi's range of bows and arrows.

In order to subdue Kou Zhong, right now Wang Shichong was playing this Dong Shuni trump card.

Smiling sweetly, Dong Shuni said, "You are indeed a very capable person; I have never seen Da Jiujiu has such a high regard of anybody. But right now I don't like you!”

"What?” Kou Zhong blurted out.

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Chapter end