Chapter 36: Friends
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Mingzhu said, “I originally got this for a friend to drink, but since they don’t appreciate it, there’s no point. I’ll just pour it out.” She really meant to pour all the wine from the gourd, and knowing her temperament, Ban Jian became anxious and quickly stepped forward to hold the gourd, angrily saying, “Are you reasonable or not?”
Seeing him fall for it, Mingzhu suppressed a laugh and said, “How am I being unreasonable?”
Ban Jian blurted out, “How can you take back what you’ve given and pour it out? How can you be so untrustworthy?”
Mingzhu looked at him with a half-smile, “Oh, so you’re saying you’re my friend? Did you agree to accept this thing?”
Ban Jian, still young and naive, choked up with a neck full of anger, “Seeing your sincerity, I, the young master, will overlook the faults of small people and not argue with women.”
“Alright, young master, you’re great.” Mingzhu pretended to bow to him, smiling, “Are you satisfied now?”
Ban Jian, now knowing her identity, blushed at her previous attitude and whispered, “I was just testing you, but you took it seriously.”
Mingzhu placed the cup of wine in front of him and coaxed, “I know you’re upset about that body deed, but it’s for your own good. You’ve seen what Yuwen You is like. If we don’t do this, he’ll kill you! I’ll avenge you anonymously! Why didn’t your master, a wise man, stop you from returning with me? It’s because he knew you’d be ruined following him! Don’t worry, with me, you can ask for any weapon diagrams, old gourds, horn cups, escape plans—anything. I’ll provide the money!”
Ban Jian was tempted, but still not entirely pleased. “But from now on, I’ll be a slave to others. Even my son won’t be able to take the imperial examinations. Won’t I lose out?”
Mingzhu burst into laughter, “You think too far ahead!”
Ban Jian, blushing and embarrassed, muttered, “A man without foresight must suffer near worries.”
“Alright!” Mingzhu patted his shoulder forcefully, saying each word clearly, “Rest assured, eight years later, I will set you free!”
“Why eight years later?” Ban Jian asked puzzledly.
Mingzhu joked, “Let me tell you the truth. A sage recently predicted for me that I’ll have a bloody disaster and only a young man born in the southeast, with a sheep sign and a golden fate, can avert it. I followed his advice and found you! So, if anyone dares to take you away from me or cause trouble for you, I’ll fight them to the death!”
While the latter statement from Mingzhu was partly true and partly false, Su Lan, who had been following her, of course knew there was no sage or bloody disaster. However, Ban Jian’s eyes lit up, “Is what you’re saying true?”
Mingzhu smiled, “More real than pearls! Haven’t you already tried it? Would I go to such lengths for anyone else?”
Glancing at her still purple face, Ban Jian said in a low voice, “Didn’t you blame me for ruining your appearance and your marriage?”
Mingzhu laughed, “It’s fine. As long as I’m alive, my face will recover, and I can remarry! So you must take care not to run away or cause trouble for anyone else…”
Ban Jian warily asked, “Or what?”
Mingzhu glanced at the gourd and horn cup he was holding tightly, smiling, “A diagram, an old gourd, a horn cup, an escaped slave—any one of them is enough to convict you of a capital crime.” Though he was a genius and master craftsman in weapon-making, if he couldn’t be used by her and instead helped others harm her loved ones, she wouldn’t hesitate to act.
She said this with a smile, but Ban Jian sensed a chill in her words, as if she would surely take his life if he truly betrayed her. Subconsciously, he put on a serious face and said, “A gentleman’s word is as good as his horse’s pace. Since I’ve accepted your things and received your protection, I won’t do anything to betray you.”
Mingzhu raised her hand, “Then it’s settled. Let’s seal the deal with a handshake!”
As usual, Ban Jian spat on his palm, looked at Mingzhu cunningly, and Mingzhu, enduring, closed her eyes and forced herself to quickly shake his hand, then grimaced in discomfort, wiping her hand on him.
Seeing her relent, Ban Jian’s mood improved a lot, and he laughed triumphantly. Suddenly, he saw a glimpse of cyan outside the door. Quickly suppressing his laughter, he straightened his face and stood properly with his hands tied, whispering, “Fourth Master.”
Fu Mingzheng glanced at the old gourd and horn cup on the table, then coldly said to Mingzhu, “Father is looking for you.” After Mingzhu left, he looked at Ban Jian with a hostile expression and said, “If you dare not listen to her, I’ll hand you over to Yuwen You and let him tear you apart.”
Mingzhu walked and waited for Fu Mingzheng to catch up, then asked, “What did Fourth Brother say to Ban Jian?”
Fu Mingzheng said indifferently, “A wild boy who grew up in the mountains doesn’t understand the rules, so I’m teaching him.”
Mingzhu believed it was true and entrusted, “When Fourth Brother has time, teach him well. He’s really talented. If you don’t believe it, you can try.”
Fu Mingzheng said, “By the time you remember the forgotten wild vegetables, I’ve already tried it. Otherwise, do you think he could live in such a good house and eat such good food? On the second day after he returned, I threw him a hand crossbow and asked him to figure it out. It was a hand crossbow that the Yue tribes offered to Emperor Wenzong, said to come from the West. There’s only one, but unfortunately it was broken. For so many years, no one has been able to repair it. Second Brother happened to see it and asked Emperor Wenzong for it, hiding it in the armory. He didn’t expect it to be fixed by this kid in just two days!”
Mingzhu smiled proudly, “I told you he’s talented.”
“Hmm, you’re right,” Fu Mingzheng’s eyes revealed a gleam of light, “I’ve done what you asked me to do.”
It was Geng Momo. Mingzhu sighed and her high spirits fell, “How much of those rumors are true?”
Fu Mingzheng said, “Most of it is true. It involves Third Brother… Geng Pingqiang has been serving Third Brother closely. He gained a lot of trust from Third Brother and took the opportunity to steal Third Brother’s seal, using it to stamp many blank papers. Whenever someone needed a favor, he would use those papers to fabricate letters in Third Brother’s name and send them out, collecting money in Third Brother’s name as well. Because of this, the subordinates all thought they were doing tasks for our family and kept it hidden. That’s why we didn’t hear any rumors. Father has already ordered their punishment. The whole Geng family is done for, and Third Brother is also responsible for failing to supervise properly.”
Mingzhu took a sharp breath, “Third Brother didn’t even notice?” These Three Immortals, what can she even say about them?
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
