Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

The boundless clear lake reflects the slowly moving clouds, the blue waves and white clouds are extremely beautiful.

Wen Jiao set up a tent by the lake to wait for someone.

When Gesar arrived as promised, he was surrounded by a chill. The chill came from himself, because his face was dark.

Wen Jiao had already set up the tea table and poured tea for him. The teacup was still steaming with a pleasant fragrance, "This is the magical leaf you often say can cure diseases. Try it. I guarantee it will taste different from the tea bricks you usually drink."

Gesar thanked him, drank it all in one gulp, and praised it for its fragrance, but from his expression it was obvious that he did not taste the tea at all.

"Is the King of Ling Kingdom worried about something?" Wen Jiao asked after sipping her fragrant tea.

Gesar seemed to be distracted until he was asked, then he suddenly came back to his senses and smiled bitterly.

There were many things he shouldn't have told to outsiders, especially since the other person was a woman. But they had been traveling together since the Kingdom of Hole, and they had already developed a comradeship. Wen Jiao's martial arts and wisdom had left a deep impression on him, so he was no different from others. When she asked him this, he unknowingly poured out all his grievances: "Mesa locked himself in his room as soon as he returned to the palace and refused to come out again. Amandamu requested to lead troops to the border, saying that he wanted to replace Jiacha to guard the border for the Kingdom of Ling. Zhumu..."

He covered his face and said painfully: "Zhu Mu took off all her jewelry, put on the roughest clothes, and said she wanted to go to the snowy mountains to practice and no longer live a secular life. She wanted to leave me. I was away for only a few years, and it seemed that everything had changed. Everyone wanted to abandon me."

It's right. Wen Jiao said silently in her heart.

Thinking of the purpose of Yogesar's coming out, Wen Jiao smiled and said, "This is my fault. When Queen Zhumu asked me to deliver the letter to you, she promised to give up the position of Queen and give it to our princess in the future."

"What?" Gesar asked in surprise.

"I agreed to deliver the letter for her because I felt sorry for her, but I didn't actually agree to it. It's just that she thought you had misunderstood, and she wanted to fulfill her promise when she saw you come back." Wen Jiao added.

"So that's how it is," Gesar suddenly realized, "I was wondering how she could bear to leave me?"

Wen Jiao:......

Wen Jiao smiled and said, "The love between the King and the Queen is so deep that even our Princess Wencheng is amazed by it."

Although Gesar was conceited, he was not stupid. In any case, it was obviously a bit excessive to show his deep affection for another woman in front of the woman who was about to become his princess, and he felt a little embarrassed: "I will treat your princess well."

"Should I treat you as attentively as I treat Queen Zhumu? Or as attentively as Concubine Mesa? Princess Amandam? Or like the other concubines? I'm sorry, I have only heard of these three names in the king's harem. I haven't met the others yet. Please forgive me if I'm offended." Wen Jiao asked back.

Gesar remained silent.

In his heart, all other women combined could not surpass Zhu Mu. She was his love at first sight in childhood, his secret admiration in youth, his first wife in adulthood, and the woman he took the initiative to invite to sit on the throne with him when he ascended the throne.

If it weren't for custom, he would never have thought of marrying the other twelve concubines headed by Mesa. Since he married them, he naturally had to treat them well. As for Amandamu, she helped him to destroy her brother, the black demon Ruzan. Since he used her power, he naturally had to treat her well.

Gesar naturally knew which answer Wen Jiao wanted, but he couldn't give it to her, so he remained silent.

As expected, Wen Jiao sighed darkly: "When our princess was still in the boudoir, she was also the apple of her parents' eyes. She also wanted a husband who would treat her as a supreme treasure, rather than being drowned in the vast harem and becoming a foil to the love between another woman and her husband."

"I will never give up Zhumu." Gesar's face changed slightly, and he immediately emphasized it.

Wen Jiao said: "Our princess also knows that you two are deeply in love, and she doesn't have the heart to interfere, so she made today's appointment. She asked me to tell you that this marriage is canceled."

Can the marriage between the two countries be cancelled just like that?

Gesar had no attachment to Princess Wencheng, but he also knew that this matter was of great importance. Moreover, Wencheng had led her army to protect Ling State after hearing that it was besieged. Gesar owed her a great favor, so he could not help but ask, "What should the princess do?"

Wen Jiao said sadly: "I will go back to Tang to apologize, and then be sent to a temple by our emperor, have my hair shaved, wear clothes made of coarse cloth, and become a nun who eats vegetarian food and chants Buddhist scriptures for the rest of my life, right?"

This price is too painful.

Zhumu also wanted to practice Buddhism. Gesar was going crazy just thinking about such a bitter and cold life. The Tang princess knew that she was extremely delicate. To let her live such a life was like throwing a blooming flower into a fire, which was simply cruel.

Thinking back to the beautiful girl with gorgeous clothes and beautiful face that he saw yesterday, Gesar felt guilty: "How can I do this? The princess is still so young. She doesn't need to pay such a painful price for protecting me and Zhumu."

His mind raced, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind: "I got it. In fact, we don't have to give up the marriage. We just need to find a husband for the princess who cherishes her."

Wen Jiao's face turned cold: "The princess's body is worth a fortune. If you want to marry her off to someone else to fool the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, don't blame me for being merciless!"

Gesar waved his hands quickly: "I'm not stupid - by the way, how old is your princess?"

Wen Jiao sighed, "The princess is only sixteen years old, still at the age of budding." She glared at him in condemnation.

Gesar smiled awkwardly and clapped his hands: "My nephew, Zara, the son of Jiacha, is fourteen years old this year, only two years younger than the princess. The age difference is not far. With such status, I think he is a good match! He is the oldest prince of my father's grandchildren. If the princess marries him, she will be the first princess of the same generation in the future. Can you help me ask the princess what she thinks?"

The fish bit the hook.

Wen Jiao pretended to be displeased: "Little Prince Zara... Even his father, Prince Jiacha, was excluded by your country's chief steward, let alone him..."

Gesar's face was filled with deep guilt: "My brother died because of me, and Zara is like my own flesh and blood. Even if my own children are born in the future, I will teach them to live in harmony like brothers. I will never let my brother's fate be repeated in his only son."

This is the guarantee he wanted, but it seemed that Gesar didn't know at this time that he was destined to be childless for life.

Wen Jiao said solemnly: "Then I will go ask the princess."

The next day, she brought back the princess's reply: "The princess is willing to meet Prince Zara to see if they have similar personalities."

Gesar had just persuaded Zhumu to change her mind, and was already in a good mood. Hearing this, he was even more delighted: "I'll arrange it right away."